Albany State hosts Lane for Homecoming with postseason hopes alive

ALBANY — The math is messy. David Bowser’s message is not.

Win the next five games and let the SIAC sort itself out.

Albany State enters the second half of its season with a 2-3 overall record, one conference loss and no guarantee of anything beyond the five Saturdays remaining on its schedule. Yet Bowser remains convinced the Golden Rams can still reach the SIAC championship game—and perhaps the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The road is narrow, but it remains open.

“We handle our business, and we have a chance to get to the championship game and the playoffs,” Bowser said.

The next step comes Saturday, when Albany State hosts Lane College at 1 p.m. in its Homecoming game at the Albany State Coliseum.

Before looking at Lane, though, it helps to understand why Bowser remains so optimistic.

The Golden Rams are 2-1 in conference play. Winning their remaining games against Lane, Tuskegee, Benedict, Clark Atlanta and Fort Valley State would leave them 7-1 in the SIAC.

That alone might not be enough. Kentucky State owns the head-to-head advantage after beating Albany State, and unbeaten Edward Waters currently sits atop the conference standings. If both teams win out, the Golden Rams cannot reach the championship game.

But six SIAC teams have one conference loss, and many of those contenders still must play one another. Albany State gets its own opportunities against Tuskegee and Benedict. The Golden Rams do not face Edward Waters, Central State or Miles, but those teams cannot all continue winning because their schedules cross.

In other words, somebody has to lose.

Albany State’s job is to make sure it isn’t Albany State.

Bowser also believes the SIAC has earned enough national respect to place multiple teams in the Division II playoffs, creating another possible route into the postseason.

“Last year, three SIAC teams got into the playoffs, and a fourth—Edward Waters—was sitting in a good position and almost got there,” Bowser said.

A strong schedule could help the Golden Rams, but only if they finish strongly enough for that schedule to matter. Bowser believes three or even four SIAC teams could make the playoff field. Albany State intends to spend the next five weeks forcing itself into that conversation.

To do so, the Golden Rams must become the team Bowser believes they can be rather than the inconsistent one they have been.

The first priority is rediscovering the running game.

Albany State managed only 81 rushing yards in its loss to Kentucky State, continuing a problem compounded by injuries along the offensive line. The open week came at a welcome time, allowing starters Ty’Orice Brown and Stanley Tolbert to work their way back.

Their return should give Albany State more stability up front and, Bowser hopes, restore some balance to the offense.

Quarterback JD Davis has completed between 71% and 75% of his passes, but Bowser does not want the Golden Rams asking their quarterback to carry the entire attack. He would prefer Davis throw 15 to 20 times while the running game controls possession and keeps Albany State’s defense on the sideline.

Bowser’s ideal opening quarter would see the Golden Rams possess the ball for 10 to 12 minutes. That would mean sustained drives, a rested defense and control of the game before the opponent has time to settle in.

It would also provide relief for a defensive front that has absorbed two significant losses. Junior defensive tackles Montele Burton of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Jalen Woodard of Jacksonville, Florida, both need season-ending surgery.

Those injuries make the development of Albany State’s younger players more than a long-term project. It is an immediate necessity.

The Golden Rams have 52 true freshmen and 28 redshirt freshmen on the roster. During the open week, Bowser used scrimmage periods to evaluate third- and fourth-team players who could be one snap away from larger roles.

The week was also spent cleaning up the smaller problems that have produced larger consequences. Albany State committed seven penalties against Kentucky State, the sort of undisciplined football that can erase good drives and extend bad ones.

Now comes an opponent whose record could invite exactly the kind of lapse Bowser is trying to eliminate.

Lane is 0-6. Albany State beat the Dragons 47-6 last season. Homecoming will bring a festive crowd and all the distractions that come with one of Albany’s largest annual celebrations.

Bowser wants his players ignoring all of it.

He saw something in Lane’s 9-6 loss to Miles that the Dragons’ record does not show. Lane forced four turnovers and held Miles to 86 yards.

“I saw a major stride in the way they played defense on Saturday,” Bowser said. “They are playing with more confidence, so we have to take care of the football and manage the field position. I was impressed with how they played defense last Saturday.”

That performance has made ball security a constant point of emphasis in Albany State’s preparation. Bowser has reminded his players to cover the football, get down when necessary and resist the temptation to turn every play into something spectacular.

Four turnovers mean four extra possessions. Give a struggling opponent that many chances and its confidence can change quickly.

“All it takes is one week of momentum, and it can flip,” Bowser said.

That is true for Lane. It may be even more true for Albany State.

The Golden Rams began the season with high expectations, stumbled three times in their first five games and reached the midpoint facing questions about what remains possible.

Bowser’s answer is simple: plenty.

But possibility now comes with a condition. Albany State must stop giving away yards, possessions and opportunities. It must run the football, protect it and play with the discipline expected of a championship contender.

Bowser also has one request for the thousands of people expected to fill the campus Saturday: Enjoy the tailgates, enjoy the reunions—but come inside when the game begins.

“These players are wanting to put on a real good show,” Bowser said, “so come into the stadium and support these young men who love this institution just as much as you do.”

Albany State’s season has reached the point where every Saturday matters.

The first of those five Saturdays is Homecoming. And for the Golden Rams, the celebration will feel much better if it includes a victory.