Just one measly old yard.
It sounded like money in the bank to Aurora University quarterback Geron Rogers, a 5-foot-10 sophomore from Camarillo, Calif.
“I’m thinking touchdown,” Rogers said. “We all were.”
The Spartans, though, came away empty-handed Saturday on three tries and a field goal attempt from the 1-yard line to start the second half. It snowballed from there in a 55-27 loss to Trine in Aurora.
Rogers threw for 143 yards and two touchdowns and freshman running back Connor Olson ran for 83 yards for Aurora (1-2), which went back-and-forth with a high-octane Trine offense for a half.
Things appeared to turn for the better on the first drive out of halftime.
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Trailing 26-20, Aurora got a jolt with Rogers’ 47-yard pass to Lorenzo Williams. Runs of 7 and 12 yards by backup quarterback Noah Allgood took it to the 1.
“We’ve been in that situation before and we came away with no points,” Aurora coach Rick Ponx said. “You just hope you learn from it.”
Lesson not yet learned.
Allgood threw an incompletion on first down. Shaq Perez and Rogers both were stuffed for no gain.
After a timeout, Ponx played the percentages with placekicker Zac Mirabelli. It seemed a good safe play, considering Mirabelli nailed a 43-yard field goal earlier with room to spare — but he pushed the chip shot left.
“We just had three shots and we didn’t get it in,” Ponx said. “I felt like let’s cut it to three points and we have a whole half.”
It never got closer. Trine (2-1) scored the next 22 points and totaled 547 yards. Trine quarterback Brandon Rooze threw for three TDs and running back Lamar Carswell ran for 171 yards and two TDs.
The second half hasn’t been kind to Aurora in its two losses. In the season opener, Carthage outscored the Spartans 37-0 after halftime.
“I knew we’d have our hands full dealing with them,” Ponx said. “If they could run the ball we were going to be in trouble.”
Rogers looked in trouble earlier when Trine’s Aaron Thomas knocked his helmet clear off on a corner blitz. Rogers hung in there after the roughing penalty, his 13-yard TD pass to sophomore Brandon Lucas drawing Aurora within 26-20 just before halftime.
“A little dazed for a little bit after he got me in the head, but no big deal,” Rogers said. “When adversity hits you have to finish.”
The young Spartans are learning about that on the job.
Freshman receiver Tyree Chaplin caught his first career pass, a 16-yard TD that gave AU a 7-0 lead. Williams, who caught seven passes for 83 yards, is one of only two senior starters for AU’s offense.
“We know what we’re doing,” Rogers said. “I have confidence in every single guy that takes the field.”
Help, too, is on the way.
Junior Danny Logiurato, Aurora’s leading receiver last year, is expected back from a hamstring injury on Oct. 1 when the Spartans open conference play at Wisconsin Lutheran. AU has a bye next week.
“He’s on target,” Ponx said of Logiurato. “We were trying to keep him out and get him ready for conference.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News.