The Mavericks never could get anything going on offense. For most of the day, Mavericks quarterback Chris Mercado was running for his life, and, in fact, sometimes he took off for a positive gain. Both Elijah Fuller and Jason Griffin were also unable to get going. The Mavericks ended the first half in the negative in total yards. Nevertheless, in spite of the anemic offense, the Mavericks were tied at zero at the end of the first quarter.

Coach Green and Coach Benoit visit before the game

It was the second quarter when things got ugly for the Mavericks. At 13:29 left in the second quarter, Brady tossed a fade in the corner of the end zone to receiver Dustin Feagley. Feagley came down with the ball for a 15 yard touchdown pass. The snap was low on the PAT, and the Privateers missed the extra point leaving the score 6-0.

The following drive was more of the same for the Mavericks. An intentional grounding penalty on Mercado as he was trying to avoid a sack put the Mavericks on their 4 yard line. A bad punt put the ball on the 27 yard line for the New Orleans offense. From there, it didn’t take the Privateers long to score. Following a penalty on the Mavericks, the Privateers had 1st and 5. Two plays later, Brady hit receiver Josh Giambelluca across the middle for his second touchdown pass with 10:16 left in the half. The PAT was good, and the score was 13-0 New Orleans.

On the following drive, UTA, once again, did not get anything going. Starting at their own 8 yard line following a terrible kick off return, they suffered three straight incompletions before being called for an illegal formation on fourth down while trying to punt. The penalty put the ball at the 4 yard line, and punter Matt Funk didn’t get a good punt off. At the end of the punt, there were offsetting personal foul penalties which resulted in an ejection for a player on each team. New Orleans started their drive at the Mavericks 24 yard line.

After a run for no gain on first down, Brady hit his receiver over the middle at the 10 yard line, and as he was getting extra yards, he fumbled the ball. New Orleans recovered the ball at the Mavericks 1 yard line. On the next play, New Orleans running back Robert Jones dove in from the 1 yard line. The PAT was good, and the Privateers held a 20-0 lead with 7:51 left in the half.

The Privateers were not done for the half. Just three minutes later they scored again. Following another unsuccessful Mavericks drive they got the ball back at the Mavericks 48 yard line. One play later, they UNO scored on a 48 yard touchdown pass. Brady got the ball to his receiver at the 30 yard line after a Mav whiffed on a interception attempt and the receiver ran completely untouched the end zone. After the PAT, the score was 27-0 UNO with 4:20 left in the half.

UNO wasn’t done scoring in the half. Following an interception of Chris Mercado by Giambelluca, the Privateers set up at the Mavericks 9 yard line. However, confusion began on how the officials were to handle the play clock. The officials misunderstood thinking they were to continue to run the clock in the event of a big lead. Therefore, they continued the play clock leaving UNO with little time to score. The Privateers were able to line up and kick a 26 yard field goal just before the end of the half for a 30-0 halftime lead.

Mavs get ready for the game with UNO

In the second half, the Mavericks showed a spark coming out of halftime. All day, UTA struggled with kick off returns, therefore, they turned to kicker/receiver Matt Funk. Funk took the opening kickoff in the second half, shook off a would-be tackler, and burst through the return coverage returning the kick to the UNO 15 yard line. Following the kick off return, on the first play, Mercado found Funk, of all people, in the end zone for the Mavericks only touchdown pass. Then, Funk kicked the extra point to cut the lead to 30-7, and accounting for all 7 points scored for the Mavericks. Further, Funk kicked a field goal in the first game for the Mavs only points in that game. Funk accounted for all 10 points that the Mavs scored against the Privateers this season.

In spite of the spark that the Mavs showed coming out of half time, the game went back to being controlled by the Privateers. UNO added two more touchdowns to set the final score at 44-7.

As for the play of his team, coach Robert Green pointed to quarterback Chris Mercado. “The kid’s [quarterback Chris Mercado] got heart. He’s one of the few,” he said after the game. Coach green went on to highlight highlighted the play of receivers Kashif Williams, Marcus Williams and Matt Funk on offense for the season.

About receiver/kicker Matt Funk, Green said, “If I had 10 more like that [Funk], we’d be fine.”

The game with UNO was the last game of the season for the Mavericks although Coach Green expressed his wish to have another game. The Mavs expect to hold a couple of scrimmages later this year including a game against a team from Mexico in the Spring. The Mavs will also welcome to new players in the Spring to help continue to build their program. The Mavs finished the season 1-3 with losses to UNO (twice) and Concordia College and a victory over South Alabama last week.

Funk warms up before his game with South Alabama

However, it was Funk’s tackling prowess that impressed Pullig during the road game against Concordia College.

Funk is a Sophomore from Killeen High School where he excelled in soccer and football.  Unfortunately for Funk, his football team never made the playoffs, therefore, he wasn’t recruited heavily.  However, he did garner some impressive achievements in both sports.

For the soccer team Funk scored 17 goals, 12 in district.  In spite of the number of goals, Funk didn’t make all-district.  Funk even scored three goals in one game.

For the football team, Funk was named honorable mention All-Conference his Junior and Senior years.  Funk hit a 39 yard field goal in a loss to Connally Austin in 2006.

Funk has kicked well for the Mavericks too.  Last season, when the Mavericks were playing in the Texas United Football League, a semi pro football league, Funk hit 47 and 48 yard field goals.  In the game against New Orleans earlier this year, Funk hit a 30 yard field goal that was tipped.  His punting average has been impressive too.  Funk averages 43 yards per punt, and several of his kickoffs land in or near the end zone.

Matt's long time girlfriend, Jackie Rodriguez

For the Mavericks, Funk is a weapon.  Anytime the Mavericks get inside the 30 yard line, according to Pullig, they feel comfortable with Funk’s range to get the three points.

Jackie Rodriguez has been dating Matt since high school.  She is one of Funk’s biggest supporters.  She describes Matt as a “true maverick,” a “dissenter.”  She explained that Funk has a military lineage through his father and both grandfathers who retired as three-star generals.

“Matt tried ROTC but decided its not his calling,” she told me by email.  She also explained that, “Matt would have also been an 8 year legacy Sigma Chi–all males on his dad’s side were Sigma Chi’s–had he decided to pledge.  He instead chose to pledge Phi Delta Theta.”

Funk and the rest of the Mavericks will take on the University of New Orleans club football team in Arlington at 3 p.m. at Maverick Stadium.  Maverick players are inviting fans to tailgate beginning at 1 p.m.  This weekend is Parents Weekend at the University of Texas at Arlington, and players and coaches are hoping for a big crowd.

The Mavericks who had played in the Texas United Football League, a semi pro league, the past couple of years, have shifted gears to play other college club football teams across the country. They have already played the University of New Orleans club football team in New Orleans and will play them next week at home. Further, the Mavericks went to Selma, AL to take on NAIA football team at Concordia College.

Saturday’s game at Maverick Stadium was the first time this fall the Mavericks played a home game, and they made it worth the wait. Elijah Fuller took advantage of his opportunity after an injury to fellow running back Jason Griffin. The Freshman from Corsicana gashed the South Alabama Jaguar defense repeatedly putting his cut-back skill on display as he rushed for three touchdowns including runs of 22 yards, 2 yards and 45 yards, the third touchdown ran out of a single-set back with three receivers lined up to the right. Fuller had another longer touchdown out of the same formation that was called back due to a block in the back.

“He ran hard,” coach Green said about Fuller after the game. “He’s got vision like nobody’s business. When you see him in practice, all he is all smiles. . . . . He did good, really, really good.”

Griffin finished the game with one touchdown on the very first offensive play for the Mavericks. After the Mavericks held the Jaguars to a three-and-out, linebacker Joaquin Turner blocked the punt and the Mavericks recovered on the Jaguar four yard line. Griffin took the hand-off from quarterback Chris Mercado and ran left beating the Jaguar defense to the edge and giving the Mavericks a 7-0 lead after the PAT.

Marcus Williams celebrates after scoring a late-game touchdown.

The Jaguars responded later in the quarter after a muffed punt by the Mavericks punt returner when Anthony Hunter got in from the seven yard line. Hunter was trouble for the Mavericks all day as he ran through the Mavericks defense, often on third and fourth down. The Jaguars took a 14-7 lead later when quarterback Tyler Davis scored on a quarterback keeper from the two yard line with 11:34 left in the first half.

The Mavericks tied the score with 9:18 left in the first half on Fuller’s first touchdown run. Fuller took the ball from Mercado and headed left blowing past defenders and hurdling a would-be-tackler before racing in to the end zone. Fuller scored again with 1:43 left in the half after the Mavericks made a fourth-down stop. The Mavericks led 21-14 at halftime.

In the second half, the Mavericks got the ball and scored first on Fuller’s 45 yard touchdown run. The PAT was blocked and the Mavericks held a 27-14 lead. However, the Jaguars responded with a 67 yard touchdown drive aided by two fourth down conversions. Once again, it was Hunter that got the touchdown from the one foot line at 5:12 left in the third quarter cutting the Mavericks lead to 27-21.

Disaster struck again on special teams on the ensuing drive for the Mavericks. After failing to get a first down, the Mavericks were set to punt, but the ball was snapped over punter Matt Funk’s head. The Jaguars recovered the ball at the 14 yard line with a chance to take the lead. The Jaguars would convert a third straight fourth down conversion to keep alive a potential game-winning drive.

However, on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Mavericks defense made the first of two game defining plays. On third down from the four yard line, the Mavericks dropped the Jaguars for a loss back at the nine yard line. Then, for the fourth straight time, the Jaguars coach elected to go for it on fourth down. The Jaguars pass fell incomplete with 14:19 left in the fourth quarter turning the ball over on downs.

With the ball in the shadow of their own end zone, the Mavericks turned to Fuller to give them room to operate. On a third down and three, Fuller took the ball left and crossed back to his right clearing the defenders on his way to an 84 yard touchdown. However, the play was brought back due to an illegal block. In spite of the penalty, the Mavericks had the ball on the Jaguars 42 yard line. The Mavericks’ Funk would later attempt a 35 yard field goal that was blocked.

The Mavericks would hold the Jaguars again getting the ball back with six minutes left in the game. Mercado then hooked up with Marcus Williams for a touchdown pass putting the game away 34-21.

“It was a good win,” an obviously happy coach Green said after the game. “It’s good to see guys happy that we actually won, or that we played well. We didn’t have as many mistakes as we have had in the past.”

Next Saturday, the Mavericks will play a second game against the University of New Orleans. The campus is gearing up for a big weekend with Parents Weekend and players are inviting fans to participate in tailgating at the stadium beginning at 1 pm. “Next week it’s hopefully going to be big,” said Green,”we have a lot of folks, it’s Parent’s Weekend. Hopefully we can get out there and really have a showing.”

The game was broadcast live on UTARadio.com and delayed at PennyEntertainment.com. Penny Entertainment will be back next week to cover the game.

Check out our photo stream below from the UTA game!

The Mavericks will look to bounce back to their early defeats against the University of South Alabama Jaguars club football team this week.  About that game against Concordia, coach Robert Green said, “[There's] nothing really to point out.”  He added, “We threw up the white flag. . . . . defeated ourselves.”

Next Saturday, October 24, the Mavericks will complete their schedule by hosting the University of New Orleans football club.  Everyone is invited to both games to help support the Mavericks.

Dfwfootball.net will be at the game and will follow with a recap sometime on Sunday.

Coach Robert Green said he was impressed with the quarterback play of freshman Chris Mercado and his defense.  The defense, despite giving up 19 points, had two sacks and three fourth down stops.  UTA hung tough shutting down the UNO offense in the first half after a first possession scoring drive.  The Mavs trailed 7-3 at halftime.

Coach Green was also proud of his players.  ”They (the players) played hard,” he told me by phone.  ”The did what we asked them to do.”  According to Green, it was the coaches that let the players down.

UTA got on the board on their second drive in the first quarter when they made a 30 yard field goal.  Their spread offense, featuring mostly passes, was unable to put the ball in the end zone.  A second field goal attempt in the fourth quarter was blocked.

The UNO Privateers scored a touchdown early in the second half and on the final play of the game.

The Mavericks took 33 players to New Orleans.  Several players on both teams suffered from dehydration and needed IV’s.  Two Maverick players were treated at the local hospital, one for dehydration and one for a deep arm bruise.

The Mavericks will play again on October 10 when they take on the NAIA football team Concordia Hornets in Selma, AL.  The UTA’s first home game will be October 17 when they host the University of South Alabama Jaguars.

Here is the UTA Mavericks football club schedule.

at University of New Orleans Privateers
September 19, 2:30 pm
New Orleans, LA

at Concordia College Hornets
October 10, 2:00pm
Selma, AL

University of South Alabama Jaguars
October 17, Time TBD
Maverick Stadium
Arlington, TX

University of New Orleans Privateers
October 24, Time TBD
Maverick Stadium
Arlington, TX