Through seven games of their inaugural season, the Columbus Aviators have gone 2-5, giving them little chance of reaching the playoffs. Columbus lost 31-20 to the St. Louis Battlehawks on May 8.
The Aviators made blatant miscommunication errors throughout the Friday night affair, and first-year head coach Ted Ginn Jr.’s team lost over a football field’s worth of yardage on penalties. The Aviators were flagged a whopping 14 times to set them back 115 yards.
Dysfunction peaked in the fourth quarter. Needing three scores to overcome a 17-point deficit with seven minutes remaining, Aviators quarterback Jalan McClendon found receiver Keke Chism in the end zone for his second passing touchdown. Instead of going for a two or three-point conversion, down 31-20, the Aviators attempted to kick the extra point and missed.
“Why didn’t you go for three right there? I’m just asking,” defensive coordinator Captain Munnerlyn asked head coach Ted Ginn Jr. on the hot mic of Fox’s television broadcast. “It’s still a two-possession game.”
Ginn Jr. did not provide an audible response, or if he did, it was not aired.
Picked up by the Battlehawks earlier in the week, quarterback Luis Perez started in his first game and led the Battlehawks to scores on each of their first four drives.
St. Louis found the end zone on its first possession without completing a pass. Entering with the worst run defense in the UFL, the Aviators allowed a 40-yard rush to running back Jarveon Howard on their second defensive play. Howard fumbled, and the ball was picked up easily by running back Blake Jackson at the 18-yard line. The Battlehawks scored a touchdown seven plays later to go up 7-0.
Allowing big plays became a theme for Columbus. Perez completed a 46-yard pass to wide receiver Hakeem Butler on the Battlehawks’ second drive to set up the eventual TD.
Down 14-0 entering the second quarter, the Aviators got a small spark from backup quarterback Jalen Morton. Set up in the red zone thanks to an out-of-bounds kickoff and 30 yards of penalties, Morton trucked through five Battlehawks defenders for a rushing score.
The Aviators lost any offensive momentum and went three-and-out on their next drive. Columbus’ punting from the 5-yard line resulted in favorable field position for the Battlehawks, and they took just two plays to find the end zone for a 24-7 first-half lead.
The Aviators showed life by intercepting Perez to begin the second half. McClendon, who leads the league in completion percentage, finally found a rhythm and made a 12-yard touchdown pass to cut the Battlehawks’ lead to 10 points. He finished with 153 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Seven penalties in the third quarter ended the Aviators’ attempted comeback. On defense, the Aviators were called for a facemask and a too-many-men penalty, letting the Battlehawks waltz into the end zone for a 31-14 lead. The Aviators turned the ball over on downs on their next offensive drive, which included a delay-of-game penalty.
Up 11 after the Aviators’ touchdown score and missed extra point, the Battlehawks chewed the clock down to 2:49 remaining to prevent a comeback threat. The Aviators went four-and-out on their last possession.
The Aviators are back in last place in the UFL with three games remaining on their schedule.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Aviators penalized 14 times in 31-20 loss to St. Louis
Reporting by Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
