VALPARAISO | At this point of the season, it's not about capturing a Pioneer Football League championship, or even finishing with a winning record.
Valparaiso is 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the PFL, and has lost five of its last six games.
For the Crusader players, the final three weeks of the season is about setting day-to-day goals for improvement and playing football for the love of the game.
Quarterback Warren Arnold is one of 20 seniors who aren't pleased with how this season has transpired going into today's PFL home game against Jacksonville. But he and his teammates haven't thrown in the towel either.
"We had very high hopes for this season," Arnold said. "Things just have not gone as planned.
"We have to focus on positives and things we can still do well. We're still paying to win these last three games."
Arnold suffered an injury late in last week's 44-10 loss at Morehead State. Up until that point, he had thrown for only 69 yards on 11-of-26 passing.
Arnold agitated his injured right ankle, which he said has bothered him all season but hasn't affected his performance.
"I should be able to play through it," Arnold said. "At practice, I've been trying to take it easy. It's not something that bothers me during a game, just something where I have to put ice on it after practice."
As with most of the team, Arnold's statistics are down from last year.
He has rushed for 311 yards on 95 attempts with just one touchdown, and thrown for 796 yards (76 of 173, five interceptions).
Last year, Arnold threw for 1,912 yards with 13 touchdowns. He also rushed for 750 yards and scored four times.
"We have to try to stay positive," Arnold said. "The past is in the past. We can't dwell on our mistakes from past games."
Part of the offense's problem has been the missing link, senior receiver Steve Ogden. Battling various leg injuries, Ogden played in just five games. He's been limited on the field, having yet to score, but still ranks first on the team in receiving yardage (177 yards total).
"For the guys graduating, we just want to finish on a good note," Arnold said.
"We want to win these last three games, and for the guys coming back we want to help them get things started in the right direction."
