For the past four years, there has been just one football game played on Bradley’s campus. Each and every year of its existence, the annual Bradley Bowl was won by the faculty team. Thursday afternoon, the curse was lifted and the status quo changed as Bradley students watched the clock tick down in celebration.
The student team churned out an impressive 45-31 victory in this year’s flag football matchup on the hallowed grounds of the Alumni Quad.
From the opening drive, the students looked determined. Senior quarterback Brock Fuhrmann hooked up with senior receiver Taylor Hall for the game’s first score. Shortly after Fuhrmann, an entrepreneurship major, scampered out of the pocket and into the end zone to put the students up 13-0.
“Going back to last year, we knew [the faculty’s] strategies, so we exploited them, which got us out to a good start,” Hall, a senior mechanical engineer, said. “We know Nathan Thomas likes to throw short passes, so we were playing man on the outside with no one over the top.”
After going down two scores, the faculty offense got rolling. Vice President of Student Affairs Thomas connected with assistant men’s basketball coach Mike Bargen for the team’s first touchdown. Thomas then hit BUPD Officer Sean Savage twice to pull within eight just before the half.
Fuhrmann was then picked off by Bargen, and the faculty had a chance to pull even before halftime, but vicious linebacker and veteran captain Charlie Barchett flew through the air to sack Thomas and preserve the lead.
“When I was formulating this team, I focused on winning because winners prevail,” Barchett, a senior sports communication major, said. “Last year’s heartbreaking defeat made this year’s victory so much sweeter.”
The second half started much slower than the first. Fuhrmann got sacked in his own end zone for a safety to begin the half. From there the game started to turn; the faculty quickly scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion to take the lead, 31-30.
The students then deviated from their conservative first half plays, opting to air it out with the long ball instead. Fuhrmann chucked a 30-yard touchdown to Hall, quickly followed by a Hall interception on the next faculty possession. Finally, Fuhrmann slung another bomb to senior receiver Dakota Bullard for the last score of the game, sealing the win for the students 45-31.
“My strategy going out there tonight was to whoop up on the students,” Savage said. “We played a great game, everybody played their hearts out and the students just came out on top today. It won’t be the same next year. My performance was average. I could have done a lot better; we all could have – that’s why we lost.”
Thomas has played on the faculty team each year the game has been played, and he expressed disappointment after the loss.
“Interceptions kill. Honestly, my pride’s hurt a little bit,” Thomas said. “There’s what, one undefeated team in NFL history, the ‘72 Dolphins. We were bound to lose one of them. We’ve got to get younger. We’ve got to look for a new quarterback, that’s for sure. I think Charlie [Barchett] and [Dakota] Bullard and Brock [Fuhrmann] graduate, so that’s going to help our chances. We’re going to limit their practice time before the actual game.”
Sophomore mathematics major Matthew Barber has been in the bleachers for every Bradley Bowl game while he’s been at Bradley, and was excited to see the students get the win this year.
“Last year, I was disappointed,” Barber said. “My RA (Barchett) played in the game last year, and he really didn’t leave it all out on the field. He was tackled on the one-yard line to end the game. This year the enthusiasm from the student players was awesome. They really displayed a drive to win. They took the game really seriously, and I was proud that they pulled it out this year.”
Barchett, who’s captained the last two Bradley Bowl student teams, said he believes the faculty fully deserved what was coming to them.
“I think overconfidence played a key in the faculty’s downfall,” Barchett said. “It was great to serve the faculty a nice slice of humble pie.”
