Stirling Clansmen – 44
Glasgow Tigers – 0
The Stirling Clansmen hosted the Glasgow Tigers in their first game since December after some scheduling issues with previous games.
The Clansmen received the ball to start the game and returned it to Glasgow’s 30-yard line to give themselves a great field position. Stirling’s offence immediately threw for a first down to put them in the redzone, where they ran the ball until they were close enough to shove their way into the endzone for a touchdown. After going for a 2-point conversion and missing it, the Clansmen chose to go for on onside kick in an attempt to get the ball back from the Tigers, and they did, recovering the ball around midfield.
After some short runs, and a throw deep downfield that was knocked away by Glasgow, the Clansmen punted back to the Tigers.
The Tigers offence took the field for the first time at their own 5-yard line and Stirling’s defence suffocated any hopes Glasgow had of running the ball. Glasgow tossed the ball backwards to their running back, who was then tackled in the endzone for a safety. The Clansmen then got the ball back with an 8-0 lead.
Stirling forced their way through Glasgow’s defence to get a first down after an incomplete pass downfield. The Clansmen went to run the ball again and made solid progress before being pulled back by a facemask that ended the play. Glasgow got a 15-yard penalty for facemask holding and the Clansmen proceeded to throw downfield to get to first and goal.
Stirling threw another incomplete pass, but the Tigers got flagged for being offsides allowing Stirling to replay first down at half the distance – which was then 2 yards. The Clansmen then shoved their way in for their second touchdown of the day. Again, they attempted a 2-point conversion, and again they missed it.
The Tigers’ offence took the field and made some progress before deciding to go for it on fourth down. The Clansmen’s defence continued to dominate, and sacked Glasgow’s quarterback, allowing Stirling to take over from their own 40.
The Clansmen moved downfield a bit before also going for it on fourth down. The Clansmen get pushed back five yards after a false start flag but manage to throw down the sideline to take them to the 5-yard line. They managed to throw into the corner of the endzone, but an offensive pass interference flag was called which disallowed it. The Clansmen got a 15-yard penalty and had to replay third down. After an incomplete pass to the endzone, they kicked a field goal to extend their lead further.
The Tigers managed to move the chains downfield before the two-minute warning despite their weak offensive line. With two minutes left before the half – a critical time for Glasgow to score – the Tigers threw the ball towards the endzone, where it was picked off by the Clansmen who returned it to midfield.
The Clansmen’s offence struggled to move downfield here, but they ultimately managed to get a first down with 14 seconds left in the first half. After some incomplete passes, the field goal unit came out, but the kick was no good.
The Tigers’ offence took the field to start the second half and threw an incomplete pass. They were allowed to replay the down because there was a 15-yard pass interference penalty called on the Clansmen. This gave Glasgow a first down, where they then threw an interception with the Clansmen returned for about 60 yards.
Stirling ran for a first down before being dragged out of bounds five yards short of a touchdown. After an incomplete pass to the corner of the endzone, the Clansmen threw straight down the middle where it was caught for a touchdown. However, the extra point was no good.
The Tigers made some good progress, throwing and rushing for a first down, but that didn’t last long. Stirling’s defence strip sacked Glasgow’s quarterback and then recovered the ball, running it back to the 10-yard line.
Stirling took over again and almost immediately threw into the corner of the endzone where it was caught for a touchdown despite Glasgow’s double coverage. The Clansmen chose to attempt another two-point conversion, and this time they managed it, running their way to a 31-0 lead.
The Tigers’ quarterback struggled as Stirling’s defence chased him down. Their next snap went flying but Glasgow managed to recover it to retain possession. The Clansmen’s defence got flagged for pass interference, and the rest of Glasgow’s drive crumbled. This culminated in Glasgow failing to get a first down in the face of Stirling’s run defence.
The Clansmen took the field in Glasgow’s territory and threw for a first down to end the third quarter. After a running back handoff for a decent gain, the Clansmen threw for a first down before dropping the ball in the endzone. Their offensive line struggled during this drive forcing the Clansmen to scramble before throwing to the back corner of the endzone for their fifth touchdown of the day. With a comfortable lead, Stirling settled for an extra point.
Glasgow’s offense made minimal progress before being handed a first down after the Clansmen got yet another pass interference call. This seemed to give Glasgow some motivation, and they threw deep downfield where it was caught for a first down. That didn’t last long, and on the next play Stirling intercepted the ball.
The Clansmen started their last drive of the game with a run, before throwing it to the sideline where the Clansmen stiff armed their way into the endzone for a touchdown. Stirling went for an extra point, but it was a fake play where they scrambled under the pressure from Glasgow’s defence before the ball went through the receiver’s hands.
Glasgow returned to the pitch to receive the kick-off before the final whistle was blown.
Glossary
2-point conversion: when you score a touchdown, you get the choice between kicking an extra point (through the uprights) or attempting a 2-point conversion where you attempt to get back into the endzone from the 2-yard line.
Onside kick: during a kick-off, you must kick the ball at least ten yards, but it is generally much further than that. However, during an onside kick, a team will only kick the ball just beyond the ten-yard mark. This gives them a better chance of recovering the ball and taking possession immediately again.
Redzone: the area of the field between the endzone (where touchdowns are scored) and the 20-yard line.
Safety: a safety (the play) is when the defence tackles an offensive player in their own endzone, for which they are awarded two points.
Strip sack: a sack is when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage. A strip sack is a sack where the quarterback gets sacked, and it causes them to lose possession of the ball.
Image Credit: John Ryan
Student journalist and Sports Editor for Brig Newspaper
