Summary
After a depressing defeat to the Napier Knights a few weeks ago, the Clansmen were hoping their last game of 2024 would go differently.
Stirling Clansmen – 13
Napier Knights – 28
After a depressing defeat to the Napier Knights a few weeks ago, the Clansmen were hoping their last game of 2024 would go differently. It didn’t. The Clansmen won the coin toss and chose to receive the ball, where they managed to land good field position starting near midfield.
Their first few plays offered them some yardage, but not enough, and they went for it on fourth down, managing to shove their way to a first and ten despite the high snap. Napier’s run defence was suffocating, forcing the Clansmen to throw the ball. Stirling made some good progress downfield, throwing for a first down before they attempted to run the ball again. As their running back was tackled the ball came loose, and Napier recovered it, taking possession in their own redzone.
Napier ran the ball a couple of times, gaining more yards with each attempt, before the Clansmen’s defence managed to pressure Napier’s quarterback into running with the ball for no gain. The Clansmen then get a 15-yard penalty called on them, which handed Napier a first down and then some. The Knights’ offensive line crumbled on the next few plays, as the Clansmen’s defence went after their quarterback. The Knights decided to go for it on fourth down but didn’t get the first down.
The Clansmen took the field and threw the ball right into the hands of Napier’s defender who ran back to score a touchdown. There was a five-yard false start penalty against Napier on the kick, but the extra point was still scored.
During the kick-off, the Clansmen touched the ball and had to run to recover it, before gaining a few yards to start from their own 15-yard line. The Knights’ run defence is still holding the Clansmen to only a handful of rushing yards. The Clansmen almost got a first down after a quarterback scramble before a holding penalty was called against the offence. Their next rushing play resulted in negative yards and at this point they were basically in their own endzone and they inevitably punted. The snap on the punt wasn’t great and the punter had to chase after the ball before punting it on the move. Another five-yard penalty was called on the Clansmen and they replayed the punt which the Knights caught around midfield.
Napier muscled their way through the Clansmen’s defence to run for a first down before some uneventful plays, forcing them to go for it on fourth down. The Knights threw downfield and it was caught just outside the endzone before the end of the first quarter.
The Knights tried to run the ball into the endzone for the touchdown, but they were originally pushed back before they managed to score on their second attempt.
The kick-off was caught perfectly by the Clansmen and ran back to midfield. They hadn’t made much progress so the punt team took the field, but it was a fake punt and the punter took off running, getting the first down and making it into the opposing territory.
After a few rushing plays, the snap went flying over Stirling quarterback’s head and forced him to fall on the ball. The Clansmen decided to go for it on fourth down, and threw the ball downfield, where it was almost intercepted by Napier, but was ultimately ruled as an incomplete pass.
Napier took the field, but the Clansmen’s defence was suffocating them in the line and the secondary and Napier ended up punting.
The Clansmen managed to return the punt from their own 40-yard line to within Napier’s ten-yard line. They managed to run the ball into the endzone, but a 10-yard holding penalty was called on the offence, and they replayed the first down. After an incomplete pass to the corner of the endzone, a flag on the defence, and a dodgy snap, the Clansmen finally scored the touchdown on a run play.
The Knights took the field, and were intercepted by the Clansmen but it was ruled as an incomplete pass before punting the ball back to Stirling.
The Clansmen’s offensive line played really well and had created a clear pocket for their quarterback during this drive. Unfortunately, the drive ended with the Clansmen throwing their second interception of the day.
Napier fumbled a catch that the Clansmen recovered, but it was then declared as an incomplete pass. With just over a minute left in the half, the Knights threw into the back corner of the endzone where their receiver was wide open on fourth down. However, he dropped the ball, and the Clansmen took the field.
The Clansmen had very far to go to score and not very much time to do it. After not much progress, a ten-yard penalty was called on the offence, pushing them back to their own 25 with less than a minute left to play. The Clansmen managed to throw deep downfield before taking their final timeout. After two incomplete passes to the endzone, a pass was caught at the 15-yard line, and the field goal unit came out. The ball was knocked to the ground on the kick, and the kicker took it and attempted to run for the touchdown but didn’t make it. The Clansmen ended the first half trailing by seven points.
Napier started the second half at midfield and ran for a first down before almost getting sacked and dropping a pass downfield. Many of both Napier and Stirling’s snaps had been too high this game, but this time it went flying over the Knight’s head and he had to run after it before falling on the ball for a loss of about 20 yards.
After Napier’s punt the Clansmen took the field and ran for a first down but the rest of their drive was less successful. They went for it on fourth down and managed to throw downfield where it was caught for a first down. they ended up having to go for it on fourth down again, this time throwing it into a group of Napier defenders in the endzone who deflect the ball.
Napier start the next drive in their own redzone and make some great rushing plays, running for two first downs. After making steady progress downfield, Napier make it into the endzone with a throw to a wide-open receiver.
The Clansmen ran for two first downs and more, taking them far down the field to end the third quarter. After a pass to the endzone was ruled incomplete, and a very high snap, the Clansmen caught the ball in the endzone. They chose to go for a two-point conversion, but the snap was too low and they didn’t get it.
Attempting to catch the Knights, the Clansmen went for an onside kick which they recovered to get the ball back. After running for a couple of first downs and making some progress, the Clansmen fumbled the ball and Napier managed to recover it just outside their own endzone.
Napier tried to run the ball, but the Clansmen’s rushing defence had become stifling, and Napier ultimately punted back to Stirling.
The Clansmen’s next drive got them nowhere. After a few incomplete passes, and two holding penalties and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty were called on the same player – during the same play – the Clansmen punted the ball away.
After running for a first down to take them close to midfield, the Knights ran the ball again, this time taking it to the house for their fourth touchdown.
The Clansmen gain good starting position on the kick-off, before throwing some incomplete passes as the Knights’ secondary became impenetrable. After going for it on fourth down, the ball was deflected in double coverage and the Knights took the field.
Napier took the ball at their own 15 with less than two minutes left and didn’t get a first down.
The Clansmen almost fumbled the ball and had to fall on it, before throwing it deep downfield – and getting intercepted.
The Knights offence returned to the field to take a knee and secure their second victory over the Clansmen to remain undefeated.