ORLANDO, FL – May 22, 2026 – The Storm continue to prove they’re one of the toughest teams in the UFL. In their regular season home finale, a dominant first half powered Orlando to a 27-19 victory over the Defenders. Former DC receiver Chris Rowland delivered a statement performance against his old team, hauling in eight receptions for 117 yards and a 62-yard touchdown.
Rowland wasted no time making an impact. On Orlando’s opening drive, Jack Plummer dialed up his playmaker early. Rowland turned a short catch into a 62-yard score, making multiple defenders miss on his way to the end zone and adding another highlight to his growing reel.
With a clinching scenario on the line, the Defenders answered quickly. After Matt McCrane connected on a 43-yard field goal, the defense forced a quick stop and got the ball right back. Spencer Sanders then delivered one of his best throws of the night, finding Keke Coutee for 45 yards.
A few plays later, Deon Jackson punched in a three-yard touchdown and DC grabbed a 10-7 lead.
The Storm offense responded immediately. Plummer dropped a perfect deep ball into the hands of Elijah Badger, who raced into the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown.
Plummer struck again later in the half. After a 35-yard completion to Cam Camper, he found the receiver once more for a two-yard touchdown. Suddenly, Orlando had full control with a 21-10 lead they would never give back.
The Defenders nearly cut into the deficit before halftime. McCrane attempted a 67-yard field goal, but it came up just short.
He redeemed himself coming out of the locker room, drilling a 56-yard field goal to bring DC within one possession at 21-13.
As they had all night, the Storm answered again. Michael Lantz connected from 35 yards out to push the lead back to two scores.
The Defenders made things interesting in the fourth quarter, but could not finish drives in the end zone. McCrane added two more field goals to trim the deficit to 24-19. Lantz answered once more with a 51-yard field goal, giving Orlando breathing room late.
DC had one final opportunity, but Keshawn Banks strip-sacked Sanders to seal the win. Orlando’s defense turned in another strong performance with three sacks, seven tackles for loss, and a takeaway.
The Storm improved to 7-2 and now own the best record in the UFL. Meanwhile, the Defenders dropped their third straight game and fell to 5-4.
Plummer finished with 275 passing yards, three touchdowns, and a 146.1 quarterback rating. Badger added five receptions for 82 yards and a score, while Darien Butler led the defense with a game-high 11 tackles, including two for loss.
Brandon Smith paced the DC defense with eight tackles and one tackle for loss. Despite the defeat, Sanders totaled 235 yards of offense, including 75 rushing yards.
The Defenders and Storm will meet again next Sunday in DC at 12:00 PM ET on ABC in the regular season finale.