BOX Football 2009 - One last look back

Just to give you an idea of how the BOX Football posts will work.  Here's a look back on our final game of 2009, when an undefeated BOX team took on West Virginia:

#4 BOX vs. #14 WVU

This is the highest ranked team we've played all year... that should work out fine.

1st quarter:
WVU takes the opening kick off and marches right down field. D tries to lay out lots of big hits which leads to lots of WVU leaping over would be tacklers.
D finally holds up once WVU gets inside the 5. 3 plays inside the 5, 3 stuffs = 3 points on WVU FG. 3-0
Bad news right away on offense, I hoped PJ would be back for this game but his abdominal tear is still 1 week away from being healed.
1st play of the game... down goes Dave.
It's only the wind knocked out, Dave returns 2 plays later.
We move the ball 50 yards down field but lose a fumble on an option play. Uh oh.
Katy K. sack leads to WVU punt. She's really turned it on the last couple of games.

2nd quarter:
Louie makes a catch and lands directly on his head. WVU is physically abusive so far.
2 straight sacks = BOX punt.
Uh oh-er. Screen pass + CB blitz = long WVU touchdown. 10-0
The BOX takes a page out of the WVU book... a couple of passes to running backs moves us downfield. Dave rumbles in from 7 yds. 10-7.
WVU runs the same RB screen and only a desperation wrestling match allows me to barely shove the RB out of bounds.
WVU 4th down conversion on the next drive leads to the most infuriated development of the day... WVU has a old-timey redneck complete with coon skin cap on the sidelines cheering them on.
The redneck is doing a handstand. Not good. 17-7.
The redneck is drinking moonshine from a jug. INT return for a TD makes it 24-7. All the things that went right during the season are going wrong now.
and now the redneck is doing one-arm push ups as they drive down for another FG before the end of the half. 27-7.
Well, the good news is we get the ball first in the second half. The bad news is we have to play the second half.

3rd quarter:
TD! Oh shit, it's for West Virginia. They're just blitzing the shit out of us then intercepting the desperation throws. 34-7.
Summing up the day thus far, Werley drops a TD pass when it hits him in the wrong part of the hands.
4th and 22 conversion to Mike! Followed by Dave's 2nd TD run of the day. Nick punches in a 2-pt run. 34-15.
And we force a 3 and out! Here comes the BO... d'oh. 1st time I've seen this all year, Greg drops a fair catch. WVU recovers. The miracle is ovah.
The "strip ball" option for defense is completely worthless. We had two big stops on D only to have facemask penalties called. BOOOOOO.
Halfback screen again... to quote Hudson: "Game over man. Game over!" 41-15. This is like when Hawaii made a BCS bowl a few years ago.
3rd INT for a TD on the day. Time to pull the starters. 48-15.
They have a guy with 5 sacks.

4th quarter:
Guh... 20-yard 3 down conversion to Mike until... fumble. WVU ball. I've started drinking.
Running a lot of no-huddle = everyone tired = Joey gets a 3rd down reception (and then decked.)
Also due to crazy no-huddle - T-Bird playing center, Louie playing guard. I think the team is broken.
Dave has his 3rd of the day. 48-21
Happiest moment of the day: the WV running back who has killed us all day (who's still in the game BTW) just got hurt. I hope you die.
Icing on the cake... one more fumble by Nick (his fatigue meter was in the red the entire 4th quarter.)
Final score WVU 45 - BOX 21

What a disappointing end to our dream season.

7(!) turnovers to 0 is going to make it tough to win a game, especially when all 3 INTs were returned for touchdowns. Can't wait for next year's effort at a more difficult schedule.

Bah.