The Dallas Renegades opened their 2026 UFL campaign in dominant fashion, crushing the Houston Gamblers in a one-sided Texas Throwdown at Toyota Stadium. Quarterback Austin Reed made a statement in his UFL debut, throwing for a record-setting 376 yards and multiple touchdowns to lead Dallas to victory.
After a shaky start for Houston quarterback Nolan Henderson, who threw a pick-six to Steven Jones Jr. early on, the Gamblers never recovered. Backup Hunter Dekkers provided a brief spark, getting Houston on the board with a field goal, but Dallas’ offense was relentless.
Reed connected often with Tyler Vaughns, including a long 59-yard bomb on his first pass as a Renegade, while Ellis Merriweather added a receiving score to cap a methodical second-quarter drive. A stifling Renegades defense forced multiple turnovers and kept Houston out of rhythm all afternoon.
By the final whistle, Dallas had secured a statement win to open the season over Houston 36-17 a rout that firmly established the Renegades as early contenders in the 2026 UFL race to the Championship!
