Rowan Football lost again this previous Saturday, Nov. 6, against Christopher Newport University, bringing their record to 1-7 with only a game left in their season.
It was a tough loss for the Profs and one that reflects the season to this point, according to Head Coach Jay Accorsi.
“Very disappointed, you know, kind of heartbroken, upset. I mean, you know, I can only imagine how the players feel. Again, they’re the ones that play, we’re the ones that coach,” Coach Accorsi said. “So, kind of a synopsis of our season. Just very, very disappointing, you know, very upsetting, frustrating, you know, just all of those different emotions.”
Down 28-17 with under ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Rowan mounted a comeback to reclaim their first lead since prior to halftime by way of a 17-yard rushing touchdown from running back James Fara, a junior. Christopher Newport then got the ball back trailing by four with 1:22 remaining. The Profs needed to keep their opponents out of the endzone to walk away with a win.
It took six plays for Christopher Newport to drive down the field and hit a 22-yard passing touchdown to take back the lead. It was a breakdown on the side of Rowan that left the captain and wide receiver, Michael Bailey, wide open for the game-winning touchdown.
“I think it was a miscommunication between the safety and the corner. I think that we were asking them to do something, you know, after our timeout that we normally don’t do in that situation,” Coach Accorsi said. “I think there was some confusion and again, you know, that’s back on us as coaches. We’ve got to make sure that that doesn’t occur. I think one player thought one thing, the other player thought the other thing and, you know, we put ourselves in a bad spot.”
It was another game for the Profs that came down to the wire, a spot they have found themselves in a few times this season and one they have struggled in.
“It’s pretty frustrating. We let one go and it’s a game we should’ve had. You know, we didn’t execute at the end of it and we lost one,” safety Calvin Harper, a senior, said.
The loss came on the team’s final home game of the season and Senior Day, which is something that made the loss a little bit tougher.
“It was a game we definitely wanted to win, especially for the seniors. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get the win and it was frustrating but we’re looking forward. We’ve got one last game and we’re gonna finish strong,” Harper said.
For many players, including Harper, this Friday’s matchup against The College of New Jersey will be their last game as a member of the brown and gold, something they’re using as added inspiration.
“I’m really motivated. It’s going to be my last game, for a lot of seniors it’s going to be their last game of the season,” Harper said. “So, we want to win.”
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