For all the Angst over losing to Southern Miss...
- Thread starter ulismyman
- Start date
It wasn't that we lost to Southern Miss that was so bad. Sure, that hurt, but what was so bad was the way we lost to them. They shut us out in the 2nd half and scored 21 points in the third quarter alone. On top of that, they ran all over us to the tune of 304 total yards and 3 touchdowns. Even if we had won the game, the performance on defensive was just sickening. So. Miss is a good team and I can understand them going out and throwing the ball around and the game being a bit of a burner because So. Miss has an excellent quarterback. However, allowing them to run on us at will was just inexcusable. Luckily, we have been at least a bit more respectable against the run in the second half of the season.
Hope we deliver our thanks to them in Hattiesburg next year. I'm guessing the defense will be ready and willing to show them all their appreciation for helping to get us on track.
Honestly wonder if Barkers injury wasn't in the second half of this game. You don't go from world beater in one half to 3 turnovers in fourteen plays. Then throw in the performance at florida from the QB. Did we even have a time of possession of five minutes the second half of the game.
The defense didn't play well by any means. But no matter how good they were you are not going to stop anyone on the field for 45 minutes.
The defense didn't play well by any means. But no matter how good they were you are not going to stop anyone on the field for 45 minutes.
It was the loss.
It was the blown lead.
It was the reality that many questioned why in the world we were playing them in our season opener and not later in the season (a question that has been answered, many times).
It was also the reality that we looked pathetic the next week against Florida, and our defense was pathetic against NMSU, and we knew that we had to travel to Hattiesburg and play them again the next year.
It was the blown lead.
It was the reality that many questioned why in the world we were playing them in our season opener and not later in the season (a question that has been answered, many times).
It was also the reality that we looked pathetic the next week against Florida, and our defense was pathetic against NMSU, and we knew that we had to travel to Hattiesburg and play them again the next year.
The reason we were playing them in the season opener is because UAB (who we had scheduled) had dropped football and left us in a very tight spot. You couldn't just replace them with anyone as season schedule for nearly everyone was set and is done years in advance and already had an FCS on schedule so that win would not have counted towards bowl eligibility . USM seen a chance with a veteran QB, and a chance to beat a low level power five school. We had to have a game, and they gave high demands that turned out to be our best and probably only option. Should UAB not dropped football we are probably playing in Tampa instead of Jacksonville.
Not saying we should not of beat them as i honestly feel we were/are the better team. But it was the perfect storm that led to a disaster. I'm just glad Stoops and the boys were able to bounce back and save the season. We did not need another coaching change
Southern Miss has a really tough home opener next season. Go Cats!!
As I noted in my post, the question has been answered many times. Now, perhaps it has been answered many, many times.
I think Barker did get hurt somewhere in that game.
The thing about the defense was that we couldn't stop the run in the first half either. They just didn't run as much. They ran for around 130 yards in the first half. UK was able to largely stop them thanks for some interceptions and sacks. I think that was kind of a big difference in the game. USM was making some mistakes with interceptions and getting sacked, but when they needed to eat some clock they'd run the ball a bit. Their drive might end in an INT, but they were at least getting something on the ground. UK, on the other hand, was either not going to the ground very often or wasn't getting very much on the ground. Payne and Smith for USM racked up a total of 280 yards and neither of them had a carry longer than 14 yards. Boom ran for 95 and 36 of that came on one run. Still had a pretty solid running day, but we only went to him 13 times. Hard to say what would have happened, but our best drive in the second half included 3 runs by Williams, and a fourth that was negated by a hold. The hold was followed with a sack.
What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? Still was a terrible loss that, thankfully, the team recovered from. There are 41 bowl games. Just bc Southern Miss was one of the 82 teams and won their bowl doesn't mean it still wasn't a bad loss.
I dont care how our or their season panned out...losing that game was inexcusable.
It is very possible that if UK had won that game that the rest of the season doesn't go as it panned out. Losing that game created an us-against-the-world atmosphere in the UK clubhouse. Past history has shown that the nucleus of this team has had problems dealing with success. They would celebrate too early, take lesser opponents too lightly... lessons you would have hoped they would have learned but seemed not to have done so. Sometimes it takes a smack in the face to drive the point home.
I'm a believer that things work out the way they do for a reason. I think there was a win or two that we got that we may have not gotten had they beaten So Miss to start the season.
That was a 50/50 game. 60/40 at best. It would've hurt had we battled and lost. But to look incredible, then have them destroy us using 2 plays over and over; made it devastating
AND - For all the Angst over losing to Southern Miss...
as it turns out that loss had virtually no effect on our season. It made no difference in how we finished in the SEC (tied for 2nd) and it almost assuredly had no effect on our bowl destination. Another notch in the W column would have been nice but becasue the team got their act together they virtually mitigated any damage from that loss.
as it turns out that loss had virtually no effect on our season. It made no difference in how we finished in the SEC (tied for 2nd) and it almost assuredly had no effect on our bowl destination. Another notch in the W column would have been nice but becasue the team got their act together they virtually mitigated any damage from that loss.
A coordinator we fired came back and made us his b. It was embarrassing as anything could be.
Good news is this team has done so much good since then that it's nearly been forgotten.
Good news is this team has done so much good since then that it's nearly been forgotten.
I think that is the most logical explanation of what happened to our offense, but not for our defense, although it did put them in a very bad position. And if he was injured the coaches should have brought that up, maybe not as we were preparing for Florida but surely by now.
That would be a nicer explanation for us than what I saw with my own eyes. You may be fishing a little bit there. What actually happened was simpler. If you saw the game, Southern Miss thoroughly dominated time of possession with their running game in the 2nd half. Our defense couldn't stop them. The primary reason our offense couldn't move the football was because they were on the sideline. They occasionally got back on the field after long Southern Miss scoring drives, but only with bad field position, and only after sitting on their butts through the Southern Miss drive. So we didn't actually possess the ball very much in the 2nd half, and we couldn't establish any offensive rhythm. It was the fault of our defense. Not very complicated really.
I think his point was quite simple, they were a pretty good team entering the season, and proved they were one-------Pretty risky to open the season with, but we didn't have a lot of options-------and should have beat them anyway.
Say, is there any way for me to contact you, I have an interesting idea for our football team, and you are located in Lexington AND I respect your football knowledge. Guarantee nothing bad will happen and guarantee you will find it very interesting, I won't take five minutes of your time.. Call 775-910-3742 for contact info if interested, I don't want my info out there and you probably don't either. I had Ukani's info at one time, he has very good info IMO, but I never bothered him.
They went 6-6, 4-4 in CUSA, and beat 6-6 Louisiana Lafayette in a worthless bowl. It was a horrible loss.
They went 6-6, 4-4 in CUSA, and beat 6-6 Louisiana Lafayette in a worthless bowl. It was a horrible loss.
26 ganner918, Today at 6:39 PM
Then how about Transfer U's loss to Houston since Houston lost their bowl game?
I think we were about 6 point favorites at game time, lots of six point favorites lose. Almost ALL 27 point favorites win.
Not that unusual that we lost but the way we lost was terrible.
26 ganner918, Today at 6:39 PM
Then how about Transfer U's loss to Houston since Houston lost their bowl game?
I think we were about 6 point favorites at game time, lots of six point favorites lose. Almost ALL 27 point favorites win.
Not that unusual that we lost but the way we lost was terrible.
Last edited:
Fuzz77 - - well put.
No one will ever know, but I've wondered the same . . . . in our two prior 5-7 seasons, our wins were VERY front-loaded. This year, it was the opposite. And we reaped the benefit of a strong close, with likely a bit better bowl destination than anyone thought a 7-5 team would get.
The Southern Miss. loss was bad, but for those pointing out the mediocre record of Southern Miss., it is worth noting that their star QB missed 2 plus games during the season.
No one will ever know, but I've wondered the same . . . . in our two prior 5-7 seasons, our wins were VERY front-loaded. This year, it was the opposite. And we reaped the benefit of a strong close, with likely a bit better bowl destination than anyone thought a 7-5 team would get.
The Southern Miss. loss was bad, but for those pointing out the mediocre record of Southern Miss., it is worth noting that their star QB missed 2 plus games during the season.