XFL Arlington Renegades

Arlington Renegades Game Notes

Published on April 6, 2023 under XFL (XFL)
Arlington Renegades News Release


SERIES NOTES: Saturday will mark the second all-time meeting between the Renegades and Guardians, as well as the final 2023 regular-season matchup between the teams. Arlington used a fourth-quarter touchdown to defeat Orlando, 10-9, during Week 3 action on March 5 at Choctaw Stadium.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

In a matchup of the XFL's top passing team in Seattle and the league's 2nd-best defense in Arlington, it was the Sea Dragons' offense proving to be too much for the Renegades in a 24-15 loss Friday night at Choctaw Stadium. As a team, Arlington established season highs on the offensive side in both passing (215) and rushing (124) yards, but the Renegades gave up season highs on the defensive end in passing (256) and rushing (115) yards, in addition to equaling a season-most points allowed and not forcing Seattle into a single punt. Arlington RB De'Veon Smith rushed for a season-high two touchdowns and a year-best 61 yards, and QB Drew Plitt threw for a season-most 213 yards on 19-of-29 completions. But, Seattle QB Ben DiNucci delivered 266 passing yards and rushed for another 52 yards in leading the Sea Dragons to their fifth-straight win after opening the season 0-2.

‚¬Â¢ This was Arlington's first loss this season by more than six points, and it is the first time the Renegades have lost back-to-back games.

‚¬Â¢ Arlington came into the contest with the XFL's 2nd-stingiest defense (16.8 points per game), but Seattle's 24 points tied for the most in a game this season by a Renegades' opponent.

POSTSEASON PUSH

The XFL postseason picture remains wide open with three regular-season games to play. Despite Friday's loss, Arlington (3-4) remains in second place in the XFL South division heading into the homestretch of the campaign. Following this Saturday's game against fourth-place Orlando (1-6), the Renegades will play their final two games against the two current division leaders in D.C. (6-1) and Houston (4-3). The current standings:

‚¬Â¢ XFL South: 1) Houston (4-3)...2) Arlington (3-4)...3) San Antonio (2-5)...4) Orlando (1-6)

‚¬Â¢ XFL North: 1) D.C. (6-1)...2) St. Louis (5-2)...3) Seattle (5-2)...4) Vegas (2-5)

PUTTING THE 'D' IN DEFENSE

The Renegades defense has forced a turnover in all 7 games this season, this after S Will Hill picked off Seattle QB Ben DiNucci in the 3rd quarter on Friday.

‚¬Â¢ Arlington's 14 forced turnovers rank 4th in the XFL: STL (16), D.C. (15), HOU (15), ARL (14).

‚¬Â¢ The team's 8 interceptions are tied with Houston for most in the League.

‚¬Â¢ The Renegades have scored 48 of their 93 points (52 percent) off turnovers this season.

‚¬Â¢ The Renegades are allowing 17.9 points per game, the 3rd-best mark in XFL behind San Antonio (16.3 ppg) and Seattle (17.4 ppg).

THE WORLDWIDE LEADER

On May 17, 2022, the XFL announced a multi-year broadcast agreement with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN. This season, all 43 games (40 regular season games, two playoffs, one championship) will be featured on a combination of ABC, ESPN networks, and FX. All XFL games will be streamed on ESPN+.

‚¬Â¢ Saturday's game will air on ESPN with the announcing team of John Schriffen (play-by-play), Tom Luginbill (booth analyst), Harry Douglas and Stormy Buonantony (sideline reporters).

HOUSE OF PAYNE

Arlington Renegades LB Donald Payne (58 tackles) is the XFL's second-leading tackler through 7 weeks, trailing only San Antonio LB Jordan Williams (65). Rounding out the top 5 are Houston LB Emmanuel Ellerbee (50), Vegas LB C.J. Avery (43), and St. Louis LB Willie Harvey (39). Payne racked up 12 tackles on March 12 at St. Louis, most by any Renegade in a single game this season.

‚¬Â¢ Payne's 58 tackles are far clear of the next-closest Renegade, S Will Hill (36 tackles).

‚¬Â¢ Payne continues to be one of the top tacklers in spring football of late, as he came to the XFL after leading the USFL with 117 tackles for the Houston Gamblers in 2022.

‚¬Â¢ A three-time All-American at Stetson, Payne finished his college career as the third-leading tackler in Division I (FCS/FBS) history with 538 tackles.

FINDING PAYDIRT

Arlington RB De'Veon Smith rushed for a season-high 2 touchdowns and a year-best 61 yards on Friday vs. Seattle, becoming the team's first non-QB with multiple scores in a game this season. After averaging under 3 yards per carry through the season's first 5 weeks, Smith has carried the ball 22 times for 103 yards (4.7 yards per carry) over the last 2 games. He ranks among XFL ball carriers in attempts (2nd, 90), yards (3rd, 278), and TDs (4th, 4).

QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL

The Renegades have seen a lot of movement at the quarterback position of late, as the team's current 3 signal-callers have thrown a total of one pass for the team. QB Luis Perez was acquired in a trade with Vegas on March 28. QB Kevin Anderson was inactive for the team's first 6 games before serving as the backup last week and throwing one pass in relief of an injured QB Drew Plitt. QB Kelly Bryant was signed to the active roster on Monday. Plitt (placed on Reserve/Injured List on Monday) and QB Kyle Sloter (released on March 27), the team's top 2 QBs heading into the season, are no longer on the active roster.

CANNELLA LEADS THE WAY

Arlington TE Sal Cannella has been the team's top target during the 2023 season, hauling in 32 catches for 282 yards through 7 weeks. Cannella enters Week 8 among XFL leaders in receptions (T6th) and targets (T4th, 48). Among tight ends, he is among the league leaders in catches (2nd), receiving yards (2nd), and targets (2nd). The only TE currently edging him out is Orlando's Cody Latimer (40 rec., 488 yds., 52 targets).

‚¬Â¢ Cannella has carried a heavy receiving load for Arlington through 7 games, accounting for 32 of the team's 125 catches (25.6%) and 282 of 1,172 receiving yards (24.1%).

‚¬Â¢ Cannella joined the XFL this season after playing for the New Orleans Breakers of the USFL. He was named to the All-USFL team after leading all tight ends in receiving yards.

BIG WILLIE STYLE

Arlington LB Willie Taylor has been a force on defense in his first professional season, leading the team in sacks (3) and tackles for loss (7) through Week 7. One of the youngest players in the league at just 23 years old, Taylor is one of just two XFL players that are eligible for the NFL Draft (along with Seattle QB Harrison Frost). He played in college at Washington State and Eastern Kentucky, and finished up his college career last Fall before jumping straight to the XFL.

FLORIDA TIES

The Renegades have a number of connections to the state of Florida, with many claiming a hometown or alma mater in the state. Below is a list of Arlington ties to the Sunshine State:

‚¬Â¢ Bob Stoops won a BCS National Championship as defensive coordinator on Steve Spurrier's staff at Florida in 1996, defeating Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.

‚¬Â¢ QB Kevin Anderson (Boca Raton, FL), DB Javaris Davis (Auburn / Jacksonville, FL), DL Bruce Hector (Tampa, FL / South Florida), WR Rannell Hall (Miami, FL / Central Florida), DB Will Hill (Florida), DB Jamar Johnson (Sarasota, FL), CB Cre'Von LeBlanc (Belle Glade, FL / Florida Atlantic), OL Garrett McGhin (Tallahassee, FL), LB Donald Payne (Stetson).

‚¬Â¢ Tight Ends/Special Teams Coach Scott Spurrier is the youngest son of Hall of Fame coaching legend Steve Spurrier, the former Florida and Orlando Apollos (AAF) head coach.

THE KICK IS GOOD

After making his only attempt on Friday vs. Seattle, Arlington K Taylor Russolino is 9-for-11 on field goal attempts this season, ranking 4th in the XFL in successful field goals. Including his time spent with St. Louis in 2020 - when he went 9-for-10 in FG attempts - Russolino has now converted 18 of 21 (85.7%) of his FG attempts in the XFL.

EXTRA SPECIAL TEAMS

In addition to Russolino on the kicking side, Arlington P Marquette King has found plenty of success in the punting game for the Renegades. The former NFL All-Pro has had 32 punts (T2nd in XFL) for 1,460 yards (2nd in XFL) through 7 games, good for an average of 45.6 yards/punt. That average ranks 2nd in the league behind San Antonio's Brad Wing (47.6 yds/ punt). In addition to his punting prowess, King continues to pursue his musical interests off the field. His newest single, "Grind, ‚¬Â was recently released.

DALLAS HONORED BY SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Dallas was recently honored by the Sports Business Journal in the publication's first annual ranking of the best cities for sports business. Dallas took the top spot among the top 50 cities that were ranked by the Sports Business Journal, which analyzed 377 markets that are home to at least one professional or Division I college athletic program, or a permanent event. The rankings are based on a combination of more than 400,000 data points and input from nearly 100 executives from across sports business through the end of 2022. Rounding out the top 5 were New York, Charlotte, Minneapolis, and Atlanta.

ST. LOUIS SOUTH?

The 2023 Arlington Renegades have a number of connections to the 2020 St. Louis Battlehawks from XFL 2.0. Members of the current coaching staff that worked for St. Louis in 2020, with their former role listed in parenthesis: co-offensive coordinator Jonathan Hayes (head coach), co-offensive coordinator Chuck Long (offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach), co-defensive coordinator Jay Hayes (defensive coordinator), co- defensive coordinator Tim Lewis (defensive backs coach), quality control coach Michael George (asst. to head coach / asst. defensive line coach). Current Renegades players that played for St. Louis in 2020: DL Will Clarke, OL Brian Folkerts (St. Louis-area native & graduate of Hazelwood Central HS), DB Will Hill, P Marquette King, DL Davonte Lambert, DB Joe Powell, and K Taylor Russolino.

SOME EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

As with all XFL teams, the Arlington Renegades roster consists of players with extensive professional experience, including time spent at the sport's highest level in the NFL. Of the 51 players on the team's season-opening roster, 25 had appeared in at least one NFL game. Those 25 players have a total of 506 games of NFL experience. Leading the way for Arlington is former All-Pro P Marquette King with 84 games of NFL experience, while LB Will Clarke (53), CB Cre'von LeBlanc (52), and DB Will Hill (50) have each eclipsed the half-century mark in games played at the NFL level.

THE BAND IS BACK TOGETHER

Arlington Renegades head coach Bob Stoops and co-offensive coordinators Jonathan Hayes and Chuck Long all played college football together in 1982 at the University of Iowa under legendary head coach Hayden Fry. The trio were teammates on the Hawkeyes' 1982 Rose Bowl team, and Stoops was later part of the Iowa coaching staff while Hayes concluded his playing career. Hayes served as the tight ends/special teams coach for Stoops at OU from 1999-2002. Long was a coach for the Sooners from 2000-05, as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.

RENEGADES IN THE COMMUNITY

The Renegades are committed to being a positive force and constant presence in the community. Below are some of the recent community events and appearances that the team has taken part in:

‚¬Â¢ Jan. 14: Girl Scouts of Texas and Oklahoma - Cookie Distribution Event

‚¬Â¢ Jan. 16: MLK Day / National Day of Service - Volunteering at Mission Arlington (players), meal delivery to needy families in partnership with Prince Lebanese Grill and Park Place Mercedes (Bob Stoops)

‚¬Â¢ Jan. 28: Renegades Open Practice / Bob Stoops Q&A / Player Autograph Session - 1,000+ fans in attendance

‚¬Â¢ Feb. 11: "Meet the Team ‚¬Â fan event at The Parks Mall in Arlington

‚¬Â¢ Feb. 17: Scottish Rite for Children hospital visit; Bob Stoops Ticketstock appearance

‚¬Â¢ March 4: Player Engagement Event at Main Event Entertainment in Grand Prairie, TX

‚¬Â¢ March 25: Player Appearance at Athletes Unlimited Women's Basketball Game

‚¬Â¢ March 30: Player Appearance at Texas Rangers Opening Day Tailgate

WELCOME TO ARLINGTON - THE HUB CITY

On July 25, 2022, the XFL announced the selection of the City of Arlington, Texas as its new football operations Hub, signing a three-year agreement that provides a centralized performance facility and multiple practice venues for preseason and in-week training for the League's eight teams. This hybrid Hub model provides players access to full-time, on- site support from coaches and athletic training staff, while still developing team affinity and community relations within their local markets. The Hub also serve as a content creation center, giving the league, its teams and its players an opportunity to build personal brands and engage with fans through social media, in-person events and other media platforms, tapping into the worldwide expertise and reach of XFL Owners, Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and RedBird Capital Partners.

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