The 2025 UFL Championship Game had a little bit of everything and a lot of scoring.
In the end, the DC Defenders took down the Michigan Panthers at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis on Saturday in an action-packed game that featured 13 touchdowns and three field goals.
Jordan Ta’amu and the Defenders’ offense put on a show, scoring a UFL record 58 points.
Let’s take a look at every touchdown scored in Saturday’s title game!
Michigan got on the board first, going 67 yards in six plays on the game’s opening drive to kick things off with a bang. Nate McCrary broke through a huge crease, beat his opponents to the sideline and turned on the jets for a 35-yard touchdown in the first few minutes of regulation. Just like that, the Panthers jumped out to a 6-0 lead.
The Defenders answered on their first drive of the game, knotting things up at 6-all with a touchdown drive that took twice as long — 12 plays and over six minutes. Facing a third-and-10 from Michigan’s 26-yard line, Ta’amu dropped back and found Jayden Mickens wide open on a seam route. Ta’amu lofted a pass into the bread basket, and Mickens corralled it with ease.
The tie was short-lived, however, as Michigan scored again on a creative play-action pass on its second drive of the game just before the end of the first quarter. QB Bryce Perkins baited the Defenders’ defense with a fake hand off to RB Toa Taua, which allowed WR Saiosi Mariner to break wide open on the right sideline. Without a defensive back in sight, Perkins lofted a softball to Mariner, who ran it in for an uncontested 8-yard touchdown and a 13-6 lead.
ADVERTISEMENT
–>
The second quarter was pure fireworks. After the Defenders added a field goal first thing to close the gap slightly, 13-9, the Panthers went three-and-out on the following drive. That swung the momentum toward the Defenders, who went on to score 22 unanswered points and grab a double-digit lead in the process, 31-13.
The first score was on a nice corner route from Cornell Powell. Ta’amu showed off his accuracy, lofting a pass to the spot where Powell would end up, and the receiver ran a perfect route to secure the 27-yard touchdown. A fumble by the Panthers on the ensuing kickoff gave the ball right back to the Defenders deep in the red zone. Ta’amu & Co. only needed four plays and roughly two minutes to hit paydirt, with the quarterback cashing in for the rushing score. Michigan went three-and-out on their next drive, and just like that, the Defenders were back on the field. Ta’amu led his squad downfield, and RB Deon Jackson finished things off with a 5-yard touchdown.
The Panthers scored on the following drive, going 84 yards in just two plays to keep things close, 31-19. The drive was highlighted by Perkins’ short pass to WR Malik Turner, who turned it into a dazzling 71-yard touchdown.
What’s better than a 71-yard score? A 73-yard score. The Defenders did just that, one-upping the Panthers with a jaw-dropping score of their own on the very next drive, as Ta’amu connected with WR Ty Scott to make it a 37-19 game at halftime.
Every Touchdown from the 2025 UFL Championship Game
The Defenders opened the second-half scoring with a field goal to put them ahead by 20-plus points, but after the Panthers coughed the ball up on their first drive of the third quarter, DC was back in the driver’s seat. Jackson picked up his second rushing score of the day, this time from 17 yards out, to make it 46-19 midway through the third quarter.
DC opened the fourth quarter with another explosive scoring play. Ta’amu led his team downfield, capping off a lengthy 10-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to TE Briley Moore. With that, the Defenders were leading 52-19.
The Panthers scored back-to-back touchdowns — both coming from the dynamic duo of Perkins and Turner — after opting to go for an alternative kickoff. With those scores and a field goal, they were able to pull within 18 points, 52-34, midway through the fourth quarter.
It was too little too late, however, as the Defenders added one last score for good measure. With 3:40 to play, RB Chris Rowland punched in a 19-yard touchdown to seal the game, 58-34.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
FOLLOWFollow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience
United Football League
DC Defenders
Michigan Panthers
<!–>
recommended
Get more from United Football LeagueFollow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
The Florida Panthers just won their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final, but the odds are already live at sportsbooks for which team will hoist the Cup next year.The Panthers won 5-1 on Tuesday night in Game 6 against the Edmonton Oilers in a Stanley Cup rematch, but the Oilers are actually the early +650 favorites at BetMGM to win it all next season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFlorida has the next-best odds at +750, as the team looks to return to the finals for the fourth straight season and win its third straight title. The Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.The Colorado Avalanche (+800), Dallas Stars (+850) and Carolina Hurricanes (+900) are the other teams with better than 10-1 odds.There isn't a consensus favorite among sportsbooks for next season, as some books have the Oilers as slight favorites, while others have the […]
Třetí tým z loňské pařížské olympiády, kde byl v sestavě místo Pavlíka loučící se Jiří Beran, měl v Janově jako čtvrtý nasazený volný los v prvním kole. Ve druhém vyřadil po přesvědčivé výhře 45:30 ruský výběr startující pod hlavičkou týmu neutrálních sportovců (AIN).Proti Němcům, kteří byli nasazeni jako číslo 11 a v osmifinále vyřadili turnajové šestky z Izraele, ale Češi od počátku tahali za kratší konec. Jurka ještě po úvodním duelu předal „štafetu“ ve vedení 4:3, ale od té doby měl navrch soupeř. Ze zbylých osmi soubojů ještě dva těsné dílčí úspěchy zaznamenal Rubeš, ale jen zmírnil ztrátu a rozjetí Němci už se nenechali zastavit.V bojích o konečné umístění utrpěli kordisté nejprve porážku 31:45 s favorizovanými Maďary, které ve čtvrtfinále překvapivě vyřadili Nizozemci. A v souboji o sedmou příčku byli nad síly českého týmu také Švýcaři (38:45). Do obou těchto zápasů už naskočil i Pavlík, který nejprve nahradil Čupra a pak Rubeše.Český tým v Janově obhajoval čtvrté […]
Having been actively involved in the trade market for more than two decades, I can confidently say that the hardest thing for a fantasy baseball manager is to sell high on a player who is having a tremendous season.[Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all]After all, the manager either drafted this player or added him via the waiver wire because they believed that the player could be successful. When they see their predictions coming to fruition, they feel validated and want to see the season through to the end. However, there are times when a player is outperforming even the optimistic predictions the manager had for him, and the right move is to trade the player away before he experiences regression.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis week’s article is solely comprised of hitters who are off to terrific starts […]
Location: Miami Gardens, Fla.Capacity: 65,326Home to: Miami Dolphins, Miami HurricanesThe Club World Cup began in Miami on Saturday with the opening ceremony and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami playing out a goalless draw with Egypt’s Al Ahly in this very stadium — also the site for the 2024 Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia.Argentina prevailed 1-0 in extra time, but the match was marred by a lack of crowd control which led to a near-stampede outside the stadium’s gates before kick-off. It was a security disaster for the tournament’s organisers (CONMEBOL) and the local government. I was there that day. There are scenes of unconscious men and women and crying children pressed against the gates that will stay with me forever.Saturday passed much more smoothly, providing another opportunity for Hard Rock Stadium to prove it can host international football matches […]
Location: Miami Gardens, Fla.Capacity: 65,326Home to: Miami Dolphins, Miami HurricanesThe Club World Cup began in Miami on Saturday with the opening ceremony and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami playing out a goalless draw with Egypt’s Al Ahly in this very stadium — also the site for the 2024 Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia.Argentina prevailed 1-0 in extra time, but the match was marred by a lack of crowd control which led to a near-stampede outside the stadium’s gates before kick-off. It was a security disaster for the tournament’s organisers (CONMEBOL) and the local government. I was there that day. There are scenes of unconscious men and women and crying children pressed against the gates that will stay with me forever.Saturday passed much more smoothly, providing another opportunity for Hard Rock Stadium to prove it can host international football matches […]
Trading down from a top-3 pick is a rare move in the NBA. You almost never see it. Why would you? Rookie-scale contracts are the best deals in basketball, and the higher a team picks, the better its odds historically of landing a franchise changer. Most GMs would rather get fired swinging for a future All-Star than risk sliding down the board and watching the guy they passed on torch them for the next decade.McHale and Parish for Joe Barry Carroll. Webber for Penny. Fultz for Tatum. Luka for Trae. These are the kinds of trades that have shaped eras.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSince 1980, only 10 teams with a top-3 pick have traded down and stayed within the lottery. That’s 10 out of 135 chances over 45 drafts. Here they are:1980: Celtics traded No. 1 to WarriorsWarriors picked Joe Barry CarrollCeltics moved down […]
The Florida Panthers just won their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final, but the odds are already live at sportsbooks for which team will hoist the Cup next year.The Panthers won 5-1 on Tuesday night in Game 6 against the Edmonton Oilers in a Stanley Cup rematch, but the Oilers are actually the early +650 favorites at BetMGM to win it all next season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFlorida has the next-best odds at +750, as the team looks to return to the finals for the fourth straight season and win its third straight title. The Panthers lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.The Colorado Avalanche (+800), Dallas Stars (+850) and Carolina Hurricanes (+900) are the other teams with better than 10-1 odds.There isn't a consensus favorite among sportsbooks for next season, as some books have the Oilers as slight favorites, while others have the […]
Třetí tým z loňské pařížské olympiády, kde byl v sestavě místo Pavlíka loučící se Jiří Beran, měl v Janově jako čtvrtý nasazený volný los v prvním kole. Ve druhém vyřadil po přesvědčivé výhře 45:30 ruský výběr startující pod hlavičkou týmu neutrálních sportovců (AIN).Proti Němcům, kteří byli nasazeni jako číslo 11 a v osmifinále vyřadili turnajové šestky z Izraele, ale Češi od počátku tahali za kratší konec. Jurka ještě po úvodním duelu předal „štafetu“ ve vedení 4:3, ale od té doby měl navrch soupeř. Ze zbylých osmi soubojů ještě dva těsné dílčí úspěchy zaznamenal Rubeš, ale jen zmírnil ztrátu a rozjetí Němci už se nenechali zastavit.V bojích o konečné umístění utrpěli kordisté nejprve porážku 31:45 s favorizovanými Maďary, které ve čtvrtfinále překvapivě vyřadili Nizozemci. A v souboji o sedmou příčku byli nad síly českého týmu také Švýcaři (38:45). Do obou těchto zápasů už naskočil i Pavlík, který nejprve nahradil Čupra a pak Rubeše.Český tým v Janově obhajoval čtvrté […]
Having been actively involved in the trade market for more than two decades, I can confidently say that the hardest thing for a fantasy baseball manager is to sell high on a player who is having a tremendous season.[Smarter waivers, better trades, optimized lineups — Yahoo Fantasy Plus unlocks it all]After all, the manager either drafted this player or added him via the waiver wire because they believed that the player could be successful. When they see their predictions coming to fruition, they feel validated and want to see the season through to the end. However, there are times when a player is outperforming even the optimistic predictions the manager had for him, and the right move is to trade the player away before he experiences regression.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis week’s article is solely comprised of hitters who are off to terrific starts […]
Location: Miami Gardens, Fla.Capacity: 65,326Home to: Miami Dolphins, Miami HurricanesThe Club World Cup began in Miami on Saturday with the opening ceremony and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami playing out a goalless draw with Egypt’s Al Ahly in this very stadium — also the site for the 2024 Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia.Argentina prevailed 1-0 in extra time, but the match was marred by a lack of crowd control which led to a near-stampede outside the stadium’s gates before kick-off. It was a security disaster for the tournament’s organisers (CONMEBOL) and the local government. I was there that day. There are scenes of unconscious men and women and crying children pressed against the gates that will stay with me forever.Saturday passed much more smoothly, providing another opportunity for Hard Rock Stadium to prove it can host international football matches […]
Location: Miami Gardens, Fla.Capacity: 65,326Home to: Miami Dolphins, Miami HurricanesThe Club World Cup began in Miami on Saturday with the opening ceremony and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami playing out a goalless draw with Egypt’s Al Ahly in this very stadium — also the site for the 2024 Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia.Argentina prevailed 1-0 in extra time, but the match was marred by a lack of crowd control which led to a near-stampede outside the stadium’s gates before kick-off. It was a security disaster for the tournament’s organisers (CONMEBOL) and the local government. I was there that day. There are scenes of unconscious men and women and crying children pressed against the gates that will stay with me forever.Saturday passed much more smoothly, providing another opportunity for Hard Rock Stadium to prove it can host international football matches […]
Trading down from a top-3 pick is a rare move in the NBA. You almost never see it. Why would you? Rookie-scale contracts are the best deals in basketball, and the higher a team picks, the better its odds historically of landing a franchise changer. Most GMs would rather get fired swinging for a future All-Star than risk sliding down the board and watching the guy they passed on torch them for the next decade.McHale and Parish for Joe Barry Carroll. Webber for Penny. Fultz for Tatum. Luka for Trae. These are the kinds of trades that have shaped eras.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSince 1980, only 10 teams with a top-3 pick have traded down and stayed within the lottery. That’s 10 out of 135 chances over 45 drafts. Here they are:1980: Celtics traded No. 1 to WarriorsWarriors picked Joe Barry CarrollCeltics moved down […]
Be the first to leave a comment