|
|
UVA Sim
Virginia Football Sim:
It is still 2 days away from kickoff for the real players, but that didn’t stop those pesky little EAthletes from strapping on their virtual helmets and going to war. The cyber version of the Terps don’t like the cyber Cav’s any more than the real ones do and the game had a tense feel as both teams took the field. Charlottesville was rocking for this one (or maybe I had the volume up too loud on the TV) and Herbstreit and Corso both predicted a good game. They were right on the money.
1st Quarter: Virginia chose to defer to the second half and kicked away to Steve Suter. It was a boom and the Terps started off the game on their own 20. Statham and the boys moved the ball pretty well for a couple of plays, but in the end Podlesh had to punt it away. It was a solid kick down to the UVA 10, but oh wait, the Wahoo’s drop the kick and the Terps pounce on it!!!! First and goal at the UVA 7! After an incomplete pass, a Josh Allen run for 5 and a nearly intercepted 3rd down attempt, Das Boot drilled the chip shot for the 3-0 lead. UVA gets the ball kicked to them, botch the run back and get tackled at their own 10. They proceed to go three and out and punt it away to Maryland. Suter gets the punt and gets wrapped up at mid field. Maryland seizing on the momentum goes……………. 3 and out. End of 1st Quarter: Maryland 3 Virginia 0.
2nd Quarter: UVA gets the ball at their 17, move it a couple yards, but are forced to punt. UVA takes the snap and WHAT IS THIS, the ball goes off the punters foot and out of bounds at the UVA 36!!! Special teams are becoming a factor here. Maryland takes the situation and attacks. Quickly Statham finds Suter open for a 26 yard game and the Terps are in business at the UVA 10. The Cyber Terps (much like the real Terps) fear they are being too successful and proceed to hold on the next play backing them up to the 20. Allen then makes a gusty run to regain the 10 yards. On the next play Statham tries to force a pass in to Suter but it gets picked off by UVA. Luckily for Maryland, the UVA players momentum carried him out of the end zone to the 1 yard line. The crowd is trying to get the offense fired up after the critical turn over. Apparently it works as UVA proceeds to scrabble, pass, and run out to there own 35, why I believe they even pulled out the half back pass for a 20 yard gain. Luckily the Terps defense holds and UVA is forced to punt again. On another sloppy punt by UVA, the Terps take the ball at the Virginia 41 with 1:25 left in the half. HERE WE GO, THE TWO MINUTE DRILL!! Well 3 incomplete passes later, Podlesh comes out to punt it back to Virginia with about 1:05 left on the clock. Cyber Grohl and the boy drive down the field, but the Terps defense refused to let them any closer than the 32 yard line. The Cav’s whose special teams has been a nightmare up to this point lined up for the 49 yarder aaaaaannnnddddd GUT!! We are tied up going into half time. Despite the Terps domination in time of possession and field position at the End of 2nd Quarter: Maryland 3 Virginia 3.
3rd Quarter: Maryland kicks off to UVA to start the half. They get one first down and then punt. SHANK, oh this poor Wahoo kicker is going to get tied down and beaten with socks stuffed with soap tonight!! Maryland ball on the Virginia 45. Allen Picks up 14 yards on the sweep and Maryland gets into field goal range. Statham drills Suter again down at the 10 yard line and the Terps are looking good. Next play Statham, finding his grove, (it was in his glove box next to the maps) finds Suter in the end zone with three defenders draped all over him, (Cue Fight Song). Terps go up 10-3. UVA gets the ball back and proceeds to do a little marching of there own. The Cav’s apparently love to scramble and their QB calls his own number for a 25 yard gain. The biggest play of the day for either side so far. Maryland as all day long, bends but doesn’t break on defense and UVA is forced to punt the ball away. Maryland gets the punt and returns it to their 25 yard line. The quarter ends. End of 3rd Quarter: Maryland 10 Virginia 3.
4th Quarter: We are getting down to crunch time. If the Terps are going to a Bowl game this year they have to finish just like they did against Florida State. They start with the ball at their 25 and the game in their own hands. The ball the Terps are using must have dog doo on it or something because on the next 3 plays it looks like Maryland is trying to give it right back to Virginia. Podlesh comes out again after a poo poo effort by the offense to put the game away. Virginia returns it to the Maryland 45 and you can almost feel the momentum change. UVA moves the ball for a couple plays and comes up short on a 3rd and 1. Al Grohl heeding the UVA faithful chooses to go for it and the whole place rises in anticipation. UVA hands the ball off to the right side and out of nowhere Shawn “Lights Out” Merriman drills the half back for a 3 yard lose. It turns out to be Light’s Out’s only tackle of the day, but it could not have come at a bigger time. All the Terps need to do to claim win number 5 is to chew up some clock and put some points on the board. Maryland gets one first down and the noose begins to tighten around the Cavilers. The Terps are out to mid field and looking to put this one to bed when, what?! WHAT?! Statham is throwing the football!! STATHAM IS THROWING THE FOOTBALL! AND NOW VIRGINIA IS CATCHING THE FOOTBALL!!! UVA makes a huge interception and the Cav’s are alive. Herbstriet and Corso can not believe the Maryland play calling. The Cav’s with about a minute left have the ball at their own 35. They complete a pass to Heath Miller and move up to the Maryland 44. UVA then breaks off a 15 yard scramble and the Terps fans are starting to panic. They now have the ball at the Maryland 30 with over half a minute left to play and 1 Time out remaining. The Cav’s doing a little unconventional play calling of there own run a draw play, they hurry up and run it again for a first down. The Cav’s are down to the twenty but rapidly running out of time. They then run again picking up 7 yards, but are now forced to call time out with 4 seconds left to play. After coming out of the TV time out and carefully drawing up their play, the Cav's go for it and complete the pass!!! … About ..10 yard shy of the end zone. The stop for a lose sends the Terps into a frenzy,… in fact, that looks like a cyber hippy running out on to the field!!?? What is that on the back of his shirt??? Looks like “Nader in 2008” I think I even heard a “Take that you stupid tie wearing Wahoopies!!”. Wow the realism on this game is truly unbelievable.
The Terps beat two top opponents in back to back weeks and suddenly everything is right again in Maryland.
Player of the Game: Steve Suter with 4 catches for 49 yards and the game winning TD.
Other notable: Joel Statham 9-19 for 160 yards. 1 TD, 2 INT Josh Allen: 13 carries for 34 yards (A long of 14) Gerrick McPherson: 2 sacks |