Defenders' rout of Panthers in UFL title game proves who the true MVP is
Ta'amu's evening was made that much sweeter with newly minted UFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and All-UFL QB Bryce Perkins standing on the opposite sideline.
Ta'amu, the league's leader in passing touchdowns, continued what is the most impressive season by a passer in UFL history with 390 passing yards, completing 75% of his passes (21 of 28) for four touchdowns — in three quarters. At halftime, Ta'amu had completed 16 of 20 passes for 320 yards, as everything the Defenders did offensively worked.
His counterpart, Perkins, finished with 338 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception, completing 60% of his throws (21 of 35). Perkins completed eight of 13 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
"I'd rather have a championship with the team than my own individual honors," Ta'amu said.
Here are a couple of my biggest takeaways from Saturday's tilt. Unstoppable force vs. even more unstoppable force
Heading into this matchup, the Defenders knew they had a large advantage: their No. 1-ranked passing offense against the Panthers' dead-last passing defense. Instead of outsmarting themselves, Coach of the Year Shannon Harris and Assistant Coach of the Year Fred Kaiss dialed up an offensive game plan that led to the Defenders putting up more than 500 yards of total offense and 50 points in three quarters against the USFL Conference champions.
Before the game began, Michigan likely thought it had its own psychological and statistical advantages. The Panthers beat the Defenders by double digits, 38-14, in Week 6 of the regular season. That win was powered by a rushing attack that put up 213 yards and a Michigan defense that allowed just 250 total yards in the mid-season rout.
While the Panthers' rushing offense didn't miss the bus this time around, their defense got left in the dust. Against the Defenders' big-play offense, the Panthers were left without an ability to sit on the ball, run it or play complimentary football. The Defenders ultimately turned the title game into a track meet and forced Michigan to keep up.
The Defenders put up 379 yards and 37 points in the first half, including 31 points in the second quarter alone.
Even with offensive success that led to 19 first-half points, the Panthers' defense could not give its offense any help, allowing 18 first downs on the Defenders' first 40 plays. Wideout Jaydon Mickens caught six passes for 132 yards and a touchdown en route to joining an exclusive club of men who have won both a Super Bowl and a UFL championship.
Aside from Perkins, Malik Turner played best among Panthers players with 10 catches for a UFL record 168 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Both teams combined to score 92 points and put up more than 1,000 yards of offense. Defenders take over
Michigan must've felt good about its chance of winning because of how difficult it was to survive the playoffs and punch its ticket to St. Louis. The Panthers beat the three-time defending spring football champion Birmingham Stallions for the first time; Birmingham won the USFL titles in 2022 and 2023 and the inaugural UFL title in 2024.
The Stallions have been the standard every other franchise has been chasing since spring football returned in 2022. The Defenders would've known that too when they pulled off an upset win against Skip Holtz's squad in Week 1.
With wins against the three best teams in the sport over the past two years, including two in the 2025 playoffs, it's fair to say that the Defenders are not just the 2025 champions. With Ta'amu, Harris and an explosive offensive identity that makes them a threat in every game they play, the Defenders are the team everyone else will be chasing in 2026.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young .
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