Corsairs Lose Against Bakersfield City College in Homecoming Matchup

After a big loss against Desert College, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs were looking forward to their matchup against the Bakersfield Renegades. Corsair fans scattered all around the field in high spirits, eager to see them take on the Renegades for the home opener.

Shortly after SMC kicked off, Bakersfield scored a touchdown at just 12 minutes and 58 seconds into the first quarter. From then on, the Corsairs' defense struggled to prevent Bakesfield from scoring.

SMC's offense simply wasn't good as a whole. They stood no chance against Bakersfield, which made them turn the ball over. It also allowed the Renegades to score their second touchdown of the first quarter. SMC still had drive during the first quarter, but continuously fell behind, digging themselves into an even deeper hole. 

The Corsairs seemed to have communication issues, which led to incomplete passes and a struggle to advance down the field. As they fought through their early downs, it put them in awful position for their later downs due to the enormous yardage they had to gain. By the half, the Renegades were leading the Corsairs 27-0.

Coming into the third quarter, Bakersfield's ball fell into their own end zone and resulted in a touchback. When the ball came into SMC's possession, the pressure made the Corsairs fumble the ball. The Renegades recovered the ball at the SMC one-yard line. Bakersfield then scored their fifth touchdown of the night. With just under two and a half minutes left in the third quarter, Bakersfield scored yet again.

The Corsairs offense picked it up with 14 minutes and 39 seconds left in the fourth, as No. 4 Sophomore Akili Warren Jr. scored a touchdown. Unfortunately, the kick was blocked, and the score remained 41-6. SMC fought until the end and showcased strong defensive play. There wasn't just one scapegoat for Saturday's plays, there were plenty of contributors to the Corsairs' loss.

After a night of inconsistency on one side and electric play on the other, Bakersfield won by a final score of 41-6. With this 35-point loss, the Corsairs have to improve and adjust their play as they continue to fight their way through games. The Corsairs' next matchup will be against the Compton College Tartars, next Saturday at 6 p.m.