BC offense can't convert in season-ending 13-7 loss to Allan Hancock

Nov. 13—Three times the Bakersfield College defense did its job in the fourth quarter, and three times the rest of the team let it down.

First, with the Renegades trailing 13-7 after a 68-yard toss from Joseph Campbell to Jihad Marks broke the shutout, BC forced a quick three-and-out, and took over on Allan Hancock's 31-yard line. But after Dom D'Amato stepped out at the 5 following a leaping grab, the Renegades couldn't convert on four straight plays.

Mere moments later, Jordan Wheeler picked off the Bulldogs' Esekielu Storer to give BC the ball again. However, a holding penalty on second-and-1 from the 23 pushed the Renegades back, and Campbell couldn't get any yardage on third or fourth down.

One last time, BC produced a three-and-out and looked to regain possession with more than two minutes left. The Bulldogs' punt, however, was nullified; the Renegades were called for a personal foul for "roughing the snapper." As head coach R. Todd Littlejohn explained it after the game, BC didn't give the Allan Hancock long snapper a chance to lift his head.

"That's the thing that just hits you right in your gut," said Littlejohn, a longtime special teams coach before coming to BC.

Instead, the Renegades took over with 26 seconds remaining and went just 20 yards before wrapping up the 2022 season at 4-6 with an anticlimactic 13-7 loss.

BC entered the night in a six-way tie in its conference, needing a win and some help to make the playoffs.

"All of those guys that returning, I want them to feel this," Littlejohn said. "I don't ever want them to get used to losing, but I want them to feel this because close isn't good enough."

The three fourth-quarter missed opportunities mirrored similar struggles earlier in the game. BC's best two drives of the first half ended on downs with an Antonio Robinson rushing loss and a sack by Jordan Fields.

Then, prior to the long touchdown, the Renegades let two more big catches by Marks go to waste when Campbell couldn't find Marks on fourth-and-5 from the Bulldogs' 22, before Luis Haro had a field goal blocked on their next drive.

"It's frustrating," Littlejohn said. "Even on the fourth-down stuff, I go back and forth with, do we go for it, do we not go for it."

Campbell was under pressure all night and took eight sacks total, including 4.5 by PJ Mauigoa.

BC only got as many chances as it did because Allan Hancock's offense struggled almost as much as the Renegades'. The Bulldogs relied almost exclusively on I-formation runs and the occasional fade thrown by Storer. They tallied 95 rushing yards on 39 attempts, but got their best offensive play of the day when Storer play-faked and found Jaleel Walker — who was responsible for all but one of his completions, totaling six catches for 128 yards — deep across the middle. The receiver made a one-handed grab and shook off Chris Thompson to put Allan Hancock up 6-0 early.

The Bulldogs went back to that same play twice more and got 40 yards off it on one occasion, but failed to convert on a fourth down of their own.

Their other score, midway through the second quarter, was set up by a pair of red-zone defensive holding penalties on BC. John Allen plowed ahead for a 1-yard touchdown run.

Both teams were scoreless in the third quarter, and looked headed toward an identical 13-0 result to last season's matchup in Santa Maria, prior to BC's late surge.

D'Amato's 35-yard catch early in the fourth quarter produced the Renegades' best chance to go ahead, but Anyale Velazquez, who touched the ball 26 times for 95 total yards after failing to record a stat since Sept. 24, was stopped for no gain, then Campbell ran for two yards on a speed option before getting sacked by Mauigoa on consecutive plays.

Campbell finished the night 13-of-29 for 233 yards. He completed just 48 percent of his passes across BC's final three games, all losses.

Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.