College Football 2009: Virginia Tech duke nukems Miami

Wading in the water, wading in the water, it rained in Blacksburg as 66,000 watched Virginia Tech’s Hokies hosted Miami’s Hurricanes this afternoon.  Broadcast on ABC, the first quarter began with Hokies tailback Ryan Williams leaped into the end zone for a touchdown.  Virginia Tech 7 and Miami 0 .  SWEET PRISTINE CANDY! Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor made an exquisite forty-eight yard throw to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin, who ran twenty or so yard into the end zone completely without threat of a tackle.  Virginia Tech 14 and Miami 0.

Hokies punter Brent Bowden couldn’t get a firm hold on the ball as he was about to punt the ball away in the top of the the second quarter.  The ball fell to the ground, one Hokies player and one Hurricanes player dove for the ball.  Their contact with the field revealed that the grass was very slushy.  Hokies kicker Matt Waldron missed a twenty-five yard field goal with about five minutes left to play.  Oh but what a play that followed.  Hurricanes’ kicker Matt Bosher attempted to punt the ball, which was blocked (thanks to cornerback Jacob Sykes), enabling Hokies Matt Reidy to take the ball into the end zone.  Virginia Tech 21 and Miami 0.

The third quarter saw a much better offensive attack by the Hurricanes.  There was a TD, courtesy of running Javarris James.  Later on, nearing the four minute mark, there was a field goal.  Virginia Tech 24 and Miami 7.  The fourth quarter saw a nicely executed interception by Hokies cornerback Rashad Carmichael.  A few plays later, Ryan Williams made another TD.  Virginia Tech 31 and Miami 7.  Final score.

Observations & Miscellania:

1.  It was raining quite heavily from the start of the game.  Would/has a football coach arrange for his players to practice in a simulated rain game so that they would know how to adjust their balance, grip, and footing in times of wet turf and wet ball?

2.  The Hurricanes’ white jerseys juxtaposed against their green pants made them look like Gatorade sports bottles.  In comparison, the Hokies reminded me of beets.

3.  The TV signal was still patchy.

4.  The commentators, Matt Millen and Sean McDonough, noted in the bottom of the first quarter that Hokies offensive guard Sergio Render enjoys hunting and fishing.

5.  Before one of the commercial breaks in the top of the second quarter, there was a short clip of the Hurricanes in a game from decades past.  The the jerseys were white and the pants were orange  (or was it the other way around).

6.  The stands were filled with a near ROY G. BIV of rain ponchos.

7.  Tyrod Taylor has surpassed Michael Vick’s record of being one Virginia Tech’s all-time rushers?  Was that what the commentators said?

8.  The rain fell harder in the second half of the game.  Sheets of rain.  I hope those players’ feet stayed dry.  The fastest way to get sick is from wearing wet socks.

9.  Miami head coach Randy Shannon has lived through nearly every came-from-the-hood narrative trope cinema and literature have “standardized.”

10.  Did I really see footage of Tyrod Taylor doing a backflip during practice?

11.  Did you know about the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets?

12.  Wow, those Hokies fans turned the field into a mosh pit. Nice.

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.

~!~

I want a fusion hanbok even though I’m not Korean!

Here’s the pink one.

 

Off Topic: La morte D’Alice Bleu

Another Atlanta Film Festival piece that I reviewed is up.  You can read it here.

I must note, though, I don’t think my editor knew I was parodying a certain song (I probably should’ve mentioned it).   Thus, some of the rhythm and syllabic particulars were altered a bit.  Here is the original:

Alice Blue Dreams

On a Monday she starts working

Tuesday, she’s not eating

And by Wednesday

She’s a freak.

Her eyes see, she knows you

Not fragile, Alice Blue

Teeth sharpen, watch her seethe.

Try, with her and you won’t last

You can barely stand back up

So just give up.

Oh~~~~~

Smell workplace slime, no sun in sight

And she’s still toiling

You pledged eternally

No~~~~~

Don’t even joke with her, oh no

She’ll knee you in the seams

You can’t be what you seem

Because Alice, Alice, Alice Blue needs

Alice, Alice, Alice Blue feeds.

–yiqi 21 april 09 10:26 PM

Pic cred: Alice Blue.

 

NFL News: Smith and Cooper succumbed to the sea

Click here for the full story.  It generates more questions than answers.

 

Off Topic: Today’s Verse 22

he caught her eye with a basket
starched and prepped for an emergency
thoroughbreds on the course of
a knee-length flirt
a rusting transistor radio forfeits
the regional title
for a ride in a blimp

it was made of benign sojourners
who only wanted a moment of his focused,
disbelieving reticence

to where her skirt frayed
and he walked with last year’s roll-over minutes
collected for a gilded page of fame
he’d set her at ease
opposite the pile of laffy taffy,
to soak in a vat of orange fanta
skimming the crests of retired relief.

-yiqi 12 feb 09 11:51pm

 

NFL 08: Panthers encircle the Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons up at the Carolina Panthers (broadcast on Fox).

Literally, the second play of the game, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw an interception; Panthers cornerback Richard Marshall ran into the end zone.  Luckily for Atlanta, a personal foul (roughing the passer) penalty on Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers nullified that TD.  Halfway through the first quarter, Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart helped his team take the lead with a TD.  By the bottom of the first quarter, the Falcons narrowed that lead with a field goal.  The top of the second quarter decreased that lead even more with another Falcons field goal.   Towards the bottom of the second quarter, Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith runs fifty-six yards into the end zone for a TD.  14 to 6.  At the very bottom of the second quarter, Falcons kicker Jason Elam got a do-over with a field goal kick because the Panthers had too many players on the field.  Elam got it the second time.  14 to 9.  Carolina might be ahead in terms of score going into halftime, but both teams made enough mistakes that the numbers could’ve been flip-flopped.  In other words, if neither team made the personal fouls, false starts, and holdings, perhaps the Falcons would be the one with fourteen points and the Panthers with nine.

The third quarter ended with a Carolina field goal and the fourth quarter progressed with a touchdown (executed by wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad).  24 to 9.  Final score.

Observations & Miscellania:

1. On the matter of defensive tackles in the red zone.  Due to laws of physics concerning momentum and velocity and what happens when two moving objects collide not from opposite directions, would it be fair or scientifically correct to suggest that a defensive linebacker could inadvertently aid the other team’s runner in crossing over the goal line?  Of course, if the runner’s knees touch the ground before the ball breaks the plane, it’s not a touchdown.  But, is it so improbable that the knees don’t go down first?  What happens when a thigh goes down first?

2. There are so many conditions and variables when it comes to taking and keeping the lead on the scoreboard.  Does Team A’s offense have to be equally good if not better than Team B’s offense?  Couldn’t Team A have a comparable if not slightly worse offense than Team B but have a stellar defense?  I suppose what I’m ultimately wondering is if Team’s A’s offense has to be as good if not better than Team B’s defense. The skill and talent of the special teams rounds out the conditions.  If Team A’s offense is only comparable to or a smidgen worse than Team B’s defense (or Team A’s defense is only a tad better than Team B’s offense), then Team A’s special teams would have to effectively kick arse-bottoms.  Eh?

Get game summary, stats, and play-by-play here.