Chapman Shakes Off Rust Before Rolling to Victory

Only four minutes into the 1996 season, the Chapman football team was in a very precarious position. The Panthers were trailing by a touchdown and Eastern Oregon State was nine yards from another.

This is not how the Panthers usually do things--they didn’t give up a point in the first quarter last season--but there they were on the brink of a big deficit to a team that was 1-8 last season.

Time to get worried? Not this time. Chapman stiffened on defense and eventually got its big-play offense rolling and defeated the Mountaineers, 24-6, Saturday night in front of 3,029 at Chapman.

It wasn’t a flawless season-opening victory, but it was convincing. Chapman scored 17 points in the second quarter and Eastern Oregon State never threatened again. Chapman quarterback Curtis Robinson, making his return from reconstructive knee surgery, passed for 132 yards and two touchdowns and running back Darnell Morgan rushed for 126 and one touchdown.

Robinson, a senior who received a medical redshirt year after going down in the fourth game last season, appeared back at full strength. An option quarterback with a strong passing arm, Robinson rushed for 73 yards, including a spectacular 49-yard keeper on which he weaved 49 yards before being dragged down at the five.

Three plays later, Robinson passed to David Vaccaro for a three-yard touchdown and a 24-6 lead with 6 minutes 35 seconds left in the third quarter.

That essentially finished it, but the Panthers almost never got started. The Chapman defense looked meek on the Mountaineers’ opening drive. Running behind a sizable offensive line, which includes professional prospect Shea Little (6 feet 7, 278), Eastern Oregon drove 74 yards in eight plays, scoring on Chris Vogt’s 36-yard run.

Then Chapman running back Taliv Traylor fumbled on the Panthers’ first play from scrimmage. The Mountaineers took over at the Chapman 36 and moved down to the nine.

Finally, Chapman’s defense held and Chad Ulrich, who missed the extra point on the touchdown, missed a 26-yard field-goal attempt. It was the start of something for the Panther defense, which gave up only one first down the rest of the half.

Defensive back Atlas Helaire III said the Mountaineers lined up in formations the Panthers weren’t prepared for, but defensive coordinator Kirk Jellerson quickly adjusted. “Coach figured it out,” Helaire said, “and there was nothing else happening after that.”

Plenty was happening for the Panther offense, but it didn’t have much to show for it. Twice Morgan had long touchdowns called back because of a penalty. He had huge holes--illegally created--on a 71-yard screen play and a 56-yard run.

Even so, Robinson said he wasn’t worried. He’s seen Chapman’s offense in action. “We know,” he said, “the longer we are on the field the big plays will come for us.”

Eventually they did.

Coach Ken Visser was please--with a caveat.

“We were not as crisp as I’d like to be,” he said. “We weren’t as poised as I’d like to be, but we fought hard.

“I was proud of the way we played in a lot of ways but we’ve got to get better. We’ve got to make a big jump in one week.”