By ELLIOT AVE-LALLEMANT
On September 14, Beloiter Days was packed with many activities and experiences, but no alumni weekend is complete until you have your alma mater completely wrecked on the football field. Ultimately, that’s what happened last Saturday when our fighting Buccaneers lost 17-13 to Knox College. The most accurate way to describe my feelings toward this game would be “They had us in the first half, not gonna lie.” Local Beloit fans were optimistic about the Bucs’ chance to win this game. “I talked to a few of the players, they said we look pretty good.” said one fan. “We have a lot of freshmen on the team now, and they look good too. We’re definitely taking the win.” Other fans theorized a comeback. “We’re gonna have a comeback and win by 40 points. I don’t know how but it will be possible.”
The student section was very much alive during the game, and gave most people the impression that Beloit was going to walk away with a win. The cheers were loud, with some students even taking it upon themselves to take charge and lead chants. I can personally say that I lost my voice because I was chanting so loud.
The game started off slow, with Beloit being the first team to put points on the board with a field goal in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Knox put themselves ahead with a touchdown and an extra point conversion, setting up some work for the Bucs in the second half. Knox lured Beloit into a false sense of security in the third quarter by allowing Beloit to score 10 points, but ultimately Knox took the W with a field goal and a touchdown at the very end of the game.
After the game, the morale amongst the fans was much lower than at the beginning. People seemed to be so shocked that nobody could say anything during my post game interviews. Everybody seemed too stunned to speak. However, once I did get some responses, it was clear that people were not happy with this close loss. “I don’t think we ever believed [in the team] enough.” stated one fan. “The kicker is the most reliable player on this whole team.” another complained.
After this game, it is clear that the Bucs have some issues to address and changes to make. Our defense played the best they could, but the weak links were ultimately exposed and capitalized on by Knox. It’s understandable that the defense got tired, given that most of Beloit’s time was spent on the defensive side of the ball. The punter really stepped his game up, going from averaging 19 yards per punt to averaging 34 yards per punt. A much needed improvement that really helped Beloit’s defense.
On offense, our pass game was lacking. To the fans, it looked like Beloit was calling the same plays and throwing to the same place three times in a row. A student said it best, saying “[We need to] put the ball in the hands of the running back a bit more. 12 is a good quarterback. He needs more time. He needed more from our receivers and [offensive] line.” Some fans expressed that a quarterback change is necessary if Beloit wants to win more games.
While it wasn’t as bad as our previous homecoming game’s result of 33-23, it was still a heartbreaking result, with the win slipping through the Buc’s fingers once again. The team has a lot of changes to make as Beloit searches for its first win of the season. But who knows, if they play their cards right, we might get a win before we play Lawrence at home in October.
Featured Image Credit: Cooper Rathmann’28
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