Not much went right for the football team this weekend. The Yellowjackets were trounced by Washington University in St. Louis Saturday by a score of 46-0.
The men did not fare well in their first full game in four years without their star quarterback, senior Jeff Piscitelli, who is out for the remainder of the year due to knee injury surgery. Because of some nerve damage, the degree of Piscitelli’s recovery is still in question.
However, he is not out of the game and his heart still belongs to the Yellowjackets.
“[Piscitelli’s] No. 1 priority right now is to get himself healthy,” head coach Mark Kreydt said. “But he wants to be around physically and his knowledge of the game, the opponents, can be valuable to everybody in this program.”
For the Washington matchup, sophomore Patrick Fitzsimmons stepped in for Piscitelli and tried to fill his enormous shoes, but was unable to even put a point on the board against the tenacious Bears defense.
Washington posted seven sacks, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions and seven batted passes against the frazzled Yellowjackets.
The Bears asserted their dominance right from the start. Quarterback Brian Tatom had two one-yard rushing touchdowns in the first quarter alone, and UR found itself in an early 14-0 deficit.
Senior defensive lineman John Woods had a fumble recovery on the drive following the second TD, but an interception by the Washington defense prevented the Yellowjackets from capitalizing.
Two possessions later, Bears running back Bobby Collins’ 38-yard touchdown run put UR down 21-0. Collins had a mammoth day on the ground, finishing with 133 yards on 25 carries.
On the upside for the Yellowjackets, sophomore wide receiver Brian Ferris had a big game catching the ball. Ferris had 72 yards in six receptions, establishing himself as a real go-to guy in the UR offense.
The second half, much like the first, was all Bears. They wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the third quarter. On the first drive, Tatom hit receiver Reggie Crume for a 27-yard touchdown strike. The point after touchdown was no good, and the lead 27-0.
Later in the quarter, the Bears defense recorded a rare safety, sacking Fitzsimmons in the end zone. Washington’s Jonathan Feig added a 22-yard field goal, and the third period ended 32-0.
When all was said and done, UR gulped down the loss, bringing its University Athletic Association record to 1-1 and its overall mark to 3-4. Washington improved to 6-2 and still keeping their eyes on the UAA title.
This Saturday, UR looks to bounce back with a win against Carnegie Mellon University at Fauver Stadium at 1 p.m.
“We have to come out and play hard again,” Kreydt said. “We have been so inconsistent.”
“We need to get back on track this week,” he said.
“The enthusiasm was there two weeks ago against University of Chicago and I know it is within us.”
Pisco can be reached at jpisco@campustimes.org.
