By Doug Bonjour
After a 20-3 win over Towson on Oct. 13 improved the record of the Hofstra Pride football team to 6-0, giving them the lead atop the Colonial Athletic Conference, a playoff spot appeared to be a very likely possibility for Hofstra. Through the first six games, the Pride had displayed a dominating defense that had ranked atop the CAA conference and an offense that had averaged 31 points per game.
But even with the fast start, hopes of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2001 ended for the Pride in a 27-5 loss to 8th-ranked Massachusetts. The defeat capped off a disappointing second-half of the season for Hofstra, in which they lost four of their final five games.
In all, the Pride finished with an overall record of 7-4 (4-4), and second place finish in the CAA-North.
Even though Hofstra will have to wait another year to make a return-trip to the playoffs, Hofstra Head Coach Dave Cohen still believes the season was a success.
"It has been a successful year in that I think that the program is in a better direction today than it was a year ago," he said.
The Pride ended last year's campaign with one of the worst seasons in the program's history, finishing 2-9 overall and 1-7 in conference play.
But with the addition of junior quarterback Bryan Savage from Coffeyville Community College and a strong core of seniors, Hofstra was able to make drastic improvements in just one season.
Under the direction of Savage, the Hofstra offense averaged nearly 27 points per game, which was a significant improvement from last year's offense, which only averaged 16 points per game.
"Offensively we made major strides. I thought coach Foley and the offensive players did a phenomenal job, in addition to Bryan Savage, who was an excellent addition to the program," said Cohen.
Although Savage threw 16 interceptions compared to only 13 touchdown passes, he managed to do damage with his legs, rushing for 527 yards and ten touchdowns.
When Savage did not have the ball in his hands, senior running back Kareem Huggins was frustrating opposing defenses with his legs. Despite missing two games because of a severely sprained ankle, Huggins still rushed for 1008 yards and nine touchdowns.
The defense also played a major role in the team's success, as it finished the season ranked second in the conference with only 312 yards allowed per contest.
Senior linebacker Gian Villante finished his career with another strong season, as he registered 110 total tackles, ranking him fifth in the CAA in that category. Senior linebacker Stanley Gutierrez also had a solid season, registering a CAA-leading four interceptions.
Following the season finale, Cohen credited his seniors for their leadership.
"The seniors in the locker room, I've probably learned more from them than they have from me. It was a group that righted the ship. That's due to the leadership of the seniors," explained Cohen.
The Pride will lose seven all-conference selections due to graduation. Wide Receiver Charles Sullivan, who leaves as the school's career leader in receptions and receiving yards, and Villante, an integral force on the defensive side of the ball, were both named to the All-CAA First Team.
Huggins, safety David Darby, and defensive tackles Shemiah LeGrande and Ken Sussman earned All-CAA Second Team honors, while Gutierrez earned All-CAA Third Team honors.
Although the Pride will lose a great assortment of talent, Cohen believes that the seniors have "left a legacy of work ethic and commitment and leadership that is going to be tough to replace."
Even with the seniors gone, Villante knows that the team will continue to progress under the leadership of Cohen.
"[Cohen's] a great coach, and everything he's done to make this program go forward is just amazing. It's over, but those guys will keep going forward and they will take no steps backwards," said Villante.
If the team continues to excel, one can only hope that a trip to the playoffs is in the near future. As Cohen said following the season finale, "there's a lot to be proud of."