Program-crushing single game losses

[T-Dog]

I've been thinking about this. I heard some Furman people say that a piece of Furman Football died on the mountain on Dec 10, 2005. Also, I think Georgia Southern fans believe that a piece of their football program died in San Marcos in 2005 due to the chain reaction it caused. Could be wrong on both, but I though I'd bring it up.

I couldn't help the feeling that Richmond football is going down a similar path. After the App St/Richmond game, the Richmond people were devastated, moreso than any I've seen in recent memory with the exception of App the previous year (although thankfully we rebounded). It was a combination of 15/22 starters graduating, London having one foot out the door, and the stadium change. Add on the two coaching changes in the last three years, it just seems like they'll fall hard. Again, I could be wrong.

So, I'd just like to ask what are the times you remember a single loss devastating a program to the point where it took years to recover?

[Willie]

FBS related here. But look at Ohio State after the loss to Florida in the 06 chipper. We haven't won a bowl game since.

I'm too young to remember anything with Montana before the 90's, but I'm sure there was something before my time that had a huge impact on the program.

[SuperHornet]

One could make an argument that Texas did that to $C a couple of years back.

[clenz]

I'm going to say that SDSU's loss to Montana may be....

[slycat]

Texas States loss to Northern Iowa really hurt. But the program is still doing better then before 2005 so its not a true program killer.

I'd have to say SHSUs loss to Montana in the 2004 semis killed their program. Their coach retired and they've really struggled since.

[tampajag]

Southern's loss to Prairie View in 2006 changed both programs. It gave PVU the confidence to believe they were truly on the rise and it confirmed that Southern wasn't the program it was from 1993 to 2004. The Jags were truly a rebuilding program and the program never really recovered from the shock and embarrassment that loss caused. Although they went 8-3 the next season the luster wasn't there any more. And at this point without any idea who the coach will be the program is truly at a crossroads.

Just wanted to add that most Jag fans my age had only witnessed on loss to the Panthers in 1988 (and that game ended up being forfieted later) when you add the long losing streak and everything that went thru that Southern (along with Grambling) were the only teams that hadn't lost to PV by that point so you could still carry your head high. I've talked to many people who went to that game and they are still in disbelief 3 years later. And if you can't tell I am too it wasn't just the loss, it was how they lost up 14 in the 4th under 5 minutes left. The coaches decide they should be throwing the ball. Two turnovers later the game is in overtime. SU does nothing with the ball, PV gets a field goal to win.

I honestly think a lot of people stopped following Southern football that weekend.

[mcveyrl]

While it remains to be seen how the fallout will occur, I thought our loss to Montana last year was pretty crushing.

I think MM is good enough to get the team to rebound (we all knew this year wasn't going to be great), and you can't be too crushed when you lose in the national semi-finals, and we have the stadium expansion going on, so it may not be that bad. But I think only getting to the playoffs and winning a couple (and not losing games we're supposed to win) will really get us over that loss.

[kalm]

Michigan. Too obvious?

[kalm]

Montana's to ewu in '02 to end the win streak. No national championships since.

[CrunchGriz]

Montana's to ewu in '02 to end the win streak. No national championships since.

EWU's loss to Montana in 2007 via Ryan Bagley's amazing catch and Carpenter's kick.

No national championships since. (or before, come to think of it....)

[T-Dog]

Michigan. Too obvious?

Lloyd Carr was probably retiring after that year regardless. However, losing to us, and then Oregon and Ohio State (all of which run the spread) made Michigan want to get with the times and get Rich Rod, the master of the spread. So I guess we had a small part in it.

[JALMOND]

I'll go out on a limb here and say Glanville's very first game as Portland State's head coach. Glanville brought all the hype and revived interest around here when he arrived, Davis was going to make the offense fun to watch and we actually had a great team returning. Also, we were back near where Glanville enjoyed success in the NFL with the Houston Oilers (opening game at McNeese State). I'd have to say a win there would have kept the excitement going and got the Glanville/Davis revival on the right foot. We lose and the rest is history.

[txstatebobcat]

Texas States loss to Northern Iowa really hurt. But the program is still doing better then before 2005 so its not a true program killer.

I'd have to say SHSUs loss to Montana in the 2004 semis killed their program. Their coach retired and they've really struggled since.

As far as TxSt goes, I think the 1992 game vs Youngstown St is probably the program killer. At that time then SWT was winning vs nationally ranked Youngstown St until in the final play with six seconds left in the game, the penguins scored on a 70 yard screen pass.

[EQguy]

I'm going to say that SDSU's loss to Montana may be....

Its going to be very interesting this year to see how that game impacts the future. This isn't the first time this happened to us in Montana but the stakes were much higher. Personally, I think the upcoming seniors wont let that happen and I look for SDSU to bounce back. I think its more likely that road games at Nebraska, UNI, NDSU, SIU will be much harder to overcome in order to make it to the playoffs again.

[T-Dog]

I'm going to say that SDSU's loss to Montana may be....

Its going to be very interesting this year to see how that game impacts the future. This isn't the first time this happened to us in Montana but the stakes were much higher. Personally, I think the upcoming seniors wont let that happen and I look for SDSU to bounce back. I think its more likely that road games at Nebraska, UNI, NDSU, SIU will be much harder to overcome in order to make it to the playoffs again.

JMU is a team that took a crushing loss and turned it around. After fumbling on the 9 in Boone in 07, they came back, went 10-1 the next year, beating App and getting the #1 seed. They only loss when their QB went down in the semis vs Montana.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Its going to be very interesting this year to see how that game impacts the future. This isn't the first time this happened to us in Montana but the stakes were much higher. Personally, I think the upcoming seniors wont let that happen and I look for SDSU to bounce back. I think its more likely that road games at Nebraska, UNI, NDSU, SIU will be much harder to overcome in order to make it to the playoffs again.

JMU is a team that took a crushing loss and turned it around. After fumbling on the 9 in Boone in 07, they came back, went 10-1 the next year, beating App and getting the #1 seed. They only loss when their QB went down in the semis vs Montana.

and were losing when the qb went down.

[sfajack05]

i have a program crushing win...it was the 2004 season...sfa was 4-1 and traveled to uc davis who was ranked i believe in the top 5 at the time and we were somewhere in the top 15. sfa beats uc davis and shoots up to the top 5 or near top 5. the jacks then proceed to lose five out of their next six ending what was once a promising season at 6-5. Coach santiago was fired and then the downward spiral started and they jacks didn't have a winning season until this year.

[Willie]

JMU is a team that took a crushing loss and turned it around. After fumbling on the 9 in Boone in 07, they came back, went 10-1 the next year, beating App and getting the #1 seed. They only loss when their QB went down in the semis vs Montana.

and were losing when the qb went down.

Yeah JMU didn't lose because he went down. They got their asses kicked that night, plain and simple.

[kardplayer]

Lehigh vs. Delaware - 9/10/2005

Both teams were highly ranked (I'm gonna say top 15, but they may have been top 10 at the time), and Lehigh was up 2 TD's in the fourth quarter before Delaware came storming back. The game went to overtime and ended when Lehigh's kicker missed a PAT on the first possession after Delaware had already scored their TD (and PAT).

That game contributed to Pete Lembo's reputation as a coach who couldn't win against the tougher competition. He would leave later that year to go to Elon (Did he jump? Was he pushed? Its unclear...) and since he left, the program is 20-24 after being 33-13 the four years leading up to that.

[CatMom]

The two years after the UNI loss TXST went 9-13(5-6, 4-7) but we did lose 29 seniors after that 2005 season. That 2005 season we were 11-3, so the next season was way below expectations.The next 2 years we have gone 15-9 (8-5, 7-4). Not so hot compared to some other programs but 2 winning seasons, a playoff appearance and a near miss on making it again is the best TXST has seen in decades.

[BigSkyBears]

I think when NoCo lost to D2 Chadron St. at home in '06. It was a shut out. That was probably the worst lose in program history.

[Appaholic]

and were losing when the qb went down.

Yeah JMU didn't lose because he went down. They got their asses kicked that night, plain and simple.

Agree....Dudek (sp?) did as well as Landers in that game, but Montana was the better team...

[Appaholic]

I'm hoping our loss to Montana isn't a pre-cursor to some tough times....Armanti graduates, Elliot leaves for SC, Wiley possibly leaving for Texas Tech & a Head Coach over 70 who, with all others leaving, might just decide this is as good a time as any to retire......

[bluehenbillk]

2 of them:

1997 semi-final game at home vs McNeese St, up 21-20 with just about 2 minutes left, McNeese had a 4th & 3 or so around mid-field, QB throws a duck out into the flat, our DB, Dominic Banks is in position but mis-times his jump and doesn't "knock it down". McNeese goes down field and kicks FG to win 23-21.

Other one was 2004 quarterfinal game at W&M. We blow a 21-point second half lead, Riccio throws a pick-6 and we abandon our running game which was slicing right through the Tribe. W&M scores a TD but misses PAT in OT & we get one 1st down & then go 4 & out, game over.

[griz8791]

I'm skeptical about the whole idea of a program-crushing single game loss.