ORLANDO, Fla. -- The University of Central Florida Knights closed out their home season with a 49-0 thrashing of the Tulane Green Wave in front of an announced crowd of 31,390 at Bright House Networks Stadium Saturday afternoon.The Knights' offense, defense, and special teams all did their part to send the departing seniors out with a win.
The offense racked up seven total touchdowns, including four in the third quarter. UCF had not scored 28 points in a quarter since Sept. 22, 2007 against Memphis.
The defense could have given the vaunted Florida Gators' defense fits, holding Tulane to -30 yards rushing and 50 total offensive yards on 51 plays in the game.
The kicking game was a perfect 7 of 7 on extra points by Nick Cattoi and Jamie Boyle, and the punt coverage team forced a fumble which gave UCF possession on the Tulane 22 and set up a score for the offense.
"Each week we are getting better as a team. I feel we did a lot of good things on offense and defense and in the kicking game. I was very pleased with the execution of the team, and being able to put that many points on the board," said UCF head coach George O'Leary.
Knights quarterback Brett Hodges went 19 of 28 for 234 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Rob Calabrese, who relieved Hodges at the start of the fourth quarter, only threw one pass for a 6-yard touchdown reception by Brendan Kelly.
"Brett Hodges did an excellent job at making his reads," O'Leary said.
UCF's running backs did their part too, with Brynn Harvey scoring three touchdowns while gaining 129 yards on 16 carries, including a 50-yard score on UCF's opening drive. Johnathan Davis also had 16 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown with 47 seconds left in the third quarter.
"Brynn Harvey and Jonathan Davis both had great games running the ball," O'Leary said. "Harvey made a few reads in the first half where he was cutting too early, but as the game progressed, he made some excellent cuts and got through the hole."
The Knights were not perfect on offense, however, as a 13-play, 65-yard drive ended with a Hodges pass being picked off by Tulane cornerback Phillip Davis in the end zone.
UCF's offense was back on the field six plays later though, as Reggie Weams intercepted Ryan Griffin in the end zone.
The Knights got their second quarter touchdown after Tulane punter Ross Thevenot bobbled the ball while trying to punt. Running back Ronnie Weaver fell on the ball at the Tulane 3. Harvey ran it in two plays later from 2 yards out, giving the Knights a 14-0 lead with 1:31 left in the first half.
Tulane got the ball to start the second half, but Griffin was sacked by Justin Boddie and lost the ball. Senior defensive tackle Travis Timmons scooped the loose ball up and ran for 10 yards to the Tulane 13.
Harvey got the third quarter scoring bonanza started by crossing the goal line on another 2-yard run.
Griffin had another pass intercepted on Tulane's next possession, this time by freshman corner Josh Robinson who brought it to the Tulane 29 before being forced out of bounds.
Hodges connected with receiver Kamar Aiken for a 29-yard score on the next play, giving UCF a 28-0 lead with 10:37 left in the third.
"Brett is going to keep looking for me," Aiken said. "Brett told me in the first half to keep running my routes and he would find me. He did that and kept coming to me."
Kemal Ishmael forced a Jordan Sullen fumble on the ensuing kickoff and Weaver had another fumble recovery. Hodges and Aiken connected again two plays later on a 16-yard throw. Boyle came in to kick the extra point. UCF had scored 21 points in less than three minutes.
UCF's final third quarter score came after a 14-play, 97-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock. Davis, who had an earlier touchdown called back on a holding penalty, capped the drive off with a 9-yard run for six. Boyle's extra point made it 42-0 with less than a minute left in the third.
Tulane benched Griffin in favor of Joe Kemp at quarterback, though Kemp was not able to start anything for Tulane's offense. Kevin Moore was inserted at quarterback for Tulane's final possession.
"I was very happy for our seniors," O'Leary said. "It was an awesome game for them to come out and all get in there and pitch the shutout."
UCF's final game of the season is Nov. 28 at UAB. UCF's likely bowl destinations are the St. Petersburg Bowl, the EagleBank Bowl, and the New Orleans Bowl, with a possibility of the Hawaii Bowl or the Armed Forces Bowl.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Knights clinch bowl bid with first win against ranked team
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The University of Central Florida Knights defeated No. 13 Houston 37-32 in front of an announced crowd of 34,437 at Bright House Networks Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The victory marks the first time UCF has beaten a ranked opponent in 30 years of football, and also gave UCF the requisite six wins needed to be considered bowl eligible.
"It was a great win for our players and being able to stay in the hunt. My hat's off to the players for getting the win and becoming bowl eligible. The players and coaches alike are both ecstatic about the win," UCF head coach George O'Leary said. ""It's definitely a huge game, but it's even bigger because it was a conference game."Senior quarterback Brett Hodges outplayed Houston's Case Keenum, completing 21 of 25 pass attempts for 241 yards and one touchdown.
"It is huge for us now that we are bowl eligible and huge for us to keep our conference championship hopes alive. It really was a team effort today and a huge win," Hodges said.
Keenum, who had been considered a Heisman Trophy candidate going into Saturday's game, completed 33 of 57 attempts for 377 yards and one touchdown and one interception.
Sophomore running back Brynn Harvey ran for 149 yards on 35 attempts and scored three touchdowns.
Houston (8-2, 4-2 Conference-USA) struck first with a field goal and a 51-yard touchdown pass from Keenum to Tyron Carrier, showing the explosive potential of a Cougars offense that had posted over 500 yards in its past two games.
UCF (6-4, 4-2 C-USA) stuck to the game plan of offensive ball control at the start of the second quarter, orchestrating a 15-play, 62-yard drive that took over eight minutes off the clock and resulted in a 35-yard Nick Cattoi field goal to make the score 10-3.
"I thought we would definitely have a shot if we could just control the clock and move the ball on them," O'Leary said.
Houston showed special teams prowess on the ensuing kickoff, as return man Devin Mays took the ball 100 yards for a quick score.
UCF maintained their composure, however, as they put together another long scoring drive, this one 10 plays for 62 yards that also took more than five minutes off the clock. Freshman running back Johnathan Davis capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, and Cattoi's extra point brought the Knights to within seven again.
The teams went into the locker room with the score 17-10 at halftime.
"We held them to only four plays in the second quarter, and that is essential against a team that averages 100 or so plays a game," O'Leary said.
UCF again proved to be a second half team, as their first drive of the third quarter went 51 yards in eight plays. Harvey scored on a 1-yard run, but Cattoi's extra point was blocked by Cougars wide receiver L.J. Castille, leaving UCF one point short of the tie at 17-16.
The Knights' defense forced a three-and-out for Houston, and the offense took over on their own 15.
Hodges showed his own quick-strike abilities with a 27-yard rocket to freshman Quincy McDuffie. Two plays later, Knights fans may have had flashbacks to the Kevin Smith era as the offensive line opened a huge hole for Harvey, who ran for 41 yards and six points on the play. Cattoi's extra point was good, and the Knights had a six-point lead with 5:06 left in the third quarter.
Houston started the fourth quarter on UCF's 4-yard line, but an incomplete Keenum pass forced a 21-yard Matt Hogan field goal.
UCF's next drive was an 11-play, 79-yard drive that took nearly six minutes off the clock. Hodges and McDuffie connected for a 24-yard score and, following Cattoi's extra point, a 10-point lead with 9:03 left in the game.
"That was the plan going in, and it really just came down to execution," Hodges said about his team's ability to put so many long drives together. "We controlled the ball because we executed."
The Knights' defense forced a key turnover for the second game in a row as junior cornerback Justin Boddie picked Keenum off and returned the ball to Houston's 7-yard line. Harvey ran the ball the remaining 7 yards on the next play, giving UCF a commanding 17-point lead with 8:27 left to play.
The Cougars were able to put together two consecutive scoring drives late, with Carrier catching a 31-yard Keenum pass for six and Chaz Rodriguez bringing in a 15-yard Keenum pass for a touchdown.
Both scores were marred by failures to add points, however, as Hogan missed an extra point and Keenum failed to complete a pass for two points, respectively.
An onside kick attempt failed and, with 8 seconds left, UCF took a knee to seal their historic victory.
"This was a total team victory. Coach [Charlie] Taaffe, his staff and those offensive kids fought their butts off. Our special teams gave us great field position. This was just a total team victory and an amazing win for our program," said UCF defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable.
UCF's next game is at home against the Tulane Green Wave (3-7, 1-5 C-USA) Nov. 21. It will be the final home contest of the regular season for the Knights, who close out the year Nov. 28 at UAB (5-5, 4-2 C-USA).
The victory marks the first time UCF has beaten a ranked opponent in 30 years of football, and also gave UCF the requisite six wins needed to be considered bowl eligible.
"It was a great win for our players and being able to stay in the hunt. My hat's off to the players for getting the win and becoming bowl eligible. The players and coaches alike are both ecstatic about the win," UCF head coach George O'Leary said. ""It's definitely a huge game, but it's even bigger because it was a conference game."Senior quarterback Brett Hodges outplayed Houston's Case Keenum, completing 21 of 25 pass attempts for 241 yards and one touchdown.
"It is huge for us now that we are bowl eligible and huge for us to keep our conference championship hopes alive. It really was a team effort today and a huge win," Hodges said.
Keenum, who had been considered a Heisman Trophy candidate going into Saturday's game, completed 33 of 57 attempts for 377 yards and one touchdown and one interception.
Sophomore running back Brynn Harvey ran for 149 yards on 35 attempts and scored three touchdowns.
Houston (8-2, 4-2 Conference-USA) struck first with a field goal and a 51-yard touchdown pass from Keenum to Tyron Carrier, showing the explosive potential of a Cougars offense that had posted over 500 yards in its past two games.
UCF (6-4, 4-2 C-USA) stuck to the game plan of offensive ball control at the start of the second quarter, orchestrating a 15-play, 62-yard drive that took over eight minutes off the clock and resulted in a 35-yard Nick Cattoi field goal to make the score 10-3.
"I thought we would definitely have a shot if we could just control the clock and move the ball on them," O'Leary said.
Houston showed special teams prowess on the ensuing kickoff, as return man Devin Mays took the ball 100 yards for a quick score.
UCF maintained their composure, however, as they put together another long scoring drive, this one 10 plays for 62 yards that also took more than five minutes off the clock. Freshman running back Johnathan Davis capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, and Cattoi's extra point brought the Knights to within seven again.
The teams went into the locker room with the score 17-10 at halftime.
"We held them to only four plays in the second quarter, and that is essential against a team that averages 100 or so plays a game," O'Leary said.
UCF again proved to be a second half team, as their first drive of the third quarter went 51 yards in eight plays. Harvey scored on a 1-yard run, but Cattoi's extra point was blocked by Cougars wide receiver L.J. Castille, leaving UCF one point short of the tie at 17-16.
The Knights' defense forced a three-and-out for Houston, and the offense took over on their own 15.
Hodges showed his own quick-strike abilities with a 27-yard rocket to freshman Quincy McDuffie. Two plays later, Knights fans may have had flashbacks to the Kevin Smith era as the offensive line opened a huge hole for Harvey, who ran for 41 yards and six points on the play. Cattoi's extra point was good, and the Knights had a six-point lead with 5:06 left in the third quarter.
Houston started the fourth quarter on UCF's 4-yard line, but an incomplete Keenum pass forced a 21-yard Matt Hogan field goal.
UCF's next drive was an 11-play, 79-yard drive that took nearly six minutes off the clock. Hodges and McDuffie connected for a 24-yard score and, following Cattoi's extra point, a 10-point lead with 9:03 left in the game.
"That was the plan going in, and it really just came down to execution," Hodges said about his team's ability to put so many long drives together. "We controlled the ball because we executed."
The Knights' defense forced a key turnover for the second game in a row as junior cornerback Justin Boddie picked Keenum off and returned the ball to Houston's 7-yard line. Harvey ran the ball the remaining 7 yards on the next play, giving UCF a commanding 17-point lead with 8:27 left to play.
The Cougars were able to put together two consecutive scoring drives late, with Carrier catching a 31-yard Keenum pass for six and Chaz Rodriguez bringing in a 15-yard Keenum pass for a touchdown.
Both scores were marred by failures to add points, however, as Hogan missed an extra point and Keenum failed to complete a pass for two points, respectively.
An onside kick attempt failed and, with 8 seconds left, UCF took a knee to seal their historic victory.
"This was a total team victory. Coach [Charlie] Taaffe, his staff and those offensive kids fought their butts off. Our special teams gave us great field position. This was just a total team victory and an amazing win for our program," said UCF defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable.
UCF's next game is at home against the Tulane Green Wave (3-7, 1-5 C-USA) Nov. 21. It will be the final home contest of the regular season for the Knights, who close out the year Nov. 28 at UAB (5-5, 4-2 C-USA).
Monday, November 2, 2009
Knights squeak by Herd in last-minute win
ORLANDO, Fla. — The University of Central Florida Knights eked out a literal last-minute 21-20 victory against the Marshall Thundering Herd in front of an announced crowd of 35,676 at Bright House Networks Stadium in a crucial Conference USA match-up Sunday night.
“It wasn’t pretty but it’s a good win, a good team win. It’s a 60-minute game for a reason," said UCF head coach George O'Leary. “Anytime you get a win against a 5-3 football team, I think it’s a good win. It’s a good conference win.”
The Knights struggled offensively through three quarters of play and trailed 20-7 going into the fourth quarter, but a late Brynn Harvey rushing touchdown and a touchdown pass from Brett Hodges to Rocky Ross with just 23 seconds left in the game propelled UCF to victory over their division rival.The fourth quarter rally began when UCF took possession with 10:16 left in the game on Marshall's 43. Hodges connected with Ricky Kay for 16 yards and a Harvey run for three yards brough UCF to the 24.
Two incomplete passes later and the Knights were looking at 4th and 7. Hodges threw a 21-yard pass to Ross, putting UCF on Marshall's 3. Two plays later, Harvey's run and a Nick Cattoi extra point brought the Knights to within six of Marshall with 7:45 left to play.
The Knights' defense forced a Marshall three-and-out and, following a Kase Whitehead punt for 50 yards, UCF took over on their own 33.
UCF again faced a fourth down situation seven plays later, this time from Marshall's 18. Hodges' pass to receiver A.J. Guyton fell incomplete, however, and Marshall took over on downs.
Darius Marshall ran for four yards and an offisdes penalty against UCF moved Marshall to second and 1. Marshall quarterback Brian Anderson called his own number and rushed for two yards, but UCF defensive end Bruce Miller ripped the ball from Anderson's hands and cornerback Josh Robinson fell on it, giving UCF a first and 10 on Marshall's 30.
Miller also recorded 2.5 sacks in the game and earned C-USA defensive player of the week.
“He’s like every good pass rusher: they’re always great second effort players," O'Leary said about Miller. "He was on the sideline saying ‘Just hold him up, I’ll get it out,’ and he did.”
"Somebody just had to make a play and fortunately I was in a position where I could get the ball out, and that is what happened," Miller said.
From third and 10 on Marshall's 20, Hodges completed a 19-yard pass to Kamar Aiken. The next play was Ross' one yard reception to tie the game at 20. Cattoi's extra point was the go-ahead score.
“I was worried about running [the ball], not making it, and then clock, clock, clock. We had no timeouts left. You say we should have time to run another play, but it would have been hurried. They didn’t even cover [Ross]. There was no one on him," O'Leary said.
"It was a little play action sprint play," Hodges said. "I walked up to the line at first and nobody was guarding [Ross]. It confused me a little bit and I was wondering if they were tricking me. We sent A.J. [Guyton] in motion and [Ross] was still open so I just put a nice little touch pass out there for him."
Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter. Marshall struck first with a seven play, 91 yard drive capped off by an Anderson pass to Cody Slate for four yards.
UCF was able to respond on their next drive, an eight play, 72-yarder capped by a four yard Hodges pass to Aiken. Cattoi's extra point tied the game at 7 all with 7:51 left in the first half.
Marshall (5-4, 3-2 C-USA) regained the lead following their next possession as kicker Cra Ratanamorn scored a field goal from 30 yards.
The Herd scored a second touchdown in the second quarter as Marshall ran into the end zone from three yards out, giving the Herd a 10 point advantage going into halftime.
Ratanamorn kicked a second field goal with 3:25 left in the third quarter, following a nine play, 32 yard drive.
UCF's (5-3, 3-2 C-USA) next game is Nov. 7 when the Knights travel to No. 2 Texas (8-0, 5-0 Big 12).
“It wasn’t pretty but it’s a good win, a good team win. It’s a 60-minute game for a reason," said UCF head coach George O'Leary. “Anytime you get a win against a 5-3 football team, I think it’s a good win. It’s a good conference win.”
The Knights struggled offensively through three quarters of play and trailed 20-7 going into the fourth quarter, but a late Brynn Harvey rushing touchdown and a touchdown pass from Brett Hodges to Rocky Ross with just 23 seconds left in the game propelled UCF to victory over their division rival.The fourth quarter rally began when UCF took possession with 10:16 left in the game on Marshall's 43. Hodges connected with Ricky Kay for 16 yards and a Harvey run for three yards brough UCF to the 24.
Two incomplete passes later and the Knights were looking at 4th and 7. Hodges threw a 21-yard pass to Ross, putting UCF on Marshall's 3. Two plays later, Harvey's run and a Nick Cattoi extra point brought the Knights to within six of Marshall with 7:45 left to play.
The Knights' defense forced a Marshall three-and-out and, following a Kase Whitehead punt for 50 yards, UCF took over on their own 33.
UCF again faced a fourth down situation seven plays later, this time from Marshall's 18. Hodges' pass to receiver A.J. Guyton fell incomplete, however, and Marshall took over on downs.
Darius Marshall ran for four yards and an offisdes penalty against UCF moved Marshall to second and 1. Marshall quarterback Brian Anderson called his own number and rushed for two yards, but UCF defensive end Bruce Miller ripped the ball from Anderson's hands and cornerback Josh Robinson fell on it, giving UCF a first and 10 on Marshall's 30.
Miller also recorded 2.5 sacks in the game and earned C-USA defensive player of the week.
“He’s like every good pass rusher: they’re always great second effort players," O'Leary said about Miller. "He was on the sideline saying ‘Just hold him up, I’ll get it out,’ and he did.”
"Somebody just had to make a play and fortunately I was in a position where I could get the ball out, and that is what happened," Miller said.
From third and 10 on Marshall's 20, Hodges completed a 19-yard pass to Kamar Aiken. The next play was Ross' one yard reception to tie the game at 20. Cattoi's extra point was the go-ahead score.
“I was worried about running [the ball], not making it, and then clock, clock, clock. We had no timeouts left. You say we should have time to run another play, but it would have been hurried. They didn’t even cover [Ross]. There was no one on him," O'Leary said.
"It was a little play action sprint play," Hodges said. "I walked up to the line at first and nobody was guarding [Ross]. It confused me a little bit and I was wondering if they were tricking me. We sent A.J. [Guyton] in motion and [Ross] was still open so I just put a nice little touch pass out there for him."
Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter. Marshall struck first with a seven play, 91 yard drive capped off by an Anderson pass to Cody Slate for four yards.
UCF was able to respond on their next drive, an eight play, 72-yarder capped by a four yard Hodges pass to Aiken. Cattoi's extra point tied the game at 7 all with 7:51 left in the first half.
Marshall (5-4, 3-2 C-USA) regained the lead following their next possession as kicker Cra Ratanamorn scored a field goal from 30 yards.
The Herd scored a second touchdown in the second quarter as Marshall ran into the end zone from three yards out, giving the Herd a 10 point advantage going into halftime.
Ratanamorn kicked a second field goal with 3:25 left in the third quarter, following a nine play, 32 yard drive.
UCF's (5-3, 3-2 C-USA) next game is Nov. 7 when the Knights travel to No. 2 Texas (8-0, 5-0 Big 12).
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuskers clinch championship berth with second win over Locomotives
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A scoreless first quarter gave way to an offensive slugfest that nearly resulted in the first overtime game in United Football League history, but the Florida Tuskers held on to win 27-24 over the Las Vegas Locomotives at Tropicana Field in front of an announced crowd of 11,354 Friday night, moving to 4-0 on the season and clinching a spot in the UFL championship game.
“When you lose the turnover battle and they outrush you by a massive yardage and you play probably your worst game out of the four games and you still win the game, it says you have a little bit of character in your room," said Tuskers head coach Jim Haslett.Locomotives quarterback J.P. Losman had a chance at leading a final scoring drive late in the fourth, but after an 8-yard run on first down, the Florida defense forced a sack of six yards and two incomplete passes to turn the ball over on downs. Tuskers quarterback Brooks Bollinger came out and took a knee with 13 seconds left in the game to seal the victory.
“As far as being the first of the two teams to go to the UFL championship, it's great. It’s exciting," said Tuskers receiver Marcus Maxwell, who had two touchdown catches in the game.
Florida had two turnovers in the first quarter, a Jermaine Wiggins fumble forced by Las Vegas linebacker Brandon Moore and a Brooks Bollinger interception in the end zone by defensive back Trey Young.
"I heisted, threw late to [Pittman]. If I’d thrown it early it would have been a touchdown. As a quarterback you can’t have turnovers in the red zone," Bollinger said.
The Tuskers defense held Las Vegas scoreless in the first as well, forcing two punts. Defensive back Jerome Carter intercepted Losman as well, returning the ball 83 yards before being tackled by Locomotives wide receiver Samie Parker.
Florida had possession at the start of the second quarter and continued an eventual 10 play, 80 yard scoring drive capped off with a Bollinger pass to Maxwell from 9 yards out.
Las Vegas kicker Graham Gano missed a 41 yard field goal attempt on the next possession, and the Locos defense forced a Tuskers three-and-out.
The Locos' next play was a flea-flicker trick play. Losman tossed the ball to his running back, who tossed the ball back to Losman. Losman then fired a 60-yard bomb to a wide open Tab Perry for six, and Gano's extra point tied the game at 7 all.
Florida's next possession ended in a turnover as tight end Keith Heinrich coughed the ball up after a hit by Las Vegas defensive back Joe Porter. Nick Turnbull scooped up the loose ball and scampered 43 yards to the Florida 22.
The fumble was especially frustrating because the Tuskers had successfully converted a 4th-and-6 with a fake punt run by running back Shaud Williams, who gained 29 yards on the play.
“We run that once in a while," Haslett said of his own trick play. "We’ve been working on it for about a month, so I told ‘em ‘We’re gonna run this thing come hell or high water.' The opportunity arose today and we ran it."
The next Locomotives play was a hand-off to running back DeDe Dorsey, who ran the 22 yards into the end zone, giving Las Vegas the lead and marking the first time the Tuskers trailed in a game in two games.
Florida's next score came on their second possession of the third quarter as Bollinger and Maxwell hooked up again, this time for 46 yards. Matt Bryant's extra point tied the game at 14 with 11:56 left in the third.
Florida and Las Vegas traded field goals.
Gano scored first for Las Vegas from 40 yards out with 9:01 left in the third, followed soon after by a Bryant kick from 31 with 4:51 left in the third.
Florida running back Tatum Bell scored the go-ahead touchdown with a 1-yard run to make it 24-17, capping a 7 play, 86 yard drive with 8:08 left in the game.
Las Vegas needed just three plays to tie the game again, including a 71-yard run from Dorsey, setting up the scoring 2-yard pass from Losman to tight end John Madsen.
Florida's next drive was capped off with a 40 yard Bryant field goal to give the Tuskers their slimmest margin of victory in four games.
Bollinger finished the night with 22 completions in 35 attempts (62.8%) for 321 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.
The Tuskers are on the road for their next three games, two regular season contests against the New York Sentinels on Nov. 12 and against the California Redwoods Nov. 19 and the championship game in Las Vegas.
“I told ‘em I’d be disappointed if we don’t go undefeated. If we go 5-1 going to the championship, you know what? You’re good enough that you should win ‘em all,” Haslett said.
The Tuskers have previously beaten both of their upcoming opponents, 35-13 over New York Oct. 10 and 34-7 over California Oct. 22.
“When you lose the turnover battle and they outrush you by a massive yardage and you play probably your worst game out of the four games and you still win the game, it says you have a little bit of character in your room," said Tuskers head coach Jim Haslett.Locomotives quarterback J.P. Losman had a chance at leading a final scoring drive late in the fourth, but after an 8-yard run on first down, the Florida defense forced a sack of six yards and two incomplete passes to turn the ball over on downs. Tuskers quarterback Brooks Bollinger came out and took a knee with 13 seconds left in the game to seal the victory.
“As far as being the first of the two teams to go to the UFL championship, it's great. It’s exciting," said Tuskers receiver Marcus Maxwell, who had two touchdown catches in the game.
Florida had two turnovers in the first quarter, a Jermaine Wiggins fumble forced by Las Vegas linebacker Brandon Moore and a Brooks Bollinger interception in the end zone by defensive back Trey Young.
"I heisted, threw late to [Pittman]. If I’d thrown it early it would have been a touchdown. As a quarterback you can’t have turnovers in the red zone," Bollinger said.
The Tuskers defense held Las Vegas scoreless in the first as well, forcing two punts. Defensive back Jerome Carter intercepted Losman as well, returning the ball 83 yards before being tackled by Locomotives wide receiver Samie Parker.
Florida had possession at the start of the second quarter and continued an eventual 10 play, 80 yard scoring drive capped off with a Bollinger pass to Maxwell from 9 yards out.
Las Vegas kicker Graham Gano missed a 41 yard field goal attempt on the next possession, and the Locos defense forced a Tuskers three-and-out.
The Locos' next play was a flea-flicker trick play. Losman tossed the ball to his running back, who tossed the ball back to Losman. Losman then fired a 60-yard bomb to a wide open Tab Perry for six, and Gano's extra point tied the game at 7 all.
Florida's next possession ended in a turnover as tight end Keith Heinrich coughed the ball up after a hit by Las Vegas defensive back Joe Porter. Nick Turnbull scooped up the loose ball and scampered 43 yards to the Florida 22.
The fumble was especially frustrating because the Tuskers had successfully converted a 4th-and-6 with a fake punt run by running back Shaud Williams, who gained 29 yards on the play.
“We run that once in a while," Haslett said of his own trick play. "We’ve been working on it for about a month, so I told ‘em ‘We’re gonna run this thing come hell or high water.' The opportunity arose today and we ran it."
The next Locomotives play was a hand-off to running back DeDe Dorsey, who ran the 22 yards into the end zone, giving Las Vegas the lead and marking the first time the Tuskers trailed in a game in two games.
Florida's next score came on their second possession of the third quarter as Bollinger and Maxwell hooked up again, this time for 46 yards. Matt Bryant's extra point tied the game at 14 with 11:56 left in the third.
Florida and Las Vegas traded field goals.
Gano scored first for Las Vegas from 40 yards out with 9:01 left in the third, followed soon after by a Bryant kick from 31 with 4:51 left in the third.
Florida running back Tatum Bell scored the go-ahead touchdown with a 1-yard run to make it 24-17, capping a 7 play, 86 yard drive with 8:08 left in the game.
Las Vegas needed just three plays to tie the game again, including a 71-yard run from Dorsey, setting up the scoring 2-yard pass from Losman to tight end John Madsen.
Florida's next drive was capped off with a 40 yard Bryant field goal to give the Tuskers their slimmest margin of victory in four games.
Bollinger finished the night with 22 completions in 35 attempts (62.8%) for 321 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.
The Tuskers are on the road for their next three games, two regular season contests against the New York Sentinels on Nov. 12 and against the California Redwoods Nov. 19 and the championship game in Las Vegas.
“I told ‘em I’d be disappointed if we don’t go undefeated. If we go 5-1 going to the championship, you know what? You’re good enough that you should win ‘em all,” Haslett said.
The Tuskers have previously beaten both of their upcoming opponents, 35-13 over New York Oct. 10 and 34-7 over California Oct. 22.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuskers move to 3-0 after win against Redwoods
by: Neil Tredray
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida Tuskers moved to 3-0 as the United Football League's sole undefeated team with a decisive 34-7 victory over the visiting California Redwoods Thursday night at the Citrus Bowl in front of an announced crowd of 12,021.
Florida's explosive offense was led by quarterback Brooks Bollinger, and receiver Taye Biddle who caught five Bollinger passes for 133 yards. The game marked Biddle's second 100+ yard game, an especially impressive feat considering no other receiver in the league has even one such game.“I feel blessed. I really wasn’t aware of that either time I went over, so hearing it after the game was a shock to me, a big surprise," said Biddle.
Bollinger's stats for the game would look at home in the NFL: 17 of 29 attempts for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Backup quarterback Chris Griesen had a productive day for a relief quarterback as well, hitting receivers 8 of 11 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.
The Tuskers (3-0) pressured the Redwoods (1-2) on both sides of the ball from the beginning. The defense forced a California three-and-out on the first possession, and Florida's first offensive play was a long pass from Bollinger to Biddle for 33 yards. After two short gains and an incomplete pass, Tuskers offensive coordinator Jay Gruden called for a Michael Pittman rush up the middle on fourth and two that only gained one yard and turned the ball over on downs.
"Probably should’ve kicked the field goal, maybe got a little greedy," said Tuskers head coach Jim Haslett. "You think you can get after a team early but if I had to do it again I’d probably kick it. We’re just trying to score a bunch of points if we can.”
"That makes such a difference for us when we can get a 7 on the board right away, and that’s what coach was going for I think," said Bollinger.
California wasn't able to do much as Florida's defense forced another three-and-out.
“The defense kept us in the game," said Haslett.
Bollinger again uncorked the long ball to Biddle on first and 10, this time hitting his receiver for 36 yards. A fumble two plays later took away a chance to put points on the board, however.
Indeed that was the way the first quarter went for both teams. California had their next two drives ended by a missed Parker Douglass field goal and a Mike McMahon pass intercepted by DeJuan Tribble.
Whatever problems the Tuskers had scoring points in the first quarter disappeared in the second, as every Florida drive ended in a chance at scoring, with three out of four being successful.
Florida's first points came after Bollinger heaved a third long pass to Biddle for 51 yards, setting the Tuskers up at first and goal on California's 4. Pittman rushed twice for one yard each, then got the last two on third down, marking only the second time this season the Tuskers have scored with their running game. The score gave the Tuskers a 7-0 lead with 8:20 left in the game.
California's B.J. Sams had the ball stripped by Patrick Chukwurah on the ensuing Matt Bryant kickoff, and the Tuskers took over on the California 19. Bollinger's normally accurate passing game was nowhere to be found, however, and Bryant came on to try a 46-yard field goal which fell short.
Two plays later, McMahon was intercepted by Florida linebacker Odell Thurman.
The ensuing Florida drive ended in six points with a 24-yard Bollinger pass to Jayson Foster, and Florida led 14-0 with 3:01 left in the first half.
Florida's next possession resulted in a first and goal on the California 10 following a 20-yard reception by Pittman. The drive stalled at the goal line, and Bryant kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the Tuskers a commanding 17-0 lead at halftime.
"We showed flashes, we were good at times, but we just didn’t sustain enough drives. It’s weird to be up 17 to nothing and be frustrated," said Bollinger.
The Tuskers got the ball to start the second half and let the ground game shoulder the burden of moving the ball for the most part. With running back Tatum Bell sidelined by turf toe, Florida relied on the tandem of Pittman and Shaud Williams to move the ball to a fourth and one on California's 27. A pass interference penalty against the Redwoods gave the Tuskers a second chance with first and goal on the California 8. The Tuskers were unable to cross the goal line, but Bryant kicked a second field goal, this one from 22 yards out, to give the Tuskers 20 unanswered points for the game with 8:20 left in the third quarter.
The Redwoods replaced McMahon at quarterback with Shane Boyd for their next possession, but Boyd fared no better as linebacker Tim McGarigle intercepted his third down pass attempt.
Florida continued to roll following the interception, closing the drive with a Bollinger pass for two yards to fullback Andrew Pinnock, making it 27-0 with 3:56 left in the third.
California scored their only points of the game with a Cory Ross rush for one yard.
Griesen, who had come in to relieve Bollinger late in the third, proved equally adept at managing the Tuskers' offense with a 12-play, 81-yard drive capped off with a 36-yard Marcus Mawell touchdown reception for the game's final points.
Florida's next game is a home contest against the 1-1 Las Vegas Locomotives Oct. 30 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Florida has already beaten Las Vegas 29-15 on Oct. 14 in Las Vegas.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida Tuskers moved to 3-0 as the United Football League's sole undefeated team with a decisive 34-7 victory over the visiting California Redwoods Thursday night at the Citrus Bowl in front of an announced crowd of 12,021.
Florida's explosive offense was led by quarterback Brooks Bollinger, and receiver Taye Biddle who caught five Bollinger passes for 133 yards. The game marked Biddle's second 100+ yard game, an especially impressive feat considering no other receiver in the league has even one such game.“I feel blessed. I really wasn’t aware of that either time I went over, so hearing it after the game was a shock to me, a big surprise," said Biddle.
Bollinger's stats for the game would look at home in the NFL: 17 of 29 attempts for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Backup quarterback Chris Griesen had a productive day for a relief quarterback as well, hitting receivers 8 of 11 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.
The Tuskers (3-0) pressured the Redwoods (1-2) on both sides of the ball from the beginning. The defense forced a California three-and-out on the first possession, and Florida's first offensive play was a long pass from Bollinger to Biddle for 33 yards. After two short gains and an incomplete pass, Tuskers offensive coordinator Jay Gruden called for a Michael Pittman rush up the middle on fourth and two that only gained one yard and turned the ball over on downs.
"Probably should’ve kicked the field goal, maybe got a little greedy," said Tuskers head coach Jim Haslett. "You think you can get after a team early but if I had to do it again I’d probably kick it. We’re just trying to score a bunch of points if we can.”
"That makes such a difference for us when we can get a 7 on the board right away, and that’s what coach was going for I think," said Bollinger.
California wasn't able to do much as Florida's defense forced another three-and-out.
“The defense kept us in the game," said Haslett.
Bollinger again uncorked the long ball to Biddle on first and 10, this time hitting his receiver for 36 yards. A fumble two plays later took away a chance to put points on the board, however.
Indeed that was the way the first quarter went for both teams. California had their next two drives ended by a missed Parker Douglass field goal and a Mike McMahon pass intercepted by DeJuan Tribble.
Whatever problems the Tuskers had scoring points in the first quarter disappeared in the second, as every Florida drive ended in a chance at scoring, with three out of four being successful.
Florida's first points came after Bollinger heaved a third long pass to Biddle for 51 yards, setting the Tuskers up at first and goal on California's 4. Pittman rushed twice for one yard each, then got the last two on third down, marking only the second time this season the Tuskers have scored with their running game. The score gave the Tuskers a 7-0 lead with 8:20 left in the game.
California's B.J. Sams had the ball stripped by Patrick Chukwurah on the ensuing Matt Bryant kickoff, and the Tuskers took over on the California 19. Bollinger's normally accurate passing game was nowhere to be found, however, and Bryant came on to try a 46-yard field goal which fell short.
Two plays later, McMahon was intercepted by Florida linebacker Odell Thurman.
The ensuing Florida drive ended in six points with a 24-yard Bollinger pass to Jayson Foster, and Florida led 14-0 with 3:01 left in the first half.
Florida's next possession resulted in a first and goal on the California 10 following a 20-yard reception by Pittman. The drive stalled at the goal line, and Bryant kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the Tuskers a commanding 17-0 lead at halftime.
"We showed flashes, we were good at times, but we just didn’t sustain enough drives. It’s weird to be up 17 to nothing and be frustrated," said Bollinger.
The Tuskers got the ball to start the second half and let the ground game shoulder the burden of moving the ball for the most part. With running back Tatum Bell sidelined by turf toe, Florida relied on the tandem of Pittman and Shaud Williams to move the ball to a fourth and one on California's 27. A pass interference penalty against the Redwoods gave the Tuskers a second chance with first and goal on the California 8. The Tuskers were unable to cross the goal line, but Bryant kicked a second field goal, this one from 22 yards out, to give the Tuskers 20 unanswered points for the game with 8:20 left in the third quarter.
The Redwoods replaced McMahon at quarterback with Shane Boyd for their next possession, but Boyd fared no better as linebacker Tim McGarigle intercepted his third down pass attempt.
Florida continued to roll following the interception, closing the drive with a Bollinger pass for two yards to fullback Andrew Pinnock, making it 27-0 with 3:56 left in the third.
California scored their only points of the game with a Cory Ross rush for one yard.
Griesen, who had come in to relieve Bollinger late in the third, proved equally adept at managing the Tuskers' offense with a 12-play, 81-yard drive capped off with a 36-yard Marcus Mawell touchdown reception for the game's final points.
Florida's next game is a home contest against the 1-1 Las Vegas Locomotives Oct. 30 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Florida has already beaten Las Vegas 29-15 on Oct. 14 in Las Vegas.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Miami pulls away for win against UCF
by: Neil Tredray
ORLANDO, Fla. -- It was called a home game, but the crowd of 48,453 in Bright House Networks Stadium was an almost even mix of orange and green, and black and gold.
The final score in UCF's 27-7 loss to the University of Miami Saturday night doesn't tell the whole story either. Throughout most of the game, the Knights were within 10 points of the #11 Hurricanes. Only a Matt Bosher field goal late in the third quarter, and a touchdown run from Damien Berry with 10:46 left in the game put the game truly out of reach for the Knights (3-3, 1-2 C-USA).Miami (5-1, 2-1 ACC) allowed six sacks in the game, and was only able to force two on the Knights.
"As far as being able to contain their quarterback Jacory Harris, I think our guys did a good job of getting pressure on him," UCF head coach George O'Leary said. "They took advantage of the miscues on their offense, and getting the opportunity to pressure him and get him on the ground. Our defense did a great job of keeping us in the game, but offensively we just did not capitalize and move the ball well down the field."
Offensively, the Hurricanes had their share of trouble as well.Their first possession ended in a punt following a sack by defensive end Darius Nall.
UCF took its first drive 65 yards in 12 plays to the Miami 15 yard line. Knights kicker Nick Cattoi missed his field goal wide left from 32 yards out, however, and the Hurricanes took over.
"It was definitely frustrating seeing the offensive side of the ball come up short, and not being able to put points up on the board," O'Leary said.
Miami quarterback Jacory Harris then led his team on an eight play, 80-yard scoring drive, highlighted by a 21-yard reception by tight end Jimmy Graham, followed immediately by a 23-yard toss to receiver Leonard Hankerson.
Bosher kicked a field goal with 9:40 left in the first half, and, following a three-and-out by UCF, Miami took over on their own 18 yard line.
That drive looked to end in points for the Hurricanes as well, as the offense picked up four first downs in six plays, but UCF's defense stiffened on a first and 10 play from their 32 yard line.
Linebacker Cory Hogue sacked Harris for a loss of six yards. A Miami hurricane penalty on the next play put them at second and 26. Following a Mike James rush for one yard, Harris was sacked again on third down by defensive end Jarvis Geathers, running Miami back to their own 43 and setting up fourth and 35.
Miami's first possession of the second half was a three play, 51-yard touchdown drive capped off by a Javarris James rush for five yards and the score.
UCF responded in kind on their next possession, however, as quarterback Brett Hodges led the Knights 80 yards downfield in just nine plays, ending the drive with an eight yard pass to receiver Rocky Ross in the end zone. The Knights had again closed the gap to 10 with 9:10 left in the third quarter.
The Knights' defense continued to pressure the passing game on Miami's next possession, sacking Harris and then forcing two incomplete passes. On fourth down, the ball sailed over Bosher's head. Bosher raced after the ball and kicked it out of the end zone.
The penalty for illegal kicking gave UCF the ball on Miami's two yard line, setting up what should have been an easy scoring opportunity. Brynn Harvey was hit in the backfield for a loss of four on first down, and an incomplete Hodges pass on second down made it third down.
Disaster struck then, as Hodges dropped back to pass. A hit from Miami defensive back Jared Campbell not only forced an errant throw, but Hodges wound up injured as well. Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy intercepted the bad throw at the 10 and returned it nine yards.
"I was hurting pretty good there. I got blind-sided and hit pretty good," Hodges said. O'Leary called the play "the turning point of the game."
Bosher kicked his second field goal of the night on Miami's next possession, and the Knights went into the fourth quarter down 20-7.
Miami only attempted three passes in the fourth quarter, letting James Berry and Lee Chambers run the ball to burn clock. Miami's final possession of the game took over seven minutes the Knights desperately needed to come back.
UCF's final possession started with just 48 seconds on the clock, and ended with a Rob Calabrese pass to Brendan Kelly as time ran out following the completion.
UCF's next game is Oct. 24 in Houston as they take on the Rice Owls (0-7, 0-3 C-USA). This will mark the Knights' first Conference USA game since their win over Memphis on Oct. 3.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- It was called a home game, but the crowd of 48,453 in Bright House Networks Stadium was an almost even mix of orange and green, and black and gold.
The final score in UCF's 27-7 loss to the University of Miami Saturday night doesn't tell the whole story either. Throughout most of the game, the Knights were within 10 points of the #11 Hurricanes. Only a Matt Bosher field goal late in the third quarter, and a touchdown run from Damien Berry with 10:46 left in the game put the game truly out of reach for the Knights (3-3, 1-2 C-USA).Miami (5-1, 2-1 ACC) allowed six sacks in the game, and was only able to force two on the Knights.
"As far as being able to contain their quarterback Jacory Harris, I think our guys did a good job of getting pressure on him," UCF head coach George O'Leary said. "They took advantage of the miscues on their offense, and getting the opportunity to pressure him and get him on the ground. Our defense did a great job of keeping us in the game, but offensively we just did not capitalize and move the ball well down the field."
Offensively, the Hurricanes had their share of trouble as well.Their first possession ended in a punt following a sack by defensive end Darius Nall.
UCF took its first drive 65 yards in 12 plays to the Miami 15 yard line. Knights kicker Nick Cattoi missed his field goal wide left from 32 yards out, however, and the Hurricanes took over.
"It was definitely frustrating seeing the offensive side of the ball come up short, and not being able to put points up on the board," O'Leary said.
Miami quarterback Jacory Harris then led his team on an eight play, 80-yard scoring drive, highlighted by a 21-yard reception by tight end Jimmy Graham, followed immediately by a 23-yard toss to receiver Leonard Hankerson.
Bosher kicked a field goal with 9:40 left in the first half, and, following a three-and-out by UCF, Miami took over on their own 18 yard line.
That drive looked to end in points for the Hurricanes as well, as the offense picked up four first downs in six plays, but UCF's defense stiffened on a first and 10 play from their 32 yard line.
Linebacker Cory Hogue sacked Harris for a loss of six yards. A Miami hurricane penalty on the next play put them at second and 26. Following a Mike James rush for one yard, Harris was sacked again on third down by defensive end Jarvis Geathers, running Miami back to their own 43 and setting up fourth and 35.
Miami's first possession of the second half was a three play, 51-yard touchdown drive capped off by a Javarris James rush for five yards and the score.
UCF responded in kind on their next possession, however, as quarterback Brett Hodges led the Knights 80 yards downfield in just nine plays, ending the drive with an eight yard pass to receiver Rocky Ross in the end zone. The Knights had again closed the gap to 10 with 9:10 left in the third quarter.
The Knights' defense continued to pressure the passing game on Miami's next possession, sacking Harris and then forcing two incomplete passes. On fourth down, the ball sailed over Bosher's head. Bosher raced after the ball and kicked it out of the end zone.
The penalty for illegal kicking gave UCF the ball on Miami's two yard line, setting up what should have been an easy scoring opportunity. Brynn Harvey was hit in the backfield for a loss of four on first down, and an incomplete Hodges pass on second down made it third down.
Disaster struck then, as Hodges dropped back to pass. A hit from Miami defensive back Jared Campbell not only forced an errant throw, but Hodges wound up injured as well. Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy intercepted the bad throw at the 10 and returned it nine yards.
"I was hurting pretty good there. I got blind-sided and hit pretty good," Hodges said. O'Leary called the play "the turning point of the game."
Bosher kicked his second field goal of the night on Miami's next possession, and the Knights went into the fourth quarter down 20-7.
Miami only attempted three passes in the fourth quarter, letting James Berry and Lee Chambers run the ball to burn clock. Miami's final possession of the game took over seven minutes the Knights desperately needed to come back.
UCF's final possession started with just 48 seconds on the clock, and ended with a Rob Calabrese pass to Brendan Kelly as time ran out following the completion.
UCF's next game is Oct. 24 in Houston as they take on the Rice Owls (0-7, 0-3 C-USA). This will mark the Knights' first Conference USA game since their win over Memphis on Oct. 3.
Florida Tuskers Open Season With Win
by: Neil Tredray
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida Tuskers began their first season in the United Football League with a strong start, a 35-13 victory over the New York Sentinels Saturday night at the Citrus Bowl.The game started badly for the Tuskers as the Sentinels started off scoring 10 unanswered points, and a 35-yard field goal attempt by Tuskers kicker Matt Bryant missed wide right.
In the second quarter, Tuskers quarterback Brooks Bollinger was intercepted by cornerback Paul Pratt, who returned the ball to the one yard line.
The Sentinels' offense took the field poised to make the score 17-0, but the Tuskers defense twice stuffed New York's LaBrandon Toefield. Former Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson was in on both tackles for the Tuskers.
Then, on third down, Tuskers linebacker Tim McGarigle jarred the ball loose from Toefield's hands and Darius Vinnett recovered the fumble for the Tuskers in the end zone.
"We were going to go up 17 points and then disaster happened," said Sentinels head coach Ted Cottrell.
"After a shaky start, we settled down after we got that turnover and we kind of flipped things on them," said Tuskers head coach Jim Haslett.
That play was indeed the turning point for the Tuskers.
After starting on their own 20 yard line, Bollinger led the Tuskers on an 80 yard drive which featured receptions by five different Tuskers receivers, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Frank Murphy.
Two plays later, the Tuskers' defense forced another turnover as Fakhir Brown intercepted an errant Quinn Gray pass.
Bollinger needed just one play and one receiver for the next score, as he found Taye Biddle wide open in the middle of the field for a 35-yard touchdown pass.
The Sentinels scored their last points of the game on their next possession, a second field goal from kicker Piotr Czech that brought the Sentinels within one point.
After the half, the Tuskers took the field leading 14-13, and Bollinger led a third consecutive scoring drive.
Helped by a rush of 27 yards from Michael Pittman and one of 12 by Tatum Bell, Florida moved to New York's 16 yard line, where Bollinger found Chas Gessner wide open in the end zone for six.
On the Sentinel's next play from scrimmage, Toefield again had the ball jarred loose, this time by defensive tackle Claude Wroten. McGarigle fell on the ball, and after a coach's challenge confirmed the ruling of a fumble, Florida took over on New York's 31.
This time, the Tuskers allowed their running back duo of Bell and Pittman to do most of the work, but Bollinger had his final touchdown pass of the night on the drive, a one yard toss to Ryan Neufeld.
Bolinger completed 20 of 26 passes for 225 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Bell also scored on a running play in the fourth quarter.
Defensively, the Tuskers held the Sentinels to 63 offensive yards in the second half.
The Tuskers' next game is Thursday in Las Vegas against the undefeated Locomotives.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Florida Tuskers began their first season in the United Football League with a strong start, a 35-13 victory over the New York Sentinels Saturday night at the Citrus Bowl.The game started badly for the Tuskers as the Sentinels started off scoring 10 unanswered points, and a 35-yard field goal attempt by Tuskers kicker Matt Bryant missed wide right.
In the second quarter, Tuskers quarterback Brooks Bollinger was intercepted by cornerback Paul Pratt, who returned the ball to the one yard line.
The Sentinels' offense took the field poised to make the score 17-0, but the Tuskers defense twice stuffed New York's LaBrandon Toefield. Former Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson was in on both tackles for the Tuskers.
Then, on third down, Tuskers linebacker Tim McGarigle jarred the ball loose from Toefield's hands and Darius Vinnett recovered the fumble for the Tuskers in the end zone.
"We were going to go up 17 points and then disaster happened," said Sentinels head coach Ted Cottrell.
"After a shaky start, we settled down after we got that turnover and we kind of flipped things on them," said Tuskers head coach Jim Haslett.
That play was indeed the turning point for the Tuskers.
After starting on their own 20 yard line, Bollinger led the Tuskers on an 80 yard drive which featured receptions by five different Tuskers receivers, including a 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Frank Murphy.
Two plays later, the Tuskers' defense forced another turnover as Fakhir Brown intercepted an errant Quinn Gray pass.
Bollinger needed just one play and one receiver for the next score, as he found Taye Biddle wide open in the middle of the field for a 35-yard touchdown pass.
The Sentinels scored their last points of the game on their next possession, a second field goal from kicker Piotr Czech that brought the Sentinels within one point.
After the half, the Tuskers took the field leading 14-13, and Bollinger led a third consecutive scoring drive.
Helped by a rush of 27 yards from Michael Pittman and one of 12 by Tatum Bell, Florida moved to New York's 16 yard line, where Bollinger found Chas Gessner wide open in the end zone for six.
On the Sentinel's next play from scrimmage, Toefield again had the ball jarred loose, this time by defensive tackle Claude Wroten. McGarigle fell on the ball, and after a coach's challenge confirmed the ruling of a fumble, Florida took over on New York's 31.
This time, the Tuskers allowed their running back duo of Bell and Pittman to do most of the work, but Bollinger had his final touchdown pass of the night on the drive, a one yard toss to Ryan Neufeld.
Bolinger completed 20 of 26 passes for 225 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Bell also scored on a running play in the fourth quarter.
Defensively, the Tuskers held the Sentinels to 63 offensive yards in the second half.
The Tuskers' next game is Thursday in Las Vegas against the undefeated Locomotives.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
UCF Picks up C-USA Win Against Memphis
By: Neil Tredray
ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Central Florida picked up a much-needed win against Conference USA opponent Memphis Saturday night at Bright House Networks Stadium.
The Knights (3-2, 1-2 C-USA) scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth quarter to top the Tigers (1-4, 0-2 C-USA) 32-14 in front of an announced crowd of 40,408.
"It was a much better effort from last week to this week," said UCF head coach George O'Leary. "Overall, we kind of got off to a slow start, but our guys adjusted well at half time. And it showed pretty well when we came out in the second half."Sophomore Brynn Harvey had a career afternoon, rushing 42 times for 228 yards and a 25-yard touchdown on fourth and five in the final quarter of play to put the game out of reach for the Tigers.
"I think he probably played a little too much, but I feel he has to be able to do that for us. Being able to carry the ball 40 times is something we do not see coming, but we expect him to be able to do that," O'Leary said.
Junior running back Ricky Kay caught four passes in the game, his first of the season, for 52 yards, including a touchdown in the third quarter.
"It was nice to get an opportunity, to get a chance, and I just went with it. It felt great," Kay said.
Redshirt junior defensive end Bruce Miller had 2.5 sacks on the afternoon.
UCF's 4th quarter bonanza got started on their second possession. Fifth-year senior Brett Hodges threw a pass to redshirt freshman Billy Giovanetti, who fumbled the ball near the sideline when tackled.
The play was initially ruled a turnover, however after a lengthy review it was ruled that the ball had gone out of bounds at UCF's 19 yard line.
"They can take as long as they want as long as they get the call right," O'Leary said.
Harvey and Hodges marched the offense down the field to the Memphis 22. Hodges then fired a pass to receiver Jamar Newsome for 22 yards and six points. The extra point made the score 22-14 with 7:18 left to play.
Memphis' next drive ended in just 17 seconds. Quarterback Will Hudgens tested the Knights' deep coverage and paid the price. Junior cornerback Josh Robinson intercepted Hudgens' pass at the UCF 9 and returned it 33 yards.
Harvey then rushed for a total of 49 yards on the next possession and Cattoi kicked a 26-yard field goal which bounced off the uprights to increase UCF's lead to 11.
Cattoi scored three other field goals from 24, 46, and 42 yards and was the only Knight to score until Kay's 7 yard touchdown reception with three seconds left in the third quarter.
Hodges completed 16 of 28 attempts for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
UCF's offense totaled 475 yards on 78 plays.
The Knights have a week off to prepare for their next game, a home contest against the Miami Hurricanes, who are ranked 11th nationally.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Central Florida picked up a much-needed win against Conference USA opponent Memphis Saturday night at Bright House Networks Stadium.
The Knights (3-2, 1-2 C-USA) scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth quarter to top the Tigers (1-4, 0-2 C-USA) 32-14 in front of an announced crowd of 40,408.
"It was a much better effort from last week to this week," said UCF head coach George O'Leary. "Overall, we kind of got off to a slow start, but our guys adjusted well at half time. And it showed pretty well when we came out in the second half."Sophomore Brynn Harvey had a career afternoon, rushing 42 times for 228 yards and a 25-yard touchdown on fourth and five in the final quarter of play to put the game out of reach for the Tigers.
"I think he probably played a little too much, but I feel he has to be able to do that for us. Being able to carry the ball 40 times is something we do not see coming, but we expect him to be able to do that," O'Leary said.
Junior running back Ricky Kay caught four passes in the game, his first of the season, for 52 yards, including a touchdown in the third quarter.
"It was nice to get an opportunity, to get a chance, and I just went with it. It felt great," Kay said.
Redshirt junior defensive end Bruce Miller had 2.5 sacks on the afternoon.
UCF's 4th quarter bonanza got started on their second possession. Fifth-year senior Brett Hodges threw a pass to redshirt freshman Billy Giovanetti, who fumbled the ball near the sideline when tackled.
The play was initially ruled a turnover, however after a lengthy review it was ruled that the ball had gone out of bounds at UCF's 19 yard line.
"They can take as long as they want as long as they get the call right," O'Leary said.
Harvey and Hodges marched the offense down the field to the Memphis 22. Hodges then fired a pass to receiver Jamar Newsome for 22 yards and six points. The extra point made the score 22-14 with 7:18 left to play.
Memphis' next drive ended in just 17 seconds. Quarterback Will Hudgens tested the Knights' deep coverage and paid the price. Junior cornerback Josh Robinson intercepted Hudgens' pass at the UCF 9 and returned it 33 yards.
Harvey then rushed for a total of 49 yards on the next possession and Cattoi kicked a 26-yard field goal which bounced off the uprights to increase UCF's lead to 11.
Cattoi scored three other field goals from 24, 46, and 42 yards and was the only Knight to score until Kay's 7 yard touchdown reception with three seconds left in the third quarter.
Hodges completed 16 of 28 attempts for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
UCF's offense totaled 475 yards on 78 plays.
The Knights have a week off to prepare for their next game, a home contest against the Miami Hurricanes, who are ranked 11th nationally.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
UFC100: Breakdown by a guy who doesn't really follow UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship held its 100th event on July 11, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas.
I'll be honest: I don't follow the UFC too closely. I'll watch it on Spike, and I've got a group of friends I watch the Pay-Per-View events with, but I don't get into the conversations about the merits of various fighting styles or anything. I just like seeing guys beat the tar out of each other.
Since the theme of the event was "Making History," I figured I'd bring a notepad and take some notes and make my own history by writing about the UFC for the first time.
This isn't going to be in-depth analysis, but hopefully you'll get a chuckle.The first televised fight was Yoshihiro Akiyama against Alan Belcher.
When Belcher came out, his stat box mentioned he was "well-conditioned." That's a strength? You'd certainly hope a guy would be well-conditioned heading into a fight.
Akiyama came out to the dulcet sounds of Andrea Bocelli. My friends and I have discussed what songs we'd come out to. Favorites have included "I Will Always Love You," "Copacabana" and "Punch Him in the [Junk]," but somehow "Con te Partiro" never came to mind.
The only thing I could focus on during the fight was Belcher's tattoo on his left arm. What the hell was it? Fat Albert? Or was it a grossly distended Will Smith as Mohammed Ali?
More important to me was why. Why would Fat Albert be on a grown man's arm? Did he lose a bet?
And then the fight was over, with a questionable victory given to Akiyama. Perhaps Belcher was unfairly penalized for following Juicy Karkass' advice, or maybe the judges missed his totally sweet backflip to get back up after slipping on the mat. He was robbed.
Next on the card was Michael Bisping against Dan Henderson.
First, do we really need subtitles for Bisping? He's from Manchester, not Manchuria.
The first two strengths listed for Bisping in his stat box were "fast starter" and "punches in bunches." What the hell do those words mean? More on those pre-fight stats later.
I'm half-English, and seeing Bisping get knocked out in the second round wasn't a great outcome. For me, the the highlight of the fight came when the pug-faced Henderson had his trunks pulled open and water poured on his "Henderson Jr." Presumably Henderson had earlier rubbed some Miracle-Gro in the area.
Next up was the Welterweight Championship fight with Thiago Alves fighting Georges St. Pierre.
When St. Pierre came out, his stat box had three useful tidbits; things like his fighting style, his record, and the fact that he was a "complete fighter."
It bugs me when other fighters come out and I have to read things like "strong jaw." Give me something to work with, and not some cutesy "kicks are in the mix" nonsense, please. Find something substantive about a fighter, and use it.
St. Pierre is a hugely popular fighter, and is immensely talented as well. However, I just can't get behind a fighter who wears tight trunks. It's like trying to watch NBA footage from the 1970s—nothing is left to the imagination and it's distracting.
St. Pierre wins the award for Most Elaborate Pre-Fight Finery, though. Memo to George: You're Canadian. Lose the Japanese flag headband. Also, if you're going to wear a jacket, maybe get fitted for one with bigger sleeves that fit over your gloves so you don't look like an 8-year-old with ADD trying to take it off, okay?
St. Pierre dominated all five rounds of the fight, giving Joe Rogan the chance to inform us that Alves left his mother in Brazil when he was 19. I guess he came to live the American dream of getting the crap beat out of him by a French-Canadian.
Alves fought as well as he could, given the fact that his opponent is often called the "pound-for-pound best fighter" in the UFC.
All that's left for St. Pierre now is to move up to Middleweight and fight Anderson Silva.
The next fight was the second main event, the Heavyweight Championship fight between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar.
Was I the only person who noticed the principal from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" walking behind Lesnar?
Lesnar "fought" in the WWE before making the switch to the UFC, and can't seem to leave the WWE's theatrics behind, making him a polarizing figure in the UFC.
I don't mind that Lesnar won the fight. He easily dominated Mir, despite Mir's first-round thumbs-up to his corner. I just mind the way Lesnar did it.
Lesnar didn't touch Mir's gloves at the start of the fight, and, after Lesner won and the crowd booed him, Lesnar showed true class by shooting the double bird. In his post—fight interview with Rogan, Lesnar dumped on UFC sponsor Bud Light, saying "They don't pay me."
Someone needs to sit Lesnar down and explain to him that if he wants to avoid boo birds and get a paycheck from Anheuser-Busch, he needs to be less of a jagoff.
I'd love to like Lesnar. He's a big guy and he pounded on Mir's face for just over eight minutes which is what I tune in to see. But he's a terrible person and I can't get behind that.
The last fight of the night was Paul Thiago against Jon Fitch.
I'm not at all sure why this match was scheduled after two main events. Really, I'm not. If someone can give me the reason for a fight being scheduled after the main event, please comment.
Given that it was two guys I'd never heard of and after the main event, I found it hard to care too much about the fight.
Fitch took control towards the end of the first round and never let up, always in control of the grappling going on.
Fitch won the fight unanimously.
In all, a fairly solid UFC Pay-Per-View event. I'm already looking forward to August, when Forrest Griffin fights Anderson Silva.
I'll be honest: I don't follow the UFC too closely. I'll watch it on Spike, and I've got a group of friends I watch the Pay-Per-View events with, but I don't get into the conversations about the merits of various fighting styles or anything. I just like seeing guys beat the tar out of each other.
Since the theme of the event was "Making History," I figured I'd bring a notepad and take some notes and make my own history by writing about the UFC for the first time.
This isn't going to be in-depth analysis, but hopefully you'll get a chuckle.The first televised fight was Yoshihiro Akiyama against Alan Belcher.
When Belcher came out, his stat box mentioned he was "well-conditioned." That's a strength? You'd certainly hope a guy would be well-conditioned heading into a fight.
Akiyama came out to the dulcet sounds of Andrea Bocelli. My friends and I have discussed what songs we'd come out to. Favorites have included "I Will Always Love You," "Copacabana" and "Punch Him in the [Junk]," but somehow "Con te Partiro" never came to mind.
The only thing I could focus on during the fight was Belcher's tattoo on his left arm. What the hell was it? Fat Albert? Or was it a grossly distended Will Smith as Mohammed Ali?
More important to me was why. Why would Fat Albert be on a grown man's arm? Did he lose a bet?
And then the fight was over, with a questionable victory given to Akiyama. Perhaps Belcher was unfairly penalized for following Juicy Karkass' advice, or maybe the judges missed his totally sweet backflip to get back up after slipping on the mat. He was robbed.
Next on the card was Michael Bisping against Dan Henderson.
First, do we really need subtitles for Bisping? He's from Manchester, not Manchuria.
The first two strengths listed for Bisping in his stat box were "fast starter" and "punches in bunches." What the hell do those words mean? More on those pre-fight stats later.
I'm half-English, and seeing Bisping get knocked out in the second round wasn't a great outcome. For me, the the highlight of the fight came when the pug-faced Henderson had his trunks pulled open and water poured on his "Henderson Jr." Presumably Henderson had earlier rubbed some Miracle-Gro in the area.
Next up was the Welterweight Championship fight with Thiago Alves fighting Georges St. Pierre.
When St. Pierre came out, his stat box had three useful tidbits; things like his fighting style, his record, and the fact that he was a "complete fighter."
It bugs me when other fighters come out and I have to read things like "strong jaw." Give me something to work with, and not some cutesy "kicks are in the mix" nonsense, please. Find something substantive about a fighter, and use it.
St. Pierre is a hugely popular fighter, and is immensely talented as well. However, I just can't get behind a fighter who wears tight trunks. It's like trying to watch NBA footage from the 1970s—nothing is left to the imagination and it's distracting.
St. Pierre wins the award for Most Elaborate Pre-Fight Finery, though. Memo to George: You're Canadian. Lose the Japanese flag headband. Also, if you're going to wear a jacket, maybe get fitted for one with bigger sleeves that fit over your gloves so you don't look like an 8-year-old with ADD trying to take it off, okay?
St. Pierre dominated all five rounds of the fight, giving Joe Rogan the chance to inform us that Alves left his mother in Brazil when he was 19. I guess he came to live the American dream of getting the crap beat out of him by a French-Canadian.
Alves fought as well as he could, given the fact that his opponent is often called the "pound-for-pound best fighter" in the UFC.
All that's left for St. Pierre now is to move up to Middleweight and fight Anderson Silva.
The next fight was the second main event, the Heavyweight Championship fight between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar.
Was I the only person who noticed the principal from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" walking behind Lesnar?
Lesnar "fought" in the WWE before making the switch to the UFC, and can't seem to leave the WWE's theatrics behind, making him a polarizing figure in the UFC.
I don't mind that Lesnar won the fight. He easily dominated Mir, despite Mir's first-round thumbs-up to his corner. I just mind the way Lesnar did it.
Lesnar didn't touch Mir's gloves at the start of the fight, and, after Lesner won and the crowd booed him, Lesnar showed true class by shooting the double bird. In his post—fight interview with Rogan, Lesnar dumped on UFC sponsor Bud Light, saying "They don't pay me."
Someone needs to sit Lesnar down and explain to him that if he wants to avoid boo birds and get a paycheck from Anheuser-Busch, he needs to be less of a jagoff.
I'd love to like Lesnar. He's a big guy and he pounded on Mir's face for just over eight minutes which is what I tune in to see. But he's a terrible person and I can't get behind that.
The last fight of the night was Paul Thiago against Jon Fitch.
I'm not at all sure why this match was scheduled after two main events. Really, I'm not. If someone can give me the reason for a fight being scheduled after the main event, please comment.
Given that it was two guys I'd never heard of and after the main event, I found it hard to care too much about the fight.
Fitch took control towards the end of the first round and never let up, always in control of the grappling going on.
Fitch won the fight unanimously.
In all, a fairly solid UFC Pay-Per-View event. I'm already looking forward to August, when Forrest Griffin fights Anderson Silva.
Monday, June 22, 2009
K9 Officers Inform, Entertain
Orlando Police Department K9 Officers Shandley and Russell, along with Russell's partner Raptor, gave a presentation at the Washington Park branch of the Orange County Library Monday, June 22.
Approximately 50 people, mostly children, were there to hear the presentation and learn more about the perils and pleasures of K9 duties.
Shandley explained the dangerous nature when he apologized for his partner Roscoe's absence. Shandley said the night before, Roscoe was chasing a "bad guy" through a forest when a branch scraped Roscoe's eyeball.
Shandley later expounded on the hazardous duties of the dogs. "Half of our dogs find drugs, the other half finds bombs. They all chase bad guys," he said after the formal question-and-answer.
Russell demonstrated that some fun could be had when she produced a toy for Raptor, which he eagerly chomped down on. Russell then swung the 80-pound dog around in a circle, resulting in squeals of delight from the children and a big dog grin from Raptor.
"You could give him a tennis ball, a soccer ball, a basketball, whatever," said Russell. "He's happy."
During the question-and-answer period after the officer's presentation, Russell showed another "trick" Raptor could do: "I can tell him to speak without talking," she said. Russell then cupped a hand to her ear and Raptor dutifully barked.
These dogs are specially trained, and not every dog has the right stuff, Shandley said after the formal session.
"They're major-leaguers," he said. "Private security needs dogs, too, and they pay better than the police, so it's getting harder and harder to find good dogs."
Still, the perks of living a dog's life are there. "Our dogs get taken care of better than any other employees," Shandley said.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Playoff Potential: A preview of the 2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have posted consecutive 9-7 seasons. One (2007) was the result of resting starters after locking up a playoff bid. The other (2008), was the result of an embarrassing string of four straight losses and a fall from first in the division to third and no playoff berth.
For fans of most teams, the burning question "Will my team make the Super Bowl?" starts hitting call-in radio shows sometime around the third week in February. For Lions fans, the burning question is "Is there room on, say, the Rams' bandwagon?" I've gazed deep into my crystal football, examined tea leaves, and slipped and fell in the shower, hitting the soap dish with my head on the way down and emerged from a two week coma to bring the Bucs' faithful my preseason prognostications.
Drum roll, please.
The Buccaneers will not make the Super Bowl in 2009, but they will make the playoffs. Let's see why.
For fans of most teams, the burning question "Will my team make the Super Bowl?" starts hitting call-in radio shows sometime around the third week in February. For Lions fans, the burning question is "Is there room on, say, the Rams' bandwagon?" I've gazed deep into my crystal football, examined tea leaves, and slipped and fell in the shower, hitting the soap dish with my head on the way down and emerged from a two week coma to bring the Bucs' faithful my preseason prognostications.
Drum roll, please.
The Buccaneers will not make the Super Bowl in 2009, but they will make the playoffs. Let's see why.
1. An Improved Running Game
Football experts from Vince Lombardi to the local high school coach will tell you football games are won and lost in the trenches. It's a cliché, but it's true.
The Bucs' offensive line retains big maulers in Davin Joseph, Jeremy Trueblood, Arron Sears, Donald Penn, and Jeff Faine, plus key backups. They are joined by new draftee Xavier Fulton.
Take their intensity for the game and their willingness to deliver a big hit on an incoming defender and combine it with new offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski's zone blocking scheme, and you're already looking at a recipe for success.
Toss in former Giants running back Derrick Ward (182 carries, 1,025 yards, 5.6 average in 2008) to the already-powerful mix of Earnest Graham and a healthy Cadillac Williams and it should be full-steam ahead for the Bucs backs in 2009.
Still not convinced? The Giants ranked No. 1 in rushing yards per game last year with 157.4. Nos. 2 and 3? NFC South rivals Atlanta and Carolina respectively.
New Orleans is now the only team in the NFC South not running zone blocking on their offensive line. Look for them to hang around the bottom of the rushing list as they did last year.
2. Defense Still Dominates
Let's go to another cliché to explain this one: defense wins championships.
Tampa Bay's No. 1 defense proved that decisively in their Super Bowl XXXVII win over Oakland's top-ranked offense.
New defensive coordinator Jim Bates has defensive credentials out the ear, which will help mitigate the post-partum depression caused by Monte Kiffin's departure.
Bates' defensive schemes emphasize man-to-man coverage, which will help ball-hawking cornerback Aqib Talib improve on already-impressive rookie stats (23 tackles, four interceptions).
New head coach Raheem Morris hails from a defensive background as well. His first season as a coach in the NFL was with the Buccaneers in 2002, where he studied under then-defensive backs coach Mike Tomlin.
Astute readers will recognize Tomlin as the head coach of the NFL's stingiest defense (237.2 total yards allowed per game) last year.
Still not convinced? The players picked in this year's draft show the continuing commitment to defense.
Defensive tackle Roy Miller, defensive end Kyle Moore, defensive end turned offensive tackle Xavier Fulton, and cornerback E.J. Biggers are bookended by the only true offensive players chosen: quarterback Josh Freeman and wide receiver Sammie Stroughter.
3. Dumb Luck
Let's be honest, it's difficult to predict the outcome of a week of NFL football, let alone an entire season a full three months before the preseason begins.
And as long as we're being honest, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect a little luck propelling the Bucs to a 10-6 record and a Wild Card spot in 2009.
So, let's have a little fun and make some dumb luck predictions.
1) Luke McCown, who has shown flashes of semi-brilliance in his limited playing time, wins the starting slot in training camp and finishes the season with a quarterback rating in the top 10. This comes mainly from high-percentage, short-yardage passes across the middle to new tight end Kellen Winslow.
2) Michael Vick is reinstated by the Falcons. Arthur Blank finds it easy to give Vick a second chance. Not so for PETA, however, as their protests block every stadium Vick is slated to play in, forcing the Falcons to forfeit all of their games.
3) Turnovers. In some ways the dumbest of dumb luck opportunities, Bates' emphasis on containing the run and creating turnovers should create more opportunities for the greatest of sights in the NFL: a 300-pound defensive lineman scooping up an errant football before lumbering down field for 26 yards and a touchdown. It warms the heart just thinking about it.
Still not convinced? The Buccaneers play in Buffalo for the first time ever in 2009. You know what else happened for the first time ever recently? America elected an African-American President.
Anything can happen, Bucs fans!
After shaking off my fever dream of realistic optimism, I quickly sank into catatonic pessimism.
Before me in my mind's eye I saw the hopes and dreams of a franchise laid to waste.
Here, then, are three reasons the Buccaneers will not win more than four games in 2009.
1. Their schedule is the stuff of nightmares
Let's go right to the numbers.
The Bucs will play only three teams with 2008 losing records.
The Bucs will play 11 games against quarterbacks who put up more than 3,000 passing yards last year, plus Tom Brady.
The Bucs will be forced to defend 11 receivers who had at least 1,000 yards receiving, plus six more who were on the happy side of 900.
The Bucs will play seven playoff teams.
Tampa Bay will have to overcome those numbers without once having back-to-back home games. Granted, their game against New England in Old England is counted as a home game, but when you've got to fly 4,000 miles to go home, how rested can you expect to be?
2. A near-total lack of a passing game
The Buccaneers have had nine unique starting quarterbacks since 2002.
There's no clear-cut starter this season. Why should there be when your choices are ossified Brian Griese, broken Byron Leftwich, hilariously under-experienced Luke McCown, Div. I-AA wunderkind and Jon Gruden vanity draft pick Josh Johnson, and rookie and Raheem Morris vanity draft pick Josh Freeman?
Even if one of those five earns starting honors by means other than being least awful, who is he going to throw the ball to down field?
Two of Tampa Bay's top three receivers (Ike Hilliard and Warrick Dunn) are gone.
Their fourth-best receiver, Michael Clayton, moves to number two by default. His stats last year (38 receptions, 484 yards, 1 touchdown) were the best he's done since his break-out rookie season of 2004 (80 receptions, 1,193 yards, 7 touchdowns), but still a ways off.
The Buccaneers are left with Antonio Bryant and... who, exactly?
3. Dumb Luck
If Lady Luck can smile on Tampa Bay, she can sure as shooting ruin their season, too. Let's see how that might play out.
1) Cadillac Williams could continue to underperform. It might not be fair at this point to call him a bust since he has had to have a third knee installed, but if he can't get back to rookie form, the Bucs' run game will suffer.
2) The Falcons reinstate Michael Vick. Without Derrick Brooks to spy on Vick, he runs wild through a defense that, last December at least, looked porous at best. The rabid (har!) PETA protestors are pacified when Vick poses nude for an animal-rights billboard overlooking the I-85/ I-20 interchange in downtown Atlanta.
3) Turnovers. Of the two Tampa Bay quarterbacks with any real experience under center, neither one has a truly stellar touchdown-to-interception ratio. Let Griese or Leftwich start throwing picks and suddenly you're looking at the worst thing the NFL has to offer: Chris Berman playing highlights going "Whoop!" as a defender flies past a Griese arm tackle.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Misery's the river of the world: a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan reflects
People are always asking me why I support the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Well, maybe not in exactly those words.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Are you high?”
“No son of mine is a Yucks fan!”
Actually, I bleed orange and white as a result of exposure to the sun’s radiation reflected a thousand times over off the bleachers in the Big Sombrero at a young age.
A guy in a faux-dive hipster bar in Brooklyn in 2005 insinuated I liked the Bucs only after Jon Gruden arrived and took the team to the Super Bowl. I insinuated we could take the conversation outside if he wanted to see if I bled crimson and pewter.
How, then, to answer the question? What the hell is wrong with me? It’s simple.
Every American loves an underdog.
I love the underdog, and I really love schadenfreude, a German word which translates to “satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune.”
Let me give Detroit Lions fans an example: feeling glum because your team went 0-16 last season? Well, it’s not as bad as 0-26, which the Bucs were across two seasons starting in 1976, their first year.
How can a Bucs fan take pleasure in that misfortune? The Bucs aren’t the Saints or the Cardinals, the first two teams who lost to the Bucs, an act so unforgivable both teams’ head coaches were fired afterwards. Ah, satisfaction.
Eagles fans can forever rest uneasy knowing the Bucs closed out their beloved Veterans Stadium with a playoff win January 19, 2003 and then opened the new Lincoln Financial Field with another win September 8, 2003.
Every team in the league can quake in fear of the "Tampa Bay Curse," which states that any team which loses to the Bucs in the regular season will not go on to win the Super Bowl.
But it’s not all schadenfreude directed at other teams for me. I also take a sick pleasure in seeing the bumbling Bucs.
Up until Michael Spurlock took a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown in 2007, I could look forward to seeing a graphic on the TV screen telling me this was, say, the 1,779th kickoff the Bucs had fielded without returning one for six.
Other teams have their best seasons led by names like Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, Bob Griese, or Joe Montana. The lone Super Bowl quarterback in Buccaneers history is Brad Johnson, and he was outscored by his own defense that game.
It’s not that Brad Johnson is the best quarterback to ever play for Tampa Bay, either. Doug Williams, Steve Young, and Trent Dilfer were drafted by the Bucs before winning Super Bowls elsewhere.
Vinny Testaverde could have been Tampa’s Brett Favre, the only Bucs quarterback anyone under, say, age 25, would remember playing.
Bo Jackson’s not a quarterback, but don’t get me started.
Those were the bad old Hugh Culverhouse days, but even after his death the team struggled.
Tony Dungy couldn’t coach his teams to a championship.
Jon Gruden coached Dungy’s team to a championship then went 7-9, 5-11, 11-5, 4-12, and 9-7.
The Bucs were 9-3 heading into December last year, but messed the bed, finishing 9-7.
Gruden wound up fired.
Phew. That’s a lot of self-directed schadenfreude.
But isn’t that what fans need? Don’t we need the lows to balance out the highs?
Patriots fans fully expected a return to the Super Bowl at the start of last season, despite posting the worst 18-1 record in sports history the year before. Tom Brady’s knee got blown out in week one and all of Beantown was swearing vengeance on “the fackin’ dahkie who done this to ya, Tawm.”
Steelers fans thought Ben Roethlisberger was set for back-to-back championships in 2006. Everyone but Big Ben will remember 2006 as the year of the concussion for Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger will remember 2006 once stem cell technology allows for repairing damaged brain tissue.
Being a Buccaneers fan keeps my blood pressure down. The wins are so much sweeter when your team is expected to lose. And if they do lose, no big deal, they weren’t supposed to anyway, right?
Despite the rich tradition of losing, I have always been and always will be a Bucs fan. It warms the soul to be a litmus test of terrible for other teams, while providing enough barbs to needle other fans with, and that is truly a unique fan experience in the NFL.
Plus they have a freakin' pirate ship in the freakin' stadium.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
5 Questions Somebody Ought to Ask Jerramy Stevens
In the world of sports there are sinners and there are saints. Celebrated saints include Danny Wuerffel, Tim Tebow, and...I guess Drew Brees? On the sinners side, you have Albert Haynesworth teaching us about sportsmanship, Adam "Pacman" Jones giving lessons on meteorology, and Michael Vick educating the public on animal husbandry.
Unfortunately, sportswriters are often reluctant to grill these criminals about their misdeeds. It's sadly understandable, though: ask the wrong guy the right question and suddenly your organization is locked out of practices and games. Or maybe they're just afraid of Haynesworth stomping their faces in.
As a result, the world is full of empty questions and empty information. "Got any mildly inflammatory rhetoric for [hated division rival]?" "How about that [showboating wide receiver all over SportsCenter]?" "Coach, any vague comments on [underachieving first-round draft pick/injured veteran/Brett Favre]?"
What we need is someone with balls.
So these suggested questions aren't for the gainfully employed sportswriter with a pretty face. This is for the guy getting laid off next week. With the economy in the toilet and the newspaper industry crashing and burning faster than the Hindenburg, there's got to be someone out there with nothing to lose. Not me, though; I'm just starting out in the biz.
So to you, the disgruntled reporter facing "right-sizing," I offer you this list of five questions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jerramy Stevens. Knock back a shot of liquid courage and dive on in.
1. You played quarterback in high school. Did it frustrate you back then when receivers would drop easy catches like you do now?
2. You've been charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence a handful of times. Your salary is listed as just under $656,000. Why can't you afford to hire a driver or at least call a cab when you're intoxicated?
3. The Seattle Times reported you had some problems with complaints lodged against you from your condominium board including setting off fireworks, having loud parties/fights at all hours, vomiting on doors, double parking, and leaving used condoms on other residents' decks. Does the University of Washington still have etiquette classes?
4. Speaking of Washington, did you have anything to do with the drugging of the girl you raped or was that just you being in the right place at the right time?
5. How do you sleep at night?
Unfortunately, sportswriters are often reluctant to grill these criminals about their misdeeds. It's sadly understandable, though: ask the wrong guy the right question and suddenly your organization is locked out of practices and games. Or maybe they're just afraid of Haynesworth stomping their faces in.
As a result, the world is full of empty questions and empty information. "Got any mildly inflammatory rhetoric for [hated division rival]?" "How about that [showboating wide receiver all over SportsCenter]?" "Coach, any vague comments on [underachieving first-round draft pick/injured veteran/Brett Favre]?"
What we need is someone with balls.
So these suggested questions aren't for the gainfully employed sportswriter with a pretty face. This is for the guy getting laid off next week. With the economy in the toilet and the newspaper industry crashing and burning faster than the Hindenburg, there's got to be someone out there with nothing to lose. Not me, though; I'm just starting out in the biz.
So to you, the disgruntled reporter facing "right-sizing," I offer you this list of five questions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jerramy Stevens. Knock back a shot of liquid courage and dive on in.
1. You played quarterback in high school. Did it frustrate you back then when receivers would drop easy catches like you do now?
2. You've been charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence a handful of times. Your salary is listed as just under $656,000. Why can't you afford to hire a driver or at least call a cab when you're intoxicated?
3. The Seattle Times reported you had some problems with complaints lodged against you from your condominium board including setting off fireworks, having loud parties/fights at all hours, vomiting on doors, double parking, and leaving used condoms on other residents' decks. Does the University of Washington still have etiquette classes?
4. Speaking of Washington, did you have anything to do with the drugging of the girl you raped or was that just you being in the right place at the right time?
5. How do you sleep at night?
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