Turnovers hamper Football against NEWMAC power Springfield - Coast Guard Athletics

Junior quarterback Sean Burns threw for over 300 yards and sophomore receiver Freddy Barber racked up 134 receiving yards, but the United States Coast Guard Academy football team fell 20-38 to Springfield College at Cadet Memorial Field, Coast Guard Athletics reported.

The afternoon turned on a stark contrast in ball security. While the Bears generated over 320 yards of total offense and outgained the Pride with 5.8 yards per play, those offensive gains dissolved under a wave of mistakes. Coast Guard saw six separate drives cut short by turnovers—three interceptions thrown by Burns and three fumbles lost in the open field.

Springfield capitalized on the extra possessions to improve to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference play. The Pride will host Norwich University next Saturday, November 7th. Meanwhile, the Bears slipped to 4-4 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

Missed Opportunities and Early Momentum

The tone of the afternoon established itself immediately on the opening kickoff. Barber returned the ball to the Springfield 49-yard line, putting the Bears in prime field position. Four plays later, Coast Guard fumbled it away.

The defense answered right back. Sophomore Lucas Roser and junior Ian Smith combined for a crucial third-down sack to force a Springfield punt. Burns then found Sam Bennett for a 37-yard touchdown strike, though a blocked extra point kept the score at 6-0. Coast Guard’s offense showed it could move the ball efficiently through the air, but sustaining those drives proved punishingly difficult.

Springfield struck back when James Green extended a run for a 46-yard gain, setting up a touchdown that put the visitors ahead 7-6. Senior captain Lucas White anchored the Coast Guard defense with a game-high 22 tackles—one of four Bears to record at least 13 stops—and forced a fumble recovered by junior linebacker Noah Rohrer. Yet, the ensuing possession vanished instantly when Burns was intercepted on the very first play.

Fumbles and Field Position

The second quarter followed a similar script of promise undone by errors. Burns connected with senior receiver Matthew LaBouliere for a 21-yard touchdown to narrow the deficit to 14-13 with 7:59 remaining in the half. After forcing a punt, the Bears fumbled the return right back to Springfield at the seven-yard line, handing the Pride an immediate score.

Punting specialists traded field position late in the half, with junior punter Lucas Hubert pinning Springfield inside their own ten-yard line on back-to-back kicks. Hubert finished the day landing four of his five punts inside the 20-yard line.

Coast Guard opened the second half with authority, capping a drive with a 28-yard touchdown connection between Burns and Barber to briefly reclaim a 21-20 lead at the 8:44 mark of the third quarter. The momentum evaporated minutes later when a high snap on a punt led to an illegal kicking penalty, giving Springfield the ball at the one-yard line and setting up another Pride touchdown.

The Bears reached midfield on their next possession before committing their third lost fumble of the afternoon. Springfield sealed the game in the fourth quarter by converting a crucial 4th-and-5 on the 29-yard line into a 25-yard gain, punching in the knockout score shortly after to secure the 38-20 final margin.

Coast Guard football will look to bounce back next Saturday, November 7th, hosting Salve Regina at Cadet Memorial Field. The Bears edged Salve Regina 36-31 in Newport during last season’s meeting.

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