The William Paterson football team experienced a rough season last year, to say the least.
While on the surface, the Pioneers had a 1-9 record last season, following a seven-game losing streak, it was a cut-and-dry case of a team projected to be one of the two worst teams in the NJAC living up to those expectations.
But the season was even worse than that, looking at what the base record would indicate.
Last season was plagued with immense struggles arising from a multitude of coaching problems, inexperience on the roster, and injuries.
The injury bug hit the football team at the most critical position this past season. Their starting quarterback, a graduate student transfer from Georgetown, Connor Katz, would get hurt and miss the rest of the year after only playing three games.
Then, after switching to backup quarterback Nigel Jennings, he would suffer an injury.
Not too long after the injuries to Katz and Jennings, the Pioneers were forced into a QB carousel, where they even had to play defensive back Mahsiah McRae as the starting quarterback for two Games.
Considering the injuries at the quarterback position and the roster’s youth, it’s understandable why Hea
d Coach Shaun Williams would be optimistic about the team going into this season.
However, critics of the team w
ill argue that injuries are part of the game, and the coaching staff seemed unable to adjust to their personnel. The offensive playcalling was predictable, and other teams quickly picked up on their tendencies.
This resulted in the Pioneers having a three-and-out machine of an offense and not being able to play complementary football. With how quickly their offense would be forced to punt, the defense would have no time to regroup and recharge on the sidelines before
having to return to the field.
Despite optimism from Williams and the players, the William Paterson student body is quite the opposite.
On the social media platform Fizz, one account said a week before the team’s season opener, “To the freshman that wanna get in on some Willy P traditions: Bully the football team starts next Saturday 1 pm.”
Another user commented last week, “If our football team wins I’ll shave my eyebrows off.”
In their season opener against Western Connecticut State, the Wolves showed a peek of how the 2025 Pioneers are not the same old Pioneers.
On the offensive end, William Paterson scored 20 points, which may not seem all that impressive. But in reality, this was a significant improvement from their 8.8 points per game average the previous year.
Last season, they averaged 66.7 rushing yards per game, 11.4 first downs per game, and a 17.9% 3rd down conversion rate. However, in their first game, the Pioneers achieved 156 rushing yards, 17 first downs, and a 3rd-down conversion rate of 26%.
All these improvements were completed, and the passing game is still not fully developed, as they only accomplished 66 yards through the air.
William Paterson also displayed a rejuvenated defensive unit. Last season, the Pioneers had a porous defense that couldn’t even stop a nosebleed if they had a pack of tissues.
Opposing offenses walked all over their defense, allowing 36 points per game, 345.4 yards per game, and a staggering 163.5 rushing yards per game.
Against the Wolves, their defense turned around, only giving up 21 points, 22 rushing yards, and 255 total yards.
While there is still a lot of season left to be played, these improvements indicate that the team is developing and adapting to the strengths of its roster, potentially addressing the problems that plagued them throughout last year.
