Photo courtesy of the Pro Football Newsroom.
Texas and football go together like peanut butter and jelly. We knew it would be explosive between the two Texas teams on Sunday, April 6th in Arlington. As the closest scoring game of the week, this highlighted just how much of a showdown went down in the Lone Star State. Let’s get into it!
Come on Houston, Don’t Be A Roughneck!
If there’s anything a UFL fan knows, it’s that your team needs a kicker that can get the ball through the uprights, or you’re sunk. That truth pretty much explains this game in a nutshell. Arlington got a field goal to kick off the game, and Houston didn’t. Thank goodness they were able to redeem themselves seconds before the 2nd quarter ended, leaving the teams tied 3-3.
Fans Were Renegading in Arlington
In the third quarter, viewers were confused, thinking they had been transported to a JV Middle School football game. This kind of sacrilege put both teams to shame. First, Houston was in possession of the ball for about four seconds before giving the ball back to Arlington. Then the Renegades forgot to wash their halftime snack off, leaving a Butterfinger fumble that had palms on foreheads in the stands.
The embarrassment lingered but transferred to Houston when they were intercepted the very next play. Say it wasn’t so! Did Arlington get a pick-6? Hardly. They managed to squeak by with a field goal, leaving the score at 6-3.
A Touchdown in Texas
It was touch and go there for a minute, but we did get a touchdown during the Texas Tornado. It just took us three quarters to get there. Luis Perez doesn’t deserve this kind of foolery after last season. Houston thought they did something by putting a new QB out at the tail end of the game, but all those three and outs proved them wrong.
Former Baltimore Ravens QB Anthony Brown made another on-field appearance. Their journey was long and arduous down the gridiron, but they made it. A 17-yard passing TD put the Roughnecks back on the board. They missed their two-point conversion, and time was up. The Renegades took the win 11-9.
Final Thoughts
We learned some important truths in Arlington, Texas. In the UFL, your kicker has to be flawless. Also, you should start playing the game before the fourth quarter. That’s why there’s four in the first place. Lastly, we learned that touchdowns are 10 times more awkward when you can hear the players shouting racial epithets—come on, Roughnecks, we have children watching! Imagine what could happen next week if both teams played all four quarters, not just one!
The double-win team Arlington has the chance to showcase their talents in Alabama against the Birmingham Stallions, who are currently 1-1. Bham hasn’t completely forgotten their power from last season, so the Renegades can’t rest on their laurels in week 3. The Houston Roughnecks are 0-2, and so are the Memphis Showboats. It’s anyone’s game, although Memphis’s home field advantage could bolster them to their first win. What do you think? Sound off below!
Also, don’t forget to take a look at the other UFL coverage here at The Forkball. Jay Allen wows us with more talent than the Showboats had the entire game when he writes about their loss against the D.C. Defenders in this article. Jamie never disappoints us, unlike the Michigan Panthers. Read his coverage of the Bham Stallions ponying up for their week 2 game here. Last but not least, Phillip Riggs writes about the Battlehawks “breaking” the Brahmas in week 2. Breaking bones or spirits? You’ll have to read his article to find out!
