Whether you are a sports fan, want to show some university pride, or just like watching athletic people running very fast and throwing themselves at each other, this event is not to be missed. It’s Bristol’s answer to the super bowl.

Kicking off at 4pm on Sunday 1st February at SGS Filton wise Campus, both teams will be going all out to capture the Steve Jones Varsity Trophy and bragging rights for the year.

Tickets are £5. Available from club members or get them here: http://www.uwesu.org/varsity/events/

The UWE Bullets last fixture before the Christmas break was a long tiring away trip to Aberystwyth looking for their 4^th win in a row. It was a cold damp typical welsh day however no rain in the air during the game which was always a bonus. The Bullets won the toss and elected to receive the opening kick off however nothing on the return forced the offense to start inside their own 20. The first play saw Quarterback JJ Davies intercepted with a diving catch by the Aber safety giving them early momentum in the game. Aber couldn’t however capitalize on their great field position and went 4 and out thanks to some great tackling by Linebacker and President Ian Redman. UWE’s offense were very slow out of the blocks again and a high snap was recovered by the Aber defense again giving them excellent field position inside the Bullets own 20. Aber decided to kick a 20 yard field goal this time on 4^th down and converted making the score 3-0 to Aber. The Bullets offense again struggling for any sort of momentum went 3 and out and gave possession back to Aber. After a questionable call by the referee crew for a block in the back during a punt gave the ball back to the Aber offense with a 10 yard penalty, this however did not phase the strong UWE defense as Defensive Lineman Ben Monk recorded a sack on 1^st down. The 1^st quarter ended with the score 3-0 to Aber.

After a punt from Aber which was returned by Linebacker Jordan Crouch to the Bullets own 38 the offense set up shop. With some good tough running from Runningback Sam Stalbow behind the blocking of Xavier Anderson, Anthony Fursman, Tass Thorlu, Sam Britton and Tom Woods the Bullets offense marched down to the Aber 38. On 3^rd down Quarterback JJ Davies would connect with Wide Receiver Chris Green for the 38 Yard Touchdown. The XP was good by Dion Small and score was now 7-3 to UWE. Aber were ineffective on their next drive thanks to Linebackers Dave JB and Ian Redman and punted the ball back to UWE. The Bullets wouldn’t have to wait long to find the endzone again as on 2^nd down Quarterback JJ Davies connected with Wide Receiver Dion Small for a 28 yard hook up and score. Small missed the XP and the score stood at 13-3 to UWE. Aber couldn’t get their ground game going, even with their Great Britain Students Backfield, as the UWE defense proved too strong led by Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah who recorded a sack. Aber were given a lifeline after a muffed punt however Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah again made two key stops and forced Aber to kick a 15 yard field goal which was successful making the score  13-6 to UWE. The Half ended with both teams trading punts with the score still at 13-6 to UWE. The Second half began as the first half ended with both teams trading punts. On UWE’s next possession a messed up pitch play saw the ball hit the ground and was recovered by Aber setting them up on the Bullets own 13 yard line. Defensive Backs Nadir Bonetti and Max Haines made some key pass defences on 1^st and 2^nd down respectively. Aber tried a 16 yard Field goal but missed wide left leaving the score 13-6 to UWE. The Bullets offense started from their own 17 and Runningback Sam Stalbow wasn’t fazed and made big gains of 23 and 31 yards. Runningback Jamiel Tinto capped off the drive sprinting in from 11 yards for the Touchdown. The XP by Dion Small was good making the score 20-6 to UWE at the end of the 3^rd quarter. The Aber offense tried pulling a trick out of the bag and run a reverse but Linebacker Dave JB was not fooled and snuffed out the play. Aber would have to punt the ball away again and the Bullets offense set up on their own 30 yard line. After a big gain of 25 yards from Runningback Daniel Maher, Quarterback JJ Davies took to the air and hooked up with Wide Receiver Chris Green on 2 occasions, both for 15 yards a piece. On 4^th and goal UWE elected to attempt a 17 yard field goal and Dion Small didn’t disappoint as the kick sailed through the uprights taking the score to 23-6 to UWE. On Aber’s next possession they once again met Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah who recorded 1.5 sacks sharing the other with Defensive Lineman Ben Monk. Linebacker Dave JB carried out his stand out day on defense and made a big hit on Aber’s Runningback for a loss. On 4^th down Aber went for it only to find the hands of Defensive Back Max Haines who batted the ball down. This would be the last significant play of the game and the final score was UWE Bullets 23 Tarranau Aberystwyth 6 moving the Bullets record to 4-0 going into the Christmas break leaving only 3 regular season games left. The Bullets next game is Varsity on the 9^th of February where they square off against local rivals Bristol Barracuda with their new Head coach, ex Bullet James Anderson, making this game even more personal.

Match Report By Chris Green.

Running Back Sam Stalbow had his number called and decided it was time to find the endzone however the 55 yard Touchdown was called back for a holding penalty. Stalbow only had to wait 2 plays before bursting down the sideline for the 54 yard Touchdown. The extra point was no good and the score remained 6-0 Bullets. The ensuing kick off was muffed by the Plymouth returner due to some great pressure by Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah who came up with the loose ball. Jamiel Tinto was now in at Running Back, the first play he went untouched for a 12 yard Touchdown. The extra point by Charlie Thomas was good and the score was now 13-0 Bullets. Plymouth started their next drive at their own 12 yard line, again, due to some great kick coverage by Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah who stonewalled the returner. The Blitz seemed to start to get something going on offense and gained a 1^st down however due to a bone jarring hit from Linebacker Shane Prosser and great pass coverage by Linebacker Jordan Crouch the Blitz were forced to punt only for the snap to sail over the punters head. The Bullets offense took to the field again and this time Running Back Sandrick Danso was in the backfield and he followed blocks from Left Tackle Xavier Anderson and Wide Receiver Chris Green to dance into the end zone with no defenders in sight for the 9 yard Touchdown. Thomas again was good on the extra point and the score was now 20-0 Bullets.

Plymouth would continue their disastrous performance on special teams by fumbling the ball again on the kick return which was recovered by Defensive Lineman Ben Monk. The Bullets offense didn’t wait long and yet again scored on the first play when Quarterback JJ Davies Hit Running Back Jamiel Tinto, who made a great catch in traffic, down the seam for the 19 yard Touchdown. The extra point was no good due to a wild snap and the score was now 26-0 Bullets. The Quarter ended with Defensive Back Craig McLeod who showed some great ball skills by intercepting a pass over the middle.

The UWE offense, this time, took 4 plays to score when Running Back Jamiel Tinto again added his name on the score sheet for 3^rd time, where his speed was just too much for the Blitz Defense to handle.  The extra point was no good and the score was now 32-0 Bullets. The UWE defense was just too much for the Plymouth offense and they went 3 and out courtesy of Linebacker Shane Prosser and Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah. The Bullets offense were faced with a 3^rdand long but Quarterback Dan Maher went deep to find Wide Receiver Dion Small who made a great catch over two defenders for a first down.

On 3^rdand goal Quarterback Dan Maher connected with fellow Filton Pride Alumni Wide Receiver Chris Green who made a great catch as the safety tried to swat the ball away for the 6 yard Touchdown. Dan Maher converted the extra point and the score was now 39-0 Bullets at the half.

Plymouth received the 2^nd half kick off but again were ineffective this time due to the tackling strength of Linebacker Dave JB and of course you guessed it Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah. On 3^rd down Safety Jordan Crouch intercepted the ball and returned it 20 yards to the Bullets own 40. The Bullets offense again scored quickly this time only taking 3 plays as Quarterback JJ Davies found Wide Receiver Mugove Shumba, who was wide open, for his first ever Bullets Touchdown. The extra point was botched and the score was now 45-0 Bullets. The Plymouth offense tried a reverse but
there was no fooling President and Linebacker Ian Redman who tackled the receiver for a big loss. The Bullets offense continued their pattern for the day and scored quickly as Quarterback JJ Davies found Wide Receiver Chris Green in acres of space for 26 yards and his second Touchdown of the day. Maher was no good on the extra point and the score remained 51-0 at the end of the 3^rdquarter.

The Bullets and Blitz both fumbled on their next possessions and guess again who was there to scoop up the loose ball for the Bullets? Yes you’re right Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah. The Bullets offense, now heavily rotating, took back to the field but were ineffective and punted the ball away. Plymouth’s offense finally woke up and with a little trickery scored on a Running Back option pass for a 26 yard Touchdown. The 2pt Try was no good making the score 51-6 Bullets. This was the last significant play of the game and the final score was UWE BULLETS 51 PLYMOUTH BLITZ 6. 

As usual the Bullets would like to thank Red Bull for the free cans after the game and of course all the coaches, cheerleaders and everyone who supported us for the day we really appreciate it!! Finally we don’t forget to thank the Photography skills of Paul Jenkins who never fails to disappoint us with his fantastic snaps. And also Jeff Stanford for taking some more awesome pictures, we vain people are truly grateful!!!

Match Report By Chris Green

Game MVP’s

Overall: Jamiel Tinto

Offense: Chris Green

Defense & Specials: Idrissa Fornah

Rookie: Kush Mali

Honourable Mentions: Sam Stalbow, JJ Davies, Dave JB, Jordan Crouch and Dan Maher

The Bullets decided to see what they could do through the air and Quarterback JJ Davies connected with Wide Receiver Chris Green for a 31 yard gain down to the Demons 3 yard line. Sam Stalbow again had his number called and ran the ball in for the Touchdown. The extra point was good making the score 27-3 Bullets. The next few drives UWE and Exeter’s defense’s stood up and exchanged punts. The Bullets were again backed up inside their own 10 yard line and Running Back Jamiel Tinto showed his speed, but this time on offense, where he followed his blocks and burst through the line for the 71 Yard Touchdown for his 3^rd score of the game. The extra point was good making the score 34-3 Bullets. The strong UWE defense again forced a 3 and out for Exeter and the Bullets gained possession after the punt on their own 30 yard line. Sam Stalbow looked to get a great gain down the left side only to be called back for a holding penalty although this didn’t faze Stalbow as on the next play, he again was handed the rock and ran down the sideline for the 53 yard Touchdown. The 2pt attempt was incomplete making the score 40-3 Bullets. The Demons got their passing game going again where their Quarterback hooked up with a receiver for a 53 yard completion over the middle, making it and goal to go. The Demons tried to get there power run game going but were met by defensive lineman Idrissa Fornah and Ben Monk for a loss. On 3^rd and goal Exeter again went to the air only for the ball to be tipped and picked off by Safety Jordan Crouch in the end zone for a Touchback. On UWE’s next possession Quarterback JJ Davies connected with Wide Receiver Dion Small for a 61 yard Touchdown only for it to be called back for a block in the back penalty. UWE attempted a 37 yard field goal at the end of the half only for a bad snap to kill the attempt. The Half ended with the score 40-3 Bullets.

The Demons received the kick-off and looked to get things going on offense once again however after a bad exchange between Quarterback and Running Back Defensive Lineman Idrissa Fornah was there to jump on the ball. Quarterback JJ Davies decided it was time for a shot and threw one up for Wide Receiver Dion Small for the easy Touchdown as he walked into the end zone untouched. The 2pt try was no good making the score 46-3 Bullets. Exeter went 3 and out again as the pass on 3^rd down was pressured by Defensive Lineman Jack Austin. Yet again Jamiel Tinto had his number called and he wasn’t going to disappoint as he took the ball 35 yards for his 4^th Touchdown of the day giving him over 250 all purpose yards. The extra point was botched due to a bad snap and the score now was 52-3 Bullets. President and Linebacker Ian Redman showed his prowess on Defense all day and made some key stops on Exeter’s next drive forcing them again to punt the ball back to a dominating UWE offense. Running Back Sandrick Danso showed what he could do now making a nice cut to the outside for a 27 yard gain however UWE were ineffective on the drive and had to punt the ball away. This was the end of the 3^rd quarter with the score 52-3 Bullets.

President and Linebacker Ian Redman again made a sideline tackle to stop the receiver making a big gain. The Demons couldn’t get anything going on the run all day so decided to go to the air again and an ‘Auburn’ esc play happened next where the ball was tipped and fell into the Exeter Receiver’s hands with nobody in front of him he ran in for the 60 yard Touchdown. The 2 pt try was no good making the score 52-9 Bullets. Back up Quarterback Doc De La Hunty (yes that is his real surname) was now in and he showed what he could do through the air hooking up with Wide Receiver’s Chris Green and Dion Small for 18 yard gains a piece. UWE attempted a 26 yard field goal only for a bad snap to stuff the try. This was the last significant play of the game and the final score was UWE BULLETS 52 EXETER DEMONS 9.

The Bullets would like to thank Red Bull for the free cans after the game and of course all the coaches, cheerleaders and everyone who supported us for the day we really appreciate it!! Massive Final Thanks to the man Paul Jenkins for again providing us with some awesome photos, we are truly grateful!!!

Match Report By Chris Green

Game MVP’s

Overall & Specials: Jamiel Tinto

Offense: JJ Davies

Defense: Ian Redman

Rookie: Sam Britton

Honourable Mentions: Idrissa Fornah, Sam Stalbow, Max Haines and Xavier Anderson.

The Cardiff offense were still unable to penetrate the strong UWE defence and again went 3 and out however it wouldn’t be long before they got the ball back as Quarterback JJ Davies fumbled the ball on 3^rd down. Cardiff unable to get anything going on offense and still not being able to convert a first down they went for it on 4^th and 17. Unfortunately for the Cobras the pass fell incomplete down the seem to the Wide Receiver who looked to have caught the ball until Linebacker Jordan Crouch made a bone jarring hit on the receiver which erupted the sideline. UWE were ineffective on their next drive and punted the ball to Cardiff who looked to get some things together on offense as they made their first, first down of the game. However the Cobras were forced to punt but Safety Martin Bunn made a great special teams play blocking the kick and UWE recovered on Cardiff’s own 16 yard line. Quarterback JJ Davies connected with Wide Receiver Dion Small on 1^st down for a 12 yard gain down to the 4 yard line. The Bullets decided to hand the ball to Veteran Running back Sam Stalbow who is back doing a masters after a few years of being away from football and he ran the ball in for the Touchdown. The extra point again was good by Thomas. The Half ended with the Score Bullets 16 Cobras 0. UWE received the ball and Returning was Jordan Crouch who took it all the way to Cardiff’s own 32 yard line again giving the Bullets offense great field position. The Bullets decided to put the ball into Stalbow’s hands as he made a nice gain of 13 yards and eventually punched the ball in from the 1 yard line giving Stalbow his second Touchdown of the game. The extra point was botched from a bad snap making the score; Bullets 22 Cobras 0. Cardiff again couldn’t get anything going on offense, Defensive lineman Omar Owusu again made his presence felt as he floored the Cardiff Quarterback for the sack. The Cobras again were forced to punt back to UWE. The Bullets started to get things going with small gains from Running Back Sandrick Danso only to fall short on 3^rd down however Head Coach Mat Dyke decided to go for it with JJ Davies running a sneak only to fumble the ball forward but veteran Wide Receiver Chris Green was there to fall on the ball giving the Bullets a first down. The drive was killed however by a wild snap which was recovered by Cardiff. UWE kept faith in their defence and they showed up big time when President and Linebacker Ian Redman recorded a Sack/Fumble which was recovered by Ben Monk giving UWE the ball on Cardiff’s 23. On 2^nd and goal from the 14 yard line after a false start penalty Maher handed the rock to Running Back Rich Thompson who made a great backside cut back and walked into the end zone for his first ever Bullets Touchdown! The extra point was botched again due to a bad snap and the score remained Bullets 28 Cardiff 0. The Cardiff offense were stopped again and Defensive lineman Idrissa Fornah caused a sack but a chop block penalty by the offense erased it. However Fornah didn’t need to wait long for another chance as on the next play he repeated his trick by decking the Cobras Quarterback which ended the 3^rd Quarter. The score Bullets 28 Cobras 0.

On 4^th and 30 Cardiff punted away again however the Bullets were ineffective on the drive. The rest of the 4^th quarter was quiet for both teams and they traded punts on each drive which ended the game with the final score UWE BULLETS 28 CARDIFF COBRAS 0.

The Bullets would like to thank everyone who donated to Breast Cancer Care UK and helped them fight the good fight against breast cancer. They would also like to thank the UWE Comets who came and supported and everyone else who made the Home opener a great day. Thanks also to Red Bull who sponsored us drinks for the day and finally to Paul Jenkins and Julie Crouch for taking some awesome pictures we truly are very appreciative of it!!!

MVP’s

Overall: Idrissa Fornah

Defence: Omar Owusu

Offense: Xavier Anderson

Special Teams: Jordan Crouch

Rookie: James Snowden

Match Report By Chris Green

Due to the massive squad that the current team has the event was nearly cancelled due to lack of kit, however Bullet Alumni and Swindon Storm Head Coach Steve Bennett stepped in and saved the day. The Storm allowed coaches Matt Barrett and Olly Barrett to pick up 11 sets of kit for the legends to use for the day. The UWE Bullets are very grateful to the Storm for stepping in. This is a new relationship between the clubs as Coach Bennett has been building a summer team over the last few years. The Bullets already have a great relationship with the Bristol Aztecs/Apache (who also lend kit, storage, coaches etc with the current club).

The session was based around a normal training session but with an extended scrimmage. The Legends were a little late getting organised so the current team just started as per usual. Slowly the Legends joined in the one on one section and then the pass and run skelly. The tone was set straight away with very little success for the current team against the experienced Legends. Running wise stand out Jamiel Tinto showed that he is ready for the season with two break away runs. Rookie O-Lineman Tom Woods stood out as an exciting prospect for the upcoming season. In the pass skelly starting QB JJ Davies completed a few balls but the coverage from the Legends was impressive. Veterans Chris Green and Dion Small are clearly his main targets this year. The current UWE Defense tried their best to try and contain the powerful running from Mark Sanchez and Dave ‘Dangerous’ Egbosimba, and did well in coverage against hall of fame WR’s Dan ‘Supa D’ Jeffrey and Alex ‘A-Bomb’ Gillespie who were catching balls from fellow gun club member James Carter.

After this the teams went to their sidelines and ran through special teams where again Jamiel Tinto looked impressive, and kicking from Dion Small and rookie Charles Thomas. This was followed by a 4 quarter, 15 minute rolling clock; game for the Legends V’s the Current Team. The final score was 28-0 to the Legends. The Legends game highlights go do Mark Sanchez for his two defensive scoop and score defensive touchdowns, an impressive power inside run from Sam Atakorah, and an immense 40 yard touchdown from the one and only Dangerous Dave! For the current team it was a game for the backups. They learnt a lot from the process and the film gained will be part of their development. The Legends then enjoyed a great night out thanks to Hall of fame/Current player Jake Filer having the hook up for VIP treatment.

The UWE Bullets start their 2013-14 season at home to the old rival Cardiff Cobra’s on Sunday 3^rd November at SGS Filton with a 1 o clock kick off. It is a wear it pink cancer awareness game, so come down and support both the Bullets and the fight against cancer!

There will be Breast Cancer pin on badges for sale on the day and also collection tins for any spare change you may have to help such a great cause. If you are coming to the event try to wear something pink if you can to show your support and help us join in the fight against Breast Cancer.

This was in the forefront of the Bullets minds when planning a pre-season friendly. Head Coach Mat Dyke had been contacted by 3 teams that all wanted to experience how the UWE Bullets do things. In previous years there would have been no chance to be able to help all 3 teams however the coaching staff and the committee really did not want to turn anyone away.

So on Sunday 20^th October the 2013/14 UWE Bullets hosted the Swansea Titans, Bath Spa Bulldogs, and the Coventry Jets at SGS Filton for a 4 way session. The day started early with an awesome talk to all 4 teams from BAFRA member and Student Football referee Albert Lambert. Lambert went through some of the basics of football from the refs point of view, any new rule changes this year, as well as breaking down and answering some pre-collected questions from the teams involved. He gave up his time for free and all the teams involved were very grateful for it and found it very useful part of the day.

Then the 238 players warmed up, kitted up and did an hour and a half session as if they were one massive team. This involved some competition races, positional coaching and ending with some very impressive one on one section. After that the 4 teams separated for special teams and scripted O and D reps which was very impressive to see all 4 teams working so hard all at the same time. The number of reps while keeping each other safe was exactly what the coaching staffs had asked for.

The day ended with live day like scrimmages for all 4 teams against each other. Swansea Titans showed that last year was no fluke. They are a well coached, extremely focused team that the UWE Bullets wish all the luck they will be earning going into their season. Bath Spa players and coaches showed that you can never count them out where talent and heart come together. They had fewer numbers than the other teams and also picked up some knocks throughout the day. However they never stepped out of any section all day and were making plays from the first whistle to the last. Lastly the UWE Bullets have never met the Coventry Jets players or played against them. However they were very professional in every aspect of the day. Well organised and showed talent from their first string players right through to their brand new rookies. They seem to be very coachable and the UWE Bullets coaching staff said that they were a pleasure to have them involved in the whole day.

Thank you to all those involved in the day as it was an impressive day for British Student American Football where all players and coaches were there to help make all involved better than before the day. Special thank you goes out to UWE HC Mat Dyke who organised this logistical nightmare and the day itself. Also to the UWESU and current committee for helping to fund the whole event and help run everything from behind the scenes.

Next up for the 2013/14 UWE Bullets is to get ready to take on the UWE Legends who are looking very impressive from a roster point of view. After last year’s victory for the current team the Legends are looking for revenge on Saturday 26^th October!

During these events the coaching staff have been looking for which players will lead the team the season. We already have two player voted captains in JJ Davies and Ryan Morton. These two players will be leading by example for the whole season while trying to find the best way to motivate the individual players on offense and defense.

The 3^rd captain will be a special team’s captain which will be decided by new STC Jamie Charles before the first regular season game against Cardiff on November 3^rd.

Head Coach Mat Dyke has always said you don’t need a ‘C’ on your chest to be a leader in this family. Now this will be put into action. The coaching staff has been looking closely at the individual positional groups to see who the veteran leaders of the team are.

The UWE Bullets are pleased to announce the following positional leaders for the 2013/14 season:

QB – JJ Davies

RB – Jake Filer

WR – Chris Green

OL – Xavier Anderson

DL – Idrissa Fornah

LB – Ian Redman

DB – Jordan Crouch

These 6 players will work closely with JJ Davies and Ryan Morton as the team leadership structure. They will also organise and run the weekly compulsory gym session, the monthly positional meals, and help support their entire unit including any developmental players.

This is the first time that the club has labelled these players with set responsibilities which they will be held accountable for. It is a great time to be part of the Bullet Family and the coaching staff is confident that these young men will support and lead the players this season.

These developmental players will still have access to the 2 coaches training sessions, 1 gym session, full kit hire, as well as optional one on one gym training, flexibility session, sprint session, and team socials. The aim for these players will be to work their way up the depth charts to make the 65 game day team.

With this in mind the coaching staff and committee have increased the try out cut off date to Thursday 3^rd October. This will give the players 3 coaches sessions and a social to truly experience what being part of the Bullet Family is all about.

The first of these sessions was Weds 25^th Sept where the Bullet coaching staff had worked though 109 players in kit doing tackling and positional circuits. This was a very intense few hours of coaching and assessing. It was a great start to the process and the coaching staff are looking forward to the combine athletic testing this Sunday 29^th Sept and some non kitted positional circuits.

Even though the process may have started already it is not too late for you to try out for the team. There is still Sunday 29^th and Weds 2^nd Oct for you to try out for one of the most successful clubs at UWE. We are a very close family and it WILL be one of the best decisions you will make while at University.

As a family we are closely connected to the UWE Comet Cheerleading squad. Both squads are holding their first joint social on Tues 1^st October at Vodka Revolution – https://www.facebook.com/events/1414144105467653/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Feel free to come along, meet both teams, and see firsthand what an amazing family you could be a part of if you come and try out! After all, how are you going to beat family? #HAYGTBF