By Darren Sands

If you told any coach, student or administrator that the Pride football team would not only compete with, but also put a scare into the defending national champion, University of Delaware Blue Hens without scoring an offensive touchdown, they would call you crazy, and tell you to get away from them, call Public Safety.

On homecoming Saturday, however, the Pride offense briefly provided tangible excitement, reminiscent of the games this year against the University of Rhode Island and the University of Albany. Both were home games in which the Pride scored a combined 102 points. Maybe the flyer that said, “Let’s stay undefeated at home,” should have come with a disclaimer that said both games were started by Bobby Seck.

“When he’s on the field we feel like we don’t have to worry about anything,” senior receiver Isaac Irby said.

Before exiting the game due to injury, Seck completed 7 of 10 passes and put the Pride in scoring position backed by three and outs by the defense who came out blitzing the quarterback, tipping balls, and making all sorts of tackles. It seemed only a matter of time before Seck would connect with one of his many weapons and break the game open.

That is all in the past, and an MRI on Seck’s knee will reveal if we will feel that excitement again this season. Sophomore quarterback Anton Clarkson is not a bad player, Seck may just be that good in this offense.

“I think it’s a combination of things,” Gardi said of the play of his quarterback. “He reads defenses very well, and the team responds to him when he’s out there. Clarkson, on the other hand did not play well enough for us to win. So it’s very frustrating as a coach to know why your team is not winning every game.”

Clarkson completed 13 of 31 passes for 88 yards in relief of Seck. All the Pride needed down the stretch was one score, but the offense could not deliver. It will be Clarkson’s team to run, should Seck not be able to return.

The Pride will have to rely more on the defense which is coming off of its best game of the year. It was the type of performance that Gardi said he and his staff had been expecting, noting that coming into the season, many thought the defense would be the team’s “strong suit.”

“I think they hopefully have grown up now, and that’s the way they’re going to play the rest of the year,” Gardi said.