ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Storm improved to 6-2 and kept pace atop the UFL standings with a resilient 27-19 home win over the DC Defenders (5-3) on Friday night at Inter&Co Stadium. Jack Plummer’s big-play passing attack built a double-digit lead, and Michael Lantz’s 51-yard field goal as time expired sealed the victory after DC’s Matt McCrane kept the Defenders alive with four field goals.
Plummer finished with 275 passing yards and three touchdowns, connecting on explosive strikes that flipped momentum in the first half. Chris Rowland led the way with eight receptions for 117 yards and a score, while Elijhah Badger and Cam Camper each hauled in touchdown passes. Jashaun Corbin handled the bulk of the ground work for Orlando.
Orlando struck first in the opening quarter when Plummer dropped a 62-yard bomb to Rowland for a 7-0 lead. DC answered quickly — McCrane drilled a 43-yard field goal, then Deon Jackson punched in a 3-yard touchdown run to give the Defenders a brief 10-7 advantage.
The second quarter belonged to the Storm. Plummer found Badger for a 41-yard touchdown strike to regain the lead, then hit Camper on a 2-yard score just before halftime. Orlando led 21-10 at the break after a 14-point quarter that showcased their vertical passing game.
DC chipped back in the third with McCrane’s 56-yard field goal — one of the longest of the night — making it 13-21. Lantz answered with a 35-yard field goal to push the margin back to 11 points at 24-13.
The fourth quarter turned into a field-goal duel. McCrane connected from 28 and then 42 yards to pull DC within five at 19-24. But Orlando’s defense and clock management set up Lantz for the dagger — a 51-yard field goal on a four-play, -5-yard drive that ran the final 1:05 off the clock and iced the 27-19 win.
With the win, Orlando stays at the top of the UFL playoff race with 1 more week to go. DC will look to bounce back in the regular season finale in a rematch vs the Orlando Storm
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