Deep-sixed: six teams, six losses

Two days later, local college football misery ended 30 miles east of College Park in Annapolis, where the Midshipmen rushed for 521 yards ? third-most in school history ? and still lost, 34-31, in overtime to Ball State.

In between, here?s what happened during a stretch in which all six local teams lost:

*Johns Hopkins surrendered touchdowns to Gettysburg on four straight possessions in the first half en route to a 41-10 loss that clearly demonstrated Johns Hopkins is not in the Centennial Conference?s upper eschelon. The Blue Jays (1-2, 0-1 league) had won the conference title four consecutive years before going 5-5 last season.

* Morgan State suffered a 19-17 loss when Winston-Salem State made a field goal in the final second. Off the field, it was worse: Star receiver Roderick Wolfe did not play because he was at Central Booking on a warrant for failing to appear in court last summer for traffic violations.

*McDaniel remained the area?s lone winless team, as the Green Terror allowed Catholic quarterback Keith Ricca throw for 392 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-21 loss. At 0-3, McDaniel is off to its worst start in 11 years.

*Towson squandered the opportunity to establish itself as one of the best teams in the Colonial Athletic Association, getting hammered by third-ranked UMass, 36-13. The Tigers, who were ranked 23rd in the latest poll, will likely be unranked after throwing three interceptions and snapping the ball over the punter?s head for a safety.

“Between us and Maryland playing the No. 3 ranked teams in the country, [loses] are going to happen,” Towson coach Gordy Combs said. “I was really shocked that Winston-Salem State, which is in a transitional phase, won. Hopkins? was a tough loss, and McDaniel?s was a tough loss.”

After last week?s debacles, area teams all face must-win games this week if they are going to maintain their championship aspirations.

For Maryland (2-1), a loss at defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Wake Forest (1-2, 0-1) would make it difficult for the Terrapins to play in a major bowl game.

And if Navy loses at home Saturday at 1 p.m. to Duke (1-2), which is coming off a 20-14 win at Northwestern ? its first win in 22 games dating to 2005 ? the Midshipmen (1-2) will be hard-pressed to win the six games needed to play in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego in December. Navy could also be without starting junior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who suffered two sprained ankles when he was sacked by Ball State?s Kenny Meeks.

Johns Hopkins (1-2, 0-1) and McDaniel (0-3, 0-1) need to win their league games against undefeated Moravian and Dickinson to ensure they are not in the cellar of the Centennial Conference. And if Towson (2-1, 1-0) has any chance of contending for the CAA title, it must defeat 10th-ranked Delaware (3-0, 2-0) Saturday night at Johnny Unitas Stadium at 7.

Morgan State (1-2, 0-1) plays at defending league champion Hampton (2-0, 2-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday in a game that will be televised nationally by ESPNU.

“You wanted a win to get into the short week with momentum,” Morgan State coach Donald HIll-Eley said. “Now, I have to find a way to light a fire around the camp again going into conference play.”

The urgency each team faces is surprising considering each was expected to play much better than the score indicated. At one point, Maryland was down, 31-7, and Towson was outscored 36-6 after taking a 7-0 lead on its opening drive. Morgan State lost to a team that two years ago was playing on the Division II level.

The Midshipmen?s game-wnning field goal was blocked as time expired in regulation ? and then it got worse. The Midshipmen fumbled the ball away on a bad pitch from backup quarterback Jarod Bryant to Shun White, which enabled Ball State?s Jake Hogue to win the game with a 24-yard field goal.

“I think everyone knows morale is kind of low here right now,” Bryant said. “A win like this could have turned that around.”