Renegades Head Coach Bob Stoops Week 2 Presser Recap

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The Arlington Renegades are riding high entering Week 2 after a dominant performance at home on Saturday against the San Antonio Brahmas.

Arlington shut down the Brahmas’ offense to just 240 yards and kept them out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. The Renegades got it done with a balanced attack on offense as they racked up 347 total yards in the 33-9 win over San Antonio.

Week 2 delivers a new challenge for the Renegades as they prepare for the Texas Showdown against in-state rivals, the Houston Roughnecks. During his press conference with the media on Thursday, Stoops discussed moving forward and having a week-by-week approach to the season.

“You got to earn it every week. And just because you did it one week doesn't mean you're going to do it again. So we just have to worry about ourselves, make sure we're at our best.”

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Houston is coming off a disappointing 31-6 loss to the St. Louis Battlehawks at home on Friday night, where the Roughnecks’ offense only had 170 yards. I asked Stoops about how to gameplan against starting quarterback Anthony Brown and backup Nolan Henderson, who are two guys who are mobile and athletic. For Stoops, it’s all about staying discipline in their assignments defensively.

“Yeah, as much as anything, with pressure and blitzes, hopefully you can get to them and then and limit his running lanes. And then our guys just have to be very smart in pass rushing and not getting too deep and getting past the quarterback and opening up lanes for him.”

Arlington’s offense got a massive boost on Saturday from the running game, thanks to the play of new running back Kalen Ballage, who rushed for a game-high 110 yards and a UFL record 77-yard touchdown run in the win. Long-time Renegades running De’Veon Smith saw a different role in the offense as he ran three times for three yards and three touchdowns.

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Smith spoke after the game about how he took on a different role this season, assisting in coaching during training camp before officially re-signing with the Renegades before last week’s Brahmas game. I asked Stoops about Smith’s new role with the team and what he brings to the running back room, with the former Oklahoma head coach praising Smith and the rest of the running backs.

“Well, he's a great leader, another great person, great man, and so in the end, we wanted a little bit different approach with the running back situation and KB with a size and speed. Then Dae Dae has a different gear. A different style of running. And then, De'Veon is going to really make a contribution with a lot of short yards and tough pickups because of his strength and size. So, yeah, we'll just keep finding opportunities for him.”

The Roughnecks face off against the Renegades at Choctaw Stadium on Sunday at 11:00 am CST as the game will be broadcasted on ESPN.