Our first playoff game is at home vs. a strong Denver team. They made a great late season push to win their division, and are relatively healthy. Neither of those bits of information cheer me. We'll be without Hogan, as the week off didn't allow him to heal enough to play. So, young Daryl Cassidy gets the start. Some other injured players are at least Questionable this week, so they'll get the nod (including MLB Grant Wash, DT Henry Stansell, SLB Buster Trujillo and C Steve Odum). We'll have to hope that a somewhat healthy defense and an emphasis on the running game will be enough. And on that note, we were unfortunate enough to draw the only WFC team that has a better run defense than us, as Denver is allowing just 3.4 ypc.
When it rains, it pours.
I fear we'll get bounced right out of the playoffs without Hogan, but at least our two other unreplacable stars (Holliday and Soltzfus) are completely healthy and ready to go. We'll need a great defensive performance, awesome special teams play, and no turnovers to have a chance in this one.
Here we go!
Code:
Box Score: Denver at Tucson
Tucson, AZ.
Conference Semifinals, 2009
Attendance: 67,000 (69,800).
Weather: 69 degrees, fair.
1Q: 00:24 TUC - Rubin Castorena 46 field goal.
2Q: 04:10 DEN - Curtis Plotkin 47 pass from Marcus Garibaldi.
2Q: 04:10 DEN - Gary Hutchins extra point.
3Q: 11:16 TUC - Drew Holliday 4 run.
3Q: 11:16 TUC - Rubin Castorena extra point.
3Q: 07:07 DEN - John Lubin 3 run.
3Q: 07:07 DEN - Gary Hutchins extra point.
3Q: 01:23 TUC - Rubin Castorena 51 field goal.
4Q: 12:59 DEN - Gary Hutchins 24 field goal.
4Q: 03:12 TUC - Rubin Castorena 39 field goal.
Game MVP: DEN 52 Theo Garcia
Denver 0 7 7 3 - 17
Tucson 3 0 10 3 - 16
Team Statistics DEN TUC
First Downs 17 20
Total Rushes 31 43
Rushing Yards 149 203
Yards Per Carry 4.8 4.7
Pass Attempts 30 20
Completions 16 10
Passing Yards 189 152
Yards Per Attempt 6.3 7.6
Sacked 0 1
Yards Lost 0 5
Interceptions 1 0
Fumbles/Lost 0/0 1/1
Total Plays 61 64
Total Yards 338 350
Yards Per Play 5.5 5.4
3rd Down Plays 4/12 5/14
Avg. YTG on 3rd 6.6 6.5
4th Down Plays 0/0 0/1
Penalties 3 4
Penalty Yards 25 30
Avg. Drive Start OWN 33 OWN 22
Time Of Possession 27:17 32:43
Denver Individual Statistics
Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
37 Lubin 25 133 5.3 27 1
26 Farrar 5 18 3.6 6 0
4 Garibaldi 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0
Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
4 Garibaldi 30 16 189 6.3 47 1 1 0
Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
87 Plotkin 5 99 19.8 6 47 1
25 Warren 3 22 7.3 11 10 0
82 Arms 2 27 13.5 1 18 0
37 Lubin 2 9 4.5 8 5 0
89 Peace 2 19 9.5 7 12 0
26 Farrar 1 2 2.0 0 2 0
1 Rodriguez 1 11 11.0 3 11 0
Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
40 Knight 1 -6 -6.0 0
Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Godbey 2 52 26.0 0
1 Rodriguez 2 46 23.0 0
Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
10 Thornton 7 263 37.5 41 5
Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
3 Hutchins 1 1 24 2 2
Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
53 Wilk 12 1 0.0 0 0 0
93 Collins 8 1 0.0 0 0 0
46 Brister 7 5 0.0 0 0 0
21 Dizon 6 2 0.0 0 0 0
94 Deacon 5 1 0.0 0 0 0
99 Beamon 4 4 0.0 0 0 0
38 Halvorson 4 3 0.0 0 0 0
27 Waters 2 2 1.0 0 0 0
98 Knell 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
52 Garcia 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
95 Duggan 1 3 0.0 0 0 0
49 Jennings 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
24 Sanderson 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
55 Nichols 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
52 Garcia 0 0 0 0 5 0
78 Peterson 0 0 0 0 2 0
60 Saldivar 0 0 0 0 2 0
21 Dizon 0 0 1 0 0 0
99 Beamon 0 1 0 0 0 0
68 Calder 0 0 0 0 1 0
25 Warren 0 0 0 0 1 0
89 Peace 0 0 0 0 1 0
Tucson Individual Statistics
Rushing Att Yards Avg Long TD
42 Holliday 32 163 5.0 19 1
8 Cassidy 5 16 3.2 6 0
22 Bradley 4 18 4.5 12 0
26 Jeffries 2 6 3.0 3 0
Passing Att Comp Yards Yd/Att Long TD Int Sckd
8 Cassidy 20 10 152 7.6 31 0 0 1
Receiving Catch Yards Avg YAC Long TD
89 Armitage 3 44 14.6 3 16 0
26 Jeffries 3 57 19.0 37 31 0
87 Sheehy 2 22 11.0 8 13 0
80 Higginbotham 1 11 11.0 0 11 0
42 Holliday 1 18 18.0 3 18 0
Punt Returns Att Yards Avg TD
22 Bradley 1 4 4.0 0
Kick Returns Att Yards Avg TD
85 Garcia 1 11 11.0 0
Punting Punts Yards Avg Long In20
15 Winters 5 203 40.6 56 0
Kicking FG FGA Long PAT Att
13 Castorena 3 3 51 1 1
Defense Tackle Assist Sack Int IntYds IntTD
58 Watford 9 4 0.0 0 0 0
31 Enoch 6 0 0.0 0 0 0
96 Stansell 5 0 0.0 0 0 0
52 Wash 4 2 0.0 1 33 0
55 Trujillo 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
72 Bernard 4 1 0.0 0 0 0
95 Stoltzfus 3 2 0.0 0 0 0
32 Hartung 2 1 0.0 0 0 0
90 Jarrard 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
29 McCloskey 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
33 Mirer 2 0 0.0 0 0 0
75 Grier 1 2 0.0 0 0 0
46 Bloch 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
63 Pitman 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
25 Minahan 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
74 Cochrane 1 0 0.0 0 0 0
40 Biggs 0 2 0.0 0 0 0
Miscellaneous Fumb FForc Recov MiscTD KeyRBlk SckAlwd
71 Franck 0 0 0 0 2 1
78 Odum 0 0 0 0 4 0
61 Eaddy 0 0 0 0 3 0
63 Pitman 0 0 0 0 3 0
64 Connell 0 0 0 0 3 0
42 Holliday 1 0 0 0 0 0
26 Jeffries 0 0 0 0 1 0
Denver Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 12:33 2:57 OWN 33 6 14 Punt
1 6:26 1:30 OWN 29 3 3 Punt
1 0:24 2:24 OWN 27 5 27 Punt
2 10:50 1:56 OWN 44 3 5 Punt
2 7:52 3:42 OWN 20 7 80 Touchdown
2 2:30 1:25 OPP 47 5 6 Punt
3 15:00 1:33 OWN 28 3 12 Interception
3 11:16 4:09 OWN 20 8 80 Touchdown
3 1:23 3:24 OWN 25 8 68 Field Goal
4 10:50 2:39 OWN 29 5 20 Punt
4 3:12 0:44 OWN 31 3 0 Punt
4 1:39 1:39 OPP 36 5 13 Game
Tucson Drive Chart
Quar Began Poss From Plays Yards Result
1 15:00 2:27 OWN 20 5 13 Punt
1 9:36 3:10 OWN 17 6 18 Punt
1 4:56 4:32 OWN 32 7 39 Field Goal
2 13:00 2:10 OWN 5 3 7 Punt
2 8:54 1:02 OWN 17 3 1 Punt
2 4:10 1:40 OWN 20 3 -6 Punt
2 1:05 1:05 OWN 4 4 68 Half
3 13:27 2:11 OPP 29 5 29 Touchdown
3 7:07 5:44 OWN 20 10 46 Field Goal
4 12:59 2:09 OWN 20 4 51 Fumble
4 8:11 4:59 OWN 17 10 61 Field Goal
4 2:28 0:49 OWN 28 4 8 Downs
Well damn.
That loss hurts more than a 40-7 blowout would. Coming up one point shy of advancing hurts bad. And the worst part is that we could've had three more points in the 4th quarter had it not been for our one turnover of the day. Drew Holliday fumbled away the ball at the DEN 29, and that was bascially the game right there. A few other unfortunate plays I'd like to grumble about
:
1) We lost another of our Unholy Triumverate when Harold Stoltzfus was knocked out of the game late in the 2nd quarter. Our defense had Denver under control up until that point, but the rushing flood gates opened up when Stoltzfus was replaced by rookie DT Cochrane (Lubin had a
great day!). Fortunately Stoltzfus is only out a week and should be completely healthy for next season.
2) This play pissed me off:
Code:
4-03-DEN29 (00:32) TUC 13 Castorena attempted a 46 yard field goal and succeeded.
Penalty: DEN - Running into the Kicker. Penalty was declined.
With a shitty offense on the field and the opportunities to score TDs limited, at best, we needed to keep that drive going. I know many coaches don't like to take points off the board, but
damn we needed to accept that penalty at that point in the game (1st quarter). Alas.
Drew Holliday did an otherwise great job today against a very tough run D, and Cassidy wasn't terrible (no turnovers = a great day for such a green QB). We lost this one largely because of yet another key injury and one devastatingly timed turnover. Of course, had we managed to win this game, Stoltzfus' and Hogan's absences for the conference championship almost certainly would've doomed us, so maybe it is for the best that Denver won. At least they'll have a chance.
Go forth and do us proud Denver!
So that concludes our regular season. Losing out because of injuries to key guys is part of the game, but damn it is tough to take such a shitty end to an otherwise spectacular season.
I guess that means we'll just need to redouble our efforts for next year!