Renegades Beat Roughnecks to Reach 2023 XFL Championship as Fans Praise HC Bob Stoops

In one of the most stunning upsets of the season, the Arlington Renegades are moving on to the XFL Championship Game.

The Renegades took down the Houston Roughnecks, the top-seeded team in the South Division, 26-11 on Saturday.

Not only did the Renegades enter the postseason as the only team with a losing record at 4-6, but Roughnecks also dominated them in their two meetings during the regular season.

The two teams met last week for the final game of the regular season, and Houston blew out its in-state rivals, 25-9.

But it's extremely hard to beat a team three times in a year, which the Renegades only confirmed Saturday.

Led by legendary college coach Bob Stoops, Arlington had players all over the roster make a huge impact in the win, but none more than the duo of quarterback Luis Perez and receiver JaVonta Payton.

Perez threw for a game-high 289 yards to go along with three touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 19 of his 27 passes. Payton was benefactor of a handful of those passes, finishing with 121 yards and two scores.

Stoops' defense came up big as well, holding an explosive Houston offense to only 11 points. It was previously held to under 20 points only three times during the regular season.

Twitter was singing Stoops' praises following the win.

The Renegades winning the championship in the revamped league's first season would be an incredible storyline considering how far they've come.

They're set to face the winner of Sunday's game between the DC Defenders and Seattle Sea Dragons, both of whom have been the best teams in the XFL for much of the year.