Gridiron Gazette: Goal Line Stand (Week 4)

Marc Bulger was supposed to be the final piece of Mexico’s championship puzzle. Instead, his stat line this season includes 0 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and 2 broken ribs. Can Mexico survive the injury bug that seems to be sweeping the conference?








Goal Line Stand (Week 4)
Cam Pannalist, Gridiron Gazette




There are many different ways to deal with injuries, some more effective than others. Some teams prefer to make trades, sacrificing productivity in one area to replace lost numbers in another. Some teams enjoy browsing the waiver wire, signing free agents for the few weeks they are needed as replacements.

And some, like the Golden Gryphons, simply fight through it without making too many changes to their core players. When Eli Manning wasn’t ready for their season opener, backup Jake Delhomme simply walked onto the field and threw for 109 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Likewise, Steven Jackson has been absent from the offense for the past two weeks, but A.D. Michael Comtois didn’t panic and brought in fillers Warrick Dunn and Michael Pittman.

Mexico took a similar approach to their situation when transfer Marc Bulger had a horrible opening weekend, then broke 2 ribs. Backup Ben Roethlisberger is no superstar, but has the experience and intelligence to run the Wildcats offense. This week, with Roethlisberger inactive, Mexico signed veteran Kurt Warner. The 35-year old is not expected to be on the roster next week.

Sometimes, doing nothing can be a big mistake, as has been the case in Arizona. RB Laurence Maroney has been hurt the past 2 weeks, yet the team has placed him on their active roster anyway. The result has been 0 points from a very productive position, not to mention a 0-3 record and the last rated offense in the conference.

Injuries are a common, if unfortunate, part of football but should not be taken lightly. If your team has the depth (like Golden and Mexico) to fight through it, take pride in the fact that your coach prepared for the worst. In the case of Arizona, just close your eyes, pray, and be happy that your coach remembered to send a quarterback onto the field.

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FT @ SU
Fitchburg Tech’s title hopes took a huge blow last week, and the Red Raiders really need a rebound game. An offense that scored 115 PPG over the first 2 could only manage 64 against the injury-plagued Gryphons. If they want to regain the #1 spot in the power rankings, they’ll need to perform well against Stardust.

Speaking of the defending champions, their offense is finally starting to click. An 83 point outburst last week has them with the 3rd most points in the conference, and should have no problem against Fitchburg. Look for the S.U.C.H. to top the standings by next week.



UAK @ BHU
There’s nothing like the worst-rated offense in the conference facing off against a team that could only manage 29 points last week, and yet here we are. The Kickers have been tormented by injuries and poor play all season, and with WR Marvin Harrison and RB Frank Gore inactive this weekend, things are not looking any better.

And how a team can score just 29 points against a below-average Mexico defense is mind-boggling. It seems like ages ago that Bud Heavy dominated Stardust University, and yet it was just 3 weeks ago. This week should be Arizona-Kickery’s best shot at a win before they start a 3 game road trip against Mexico, Anheuser-Busch, and Fitchburg Tech.



AB @ UM
As was the case with BHU, it seems like ages ago that Anheuser-Busch dominated the preseason #1 Gillespie State, yet it too was just 3 weeks ago. Since then, AB has scored 45 PPG while going 0-2 against weak Bud Heavy and Rakeville squads. Is there any chance this young team can turn things around?

If so, this week isn’t the time. Mexico’s defense was outstanding last week, while backup QB Ben Roethlisberger has been just good enough while transfer Marc Bulger has been injured. The running game has been mediocre, and their receivers are hit or miss, but the new #1 in the power rankings has enough talent to grab another win this weekend.



AAM @ GU
As the remaining undefeated team in the conference, Athol sits atop the polls. How long that will last, however, will depend on their ability to improve their offense. The Alchys won with just 54 points last week, and have the 8th ranked offense, so they’ll need to do quite better than that against Golden.

The Gryphons pulled off the upset of the year last week by taking down #1 Fitchburg Tech, and even with all their injuries, they find ways to win. Steven Jackson is still hurt, and Larry Johnson is still no good, but Eli Manning has kept the team alive. Some day, the running game will remember who they are and they will start dominating. Until then, expect Athol to pull out a nail-biter in Colorado.



GS @ DUBA
After Arizona, Gillespie State is the disappointing team of the year. It’s impossible to count how many times the word “underachieving” has been said about this team, yet people keep yelling it out. Things didn’t help when RB Travis Henry transferred in, and immediately was suspended for substance abuse.

On the other side, Dublin has been performing just as expected: below-average offense, hanging around the middle of the standings, and a few surprising young skill guys (Brian Westbrook, Kevin Curtis). While the Black Diamonds continue their struggles, DUBA will catch another win at home.

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Power Rankings
1. Mexico (+1)
2. Gillespie State (+2)
3. Athol A&M (+2)
4. Fitchburg Tech (-3)
5. Stardust (+1)
6. Golden (+1)
7. Bud Heavy (-4)
8. Rakeville (+3)
9. Arizona-Kickery (-1)
10. Dublin ( - )
11. Anheuser-Busch (-2)

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League Notes
- Gillespie State’s latest attempt at salvaging the 2007 season was to release K Jeff Wilkins and sign Lawrence Tynes. Players are skeptical that the change will help their chances, and have been spending a lot of time at Travis Henry’s house.

- Now that it's October, Dublin fans are ecstatic to know that their team’s nickname finally makes sense.

- After earning their first win of the season last week, Rakeville A.D. Mike "The Miz" took the entire team to Las Vegas to celebrate. No word yet as to how many players returned home afterwards.