(Florida):

The good news:  The Redwoods are a force to be reckoned with.

The bad news: The Force was with the Tuskers Thursday.

The game started off well, looking like a 12-round, Ali-Frazier fight.  ‘

The Tuskers had scored 35 and 29 points in their first two games, and it looked like they had a fight on their hands in Game 3.

The California Redwoods turned their O and their D up a notch against the undefeated and high-scoring Florida Tuskers, holding them scoreless in the first quarter.  No team had done that since the first quarter in Game 1.

The Redwoods defense got their first gut check when the Tuskers marched the ball in the Red Zone, but the Redwoods got the ball back on turnovers.

But the cracks in Redwoods armor started to show.  A 51-yard, Brooks Bollinger-to-Taye Biddle pass gave the Tuskers first and goal at the 4.  RB Michael Pittman banged in it from 2 yards out on third down to score the game’s first TD.

On the ensuing series, RB Cory Ross appeared to fumble the ball.  The review showed that he had fumbled, and Florida took over.  The Redwoods D went to work, forcing a hurried pass, a sack (by DT Chris Cooper) and an incomplete pass.  To add insult to injury, the Tuskers missed the field goal, giving the Redwoods the ball at their own 36, the best field position they had enjoyed up until that moment. But the Tuskers D answered the challenge, picking off another McMahon pass (LB Odell Thurman).

Bollinger and the Tuskers looked like their namesake, grinding out yardage and eating up the clock.  then with 3 minutes left in the half, Bollinger tossed his second TD to WR Jayson Foster, putting the Tuskers up 14-0 after the PAT.

Although starting QB Mike McMahon looked like he been at the helm of the Redwoods for years, sitting in the pocket and surgically testing the Tuskers secondary, the numbers were not indicative; he turned in a 5 for 17, 60 yard, no TDs, and 2 INT first half.

With 2:51 left, QB Shane Boyd, who started Game 1, took over and didn’t fare much better, going three and out.

Bollinger then went to the 2-minute drill offense, and ground out more yards.  On first and goal from the 10, with 37 seconds left, the Tuskers lost 10 yards, after Bollinger fumbled the snap.

But it’s hard to stop a runaway freight train, I mean, pig, and the Tuskers would not be denied another score.  A 39-yard field goal put the Tuskers up 17-0.  The half ended on a Boyd “Hail Mary” interception in the end zone.

When you’re ahead, run the ball.  When your opponent is down, keep your foot on his neck. The Tuskers went back to running out the clock  A Redwoods defensive holding penalty gave them first and goal for the 4th time, but the Redwoods D manned up and held the Tuskers to their second field goal.

Tuskers LB Tim McGarigle intercepted a Shane Boyd  pass that looked like it was thrown by Shane Falco, and it was all over but the shouting.  Pittman rumbled and stumbled to the 2, and Bollinger tossed his third TD pass to FB Andrew Pinnock at 3:56 in the third making it 27-0.

Falco, I mean, Boyd went back to work, his mission clearly cut out for him.  But WR Doug Gabriel, doing his best Clifford Franklin impersonation, couldn’t hold on the ball when he needed to, and once again, the Tuskers took over.

Backup QB Chris Greisen went in for Bollinger to finish out the evening.  After he went three and out, Boyd once again tried to put the Redwoods on the board.  After a pass to Gabriel gave them first and goal for the first time all evening, the Redwoods avoided the shutout, as Ross scored from a yard out.

Unfortunately, that was the only Redwoods score of the evening.  After the Tuskers scored another TD (a Greisen pass to WR Marcus Maxwell), all they had to do was run out the clock as they notched their third win in as many games.

There’s a reason the Tuskers score at will. Actually, there are five. Bollinger.  Pittman.  Pinnock.  Foster. Biddle.

The good news is the Redwoods won’t play the Tuskers again until Novermber 19th.  They should be 3-2.

The bad news is that the Tuskers will be 5-0, and the Redwoods will need the win to have a shot at the playoffs…

redwoodsfootball.com

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