UFL Attendance: 12K Fans “Feed the Snake” in the District
Over 12,000 fans attended Sunday afternoon’s crossover duel between the two UFL conferences. The Michigan Panthers needed a victory plus a Roughnecks loss to clinch the second-best record in the USFL conference. The Defenders needed a win to keep pace with the Brahmas in second place behind the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Per Mike Mitchell of Sports Illustrated, a shade over 12,000 rowdy fans fed the famous beer snake at Audi Field.
This game featured a contest between multiple backup quarterbacks as Bryce Perkins, who played for the Los Angeles Rams led the Panthers. Michigan gave former Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke the start. Perkins looked good in relief of Lewerke and there could be a quarterback controversy as Danny Etling heals up. The Defenders started the game with their original starter, Jordan Ta’amu, but he was forced out early due to injury on this play.
Second-string quarterback Deondre Francois entered the fray but the former Hampton / Florida State passer exited himself. Former Baylor signal caller Jalen McClendon took the field in his stead late in the second half.
The Panthers took advantage of the Defenders’ quarterback situation and relied on their run game to close out DC with a final score of 22-9. Due to their respective injuries, it’s unclear how long Ta’amu and Francois will be out for DC. It will be interesting to see if the Defenders bring in a quarterback or two during the week.
There was the weekly long-range Jake Bates field goal as well. He deserves an audition for the NFL after the UFL season concludes.
What’s next for each team?
The Panthers will host the woebegone Memphis Showboats next Saturday at Ford Field, while they will root for the Brahmas this afternoon. D.C. has a must-win situation at the Battlehawks next Sunday.
Joseph is a veteran writer of many publications past and present. He is a long-time Tennessee Titans fan and draft scout/analyst, along with writing about the league is a passion project. Mr. Yun has been credentialed to the Senior Bowl multiple times. Readers will find he brings the juice with a scout’s eye and analytical mind. Follow me on Twitter @2Yoon2ZeroBlitz for more good stuff!