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So I was thinking of this and was curious what other people might say.

What was the biggest letdown you have experienced with your team? Was it a single game (anytime we lose to MSU) or a season (2010 ) or anything else?

For me it was the 2009 championship game loss to Villanova. Our team was amazing that year and our playoff run was just fucking phenomenal. 61 points on the best (I think) defense, holding the best offense to 0 points and then beating Edwards in a close but awesome game (coldest one I have been to).

Going to Chatty and losing to Villanova after that just crushed me. And we lost due to bad coaching. Playing your safeties 15 yards back when the other team is doing a wildcat is just asinine.

So, what was your biggest letdown?

Gee, let me think about this one...

Losing to Richmond by 1 point with a TD in the final seconds in a semifinal game in the dome in '08. That year wasn't really supposed to be a championship contending year for UNI, necessarily, but things kind of fell our way that year, especially in the playoffs, as App St lost the week before giving us the semifinal game at home. We led the whole game, and all we needed was a first down to run the clock out. We didn't get the first down, and then we gave up about a 70 yard drive in the final minute.

Richmond then went on to smoke Montana the very next week in the title game.

Must be tough for a UNI fan to choose just ONE biggest letdown.

Each and every lost NC game. Each has its own pain. Each is different. Each one is a shoulda/woulda/coulda. Felt like crap after each one. ... ... Well, all except 1996. Went into that one kind of knowing the outcome and just hoping for a good showing.

grizzaholic wrote:Each and every lost NC game. Each has its own pain. Each is different. Each one is a shoulda/woulda/coulda. Felt like crap after each one. ... ... Well, all except 1996. Went into that one kind of knowing the outcome and just hoping for a good showing.

I agree but against Richmond we were simply outplayed. They deserved it as the better team. I was sad to see guys like Bergquist end their career on that game but that is what should have happened. In 2009 we seriously should have won and lost due to stupid decisions.

Losing to W&M after leading for 55 minutes sucked. Had we won that, I'm positive we would've made the playoffs considering the Tribe ended up being CAA Champs. That win would've been huge for our 2nd year program.

97' Cat/griz

Single game, I would definitely say 2004 quarterfinals against SHSU. First playoff game in Cheney in EWU history, leading by 20 points in the 4th (missed XP earlier), and we go into prevent defense. And you know what they say about prevent defense... SHSU scored a TD on the last play of the game to tie it, and kicked the XP with no time left FTW.

As for season... 2008, no doubt. Returning most of our QF team from 07 that destroyed McNeese and played NC App pretty close in Boone, Matt Nichols and Aaron Boyce's junior year... I thought we were destined for great things, and so did most everyone else. I guess it can't be overstated how much a coaching change can affect your team, even if the hire is someone from inside your own program and knows it well... (AM I RIGHT MONTANA!!? )

I would have to say the 4 fumbles that cost us the game against Montana in the '08 semifinal. It was so weird how everything that whole year went out way and then one game everything seemed to go south. Oh well.

No doubt the 2008 game against Richmond. Words can't express the disappointment. Just was awful. in every imaginable way. Armanti had thrown 4 picks all season leading up to that game. Threw 5 that day.

Last two games against Montana - so damn close

the 3-8 season in '09...

DJH wrote:Losing to Richmond by 1 point with a TD in the final seconds in a semifinal game in the dome in '08. That year wasn't really supposed to be a championship contending year for UNI, necessarily, but things kind of fell our way that year, especially in the playoffs, as App St lost the week before giving us the semifinal game at home. We led the whole game, and all we needed was a first down to run the clock out. We didn't get the first down, and then we gave up about a 70 yard drive in the final minute.

Richmond then went on to smoke Montana the very next week in the title game.

I'm sure you and clenzy will flamespray me for this because my opinion differs from yours, but most Montana fans were REALLY rooting for UNI for the very reasons you stated....you guys were a MUCH better matchup for the Griz that year and I think we'd have beaten you....we had no answer for Sidbury and he (and a couple trick plays) basically put the game away early. I'd have loved to have the Griz have a shot at UNI's '08 team....

Probably having a game for all intents and purposes won in Missoula before fumbling it away in the second half.

Skjellyfetti wrote:No doubt the 2008 game against Richmond. Words can't express the disappointment. Just was awful. in every imaginable way. Armanti had thrown 4 picks all season leading up to that game. Threw 5 that day.

That was the longest 2nd half ever. It wasn't like Montana in '09 where it was a great heavyweight fight or like last year vs Nova where we fought almost til the end. That game was over halfway through the 3rd quarter and everyone knew it.

UNI '05 Title game loss to ASU

UNI '08 semi-final loss to Richmond

UNI '09 season in general


None of them touch the '07 playoff loss to UD though.

'09 semi-final loss 14-13 to Nova.

Even though the game against Wofford was thrilling, to see the Griz lose that first round game really sucked, especially considering how many on that team are actually on active NFL rosters now.

By the way, I was at that game at is was awesome...as they all are.

93henfan wrote:Gee, let me think about this one...

Not so fast there 93. The McNeese semi has to rank right up there. Hens hadn't been to the NC game for many years, so in some ways that was more disappointing.

1998 loss to UMass in the NC...shoulda stomped a mudhole in them. Biggest playoff upset in IAA/FCS history.

2001 semi-final versus Furman...had a 17-7 lead a halftime and blew it. That GSU team should have been 15-0.

89Hen wrote:

93henfan wrote:Gee, let me think about this one...

Not so fast there 93. The McNeese semi has to rank right up there. Hens hadn't been to the NC game for many years, so in some ways that was more disappointing.

Fair enough. I was deployed and never saw it.

The W&M playoff game in 2004 sucked hard too. I was down there for that one.

Still having a big lead well into a third quarter, half a country away, for all the marbles and blowing it easily tops the list for me.

Screamin_Eagle174 wrote:Single game, I would definitely say 2004 quarterfinals against SHSU. First playoff game in Cheney in EWU history, leading by 20 points in the 4th (missed XP earlier), and we go into prevent defense. And you know what they say about prevent defense... SHSU scored a TD on the last play of the game to tie it, and kicked the XP with no time left FTW.

As for season... 2008, no doubt. Returning most of our QF team from 07 that destroyed McNeese and played NC App pretty close in Boone, Matt Nichols and Aaron Boyce's junior year... I thought we were destined for great things, and so did most everyone else. I guess it can't be overstated how much a coaching change can affect your team, even if the hire is someone from inside your own program and knows it well... (AM I RIGHT MONTANA!!? )

Yep. And had we won it would have sent us to Missoula for a rematch in the semi's.

I would have to say the loss to Nova in last years playoffs at The Rock. It has been rare in recent years that any team came into The Rock and pushed us around at the line of scrimage, but that's what Nova did, just punched us in the mouth over and over again. Very disapointing loss at home.

The first playoff loss to Montana a few years back was also painful as we had yet to advance to the Championship game and that was our best opportunity up to that point. Thankfully over the last decade, App has provided many more good memories than disapointing ones.

My senior year against Howard in 1993. We went up 28-0 in the first half and the coaches went ultra conservative. We were 4-0 and they were 5-0 at the time. Jay "Sky" Walker threw all over us in the second half. Our defense couldn't stop shit. They scored on the last play with no time left on the clock and won 44-41. That game sucked hard. Had we won that game, I have to believe, we would have gone to the playoffs at 9-1. Howard went on to go undefeated that year.