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| Jalen Bradford threw for seven touchdowns last weekend against Muhlenberg, but is hardly a prototypical pocket passer. Ursinus athletics photo |
By Brian Lester
D3sports.com
Jalen Bradford will tell you the goal is simple for the high-powered Ursinus offense. The Bears intend to score every time they have the ball in their possession.
“It’s something our coaches have emphasized all offseason, in practice and in games,” the senior quarterback said. “It’s kind of been our motto. Score every time we have the ball. Everyone has bought into that, and we really believe we can score every time we have it.”
With 45 or more points in three of its first four games, including more than 50 twice, Ursinus has proven that motto is more than just words.
“That’s the mindset,” senior running back Tony Holden said. “It would be great if we could score every single possession. We know it’s not going to happen, but if we have that mindset, we will be real close to doing it.”
Ursinus is 4-0, its first such start since 2017, and the offensive firepower of this team has fueled it.
The Bears have possessed the ball for more than 32 minutes per game. They’ve run 270 plays, accumulating more than 1,800 yards, and have scored 26 touchdowns. But it’s not like Ursinus is trying to get all those yards and touchdowns at once.
“We focus on one drive at a time. It’s worked out well for us so far,” Bradford said.
Ursinus coach Peter Gallagher has loved seeing the balance of this team on the offensive side of the ball. The Bears are averaging 242.8 yards per game on the ground and 215 through the air.
And while he’s happy about what it’s added up to so far, the season is far from over.
“We’re 4-0 and feeling good, and every game you win makes the stage a little bigger and bigger,” Gallagher said. “We have a long way to go and a lot of things to get better at, but we’ve come ready to play our first four games and we’re looking to keep improving.”
That was indeed the case against Muhlenberg in a big Centennial Conference battle last week. The Bears prevailed 53-50 after trailing 42-33 early in the fourth quarter.
Bradford played a big role in that victory, setting a single-game school record with seven touchdown passes. He threw for 303 yards, with three of his scoring strikes going to Cody House, one of five players to catch a touchdown pass in the win.
“It was cool to see everyone persevere and get through it, and come out with a win. It was a fun game to be a part of,” Bradford said.
And on breaking the record?
“I’m definitely humbled by it,” Bradford said. “I never really go into games saying I’d love to put up this or put up that, but it’s cool to see how it unfolded. While I was playing, I didn’t realize how many touchdowns I had thrown.”
Bradford has been big-time all season. He’s completed nearly 62 percent of his passes and has thrown for 798 yards and 11 scores.
“It always starts with the quarterback,” Gallagher said. "You talk about it at every level. He’s the guy touching the ball on every play. You can have a lot of talent at other spots and not be successful. You can’t not be talented at quarterback and reach the team’s full potential.”
Bradford said his success this year comes down to experience.
“I’m more comfortable and have more game experience under my belt,” Bradford said. “And I have more chemistry with the guys. We’re more familiar with each other this year. It’s made a big difference for me.”
Of course, this Ursinus team is not a one-man show. Holden has rushed for more than 100 yards in four straight games and scored the game winner against the Mules, giving his team a 53-42 lead with 3:13 to play in a wild game that featured 1,004 yards between the two teams.
Holden has 614 yards and eight touchdowns on the year.
“It’s really getting to the hole and hitting it hard,” Holden said. “The biggest thing for me is falling forward, getting extra yards, finishing through contact, getting us first downs and getting us in good field position.”
Holden said what makes the Bears so tough to slow down is their wide range of options.
“We have a bunch of guys that you have to stop. If you focus on one, everyone else is going to succeed. We have guys that can score in different ways, and our offensive line has been really special,” Holden said.
Ursinus was 8-3 last year but scored 40-plus only twice, and it was held to just 20 points in a 28-20 loss to Muhlenberg.
The focus coming into the year was to ramp things up offensively.
“It was something we wanted to focus on in the offseason and it’s really opened things up for us and has allowed us to put up a lot of points," Bradford said.”
Being prepared has paved the way.
“It starts with the preparation throughout the week. Our coaches put in a great game plan and everyone is working hard to help us be successful,” Bradford said.
Gallagher said the fact that his players have trusted the process has been instrumental in getting the Bears to this point of scoring a ton of points.
“At this level, it’s not all about winning. It’s about the process of being a winner,” Gallagher said. “These kids have bought into that. If you get them to understand the process and if they go about their business every day, winning takes care of itself.”
Having a strong culture in place has helped that cause.
“We have a culture where everyone wants to perform for their peers and their coaches, and when you have a culture like that, things go well,” Gallagher said. “The kids are doing the right things. That’s what makes this group special.”
Ursinus hopes to keep its special season going. If the Bears can stay dialed in, they’ll have a chance to do it.
“We have to worry about one game at a time,” Holden said. “We can’t worry about the (Johns) Hopkins game a few weeks from now or the Gettysburg game next month. We have to take it week by week and go out and attack each week.”
Gallagher said in past seasons there have been plays that have changed the course of the season. The goal is to have those plays go in their favor this year.
“We’ve been close in recent years, and we can look back and see where a handful of plays here and there might have changed the outcome of the season,” Gallagher said. “Cliches are cliches for a reason. There is truth to them. We have to play for the moment, have to play for today and stay true to our process. That’s the most important thing for our football team right now.”
