NFLPA Collegiate Bowl 2015: Score and Twitter Reaction for College All-Star Game
Saturday's NFLPA Collegiate Bowl offered opportunities for lesser-known college players hopeful to make it in the pros to showcase their skills and receive counsel from proven NFL stars and coaches.
The National team defeated the American team 17-0 on the strength of a superior rushing attack. Southern Illinois product Malcolm Agnew led the way for the winners with 53 yards on eight carries, but Terell Watson scored the first touchdown on an alert play and wound up with the game's MVP award.
Watson recovered a fumble by UTEP quarterback Jameill Showers and took it two yards to paydirt at 7:32 in the first quarter. Sports on Earth's Jason B. Hirschhorn was impressed by Watson's skill set:
Kyle Glaser of the Riverside Press-Enterprise also praised Watson, who finished with 55 yards on nine carries:
There's at least some pedigree to suggest Watson could be on the right track to the NFL:
Quarterback play was not exemplary on both sides, despite head coaches—Mike Holmgren (American) and Mike Martz (National)—known to produce big results at the highest level.
Holmgren discussed before the game how he believes it takes until the third year to see if a QB can thrive in the NFL, offering some silver lining for the young men he coached this week, per ESPN's Dari and Mel:
Part of the lackluster form under center is due to the condensed practice time and adaptation to learning a new offense and establishing chemistry. Nevertheless, it resulted in poor overall execution.
The American side converted just two of 12 third-down chances, while the National team wasn't much better at 3-of-13.
One of the bigger names in action was Marshall quarterback Rakeem Cato, whose slender frame has been criticized while intangibles and collegiate production have been praised. Cato underwhelmed, completing just two of four passes for two yards before garbage time.
Eastern Kentucky was proud of fullback Channing Fugate reaching the end zone from one yard out to show NFL evaluators he's a capable runner in addition to his serviceable blocking:
A great way to put something on tape in a game that featured aesthetically unpleasing offenses is to make an impact on special teams.
Southern Miss defensive back Emmanuel Johnson did just that, which the NFLPA Bowl Game made sure to highlight:
It's hard to expect many of the prospects on display in this contest to get a real shot in the NFL. Limited reps are available, so getting a shot as undrafted free agents will require these players to delve into playbooks and fully capitalize on any glimmer of a chance they have.
The players who opted to play in this All-Star game of sorts—though not as high in profile as the Senior Bowl, as a prime example—are at least a little more prominent on NFL teams' radars.
Based on the shaky offense from both teams, this contest didn't feature a ton of clear standouts.
