Final answer:
The statement reflects dismay over losing a football game due to a mistake, similar to Alcée missing gumbo due to late arrival, illustrating themes of timing and consequence in English literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's statement, "We just lost the football game because my teammate fumbled the ball," does not directly pose a question; rather, it expresses a sentiment related to an event in a football game.
In analyzing the given information, Alcée's tardiness has a consequence similar to the fumbled ball; both situations resulted in a miss — one in a game, and the other a social opportunity, missing the chicken gumbo that had been served at midnight. Expressions such as these in English literature are used to portray events and their outcomes, which often involve themes like timing and consequence.