Columbus Aviators earn 1st win at home 28-14 over Renegades

The Columbus Aviators (1-3) earned their first franchise win by beating the Dallas Renegades 28-14 in front of an electric home crowd at Historic Crew Stadium April 17. The Aviators' previous game was a 28-23 road loss, also against the Renegades (3-1). Columbus played that game without head coach Ted Ginn Jr .

The former Ohio State wide receiver had been arrested on charges of DWI. Aviators staff handed out navy "United We Fly" flags to a majority of the 8,729 in the stands. Despite Historic Crew Stadium being half empty, the fans caused the press box to shake on every opponent's third down.

At the two-minute warning in the first half, the wave started in the "Flightdecke," the Aviators fan section whose name is an homage to the Crew's supporters' section, the Nordecke. Down 14-7 with one minute remaining in the half, Ginn Jr. challenged a missed pass interference call to keep possession.

Such a "super challenge" is unique to the UFL. One play later, quarterback Jalan McClendon threw a pass towards the left corner of the endzone. Making an almost-impossible acrobatic effort, wide receiver Keke Chism reeled in the pass with one hand and spun his body toward the pylon for a touchdown.