Mike Lynn had reason to be nervous.
With a wet field, the ball on opposing 26-yard line and a 14-14 tie score late in the fourth quarter of Bowie State’s recent game at Shaw, the Bulldogs head coachnormally wouldn’t even consider a field goal.
But after some persistent lobbying by senior kicker John Riley, Lynn took a chance.
“I had to reassure him that it wasn’t out of my range. I just kept letting him know, ‘Coach, I can make it, I can make it, I can make it,’ ” said Riley. “Finally, I’m getting right up in his ear and I keep talking to him, and he let me go kick the field goal.”
With his successful 43-yarder, Riley helped eliminate doubts that have plagued the Bulldogs kicking game of late.
“My first two years here, we had some woes in our kicking game, and naturally you become a little hesitant about taking some chances with a field goal, and sometimes even extra points,” said Bulldogs head coach Mike Lynn.
Bowie was hurt last year in its two biggest games of the season. The Bulldogs had a missed field goal and extra-point attempt in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship, a 26-23 loss to North Carolina Central, and they missed two extra points in the Pioneer Bowl, a 28-26 defeat to Tuskegee.
Meanwhile, Riley spent his first three seasons at Cheyney (Pa.) without a regular long snapper.
“It was pretty much freestyle, I might get lucky, get a good snap, or it might be shot over my head,” said Riley, who found the opportunity to return to the Washington area for his final season of college football. He was lured partly by Bowie State coaches Lester Overton, Laurence Overton and Aaron Kinchen, and sophomore long snapper Rashad Wright, all who had been part of Riley’s high school team, Eleanor Roosevelt.
Wright and freshman holder Bobby Ishmael dedicated themselves to helping Riley get prepared this season.
“When we are at away games, we go out in the parking lot after all the meetings are over with,” said Riley. “They spare a couple of minutes to snap the ball in the pitch black dark outside so we can get ready for the next day’s game.”
Some hesitation still remains — the Bulldogs have attempted just three field goals in seven games — but Riley has hit all three, including a 26-yard shot last week against Elizabeth City State.
“We were down there inside their 10 on fourth down. Normally, last year or the year before, we probably would’ve gone for it, but with John, it was no-brainer,” said Lynn. “We’ll go with the points. Those three points were pretty much automatic.”
Lynn credited Riley’s kick in the Shaw game for helping the Bulldogs turn the corner.
“I love the coaching staff at Bowie State, and I respect every decision that they make, but they didn’t know what my capabilities were so they were kind of skeptical,” said Riley. “Now that they’ve seen what I can do, it’s a sigh of relief for them and a sigh of relief for me too.”
Bowie State (3-4, 1-3 CIAA) at Saint Paul’s (2-5, 1-3)
» When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
» Where: Russell Field, Lawrenceville, Va.
