David Bowser: Golden Rams can still reach SIAC championship game

ALBANY — At Albany State, losses tend to linger a little louder.

The Golden Rams made the NCAA Division II playoffs last season, and the expectations surrounding the program did not disappear when David Bowser arrived as head coach. Saturday’s loss to Kentucky State dropped Albany State to 2-3 overall and interrupted the momentum created by consecutive conference victories.

Bowser understands the disappointment. He also refuses to treat one September loss as a verdict on the season.

“We are in a good place,” Bowser said.

He never suggested that he is feeling pressure from outside the program. Still, his message during a conversation about the first five games was unmistakable: Albany State is improving, the championship goal remains attainable and there is too much football left for the Golden Rams to lose confidence now.

Albany State is 2-1 in the SIAC entering its open week. Its final five regular-season games are all conference matchups, beginning with Lane in the Golden Rams’ Homecoming game.

“If we handle our business, we are back in the championship,” Bowser said. “That is the exciting thing. We still control our destiny.”

The standings support his optimism. Several teams ahead of Albany State still must play one another, and some have not faced the Golden Rams. Head-to-head victories over the final five weeks could quickly reshape the championship race.

Bowser’s confidence also comes from what he’s learned about his team since August.

“These guys love each other, and they want to play for each other,” he said. “Every week, they’ve taken the challenge and trusted each other. They are a resilient group.”

That resilience was tested against Kentucky State.

Albany State played without two starting offensive linemen and three defensive linemen. The Golden Rams struggled to establish their inside running game, and Kentucky State frequently devoted two defenders to Jaquan Graham, Albany State’s most explosive receiver.

Even so, the Golden Rams stayed close enough to get a chance on their final possession.

Bowser said one of the game’s pivotal moments came before halftime, when Albany State came away with three points instead of seven. It was one of several opportunities the Golden Rams created but failed to finish.

“We’ve got to make sure we capitalize and come away with points,” Bowser said.

Bowser credited Kentucky State’s preparation and execution. The Thoroughbreds used two quarterbacks, managed the first-down marker and sustained possessions without constantly searching for a home-run play.

Kentucky State improved to 4-1, and Bowser considers the Thoroughbreds the best team in the SIAC at this point in the season. He also believes Albany State showed that the distance between the two programs is not as great as the disappointment surrounding Saturday’s result might suggest.

“We played a good doggone football team,” Bowser said. “They’re playing the way Albany State played last year.”

That comparison carried weight. Last season’s Albany State team reached the playoffs and established the standard against which this year’s Golden Rams are being measured.

Bowser is not asking his players to ignore the loss. He wants it to bother them. What he does not want is for one defeat to become doubt.

The open week gives Albany State time to get healthier, return to fundamentals and evaluate younger players who have been forced into larger roles. Bowser hopes to regain several starters before the closing five-game stretch begins.

The first half of his opening season has been difficult, but it has not eliminated any of Albany State’s primary goals.

Five conference games remain. Bowser’s message is simple: Win them, and the Golden Rams will again have an opportunity to play for a championship.