2) Spotlight on the Youth
One of the unsung heroes of the Ultimus Bowl was defensive tackle Thorian Skarsgard. Defense does not always get the same attention that offense gets, and even then defense tackle remains one of the less flashy positions. It can often be a thankless job. Thorian Skarsgard is a young Orange County Otters player who has managed to have an impact at this position. Despite not putting up jaw dropping numbers in any category, he is important in helping set the line for actions such as run stopping. During the Ultimus, he helped hold the Yetis to only 63 rushing yards. This feat was also bolstered by assisting in keeping the Yetis from scoring a rushing touchdown. Of course, Thorian Skarsgard also helped defeat the Yetis’ passing game. As a defensive line man, Thorian Skarsgard attempts to put pressure on the quarterback every time he goes to pass. Defensive tackles are not traditionally where high pressure comes from, as this duty more often falls to defensive ends and linebackers. Still, Thorian Skarsgard managed to contribute on the pass rush during the Ultimus Bowl. He came up with a sack during the fourth quarter of the game. This forced the Yetis to burn a timeout, and further decrease any chance the Yetis had of a comeback. Thorian Skarsgard helped contribute to the Otters’ championship season, and as a young player he is poised to assist in many more. It will be interesting to see how this young player’s career continues to develop.
4) Quarterback Matchup
It is hard to argue that any position has more impact on the game of football than the quarterback. This year’s Ultimus Bowl was an exciting game, quarterbacked by Gus T.T. Showbiz for the Otters and Micycle McCormick for the Yetis. Going into the game, the matchup appeared pretty even. What McCormick had in extra experience Showbiz made up for in physical ability. It was McCormick who ended up having to shoulder the larger burden. His team was playing from behind for most of the game, which led to him having a much higher volume of passing. McCormick when 36 for 54 with 291 yards. Meanwhile, Showbiz was only called on to pass 36 times, completing 22 of them for 247 yards. Both quarterbacks played an equal role in their team’s scoring, having thrown two touchdowns each. Neither quarterback received perfect marks for protecting the ball. Showbiz threw two interceptions during the game while McCormick only threw one. Showbiz did receive better support from his running game, as they produced 91 yards of offense. McCormick’s backs only managed 63 yards, which also accounts for volume of passing McCormick had to produce. Both quarterbacks played valiantly, but I would give McCormick a slight edge. Unfortunately, this better game did not lead to better results. Showbiz’s Otters beat McCormick’s Yetis 24-21. This shows that even though the quarterback is the most important member of the offense, he does not have complete control over the game. It is a team effort. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how McCormick’s game evolves as he continues to get older. For Showbiz, hopefully he can continue to be a productive member of the NSFL. After all, good quarterback play results in more exciting games for everyone.
One of the unsung heroes of the Ultimus Bowl was defensive tackle Thorian Skarsgard. Defense does not always get the same attention that offense gets, and even then defense tackle remains one of the less flashy positions. It can often be a thankless job. Thorian Skarsgard is a young Orange County Otters player who has managed to have an impact at this position. Despite not putting up jaw dropping numbers in any category, he is important in helping set the line for actions such as run stopping. During the Ultimus, he helped hold the Yetis to only 63 rushing yards. This feat was also bolstered by assisting in keeping the Yetis from scoring a rushing touchdown. Of course, Thorian Skarsgard also helped defeat the Yetis’ passing game. As a defensive line man, Thorian Skarsgard attempts to put pressure on the quarterback every time he goes to pass. Defensive tackles are not traditionally where high pressure comes from, as this duty more often falls to defensive ends and linebackers. Still, Thorian Skarsgard managed to contribute on the pass rush during the Ultimus Bowl. He came up with a sack during the fourth quarter of the game. This forced the Yetis to burn a timeout, and further decrease any chance the Yetis had of a comeback. Thorian Skarsgard helped contribute to the Otters’ championship season, and as a young player he is poised to assist in many more. It will be interesting to see how this young player’s career continues to develop.
4) Quarterback Matchup
It is hard to argue that any position has more impact on the game of football than the quarterback. This year’s Ultimus Bowl was an exciting game, quarterbacked by Gus T.T. Showbiz for the Otters and Micycle McCormick for the Yetis. Going into the game, the matchup appeared pretty even. What McCormick had in extra experience Showbiz made up for in physical ability. It was McCormick who ended up having to shoulder the larger burden. His team was playing from behind for most of the game, which led to him having a much higher volume of passing. McCormick when 36 for 54 with 291 yards. Meanwhile, Showbiz was only called on to pass 36 times, completing 22 of them for 247 yards. Both quarterbacks played an equal role in their team’s scoring, having thrown two touchdowns each. Neither quarterback received perfect marks for protecting the ball. Showbiz threw two interceptions during the game while McCormick only threw one. Showbiz did receive better support from his running game, as they produced 91 yards of offense. McCormick’s backs only managed 63 yards, which also accounts for volume of passing McCormick had to produce. Both quarterbacks played valiantly, but I would give McCormick a slight edge. Unfortunately, this better game did not lead to better results. Showbiz’s Otters beat McCormick’s Yetis 24-21. This shows that even though the quarterback is the most important member of the offense, he does not have complete control over the game. It is a team effort. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how McCormick’s game evolves as he continues to get older. For Showbiz, hopefully he can continue to be a productive member of the NSFL. After all, good quarterback play results in more exciting games for everyone.