Columbus Aviators home field at Historic Crew Stadium (Photo by the Columbus Aviators and the UFL)
The Columbus Aviators now own last place in the UFL
Columbus 3, Birmingham 14
The Aviators’ game against the Stallions was just ugly. Columbus got a field goal early in the second quarter, and that was all the scoring that either team did in the first half. It would be all the scoring the Aviators would do in the whole game. The Stallions would get two touchdowns in the second half and the win. One of those would be on a blocked Columbus kick that Birmingham would return for a touchdown. Jim Tressel was shaking his head somewhere.
Columbus won in almost all the offensive categories of the game except the most important one, and that’s the scoreboard. The Aviators had more yards, passing yards, rushing yards, first downs, third down conversions, total plays, and a greater time of possession than Birmingham. Fat lot of good it did for Columbus. The loss puts the Aviators at 2-6 and dead last in the UFL.
Too Good for Dead Last
Ohio’s UFL team has done too much right this year to be this bad. They have the second-best total defense in the league, allowing 265.4 yards per game. They have the best in total yards allowed per game. Columbus is the only team in the UFL to allow fewer than 400 total yards a game, with 367.4 per game. The defense also has the best time of possession in the league!
Unfortunately, there’s some bad on the defense, too. Despite allowing the second-fewest yards of offense and the fewest total yards, the Aviators have given up the most touchdowns in the UFL this year. They’ve allowed a league-leading 22 touchdowns. They’re also terrible against the run. They have the worst rushing defense, allowing the most yards and touchdowns on the ground with 122.4 yards per game and 13 rushing touchdowns.
An Offense of Contradictions
The offense leads the league in time of possession. Columbus has the most first downs of any team in the league, too, with 139. The Aviators also have the third-most touchdowns scored in the league with 20, and the third-best offense in yards per game with 297.3! But being the most penalized team in the UFL, giving up over 60 yards per game of free yards, helps erase those advantages. So does having the worst kicking game in the UFL with only five made field goals this season.
End of the Flight
Columbus only has two games left in the underwhelming debut season. Both are in the friendly skies of Ohio. Columbus will finish their first season winless on the road. This week, it’s Birmingham’s turn to be the visiting team. They’ll end the season with the Battle of I-71 against the Louisville Kings at Historic Crew Stadium.
