Following an impressive Week 1 debut, the UFL Louisville Kings travel to Florida to take on the Orlando Storm. Although they lost 15-13, the Kings came close to pulling off an upset victory against one of the UFL’s premier teams, the Birmingham Stallions, and they are hungry for their first win.
Coming off a 23-16 victory over the Columbus Aviators, Anthony Becht’s Orlando team is looking to notch a second win in front of the hometown fans. Here’s how the two teams stack up for Saturday night’s showdown.
The Louisville Kings Offense:
On an unseasonably chilly Louisville March night, Jason Bean made his UFL debut in front of a stadium full of 14,034 fans cheering on their hometown team. Bean launched throw after throw, showcasing his impressive arm strength and big-play ability. Finishing the game with 227 passing yards and one touchdown, he rushed for another 27 yards on six carries. Although Bean was charged with two interceptions, he shouldn’t be faulted for a bobbled, dropped ball by his receiver.
Speaking to the media after the close loss last week, Bean reiterated, "It's obviously not the outcome that we wanted… I think there's a ton of stuff on film that we can look to build on… I think there's some things we can correct too… So I'm just looking forward to getting back in next week…looking over the film and continuing to, you know, get better and figure out the things that we need to fix and get those corrected and come back in next week and try to get a win.”
The Kings did a nice job extending the time of possession with a couple of lengthy series running nine or ten plays. However, in addition to three turnovers, improvement is needed on the number of dropped balls and missed passes by the offense. Lucky Jackson, the team’s leading receiver with six receptions for 76 yards and a 12-yard touchdown, was the exception. Jackson, a Kentucky native, was thrilled to play in front of a crowd filled with family and friends, and he had a terrific game.
The Orlando Storm Offense:
Unlike last week, when Louisville played one of the UFL's more experienced, successful teams, this week, the Kings take the field against another expansion team and a UFL rookie quarterback.
Jack Plummer
A native of Dubuque, Iowa, the 6’5” 215 lb. Plummer attended high school in Arizona and initially committed to Purdue. In his junior year, he transferred to California, where he had a standout season, completing 62.5% of his passes for 3,085 yards with 21 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and one rushing score. However, ahead of this senior year, Plummer entered the transfer portal once more, opting to play for Louisville.
The change proved beneficial for Plummer, who started all 12 games to finish the season completing 64.8% of his passes for 3,204 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Despite leading his team to a 10-2 record that season and the 2023 ACC Championship game, Plummer went undrafted the following April. However, after signing with the Carolina Panthers as a UDFA and spending time on the practice squad, he was promoted to the active roster in December of 2024. Waived in August of 2025, Plummer made his professional football debut last week, completing 17/22 passes for 240 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. He also rushed three times for 11 yards.
In addition, the Storm acquired one of the most talented and potentially explosive playmakers in former D.C. Defenders star utility player Chris Rowland. In 2024, he scored the UFL’s first kickoff return for a touchdown, a stunning 84-yarder. In addition to receiving and handling kickoff returns, Rowland can seemingly do it all. Last week, he was the team’s leading receiver with four catches for 28 yards and a touchdown, plus a thrilling 28-yard carry.
ADVANTAGE?
Both quarterbacks have proven that they can lead the offense. Plummer has the added benefit of the league’s best leading the Storm’s backfield. Former San Antonio Brahmas' All-UFL Team running back, Jashaun Corbin, led the league with 97 carries for 514 yards and four touchdowns. Last week, he scored both rushing touchdowns, leading Orlando’s ground game with 15 carries for 66 yards.
Last week, Bean powered Louisville’s ground game as the lead rusher with 28 yards. Employing a running back by committee approach, offensive coordinator Steve Logan split the reps between NFL veteran Benny Snell, UFL rookie Ian Wheeler, and UFL veteran Jaden Shirden.
Snell had five carries for 12 yards. Shirden had four carries for five yards and handled the kickoff return duties. Shirden’s four returns (90 yards) included a terrific midfield return late in the game that gave the Kings a chance for a come-from-behind victory. Unfortunately, Bean threw an interception with 1:27 left in the game that helped seal the Stallions' win.
Wheeler had two carries for two yards, including a critical end zone fumble just before the half. The three turnovers were the difference maker, leading to the King’s loss.
Orlando rookie wide receiver Elijhah Badger had an excellent game with four receptions for 127 yds. The 24-year -old looks to be a player the Louisville defense will need to contain.
Corbin’s expertise is a definite advantage for the Storm, while Bean’s mobility provides the same for the Kings. However, having a quarterback who can move as well as Bean provides a terrific secondary option. Instead of putting him unnecessarily at risk of injury, the Louisville running backs must play a bigger role in the Kings' ground game.
Louisville Kings Defense
Cornerback Cam Danztler, safety Keaton Ellis, and NFL veteran DT Travis Bell led Jamie Sharper’s defense. Holding the Stallions to a 15-point total last week, the defense looked formidable. Ellis, the former Memphis Showboats talent, had nine tackles, including six solo.
Bell, a UFL newcomer, had nine tackles and one TFL. He most recently played for the Minnesota Vikings after being drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2023. Dantzler, another Memphis Showboats standout, had seven tackles, one TFL, and two pass defenses. UFL rookie EDGE Xavier Carlton, who previously was with the Chicago Bears, had three tackles, including two TFLs.
Orlando Storm Defense
With All-UFL Team LB Tavante Beckett on the injury report, former NFL veteran and St. Louis Battlehawks safety Nate Meadors was the standout for the Storm with eight tackles, including five solo. Keshawn Banks contributed four tackles (one solo), 1.0 sack, and a pass breakup. Former Memphis Showboats cornerback Mark Gilbert contributed three solo tackles.
The Kicking Game
This week's game features two UFL rookie placekickers in Tanner Brown and Orlando's Michael Lantz. Both proved last week that they were up to the challenge. Lantz is perfect on the season, kicking a 55-yard field goal and four kickoffs for 227 yards.
Brown was equally impressive, handling kicking duties for the Kings. He nailed a 20-yard field goal, a 37-yard field goal, and four kickoffs for 221 yards.
As Louisville head coach Chris Redman said after the Stallions' game, "These guys fought really hard. Obviously, it's hard to do when you have some turnovers, and we get off the field on third down….But I see so much potential in this team."
This is a team with a lot of talent and a lot more to prove. Saturday night presents another opportunity to capture that first win.
The action kicks off Saturday night, April 4th, at Inter& Co Stadium in Orlando, FL. The game will be televised on ESPN at 8:00 pm ET. Orlando is favored by 3.5 points, with the over/under set at 40.5 to 44.5 points.