Coach K.C. Keeler's season ended with a loss
in Salem five times in the '90s. Photo by Pat Coleman, D3football.com |
By Keith McMillan
D3football.com
SALEM, Va. – Consistent and disappointing
might be the two best adjectives to sum up an incredible decade for
the team formerly known as Glassboro State.
With a 24-17 overtime win against Mount Union on Dec. 11, the
Rowan Profs accomplished what few teams in Division III history had
by earning a fifth trip to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. With a 42-13
loss to Pacific Lutheran one week later, the Profs accomplished
what no team has: a fifth Stagg Bowl loss.
Just a few touchdowns from earning the "team of the decade"
distinction; instead Rowan is scarred by a "Buffalo Bills of
Division III" moniker.
Like the Bills, it has become easy to associate the Profs with
losing the big game. But, for a second, stop and recognize what
they've accomplished.
The Profs have become a model of consistency throughout the 1990s.
Along with their rivals from Alliance, Ohio, they've become the
standard by which Division III football is judged.
Consider that the Profs have made the playoffs in all but two
seasons in the 1990s (1990 and 1994). When they've been, they've
won, capturing the East Region championship a mind-boggling seven
times. That's consistency.
But the consistency that makes the Profs a tremendous football
team bred disappointment in the wake of Saturday's loss. It's
difficult to reach the game's apex five times, only to fall from
grace on each occasion. So disappointing, that despite numerous
accomplishments, it was tough for head coach K.C. Keeler to say
after the game that the entire 1999 season was not a
disappointment.
"Yes and no," Keeler said Saturday in the tone of a man taking
full responsibility for his team's shortcomings. "We're smart
enough to recognize the great accomplishments, a trip to the Stagg
Bowl, East Region championship, Lambert Cup, ECAC team of the year,
beating Mount Union at their place. All are great accomplishments
for a great team, but you know, obviously, we're kind of funny. We
put it right out there. We want to be national champions. If you
don't do that, then obviously there's going to be some
disappointment."
In their five trips to Salem, the Profs have been consistently
disappointed. No matter how well their season went or how
impressive their runs through the playoffs have been, the Profs
have been consistently outplayed in the final game by so-called
teams on a mission.
Their closest contest was the first one, a 34-24 loss to the
Purple Raiders. The other final scores have not been pretty: 36-7
against UW-La Crosse in 1995, 56-24 against Mount Union in 1996 and
44-24 against the Purple Raiders in 1997.
Saturday was more of the same. The Profs, who had rushed for 462
yards against perennial playoff team Buffalo State in October,
totaled minus-63 on the ground against Pacific Lutheran. The Profs
defense that dominated all season, causing as many as eight
turnovers in a playoff game, was unable to force a single turnover
against the Lutes and was shredded for 42 points.
Final scores in Stagg Bowls have not indicated their
competitiveness. They led Mount Union 24-21 at the half in 1996 and
24-16 late in the third period in 1998. Rowan and PLU traded
touchdowns early on Saturday before the Lutes ran off 28 unanswered
points.
Similarly, the Rowan program is not defined simply by what they've
done in Stagg Bowls. But entering Saturday's season finale, Keeler
and his troops knew the pressure that expectations placed squarely
upon their shoulders.
"Yeah, I think I recognized that," said Keeler. "I think we were
really loose this week, looser than we've ever been before. I told
the kids I'm not going to say a word about the national
championship until the national championship game is over. I told
them that Saturday (after beating Mt. Union). I told them I'm not
going to talk championship game anymore. I said if we're prepared
properly, we're excited to play, just go out and play the game.
Don't worry about that it's for the national championship. Just go
out and play."
In the wake of Saturday's disaster, Keeler had little
explanation.
"I thought we were loose. A couple (of) plays can change your
whole she-bang, and boy the fumble early, and them getting another
seven (by) making a couple of plays ... that really put us in a
hole."
In the span of a few good plays on PLU's part, did the Profs go
from team to remember to team to forget?
"We did not go from a great team and great coaches and beating
Mount Union to a bad team today," said Keeler postgame. "You have
to give credit to what Pacific Lutheran did today."
But the loss still stung.
"I don't know if there's a whole lot of good we can take from
this," Keeler added. "Usually there's always something. But, a
couple guys I grabbed on the sideline during the end of this thing
and I said, "you know, no one in this world is hurting more than
me, but it's how you handle your adversities … And I think
possibly some of the young guys learned a little bit about that
from how I was handling it. The whole thing is I have to be the
rock, I have to be the guy, the go-to guy in situations like
this."
Keeler said one of the guys he grabbed was true freshman
quarterback Mike Warker.
"I grabbed him and said, 'Hey Michael, who in this world is
hurting more than me? Nobody. But all I can do is keep on coaching
and all you can do is keep on playing.' And so I think some of the
young guys learned about trying to take some of those adversities
head on."
Keeler and his players also recognize that there is victory in the
journey itself, and that there are no guarantees that they'll be
back.
"I have been on the field here three times, and all the losses
hurt," said all-American linebacker John Gavlick. "But I refuse to
hang my head. I have had a great time at Rowan."
"It would have been nice to win one," said running back Justin
Wright later.
Keeler, who returns several talented underclassmen, knows it is
not a given that the Profs will get back to Division III's title
game.
"What we've done is amazing, five times in the 1990s. You can't
take it for granted, you really can't. Especially with the senior
class graduating, it's going to be a long road to get back."
Keeler also acknowledged that losing this time may have been the
most difficult.
"It's tough in that way, because in many ways this was our best
shot with this great group of seniors," he noted Saturday evening.
"And now where do you go from here? But you know, unless I decide
to change jobs, what I do for a living, then we'll just find a way
get back here and do this."