A trip down memory lane

[emmitt01]

Journey back in time with me for a moment. The year is 2001. The place is Malone Stadium. A busload of us had just witnessed what I thought was the worst performance ever by a Mean Green team. We were 0-5. RV personally apologized to several who were in attendance. And the mood on that bus was doom and gloom unlike any I've seen since.

Fast forward one week. Just one week. MUTS was coming into Fouts with a 5-0 record. Pretty much EVERYONE assumed they were about to stomp a mud hole in us and put the final nail in the coffin of our season. An inspired performance, and a 21-14 result later, we were 1-5. All that game did was capapult us on the road to a bowl game...which was followed by three more.

Now, turn the DVR forward to today. We have a defense that is arguably on par with that 2001 one. We have a coaching staff that is better than that 2001 one. We have a stadium that is in a different stratosphere than that 2001 locale where we made the dramatic turnaround.

Yet, many think that same nail is just ready to be placed in the coffin. Not me. I KNOW that we have it in us to make that same turnaround. And I absolutely KNOW that it will not happen if some of our "fans" abandon ship. How short our memories are. Hang in there...listen to FAU on the radio and then make it to Houston if you can. Then, BRING YOUR ASSES TO APOGEE ON OCTOBER 16TH!!!

[JRock]

I'll be there. Bringing two friends who just moved from California a year ago. Six of us total in the group. Can't wait.

[greenminer]

Man, I needed that nostalgia. I'll never forget how low I felt about the Mean Green after that Monroe loss, and how mighty those Blue Raiders looked coming to Denton.

The world hasn't ended folks, and the game ain't over.

[UNTLifer]

And I'll never forget how I felt and how much fun that 2001 MUTS game was and how it launched us on a remarkable conference winning streak.

[greenminer]

Things I remember from that week:

LaMo was 0-5 before they beat us, and a pitiful 0-5 at that...

MUTS had one of the most efficient offenses in college football. They had beaten an SEC team (albeit, Vandy I think) They were averaging over 7 yards per offensive snap! I don't remember anything coming close to that? They had a WR who was 6'7". QB completion was over 70%? A RB with over 4 ypc? Not sure about these last few stats.

I heard rumors that RV wanted to fire Buick after the LaMo game, but the Board convinced him otherwise?

I heard there was a team meeting, and the guys really took to heart Dickey's "Us vs. the World" bunker mentality.

...Then Booger emerged.

....then we got a lead on them.

...Then we kicked a 70+ yard punt and sealed the game.

...Then we didn't lose any Belt games for 4 years

Edited September 26, 2012 by greenminer

[emmitt01]

Things I remember from that week:

LaMo was 0-5 before they beat us, and a pitiful 0-5 at that...

MUTS had one of the most efficient offenses in college football. They had beaten an SEC team (albeit, Vandy I think) They were averaging over 7 yards per offensive snap! I don't remember anything coming close to that? They had a WR who was 6'7". QB completion was over 70%? A RB with over 4 ypc? Not sure about these last few stats.

I heard rumors that RV wanted to fire Buick after the LaMo game, but the Board convinced him otherwise?

I heard there was a team meeting, and the guys really took to heart Dickey's "Us vs. the World" bunker mentality.

...Then Booger emerged.

....then we got a lead on them.

...Then we kicked a 70+ yard punt and sealed the game.

...Then we didn't lose any Belt games for 4 years

An we knocked our their first string RB.

Then the second string RB.

Then hobbled the third string.

[Harry]

I just remember Jamel Branch had a HUGE game against a top 25 MUTS team at Fouts after that Monroe debacle. After winning that game it felt like we could beat anyone in the Belt and we did.

[Eastwood Eagle]

The sky is definitely not falling and I think this team still has a shot at winning the conference.

We are only 0-1 in conference. Still plenty of time to take care of business.

This team has shown that they can point up more than seven points in a game and the defense has shown they can keep us in the game.

We just need to fix a few things and play a complete game.

[CMJ]

The Final was actually 24-21 Emmitt.

What I remember about that game was we built a huge lead (wasn't it 21-7) and it slowly evaporated. The final 7-8 minutes of the game, all I could do is watch the clock and hope for it to move faster. Wasn't that the game where we had like an 80 yard punt to totally flip the field as well?

[UNTLifer]

The RB, Dwone Hicks, was being touted for the Heisman with a "Hicks for Heisman" campaign. He got tired of being hit hard and limped off.

[KRAM1]

My bride and I will be there...proudly wearing our MEAN GREEN GREEN & WHITE!!!!

Edit: Almost forgot...Emmitt...thanks for reminding everyone of that time and place! Ahhhhhhhh...memories!

Edited September 26, 2012 by KRAM1

[SilverEagle]

I remember that game well. Our defense just beat up on them big time. And as Harry said their Heisman RB sat it out after being flipped on a tackle. I had bought a walk up ticket and was sitting right next to the MTSU fans. As the game expired, I remember standing up, and looking at the shocked faces of the MTSU fans and saying.......have a save drive home ya'll.

I also remember listening to the NMSU game and thinking before hand that we were really going to beat up on those guys since their starting QB had been hurt a week or so prior to the game. I also remember being VERY FRUSTRATED that our defense never laid a hand on their gimpy QB...."where was the killer instinct that I saw in the MTSU game" I kept yelling. And it finally took a stupid decision on the part of the NMSU coaching staff (making a hand off to the FB instead of the QB taking a knee) coupled with a fantastic hit by our safety to give us a chance to drive down and score with a miracle catch by our (performance-wise) bi-polar WR.

I also remember us getting to go to the NO Bowl game by special dispensation because we didn't have a winning record (because we couldn't beat Troy). And then Colorado St. making us look like the undeserving team that everyone (but us) said we were.

And as a result of this bowl game, I think that the bowl participation rules were tweaked so that another North Texas out there doesn't get to back into a bowl game. What a wonderful place in NCAA history we made for ourselves.

*addendujm* I fully expect the KRAM1's out there to hammer me for being negative. But being a history major, I call it historical perspective.

Edited September 26, 2012 by SilverEagle

[emmitt01]

I remember that game well. Our defense just beat up on them big time. And as Harry said their Heisman RB sat it out after being flipped on a tackle. I had bought a walk up ticket and was sitting right next to the MTSU fans. As the game expired, I remember standing up, and looking at the shocked faces of the MTSU fans and saying.......have a save drive home ya'll.

I also remember listening to the NMSU game and thinking before hand that we were really going to beat up on those guys since their starting QB had been hurt a week or so prior to the game. I also remember being VERY FRUSTRATED that our defense never laid a hand on their gimpy QB...."where was the killer instinct that I saw in the MTSU game" I kept yelling. And it finally took a stupid decision on the part of the NMSU coaching staff (making a hand off to the FB instead of the QB taking a knee) coupled with a fantastic hit by our safety to give us a chance to drive down and score with a miracle catch by our (performance-wise) bi-polar WR.

I also remember us getting to go to the NO Bowl game by special dispensation because we didn't have a winning record (because we couldn't beat Troy). And then Colorado St. making us look like the undeserving team that everyone (but us) said we were.

And as a result of this bowl game, I think that the bowl participation rules were tweaked so that another North Texas out there doesn't get to back into a bowl game. What a wonderful place in NCAA history we made for ourselves.

*addendujm* I fully expect the KRAM1's out there to hammer me for being negative. But being a history major, I call it historical perspective.

What i remember about that NMSU game is that the seats near the 50 yard line were empty...so a large contingent of NT fans moved into them. NMSU fans whined about it and the police made us move back to our seats.

So, Sound_man and I went and bought seats on the 50. We sat there, surrounded by New Mexico state troopers and angry NMSU fans, just holding our tickets out to them and leading pro-NT cheers from enemy territory.

[KRAM1]

*addendujm* I fully expect the KRAM1's out there to hammer me for being negative. But being a history major, I call it historical perspective.

Why, Silver? Where's the negativity of which you speak? We all recall those games pretty much the same as you do...just how is that negative?

[VideoEagle]

That was a long miserable trip back home. Actually my misery started at the casino on the way TO the game.

[CMJ]

The RB, Dwone Hicks, was being touted for the Heisman with a "Hicks for Heisman" campaign. He got tired of being hit hard and limped off.

Wasn't that campaign the following year?

[greenminer]

Wasn't that campaign the following year?

You beat me to it.

[NM Green]

Still got to get a W. I don't know what the heck to expect from this team. Are they pissed? Are they bummed? Heck I don't know what I feel. I should be pumped about flying into Miami after three weeks overseas to see my team but I am just really hoping to see a fierce effort like I saw at LSU. It is crazy to feel so dejected before the end of September. Couple that with three weeks of no college football while overseas and I am one lost backer. Maybe the good ole American soil and seeing the apple green helmet will get me jazzed about football again - restart please!

GMG