Louisville Kings Rout DC Defenders 30-13 To End Ufl Streak

Louisville beat the DC Defenders 30-13 in the ufl on Saturday afternoon at Audi Field, erasing a 13-10 halftime deficit with a 27-0 run. The win ended D.C.'s five-game streak and kept Louisville's playoff hopes alive.

Audi Field Turns Quickly

Jordan Ta'amu opened by taking a sack from Josiah Bronson on the Defenders' first possession, but D.C. still built a halftime lead through two explosive plays. Ta'amu hit Javon Antonio for an 81-yard touchdown, the longest play from scrimmage for D.C. this season and the longest touchdown in the UFL this year, then found Ty Scott for a 20-yard score before halftime.

That left Louisville trailing 13-10, but the second half flipped fast. Louisville tied it with a field goal to open the third quarter, then Jalen Wydermyer forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Chandler Rogers followed with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Black for a 20-13 lead.

Chandler Rogers Takes Control

Rogers finished the afternoon with two touchdown passes, including the throw to Black that pushed Louisville in front for good. The Kings kept forcing D.C. into mistakes from there, and the Defenders were shut out over the final two quarters.

Louisville forced four turnovers, with Keaton Ellis intercepting Ta'amu early in the fourth quarter and Cam Dantzler taking away another deep shot into the end zone later on. Those stops gave the Kings repeated short fields and repeatedly cut off any chance of a D.C. rally.

Jordan Ta'amu's Big Day

Ta'amu still posted a season-high 353 passing yards, but the numbers came in a loss that exposed how quickly the game slipped away after halftime. The Defenders had won five straight before Saturday and led 13-10 at the break, but they could not add another point after halftime.

The same teams meet again next Saturday in Louisville, where the Kings can try to build on the upset and the Defenders have to answer for a second-half collapse that turned a home lead into a 30-13 defeat.