UTAH WOLVERINES 15  UTAH BLITZ 13

Utah Blitz at Utah Wolverines, April 30, 2005

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Wolverine defensive back, Dustin McCammon went from goat to hero in a matter of seconds.  With 18 seconds to go in the game, McCammon was burned when he allowed Utah Blitz wide receiver, Shaun Healy to get behind him as the Blitz were desperate for a last second score with time running out. Healy caught a perfect strike from quarterback, Jeff LaBounty and strolled into the end  zone for a game-tying touchdown.  All the Blitz needed to do was convert an automatic extra point by star kicker, D.J. Heinze.

Even a Blitz unsportsmanlike conduct foul after the touchdown didn’t matter as Heinze lined up for the game winning kick. But as fast as the lightening strike by Healy and LaBounty which turned the game, it turned once more.

A hard inside rush by the Wolverines got to Heinze’s kick and as the ball ricocheted back towards the Blitz sideline, McCammon was there to scoop up the loose football and race all the way up the sideline for a rare two-point conversion return score and an incredible, unbelievable Wolverine victory, 15-13.

The Blitz were all too familiar with the rule of a conversion return. It was a conversion return in their first game of the 2004 season against the Layton Pitbulls that was the difference in an 8-6 victory.

The game was a defensive struggle throughout with the half ending in a 0-0 tie.  The Blitz out-gained the Wolverines on the evening, 230 to 170 total yards, primarily on the final long pass play and a previous connection from LaBounty to Hugo Anderson (4 receptions, 68 yards).

However, if you add the 95-yard opening kick-off return of the second half by the Wolverines’ James Neslen for the first touchdown of the game, that more than makes up for the difference. When later in the quarter, Tigger Edwards capped a short drive with a 6-yard touchdown spurt, the Wolverines seemed to have comfortable 13-0 lead.

However, in the 4th quarter, LaBounty (7-15-0-113-1) and the Blitz offense got hot.  Sparked by a blocked Wolverine punt that set the Blitz up on the Wolverine 15-yard line, the Blitz took it in a few plays later, capped by offensive rushing leader of the game, Danny Gagnier (31 carries, 114 yards) who bulldozed in from 2-yards out to cut the Wolverine lead to 13-7 with under 5 minutes remaining in the game.

After the Wolverines failed to run the clock out, the Blitz had time for one more desperation drive, eventually ending with the big Healy reception and the unprecedented conclusion to a hard-fought contest.

The Blitz defense came to play, recording 6 sacks and 5 turnovers of the Wolverines while the Wolverine defense held the Blitz to less than 100 total net yards through the first 3 quarters in solid play.  Wolverine defensive leaders included Matt Shoda (7 tackles) and Roger Shulze (6-1/2 tackles). Mike Tooa (6-1/2 tackles, 2 sacks) and John Farrington (6 tackles, interception) lead the solid Blitz defense.

 

1st Quarter

2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4th Quarter

Final

Utah Blitz

0

0

0

13

13

Wolverines

0

0

13

2

15

 

Scoring Summary:

 

3rd Quarter

 

Wolverines: Neslen 95-yard kick-off return (Thomsen kick) 14:45

Wolverines: Edwards 6-yard run (kick failed) 8:34

 

4th Quarter

 

Utah Blitz: Gagnier 2-yard run (Heinze kick)

Utah Blitz: Healy 41-yard pass from LaBounty (kick blocked) 0:18

Wolverines: McCammon 69-yard blocked conversion return

 

 

UTAH BLITZ

WOLVERINES

 

First Downs

14

17

 

Rushes-Yds

42

117

27

85

 

Passing

7--17--0

10--25--1

 

Passing Yds.

113

109

 

Sacked-Yds

0

0

6

24

 

Net Passing Yds.

113

85

 

Total Yds.

230

170

 

Punts - Avg.

6-36.5

6-17.1

 

Penalties -Yds

10

105

9

85

 

Fumbles - Lost

3

2

5

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Individual Stats:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rushing:

 

 

 

 

 

Player -Team

Tot. Att.

Tot. Yds

TD's

2 pts.

 

Danny Gagnier - Blitz

31

114

1

0

 

Barrett Wilson - Blitz

3

7

0

0

 

Dennis Glasker - Blitz

2

5

0

0

 

Levi Vagana - Blitz

6

-9

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tigger Edwards - Wolverines

20

77

1

0

 

Shay Stucki - Wolverines

4

8

0

0

 

Joey Collins - Wolverines

3

0

0

0

 

Dustin McCammon - Wolverines

0

0

0

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passing:

 

 

 

 

 

Player

Comp.

Att.

Yds

TD's

Int.

Jeff LaBounty - Blitz

7

15

113

1

0

Levi Vagana - Blitz

0

1

0

0

0

Danny Gagnier - Blitz

0

1

0

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joey Collins - Wolverines

6

16

49

0

1

Shay Stucki - Wolverines

4

9

60

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving:

 

 

 

 

 

Player

Recepts.

Yards

Td's

2 pts.

 

Hugo Anderson - Blitz

4

68

0

0

 

Shaun Healy - Blitz

1

41

1

0

 

Brian Simmons - Blitz

1

9

0

0

 

Levi Vagana - Blitz

1

-5

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James Neslen - Wolverines

7

84

0

0

 

Joey Collins - Wolverines

1

19

0

0

 

Jeff Munoz - Wolverines

1

10

0

0

 

Tigger Edwards - Wolverines

1

-4

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Defense:

 

 

 

 

 

Player

Tackles

Sacks

Intercepts

TD's

 

Mike Tooa - Blitz

6.5

2

0

0

 

John Farrington - Blitz

6

0

1

0

 

Phil Fil - Blitz

5.5

2

0

0

 

Dustin Reed - Blitz

5.5

1.5

0

0

 

Sione Tuatonga - Blitz

3

0.5

0

0

 

Solo Toala - Blitz

3

0

0

0

 

Fisa Tuatonga - Blitz

2.5

1.5

0

0

 

Tyler Brennon - Blitz

2

0

0

0

 

Adam Terry - Blitz

2

0

0

0

 

Dannon Handcuff - Blitz

1

0

0

0

 

Tommy Pfister - Blitz

1

0

0

0

 

Suka Ahio - Blitz

1

0

0

0

 

Nathan Mackey - Blitz

0.5

0

0

0

 

Zane Church - Blitz

0.5

0

0

0

 

Brian Simmons - Blitz

0.5

0

0

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Shoda - Wolverines

7

0

0

0

 

Roger Shulze - Wolverines

6.5

0

0

0