While the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners were battling onthe gridiron in last weekend’s Red River Shootout, the UT andOU rugby teams converged on SMU’s intramural field as part ofa three-team preseason tournament.
The action kicked off Friday evening when the Mustangs took onOklahoma. Though the fall break holiday left SMU with only halftheir team, “it was a tough, exciting game with both [teams]attacking on both sides of the field,” SMU Rugby Head CoachTony Wagner said.
Scrumhalf Keith Turner opened up the scoring in the 26th minuteof play when he exploited a gap 7 yards from the goal, putting theMustangs ahead 5-0, though they missed the conversion.
The Sooners came back minutes later, hustling down the sidelinefor a score and conversion, leaping to a 7-5 advantage.
The next score came with about five minutes left in the half.”[We attacked] on Oklahoma’s weak side, with abeautiful pass from outside center Mike von Borsig to wing ChrisPetty, who ran 75 yards to score,” Wagner said.
Fullback Jeremy Chang made the conversion to seal a 12-7victory.
The game against UT began in the same fashion as the OU matchup, as SMU once again scored first, this time when lock Collin Westtook a pass from scrumhalf Charles Gallo and ousted three Texasdefenders for the score. Just as against the Sooners, however, amissed conversion left the Mustangs with a 5-0 advantage.
In the end, the Longhorn offense found a gap to drive past, andthey ended up with a 7-5 win at the hands of the Mustangs.
“The pace of all three teams was fast and furious,”Wagner said.
This weekend’s tournament was just a small step toward ahopefully successful season, as veteran leadership andup-and-coming talent are expected to carry the squad.
“Captain Chris Herzog talked to everybody to get the teamon the same page,” Wagner said. “On the field,everything starts with the captain.”
According to Herzog, “Texas and Oklahoma [were] goodpreparations for future cup matches.”
The club’s players felt that aside from the weatheredexperience of upperclassmen, resilient determination and strengthof mind also made their presence felt among the players.
“We come out here and play like we’re thebest,” Herzog said. “We play like we’re numberone all the time.”
On Saturday, the team will play Midwestern State Universitybefore their home opener, when SMU hosts North Texas, 7 p.m., Oct.22.
