NEW LONDON, Conn. —
Junior quarterback
Sean Burns (Absecon, N.J.) threw for over 300 yards and sophomore receiver
Freddy Barber (Goochland, Va.) totaled 134 receiving yards as the United States Coast Guard Academy football team fell to Springfield College, 20-38, on Saturday afternoon at Cadet Memorial Field.
Coast Guard drops to 4-4 on the season and 2-3 in NEWMAC play, while Springfield improves to 7-1 overall and 5-0 against league foes. The Pride will return to the field next Saturday, November 7th, at home against league foes Norwich University (3-5, 1-4).
Despite putting up over 320 yards of total offense and outgaining the Pride with 5.8 yards per play, Coast Guard was weighed down severely by turnovers. The Bears saw three drives cut short on interceptions and three on lost fumbles. Ball security seemed to be an issue for both sides, as the Pride let the ball pop out three times as well.
The Bears's first drive of the day was a sight of what was to come. Barber put the Bears in great field position by bringing the opening kick-off to the Springfield 49, but Coast Guard fumbled it away on their fourth play of the game. Coast Guard responded by blowing up a rare Springfield pass play on third down, with sophomore
Lucas Roser (Ashburn, Va.) and junior
Ian Smith (Fredericksburg, Va.) teaming up for a big sack to force a punt. Coast Guard was able to capitalize with Burns connecting with
Sam Bennett (Winston-Salem, N.C.) for a 37-yard score. The Bears were unable to make it 7-0 due to a blocked extra point.
On their next drive, Springfield got to the endzone after James Green was ruled down but not ruled as such, and he took full advantage of the defensive lull by extending his run for a 46-yard gain. The Pride were able to work their way into the endzone and convert their extra point to take a one-point lead.
Springfield forced a punt on the next Bears drive, but senior captain
Lucas White (Juneau, Alas.) forced a fumble that was recovered by junior linebacker
Noah Rohrer (Mount Joy, Pa.). Coast Guard never had the opportunity to make something of it as Burns was picked off on the first play of the new drive. The Pride took their new chance into the second quarter and concluded it with a 13-yard Stanford Davis touchdown. The extra point made it 14-6 with 11:10 on the clock. White racked up 22 tackles to lead the game as one of four Bears to tally at least 13.
The Bears moved up the field more smoothly during their next possession, doing so on multiple passing plays with gains of 10+ yards. Eventually, Burns would lob it up to senior receiver
Matthew LaBouliere (Pipersville, Pa.) for a 21-yard score and bring the deficit back to one with 7:59 to go. Coast Guard forced a punt on the next Pride drive but fumbled the return to give the visitors prime real estate at the seven-yard line. Springfield scored on the next play to regain their eight-point lead.
The two sides traded punts for the rest of the first half, with the Bears unable to capitalize on back-to-back kicks landing inside the Springfield ten from junior
Lucas Hubert (Canton, Ga.). Hubert took the field for five punts and landed four of them inside the 20-yard line.
Coast Guard forced a Springfield punt on the opening drive of the second half and turned it around for six, capping the drive with a 28-yard connection between Burns and Barber. McClure made good on the extra point to make it 21-20 at 8:44 in the third.
Springfield's next drive ended early when a rusher lost the ball in the backfield and it was pounced on by sophomore linebacker
Aiden Avenia (New Hartford, Conn.). The Pride responded with good pass coverage and were helped by a Bears holding penalty on the next drive, leading to a punt. The snap went high and Hubert kicked it out to try and get a safety, but he was called for illegal kicking due to the ball not being in the endzone. Springfield got it at the one and promptly punched it in for six, with the PAT putting the score at 28-20 with a minute-and-a-half to go in the third.
The Bears reached midfield on the next drive before giving up their third fumble of the afternoon. Coast Guard was able to make them kick it away again, but the Pride got it back just as quick after picking Burns off on the six-yard line. This time around, the Bears made their guests settle for a field goal.
Coast Guard punted again, and the Bears defense put the Pride at 4th-and-5 on the 29-yard line. Springfield elected to go for it and pounded out a 25-yard gain to launce themselves into the red zone. They scored the knockout blow soon after, with the PAT giving them an 18-point lead with 5:40 to go in the game.
Coast Guard football will look to bounce back next Saturday, November 7th, against NEWMAC foes Salve Regina (5-3, 2-3 NEWMAC) at Cadet Memorial Field. The Bears won a thrilling 36-31 contest in Newport last season.
