It’s no stretch to guess that the Virginia State Trojans have to win big or lose close against Bowie State this weekend to make this season worth while. Not just because it’s homecoming, but because their coach’s job might depend on it.
Andrew Faison hasn’t led VSU to a winning season in the last three years. They haven’t defeated Norfolk State since 2005, and they haven’t been close to a divisional title since their 7-3 campaign in 2002; his first season on the job.
And this season has been a to-scale sampling of how teams around the CIAA have elevated over the last few years, while the Trojans have remained largely predictable and unchanged. Virginia Union and Bowie State have both exceeded expectations under new head coaches this year, and this weekend, both teams will be playing for the Eastern Division crown and a berth in the CIAA conference championship game.
VSU is hoping to finish with a winning season. Again.
The puzzling thing about this year’s Trojan team is that they had the talent to contend with the conference elite. In back to back weeks, the Trojans bumped off Fayetteville State and Elizabeth City State; teams picked in the preseason to finish in first and second place in the CIAA. But they’ve also lost games to St. Agustine’s and St. Paul’s, and went outside and pulled a switch for Virginia Union to beat them with two weeks ago on national television.
If Faison hopes to return without scrutiny or controversy in 2010, the Trojans have to show they have one more big game in them to carry into next season. The teams that surprised this year will likely be the conference favorites next year, and Virginia State can’t afford another clip of “wait-til-next-year” for the next 2-3 years.
