Nation quarterback Blake Mitchell of the University of South Carolina searches for an open receiver as he evades Texas defensive tackle Jason Shirley of Fresno State University. Photo by Heather Wilburn.
Texas vs. The Nation: College football all-stars come out to play
Heather Wilburn, Special to The Monitor
The old adage “Don’t mess with Texas” held true Saturday as Texas crushed The Nation 41-14 in the second annual Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Challenge.
More than 25,000 football fans turned out to see the game, where about 100 of college football’s finest competed for bragging rights and a chance to impress scouts looking to sign promising players to professional teams. Among those fans were many Soldiers from Fort Bliss, which received a donation of 10,000 tickets from game sponsor Western Refining.
Fort Bliss Soldiers and other servicemen and women took part in the event in other ways, as well. Soldiers from 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division (Army Evaluation Task Force), 2nd Battalion, 6th Air Defense Artillery, and other units were among those presenting static displays before the game. The displays included an M1A2 SEP tank, an Avenger air defense weapon system, a Patriot launching system and more, along with displays from Army and Air Force recruiters.
Soldiers from the 62nd Army Band perform the national anthem during pre-game festivities at Saturday’s Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Challenge. Photo by Heather Wilburn.
An All-Service Color Guard presented the colors during pre-game ceremonies while the 62nd Army Band performed the national anthem. A flyover by two F-117A Nighthawks followed “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Maj. General Howard B. Bromberg, Fort Bliss commanding general, and Col. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, commander of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., took part in the coin toss that determined which team would first have possession of the football.
A Soldier also had the opportunity to call the 30th play of the game for a chance to win a $10,000 donation to the Wounded Warriors Program. Sgt. Maj. John McClure made the call, but The Nation’s offense was unable to convert – a recurrent theme throughout the game.
Soldiers from 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 5th Brigade (Army Evaluation Task Force), 1st Armored Division, held children climb aboard an M1A2 SEP tank during pre-game activities at Saturday’s Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Challenge. Photo by Heather Wilburn.
A back-and-forth defensive battle led to a scoreless first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Texas’ Danny Amendola of Texas Tech, named Offensive Player of the Game, opened the day’s scoring on a 28-yard reception from Texas quarterback Adam Tafralis of San Jose State University. The Nation responded quickly as their Darnell Blackman of North Carolina State University took Texas’ kickoff and returned it for 97 yards and a touchdown, tying the game at 7-7.
Texas retook the lead with about a minute left in the first half when Adrian Smith, a running back from Bethel (Tenn.) College, scored on a 4-yard run set up by an interception by Darien Williams, a defensive back from the University of Oklahoma, that gave Texas the ball on The Nation’s 15-yard line.
After halftime, the game was all Texas, all the time. The team scored 27 unanswered points to take the title 41-14, evening the series score with The Nation, which won last year’s contest 24-2.