Football fi t

Great Expectations and Great Disappointments

Greatexpectationsforthe1991 Flames turnedto great disappointments, oneafteranother, astheseason rolled on The team goal was to reach the nationalDivision I-AA playoffs, barely missed the past three years inarow withwinningrecords. The Flamesplayed some excitingfootball and turnedin many memorable moments against the toughest I-AA schedulein the nation, butsufferedtheir first losing season infour years ofI-AA with adisappointing4-7 record.

Startingthe seasonontheroadagainsttwo perennialnational play-offpowers produced two quick defeats,as theFlameslosttoBoiseState,35-14,andto Furman, 31-7. After earning their firstvictoryat home over West Virginia Tech, 39-11,LU tasted another disappointment when a last-minutefield goal gave Morehead State a close 12-10 win. The Flamesbounced backwithtwogreat upsetvictories onthe road, whippingversatile DelawareState,20-9, and outlastingtough Youngstown State, 10-8, keeping faint play-offhopesalive.An easy Homecoming win overTowson State, 38-28, gavethe Flames three straight winsand a4-3 record

Disasterthenstruckwiththreestraighthomelosses, which theFlames might have won. James Madison scoredon acontroversialtwo-pointconversion with two minutes lefttonip LU,35-34. CentralFlorida jumped outtoa21-0first-quarterlead, watchedthe Flameschip it todown to31-26, thenstoppedafinalminute Flames charge atthe 11-yard linetoescape withthewin.

The greatest disappointment came when a Kutztown University fieldgoalwithelevenseconds left upsettheFlames, 17-16 Closingtheseasonaway atSamfordUniversity,theFlamesfellagain,34-19,for a 4-7won-loss record.

Amid themany disappointments of theseason were the exciting performances of the Flames' passingcombinationofjunior quarterback Robbie Justino and senior wide receiver PatNelson. NelsonsetnewLU receivingrecords bytoppingthe 100-yards mark infourconsecutivegamesandseventimesfortheyear. Healso setanew all-time LU seasonrecordfor number ofreceptions with 176.

Justino started theyear with three consecutive300-yards passinggames, then addedthree more. He just missed theall-timesinglegame LU record with 434yardsintheTowson State Homecoming game, buthemoved into second place on the all-time LU passing yardage list with 7,127yards, and he hasone more year to play.