Sweat dripped off the tips of his newly grown shag, down his brow and onto his disappointed face during last Saturday's post-game press conference. Sean Schaefer's expression following the Tigers' 41-13 loss to Navy was that usually reserved for occasions of spilling milk or following the death of a pet.
You would never have imagined he had just thrown for 330 yards and two touchdowns, bringing him within striking distance of breaking Dan Crowley's school and state passing yardage record this week against Morgan State.
The only two statistics on his mind were the one interception he threw on the team's first drive and the single tally now in the team's loss column.
It wasn't Schaefer's fault that Navy's Shun White dashed for 349 yards. There was nothing he could do except watch as the speedy running back ran away from Towson's linebackers and defensive backs.
But nonetheless, Schaefer took it on himself.
"Delaware had to put up 59 points to beat [Navy last year]. We didn't score enough. In fact, we didn't score at all in the second half," he said.
Schaefer's willingness to take blame for his team's shortcomings has made him a leader in the locker room. His teammates want to protect him, get open for his passes and go into battle with him. His willingness to accept responsibility has earned him more respect than any of thousands of passing yards or dozens of tosses into the end zone.
This week, Schaefer returns home to familiar surroundings, the more humble confines of Johnny Unitas Stadium, instead of the 30,000 fans and pageantry of Navy Marine Corps Stadium. And he will be facing a familiar foe, the Morgan State Bears from just down Cold Spring Lane; instead of the first Division I FBS program the team has faced in program history.
Schaefer's first career start was against Morgan State in fall 2005. As a redshirt freshman, the quiet kid from Southern Maryland with a powerful, accurate arm stepped onto the green carpet of Minnegan Field. He turned the ball over six times, leaving the Tigers' offense stagnant for the first three quarters of the game.
"You have to be careful when it comes to his confidence," head coach Gordy Combs said. "If I pulled him and he lost that, I may never get it back."
The long-time coach's patience proved virtuous as Schaefer provided the first major comeback of his career. In the second half, he rallied the team from down 13 points to win 29-26, throwing for 344 yards and two touchdowns. A 24-yard touchdown pass and a drive leading to a game-winning field goal highlighted the night's performance.
In his career, Schaefer is 3-0 against the Bears, scoring three touchdowns via the run or the pass as a sophomore and tossing four for scores last year on the road.
This Saturday, he enters the game just 214 yards shy of setting the record, giving him the rest of the season to pad his totals. Against Navy, he had 225 by halftime, and there is a distinct possibility for a repeat of that feat this Saturday, according to Combs.
"He's so close that it will come and we will move on," he said. "Records are something you can enjoy when you are in your rocking chair. Sean will be there and sit back and wait for someone to break his."
Putting his personal numbers out of mind, Schaefer doesn't care if he breaks the record in the first half, or against Morgan State at all, unless his eye-popping numbers help maintain his perfect record against the Bears. Moving to 4-0 against Morgan, or more importantly, getting back to .500 on the season, is his greatest concern.
Whether it's Saturday or next week at Coastal Carolina, Schaefer is going to be Towson's all-time passing leader and continue to rise through the ranks of the Atlantic 10/CAA's best ever.
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