For the first time in the history of Santa Monica College football a home game will be played on artificial turf Saturday, September 27.
SMC, which has faltered in season-opening road games, will host LA Valley College, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
The Corsairs almost always play home games at night, but the 2008 home opener was scheduled for the afternoon as a precaution in case new lights wouldn’t be ready. The lights were part of the project highlighted by the installation of FieldTurf, which replaces Corsair Field’s natural grass.
Head coach Robert Taylor is happy with the change to FieldTurf, a popular surface that has also been installed at the University of Illinois this season. The surface eliminates mud on rainy days.
SMC had a 2-8 record last season and hasn’t shown much improvement. The Corsairs have lost to Orange Coast College 27-3, to Cerritos 56-24 and to Bakersfield, 60-14.
On Saturday, September 20 SMC played before nearly 5,000 fans in Bakersfield and fell behind 53-7 after three quarters. The Corsairs’ only touchdowns were produced by backup quarterback Ryan Burns, one on a pass, the other on a run.
Bakersfield entered the game with an 0-2 record, the Renegades’ worst start since 1986. One of the losses was to L.A. Valley.
