By Jimmy English
University College Dublin put on a stunning display of power in the first half this past weekend as they rolled over the Dublin Rebels 36-14 in Shamrock Bowl XXXVI to capture their second Irish title in three years.
The students exploded out to a 36-0 halftime lead and then held on for the win.
Both sides started well, with strong runs from UCD’s Brandon Atwell and big passing gains from Rebels quarterback Ty Henry to Dan Johnson.
It would be the students who drew first blood though, as Pete Masterson ripped off a 78 yard rushing score direct to the endzone, capped off by a Tom Donovan two pointer to earn an early 8 – 0 lead.
The Rebels failed to respond as Henry struggled to connect with his favorite targets thanks to excellent coverage from UCD.
The Boys in Blue struck again a few drives later, with game MVP Tom Donovan taking a handoff on his own two yard line and running the length of the field untouched. Then the floodgates opened, and it was all UCD for the rest of the half as they continued to score at will. If Donovan was the overall MVP then Pete Masterson was the MVP of the first half, contributing four total touchdowns – one of which came on the easiest pitch and catch score you will ever see. Quarterback Arun Mooney simply lobbed the ball into the endzone for number 18 to reel in, and there was nothing his opponents could do.
Photo: Paul McIlwaine
The Rebels attempted to find some rhythm of their own but were foiled by big sacks from Atwell and Brian Broderick, before Mooney found Masterson again on an almost identical play to their first hookup a few drives previous. UCD struck once again before the break; Tom Donovan the passer in this instance to find who else but Pete Masterson.
Mercy rule in place?
The scoreline at the half was 36 – 0 and the rout appeared to be on. A somewhat controversial call was made by the officials to commence the second half, with a running clock in operation for the remainder. Yes, the mercy rule is there for a reason, but this was a national championship game. Surely an exception could have been made?
This perceived slight was perhaps the spark the Rebels needed to mount a comeback attempt and to wake them up a little. Henry finally found the endzone on a fade pass to Sam Doran, but a failed conversion limited the result to just six points. The Rebels would score again late in the fourth quarter, as Henry and Greg Johnson finally connected for a touchdown to claw back another eight points.
Despite holding UCD scoreless in the second half, it was too little too late from the defending champions. The much anticipated trilogy bout between the two best teams in the country didn’t quite live up to its billing this time around, as UCD cruised to a relatively easy Shamrock Bowl victory in Athlone. And while the students are clearly in the ascendancy, their opponents on the day seem to be at a bit of a crossroads. It will be very interesting to see if any challengers can emerge next season.
Source: Gaelic Gridiron