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Old 01-22-2006, 07:20 PM   #415
hoopsguy
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Chicago
An illegal motion penalty wipes out a 23 yard gain on the 1st play.
Morris is stuffed on 3rd and 1 and we punt.

Defense is stout - 3 and out for the Utes.

Rattay gets leveled by the DT for a loss of 3.
Another three plays + punt for the offense.
And Utah takes the punt back 76 yards for a TD. 7-0, 10:02 left in the 1st quarter.

SS Gary Joe again is involved in shutting down a rush - he has been a factor early.
DT Christian Williams, who had the sack earlier, hits Morris in the backfield and forces a fumble. Williams recovers it and Utah sets up on our 31.
Morris has 7 carries for 1 yard and a lost fumble. Nice.

Utah drives to the 3 before settling for a 21 yard field goal. 10-0, 4:21 left in the quarter.
Not looking good on that cover right about now ...

Rattay hits Palmer for a 14 yard gain on 3rd and 10 to momentarily stop the bleeding.
For a play. Morris bursts through the line, but fumbles when he is popped by a linebacker. The ball is loose, recovered, and run back 55 yards by Utah! Holy crap, we are down 17 points just 12 minutes into this one! 17-0, 2:38 left in the quarter.

J.R. Jackson returns the kick out to the 40.
Rattay throws a screen pass to Morris (who is lucky to still be in the game) for a gain of 21.
Rattay connects on a intermediate post route to Woodley Martin, who turns up field and is popped by the safety. Another fumble! But this time we recover. OG John Perryman really hauled downfield to dive on the loose ball at the 13 yard line after a gain of 24.
OT Paul Glover leaves the game with an undisclosed injury.
And our drive ends at the 12. Ellis knocks in a 30 yarder. 17-3, 14:30 left to play in the half.

Utah has 2 first downs and 34 yards, but 17 points. Yuck.

FS Keith Thomas makes a stop in the backfield on 3rd and 2. Punt.

Derrick Palmer picks up 26, most of it after the catch, on 3rd and 8 into Utah territory.
Another 20+ yard run is off the boards for an illegal motion call.
Gannon Dawson is in and runs for 16, down to the 14.
WR Mike Voight runs it in on a reverse from 4 yards out. 17-10, 10:05 left in the half.

DE Doug Grant records a sack on 2nd down.
We smash an option play on 3rd down. Punt.

Utah is gradually losing players to injuries.
Morris picks up 11 on a run, then 10 on a pass play. Into Utah territory.
Another 11 for Morris on 3rd and 1, as he is finally finding a groove.
FB LeShon Toomer goes for 14.
Morris gets snuffed by SS Joe for a loss of 6, setting up 3rd and 12.
And Ellis settles for a 36 yard field goal. 17-13, 3:50 left in the half.

RB Bruce O'Donnell runs for 17, doubling his yardage on the afternoon.
QB LaGrand picks up a 34 yard gain through the air; finally they are having some success on offense.
4th and 1 at our 13, and they take the points.
Or not, as the 31 yard attempt is wide left.
But we are whistled for an offsides penalty. And I need to be restrained on the sidelines from going after the ref.
TD pass from 1 yard out, to the fullback. 24-13, 0:56 left in the half.

Rattay goes deep from our 37, finding Woodley Martin for a 47 yard pickup on a streak pattern.
But he is sacked on a LB blitz on the next play.
We can't find the end zone in the next two plays and Ellis kicks a 29 yard field goal. 24-16, with a couple of seconds left in the half.


Halftime Notes:
It is a bad joke that we are losing. 289-111 yards in the game.
We haven't forced one turnover on defense, which has to change.
The refs have really hurt us with the penalties they have called, as they have wiped big gains and given Utah 7 points.
We are going to win this game, but I'm just beside myself with how this has played out up to this point.


3 and out for Utah on their opening possession.
We start at their 47 after the punt return.

FB Toomer runs for 10 on 3rd and 7, clutch run.
Rattay keeps moving the chains, all the way down to the 10 yard line.
But Utah stops a pair of runs, forcing 3rd and goal from the 11.Rattay fakes the handoff, then fires a TD pass to Woodley Martin.
We go for two, but no dice. 24-22, 9:16 left in the 3rd.
Martin had 5 catches for 102 yards and the TD.

Short kickoff, good return, and Utah is at the 47 to start their drive.
We stop them on our 37 and Utah punts.

Coverage sack on 1st down, 3rd of the day for the D.
But Rattay answers with a 26 yard pass play to TE Gene Fortunato.
41 yard gain to Voight, who is brought down by a shoestring tackle by SS Joe.
We are whistled for a holding (C Slaughter) and are back out of FG range.
3rd and 5, nothing is open, but Rattay finally finds Voight, who dives for 6.
17 yard TD pass to Voight, who always seems to make big plays. And the 2 point conversion is to Voight as well. 30-24. 3:30 left in the 3rd.
Rattay is now 22-28 for 349 yards and 2 TDs.

4th and 1 at their own 42. Utah punts.
And a great punt it is, down at the 2.

Utah is whistled for defensive holding - good move, as it would have been an 89 yard TD to Voight.
3rd a 1, Rattay looks deep and fires - Palmer and a DB both go up for it, but Palmer comes down with a 31 yard gain.
37 more to Palmer, down to the 2.
TD pass to Woodley Martin. The two point attempt is intercepted. 36-24, 14:05 left in the game.
Palmer now has 8 catches for 151 yards. And Rattay is over 400.

FS Keith Thomas leaves the game with a hand injury.
Big pass play on 3rd down and 4 for the Utes, as they pick up 30 and move into Bruin territory.
We stop them at the 48, and Utah punts it into the end zone.

22 more yards to Voight, who is just 4 yards short of joining Martin and Palmer with 100 yards receiving on the day.
16 yards to Voight on the next play.
Morris runs for 17, he may get his 100 but it has been tough sledding today.
19 yard TD pass to Martin, his 3rd of the day. 43-24, 8:29 left in the game.

4th and 1 at the 34. And Utah punts - not sure that was a good move as time is working against them.

Rattay finally throws an interception - took him 54 minutes to do that (not counting the 2 point conversion). Utah ball at our 37.
We are called for defensive holding after a stop on 3rd down. That is the 10th first down of the day for Utah, at least 2 coming on defensive penalties.
4th and 2 at the 26, and they opt for the 44 yard field goal. Which they miss. And this time there is not an offsides call to bail them out.

Morris finally goes over 100 yards on his 30th carry of the day.
4th and 1 at the 49, and we punt with under 2 minutes to play.

4 straight incompletions, and we hold Utah to 199 yards on the day. Guess they won't be the #1 offense after this ...
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