BC offense flops in shutout loss at Allan Hancock until season finale.
It’s rare for a team to lose when their defense supports the opponent without an offensive touchdown, but that’s exactly what happened to the Bakersfield College Renegades in Santa Maria on Saturday afternoon.
The Forsaken posted their worst offensive performance of the season in their final game of the year at Allan Hancock College, posting just 184 total yards on 56 plays. After a scoreless first half in which Bulldogs kicker Colton Theaker missed three field goals, Allan Hancock took the lead in the third quarter, landing a key defensive touchdown from K’Hari Upshaw and winning 13-0.
For the second week in a row, neither Richard Lara nor Dexter Frampton was able to get the offense going for BC (2-8), with Frampton throwing three interceptions in the fourth quarter. Tight end Jayden Smith had six catches for 62 yards but lost a pair of fumbles. The Forsaken also had more than 100 yards on penalties for the second straight week.
Allan Hancock (5-4) was inconsistent on offense and did most of his damage with a running attack that featured nine different players, including Dior Kennedy (16 carries for 67 yards), whose 34-yard run in the third-fourth, setting up a field goal from Theaker, it was the biggest offensive play by either team on the day.
It looked like the Bulldogs had scored on their opening drive, a 14-play effort starting from their own 4, when Keyshawn Pu’a moved from the sideline on a field goal attempt, and starter Jaquez McWilliams found him. wide open for a 34-yard touchdown pass. However, the maneuver was declared illegal substitution.
The Bulldogs began their next series at the Renegades’ 44 after a short kick. To open the second quarter, wide receiver Mike McCoy, starting as Allan Hancock’s quarterback, made a fourth-down a read-option to reach 17, but the snap went over his head in the next. played for a loss of 13 yards. In the end, Theaker missed a 47-yard field goal to wrap up the seven-play, 13-yard drive.
The Bulldogs got it back two plays later with Smith’s first fumble. But again they managed just 14 yards on seven plays and Theaker swerved on the ensuing field goal attempt.
BC made some progress on the field, with Antonio Robinson converting a fourth and short, but Lara was sacked at third and 7 to set up another punt. The Bulldogs responded with five straight runs and got a personal foul from BC to place them on the first down at 29, but fell back on an ill-conceived backhand and had to attempt a 51-yard field goal. The line kick was blocked by Morgan Dutton, and the game was scoreless heading into the half.
The Forsaken defense wore out after the break. McCoy found Jaleel Walker (four catches, 66 yards) for a 29-yard pitch and catch, then Maurice Smith rushed for 19 yards. A false start knocked the Bulldogs out of the red zone, and they turned conservative at third and 14 with a short run, showing confidence in their 0-for-3 kicker.
He was rewarded when he converted from 40 yards to give Allan Hancock the lead. And after Kennedy’s long run down the middle a few minutes later, he doubled the lead with 33 yards.
Up to this point, the Forsaken had amassed just 70 yards of offense. Taking control on their own 21, they’d need more than that for a touchdown lead. But Smith fumbled the ball on his first play and Upshaw recovered it for 44 yards.
To start the last quarter, BC seemed to finally get going. Frampton was 6-of-10 for 87 yards on a single drive. But on third and goal from 4 came Lara, who faced pressure on a forehand shot and ran back to escape before throwing the ball into the Forsaken side. He was called for an intentional 21-yard penalty.
Frampton was chosen on the fourth attempt. He then threw two more picks on BC’s next three offensive plays as the Bulldogs were content to hit the ball and run the clock with the score at 13-0.
The Forsaken first regular season under R. Todd Littlejohn ends at 2-8, with four losses (one win, three losses). The Bulldogs will face Long Beach next week as they look for a bowl offer.