The DC Defenders (5-4) hosted the Orlando Storm (7-2), in a rematch in back-to-back weeks to close out the UFL’s regular season.
Last week, Orlando got the best of DC at home. Spencer Sanders was a bit too inconsistent in his first start, which led to the Storm holding on for the 27-19 win. Orlando has officially locked up the #1 seed, as St. Louis lost on Friday.
DC is currently playing for postseason seeding. They can move up to the third seed, with a win over Orlando today. Louisville would have to lose to Columbus tonight.
Let’s take a look at what went down at Audi Field this afternoon.
First Quarter
Jason Bean got the starting nod for the DC Defenders at quarterback. It wasn’t a clean start, as he was intercepted on his second passing attempt by Nate Brooks.
The Defenders defense held strong. Even though Orlando wasn’t resting any of their starters, they stalled out midfield – turning the ball over on downs.
DC broke off a couple of impressive runs with Deon Jackson and Jason Bean – but were held to a field goal after getting into the red zone.
Orlando was boosted by a penalty on Derick Roberson, called for roughing the passer after a third down stop. Derrick would come right back at them, though – forcing a fumble on the very next play, and DC recovered.
Unfortunately, more mistakes would strike Jason Bean. He used his legs efficiently to put DC in the red zone – but on third and goal, he tried to force the ball into a window that wasn’t there. Mishael Powell picked it off, taking it to the house to put Orlando on top 7-3.
Second Quarter
DC got into the red zone yet again, but could not find paydirt. Bean was inconsistent through the air, leading to another field goal from Matt McCrane to make it 7-6.
Orlando’s offense had a difficult time finding their groove. Even after a key third down conversion from Elijhah Badger, the team stalled out – and Michael Lantz couldn’t connect on a 54 yard field goal.
Missed field goals were on the table in this second quarter. After it appeared DC had fumbled the ball away, the play was overturned – and the Defenders kept the ball. McCrane missed from 51 yards out, and Orlando was handed the ball back with great field position.
The Storm put together a decent drive, which resulted in a short field goal from Michael Lantz. With only 20 seconds left, we thought we were heading into halftime – but Ty Scott had other plans.
He burst out with a kickoff return past the 50, and then caught a ball that put them inside the 20, making it a short field goal for McCrane heading into the break.
Third Quarter
The Storm put it together to begin the second half. Jack Plummer dialed up a couple of long passes to Elijhah Badger and Chris Rowland, the latter of which went for a 31 yard touchdown to take a 17-9 lead.
It was an odd day for DC with their special teams. Matt McCrane is one of the most consistent, accurate kickers in spring football. But, after another DC drive stalled out, McCrane missed a 41 yarder, and the score remained 17-9.
This time, Orlando’s offense didn’t really go anywhere. They punted it right back, and it remained a one score affair. Jason Bean came alive with his legs, bursting for a 47 yard gain that set up DC in excellent position in the red zone.
Just a couple of plays later, Xazavian Valladay made Orlando pay for it. He banged his way into the end zone, and a successful two point try tied it up at 17.
With fifteen minutes left to play, we were all knotted up in a game that felt much more intense than one with “little meaning.”
Fourth Quarter
Orlando went three and out, punting it away to DC. Jerome Kapp downed it inside the five, and then came up in a major way again on special teams. Jerome blocked the punt attempt from Paxton Brooks, and it went out of bounds for a safety, putting Orlando on top 19-17.
DC, with a defensive blunder, put themselves in a hole. Jack Plummer evaded pressure just long enough to find Cam Camper, who broke free – eluding multiple tacklers en route for a 74 yard score to make it 26-17.
The self-inflicted wounds continued to pile up for the Defenders. Darien Butler forced a fumble on the kickoff return, and Orlando recovered – taking full control of momentum in the fourth quarter. The Storm settled for three, taking a 29-17.
DC could not find a groove, even after scoring a touchdown late in the 3Q. They had to punt it away, following a failed super challenge from Shannon Harris.
It would be a rather odd ending to this ball game. Orlando picked up a first down, and were in a position to just run the clock out. However, Brandon Smith forced a fumble on Jashaun Corbin with 40 seconds to go, and DC took over.
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The Defenders had zero sense of urgency, not using their timeouts. They decided to just concede the game, even though they scored a touchdown on the final play of the game to Briley Moore.
The Orlando Storm would hang on for the win, 29-23 on the road.
Standout Playmakers
WR Cam Camper: With three receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown, Camper once again had an outstanding performance, showcasing why he should be in the conversations with some of the league’s best at the position.
WR Chris Rowland: Chris continues to see success against his former team. Rowland had four receptions for 46 yards and a score in the win.
CB Nate Brooks: Brooks was on an absolute mission in this ball game. He had four tackles, an interception, and four pass breakups – absolutely dominating the air space from start to finish.
LB Kana’i Mauga: After just signing a couple of weeks ago, Kana’i was thrown into action – and exceeded expectations. He totaled nine tackles, a tackle for loss, and two pass breakups.
DC
LB Brandon Smith: Smith didn’t stop fighting until the seconds on the clock hit zero. He racked up seven tackles (leading the team), to go with two tackles for loss, a pair of pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
Major Takeaways
Jason Bean truly is an enigma, and it’s unclear if he’s the guy who can truly take DC anywhere in the postseason. Orlando had his number most of the afternoon through the air, as he was intercepted twice – and put the ball in harms way far too often. With his legs, he is absolutely deadly. Jason ran for 116 yards on just 11 carries. As a passer, there’s a lot of growth that will need to take place over the next seven days before the playoffs begin.
“I love what this guy [Bean] did for us. He competed his butt off. I tell you, he’ll come back next week and get us to a Championship.” – Defenders HC Shannon Harris
Third down efficiency was an issue for DC, along with their inability to punch it in the end zone. The Defenders were 1-6 on red zone opportunities (leading up to that odd last drive), and they were 3-12 on third downs. On top of that, Matt McCrane – who is more trusted than just about any kicker in this league, missed two field goals. Pair that up with a blocked punt, and it put a little too much pressure on Jason Bean to execute in his first start with DC.
The Orlando Storm are clearly the favorites to win it all heading into the postseason. Anthony Becht made it clear: they wanted to win this game just as badly as the rest of them, even though their #1 seed was already locked up. It wasn’t perfect, but the Storm are getting closer and closer to playing their best ball of the year. Heading into the postseason, that’s exactly what they want to be doing.
“What an incredible regular season for our football team. Can’t tell you how proud I am of this football team, whether they dress, or not. My coaching staff, the equipment guys, the video guys. It’s a complete buy-in. You can say what you want about this league, there’s a lot of parity. There’s a lot of teams who can beat us on any given day. But you have to go out there and take it, every single week. To go 8-2, in this climate, where the parity is higher, I have to credit my players. It’s not an overnight thing.” – Storm HC Anthony Becht
Final Thoughts
What makes all of this so incredibly wild: DC and Orlando will face off for a THIRD time in a row, something that has never been done in professional football. We’ve had back-to-backs this UFL season, and have seen similar instances heading into the playoffs in years past. However, this is the first time two teams will play each other for three consecutive weeks.
While DC has dropped both games, they feel confident they can get the best of Orlando next weekend in Columbus. Shannon Harris beat Anthony Becht twice during the 2025 season.
Week 10 in the UFL concludes tonight, as the Columbus Aviators host the Louisville Kings.
What are your thoughts from this game between the DC Defenders and Orlando Storm? Which players impressed you the most? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
