Avenging a UConn loss...

[Carl Spackler]

I, for one, will be very happy to pay back SMU starting next year, for the 31-30 loss in 1989. We were up by a ton in that game. Being the program that lost to SMU in their first game back from the death penalty, is not something I'm proud of.

God damn, we were up 30-14 with 7 minutes and change to play.

 

[Doggie Style]

I, for one, will be very happy to pay back SMU starting next year, for the 31-30 loss in 1989. We were up by a ton in that game. Being the program that lost to SMU in their first game back from the death penalty, is not something I'm proud of.

God damn, we were up 30-14 with 7 minutes and change to play.

And what made that loss even worse, was when ESPN did that special on SMU/Deathpenalty and Uconn was not only mentioned as being their first win coming back, but they showed a few clips of us getting steamrolled in the last few minutes of that game. What sucked the most was that nearly every person on that show basically said that SMU team was a laughing stock and other teams they played that season took their Starters out by the half. Either way, it was cool that Uconn went down their and took a shot at the time, but we should of just stayed in the Yankee Conference!

 

[Waquoit]

The last time we played BCU sucked because our coach never gave the team a chance to win. We can avenge that next year by beating Maryland.

 

[ktuck911]

And what made that loss even worse, was when ESPN did that special on SMU/Deathpenalty and Uconn was not only mentioned as being their first win coming back, but they showed a few clips of us getting steamrolled in the last few minutes of that game. What sucked the most was that nearly every person on that show basically said that SMU team was a laughing stock and other teams they played that season took their Starters out by the half. Either way, it was cool that Uconn went down their and took a shot at the time, but we should of just stayed in the Yankee Conference!

I distinctly remember that game... Watching it from East Campus ( Buckley ) in my sophmore year... Just knew it was gonna be a signature win for us.. no matter how bad SMU was.. They were a D1 A team... We just ran outta gas ... Thank God that was then and this is now... Looking forward to our match ups with the Mustangs going forward.... Won't be any blow outs ( at least I hope not... we're too good now for that to happen... we better be anyways )...

 

[Carl Spackler]

And what made that loss even worse, was when ESPN did that special on SMU/Deathpenalty and Uconn was not only mentioned as being their first win coming back, but they showed a few clips of us getting steamrolled in the last few minutes of that game. What sucked the most was that nearly every person on that show basically said that SMU team was a laughing stock and other teams they played that season took their Starters out by the half. Either way, it was cool that Uconn went down their and took a shot at the time, but we should of just stayed in the Yankee Conference!

SMU has created something called To Kill a Mockingbird, or some kind of Mockingbird award or something, based on their 1989 team and that game. I think it was the only game they won that year. I think they might actually hand it out as an award regularly now. Probably one of the most painful 4th quarters I can remember (that is until the later Edsall years.....). 23-7 at half. 30-14 with 7 minutes to play.

I'm going to thoroughly enjoy SMU games, as I will Navy as well, and they definitely deserve payback, and I'm sure that Boise will start some kind of thing as well as the others.

 

[CAPS]

UNC at home in '09. Any time you get a chance to beat a southern school, you gotta cash in. No way UConn wasn't the best team on the field that day. They just were the most timid. They stopped aggressively trying to put more points on the board (leading 10-0) and went to run, run, run. They also stopped being aggressive on defensive - bend, don't break, bend, don't break again, bend, come on guys let's stop breaking. And then . . . heck, let us score some points to help them along - overtime will be too taxing. A choke show at best we had them dead my 1st uconn game what a killer great day though

Other games?
2. Virginia '07
3. Rutgers '09
4. Oklahoma (Fiesta Bowl)
5. WVU '09
6. Wake Forest (Meineke)
7. Wake '06
8. Cincy '06
9. Georgia Southern ('98)
10. Delaward ('98)

 

[huskyniner]

Oklahoma

 

[SAMCRO]

SMU has created something called To Kill a Mockingbird, or some kind of Mockingbird award or something, based on their 1989 team and that game. I think it was the only game they won that year. I think they might actually hand it out as an award regularly now. Probably one of the most painful 4th quarters I can remember (that is until the later Edsall years.....). 23-7 at half. 30-14 with 7 minutes to play.

The Dallas papers called that game "The Miracle on Mockingbird Lane".

Unreal, as UConn was really dominating SMU at the half. Forest Gregg made all the right adjustments at the half while UConn tried to sit on a lead. That, and the officials seemed to stop calling holding down the stretch when SMU was on O', not to mention Romo was a good step over the LOS when he threw the TD pass on the games final play.

It was a week later the UConn band starting chanting "SMU, SMU" at Yale Bowl when Yale started a mini comeback on UConn in the second half (UConn won that game tho).

 

[MattMang23]

All those losses to Syracuse over the past half-decade or so... Oh, wait...

 

[Carl Spackler]

The Dallas papers called that game "The Miracle on Mockingbird Lane".

Unreal, as UConn was really dominating SMU at the half. Forest Gregg made all the right adjustments at the half while UConn tried to sit on a lead. That, and the officials seemed to stop calling holding down the stretch when SMU was on O', not to mention Romo was a good step over the LOS when he threw the TD pass on the games final play.

It was a week later the UConn band starting chanting "SMU, SMU" at Yale Bowl when Yale started a mini comeback on UConn in the second half (UConn won that game tho).

Mockingbird way, or lane I guess, is the address of the stadium down there. I seem to remember some kind of award being given. Oh well, could be wrong. What I remember most, is that absolutely everythign that could have gone against us late in that game, did. When you give up 17 points in the final 7 minutes of a game, and lose by 1 on a PAT with zero's on the clock? Yeah, I haven't forgotten that one, and there will be some guys up in the stands when SMU comes to CT that will be itching for payback.

We did win the conference title that year, went 8-3 and lost a close on on the road at Villanova in that OT nightmare that would never end, and got shellacked by Maine team that went to 1-AA playoffs ahead of us that year b/c they won that game. Funny, how you be around this game long enough and all you remember are the losses.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Didn't stop to think about going that far back ('89), but yeah, that SMU game needs to be avenged. Too much going conservative in the later parts of that game - both on offense and defense. If the Huskies had kept attacking on both sides of the ball, they'd have won in a rout.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Didn't stop to think about going that far back ('89), but yeah, that SMU game needs to be avenged. Too much going conservative in the later parts of that game - both on offense and defense. If the Huskies had kept attacking on both sides of the ball, they'd have won in a rout.

That wasn't the case young pup. Nothing conservative about that game at all. I do agree with your enthusiasm for offensive football, and I completely agree that we played a very, very conservative style of football in recent years. It also won us a lot of games.

But it's a complimentary game, offense, defense and kicking all need to work together, and if you're going to be predictable on the field, you need to have 11 better players than your opposition on any play.

Immediate payback for losses? We get UMass and W. Michigan in September. Cincinatti is one I'd like to get back this year too. Future? Michigan. Navy.

We're also going to have the target on our backs this year - on the road in Florida and Jersey.

Every game matters. Every game is important. Every game has a story.

 

[cryjeremiah]

The UNC loss on a holding call. That made me sick to my stomach for weeks. ugh, still does.

 

[epark88]

The Dallas papers called that game "The Miracle on Mockingbird Lane".

Unreal, as UConn was really dominating SMU at the half. Forest Gregg made all the right adjustments at the half while UConn tried to sit on a lead. That, and the officials seemed to stop calling holding down the stretch when SMU was on O', not to mention Romo was a good step over the LOS when he threw the TD pass on the games final play.

It was a week later the UConn band starting chanting "SMU, SMU" at Yale Bowl when Yale started a mini comeback on UConn in the second half (UConn won that game tho).

I was there in the band that day when the chant happened.

We were seated directly behind the UConn bench, and the players heard it as clear as day. The looks they shot at us...wow. I remember one player, helmet still on, staring us down and I could read his lips:

"Bastards."

That was NOT a great moment in UCMB history.

I don't know who actually started the chant. I'd like to blame some of the band's Seniors, who at every Yale Bowl game would traditionally skip the pregame show to go tailgating and generally ended up inebriated by halftime, but I have no way of knowing for sure. But sadly I do admit that I started to chant it myself (mob mentality, I guess) but when I saw the players' reactions, I quickly slinked back into my chair.

Sad thing is, I watched that loss on TV the week before and it royally sucked as a fan/student/band member to witness it from afar. Now imagine how much more painful it was for the players who participated in it? they were clearly still hurting when we opened our big mouths.

To this day I consider that as two or three of the stupidest words I've ever uttered in my life - and trust me, that's saying a lot...

 

[Carl Spackler]

Yale was two weeks after, and I love the band. The band is part of college football. You're confession is heard and you are forgiven. LOL.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I was in Florida attending a Braves spring training game, randomly, in 1994, wearing some identifying UConn clothing, with some of my wife's friends, who are not from UConn, but are from CT and were also identifiable. We were on a vacation and all went to see Deion Sanders play spring baseball.

A group of random people approached us and began talking about UConn, and how we had a great program in 1989 and that they were so happy to be one of the only teams to beat us. I asked where they were from, and they said.....Southern Methodist.

I must have a had some kind of response, because I can still remember very clearly my wife grabbing my hand and getting in front of me and looking me square in the eyes the way only she can.

What happened after that will be even more amusing to all you fellow UConn fans, b/c the others we were with, after that group left us.....started talking about how they didn't remember us playing SMU in that season. They of course, were referring to the basketball season which catapulted UConn b-ball into the national spotlight, and had thought that when referring to UConn, and "great program"....since being spring training, and March Madness, and the season where we were favored to win the national championship in b-ball with the Donyell Marshall class,.........the people I was with......had no freaking clue that those SMU fans from down south....were talking about UConn FOOTBALL.

My wife just kept squeezing my hand, and I kept my mouth shut. I never mentioned it to those friends again, I think when I see them next time, it will make for a good story.

That '89 season was a great ride. Many more in between, and many more to come.

 

[pepband99]

Rutgers 09. Forget the game, forget the last play - I want the bogus overturned 2-pt conversion back! I've never been so furious at any game, ever.

 

[J187Money]

Vandy.

 

[Kgun7]

UNC at home in '09. Any time you get a chance to beat a southern school, you gotta cash in. No way UConn wasn't the best team on the field that day. They just were the most timid. They stopped aggressively trying to put more points on the board (leading 10-0) and went to run, run, run. They also stopped being aggressive on defensive - bend, don't break, bend, don't break again, bend, come on guys let's stop breaking. And then . . . heck, let us score some points to help them along - overtime will be too taxing.

Other games?
2. Virginia '07
3. Rutgers '09
4. Oklahoma (Fiesta Bowl)
5. WVU '09
6. Wake Forest (Meineke)
7. Wake '06
8. Cincy '06
9. Georgia Southern ('98)
10. Delaward ('98)

Don't want to split hairs ... but didn't we avenge Virginia '07 ... in '08?

 

[gabect]

We had a couple of painful, close, WTF losses to Rutgers in 3 of the last 4 years but we got our revenge smacking them hard last year and keeping them away from a Big East championship.

How about BCU 2002 or 2003 at home whenever that was?

 

[rw005]

That NC State game...that INTERCEPTION! (but I got my wish, since they are on the schedule this season, and we're at home too!)

Wake Forest 07 in the Meineke Bowl

Iowa State last season, this game pissed me off due to their fans making a big deal out of their stupid mascot, considering the fact their mascot started it.