The Louisville Kings officially relaunched their season on Sunday afternoon with an explosive, dominant win against one of the UFL's best teams, the Dallas Renegades. It was the team's second consecutive win after three losses. One of those losses to the Orlando Storm by penalty in overtime prompted an immediate league rule change to ensure the situation never recurred.
In the locker room afterwards, Redman called the victory, "An incredible team win. This is the start of our season right now. Right now. This train is rolling." He knows this team is better than their 2-3 record, and the Kings are headed in the right direction.
Five Takeaways From The Louisville Kings Record-Breaking Victory Over The Dallas Renegades
Although the defense played an extraordinary game, the victory came from a complementary total-team effort. Here are five takeaways from the Kings' record-breaking win:
A Record-Shattering Ground Game
The Kings entered Sunday’s contest with the fewest rushing yards in the league. That record was obliterated on Sunday as Ian Wheeler scored a record-breaking four touchdowns on 13 carries for 62 yards. The first UFL player to reach the end zone four times in a single game, Wheeler and James Robinson combined for 147 yards rushing.
A Dominant Record-Breaking Performance From the Defense
The Louisville defense accounted for 27 of the team's 47 points, securing four interceptions off Dallas Renegades quarterback Austin Reed. The Kings' accomplishment was all the more impressive given that mere weeks ago, Reed had a UFL record-setting performance, passing for 376 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers in a rout over the Houston Gamblers. He set a new high for the most passing yards in a single game.
Each week, Jamie Sharper's defense keeps going from strength to strength. On Sunday afternoon, it was the secondary that stepped up, recording back-to-back interceptions, including an 83-yard pick-six by Bryce Hall.
Corey Mayfield secured a pick on the very next series. The resulting score put the Kings up 16-0 with five minutes left in the half. Later in the game, Mayfield was perfectly positioned to snatch a second interception off Reed. Capping off a very long afternoon for Reed, Antonio Grier grabbed the second pick-six of the game.
At the mid-point of the season, Louisville leads the league in tackles (332), solo tackles (203), and interceptions (5). The King defense is tied with the reigning league champion D.C. Defenders for forced fumbles (3), and the team’s 20 PBU’s rank second to the Defenders’ league-leading 21 pass-breakups.
Chandler Rogers' Solid Leadership In Debut Performance
Taking control of the Kings' offense with a calm, confident manner, Chandler Rogers showed why he is the Kings' QB1. Completing 13 of 18 passes for 150 yards, he deftly managed the offense, protected the football, and added 22 yards on three carries. Rogers didn't try to force anything and displayed an affinity for extending drives and putting the offense in scoring position. His leadership style is the very embodiment of the Kings' rally cry, “United We Reign.”
At the postgame media session, Rogers expressed his appreciation for his team and the coaching staff, stating, “I’m from the Dallas area so it felt great. Seeing their support and belief in me, meant the world to me. I’m glad we got the win.”
League Leading Performances
Outstanding UFL rookie Jaheim Thomas leads the UFL with 40 tackles (29 solo). The former Wisconsin Badger has been an absolute standout since Week 1, when he made his professional football debut, recording seven tackles with six solo.
Another UFL newcomer, cornerback Deantre Prince, leads the team, along with Mayfield, with four PBUs.
Outside linebacker Cam Gill leads the league with 5.5 sacks in four games. In addition, he has 24 tackles (14 solo) and a forced fumble to his credit.
Coach Chris Redman Doesn't Get Enough Credit
Despite Chris Redman's lack of head-coaching experience, he has done an amazing job leading this team and rallying the troops from their last-place standing to become a genuine playoff threat.
Standing behind his guys, even during the tougher moments, Redman has led the way with a steady hand. Making difficult decisions to do what's best for the team, he named Rogers the starting quarterback. He traded Jason Bean to D.C., knowing the opportunity to back up Jordan Ta'amu, one of the best quarterbacks in the league, would ultimately benefit his growth and development.
At the postgame media session, Redman confidently predicted,"We’ve got the right formula right now. The guys really stepped up. We feel like our season is just getting started.”
"I thought our team played great today. It really was a team win. Everyone played really well in all aspects of the game - Offense, Defense and Special Teams. We felt like we got things rolling early and our Defense really stepped up and and made some huge turnovers.
Next up for the Kings is a special event to kick off the Kentucky Derby weekend. The Kings will host the St. Louis Battlehawks at Lynn Family Stadium on Thursday, April 30, 2026. The action gets underway at 8:00 pm EDT, and the game will be televised on FS1.