Gavin Davis couldn't believe what he was watching.
His Sarzonian national gridball team were trailing Kyhun by four with no time remaining. He saw an official throw a flag on what looked like it would be the final play of a cataclysmic, shocking, embarrassing upset defeat to a side that had looked particularly meek throughout this nine-match qualifying campaign. An offence that had scored 35 points total in eight prior matches had scored 14 against the Stars. A defence that conceded an average of 35.75 points per match held the Stars to just 10. Davis was already deep in thought about how the hell he was going to explain this defeat when he looked and saw the Ko-orenite referee stride to the middle of the pitch.
"Pass interference, defence. The ball will be placed at the spot of the foul. Since the game cannot end on a defensive penalty, there will be one untimed down." Davis now had to think quickly. The ball was on the Kyhun 38, so a field goal here would be 56 yards. It was the exact length of his kicker Matt Andersen's career long boot against Northern Moravica at Ruwani Motor Speedway that gave the Climbers a walk-off win over the Cougars, but it was an awful lot to ask a college kicker to win a match at the national team level. He would have to put his faith in Cameron Stallworth, who entered the match in the fourth quarter for an ineffective Mike Barnett and drove the Stars to a touchdown that made it a one-possession contest.
Davis called the play. Stallworth barked out the signals at the line.
"Here's the snap. Stallworth back, rolling to his right, fires deep and it's CAUGHT! TOUCHDOWN! STEVE SWAIN! THE STARS WIN IT! Sixteen to 14! No flags!"
Davis took off his headset and breathed a huge sigh of relief. His Stars overcame a shocking 14-0 deficit at halftime and the loss of kicker Matt Vargas to a sprained knee on his made 31-yard field goal in the third quarter. His team overcame 14 penalties and five turnovers, four of them interceptions by Barnett and one a fumble on a botched handoff to Ty'Relle Clinton. Kyhun made stopping Clinton a point of emphasis and with Barnett not nearly the mobile threat Stallworth is, they were able to keep him in check for most of the match. He finished the day with 29 carries for 87 yards, but was finally able to find running lanes with the return of Stallworth under centre.
Andersen was not sent on to try an extra point because it would play no role in the outcome of the match. Besides, he and the rest of his teammates were too busy reveling in jubilation.
Regardless of how close this match against the worst team in the group was, Davis and company would have to rebound quickly. They will face co-host nation South Newlandia in the South Newlandian quarterfinal, battling it out in a hostile environment in the one decently sized venue in this part of the competition. Despite allowing 27 of Kyhun's paltry 49-point total in two of their three matches, the Stars finished the group stage with the lowest points allowed figure in the entire group stage, including a notoriously stingy Ko-orenite side. Sarzonia's 176 points scored represented the lowest offensive total of any team remaining in the competition, as South Newlandia held the next lowest total in their bracket at 238.
But right now, the focus for the Stars was on how they would defence South Newlandia and face off in what would clearly be an away contest.
"We've been in that position before," Davis said. "We faced Buffalostan in a prelim match in the World Bowl they hosted. We're treating this as a true road match." As for the shockingly close victory over the worst team in the group, Davis just shook his head and said, "a win is a win."
