STWF Sports | Frisco, TX | May 29, 2026 — The Dallas Renegades closed their 2026 UFL season with one of their most complete defensive performances of the year, defeating the St. Louis Battlehawks 20-16 on Friday night in the Battledome.
Key Highlights of the Dallas Renegades Season
In a game built around pressure, takeaways and late-game execution, Dallas quarterback Austin Reed threw three touchdown passes while the Renegades defense delivered a season-high seven sacks, forced three turnovers and controlled the final minutes to secure the win. The victory pushed Dallas to 4-6 to end the season, giving the Renegades a strong finish after an up-and-down campaign.
The matchup also carried extra intrigue with Luis Perez making his first start against his former team. Perez had opportunities to hurt Dallas through the air, especially with explosive plays to Hakeem Butler and Steven McBride, but the Renegades defense consistently answered in key moments.
St. Louis opened the scoring with a 45-yard field goal from Ramiz Ahmed after its defense set the early tone. Pita Taumoepenu dropped Reed for his seventh sack of the season, helping the Battlehawks grab momentum in the opening quarter.
Dallas responded with the type of complementary football it needed all season.
Ajene Harris stripped Blake Jackson, and Kevin Strong recovered the fumble in plus territory. Reed took advantage of the short field, escaping pressure on third-and-10 before finding Emanuel Butler for a 17-yard touchdown. The score gave Dallas a 7-3 lead and gave Reed early confidence against one of the league’s most physical defensive fronts.
Perez quickly pushed St. Louis back into scoring range, connecting with Hakeem Butler for a 56-yard gain. But the Dallas defense stiffened in the red zone, forcing the Battlehawks to settle for another Ahmed field goal that trimmed the lead to 7-6.
The first half turned into a heavyweight exchange of defensive plays. Steve Linton strip-sacked Reed and recovered the loose ball, but Dallas immediately answered when Kalen DeLoach intercepted Perez on the next snap.
Reed then put together one of his sharpest drives of the night. Facing pressure, he hit Seth Green for a 22-yard gain on third-and-long before connecting with Greg Ward Jr. for 27 yards to move the Renegades inside the five-yard line. Reed finished the drive by finding Tyler Vaughns, who made a leaping touchdown grab in tight coverage.
The touchdown was Vaughns’ seventh of the season, tying the UFL single-season record. Dallas missed the extra point but carried a 13-6 lead into halftime after Perez was intercepted again late in the second quarter.
St. Louis eventually found its rhythm in the third quarter. Perez led a nine-play, 71-yard drive, highlighted by James Bostic’s 21-yard gain on a tight end screen. Bostic later finished the drive by catching a short third-and-goal pass and powering into the end zone, tying the game at 13.
From there, the game became a defensive battle.
Dallas was stopped twice on fourth-and-short, including a strong open-field tackle by Keylon Kennedy that kept the Renegades from extending a drive. But the Renegades defense refused to let the game slip away. Siaki Ika and Demarcus Mitchell helped create consistent pressure, with Mitchell later recording a key sack that forced another St. Louis punt.
Ahmed gave the Battlehawks a 16-13 lead with a 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but Reed delivered when Dallas needed him most.
With under 10 minutes left in the season, Reed engineered an 11-play, 69-yard drive that drained 6:28 off the clock. The biggest play came when Reed rolled right and found Vaughns for 21 yards along the sideline. A personal foul moved Dallas inside the five, and Reed finished the drive with a perfectly placed throw to Emanuel Butler in the back corner of the end zone.
The touchdown gave Butler his seventh scoring catch of the season, joining Vaughns in the record book and putting Dallas ahead 20-16 with 3:26 remaining.
The defense did the rest.
Dallas sacked Perez twice on the next possession, including Mitchell’s second sack of the night. The Renegades finished with seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss and three takeaways, tying the UFL season-high for sacks in a game.
Facing one final offensive situation, Dallas sealed the win with a jet sweep to Vaughns on fourth down. The conversion allowed the Renegades to run out the clock and close the season with a statement victory.
For a team that endured inconsistency throughout the year, Friday’s finale showed the blueprint Dallas had been chasing: explosive moments from Reed, clutch playmakers on the outside and a defense capable of taking over a game.
