With everything on the line and the pressure at its highest, the previously untested Dubai Barracudas rose to their first challenge of the season in the most crucial moment.
The Emirates American Football League’s newly-crowned champions took the Abu Dhabi Wildcats’ best shot in a tight Desert Bowl IV at Dubai Sports City and showed why their unbeaten record was no fluke.
Trailing for the first time all year late in the fourth quarter, the Barracudas came up with a lengthy drive in which they pounded the ball on the ground, capped by a 1-yard touchdown from Jacob Dhaher – his second of the contest.
Their defence did the rest, forcing a fumble from Wildcats star Vivaldi Tulysse on the ensuing drive to seal the victory and the team’s first championship.
“What I’m really proud of is that they didn’t quit,” Barracudas coach Kyle Jordan said. “There was that moment, that opportunity for them to let up, for them to quit and they say ‘this is over’, but they found it and it worked out for us.”
Tulysse, almost single-handedly, made the Barracudas sweat with a dominant performance in the first game in which the running back and Dubai side met all season.
Both parties were looking forward to facing one another, but Tulysse nearly stole the Barracudas’ thunder. Jordan added: “Vivaldi was tough, man. Our guys kept saying, ‘we want Vivaldi, we want the best’. Well, he went out there and was making guys miss.”
On the very first play from scrimmage, Tulysse, lined up in the backfield, took the pitch and threw a halfback pass to Paul Carrizosa for 48 yards.
He was then moved exclusively to quarterback in the second half and did damage by running off options and scrambles.
Tulysse put his side ahead 15-14 in the third quarter with a 5-yard score on a sweep – one of his two touchdowns – before also punching in the two-point conversion.
Wildcats coach Tony Robinson nearly came up with a game plan to beat a team which allowed 12 points all season.
“We didn’t know it to begin with, but we saw some things in the film as we continued to watch. Quite frankly, we made a last-minute adjustment,” Robinson said.
The 2016 @EAFL_UAE champions are the @DubaiBarracudas beating @ADWildcatsMen 21-18 @DubaiEye1038FM pic.twitter.com/fhLNgKkpeu
— Ross Crist (@RossTalks) March 18, 2016
“I think [the Barracudas] were caught off-guard and with some things we did defensively, they were caught off-guard.”
A questionable flag thrown by the referees in the fourth quarter negated what would have been a third touchdown by Tulysse.
After breaking away from would-be tacklers on a 25-yard run, Tulysse stuck the ball out as he crossed the end zone, which the officials saw as taunting.
The penalty took the points off the board and cost Abu Dhabi 15 yards from the spot. They would go on to settle for three points on a 40-yard field goal by Ahmed Bakr.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but that one touchdown they took back, I don’t think that was a good call at all,” Tulysse said.
“As I was crossing the goal line, I stuck the ball out. I’m hearing footsteps behind me so I can’t tell. That was the difference in the game tonight.”
Barracudas quarterback Zavier Cobb said he was 80 per cent sure he was retiring after getting the monkey off his back, while several Dubai players are likely to go out in style after taking the field for a final time.
