ORLANDO, FL – March 29, 2026 – In the battle between two of the three new UFL franchises, it was the Orlando Storm who stole the show in their home debut. Head coach Anthony Becht brought his winning ways to the Sunshine State and rode the momentum of his quarterback, Jack Plummer, to a victory.
It didn’t take long for the chaos to ensue, as Columbus fumbled the opening kickoff and set Orlando up in prime position. In his first start, Plummer quickly connected with Elijhah Badger for a 15-yard gain.
Last year’s rushing leader Jashaun Corbin followed by making multiple defenders miss, punching it in from 15 yards out for Orlando’s first touchdown in franchise history. The Storm failed to convert the two-point attempt but claimed an early 6-0 lead.
Columbus quarterback Jalan McClendon didn’t need to do much early, as Toa Taua rushed for 25 yards and the Aviators settled for a 35-yard field goal. Their first points in franchise history came off the foot of Ryan Coe, cutting the deficit in half.
Columbus’ defense stepped up on the next series, forcing a turnover on downs.
After a big 22-yard pickup on third-and-short to Jalen Moore, Columbus was once again stopped in plus territory. Coe remained perfect on the night, drilling a game-tying 37-yard field goal.
Orlando had a chance to respond, but Plummer missed a wide-open Konner Fox for what would have been a walk-in touchdown. Instead, the Storm turned it over on downs.
Zaquandre White sparked Columbus’ next series with the biggest play of the game to that point. White exploded for 42 yards and flew the Aviators into the red zone. However, the flight was canceled at the two-yard line, as Keshawn Banks and Lamar Jackson powered the Orlando defense with key stops to keep the score even.
Plummer then marched the Storm into field goal range. On a third-and-nine, he displayed elite pocket presence, escaping pressure, spinning away, and eventually finding Elijhah Dotson, who turned nothing into a 16-yard gain. Dotson delivered again later in the drive, setting up a 55-yard field goal from Michael Lantz as time expired in the half. Orlando took a 9-6 lead into the locker room.
Orlando opened the second half with the ball, and former DC Defender Chris Rowland made his first explosive play in a Storm uniform, turning a jet sweep into a 28-yard gain. The Storm capped a seven-play, 81-yard drive with a 13-yard rushing touchdown from Corbin, his second of the game.
As momentum began to shift toward Orlando, the defense continued its strong performance. After a big hit and tackle for loss by Isaiah Buggs, Isaiah Mack recorded a third-down sack to force a punt.
Pinned at their own six-yard line, Orlando struck again. Badger appeared to take a catch-and-run all the way to the end zone, but an illegal block in the back wiped it away and pushed the ball back to the Columbus 10-yard line. Rowland, who committed the penalty, redeemed himself by hauling in Plummer’s first passing touchdown as a member of the Storm. Orlando extended its lead to 23-6.
Columbus showed life late in the third quarter. Big plays to Tay Martin and Antwane Wells moved the Aviators into the red zone once again, but the drive stalled and they settled for another Coe field goal.
The Aviators got the ball back and made things interesting. They marched 65 yards and delivered their first touchdown in franchise history, as White scored from three yards out. However, the drive consumed 7:21 of the fourth-quarter clock over 13 plays. Coe added the extra point, and suddenly Columbus cut the deficit to 23-16.
Columbus’ comeback hopes came down to its defense, and it delivered with a stop.
McClendon and the Aviators offense took over at their own 25-yard line with 66 seconds remaining and no timeouts. A critical sack from Keshawn Banks proved to be the difference, as Orlando staved off the comeback attempt.
Jack Plummer made a strong impression in his UFL debut, finishing with 245 passing yards, a touchdown, and an impressive 128 quarterback rating. Elijhah Badger led all receivers with 132 yards on four receptions.
Jashaun Corbin added 66 rushing yards and two touchdowns, helping Orlando total 361 yards of offense, including 139 on the ground.
For Columbus, Fred Thompkins recorded a game-high 10 tackles and added a pass breakup to lead the defense.
Following the win, Orlando will remain at home to host the Louisville Kings next Saturday at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.