Louisville Seeks Playoff Berth, Columbus Aims to Spoil in Season Finale

by Ethan Berch

ARLINGTON, TX – May 28, 2026 – The Louisville Kings enter the final week of the regular season controlling their own destiny, while the Columbus Aviators look to finish a rollercoaster inaugural season by playing spoiler once again.

Louisville has won three straight games and sits on the verge of clinching a postseason berth, but with playoff scenarios still unfolding across the league, the Kings may need one final victory Sunday night to officially punch their ticket into June.

Meanwhile, Columbus enters fresh off one of the wildest comeback victories of the season and suddenly carries momentum into the regular-season finale behind the emergence of quarterback Jalen Morton.

Storylines to watch:

Louisville Kings

The Kings are one win away from potentially extending their season.

After rattling off three consecutive victories, Louisville enters Week 10 with confidence surging at the perfect time. Their playoff path is straightforward, but the timing of everything matters.

If Birmingham loses Saturday, Louisville clinches before kickoff. If Birmingham wins, a DC victory would still send the Kings into the postseason. But if neither result falls their way, Sunday night becomes a true win-and-in scenario for Louisville in the regular-season finale.

The Kings are coming off a dominant 37-23 victory over Dallas in Week Nine, completing the season sweep over the Renegades behind one of their most complete offensive performances of the season.

Louisville piled up 470 total yards, including 205 rushing yards, continuing a trend that has defined their turnaround. When the Kings establish the run game, they become incredibly difficult to beat.

Ian Wheeler and James Robinson have completely revitalized the rushing attack, with both eclipsing 88 rushing yards last week. Their physicality and explosiveness have opened up everything offensively.

That balance has also unlocked the best version of Chandler Rogers.

Rogers delivered arguably his strongest performance of the season in Week Nine, throwing for 266 yards, three total touchdowns, and finishing with a stellar 149.4 quarterback rating. His poise, leadership, and confidence have completely changed the trajectory of Louisville’s season.

But his toughest test may arrive in Week 10.

Columbus boasts the top pass defense in the UFL, allowing only 135 passing yards per game. Last week, the Aviators completely disrupted Birmingham quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, holding him to a 46% completion percentage while intercepting him twice.

That means Louisville’s offensive line and rushing attack once again become critical pieces of the puzzle. If the Kings stay ahead of schedule on early downs, Rogers can operate comfortably and attack selectively through the air.

Defensively, Louisville continues thriving by taking the football away.

The Kings lead the UFL with 16 takeaways, including an eye-popping 12 interceptions. Corey Mayfield Jr. leads the charge with four interceptions, tied for the league lead.

And up front, Cam Gill continues building a Defensive Player of the Year resume.

Gill broke the UFL single-season sack record last week with his tenth sack of the season and now sits on the verge of another historic mark. He needs just three tackles for loss in Week 10 to set a new UFL single-season record in that category as well.

If Louisville’s postseason hopes ultimately come down to Sunday night, the Kings will need another dominant showing from Gill, Mayfield, and a defense that has consistently carried momentum throughout this late-season surge.

Columbus Aviators

Despite already being eliminated from playoff contention, the Aviators may have found something entering the final week of the season.

Columbus stunned Birmingham in Week Nine behind an electric performance from Jalen Morton, who made his first start of the season and immediately changed the complexion of the offense.

Morton totaled 309 yards and four touchdowns while leading the Aviators back from both 20-8 and 23-14 second-half deficits. His defining moment came on a 91-yard game-tying drive with under two minutes remaining that completely flipped the game’s momentum.

Suddenly, Columbus enters Week 10 riding a hot hand offensively. Morton also unlocked one of the team’s top weapons in Keke Chism.

While Chism finished with only 51 receiving yards, nearly every catch came in a massive moment, including a spectacular leaping fourth-down conversion in the second half. He also hauled in the game-tying two-point conversion to cap the late comeback drive.

The connection between Morton and Chism immediately gave the Aviators offense another level of explosiveness and confidence.

Defensively, Columbus delivered one of its best performances of the year against Birmingham. The Aviators held the Stallions to just 237 total yards and produced the game-winning play late.

D.J. Miller Jr. returned the game-winning pick-six in the closing moments, marking his third interception returned for a touchdown in just three games.

And while Morton grabbed headlines, the Aviators’ rushing attack continues being one of the league’s most dangerous units.

Columbus ranks second in the UFL averaging 134 rushing yards per game and is coming off a 179-yard performance on the ground. Louisville now has the challenge of slowing down a rushing attack led by John Lovett, ZaQuandre White, Toa Taua, and Morton himself.

The Aviators have been unpredictable all season long, but with nothing left to lose and momentum finally building, they would love nothing more than ending head coach Ted Ginn Jr.’s first season with another statement win.

X-Factor: 

By kickoff Sunday night, Louisville’s playoff fate may already be decided. But regardless of the scenario, head coach Chris Redman would love entering the postseason riding a four-game winning streak and playing its best football of the season. 

If Louisville establishes the run early and keeps Chandler Rogers operating comfortably, the Kings should have an excellent opportunity to clinch a playoff berth.

But if Columbus gets another explosive performance from Jalen Morton, the Aviators become extremely dangerous. A team playing loose with nothing to lose can create chaos quickly, and the Kings cannot afford a stumble with the postseason within reach.