Solid Game

West Chester was one week removed from making an all-conference quarterback look like he never played football before. So, they figured that they were going to do the same to New Haven signal caller Ajee Patterson. Boy, they were wrong.

Patterson was playing on a different level last Saturday in New Haven's 35-28 victory at West Chester. The graduate student stepped up his game at the right time of the season and he was already playing at a pretty high level.

He engineered two scoring drives in the fourth quarter against one of the better defenses in the nation. He was cool, calm and collective the entire afternoon and that has been his approach since he won the quarterback job several years ago.

Patterson had a hand in all five touchdowns and made plays when they needed to be made. He scrambled for first downs, made crucial fourth down conversions and led New Haven to their first playoff victory since 2011.

He finished the game going 16 for 24, 265 yards and three scores. He also rushed for two touchdowns including the game winner with 4:44 left on the clock.

Patterson and his teammates will get another game at home this weekend as they host Slippery Rock in the second round of the playoffs.

Fourth Quarter

New Haven was trailing 28-21 headed into the fourth quarter and needed to make some plays to defeat West Chester on the road. And then the most dynamic duo in the league stepped up their game.

Starting a drive seven seconds into the final stanza, the Chargers needed to get even with West Chester. Patterson started the drive well completing passes to Ju'An Williams and Paul Cooper to move the chains. But several penalties backed up New Haven. Patterson chipped away at the long yardage after the penalties.

He got the ball across midfield to the 48-yard line and faced a fourth and three. Williams was lined up to the left and took the short screen pass. He found his blockers in front of him and ended his run in the end zone. New Haven tied the game at 28 and all of the momentum was on the side of the Chargers.

The New Haven defense stopped West Chester in their tracks on the next possession and forced a punt. Now it was time for Patterson to win the game.

He put together an eight play, 75-yard drive to win the game. The key play of the drive was a diving catch by Brett Huber at the 15-yard line. He got behind the defense and Patterson found him for the catch. Patterson scrambled for a first down two plays later and nearly scored. He went airborne for the pylon but was ruled out at the one-yard line.

After a West Chester penalty, Patterson called his own number and found his way into the end zone with 4:44 to play. New Haven had the lead back for good.

The Chargers' defense did the rest and it is on to the next game.

First Time

All season long, the West Chester defense had been strong. But they were not able to perform to the same level last Saturday.

In fact, they had allowed more than 20 points just three times all season long. They were used to the offense scoring points and their defense limiting the opposing offense. But that completely changed last Saturday.

It was their highest point total given up all season long and their second worst scoring output. For them, it came at the worst possible time of the season.

Redemption

Mark Clements was thrown out of the previous game for targeting a LIU Post player. But he was back last Saturday in a big way.

The graduate student led the New Haven with 10 tackles, nine of the solo variety. He also put the final stamp on the victory by using his head.

Clements was covering West Chester receiver Lex Rosario on fourth and six with under a minute to play. Rosario made a move and seemed to have a step on Clements for the first down. The pass was a bit short and bounced off Clements' helmet to the ground and set off the wild celebration on the New Haven sideline.

He has been one of the top players on the defensive side of the ball for the Chargers this season and a big reason why they are playing the weekend after Thanksgiving.

End of an Era

LIU Post was poised to make a deep run in the playoffs this year but that all came to a crashing halt last Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers fell 20-14 to seventh seeded Slippery Rock on their home turf and thus ends an era in league history.

Long Island University is merging all of their athletic programs together starting in 2019 and moving the football team to the Division 1 FCS. It is the second time that Post has left the NE-10 in the past 10 years.

Back in 2008 when they were known as CW Post, they left for the PSAC to have the ability to offer scholarships and help to grow the exposure of the football program. And then in 2013, they rejoined the NE-10 after the league increased their scholarship limit. They won the league title three of the last five seasons including two undefeated regular seasons.

They were in the middle of a 15-game winning streak before the loss to the Rock. They last tasted defeated on September 30, 2017 when Assumption beat them 54-20. They finished the 2017 season with five straight victories and then the first 10 games this year for the longest winning streak in school history.

We will see a new mascot, uniforms and league when they take the field again in September 2019.

Lack of Offense

LIU Post usually has an explosive offense and has no trouble scoring points. But last Saturday, it was a big part of their defeat to Slippery Rock.

They racked up 343 yards of total offense in the loss but most of those yards seemed tough to come by. The offensive line struggled to open holes for the running backs and protect the quarterback.

The ground game of the Pioneers managed just 10 yards on 22 attempts and seemed to have nowhere to run the entire afternoon. Malik Pierre was not able to find the holes or turn the corner like we have been accustomed to seeing from him in the past several years.

Chris Laviano seemed to have no time to survey the field for the open receivers. He was constantly being pressured in the pocket and making a quick decision. That led to two interceptions in the game both in the end zone.

Overall, Post was three for six in the red zone, but it was much worse than that. Two of those drives ended with Joey Tolgyesi field goals, one for a touchdown, the two picks and one turnover on downs.

They struggled inside the 20-yard line and that is when Slippery Rock did their damage.

One Mistake

The LIU Post defense played well enough to win the game on Saturday. They gave up just 20 points and 355 yards. That is good enough to win playoffs game.

But the opening play of the game might have defined the rest of the contest. Roland Rivers III threw a bubble screen to Jermaine Wynn, Jr right in front of the Post sideline.

The defense seemed to over pursue the ball and Wynn cut back to the middle of the field. A bunch of missed arm tackles and the speed of Wynn resulted in a 75-yard touchdown on the opening play.

Of course, one play didn't cost Post the game, but it seemed to define the final outcome. If they wrap up Wynn on the play and force Slippery Rock to punt, things might have been different.

SR1

So, if you had all three road teams winning on Saturday in the region, you are a smart person. It was not a surprise that all three road teams won as the region seemed extremely balanced. But to have two previously undefeated teams fall and a one loss team, it was not what most people envisioned.

Home field advantage seems to take a back seat in the playoffs at times. Teams are capable of winning on the road and of course, good teams always win on the road.

Hats off to Slippery Rock, New Haven and Hillsdale for going into hostile environments and emerging victorious.