Week two was a three-act musical complete with a light show from the heavens, a frantic trip to Food Lion, and even the rare opportunity for Randolph-Macon head football coach Pedro Arruza to see a few plays from his alma mater.
The two-plus hour lightning delay just before halftime ended caused a quick grocery trip to keep the Yellow Jackets fueled for the second half, when it started, eventually. Once back on the field, it was the home team turning in a 59-14 win over Catholic.
Today, in sun-splashed Buena Vista, on a football field that seemed to be dropped from a helicopter onto a surface hugging the base of three small mountains, the 12th ranked Yellow Jackets took to the field expecting to defeat Southern Virginia for the third time in as many meetings.
Randolph-Macon took advantage of short fields to roll out to a quick 14-0 lead, then survived a wonky second quarter, getting back on track after halftime to take care of the Knights 51-10, putting the Yellow Jackets at 3-0 heading into the bye week, with sights set on the seven-week dash that is the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) regular season.
That second quarter, when Southern Virginia decided to really turn the keys over to freshman quarterback Lachlan Haacke, the Knights pulled together a fourteen-play drive that took almost ten minutes off the clock. This portion of the game was crucial when it comes to exactly where Randolph-Macon's defense is now three games into the season.
Facing third and fourteen, a pass interference call gave the Knights a first down into Yellow Jacket territory. After a tackle for loss and a one-yard run, on third and eleven, Haacke found Isaac McMullin for a 19-yard reception. Two plays later, a roughing the passer penalty put Southern Virginia (0-3) at the Randolph-Macon 18.
A holding call put the Knights back to the 24, but Haacke struck, on third and sixteen, hitting Jake Schenk for a 15-yard gain to the nine. After calling timeout, on fourth and one, Walter Collins grabbed six yards for a first and goal. He promptly lost those six yards on first down on a great play by Alex Biddle. But two plays later, it was Haacke's feet that ended the drive on a seven-yard scoring run.
Receivers were getting open, third downs converted (and one fourth down), with two penalties not helping the Yellow Jacket cause. Now, granted, on the ensuing possession, Drew Campanale launched a 65-yard bomb to David Wallis, who, inexplicably, got seven yards behind the Southern Virginia secondary. But the point after failed, making the score 23-7, which it was at halftime.
When asked if the Yellow Jackets had taken a step backwards during the uneven second quarter after the contest, Arruza wouldn't use that jargon, but did give a telling synopsis.
"I don't know about a step backwards. I would say this: a lot of things were exposed. We're going to have to learn a lot from this game," Arruza explained. "If you asked me whether I'd like to come out and win 75-0, I don't think so. I think this will be a little bit more of an attention-getter. I think they'll see that we need to practice with a sense of urgency."
There was certainly more urgency in the second half, as Randolph-Macon began the third quarter with a 48-yard completion to Wallis, followed by runs of four, ten, nine and four yards, scoring on a four-yard run from Mitchell Johnson. Five plays, 75 yards, in just two minutes and eight seconds.
The defense stiffened, forcing a Knights punt on their first possession. Taking over at their own 34, Randolph-Macon rolled out a classic drive, with eleven plays taking six minutes, highlighted early by Kwesi Clarke earning seventeen yards on four carries, then grabbing a Campanale pass for eight to the Knights' 34. Campanale found Holden Hodge twice, the second completion for fifteen yards to the ten, setting up Nick Hale's seventh rushing score of 2023 to essentially put the game out of reach at 37-7.
Early in the fourth, Brecht Heuchan threw a laser to the back right pylon, grabbed by Cullen Martin for a touchdown. The Yellow Jackets finished their scoring when, after an interception by Brandon Watson at the Southern Virginia 44, Cameron Chatmon took a handoff and raced up the middle scott free for a score.
The 51-10 final is more reflective of the exclamation point that was the second half, and the quick start by Randolph-Macon, scoring on drives of 27 and 40 yards. But Arruza and his staff won't soon forget when the wheels went sideways, mostly defensively, as well as a missed extra point in the second period due to a poor snap.
"Today we didn't quite feel the same level of energy," Arruza said. "As I tell the players, I'm not here to hype you guys up. I don't believe in that. That lasts for a very short time. You've got to bring your own energy. We played like we practiced. That's all there is to it. We had the really bad snap on the extra point, because of practice. We did the same thing on Thursday. The way we ran the football at times was indicative of what we did in practice. Guys have to understand; the habits you have during the week, they'll show up on Saturdays."
Let's also give credit where credit is certainly due. Randolph-Macon outscored non-conference opponents 161-33. No, it was not the tougher schedule the Yellow Jackets tried to get, but the bottom line is you must play at your best every week, not just to win, but to sharpen your iron, to survive the ups and downs of the ODAC schedule, and to show Division III followers across the nation that the respect currently being given the Yellow Jackets is warranted, and, more importantly, deserved.
Campanale was eight-of-nine for 212 yards and a score, while Heuchan went seven-of-nine for 78 yards and the touchdown pass to Martin. After starting nine-of-eleven, Haacke finished the day 12-of-22 for 151 yards and two fourth quarter interceptions. As a team, the Knights gained exactly seven yards rushing.
Make no mistake, however. Team 136 is being held to even a higher standard than the record-setting 2022 squad that went 11-1 and, arguably, could have advanced further in the NCAA championship. It doesn't take much observation to understand the reason why. The coaching staff knows the talent, the experience, and the depth that they possess. They are keenly aware of what is possible for Randolph-Macon College Football this season.
I am reminded of the legendary Vince Lombardi's famous quote, one of many.
"Gentlemen, we will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence."
The Yellow Jackets will practice this week, enjoy a weekend off to allow student-athletes to go home and get a break, before resuming preparations for their trip to Greensboro, North Carolina to battle the Guilford Quakers on Saturday, September 30th.
(File Photo from September 9, 2023)
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