As most of the world predicted, the Florida Tuskers finished their season with a perfect 6-0 record.  Unfortunately, that meant the California Redwoods were their latest victim.

Fueled by the last-minute pick that cost them a chance to remain in the playoff hunt, the Redwoods came out swinging last night.  The Redwoods outgained the Tuskers 351 yards to 298.

The Redwoods led 24-20 at halftime, thanks to TD passes from Boyd to WR Doug Gabriel and TE Nate Lawrie, a K Parker Douglass field goal AND a 49-yard pick return for a touchdown by NT Jason Stewart (Go ahead with your bad self!).

The second half has always been a problem for the Redwwods this season, and their inability to get motivated for the seond half let Florida back in the game.

Although Tuskers RB Michael Pittman scored the go-ahead TD with 6 minutes left in the game, Redwoods QB Shane Boyd and company weren’t done, driving to the Florida 44 with 2 minutes remaining.  The Redwood’s fate was sealed when Tuskers DE Josh Cooper sacked Boyd and then forced a fumble that he recovered at the Redwoods’ 48-yard line.

The Tuskers will face the 4-2 Las Vegas Locomotives at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas for the UFL Championship, Friday, November 27th, 2009.

Our 2-4 Redwoods can look forward to a better season in 2010.  Consider this:  They almost beat both of the teams playing for the championship.  A few off season tweaks here and there, and they will be in the Championship Game next season.  Count on it.

The Redwoods needed a win this evening just to still be in contention for the right to play the Florida Tuskers in the Championship Game.  A loss would all but give the Locomotives (I mean the Locos) the edge in any tie-breaker (assuming both teams finished 3-3).

The Redwoods D stopped the Locos’ opening drive, led by a Dominic Patrick sack of Locos QB JP Losman. The Redwoods went three and out, after Redwoods QB Shane Boyd was sacked on the opening play.

On, the Redwoods’ next defensive series, it appeared that the only thing stopping the Locos was the fact that their receivers couldn’t catch a long pass.  When Losman did complete a 16 yard pass to WR Samie Parker, he injured his left pinky (you will see this later).  The Redwoods jammed the Locos running game, and for some reason that will remain unknown to this writer, Locos K Graham Gano attempted and missed a 51 yard field goal attempt.

Redwoods RB Cory Ross showed his prowess by breaking off a 53-yard rush on the first play of the second Redwoods series.  This set up a first and goal.  On second and goal from the 4, Ross scored his 4th TD of the season and the first in this game.  Douglass’ PAT made it 7-0.

The Redwoods once again stopped the Locos from moving, and they got the ball back at their 27 yard line after the Locos went three and out (and the Redwoods got hit with a penalty on the ensuing punt).

Boyd spread the ball around to Ross, WR Glenn Holt, WR Doug Gabriel, and TE Nate Lawrie and took the Redwoods back down the field.  But the Locos stunted the drive, and this time, it was the Redwoods turn to miss a field goal, a 39-yarder this time.

The Locos offense finally woke up, driving down to the Redwoods 24 with 3:30 left in the half.   RB Marcel Shipp, taking over for the slightly injured RB De De Dorsey carried most of the offensive load for this drive, but almost coughed up the ball at the Redwoods 5 yard line with 2 minutes left.

The Locos brought Dorsey back in for second and 3, but LB Maurice Crum went one on one in the open field against him, and forced a 35 yard field goal attempt by Gano, which was good this time, making the score 7-3 Redwoods with a minute left to play.  The Redwoods were not content to run the clock out, and attempted another drive.  Boyd fumbled the ball with 15 seconds left, but the Redwoods recovered the ball and let the time expire.

The second half saw Ross and Washington keeping the ball on the ground, but the Redwoods had to punt the ball away.

Shipp went out on the first series.  Losman overthrew a key pass, and Gano kicked his second field goal of the game, making it 7-6 Redwoods.

The Redwoods seemed to be out of sync on the next series, but a 27 yard Boyd to Gabriel pass, and a penalty for a late hit gave the Redwoods the ball at the Locos 15 yard line.  The Locos held, and Douglass settled for his second FG of the evening, making it 10-6 Redwoods with 2:23 left in the third quarter.

Losman called the weirdest set of plays I have ever seen, resulting in a sack, a loss of 12 yards, and the ejection of DT Chris Cooper.  A pass interference call against the Redwoods gave the Locos the ball at the Redwoods 45 with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.

The third quarter ended with the Locos still driving at the Redwoods 30.  David Kircus caught a pass from Losman giving them first and goal at the 4.  Once again, Maurice Crum stepped in to stuff the run, and a botched pass from Losman to WR David Kircus seemed to spell another field goal.  But a Losman to Andre Thurman put the Locos in the lead 13-10.

But the Redwoods still had some bark left (ouch), A 29 yard from Boyd to Ross and another to Holt, combined with a short Ross run brought the Redwoods down to the Locos 25 yard line.  A pass to WR Sonny Shackleford kept moving the chains.  On second and 7, Boyd hit Shackleford again to make it first and goal from the 3.  Ross moved the ball a yard.  Ross fumbled the ball in the end zone on the next play, and the Locos recovered.

With a little less than 7 minutes left, the Locos would have normally ran the clock out.  The problem was their running game was almost non-existent, and the passing game might give the Redwoods enough time to get back in the game IF they didn’t score.

Shipp couldn’t run, so Losman went to the air.  Losman went to Kircus again, once for 45 yards, and the other for 8, moving the ball to the Redwoods 15.

Maurice Crum and DB Marcus McClinton stopped FB E.J. Barthel on the next play.   A missed pass saw Gano come out to put up this third FG, putting the Locos up 16-10 with 2 minutes left.

With 80 yards to go, and no timeout left, Boyd had his work cut out for him. Three passes, one to Gabriel and two to WR West moved them to their own 48 yard line.  Shackleford dropped a pass, stopping the clock at 1:26.

A Boyd to Holt pass stopped the clock at 1:22, with the Redwoods moving to the Locos 42.  Boyd to West took them to the 35.  A Boyd run took them to the 25 with 42 seconds left.

On 4th and 5, with 22 seconds left, Boyd threw his only pick of the evening, which ended the Redwoods hopes at facing the Tuskers in the Championship game.

The Redwoods are out of the hunt now.  Even if they beat the Tuskers, and the Locos lost to the Sentinels next week, the Locos have a 2-0 head-to-head record, which would make them the number 2 team in the league.

RedwoodsFootball.com

The Florida Tuskers have securely locked up the regular season championship, being 5-0 with 1 game left to play.

As previously stated, the Redwoods NEED this win tonight, given the fact that the Terminators Tuskers will be their last opponent, and the Tuskers can’t be beaten, stopped, or reasoned with, and the Sentinels have as much backbone as a bowl of wet fettucine.

Barring a complete meltdown of all four teams, the winner of tonight’s game will face the Tuskers in the Championship Game.

Florida Tuskers (4-0):

The Tuskers are clearly in the playoffs.  Even if they lose their last two games, they would finish at 4-2, but win any tie-breaker against the Redwoods or the Locomotives.

California Redwoods (2-2):

It comes down to this:  Wins against the Locomotives AND the Tuskers gives the Redwoods second place and the right to play the Tuskers in the Championship Game.

Losses to both the Locos and the Tuskers gives the Locomotives second place and the right to play the Tuskers in the Championship Game.

Any combinations of a win and a loss leaves the Redwoods at the mercy of the tie-breaker (see below).

Las Vegas Locomotives (2-2):

If the Locomotives beat the Redwoods, but lose to the Sentinels AND the Redwoods beat the Tuskers in the final game, both teams would finish 3-3.  The Locomotives would win the tie-breaker, as they would have beaten the Redwoods twice in the season.

If the Locomotives beat the Redwoods and the Sentinels, they finish in second (losing the tie-breaker to the Tuskers), and get the right to play the Tuskers in the Championship Game.

If the Locomotives lose to the Redwoods and Sentinels, the Redwoods finish in second.

If the Locomotives lose to the Redwoods, but beat the Sentinels AND the Redwoods beat the Tuskers, both teams finish 3-3.  The Redwoods would take second (as they would be 1-1 against the Tuskers, compared to 0-2 for the Locomotives).

New York Sentinels (0-4):

They are done. Even if they win out, they would finish 2-4, and the second place team would be the winner of the Redwoods-Locomotives game.

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With 2 games left, one of which is against the Tuskers, we cannot afford to make any more mistakes.  From my comfy armchair, here is my opinion:

1. The Defense seems to man up only when they have to.

That’s not the way Dennis Green played or coaches.  That’s not the way the premiere defenses in the NFL play.  Consider these legendary Ds:

Purple People Eaters

Steel Curtain

The 1985 Bears

The Oakland Raiders of the late 60s and 70s.

The Doomsday Defense

What was their secret?  100% percent effort for the entire 60 minutes.  No mercy.  Keep pushing and pushing and pushing until you cant do it any more, and then pushing again.

The Redwoods D HAS to do that.  They must send a message of fear to every member of the opposing offense.  It took us two tries to take down Quinn last night, but that effort sealed the win.  Every member of the D has to have that same effort for the next Three Games (2 regular season, and the playoffs).

2. The offense needs to start rolling up points.

You have two able QBs.  You have a receiving core that could play in the NFL right now.  You have a running game.  Do something.  The line needs to give the QB time to set up.  The line needs to blow holes open for Ross.

But, Mr Gabriel (Yes, I know I called you Clifford Franklin last time), you have to hang on to that ball.  Yes, you are going to get get hit and yes, it’s going to hurt.  But that’s football.  Deal with it. If you can’t catch, then you aren’t a threat, and if you aren’t a threat and Cory can’t run, then you are not going to win.

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