FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Renegades didn’t make it easy on themselves, but they stayed unbeaten Sunday afternoon, holding off a late surge from the Columbus Aviators to secure a 28–23 win at Toyota Stadium.
Dallas (3–0) built an 18‑point second‑half lead behind a pair of defensive takeaways and timely scoring drives, but Columbus (0–3) clawed back in the fourth quarter, forcing the Renegades to close the game with a defensive stand.
Columbus opened the game with its cleanest drive of the season, as Jalan McClendon completed a string of short, efficient throws before hitting John Lovett for an 8‑yard touchdown. The Aviators controlled the first quarter and had a chance to extend the lead, but a missed 50‑yard field goal kept the margin at seven.
Dallas flipped the momentum in the second quarter. Austin Reed settled in, finding Deontay Burnett for the Renegades’ first score. Then came the play of the half: Shaun Wade jumped a McClendon pass for an interception, lateralled to Ajene Harris, and Harris took it the final 17 yards for a defensive touchdown that sent Dallas into halftime up 14–10.
The Renegades opened the third quarter with a 14‑play, 74‑yard drive capped by a Dae Dae Hunter touchdown pitch. On the next Columbus possession, Tre Fluellen added another interception, and Reed immediately turned it into points with a short TD pass to Emmanuel Butler.
Suddenly, Dallas led 28–10 and looked in full control.
But the Aviators didn’t fold. McClendon answered with a composed scoring drive, and Lovett punched in his second touchdown of the day to cut the deficit to 11.
Early in the fourth, McClendon found Antwane Wells for a 2‑yard touchdown, pulling Columbus within 28–23. The Aviators went for two but couldn’t convert, and Dallas’ defense held on the final possession to seal the win.
Stat Leaders
Austin Reed, DAL: 18‑of‑30, 147 yards, 2 TD
Dae Dae Hunter, DAL: 82 total yards, 1 TD
Jalan McClendon, COL: 26‑of‑34, 230 yards, 2 TD
John Lovett, COL: 47 total yards, 2 TD
For Dallas, the victory reinforces their status as one of the UFL’s most complete teams—balanced, opportunistic, and capable of winning in multiple ways. The Renegades’ defense continues to shine, generating game‑changing plays at critical moments. Columbus, meanwhile, drops to 0–3, but Sunday’s performance showed real progress. Despite a chaotic week and a tough road environment, the Aviators pushed an undefeated team to the brink. If they can bottle that second‑half fight, their first win may not be far away.
Check out some of the highlight photos below taken by the author.
