Alyssa GregoryWashington University and Trinity have always played close games. Just eight points have separated these teams in their 16 all-time meetings, and ten of those meetings have been won by less than ten points-including six by a field goal or less.
They say that history repeats itself, but apparently, history took this weekend off.
The number-five ranked Trinity Tigers pushed the Bears around all day to the tune of 30-0. Trinity features the most potent Division III offense in the nation, averaging 541 yards and 49.8 points per contest. They are led by All-American quarterback Roy Hampton (194.06 passer rating) and All-American running back Jeremy Boyce (114 yards per game).
On Saturday, the dynamic duo of Hampton and Boyce lived up to their All-American billing, dazzling the Francis Field crowd with a dizzying array of spin moves, jukes and lightning-fast foot speed.
“[Boyce] is a man, and he played like a man,” said head coach Larry Kindbom. “He was every bit as good as we thought, and when a team establishes the run, it’s awfully hard to beat them.”
At times, it seemed as though the depleted Bears defense couldn’t lay a hand on Boyce as he scampered through the secondary for 198 yards rushing on the day.
And depleted they were. To confound the difficulties of being a young team playing against the best offense in the nation, the injury bug reared its ugly head, costing the Bears three starters on defense.
Among them were Brandon Roberts, senior middle linebacker and heart of the Bears’ run stop, and freshman defensive lineman Bob Murphy. Roberts left the game with a knee injury in the second quarter and did not return. Murphy, too, was unable to play.
The run defense, once the strength of the team (76.4 yards per game), instantly became vulnerable. Adding insult to injury, Trinity continued to pound away, running several successful shovel passes up the middle for big gains-gains that Roberts would have minimized.
Junior cornerback Tory Meyr and sophomore defensive lineman Ryan Allerman, also standouts on defense, were banged up on plays against the physical Trinity offense, but eventually returned to the game.
Despite facing the daunting task of stopping the Tiger offense, the defense did just enough to keep the Bears in it for most of the game.
“At half time, we’re not playing near our best football, and our defense is holding us in the game 9-0,” said Kindbom. “In the fourth quarter, we’re down 16-0 and driving, but then a 50-yard pass is called back on a strange holding penalty. We just needed that spark, but we didn’t get it.”
The offense was simply unable to move the ball effectively against Trinity-what was left of the offense, that is.
With starting sophomore running back Kevin McCarthy still out of the lineup, the backfield was already paper-thin. Backup junior running back Evan Noetzal and junior fullback Mike Decker were also unavailable to play at game time due to injuries. During the game, backup running backs sophomore Toby Neighbors and junior Matt Plotke missed series due to injury. At one point, the Bears were forced to rely upon freshman tailback Heath Hunter who had not seen a snap all season.
And it didn’t stop there.
Nathan Szep’s number-two wideout target, sophomore Jeff Buening, was unable to play, complicating an already tough day for the passing attack. The veteran offensive line didn’t provide Szep with his usual protection, and thus, throws were rushed all day, resulting in five interceptions-four in the first half alone.
The offensive line was not immune to injuries either, as sophomore right guard Josh Clark was unable to compete in the contest.
“Losing Josh Clark was as big a loss as any for us on offense,” said Kindbom. “He has really developed into a special offensive lineman.”
Szep and fellow freshman wideout Brad Duesing did show flashes of the “Freshman Connection” at points during the game, hitting on several quick slants over the middle, but the offense was unable to generate any substantial drives. When there was a big play, it was often called back by penalty, and in short yardage situations, the Bears struggled to convert first downs with their makeshift backfield.
Junior quarterback Matt Alley took over the reigns in the fourth quarter, but was also unable to move the ball against the Tiger defense.
The one bright spot on the day for WU was special teams play, specifically the effective (and frequent) punting of sophomore Richard Worth. There were no blocked punts or broken protection, as there have been in recent games, and the coverage units did a good job in limiting Trinity returns.
Conference play in the University Athletic Association kicks off next weekend as the Bears travel to Chicago to play the Maroons in the annual Founder’s Cup Game.