(Steve Hamm / Special Contributor - The Dallas Morning News).
Just in time for week 4, I will be recapping the week 3 game between the Arlington Renegades and Birmingham Stallions on April 11th. Renegades resident saint Luis Perez is facing off against the Tommy Cutlets of the UFL replacement Matt Corral. Things that never change? The verb form of renegade being awesome, and Luis Perez getting purgatory out of the way on earth by leading the helm in Northern Texas. Let’s get into the game details!
Arlington Makes A Statement
An away game with the 2024 UFL champs could intimidate anyone. The Renegades are undefeated at this point, and the fans have hope. The Stallions were ready to head back to the stables after they were intercepted and Arlington got the first points on the board. Arlington put Birmingham to pasture again after an impressive forced fumble.
Rumor has it that Matt Corral ate Alex McGough’s chicken pre-game, and the first half of the game is the evidence. In what felt like a bad dream for Birmingham, we all witnessed Arlington put their turnover to good use, getting another field goal and leaving the score 6-0. Stallions aren’t great at losing, and the defense reacted to the tumultuous game by getting PI calls. The referees definitely have a “play it out” attitude, so multiple calls in a quarter are of note.
Before everyone headed back to the locker room for some chicken during halftime, the Renegades sneaked in another field goal. Birmingham fans were contemplating renegading with a tragic score of 9-0 as they headed for more tallboys to get through the rest of the game.
Stallions Show Up
Birmingham knew something was different when their defense could actually stop their opponents without racking up penalties. Fans received confirmation when the team was able to secure a field goal. If any UFL team had a bad kicker or no kicker, it would have no chance in this league. Who needs a TD anymore? The Stallions, apparently.
The Final Few Minutes
With just over two minutes on the clock, Corral learned how to throw the ball. Kind of. The quarterback was intercepted, deflating the team. However, they were saved by the whistle. They received a false start penalty, awarding them the ball back, fourth-and-eleven. Two wrongs do in fact make a right in this case.
Arlington’s defense was renegading in the fourth quarter, so it was easy for Corral to seal the deal with a pass to wide receiver Cade Johnson. Had the QB been given an opportunity to throw a pass that could be intercepted or fumbled, he would have.
The game was tied 9-9, and fans were chewing their fingernails in the final seconds of the game. We learned that Corral is much better at running than he is at quarterbacking. Don’t worry, Matt, that happens all the time in the NFL too. His mad dash secured the win, 10-9. Arlington fans were disappointed, along with anyone who appreciates football, with this terrible game play. Let’s do better next week, folks!
Final Thoughts
Week 3 was neck and neck between most teams. Three out of four games had a point difference of a field goal or less. Competition is stiff, and talent can be hard to come by. Keep your defense close and your kicker closer. This early in the season anything can happen, so you don’t want to miss a single game. Make sure to keep up with all of The Forkball’s UFL coverage here. Reading our articles is often more exciting than the games.
