The waiting game ended for the UTPB football team Saturday when it finally took the first for the first time in 2021, traveling to face Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, Mo.
Then, the Falcons got the chance to wait some more.
After losing their original season-opening opponent when University of Fort Lauderdale was forced to cancel due to COVID-19 protocols, the Falcons were able to get a replacement in less than 24 hours.
They also had a chance to fly instead of bus, landing and staying overnight in Springfield, Mo.
“Give credit to (athletic director) Todd Dooley,” UTPB football coach Justin Carrigan said. “The issues of nine days out and losing a game on the schedule and then eight days out adding a new game and then figuring out travel.
“Delays getting there and getting into the hotel at 9 o’clock at night and 9:30 team meetings and then treatment after that; expect guys didn’t fall asleep until close to midnight with everything, the excitement of Game 1. And then turn around and wake up at 7 a.m. for a pregame meal and hit the road for Bolivar, Mo.”
Once on the field, the Falcons drove for a touchdown on their opening drive, only to have Mother Nature put them in another holding pattern with a 90-minute lightning delay.
Carrigan said he paced during the forced break, while starting quarterback Clayton Roberts said the players on the team did whatever they needed to relax during the time off the field.
“You have to find the happy medium of staying relax, but being ready to go play a game,” Robert said. “Some guys put their headphones in, some guys go lay out in the hallway.”
When the time came to restart the game, UTPB extended its lead to 14-0 before the host Bearcats took advantage of a bad snap for a safety and touchdown on the ensuing drive to pull within five points.
The Falcons would get a field goal for some breathing room and then Roberts added some insurance with a 45-yard touchdown run after escaping pressure at the line of scrimmage.
Carrigan shouldered the blame for the change in game plan during the break.
“You have to play three quarters for the game to be official or they will call it a no contest,” he said. “We after we scored and they stopped the game, like seven minutes into the first quarter, I was thinking about getting to the end of the third quarter.”
The Falcons (1-0) make their home debut this week when the open Lone Star Conference play against West Texas A&M at 6 p.m. Saturday at Ratliff Stadium.
>> RUNNING HARD: UTPB cross country coach Alick Musukuma watched the Falcons compete in their first meet of the season Saturday at the Tech Tech Invitational, which was run at Lubbock Christian University.
The men’s team had a pair of top 10 finishers in Hector Sanchez (seventh, 20 minutes, 2.70 seconds) and Erik Flores (ninth, 20:13.70).
“That finish showed that those two boys put some work in over the summer,” Musukuma said.
The women’s team wasn’t as fortunate as eligibility issues and illness left the Falcons with just enough runners to compete.
>> ON TAP: It will be another busy week for the Falcons’ athletic programs.
The volleyball team will travel to Denton for three days, competing against Southwestern Oklahoma State at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Florida Tech and Ouachita Baptist on Friday and Southwest Baptist on Saturday.
The men’s tennis team is at the New Mexico State Invitational Friday through Sunday in Las Cruces for its first event of the season.
Men’s soccer is back on the road to face Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday and then Metro State-Denver on Sunday, with both games in Lubbock.
Women’s soccer will travel to face University of the Southwest Saturday in Hobbs, N.M.
>> Follow Lee Scheide on Twitter at @OALeeScheide
