Sloppy play earns CSM second conference loss

No matter how hard they tried or how many times they attempted to fire each other up, nothing worked. The loss managed to take a toll on everyone as a couple of the CSM players had to be separated on the sideline late in the contest. Coach Larry Owens acknowledged the team's current mental state.

"I know there are a lot of frustrated guys in the locker room, and I'm one of them," Owens said. "The bottom line is we didn't come to play mentally with emotion and intensity. They're down and the way they played they should be. We weren't hungry today."

CSM actually got off to a good start when its defense forced No. 5 Foothill (6-1, 2-0) to punt on the game's opening possession. However, Brandon O'Bannon let the ball bounce before curiously taking a swipe at it with his left hand. Foothill recovered and one play later Alan Webster broke two tackles en route to a 24-yard touchdown run.

The Bulldogs never recovered. Quarterback Kevin Linnell threw two interceptions in the opening quarter, although one was a tipped ball off the hands of O'Bannon. Foothill converted that takeaway with an eight-play, 54-yard drive, capped by John Russell's 6-yard touchdown pass to Cory Flax, upping its lead to 12-0 with 11:16 left in the second.

The Owls made it 19-0 on Ardell Briggs' 3-yard halfback option pass to Chris Fultcher with 3:37 left until halftime. The Bulldogs then went on a methodical 15-play, 79-yard drive, highlighted by Linnell's 21-yard pass to E.J. Boganey. But on a third-and-10 from the Owls' 11-yard line, Linnell scrambled for a 5-yard gain as time expired.

CSM finally scored on Sean Connor's 1-yard plunge with 12:52 to go in the fourth. Its last touchdown, a Linnell 11-yard pass to Boganey, came with 3.7 seconds remaining. Boganey, a 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver out of James Logan High in Union City, had four receptions for 57 yards. Linnell was 13 of 29 for 179 yards and rushed for 108 yards on 19 carries.

Evyn Roman added an interception. Webster rushed for 143 yards on 24 carries and Briggs rushed for 97 yards on 10 carries. CSM outgained Foothill in total yards, 396-318.

"Football is more of a mental game than a physical one," Linnell said. "That might sound a little strange, but if you don't come ready to play mentally, you're not going to play to your capabilities. We have the talent (to compete in the NorCal conference), but it's whether or not we come mentally focused every week that's going to determine the outcome."

The task doesn't get any easier for CSM, which next plays at top-ranked City College of San Francisco, the mythical national junior college champions three of the last four years.

"If we don't execute and find a way to make plays, it doesn't matter who we play," Owens said. "We just have to find a way to get it done."