Mistakes doom VU rally
Reese and Larose each catch TD passes from Duncan in 2nd half
Energy is a contagion among Valparaiso University’s wide receivers.
Ollie Reese, a 6-foot-2, 200pound sophomore, usually catches it from his teammates.
“We feed off the energy we get from other receivers making plays,” Reese said.
So does Deuce Larose, a 6-0, 200-pound junior.
“Whenever we see one receiver make a play, we know that we can make one too,” Larose said.
Contributions from Larose and Reese fueled a second-half rally against Pioneer Football League foe Morehead State on Saturday, but VU again fell short, losing 27-21 at Brown Field.
Larose led VU (1-9, 1-5) with 112 yards and one touchdown on six receptions, while Reese added 76 yards and another TD on six catches against Morehead State (5-5, 3-3). Performances like that have become more common as the Crusaders have stuck with redshirt junior Chris Duncan at quarterback over the past five games.
“The most important thing for receivers is having a connection with the QB,” Reese said. “We’ve settled in more, and (Duncan) knows where to put the ball now.”
Most of VU’s production against Morehead State came in the second half. The Eagles built a 14-0 lead while holding VU to 42 yards in the first half. The Crusaders tied the game with scores on their first two possessions of the second half, perhaps fueled by a halftime speech that coach Landon Fox called “intense.”
“I just asked them to play with
enthusiasm and energy,” Fox said. “I told them to let go of the outcome and concentrate on one play at a time.”
In the second half, two VU touchdowns — which would’ve given the Crusaders their first lead of the game — were erased by penalties. An interception return for a touchdown by senior linebacker Nick Turner was nullified by a defensive pass interference call, while a TD reception by Reese was overturned on an offensive pass interference call.
“It’s very frustrating because I’m not sure that (Morehead State) beat us,” Fox said. “We beat ourselves.”
Two plays after that second nullified score, with VU trailing 20-14 in the fourth quarter, VU missed a field-goal attempt for the third time in the game.
On Morehead State’s ensuing possession, with the Eagles facing fourthand-2 from VU’s 37-yard line, Issiah Aguero ran around left end for a gameclinching TD.
“It’s frustrating because we’re right there,” Reese said of the close loss. “We know we can win these games and that we should win these games.”
Fox suggested VU is still learning tough lessons in this difficult season.
“You may call me crazy, with us being a one-win team, but this is a learning opportunity for us,” Fox said. “When we have a chance to be in position to win a league title — which we believe that we will be because the work we put in will create those opportunities for us — it’s costly when you beat yourself.”