It's back!!!!
The GIF machine took last week off. I was busy last weekend and didn't have time to make the GIFs (also, I really didn't feel like watching that clunker again). But this week, the GIF machine was on and at full blast all game Saturday and captured a whole bunch of tremendous stuff.
That's right, this week we have everything. From fat guy TDs to fade route TDs, to forced fumbles and everything in between. But, most importantly, last night, something amazing happened. I, the humble writer of the GIF-a-Palooza segment, may have possible become some kind of wizard.
Without any more delay, here's all the good GIFs from Saturday night, plus a display of my super magical wizard powers. Enjoy!
Let's start with the reason everyone came here: Fat guy TDs. Everyone loves fat guy touchdowns. Watching big guys as fast as they can from skinny guys, and win, is one of the most exciting things in life, not just in sport. Xavier Cooper's scoop and score is no different...
To celebrate, there were many chest bumps to go around...
Which leads me to a rant. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the epidemic of chest bumps on this team. It seems like everyone does them after doing anything at all. There were chest bumps following great plays and touchdowns, which I'm perfectly fine with. Example of those include Cooper's above and these bumps below, after the first TD (we'll get there):
Or these after the second touchdown (we'll get there too, don't worry):
But the next one is... Questionable. The Cougs punted after their first possession. Bowlin came on, delivered a solid punt and gave the ball back to Oregon. It was a solid punt, but giving the ball back to the Oregon Duck offense is really nothing to celebrate, unless you're the punter and kicker... I guess. Bowlin and Furney decided to chest bump after the unt. It's really kind of upsetting if you ask me...
Anyway, following that Oregon scored a bunch. WSU was able to score and keep it close(ish) thanks to two great fade routes. I usually hate the fade route, but Mike Leach and Connor Halliday are starting to turn me around with plays like this...
And this one from the second TD...
There were certainly plenty of passes to go around for the Cougs. I didn't want to GIF them all, because I'd probably be dead. He's one of my favorites from the game, however, a shallow cross executed to perfection.
The defense, while they allowed a lot of points, performed admirably in this one, at least in the first half. Here's some of their greatest hits. Coming into the game, Marcus Mariota had yet the lose a turnover. On Saturday, he lost two. The first was Cooper's fat guy touchdown. The second, is below:
At times, the Cougs were really able to get in and pressure Mariota. Here's the first sack of the game:
Deone Bucannon made a great play to strip the ball late in the first half.
Bucannon is usually the one to come in and make the big hits. On Saturday, the biggest hit belonged to Daquawn Brown whose hit caused an incomplete pass.
The broadcast team was not at there best on Saturday. Everyone hated Joey Harrington and his sandwich based hijinks. Craig Bolerjack, who I usually enjoy, was brought down to Harrington's level. And Ryan Nece? Well he did this to display the crowd noise in the stadium:
THAT'S NOT HOW MICROPHONES WORK!
As a broadcasting student, we spend probably about a semester talking about different kind of microphones. One thing about most microphones used in broadcasting, especially stick mics, is that they usually only work when you talk directly into them. If you don't, they don't work well no matter how noisy it is around you. The fact that sideline reporters keep doing this demonstration is depressing. One, because it's stupid and two, because this idea has to pass through at least three different people before going on air, and no one objects to it. Not one. It's super depressing.
Anyway, let's take a pause and do a random poll in order to see if people are enjoying this edition of GIF-a-Palooza. Hey, guy in Arizona. What do you think about this week's edition?
Awesome! Glad you're enjoying it!
Let's check in down in Eugene. Coach Helfrich! Are you enjoying this week's GIF-a-Palooza?
What? Why not? That's... Mean...
I'll win you over. How? With a display of my wizardry.
Sometime in the 3rd quarter, I had a bad feeling. I felt like something bad was going to go down and Connor Halliday was about to go into one of his trademarked tail spins. Thus, I tweeted the following tweet:
I smell a soul crushing, hope crushing Halliday pick coming up here in about 4 plays.
— Jeff Collier (@JeffDCollier) October 20, 2013
That was prior to this play, a successful pass for a first down. One.
The next play was a simple handoff. Two.
Then came the third play.
I was one play off. One play. I'd say that qualifies for wizard status... Obviously not grand wizard status, that would have been a dead on prediction. Still, you should be pretty impressed/awed/scared with my magical powers.
(Off topic: How about that hit at the end there. Ow...)
For my next prediction. I'm going to say that you will have nightmares tonight. Disagree? How about now:
I'm having nightmares right now... I'm not even asleep...