UFL: Orlando Storm Falls Short in Playoff Semifinal Against DC Defenders
DAYTONA BEACH – The Defenders finally got their revenge. After dropping both Week Nine and Week Ten matchups to Orlando, DC won the one that mattered most. Jason Bean delivered on the biggest stage, leading a 405-yard offensive performance while the defense bottled up the league's most explosive offense in a 28-22 semifinal victory.
The defending champions are headed back to the United Bowl.
A vibrant Daytona Beach crowd created a postseason atmosphere from kickoff, giving the semifinal a big-game feel despite the neutral setting.
DC opened with the football and immediately put the spotlight on Bean. The quarterback converted back-to-back third downs, including a 26-yard catch-and-run from Keke Coutee.
The drive stalled inside the red zone and Matt McCrane connected on a short field goal, but an Orlando penalty kept the offense on the field. Deon Jackson made the Storm pay, punching in a three-yard touchdown to cap an 11-play, 57-yard drive and give DC the early lead. [7-0 DC]
Orlando answered with help from a 43-yard kick return by Jashaun Corbin. Michael Lantz drilled a 47-yard field goal that clipped the top of the upright and bounced through.
One of the biggest storylines entering the game was DC's third-down struggles against Orlando. The Defenders had gone just 6-for-23 across the previous two meetings. This time, they flipped the script.
Bean scrambled for 11 yards on one third down, then found Coutee for 21 more on another. Moments later, Abram Smith sliced through the defense, making a defender miss in the open field for a 26-yard gain before finishing the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Suddenly, Orlando trailed 14-3.
The Storm needed a spark and found one through Jack Plummer.
Facing pressure, Plummer escaped a blitz and connected with KJ Hamler for a 45-yard gain that set Orlando up deep in DC territory. Once again, the Defenders bowed up in the red zone and forced another field goal.
The second half began with disaster for the Storm. Plummer, who had thrown just one interception all season, watched his first pass of the half ricochet off Chris Rowland's hands and into those of Bryce Thompson.
DC couldn't fully capitalize, settling for a 23-yard McCrane field goal to stretch the lead to 17-6.
Then came one of the biggest swings of the afternoon.
Plummer appeared to finally connect on a splash play, hitting Jerome Kapp for a 60-yard touchdown. But Shannon Harris challenged the play, and replay revealed a holding penalty that wiped the score off the board.
Instead of a one-score game, Orlando punted. Moments later, another twist arrived.
Bean exited to the blue medical tent after taking a hit, forcing Spencer Sanders into action. On Sanders' second snap, Kana'i Mauga diagnosed a screen, jumped the route, and raced 60 yards for a pick-six. Just like that, Orlando was alive.
With the lead trimmed to 17-13, Bean returned and immediately delivered the answer.
On a seven-play, 75-yard drive, he found Briley Moore isolated in single coverage. Moore hauled it in, stayed upright, and cruised into the end zone to push the lead back to 24-13 entering the fourth quarter.
The drama didn't stop there. Casey Rogers tipped a Plummer pass and Roberson appeared to come away with an interception, only for replay to overturn the takeaway.
Plummer responded by scrambling for a critical first down before leading Orlando back into scoring range. Yet the Defenders' red-zone defense continued to dominate. The Storm settled for another Lantz field goal and remained without an offensive touchdown deep into the fourth quarter.
Bean continued to be the difference. Facing third-and-five with the clock becoming a factor, he escaped pressure and ran for a first down. It was DC's ninth third-down conversion of the day.
The drive eventually stalled, but McCrane delivered the dagger.
After missing a chip shot earlier, the veteran drilled a 61-yard four-point field goal, his third four-pointer of the season, extending the lead to 28-16 with under five minutes remaining.
Orlando had one final push left. Plummer found a wide-open Chris Rowland streaking downfield for a 40-yard touchdown, but the Storm failed on their three-point conversion attempt and remained six points behind.
An illegal block on the ensuing return pinned DC deep in its own territory. Facing third-and-ten, Bean delivered one last clutch throw to Erik Ezukanma. The completion moved the chains, gave DC its tenth third-down conversion, and effectively sealed the game.
