J.T. Rogan and Zach Lewis at the 619 Sports/Tilted Kilt Tweetup on Tuesday night/(619 Sports Photo)
This is the latest installment in a series of weekly columns about USD Toreros football by a six year veteran of the team, running back J.T. Rogan. The Toreros lost to Jacksonville last week 34-16 and travel to Dayton this Saturday:
When I injured myself last year it was very important to me to remain a visible part of the team. I attended as many team activities as possible. I picked out our team movie for our Friday night team activity, I went to weightroom lifting sessions despite being physically limited and I attempted to inspire our team through my attitude and commitment to the team.
Our administrators understood the importance of the football program to me, and consequently, I was allowed to travel to a road game of my choice. This opportunity is not afforded to many non-participating players because traveling an injured player to an away game means that a football program already operating in the red would be forced to dedicate over $500 from the football budget to accommodate a bystander.
I decided to go to Jacksonville because I believed that they were capable of being our most difficult PFL road opponent. I knew the type of team that Jacksonville was. I had played them multiple times and I was aware of the intensity with which they played. What they lacked in discipline, they seemingly made up for with athleticism and passion.
In a sixty minute battle last year Jacksonville emerged with a one point victory thanks to a fantastically long field goal made by a kicker who had not been named the place kicker for Jacksonville until the week of our game. We wanted to avenge the loss of the previous season, this was our opportunity and we let it slip away.
We lost the game by a sizable margin, 34-16, but the separation in the score does not reflect the relative equality of the teams. It is said that good, focused, successful teams find a way to win games. The contrary may also hold true. Teams searching for their identity, teams that are distracted and teams that are inexperienced are the types of teams find ways to lose games.
We failed to seize opportunities in one possession losses to both Butler and Drake, and against a better opponent we were even less proficient in our operating. In each of our three conference losses we were either ahead or within scoring distance while within one possession of our opponent and to quote the legendary Dennis Green, “We let ‘em off the hook.”
There are no excuses to be made. The only thing that matters at the end of a game is the result. Few people want to hear about how a team won, and even fewer want to hear about how a team lost. The opportunity to defeat the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio will be the motivation behind the team’s preparation this week. There is only one thing that can mask the deficiencies of a program and that is effort. When a group of players that comprise a team work relentlessly toward a common goal of victory only then can fierce competition be overcome.
I have had some players come up to me and apologize for the season not going how everybody had hoped and for us losing as often in seven games this season as in my previous 3 seasons. Admittedly, I came back to win. I came back to win every single game on our schedule. Every game I prepare to play I expect to win, but I don’t “play to win.” I play for the opportunities like flying to Dayton, giving my personal best alongside 55 of my closest friends and competing to achieve our greatest level of team success.
The act of winning is a byproduct of a lot of variables combined into a complex dynamic that doesn’t necessarily indicate who the best team is. The opportunity to win is raw, unbiased and definite. Winning is uncertain and questionable. Winning hinges on individual plays, players, calls, coaching decisions, injuries, etc. The opportunity to win is pure and absolute.
I came back with the hope that I would have eleven opportunities to compete, but the only thing guaranteed to me presently is that I will get the opportunity to win at Dayton on Saturday and I couldn’t be more excited about it.
Craig Elsten -
Chris Ello -
Chainsaw -
