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.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
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.
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