The Tournament Continues: Team Odysseus vs Team Magathisll

-- Will every tournament game come down to the wire?

Here's how the bracket looks after Team Davis defeated Team Drew last week.

Today's matchup pits the #2 seed Odysseus vs the #7 seed Magathisll.

Team Odysseus starts with ...

QB Marc Wilson          DL Jim Herrmann
RB Luke Staley            DL Brett Kiesel
RB Matt Bellini            LB Kyle Van Noy
WR Andy Boyce          LB Leon White
WR Margin Hooks       DB Derwin Gray
WR Mark Bellini         DB Brian Mitchell
TE Itula Mili

opposed by Team Magathisll made up of ...

QB Brandon Doman         DL Bronson Kaufusi

RB Jamaal Williams         DL Shawn Nua

RB Manase Tonga            LB Kelly Poppinga

WR K.O. Kealaluhi          LB Alani Fua

WR Kelly Smith               DB Jack Damuni

WR Mitchell Juergens      DB Kyle Morrell

TE Daniel Coats

Date: 8/13/2020
Location: Cougarboard Field
Odds: Team Odysseus -8
Over/Under: 51

First Half Recap

The defensive back starters for Team Magathisll, Jack Damuni and Kyle Morrell, have a lot of name recognition among BYU fans. What they needed on this day was play recognition. Facing the Hooks-Bellini-Boyce trio at wide receiver alongside elite pass catching running backs in Staley and Bellini is not an easy task for the best of defenders. How did Coach Odysseus assemble such a deep offensive staff? He patiently waited until Round 13 to draft his QB. His best options were John Beck and Marc Wilson, and he tabbed Wilson. 

When the media asked Marc how he felt about being picked in the final round, behind guys like Devon Blackmon and O'Neill Chambers, Marc simply said, "No comment." For those who struggle reading between the lines, well, it's like my old Econ professor used to say -- nothing in the world is as powerful as spite. 

That power carries Team Odysseus to 31 first half points, led by three passing TDs from Wilson, one each for Hooks, Staley, and Mark Bellini, aka the most interesting man in the world.

It's not that Team Magathisll is weak defensively, but they just aren't enough. Bronson Kaufusi, Alani Fua, and the not insane Poppinga brother are all the type of guys who were mostly good, occasionally great, never elite. And Marc Wilson takes his anger out on all of them. 

But Team Magathisll can score too. With Doman under center, Tonga at FB, Jamaal at RB, and Dan Coats blocking on the edge, this is an unbelievably dangerous option team. They're balanced in the passing game as well. Need a deep threat? Presenting K.O. Kealaluhi. How about a possession guy? Kelly Smith, check. A jittery slot receiver? Hi, Mitchell Juergens at your service. 

Team Magathisll nets four trips to the redzone in the first half, but somehow only scores TDs twice. One drive dies by missed field goal after a Jim Herrmann sack and another is ended when Kyle Van Noy jumps in front of Kelly Smith to intercept a ball on the 1 yard line. It's 31-14 for Team Odysseus at the half. 

Second Half Recap

Team Magathisll receives the opening kickoff and drives the length of the field for a score. Jamaal is a workhorse on the drive with 6 carries for 49 yards. It's looking like a game again at 31-21. 

But in our first matchup of all-time running backs, Staley is determined to prove that ...

1) He's better than Jamaal

2) He can thrive outside of Crowton's option offense

Wilson is willing to oblige, but only by passing the ball to Staley, not handing it off. This works fine for both parties and a 28 yard TD pass to Staley increases the lead back to 17 at 38-21. 

It's more of the same through the remainder of the game. Jamaal and Doman are running well, but never as effectively as Doman and Staley once did when they owned the #1 offense in all of college football. Between the option attack and a few timely passes to KO and Kelly, Team Magathisll keeps cutting the lead to 10, but every time they do Team Odysseus responds with a score of their own. 

By the fourth quarter Van Noy and Leon White have keyed in on all of the Doman and Jamaal misdirection, and a couple of stops is all they need for the route to be on. After Doman is cut down by Kiesel on a do-or-die fourth down, Staley ties his career high with his 8th catch and sets a new career high with his 3rd receiving touchdown. And with that our first non-dramatic tournament showdown is in the books.

Final Score

Team Odysseus 52 

Team Magathisll 28

Player of the Game

Marc Wilson 29/39, 401 yards, 6 TDs

Other Noteworthy Performances

Luke Staley 12 rushes, 52 yards, 1 TD; 8 receptions, 104 yards, 3 TDs

Jim Herrmann 4 tackles, 2 sacks

Jamaal Williams 28 carries, 179 yards, 2 TDs; 1 reception, 4 yards