Ultimus Bowl V
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| Stadium | Santa Ana Stadium, Santa Ana, California | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Offensive MVP | Bradley Westfield, Wide Receiver (OCO) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Defensive MVP | Ian Bavitz, Linebacker (OCO) | ||||||||||||||||||
Ultimus Bowl V was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Simulation Football League (NSFL) for 2020 (S5). The American Simulation Football Conference (ASFC) champion Orange County Otters defeated the National Simulation Football Conference (NSFC) champion Yellowknife Wraiths, 26-15, to win their second Ultimus in a row. The game was played at Santa Ana Stadium in Santa Ana, California. It was the second Ultimus to feature the same teams from the previous championship game, the first being Ultimus Bowl II.
Contents
Background
Teams
The NSFC was represented by the Yellowknife Wraiths, and the ASFC was represented by the Orange County Otters.
Yellowknife Wraiths
Despite falling short in Ultimus IV, The Yellowknife Wraiths would make it back to the Ultimus, under the first seed at 10-4. Eric Kennedy was named League MVP, which was shared with Otters quarterback Mike Boss.
Orange County Otters
After winning the previous Ultimus, the Otters looked to establish themselves as the next dominant power in the ASFC by winning a second Ultimus in a row, a feat previously achieved by the Arizona Outlaws from Ultimuses I to III. Their league-best record of 11-3 was more than enough to secure the first seed, and ultimately home field advantage in the Ultimus. Mike Boss was voted Quarterback of the Year for the third year in a row. He was also voted League MVP for the second time in a row, an award which was shared with Eric Kennedy of the Wraiths. Bradley Westfield was named Wide Receiver of the year for the second time in his career. Ryan Sierra was named Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Playoffs
Yellowknife maintained a close lead in the NSFC Championship to beat the Philadelphia Liberty, 37-21.
The Otters blew out the Arizona Outlaws in their fifth ASFC Championship matchup. Despite a 101 yard kick return TD by Alex Hayden, the Otters were able to dominate the game to take the Outlaws out 43-19.
Game summary
First Quarter
Wraiths quarterback Mat Akselsen threw an interception early on to give the Otters the ball at the Yellowknife 32. A stout defense held them to a 27 yard field goal. The next Wraiths drive would result in a field goal of their own, this one from 44 yards away. Over five minutes later, Akelsen would fumble the ball to give the Otters possession again. This time, they marched 57 yards downfield to set up a 1-yard passing touchdown, putting the Otters up 10-3.
Second Quarter
The Wraiths and Otters would again trade field goals at the start of the second to put the score at 6-13. After the Wraiths failed to utilize a Mike Boss interception, the Otters again kicked a field goal with 57 seconds left. Then, just 13 seconds later, Akelsen would throw another interception to give Orange County yet another 3 points. Before the half ended, Mat would throw a third interception that, luckily, was brought down as time expired. The Otters controlled the lead, 19-6.
Third Quarter
The ball would go back and forth between the two teams for almost 12 minutes before another score was made. Orange County spent an agonizing 5 minutes on offense to find the end zone. Erlich Burnsman would finally score on a 1 yard run with 3:05 left in the quarter to make the score 26-6.
Fourth Quarter
The Otters defense stifled Yellowknife in the 4th quarter, preventing any comeback. A field goal on 4th down with 6 minutes left and a touchdown (XP missed) with 2 minutes left would be the last scores of the game, both by the Wraiths. Despite the difference being 11 points, the Otters very much controlled this game.
Game statistics
Statistical comparison
| Statistic | Yellowknife Wraiths | Orange County Otters |
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| First downs | 13 | 12 |
| Third down efficiency | 3/16 | 2/14 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Net yards rushing | 62 | 43 |
| Rushing attempts | 21 | 23 |
| Yards per rush | 3.0 | 1.9 |
| Passing – Completions-attempts | 26/37 | 27/45 |
| Interceptions thrown | 3 | 2 |
| Net yards passing | 338 | 302 |
| Total net yards | 400 | 345 |
| Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Penalties-yards | 7-34 | 3-20 |
| Time of possession | 30:19 | 29:41 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 2 |
Box score
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wraiths (NSFC) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 15 |
| Otters (ASFC) | 10 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 26 |
at Santa Ana Stadium, Santa Ana, California
- Date: 24 January, 2021
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
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