Game 10: @ University of North Texas

Milwaukee College Penguins (2-7, #90) @ U of North Texas (4-4, #82)

With a few of our short-comings laid out in the Sports Illustrated article (slow secondary, and now a lingering elbow problem with Ross (QB #1)), I should've changed my strategy for the game against the North Texas Eagles.

Instead, I stuck with the usual. They must've not only read the article, but consulted with Notre Dame. They got to our quarterbacks four times but more importantly, they stuffed the run. Wetzel (HB #47) finished with only 35 yards. It's not just a combination of keying in on Wetzel; it also has to do with knowing my blocking scheme. Buccheri's (RG #59) effectiveness has been neutralized these past couple of games. Without her creating lanes for Wetzel or, to a lesser extent, Ciraldo (FB #25), who is beefy enough to create his own lanes, our running game is forced to go to the outside. Wetzel is fast but not that fast.

We were only down four points at the half, but it felt more like 40. Late in the 2nd quarter, Ross re-injured her elbow. She was lost for the game. In came plucky sophomore quarterback Root (QB #5) who, in our second series of the half, was rocked with a sack. With my 3rd QB, Koch (QB #22) red-shirted and thus unable to play, I turned to my kicker, Goodman (K #30). He's taken a few snaps in practice but never in a real game. He came in with 4:37 left in the 3rd, down 17-21, and facing 2-and-17. It was a strange sight seeing him line up behind Vee (C #63). He ran the Triple Option and handed off to Ciraldo; then, on 3rd-and-long, I called a passing play. Big mistake. He lofted the ball to Khalafian (TE #81), but it was their middle linebacker who intercepted it. The ensuing, short, drive resulted in a TD.

Root had seen enough and braved her back spasms to finish the game. She led the Penguins on a 74 yards touchdown drive, mostly through the air. A 32-yard pass on first down to Columbus (WR #82), a 9-yard pass to Barber (HB #11), and finally, a 29-yard toss to Wetzel set up a 3-yard run by Wetzel to make it cut their lead back down to four points. Biggest cheerleader on the sidelines? Ross.

But we couldn't score again. Realizing we weren't going to run the ball except on 3rd-and-short, the Eagles put on a relentless pass rush. Root was sacked twice more in the 4th quarter. Although she wouldn't admit it, I know her back spasms were bothering her.

In the end, they pulled away with a touchdown pass that came as a result of a blown coverage by both K. Anderson (SS #26) and D. Leplae (CB #16). I gotta watch those two. Sometimes they get distracted by each other out there.

STATS: MKE @ UNT

score: 24-38
first downs: 17-14
total offense: 283 - 345
rushes - yards: 26 - 20 --- 28 - 125
comp-att-TD: 18 - 37 - 1 --- 12 - 21 - 4
passing yards: 263 - 220
sacked: 4 - 2
turnovers: 2 - 2
fumbles - lost: 0 - 0 --- 0 - 0
intercepted: 2 - 2
t.o.p: 17:06 --- 14:54

KEY PLAYERS (Offense)

Ross (QB #1) 117.4 rating 9-18 for 129 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Root (QB #5) 112.5 rating 9-18 for 134 yards
Wetzel (HB #47) 11-35 rush, 1 TD; 2-40 yards rec, 1 TD; 3-59 yards kick return
Finner (WR #83) 6-69 yards rec, 1 TD
Bogner (LT #52) 6 pancakes

KEY PLAYERS (Defense)

Wood (LE #96) 6 tackles (1 for loss), 1 sack
R. Umali (ROLB #50) 4 tackles
Bennett (CB #10) 4 tackles (2 for loss); 4-70 yards kick return; 2-23 yards punt return
K. Anderson (SS #26) 3 tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass deflect
Ziegeweid (FS #34) 2 tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass deflect

Note: Injuries provide opportunities. That's one way to look at it. An injury allowed Ty Cobb to start that amazing streak. In this game, it's obvious that our injuries to our quarterbacks hurt us; but that strained bicep to Mikulay (LE #45), who leads the teams in sacks, allowed senior left-end Wood a chance to get in the game. He made more tackles than anybody else on the team. Go, Wood!

K. Wood (LE #96)