After a huge start to the season, University College Dublin, UCD, Currently second in the standings with a 4-0 record – only with Dublin rebels. The students look convincing so far, they beat Belfast Knights and Craigavon Cowboys cleaning up north Including a narrow victory over the defending champions Belfast Trojan.
What’s the secret to their early-season success?
According to head coach Larry Doyle, it’s simple effort and consistency:
“Since the restart, we’ve put our heads down and focused on ourselves, and we’ve been able to build on the returning players and the new crop that’s been added since 2020. “A team cannot progress without self-scouting, and this applies to all stages of preseason and season and all stages of the game. “
south Dublin The team currently leads the league in all offensive categories — and that’s certainly a factor in their success. Quarterbacks Arun Mooney and Co scored a staggering 150 points, and the signal callers individually contributed 12 passing touchdowns. Their leading receiver scored seven points in total, while running back Sean McVeigh added four on the ground. Moving the chain and scoreboard on offense starts with the bigs in the frontcourt, something Doyle is quick to point out:
“If I had to mention anyone in particular, it’s our offensive line team as a whole, they’ve set the tone for us in countless games.”
Not to be outdone, on the defensive end UCD Averaged less than five points per game and added three picks.
According to Mooney, every season and every team is unique, and this year’s players are no exception:
“It’s hard to compare past and present offense because we have new faces, new programs and some new coaches. However, we’ve done really well so far this season and I’m proud of everyone’s performance, but we know we can Do better. We play one game at a time and fix any issues we find along the way.”
Consistent high-level play from some of the country’s best footballers was the first time the team finally won Shamrock Bowl title. But can they finally bring it home? Both 2018 and 2019 saw semifinal defeats; from the outside, at least, this season feels like an “all or nothing”. From what we can see on the timeline, UCD still faces two major challenges: Panthers and rebels. The latter could pose the biggest threat to a potentially perfect season UCD As well as being the favorite player in this year’s championship game.this Panthers Sunday’s surprise loss to the previously undefeated Admirals may have been due to the recent abrupt departure of their head coach. 2019 Shamrock Bowl The runners-up will no doubt be looking for redemption when they return to play against UCD in two weeks.
Wisely, they didn’t get ahead of themselves:
“I believe every team in the league presents a unique challenge to our team. We experienced this in our first four games and we fully expect the teams that remain on the regular season schedule to show more Same thing. We play one race at a time and try not to outdo ourselves. We understand that this season is a marathon, not a sprint.” Mooney told us.
when asked Shamrock Bowl Whether it was a wish this year or not, Doyle responded similarly:
“This year is no different from previous years. The focus has always been game after game and will continue to be so. We have 4 regular-season games left, and we haven’t even thought about the luxury of the playoffs. If you want to be truly competitive, you have to have that mindset and let it drive you without forgetting the task of beating your next opponent. “
formerly known as the party sentinel All the while there or nearby, it seems to have found a winning formula that could eventually take home a trophy. However, it remains to be seen if they can see through it, or if they will once again fall into the final hurdle.
Read the original Gaelic Gridiron by Jimmy English
