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Hey dolls! So it’s been a while. Football is officially back and we are 3 weeks in! I’ve been wanting to do a post for the last two weeks; but honestly, nonconference games, for the most part, have been a bore! There have been a couple of good games (like the TCU, Ohio State game, where the frogs fell apart the entire second half); but starting this week, the real games start, and the disdain for the rest of your conference begins.
This week, I will be traveling to Austin; not only for my birthday, but to watch the Frogs beat up on the Longhorns. I usually call UT “the traitor,” or another name not suitable for L&L. So with conference play starting, I thought this is the perfect time to start a new series: Touchdown Tuesdays! Every Tuesday, I will give y’all some insight on College Football and what the heck is actually going on.
To start this week off I am going to be re-posting my Guide to Gameday; in case you need a little refresher.
SCORING
So, first things first, lets talk about scoring. I know some of y’all are like Caroline… come on, we know about scoring; but I want to start from the basics. The main way a team can score points is by scoring a touchdown. A touchdown is worth 6 points; but after the touchdown is scored, the team has the opportunity to: 1) kick for an extra point, or 2) go for a two-point conversion. A two-point conversion is where the scoring team tries to get in the end zone again by running a play from the three yard line. So, once you score a touchdown, you can either get 6, 7, or potentially 8 points. Most teams choose the safer option and kick the extra point, unless they are losing and need to utilize a two-point conversion to tie the game. Another way a team can score is by kicking a field goal, which is three points. A field goal is kicked when a team is on a fourth down, and there is no chance for a touchdown, but they are close enough to the upright (the tall yellow posts that are in the end zones) to kick the ball through. Field goal range is in college is usually around 30 yards, but some field goal kickers can make longer attempts.
WHAT’S A DOWN?
If you’re watching your team either on TV or in the stadium you will hear the announcer say the word “down”. So what exactly is a down?? The offensive team has four attempts to either: 1) score, or 2) gain 10 yards. Therefore, when you hear an announcer say your team got a first down, you cheer! This means they are making progress down the field. Here is an example: “THAT’S ANOTHER TCU FIRST DOWN”, and the crowd all cheers. Now you know why people are cheering when no one has scored!
PENALTIES
So, now that we know how to score, and how to get a first down, lets talk about those little yellow flags that get thrown by the refs. These can either be a blessing or a curse to your team. Whew, okay this could take a while, so I am going to ease y’all into this.
-When the players are on the line of scrimmage (where the players are lined up face to face before the play starts) here are some of the reasons a yellow flag or penalty flag can be thrown: a false start, delay of game, or offsides. A false start is exactly what it sounds like (kind of like in track when a runner moves before the gun is fired) a player on the offensive moves before the play has started. Offsides is when a defensive player moves before the play has started. Lastly, a delay of game is when the center (the big boy in the center of the offensive line that has the ball and hikes it to the quarterback) doesn’t hike/give the ball to the QB before the play clock gets to zero.
-Holding and pass interference are some other reasons a team can get a penalty. Holdingis just what it sounds like, it occurs when a player holds another player and prevents them from moving, and that player doesn’t have the ball. This is usually an offensive player holding a defensive player from moving. Next is a pass interference penalty. This usually occurs when a defensive player doesn’t give the offensive player a chance to catch the ball. The defensive player does this by holding onto the offensive player’s jersey, or making contact with the player before they have touched the ball. Y’all, I am not kidding, there are so many ways to get a penalty, but these are the main ones.
-So what happens when you get a penalty or a yellow flag?? If the offense gets a penalty, they will lose yardage, or they will move further away from the end zone than they already are. If the defense gets a penalty, then the offense will gain yardage or move closer to the end zone.
So I know that was a TON of info, so if you made it to the end of this post, take a tequila shot or eat a donut to celebrate! Because that’s exactly how I will be celebrating my birthday, and HOPEFULLY a TCU win this weekend. There is really no in-between for me. I hope this helps as you watch this weekend’s games. Everyone will be so impressed at how knowledgeable you are! Have a great rest of the week guys! Talk again on Friday.
