A 45-0 blowout by Rowan mercifully ended the Pioneers’ miserable 1-9 season on Saturday, Nov. 16, with their seventh-straight loss.
It was the third time William Paterson was shut out this year, following a 24-0 loss to Dickinson College on Sept. 14 and a 63-0 trouncing to Salisbury on Oct. 12.
“I think it’s the same story that it’s been all year,” head coach Shaun Williams said a day after the season ended. “Obviously, we got to our fifth-string quarterback, our inability to really have an effective passing game, allowing Rowan’s defense to kind of hone in on our running game and stop that. We were able to move the ball at times, and that was good. Obviously, the turnovers are huge. We had five turnovers yesterday. We didn’t come up with any turnovers defensively.”
The Pioneers had trouble passing all game. Quarterback Mahsiah McRae threw 20 times for nine completions, 49 yards, and three interceptions. McRae managed to rush for 74 yards, but he was also sacked nine times.
William Paterson could not get the ball rolling on offense all game, with only one solid drive landing in the red zone.
On the final play of that drive at the end of the first half, the Pioneers were faced with a fourth-and-15 after back-to-back sacks. Despite being in field goal range, Williams elected to go for it on fourth down. McRae dropped back to pass and found no one open in the end zone.
Williams said after the game that he had considered going for the field goal, but decided to try for six points down 28-0.
“We feel like a field goal didn’t really help as much, but it was on the advantage of our kicker’s range,” Williams said. “So that was a thought, but we took a shot at the end zone, came up short that situation. You know, everybody can judge and critique. That’s fine. Everybody got their opinion. I think that’s a judgment call in there for me. I wanted our offense to score a touchdown.”
Besides the struggles on offense, the Pioneers could not win the field position battle against the Profs. On five out of seven scoring drives, the Profs were given the ball in the Pioneers territory. This was the result of blocking and holding penalties on special teams, and not moving the ball on offense.
Rowan forced a three and out six times and five turnovers.
The score put a sad ending on the careers of eight seniors as well as assistant coach Greg Lusardi, who is retiring after 10 years.
“Not gonna lie, it’s kind of getting me a little teary eyed,” senior linebacker Samad Wingo told the Beacon. “I love Lusardi. From the time I stepped in here, he just [gave] me nothing but positivity and let me know how great of a player I was, and the potential that I had to go to the top. And it’s sad to see him go, but it’s also good, because now, you know, he gets to focus on his family, be there around his grandchildren, all that good stuff. And it sucks, but he also had a fantastic career here and I wish him nothing but the best. I love him to death. That’s really my guy.”
Williams set his eyes on 2025.
“Next season starts now,” he said. “For our players, we’re going to give them about two weeks off, but we’re looking forward to getting into our brand new weight room and utilizing that facility, and that’s going to start after Thanksgiving. So, give the players a little time off to kind of catch their breath, recover, and reflect, and then we’re right back at it in two weeks. So, we’re excited to get next season’s preparation started.”
