Over the weekend the world witnessed the inaugural Mega Bowl, and boy was it a heck of a game. The two division leaders met up at Rice Stadium in Houston to prove who was the best in 2021.
The Linemen went into the game with the best record in the league (5-1), and wanted the trophy to solidify their status as top dog. Led by Kevin Gilbride, the Jousters fought to secure their spot in the Mega Bowl and would look to finish the season with their biggest win of the year.
Luis Perez and the Jousters came out hot, and held the lead over the Linemen for a majority of the matchup. It wasn’t until 52 seconds left in the game until the Linemen took their first lead. Coach Gilbride opted to put Luis Perez back on the field, and his drive looked promising. It only took one misstep though for it all the come crumbling down. With 22 seconds remaining, the Linemen ended the game the same way they started it; with a huge interception.
This allowed the team to take the victory formation, and ultimately the Mega Bowl trophy.
Read the full game recap.
Mega Bowl Stats
QB @RyanWillis14: 26/37, 167yds/2TD
WR @_Zicoooo: 3rec/40yds/2TD
WR @TM7_JS7: 2rec/90yds/2TD
QB @PerezLuisQB: 15/21, 203yds/2TD/2INT
RB @Minter23M: 11rush/67yds
WR @RHorn19: 5rec/41yds
DB @j_wy21: INT
DB @JJDallas444: INTBox score: https://t.co/8shzPcV9Ni pic.twitter.com/1P2JYL8R8h
— The Spring League 🏈 (@TheSpringLeague) June 19, 2021
At the end of the day, it was no surprise when Linemen QB Ryan Willis was named the Mega Bowl MVP. Willis definitely made a name for himself this season, leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns, and this Mega Bowl win was just the icing on top.
In the Mega Bowl, Willis threw for 167 yards while securing two touchdowns. During the season he racked-up 1,680 total passing yards, resulting in 13 touchdowns; leading the league in both categories.
MEGA BOWL MVP
Ryan Willis (@RyanWillis14) was cool, calm, and confident leading the #TSLLinemen to a come from behind Mega Bowl victory! ⚡️
🎨: @KingP926 pic.twitter.com/W8RL9MvE0s
— The Spring League 🏈 (@TheSpringLeague) June 20, 2021
We were lucky enough to attend and cover the game in person, and it was a great day in beautiful Houston, TX. Initially there was rain on the schedule, but luckily for the fans and The Spring League, mother nature decided to give everyone a reprieve. Instead, what we saw was a nice party cloudy sky, with a touch of humidity. But, if you know anything about Houston; the humidity is expected.
As we were walking around, we even ran into a fan that flew all the way out from St. Louis to attend this game. Now, that’s what I call dedication!
With the USFL set to return in 2022, many think that The Spring League and the Mega Bowl are pre-cursers what is set to come next yet. In my opinion, it makes sense as we’re seeing a lot of the same players running the show.
The new USFL is co-owned by Brian Woods who owns The Spring League, and FOX has a minority stake in the league as well. We hypothesized at the beginning of The Spring League season that this could be a test for something bigger, and it seems our intuitions were on the nose.
During our time at the Mega Bowl, we made sure to get a good handful full of images from the game that we hope you enjoy!
Did you tune into the Mega Bowl? What did you think of the game? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord.
