UFL Week 7 Recap: The Cream Rises To The Top

The cream has certainly risen to the top of the United Football League standings. Four of the league’s eight teams sit at 5-2 and we can make an educated guess as to who will make the playoffs. DC, Michigan, Birmingham, and St. Louis all have eyes on the championship, but which team will successfully climb to the mountaintop? Let’s recap Week 7 of the UFL season and see which team impressed the most.

Defenders 32, Brahmas 25

The Brahmas gave it their best shot but just couldn’t hang on to upset the Defenders in San Antonio. Brahmas QB Kevin Hogan experienced both ends of the spectrum on Friday night, the great and the downright awful. For the good, he threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns, including this laser to Steve Stilianos to tie the game at 12:

Unfortunately for Hogan, he was also manhandled by the Defenders defense. He and his backfield mates were terrorized by DC’s defense. The Defenders D sacked Hogan three times, made seven tackles for losses, and forced two fumbles, including this embarrassing homage to Mark Sanchez’s butt fumble:

Still, DC couldn’t quite separate from San Antonio, who made it a 25-24 game late thanks to this 57-yard Jashaun Corbin touchdown run:

It took everything in DC’s playbook to escape Texas with a win, evidenced by their game-winning touchdown play to lineman Gunner Britton:

San Antonio’s second lost fumble would doom them on the following drive, cementing the DC win. The Defenders continue to be one of the most impressive teams in the league, thanks to MVP candidate Jordan Ta’amu, who has been on another level this season. 

DC will host Arlington next week, while the Brahmas host the Showboats in a matchup of one-win clubs.

Panthers 25, Renegades 24

A slow start quickly turned into a wild offensive explosion in Arlington, as both teams couldn’t get the ball moving until the fourth quarter. The teams combined for 21 points in three quarters, then scored 28 points in 20 minutes. One thing was certain – like every game this season, it was the Bryce Perkins show:

Perkins padded his MVP-caliber resume with a stellar game throwing and running the ball. He had 231 yards passing and 60 yards rushing, with two touchdowns, one in the air and one on the ground. Not to be outdone, Panthers RB Toa Taua found paydirt for the fourth-straight game and made a number of clutch plays for his team, including a juggling fourth down conversion off a Perkins jump pass.

But “Mr. Spring” Luis Perez was undaunted by Perkins and the Michigan Panthers defense. He threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns and had his team up late in the fourth quarter with his number one-ranked defense taking the field.

Unfortunately, nobody can stop “MVPerkins” this season, who did what he does best — drive his team down the field and partner with Taua to win the game at the buzzer:

Michigan heads to Houston in Week 8. 

Stallions 33, Roughnecks 25

For about three quarters, we were on the verge of a major upset and an opportunity for the Houston Roughnecks to ride a massive wave of momentum towards the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Roughnecks, football is played in four quarters, and the Stallions used the fourth quarter to storm back, get the win, and keep pace with the rest of the top teams in the league — all while creating a storybook moment for a familiar QB.

The star of this game was J’Mar Smith, the Stallions’ fifth quarterback who previously led the team during the 2022 season and greatly contributed to the team’s first of three straight spring football championship victories. Smith was injured for the entire 2023 USFL season and didn’t see the field for the 2024 inaugural UFL season. He thought his career was over and contemplated retirement but re-signed with the Stallions earlier this month. When Case Cookus went down with injury, Smith stepped in — and stepped up.

With just about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Smith entered the game for an injured Cookus to attempt his first professional pass in almost two years. While pass number one fell incomplete, his next pass jump-started the Stallions offense:

Smith then took the Stallions down the field and scored on a short scramble, putting his team up late.

Houston had a chance to respond but fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving J’Mar Smith the opportunity to close the game out. And he did just that.

Smith capped off the improbable comeback and showed exactly why he’s earned the love and respect from Birmingham. But give credit to Houston — they were up 25-6 on the three-time champions. Jaelen McClendon showed flashes and the Roughneck defense stifled the Stallions throughout most of the game, even managing a pick-six on Cookus. However, the talent discrepancy between these two teams was just too much for Houston to handle for 60 minutes.

Birmingham heads to the Battle Dome to face the Battlehawks next week.

Battlehawks 19, Showboats 9

The least exciting game of the weekend took place in Memphis — but sometimes an easy win is what you need before a difficult stretch of games, and it came at a great time for the Battlehawks. That being said, the Battlehawks offense didn’t look particularly great in a game they should’ve won by more than just ten points.

The Battlehawks offensive line, which early in the season looked impermeable, surrendered some early pressure but straightened itself out as the game went along. Max Duggan showcased his athleticism, using his legs to pick up valuable first downs and even scored a touchdown on the ground.

But Duggan and supposed top target Hakeem Butler still haven’t had much of a relationship, as the former TCU QB seems to favor Jahcour Pearson and Gary Jennings. This could reflect Duggan’s spot on the depth chart during training camp, as he likely worked extensively with the wide receivers who were also lower on the depth chart, but it’s still concerning that the reigning UFL Offensive Player of the Year has just four catches on the season.

Granted, three of those receptions were for huge touchdowns, but fans and pundits alike would no doubt like to see Butler get more involved, especially as the playoffs inch closer. That being said, Duggan and Pearson connected beautifully on this touchdown pass. 

Much of the focus coming into the season was on the Battlehawks’ offensive weapons, but they may have some special players on defense and special teams. Pita Taumoepenu, my pick for UFL Defensive Player of the Year, added another sack to his league-leading six and a half, and kicker Rodrigo Blankenship remains perfect on the season, making both of his kicks. Both of these guys might find themselves back in the NFL next season at the rate they’re performing. 

Former NFL kicker Rodrigo Blankenship is a perfect 16/16 to open the UFL season. pic.twitter.com/nyybKn0nCx

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 11, 2025

Read more about the Battlehawks’ 19-9 win on Sports Hub STL.

UFL Week 8 Schedule