It has been quite the season for The Spring League, especially during the second half, where we saw some of the best spring football action we’ve seen in a while. As week six came to a close, the final matchup featured the 3-2 Generals taking on the 3-2 Blues, and the enjoyable action continued.
At this point, the Jousters practically had the #1 seed secured, but if one of these teams won in a massive blowout, it would give them a chance to move on to the final game.
More football? More football!
The Mega Bowl will be decided tonight.
There's a path for the Generals and Blues, but it is a narrow one. Join Mark Helfrich and me on FS2 at 8 eastern for the final regular season game in @TheSpringLeague! pic.twitter.com/8SN4myCwqw
— Kevin Kugler (@kevinkugler) June 12, 2021
With both squads having so much on the line in their final regular season game, it was bound to be an exciting finish to 2021 for The Spring League.
1st Quarter
To kick off the game, the Generals received the football, and marched right down the field. Ryan Mallett looked sharp, and Paul Terry took it in from four yards out to make it 7-0 early.
GAME DAY ALERT: The #TSLGenerals go up first with Ryan Mallett hands it off to Paul Terry to find the end-zone.
The extra-point gives them an early 7-0 lead over the #TSLBlues.#TSL #TSL2021 #TheSpringLeague
— USFL Newsroom (@USFLNewsroom) June 13, 2021
It was a quick response from the Blues. They swiftly marched down the field behind some solid gains by their RB Sutton, and then Nick Fitzgerald ran it into the endzone to tie the game.
The Generals quickly had to punt, as some miscommunications between Mallett and his receivers forced a three and out.
2nd Quarter
In the early stages of the second period, the Blues took control. Hakeem Valles caught a screen pass, and rumbled for 66 yards, but a missed field goal kept it a tie game.
Despite a solid drive from the Generals, they stalled out and had to settle for three, taking a 10-7 lead off a Hajrullahu field goal.
GAME GAY ALERT: The #TSLGenerals extend their lead after a successful 43-yard field goal.
The #TSLBlues trail 10-7.#TSL #TSL2021 #TheSpringLeague
— USFL Newsroom (@USFLNewsroom) June 13, 2021
The Blues had to punt, and the Generals took advantage. Darnell Holland had a couple of impressive gains, and then Paul Terry ran it in for his second score of the game. However, a botched snap made Mallett have to chuck the ball forward, and it was intercepted and returned to the endzone, giving the Blues two points.
GAME DAY ALERT: Paul Terry runs it in for another #TSLGenerals touchdown.
The two-point conversion is intercepted, and ran back for the #TSLBlues to give them two-points.
The game is now 16-9 with 4:40 remaining in the half.#TSL #TSL2021 #TheSpringLeague
— USFL Newsroom (@USFLNewsroom) June 13, 2021
The Blues had an excellent march in a short amount of time, but another missed field goal kept the score 16-9 going into halftime.
FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS
🦈 vs. ⭐️#TSL2021 | @FOXSports pic.twitter.com/p2u2lTviMN
— The Spring League 🏈 (@TheSpringLeague) June 13, 2021
3rd Quarter
To start the 3rd the Blues received the football, but were unable to get anything going, and had to punt quickly.
The Generals struck quickly, as Ryan Mallett found Melvin Vaughn on a beautiful deep ball, putting them on top 23-9.
Throughout the rest of the third quarter, the Blues’ offensive struggles continued, and we went into the fourth quarter with the Generals up by 14.
4th Quarter
Ryan Mallett was impressive today, finding his targets in stride, and putting the ball where he needed to put it. Unfortunately, on 4th and goal a dropped pass from Vaughn kept the drive scoreless, and it remained a 23-9 ball game.
Not surprisingly, the Blues had to punt again, and the Generals got themselves into field goal range. However, a blocked kick led to a huge return from Adam Rodriguez, and the Blues made it a 23-16 game with seven minutes left to play.
GAME DAY ALERT: The #TSLGenerals field goal is blocked, with the #TSLBlues running it back for a TD.
The extra-point brings it to 23-16 with 7:02 remaining.#TSL #TSL2021 #TheSpringLeague
— USFL Newsroom (@USFLNewsroom) June 13, 2021
The rest of the game was essentially missed opportunities for the Blues. Even though the Generals did whatever they could to keep their opponent in the game, the Blues simply could not capitalize.
An interception from Nick Fitzgerald, and then a turnover on downs kept the Blues out of reach, and the Generals held on for the 23-16 victory.
The Generals finish the season tied for first but will not be able to overcome the Jousters point differential after besting the Blues by only 7 points. #TheSpringLeague will have a new champ in 2021!#TSLGenerals: 23#TSLBlues: 16
Final score presented by @HiltonHouston. pic.twitter.com/bSSOZ1Yv4Y
— The Spring League 🏈 (@TheSpringLeague) June 13, 2021
What Went Wrong For The Generals?
For fans of the Generals, this 2021 season ended on a disappointing note despite the win, because they failed to make it to the Championship unlike last year, when they took home the trophy.
However, the Generals should be proud of how they played this season. They finished with a 4-2 record, just behind the Jousters who simply moved on because they have a better point differential. The Generals played with a lot of heart, and showcased some incredible talent in 2021.
Darnell Holland proved to be an absolute star, and certainly deserves an NFL opportunity. Meanwhile, Ryan Mallett was consistent, and showed he can still sling it. At the end of the day, they just did not make enough plays to make it to the final game.
One of the difficult losses for the team came at the hands of the Sea Lions in week two, when they lost 17-13. That was the Sea Lions only win of the season. The Generals did beat them later on in week five, but if they had done an efficient job in week two, they would most likely be in the Mega Bowl next week.
Despite the somewhat sour ending, the team did have an excellent season, and they were fun to watch.
Conclusion
With the regular season behind us, we now look forward to what should be a fun championship matchup between the Linemen and the Jousters. The season is over for six teams, but those two will have one final showdown to see who takes home the Mega Bowl trophy this year.
Have you been watching The Spring League this year? Who do you think will win the Mega Bowl? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!