BUAFL Game Report: The Snowbowl

With the BNU – Holloway rivalry sitting at 1 apiece the 2 teams met for a snow bowl at a neutral ground.  Originally scheduled to be played at The Cove BNU received the call to say the council pitch was unplayable.

A local grammar school was found roughly halfway between the 2 sides and on Saturday the BNU team set to work clearing snow and spraying the field markings.  By kickoff the snow was around an inch or two thick on the ground at worst with the majority of melting away, but this didn’t stop come spectacular tackles sliding for abnormal distances though.



The opening kickoff was muffed by RHUL and recovered by Adam Stammers.  This put BNU’s Double Wing offence on a short field and it took only 5 plays before Stammers eased in from 7 yards behind the trademark wedge.  Danny Wallace added the 2 points on a sideline run.  Holloways opening drive faltered after its first set and downs with tough tackling from BNU's defence stopping them gaining significant yardage.

Soon enough a 7 play BNU drive took Durwane Watson into the endzone for his 7th of the season.  The teams then exchanged fumbles for the next 3 drives before BNU wiped off the butter and a broken play enabled Danny Wallace to crash over from 11 after 4 busted tackles. With the score 20-0 at the end of the first, BNU then started rotating its backfield.  Holloway turned over on downs at the halfway line giving BNU possession with 8 minutes left in the half.  A 24 yard run from Durwane Watson gave him his 2nd TD of the half.  He would end up with 52 yards and 2 TDs from 5 carries on the day.

The following kick off went out of bounds giving Holloway good field position and this spurred them onto a couple of first downs.  Holloway's first drive into BNU territory was stopped with a superb blindside sack from Adam Stammers

BNU got the ball back with 2:30 left in the half.  With some well practiced no huddle wing and decent clock management from the coaches BNU scored with 21 seconds left on the 7th play of the drive through NT Harry Flint running in the wedge.  The Clark Kent lookalike had an appropriate celebration his first TD. 

BNU then switched to the Superbeef formation.  The 11 lineman formation was too much from the 3 yard line and the 6ft5 20+ stone Nose tackle barreled over for 2 points.

 Holloway managed to fumble the ball back to BNU with 9 seconds left but then promptly picked off QB George Woolger to end the half with the score BNU 32-0 RHUL

The 2nd half started the same way as the first with Adam Stammers running in a TD from 46 yards, this time in a non wing formation.  James Donz added the 2 points. 

A precise hit on the following KO allowed a BNU recovery at the Holloway 25.   

BNU then switched back to a JV offence.  A 9 play drive was turned over on downs by a great goal line stop by Holloway.  Unfortunately they then dropped a toss which cornerback Chris Gelded fell on for BNUs first defensive TD of the year. 

Left guard turned Fullback Adam Austin added the 2 points in the Superbeef.  Holloway came out guns blazing with 3 passes but fell short of the first down.  A botched snap gave BNU possession at the Holloway 20.  3 plays later and rookie Said Rashad got a deserved first ever TD with a cutting run up the middle.

A touchback preceded another 3 and out followed by a botched punt.  This gave the rookie BNU offence a 1st and goal at the 10.  The Holloway D was strong though holding up Rashad half a yard short on 4th down.  Holloway took to the field pinned in their own endzone but a QB sneak too it out to the 8 yard line.

his hard work was undone over the next 2 plays with a Harry Flint and Kazeem Abdul sack followed by a forced fumble sack in the endzone by Adam Stammers, which Theo Williams dived on.  The senior got his first ever TD for the team and the defences 2nd of the season.  The teams were evenly matched at this point and with the score at 60-0 the 4th quarter wound down.  A recovered fumble with 4 minutes left enabled the BNU offence one last shot at the endzone and Adam Austin ran it in for his first ever touchdown from 4 yards out.

A sack by Stammers and Williams ended the game at 66-0.

Game MVP went to Adam Stammers with 132 yards off 10 carries and 2 TDs.  Along with 9 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 recovered fumbles.  The Bristol Apache player is hoping to be promoted to the Aztecs this year and performances like this might get him noticed.

Despite having the most productive offence in the TVC this was only BNU’s second win of the season.  After losing its opening 3 matches to playoffs bound teams their slim post season hopes rely on a win at the resurgent Solent Redhawks.