While skill, talent, hard work and dedication play a large role in sporting events, sometimes a bit of luck can determine the outcome of a game.

Because of this, players and coaches alike often have rituals or good luck charms for game day.

The football team’s superstitions begin with Frank Scelfo, football head coach, who explained how his wife and sons call him before every game.

“Every day we have a game, she tells me good luck and she loves me,” said Frank Scelfo. “That’s our superstition. Any time we have a game, my two sons will call, and she will call.”

Among the players, music is a key component in gameday preparation.

“I listen to music before every game,” said CJ Turner, a redshirt freshman wide receiver. “I play music right before we go on the field and touch my mom before every game.”

Jake Ingraffia, a senior wide receiver, has a specific playlist containing a variety of music to help get himself in the zone.

“I have the same playlist before every game,” said Ingraffia. “I listen to some classical music and rap. I say a prayer every time before I go out.”

However, Kyle Strickland, a senior offensive lineman, prefers listening to just one song to prepare.

“I usually listen to the same song over and over before every game,” said Strickland. “‘Jus Wanna’ by Kevin Gates.”

Other players’ rituals were formed in childhood and maintain that childlike spirit.

“I always gotta take a nap before a game,” said Chason Virgil, a junior quarterback. “I’ve always been like that since little league. I gotta take a nap. I don’t know why.”

Another common good luck charm involves the permanence of tattoos.

“I got my mom tattooed on me,” said Strickland. “She passed six years ago, so that’s kind of like my good luck thing.”

Alfred Beverly III, a junior offensive lineman, also looks to a commemorative tattoo for luck.

“I got a tattoo from when my grandpa died,” said Beverly. “That’s something special to me.”

Virgil, however, finds his luck in a memento from his mother.

“I usually wear a necklace during games that my mom gave me,” said Virgil. “I guess you could say that’s a good luck charm.”

Although the team has not yet formed any group rituals or superstitions, Virgil believes it is only a matter of time.

“We’re all kind of new to each other, but we’ll know come next Thursday,” said Virgil. “We’ll get into a rhythm of something we always do, but for a lot of us, it’s our first time playing together.”