Ultimus Bowl VIII
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| Stadium | Burial Grounds, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Offensive MVP | Mat Akselsen, Quarterback (YKW) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Defensive MVP | Brian Mills, Linebacker (NOR) | ||||||||||||||||||
Ultimus Bowl VIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Simulation Football League (NSFL) for 2023 (S8). The National Simulation Football Conference (NSFC) champion Yellowknife Wraiths defeated the American Simulation Football Conference (ASFC) champion New Orleans Second Line, 24–13, to win their first Ultimus in franchise history. The game was played at Burial Grounds in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. This was the first time that an Ultimus Bowl was played in Yellowknife, the northernmost city to ever host the event, and the first Ultimus Bowl to be held outside the United States.
Contents
Background
Teams
The NSFC was represented by the number-one playoff seed Yellowknife Wraiths, while the ASFC was represented by their second seed New Orleans Second Line.
Yellowknife Wraiths
The Wraiths finished the regular season with a record of ...
New Orleans Second Line
The Second Line finished the regular season with a record of 9-5, finishing second in the ASFC to the Orange County Otters who finished 10-4. They were led by Borkus Maximus III who had an efficient passing season. They also had Darren Smallwood who was named the Running Back of the Year as well as Offensive Player of the Year at the conclusion of the season. Led by Smallwood, the Second Line boasted the number one rushing attack in the NSFL with 120 rushing yards per game. They were 3rd in the league in points scored and on the defensive side of the ball they were 3rd in the league in points given up. This was a well balanced team with a dangerous passing attack combine with the best running game in football and a stingy defence. Hopes were high in New Orleans that the Ultimus Bowl trophy would be coming home at the conclusion of the season.
Playoffs
In the playoffs...
Game summary
First Quarter
Ultimus Bowl VIII started off with a bang as New Orleans Second Line received the kickoff and immediately started with an 87 return. Their offence started off at the Yellowknife Wraiths 12 yard line. Unfortunately the offence completely bungled the opportunity going three and out and kicker Peg Leg proceeded to miss the 24 yard chip shot. The team exchanged a few punts but the Second Line managed to put together a long drive, striking first in Ultimus Bowl 8 by kicking a 45 yard field goal. The Wraiths responded by a long 93 yard drive, ending with a 4 yard rushing touchdown by Robby Rainey with 6 seconds to go in the first quarter. The quarter ended with the Wraiths leading 7-3.
Second Quarter
The Wraiths continued to score as Rainey ran for another touchdown, this time from 2 yard to give the Wraiths a commanding 14-3 lead. Borkus Maximus led the Second Line down the field in response, throwing a touchdown to Evans, his favourite redzone target. The score was 14-10 for the Wraiths as the game moved into halftime.
Third Quarter
The 2nd half started much like the first half, with a big return. This time it was Dermot Lavelle with a huge 49 yard return to start the Wraiths in Second Line territory. Three quick passing plays later, the Wraiths ending up capitalizing with a touchdown from Matt Akselsen to Kennedy to give the Wraiths a 21-10 lead. Later in the quarter Maximus was intercepted in Second Line territory to give the Wraiths the ball at the 25 yard line. The Wraiths managed a field goal and the quarter ended with the Second Line in a huge 24-10 hole going into the last quarter of the Ultimus Bowl.
Fourth Quarter
The Second Line managed to get a field goal with about 9 minutes left in the game. This made the score 24-13. Akselsen took the next Wraiths drive all the way into the Second Line redzone. The Second Line managed a shocking fumble recovery from a scrambling Akselsen, but the Second Line just could not capitalize. That was the theme of the game as the Wraiths put a stamp on the game and on the season with a 24-13 victory at home in Burial Grounds stadium in front of their adoring fans. Mat Akselsen was named the Ultimus Bowl VIII Offensive Player of the Game, while Brian Mills of the Second Line was named the Defensive Player of the game.
Game statistics
Statistical comparison
| Statistic | New Orleans Second Line | Yellowknife Wraiths |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 20 |
| Third down efficiency | 7/19 | 8/18 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Net yards rushing | 55 | 128 |
| Rushing attempts | 18 | 37 |
| Yards per rush | 3.1 | 3.5 |
| Passing – Completions-attempts | 25/50 | 20/39 |
| Interceptions thrown | 1 | 0 |
| Net yards passing | 335 | 335 |
| Total net yards | 390 | 463 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-0 | 1-1 |
| Penalties-yards | 6-50 | 3-23 |
| Time of possession | 29:01 | 30:59 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
Box score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second Line (ASFC) | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Wraiths (NSFC) | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
at Burial Grounds, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
- Date: 28 January, 2024
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
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