Day: April 16, 2026

Week 4 of the 2026 UFL season kicked off Thursday with the Louisville Kings (1-3) earning their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, outlasting the Houston Gamblers (1-3) in overtime at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. On FOX UFL Friday, the previously undefeated Dallas Renegades (3-1) were upset on the road by the Columbus Aviators (1-3) at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It was also the Aviators’ first win of the 2026 season. On Saturday, the reigning champion DC Defenders (3-1) escaped the St. Louis Battlehawks (2-2) in a down-to-the-wire thriller at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Then, the undefeated Orlando Storm (4-0) shut out the Birmingham Stallions (1-3) with former head coach Skip Holtz, who won three of the past four spring football titles across the UFL and legacy USFL at the helm of the Stallions, in attendance at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama. Here are the results from Week 4: Louisville Kings 24, Houston Gamblers 22 (OT) Key players: Kings QB Jason Bean (17-for-34 for 192 yards), LB Cam Gill (eight tackles, 2.0 sacks, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble), K Tanner Brown (5-for-6, long of 59); Gamblers QB Taulia Tagovailoa (7-for-14 for 64 yards, one rushing touchdown), RB Marcus Yarns (eight carries for 111 yards, one touchdown), WR Justin Hall (4-for-6 for 44 yards), DE Christopher Allen (four tackles, 2.0 sacks, two tackles for loss), K John Hoyland (3-for-4, long of 58). Game recap: Both teams nailed field goals on their opening drives to make it a 3-all game late in the first quarter. Louisville went on a 10-play, 60-yard touchdown drive to take a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter. The road team followed that up with another field goal to extend its lead to 13-3. Houston, on the other hand, had a rocky second quarter. They went three-and-out and then turned the ball over on downs to start. The Gamblers were able to knock in another field goal — this one from 59 yards out — with just over a minute to play until halftime to pull within single digits, 13-6. The Kings got the last word, however, squeezing in one more field goal with seven seconds to spare to take a 10-point lead, 16-6, in the break. Houston came to life in the second half. On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, the Gamblers exploded for a monster 68-yard rushing score to make it a four-point game, 16-12. They followed that up with another scoring drive to take their first lead of the game, 19-16. The Kings opened the third quarter with back-to-back three-and-outs, and that proved catastrophic. With momentum on their side, the Gamblers added another field goal to extend their lead to 22-16 headed into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, the Kings were able to settle in and rattle off back-to-back field goals to knot things up at 22-all. The Gamblers had a chance to take over with roughly a minute remaining in regulation, but a missed field goal from 38 yards kept them from doing so and sent things into overtime. In the UFL, overtime starts in a shootout format where teams alternate two-point conversion attempts from the 5-yard line three times. The Kings converted on their first attempt, and the Gamblers didn’t, ending things right then and there. Up next: In Week 5, the Kings are on the road to face the Renegades, and the Gamblers are hosting the Aviators. Columbus Aviators 28, Dallas Renegades 14 Key players: Aviators QB Jalan McClendon (10-for-15 for 126 yards, one touchdown), WR Keke Chism (4-for-5 for 50 yards, one touchdown), TE Alize Mack (3-for-3 for 56 yards), RB John Lovett (15 carries for 80 yards); Renegades QB Austin Reed (13-for-27 for 144 yards, two touchdowns), WR Tyler Vaughns (5-for-9 for 59 yards), WR Drake Stoops (3-for-3 for 31 yards, one touchdown). Game recap: The Renegades came out swinging in this one, cashing in for a touchdown on their opening drive. With that, Dallas took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter. That’s when fans were treated to some fireworks in the form of three consecutive touchdown drives — two by the Aviators and one from the Renegades. Columbus got on the board early in the second frame with a short rushing score, then Dallas fired back with a score of its own to regain the lead. The Aviators then scored through the air to knot things up once again at 14-all headed into halftime. Columbus took its first lead of the game early in the third quarter on a fumble recovered in the end zone. It wasn’t what the Aviators drew up, but it worked all the same. The start of the second half was quiet for the Renegades, and that momentum was crucial for the Aviators. Columbus scored again early in the fourth quarter to make it a double-digit game, 28-14, midway through the frame. In a stunner, a late-game interception at the two-minute warning sealed the Renegades’ fate. With that, Columbus snagged its first win of the season, while Dallas lost its first game. Up next: In Week 5, the Renegades are hosting the Kings, and the Aviators are on the road to battle the Gamblers. DC Defenders 28, St. Louis Battlehawks 22 Key players: Defenders QB Jordan Ta’amu (22-for-36 for 204 yards, two touchdowns, 11 carries for 61 yards), WR Cornell Powell (7-for-13 for 85 yards), K Matt McCrane (4-for-4, long of 56); Battlehawks QB Harrison Frost (6-for-21 for 144 yards, one touchdown), WR Hakeem Butler (2-for-3 for 109 yards, one touchdown), RB Jarveon Howard (eight carries for 85 yards). Game recap: The Battlehawks opened with a field goal to get the scoring going, and the Defenders fired back with a touchdown to take over midway through the frame. Things picked up steam in the second quarter. St. Louis regained the lead with a jaw-dropping 75-yard touchdown from none other than Butler. That gave the road team a 9-7 edge. The ensuing missed extra point proved costly, as DC retook the lead – 10-9 – with a field goal on its next drive. The Defenders followed that up with another touchdown with roughly three minutes to play before halftime to extend their lead to 17-9. The Battlehawks squeezed in a field goal just before the break to make it a five-point game, 17-12. The Defenders added a field goal to start the second half and extend their lead to 20-12. Then, DC notched the first safety of the season, making it a 22-12 game midway through the third quarter. Both teams pulled out all the stops in the fourth. The Defenders rattled off back-to-back field goals, while the Battlehawks cashed in for a touchdown and a field goal to pull within six, 28-22, and keep things competitive late. After DC went three-and-out inside the two-minute warning, St. Louis was gifted a chance to have the final word. Instead, Frost took a deep shot up the middle, and his pass was intercepted in the red zone. With that, the Defenders sealed an all-important win at home. Up next: In Week 5, the Battlehawks are on the road to face the Storm, and the Defenders are traveling to take on the Stallions. Orlando Storm 16, Birmingham Stallions 0 Key players: Storm QB Jack Plummer (17-for-27 for 182 yards, one touchdown), WR Elijhah Badger (3-for-5 for 63 yards), WR Cam Camper (4-for-4 for 44 yards, one touchdown), K Michael Lantz (3-for-3, long of 46); Stallions QB Matt Corral (13-for-20 for 83 yards), QB Michael Hiers (7-for-15 for 60 yards), WR Justyn Ross (2-for-4 for 40 yards), RB Anthony McFarland Jr. (eight carries for 30 yards). Game recap: After back-to-back punts to start the game, the Storm got a spark late in the first quarter. They capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive — that took over seven minutes off the clock — with a short touchdown throw. In the second quarter, Orlando added to its lead with two field goals. The Stallions had a chance to get on the board but missed their only field-goal attempt from 46 yards out. With that, the undefeated Storm took a 13-0 lead into halftime. The third quarter was quiet for both teams, and the Storm added another field goal early in the fourth to make it a 16-0 game. After turning the ball over on downs late in the third, the Stallions did so again on their first two drives of the fourth quarter. From there, Orlando ran out the clock. Birmingham was outmatched on both sides and struggled to find any sort of rhythm. It’s the first shutout this season and the third time that a game has been held to single digits or fewer (the Kings were held to nine points in Week 2 and the Gamblers were held to seven points in Week 3). Up next: In Week 5, the Storm are hosting the Battlehawks, and the Stallions are playing host to the Defenders.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The United States is not one of the teams favored to lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy this summer — can Mauricio Pochettino change that with his tactics? FOX Soccer analyst Stu Holden joined The Herd to discuss the expectations of the USA ahead of the tournament, especially in Pochettino’s first World Cup leading the squad. “I think we’ve had an unrealistic feeling, and by we I mean, Mauricio Pochettino has been going through a process since he took over as coach, of stylistically how he likes to play and how we can play at times, which is attacking, and we have probably the most talented generation we’ve had in many, many years and some guys playing at the biggest clubs,” Holden said. “So, inherently, you think ‘Ok, now we can go toe to toe, we can open up the game, we can attack, we can play sexy soccer.” The United States is coming off back-to-back losses in their friendlies to Belgium and Portugal, where they were outscored 7-2. While the team has more chances with friendlies against Senegal and Germany, the United States will have to find their groove if they want to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament. “What we were reminded of, and what I was reminded of, is that if we want to play against the best teams in the world, you can’t allow them that time and space. We aren’t good enough yet to play in the same style as Argentina or Spain or England or Belgium or Portugal and expect to win.” With all eyes on a struggling Christian Pulisic, Pochettino is under immense pressure to maximize the attacking talent on his squad. However, the defense needs just as much work for the team to make waves in the World Cup. The Stars and Stripes will kick off their tournament run on June 12, facing Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports