After last week’s game against Boston College got out of hand, the Huskies didn’t open the playbook out of reasonable fear that aggression would open the door to unnecessary injuries. Ironically, that conservatism bled into Saturday’s loss.
Somehow, despite all the opportunities Maine gave the Huskies to win ‘- for instance, turning the ball over four times ‘- it was the coaches that let this team down. Perhaps the university wasn’t giving its complete confidence and backing to head coach Rocky Hager and his staff. After Saturday’s game, I wonder whether this coaching staff was giving its full confidence and backing to its players.
This game presented a legitimate chance for victory over a top-20 Football Conference Subdivision squad, something Northeastern hasn’t achieved since 2007. However, as we have seen so many times with Northeastern football, the momentum built from the first 30 minutes crumbled in the second half. It’s not what the Huskies did on the field that cost them the game. It’s what they didn’t do that caused the loss.
Freshman quarterback Matt Carroll didn’t throw the ball, but through no fault of his own. Offensive coordinator Brian Surace asked Carroll to run the option or hand the ball to a running back in just over 62 percent of the plays called. The ball was taken out of Carroll’s hands in crucial moments, denying him the chance to prove himself in his first collegiate start. The strategy even mystified his teammates on the sidelines, who stared into space in disbelief when the ball was kept on the ground over and over, resulting in little or no gain.
When Surace did allow Carroll to throw, it was at the wrong time in the game ‘- a critical late-game play to bring the Huskies to within one possession of the lead. With the ball inside the Maine red zone, on fourth and eight with less than three minutes remaining, instead of opting for a field goal try, Surace called for a pass play. The result? An incompletion, turnover on downs, and a glaring 10-point deficit ‘- the final margin of victory.
I can understand the tentative nature of a coaching staff working with two inexperienced quarterbacks. Carroll’s late interception, his second of the game, reinforced that point. With injured junior quarterback Alex Dulski on the sidelines, Carroll was a late stand-in for the starting job.
I can also understand that the soggy weather may have spurred the reluctance to go to the aerial assault. Rain isn’t exactly conducive to accurate passing.
The argument isn’t as simple as passing more and rushing less ‘- this is about making the right play calls at the right time. Saturday’s effort was an uninspiring brand of football, and that has to change. It is counterproductive to attempt to run a spread offense when the quarterback is going to have the ball in his throwing hand less than half of the time. It is also counterproductive to attempt low-percentage plays at critical moments in the game, especially if there are potentially lucrative alternatives.
It is inexcusable to cause four turnovers in a game and score fewer than 10 points. Then again, when the offense isn’t given the chance to score those points, it’s not too hard to fathom.
Check out 104.9 FM or www.wrbbsports.com to hear all the action of your Huskies. Catch the Dog Pound Sports Sound every Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for discussion about Husky sports. Coverage of the football team’s game vs. Youngstown State begins at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
‘- Alex Faust can be reached ‘
at [email protected].
