It’s back! My Three up, Three down column tracks the roller-coaster ride that is UFL action each week, with positives or things happening often labeled “up,” and negatives or downward trends categorized as “down.”
Up: Clock mismanagement
Throughout the season, we’ve seen coaches struggle with the game clock with under two minutes remaining in the first half or at the end of the game. Perhaps the most egregious in that category came on Friday night. With San Antonio up before the half, and with the ball, interim head coach Payton Pardee allowed about 30 seconds to run off the clock – with two times out in his pocket – ultimately leading to a Kevin Hogan fumble that was returned for a touchdown by D.C., tying the game and swinging the momentum in their favor. The Defenders eventually won the game. Granted, there are a few interim head coaches, like Pardee, who will have some issues with the clock since this is their first time dealing with it. But in this particular situation, it cost San Antonio dearly.
Down: Scoreless streaks
A couple of scoreless streaks were broken in week seven as offenses continue to find the kind of success that was elusive early in the year. The Brahmas offensive woes were what led them to change quarterbacks and find themselves at 1-5 heading into week seven. Finally, after 155 minutes of game time and without an offensive touchdown since week four, they broke through early in the second quarter when Hogan found Alize Mack in the end zone. In Arlington, the Renegades also had difficulty scoring recently after some early-season offensive outbursts. They had not scored a TD in 24 drives but against Michigan, broke that streak. Two games out of a playoff spot with three games to go, Arlington is going to need to fine-tune their offense to stay in the race.
Up: Special teams turnovers
Kick returners had a rough go of it in week seven. Each day of games featured fumbles lost by players returning kicks. After the score in which San Antonio broke their touchdown-less streak, D.C.’s Chris Rowland coughed up the ball, allowing the Brahmas to reclaim possession at the Defenders’ 12-yard line. A few plays later, a field goal broke a 6-6 tie. On Saturday, again with the game tied, Arlington’s Nico Bolden recovered a Samson Nacua fumble and a subsequent field goal gave the Renegades a 12-9 lead in the third quarter. Then, as part of Birmingham’s epic comeback against Houston on Sunday, the Stallions recovered a Roughneck fumble on the kickoff after they took the lead, preventing Houston from having the ball with about 1:30 remaining to attempt to retake control. Interestingly, the teams that recovered these fumbles only went 1-2 on the weekend.
Down: Playoff contenders
At the close of week seven, while all four playoff teams have yet to be confirmed, the difference between contenders and pretenders have crystalized. Houston had a chance to tie Birmingham for second place in the USFL Conference, but with their loss, they’re now two games back with three to go, and with Birmingham owning the tiebreaker. In the XFL Conference, Arlington has now fallen behind both D.C. and St. Louis by two games. Memphis and San Antoino are playing for pride. The real competition is at the top of the standings, where four teams, two in each conference, are tied with 5-2 records. And with three weeks remaining, the leaders of each conference face each other one more time: Michigan and Birmingham square off in week nine, while St. Louis and D.C. face each other in week 10.
Up: Tight end production
Earlier in the season, I highlighted the downside of tight end production. This week was their time to shine. Of 20 receptions by Brahmas receivers, seven came from their tight ends. Steven Stilianos had as many receptions against D.C. as he had all season. Used mostly as a blocker, Alize Mack caught his first two passes of the year, and his first touchdown. Not to be outdone, Briley Moore-McKinney had five catches for 71 yards on the other side of the field, tying for the team lead in catches. Arlington’s Sal Cannella nearly broke the 100-yard mark against Michigan, catching six passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. Jace Sternberger also caught a TD pass for Birmingham.
Down: Birmingham attendance
Despite being a three-time spring league champion and right in the thick of the playoff race this season, the Stallions distributed under 5,000 tickets for Sunday’s game against Houston. Yes, it was Mother’s Day and yes it was an 11am CST start time. But these are Memphis numbers. The only thing more plentiful than Birmingham fans in the stands the last few years have been excuses as to why the numbers aren’t better. For a team that has been this successful, this number wouldn’t be as problematic if “regular” games weren’t drawing poorly as well. It’s part of a larger attendance issue with the league this year, even though some, like Michigan, have shown signs of increases.