The circumstances early in the Northeastern football team’s 38-20 loss at Villanova Saturday – the team’s third defeat and its worst start since 1994 – could make Alfred Hitchcock blush.
A lightning storm stopped play in the first quarter and delayed the game by an hour and half. Both teams played without the benefit of a clock after the lightning knocked out the scoreboard at Villanova Stadium.
Senior receiver Pat Graham hurt his knee on the first play of the game, missing the rest of the contest.
Freshman quarterback Anthony Orio bruised his knee on the third play. After trying to fight through it, he too was lost for the day.
On the seventh play of the game, starting linebacker Jay Frank was done for the day, his knee the culprit as well.
Eerie, huh?
“The whole day was kind of ‘The Twilight Zone,'” coach Rocky Hager said. “It didn’t have that normal rhythm or sync. It was just a real different night. I’ve been through some similar things, but nothing quite like that.”
Now, at 0-3 overall and 0-1 in the Atlantic-10, Hager and Co. are the ones blushing.
“There is frustration, but the difference between winning and what we’ve gone through is so minute,” Hager said. “The Georgia Southern game there was a play here or a play there and all of a sudden the score is in our favor and everyone thinks we’re wonderful. We did not play well at Youngstown. We played much better at Villanova, but the fruits aren’t there on the tree for us.
“It’s the little things that are keeping us from being successful. Little things like communication on punts, little things like pursuing to the football with all 11 players. We’ve gotta get to where we’re executing. It’s all part of the learning process.”
Although NU took the lead on a 46-yard Miro Kesic field goal in the first quarter, two rushing touchdowns from Villanova’s Matt Dicken combined with touchdown returns on a blocked punt and from a fumble gave the Wildcats a commanding 26-10 edge at halftime.
VU’s Darrell Young returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to put his team up 6-3 in the first quarter. Dicken then scored his first touchdown, a two-yard run, to make it 13-3 after one quarter. Play was then stopped for the lightning.
After the game resumed, NU’s Maurice Murray capped an impressive three-play, 74-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown to bring the Huskies within three points. It was as close as they’d get all day.
Ten minutes before halftime, Rodney Badger intercepted an Orio pass and fumbled into the end zone where teammate Brian Hulea fell on the ball to put VU up, 19-10. Dicken added his second TD, another two-yard dive, to make it 26-10 at halftime.
NU managed just a field goal in the third quarter, while Villanova responded with a field goal of its own and a 27-yard touchdown pass from Frank Jankowski (16-25, 241 yards) to further its advantage.
Adam James, who earlier had drilled a 19-yard attempt, connected on a 34-yarder to make it 38-13 with 12 minutes left in the game. With 5:56 remaining, Murray (13 carries for 80 yards) scored his second touchdown, a six-yard run, to finish the scoring at 38-20.
Besides Murray, wide receiver Cory Parks was the lone offensive positive for the Huskies. The senior caught eight passes for 129 yards. The team also improved its rushing defense, a glaring problem in the first two games, allowing just 101 yards on three carries. Redshirt freshman quarterback John Sperrazza, seeing his first action of the season after Orio went down, was 10-19 with 89 yards.
“With the adversity we’re facing, we’re coming together as a team,” Parks said. “As opposed to the Youngstown game where people were throwing tantrums on the sideline and getting upset, everyone [Saturday] was like, ‘Don’t worry about it, let’s get it going and keep it together.”
Parks also has hope for the future.
“I think you’re going to see a football team that’s going to continue to fight,” the senior said. “No one is pointing fingers. I see us getting better week in and week out.”
