Pumas CU dominates Pumas Acatlán in their first match in five years

When Pumas CU takes the lead from the first quarter, it is very difficult for them to lose it. As part of the celebration of ninety years of American football at UNAM, the feline team defeated Pumas Acatlán 49-13 and achieved their first victory in the 2017 season of the Major League, a match that faced the two squads from the highest educational institution for the first time in five years.

Both teams started the game with little rhythm, evidenced by the first offensive series, where CU dropped the ball, although their defense managed to stop the opponents in three plays.

Running back Víctor Hernández, who dropped the first ball, moved the chains in a second series until he managed to enter the end zone and score the first points of the match. This gave Pumas CU a 7-0 lead, with the successful extra point.

Little by little, the Ciudad Universitaria team began to perform better. In the middle of the second quarter, Óscar Villagrán received the ball and scored with a medium-distance carry. The extra point was successful and the home team increased their lead to 14-0.

The CU defense, led by Abraham Herrera, started to do its job. The pressure they generated in a punt attempt caused a bad ball delivery and Acatlán gifted a safety to the Ciudad Universitaria team, making the score 16-0. Before the end of the first half, coach Otto Becerril's offense did a good job and allowed Siliceo Reyes to score a field goal. Pumas CU went into halftime with a 19-0 lead.

In the third quarter, with quarterback Rafael Arenas on the field, Pumas CU continued to dominate. First with a medium-distance pass to Andrés Salgado -although they failed the two-point conversion- and a 43-yard carry by running back Herminio Rojas, CU increased their lead to 32-0.

It was not until this third period that coach Enrique Zapata's team created danger. Acatlán caused a fumble on a punt and their offense took advantage of the gift with a reception by Víctor Fosado in the end zone. With the successful extra point, the team made the score 32-7.

But Rafael Arenas did not forgive and scored two more touchdowns. The first of them with a screen pass to Villagrán, who ran with the ball halfway and added another seven points with the successful kick. The second touchdown came with a pass from Arenas to Aarón Pacheco and the score was 46-7.

Pumas Acatlán wanted to have a more respectable score and, after a long offensive series, quarterback Yair Márquez managed to score another rushing touchdown, although they failed the conversion attempt (46-13).

In the final minutes, kicker Siliceo Reyes appeared on the field again to score a field goal and set the final score at 49-13.