Football suffers first-ever loss, takes step back
It was only one loss, but it felt much bigger than what the scoreboard read at the end of the game for the UVU football team. At the beginning of the season, the players didn’t shy away from talking about a perfect season and staking their claim as the best team in the league.
Considering the teams and quality of the league, there was not much to doubt those statements.
It is easy to point to the several mistakes that were made on the field of play to throw the loss on, but it might have been the off-the-field attitude that cost this team its first loss in the team’s history.
Since the onset of the formation of the club team, there has been an attitude that they would be able to beat anyone in the league with superior talent.
“We have that problem every week to be honest. That is what happens when you win every game,” said quarterback Theron Anderson.
That statement came back to haunt them this week.
As the team tries to build this program, these losses can hurt a lot more than just as a number in the right
hand column.
The main goal for the team this year was to gain respect from its peers. They understood that this was a “humble beginning,” as star running back James Anderson put it.
When they lose to teams of this caliber, it is not just humbling but in some respects a giant step back.
Throughout the game, the team got away from what made it great in the first place. It won with discipline and running a straightforward offense without pomp and frill.
Instead, it tried to run trick plays and counters that netted negative yards all game long.
“We started to get too creative. We were running on them and you just can’t get too bored with what’s working,” Theron said.
Then the miscues started to pile on.
There were several muffed snaps throughout the game giving the team’s opponent, Stealth, with great field position, big play negated by penalties and miscues on defense allowing Stealth to move the chains and keep the ball out of their play maker’s hands.
The Wolverines shot themselves in the foot all day long, even until the final whistle. With a chance to take the lead and most likely win the game, they committed two huge penalties pushing them out of scoring range with little time left and losing 8-6.
“We didn’t look ready to play,” said defensive back Jordan Gleason.
If the Wolverines want the respect that they feel they deserve, they will need to come ready to play each game. It may have been only one loss, but the feeling after the game was so much more.
The club football team plays every Saturday at Lakeridge Junior High School in Orem, Utah.