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1. 1. NCBB Ssn 20, Game 5

While Texas concentrated on scoring, U. Conn concentrated on maiming Texas, and so both teams lost, depending how you look at it.

In a driving Rain, Texas chose to kick off short, but despite having +1 FF a Pitch Invasion stunned 4 players, including their +St and MB Blitzers, but only 1 UConn player - altho' that was the 'Saw. UConn wasted no time in blitzing a path to the down +stat star, but tried to dodge their DP in for a better boot, and snaked the dodge, KO'ing the DP and leaving the ball untouched and just within MA, only guarded by a rookie ghoul. Texas failed the pickup, and the ensuing dogfight was hardfought for several turns, with Texas recovering momentarily but UConn unable to re-recover the ball in the rain. Both the score and the punishment started Turn 4 as Texas's new Ag 5 Blitzer scooped and passed, and the 'Saw -MA'd a Texas freshman Blitzer (tho' Apo put him back in reserves). UConn took 1 shot to stop the TD, but 4 dice (using their last RR) on a blitz with a Tackler could only find Pushes, and Texas scored, 1-0.


And that meant that the Saw was out, and the Blodgestepper was now St 2 for the game. And that proved critical in the drive to come.

Turn 5, Texas again kicked short, and UConn KO'd a rookie lino and a blodger (via Foul) before attempting the 4+ pickup, which succeeded! But the St 2 Blodgestepper was again within MA range of Texas, and the Aggroes found a Pow (and MNG'd that player, their only Cas of the game), knocking the ball loose on the 9 yard line and screening, but failing their own 4+ pickup in TZ. With no RR, UConn GFI'd and KO'd a Blodge Blitzer, and left the ball triple-marked. In reply, Texas KO'd a Ghoul and surfed a Wight, and this time made the 4+ pickup and dodged toward the endzone to end Turn 6. Unable to stop this score, UConn double-GFI'd for the assist, and RIP'd Texas' new +Ag Blitzer. Texas scored unopposed Turn 8, 2-0.


2nd Half, as the Rain stopped and UConn kicked off, 2 of Texas' Knocked-Out players woke up (1 Blodge blitzer slept on), 10 Texas players v. an intact UConn squad, less their Blodgestepper. Texas' St 4 blitzer held the ball back as the two teams shoved at each other near the LoS for 4 Turns, until UConn KO'd 2 more Aggroes, a Blodger and the Kick/Wrestler. So, Texas swung around one side and "punted" deep, the ball landing in the endzone, beyond reach of any but a Texas Witch. As before, UConn saw this threat as their cue to roll a casualty, niggling the Witch. Texas marked the ball with their +St Blodgestepper, and UConn's -2d blitz could only find Both Down after using their last RR on earlier blocks, and a desperate dodge/pickup failed - and with only a 2+ pickup Texas scored again, 3-0.

Turn 7 UConn pushed some players up, screening a Werewolf, where Texas swarmed them all. UConn failed an unrelated block - and that ended the game.


Altho' they won the game, Texas lost more than just 32 spp with the promising +Ag Blitzer/Tackler, and another 21 in doubt with the niggled Witch - not a blueprint for long-term improvement.”