STWF Sports | LOUISVILLE, KY | May 24, 2026  — Great players elevate their games when the stakes are highest, and Chandler Rogers did exactly that on Sunday afternoon. Behind a masterful performance from their star quarterback, the Louisville Kings unleashed a staggering 457-yard offensive onslaught to defeat the Dallas Renegades at Lynn Family Stadium, securing a coveted UFL playoff berth in the process.

Rogers accounted for three total touchdowns and finished the day with a glittering 149.4 quarterback rating. His aerial brilliance was perfectly complemented by a bruising ground game that manufactured a season-high 192 rushing yards.

With the victory, the Kings climb above the .500 mark for the first time in franchise history on the heels of a three-game winning streak. Conversely, the deflation was total on the opposing sideline; the loss marked the sixth consecutive defeat for Dallas (3-6), officially eliminating them from postseason contention.

Weathering an Early Renegades Surge

The contest began under slick conditions, as heavy pregame downpours left the Lynn Family Stadium turf highly treacherous. Dallas capitalized on the damp environment early, lighting up the scoreboard on their opening drive. After a physical 20-yard burst from Ellis Merriweather on the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Austin Reed executed a gutsy fourth-and-two gamble, hitting Tyler Vaughns in stride for a 36-yard touchdown strike. It was Vaughns’ league-leading sixth touchdown reception of the year.

Louisville looked poised to counter immediately, marching deep into the red zone, but Dallas safety Qwynnterrio Cole forced a critical fumble from James Robinson that was recovered by Antwuan Jackson Jr.

Moments later, the Kings appeared to answer with a spectacular 63-yard punt return touchdown by Lucky Jackson, but a successful “super challenge” by Renegades head coach Rick Neuheisel nullified the score due to an illegal block.

Despite the setback, Louisville generated points on the drive when kicker Tanner Brown drilled a 45-yard field goal through the humid air. The kick was Brown’s 23rd of the year, cementing a new UFL single-season record. Dallas tacked on a 49-yard Colton Theaker field goal afterward to hold a brief 10-3 advantage.

Rogers Ignites the Turnaround

As the second quarter progressed and the sun broke through the clouds, Rogers completely took over. The signal-caller hit Tarik Black for a 33-yard gain before converting a third-and-12 with a 28-yard dot to Kaden Prather, setting up his own one-yard touchdown plunge to tie the game.

Before the intermission, Rogers engineered another surgical two-minute drive, connecting with Zach Davidson for 24 yards and Lucky Jackson for 31. Brown then chipped in his 24th field goal of the season, granting Louisville a 13-10 halftime lead.

The structural dominance of the Kings’ defense was clear; after the opening drive, they limited Reed to just one completion on his next eight attempts of the half.

HALFTIME STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT
Louisville Kings: 13 | Dallas Renegades: 10
Chandler Rogers: 11-of-12, 164 passing yards
Austin Reed: 1-of-8 passing following opening TD drive

Fourth-Quarter Fireworks and the Dagger

The second half evolved into a tactical chess match. After Brown extended the lead to 16-10 with a booming 54-yard field goal, the Dallas offense finally woke up in the fourth frame. Reed utilized his tight ends efficiently, finding Curtis Hodges for 27 yards and Seth Green for 17. Reed then improvised outside the pocket to locate Hodges for a 12-yard score, giving Dallas a razor-thin 17-16 lead.

The advantage evaporated almost instantly. Rogers answered with a definitive 40-yard go-ahead touchdown strike over the middle to Isaiah Winstead, followed by a successful two-point conversion completion to Robinson out of the backfield.

The Turning Point: With the score at 24-17, Louisville defensive back Eric “The Terror” Garror intercepted Reed, completely fracturing Dallas’ offensive momentum and turning the ball back over to a hungry Kings front line.

From there, Louisville’s ground game wore down the Renegades. Running back Ian Wheeler broke loose for a 35-yard scamper, and despite a fumble through the end zone, the Kings retained possession at the one-yard line due to formatting rules. Wheeler immediately redeemed himself on the next snap with a physical one-yard touchdown run.

Rogers delivered the final dagger moments later, dropping a beautiful 22-yard touchdown pass into the arms of Tarik Black in the back of the end zone to put the game completely out of reach.

Defensive Box Score & Looking Ahead

Defensively, Dallas fought valiantly despite the collapse. Linebacker J.T. Tyler turned in a spectacular game, racking up a season-high 12 total tackles (eight solo). Safeties Qwynnterrio Cole and Tra Fluellen both logged eight tackles on the night, but Reed’s 7-of-21 passing performance for 101 yards proved too difficult to overcome.

The Kings will carry their postseason momentum into the final week of the regular season, while the Renegades travel to North Little Rock to wrap up their 2026 campaign on the road against St. Louis this Friday at 8:00 PM ET on FOX.