Quizzy Mondays 2025-26 Week 27: University Challenge Preliminary Quarter-Final 3, Only Connect Grand Final

Good evening my friends, and welcome to another Quizzy Monday! But not just any normal one, as it's Only Connect Grand Final day! A summary of that coming up later today. But first, a bit of bad news, as, despite the last new Celebrity Mastermind being shown tonight (except in Wales, where it's on on Wednesday), the regular series isn't resuming next Monday; instead they're showing a repeat of the first one of the celeb series! I suspect this is probably something to do with the Winter Olympics starting soon. It will mean the regular series will have been off air for nearly two months when it does finally resume, which just doesn't sit right in my eyes. Maybe it's time for Mastermind to leave Quizzy Monday and go back to a seperate slot again. Anyway, let's get on with tonight, beginning with UC...

 

Darwin College Cambridge defeated Green Templeton of Oxford by just five points in a low scoring first round match, but pulled off the upset of the second when they comfortably defeated the fancied Magdalen of Oxford team 190-80. They were the same foursome as those previous two times:

Lewis Strachan, from North Lanarkshire, studying Parasite Biology

Ruth Ni Mhuircheartaigh, from Cork, studying Education

Captain: Louis Cameron, from London, studying English

Jonathan White, from Buckinghamshire, studying Geography

 

Sheffield lost to fellow quarter-finalists Warwick in the first round, but exceeded the expectations of an alumnus who commented on LAM by winning their play-off, against New College of Oxford, before soundly trouncing Strathclyde 290-60 in the second round. They were also the same quarter as their three previous games:

Rhys Lewis, from Haverfordwest, studying Maths

Abdelrahman Elsisi, from Alexandria, Egypt, studying Engineering

Captain: Jacob Price, from Hethersett in Norfolk, studying Astrophysics

Isobel Dobbie, from Haringey in London, studying English Literature

 

Sheffield took the first two starters and two bonuses from both the resulting sets. Both sides then lost five, before Darwin got themselves on the board properly, taking one of their first bonuses. The first picture round went to Sheffield, who took all three bonuses, which gave them a lead of 60-10. Darwin's captain Mr Cameron, their MVP in their earlier matches, then took two starters in a row, but just one bonus followed each time again. Sheffield, in contrast, took all three bonuses of their next set. They also took the music round, after which their lead stood at 100-40.

 

Another two starters, and Sheffield's lead was now nearly 100 points. But a penalty allowed Darwin back into the game, though they took no bonuses. They also took the second picture round, and did take two bonuses from that, which cut the gap to 130-70. Another penalty to Sheffield, another two starters to Darwin, and suddenly they weren't that far behind; the bonuses were letting them down again though, just one from those six. Sheffield reawoke and gave themselves more room to breathe, but Darwin reached three figures and finally got some bonuses to their liking, two taking. But when Sheffield took the next starter and all three bonuses, that was game over. Another subsequent penalty didn't matter. At the gong, Sheffield won 155-115.

 

A low-ish scoring game, but a decent enough contest, more of one that it looked like being at one stage. Well done Sheffield, another solid enough performance, best of luck to them in the qualification matches! Hard lines to Darwin, but they played well enough again, especially to recover so decently in the second half; best of luck to them in the eliminators!

 

The stats: Mr Cameron was, again, the best buzzer of the night, with six, while Mr Price was best for Sheffield with four. On the bonuses, Darwin managed 8 out of 24 (with one penalty) and Sheffield 17 out of 27 (with four penalties), so, just like last week, it was the bonuses that won it.

 

Next week's match: Imperial vs Warwick in the final preliminary QF

 

Only Connect’s twenty first Grand Final was contested by the Pitchers, Alexia Jarvis, Jonathan Gibson and captain Paddy Pamment, who got here by beating the Benchwarmers, the Worker Bees twice and the Sorcerers, and the 5ks, Fiona Titcombe, Thomas Carey and captain James Haughton, who lost their first match to the Showstoppers, but have since beaten the Grapevines, the Showstoppers in a rematch, Oh No They Didn’t and the Metrophiles to make it here.

 

I don’t think we got any of the questions in the first round, though my Mum did know the fact about the Grateful Dead and the Lithuanian Olympic basketball team; the Pitchers led 6-3 after that. (Also, has anyone else noticed how bad the teams have been at picking the music question in the first round this series? I’m pretty sure it’s been left til last or nearly last in most of the game this series) I do claim the same two points as the 5ks on the Tory Cabinet members question in the second round; the Pitchers led 10-7 at the end of that round.

 

The Pitchers went first on the Walls, and took their time to work out all four groups; they knew all the connections as well, so a full ten. The 5ks also took their time and worked out all four groups; they also got all four connections, another full ten, so as you were, the Pitchers led 20-17 going into Missing Vowels. And it was the Pitchers who maintained the three point lead they’d had since the first round in that and won the game, and the series, 24-21! Very well done them, most worthy winners (and I think that makes Mr Gibson only the second person to win both OC and Mastermind after Ian Bayley, but do correct me if that’s wrong); thanks to them and the 5ks, who’d have been worthy winners too, for taking part in this series! And thanks to all involved on another enjoyable series!

 

And that's it for another week! Thanks as ever for reading; looks like it's going to be just UC to cover next week, unless something else comes up I'd like to talk about as well. Speaking of which, I'm considering starting talking about other, non-quiz related things on this blog again at some point later this year. I did experiment with that a little bit back in this blog's earliest days IIRC, but I'm thinking it might be something I might want to try again on here at some point. So, if you'd be interested in seeing me write about other things on here, do let me know. Anyway, I'll be back same time same place next week with my usual, rather shorter than usual, write-up, so, see yous then I guess...