In a game that was decided well before it started, the Vukovi Belgrade beat the Zagreb Thunder 61-0. The Vukovi’s head coach John Harper had a chance to try out different things, using players in different roles, such as running back Brandon McDowell who finished the game at quarterback, passing for one touchdown on the last play of the game.

Of the Vukovi’s nine touchdowns, McDowell ran in for two scores as did the Vukovi’s quarterback Jordan Green. Belgrade took a 20-0 lead in the first quarter on Green’s 22 yard run, Dušan Lalić’s fumble return and Aleksandar Lazović 40 yard touchdown reception. McDowell ran in his first on a 65 yard breakaway in the second quarter and then another one on an option pitch from Green. The Vukovi’s young running back Uroš Jovanović put the score at 41-0 in the first half.

The final score likely would’ve been more convincing, but the league’s mercy rule kicked in in the second half, allowing the clock to run. Zagreb was also able to keep the ball in its possession more than usual, which was not enough to score points in the game, but it was to prevent the Vukovi from scoring more. The closest the Thunder got was to kick a field goal, but the attempt was blocked.

Green ran 52 yards and passed to McDowell, who did most of the work on that score, and finally, McDowell passed 42 yards to another junior, Vojin Milić, who rejoined the team this summer.