By Jack Weiland
BROOKLINE – Hofstra football coach Joe Gardi wasn’t shy in assessing his team’s 20-17 win over Northeastern Saturday at Parsons Field.
“I told the head coach of Northeastern they should have won the game, and I meant it from the bottom of my heart,” he said. “We did some awful things. We didn’t deserve to win the game.”
He was probably right. They didn’t deserve to win the game, not after fumbling eight times. But they did.
The Huskies fell to 1-9 overall, 1-6 Atlantic-10, despite playing well and having a chance – if not more than that – to win the contest.
Hofstra scored on its first three possessions, but booted the winning field goal in the fourth quarter after an NU comeback knotted things in the third.
“There were four football games [this year] where if there was a play here or a play there – and I’m not talking two or three plays, I’m talking one more play on offense or defense – and we have four additional wins,” coach Rocky Hager said. “I would say today was one of them.”
Hofstra started the game with 17 unanswered points before NU’s defense stiffened, much like last week, when the Huskies allowed back-to-back TDs to Maine before shutting the Black Bears down.
After NU went three-and-out on its first three possessions, starting quarterback Anthony Orio, a redshirt freshman, was relieved by John Sperrazza. He guided the team on a seven-play, 58-yard drive just before halftime, with Maurice Murray (15 rushes, 71 yards) getting the hosts on the board on a one-yard touchdown dive.
In the third quarter, Sperrazza connected with senior receiver Cory Parks on a 15-yard strike to the corner of the end zone, pulling the Huskies within three. With two minutes to play in the third, he led the team downfield on an eight-play drive that ended with a 36-yard field goal from senior Miro Kesic, tying the game.
Hofstra reclaimed the lead on a 19-yard field goal two minutes into the fourth, and Northeastern never closed the final gap.
“We will be back,” Hager said. “We will get things right. And we will be successful.”
