Tyrea Focus... He caught this one.
How can it be? Team USA gave up a football game to a German team. Score should've been 48-21 for Team USA. We had 4 offensive drives stall out in the Redzone, and missed our first Filed Goal attempt, never attempted a 2nd. A Quick rundown:First Half: We gave up a Safety and a TD.
Half: 9-0 Cowboys
Second Half: 2 TD's and a Field Goal for Munich. We scored 4 TD's and couldn't complete a single PAT. On top of that, our single Field Goal attempt failed... low & wide left, but the game came down to the wire.
Right around mid 3rd Quarter, I knew we were going to come back and win the game. We trailed ever since the 1st Quarter. We kicked to start off the 2nd Half, and Munich scored their first of 2 TD's after Half-Time in the 3rd Quarter. The score was now 16:0.
We traded a Touchdown each. 23:6
We followed their second TD with 2 more of our own. 23:18
Munich answered back with a Field Goal, I remember. I was lined up at Free Safety, we held their offense to 3 three-n-outs in a row. 4th & 5, mid-4th Quarter... one of our teammates lined up offsides on the punt return, awarding the 'Boys' a 5 yard penalty, resulting in a first down. On 2nd down, I got greedy, and decidedly made the wrong decision during the play: I went for the ball instead of the tackle. Another 1st down. The next set of downs we held them all the way to 4th down. Again, I remember, teammate Grady Pennell jumped for the fumble during 3rd down as the QB was pulling it back in. I was close by and jumped on to help, but the Quarterback had reeled it in enough that we couldn't pull it out. So on 4th and inches... the Cowboys decided to kick the Field Goal: mid-late fourth quarter Cowboys 26, Team USA 18.
We got a decent kick return, followed up by a great scoring drive by the offense. 26:24. Then the most exciting special teams play I've ever participated in happened.
We lined up as usual, but because of our alignment, it can be difficult for the receiving team to know our intentions, as well as which player to key on and block. Short story: Onside Kick left, a Cowboys Lineman muffed the ball, Team USA jumps on it, 1st down Team USA. 3:27 left on the clock.
I ran over to the trainer table to get my hamstring loosened up.
1st & 10: gain for a few yards.
2nd & less: gain for a First down.
1st & 10: positive yardage.
2nd down... never saw the play, but remember hearing some kind of commotion, and after seeing my defensive teammates jog out onto the field, I jumped up to line up at Free Safety... Turns out we ran the football on 2nd down with more than 2 minutes remaining. Somehow the referee's blew the whistle to end the play, after the whistle our RB lost the football, Munich picked it up, and the refs awarded Munich the football. 1st down Munich.
The Cowboys managed to move the ball deep into the Redzone, but came up short on a second 4th down that series. They decided to kneel near the goal line and burn up as much time as possible. Team USA gets the football with about a half-minute left on the clock.
We got one play off for positive yards and called a time out.
Reset.
2nd down-Pass complete for a first down, move the chains, and clock stops for referees to set the ball.
27 seconds.
I looked at the scoreboard before the refs blew their whistle to ready the ball for play... we had 27 seconds near mid-field, in our own territory, and no timeouts.
First down: pass left, complete for several yards, but the receiver did not get out of bounds, and it was not a 1st down.
20 seconds.
The team hustled up field.
15 seconds.
The refs tried to hurry the ball to the hash.
10 seconds.
The team got their play called on the line.
5 seconds.
The offense is trying to get set.
4 seconds -
3 seconds -
2 - snap...
We got the ball off for one last play with 2 seconds on the clock, trailing by 2 points.
Quarterback drops back, looks left, right, no one open, left again, He slings the ball down-field toward the pylon, Tyrea beat his man and has a step on him.
The ball sails through the air majestically, this is it, Tyrea is almost to the Endzone, but the ball is a little too deep.
He dives for the football, both arms stretched out like superman...
He hauls it in, mid-flight, and secures it for landing...
I see the pylon, his body makes contact with the grass, is he in? wait... I see the end-line, wait... it can't be... it looks like he landed on the 2 yardline, maybe he slid untouched up to the goal line, but these are college rules... that means...
It's over.
Munich Cowboys 26 - Team USA 24
Half: 9-0 Cowboys
Second Half: 2 TD's and a Field Goal for Munich. We scored 4 TD's and couldn't complete a single PAT. On top of that, our single Field Goal attempt failed... low & wide left, but the game came down to the wire.
Right around mid 3rd Quarter, I knew we were going to come back and win the game. We trailed ever since the 1st Quarter. We kicked to start off the 2nd Half, and Munich scored their first of 2 TD's after Half-Time in the 3rd Quarter. The score was now 16:0.
We traded a Touchdown each. 23:6
We followed their second TD with 2 more of our own. 23:18
Munich answered back with a Field Goal, I remember. I was lined up at Free Safety, we held their offense to 3 three-n-outs in a row. 4th & 5, mid-4th Quarter... one of our teammates lined up offsides on the punt return, awarding the 'Boys' a 5 yard penalty, resulting in a first down. On 2nd down, I got greedy, and decidedly made the wrong decision during the play: I went for the ball instead of the tackle. Another 1st down. The next set of downs we held them all the way to 4th down. Again, I remember, teammate Grady Pennell jumped for the fumble during 3rd down as the QB was pulling it back in. I was close by and jumped on to help, but the Quarterback had reeled it in enough that we couldn't pull it out. So on 4th and inches... the Cowboys decided to kick the Field Goal: mid-late fourth quarter Cowboys 26, Team USA 18.
We got a decent kick return, followed up by a great scoring drive by the offense. 26:24. Then the most exciting special teams play I've ever participated in happened.
We lined up as usual, but because of our alignment, it can be difficult for the receiving team to know our intentions, as well as which player to key on and block. Short story: Onside Kick left, a Cowboys Lineman muffed the ball, Team USA jumps on it, 1st down Team USA. 3:27 left on the clock.
I ran over to the trainer table to get my hamstring loosened up.
1st & 10: gain for a few yards.
2nd & less: gain for a First down.
1st & 10: positive yardage.
2nd down... never saw the play, but remember hearing some kind of commotion, and after seeing my defensive teammates jog out onto the field, I jumped up to line up at Free Safety... Turns out we ran the football on 2nd down with more than 2 minutes remaining. Somehow the referee's blew the whistle to end the play, after the whistle our RB lost the football, Munich picked it up, and the refs awarded Munich the football. 1st down Munich.
The Cowboys managed to move the ball deep into the Redzone, but came up short on a second 4th down that series. They decided to kneel near the goal line and burn up as much time as possible. Team USA gets the football with about a half-minute left on the clock.
We got one play off for positive yards and called a time out.
Reset.
2nd down-Pass complete for a first down, move the chains, and clock stops for referees to set the ball.
27 seconds.
I looked at the scoreboard before the refs blew their whistle to ready the ball for play... we had 27 seconds near mid-field, in our own territory, and no timeouts.
First down: pass left, complete for several yards, but the receiver did not get out of bounds, and it was not a 1st down.
20 seconds.
The team hustled up field.
15 seconds.
The refs tried to hurry the ball to the hash.
10 seconds.
The team got their play called on the line.
5 seconds.
The offense is trying to get set.
4 seconds -
3 seconds -
2 - snap...
We got the ball off for one last play with 2 seconds on the clock, trailing by 2 points.
Quarterback drops back, looks left, right, no one open, left again, He slings the ball down-field toward the pylon, Tyrea beat his man and has a step on him.
The ball sails through the air majestically, this is it, Tyrea is almost to the Endzone, but the ball is a little too deep.
He dives for the football, both arms stretched out like superman...
He hauls it in, mid-flight, and secures it for landing...
I see the pylon, his body makes contact with the grass, is he in? wait... I see the end-line, wait... it can't be... it looks like he landed on the 2 yardline, maybe he slid untouched up to the goal line, but these are college rules... that means...
It's over.
Munich Cowboys 26 - Team USA 24