USM@FTL Wrote:Louisville sprayed water onto an icy field in 1981 and beat USM's best ever team. USM was #8 at the time. In 1991? (or was it '90?), USM got some payback and beat Louisville's eventual Fiesta Bowl-playing, Bama-stomping team for their only loss of the year. Favre threw the hail-mary in '89. Louisville stomped USM's last ranked team in 2000. USM leads the series 18-8 with Louisville winning the last 3 (which we could never be able to forget). It's a good series despite what the record tells most. Dave Ragone (3-0 versus USM) should die from gonorrhea and rot in hell!
How could any USM or UL fan not remember the play "Mills Kills" from 1999? USM and UL were tied late in the 4th quarter and USM faced a 4th down around midfield. USM's punt team came on the field and the offense went to the sideline....except Shawn Mills who stopped about a yard short. The punter took the snap and threw a pass to the wide open Mills who got the first down and USM would eventually kick a FG to win the game.
I still have nightmares about the 2000 game when UL came into Hattiesburg and completely destroyed us. Can't remember who the UL QB was but his postgame comments were: "We wanted to beat them so bad that not even Brett Favre could lead a comeback."
Finally the last time the 2 teams played in Hattiesburg (04 I believe), USM's kicker missed 4 FG's...one around the end of regulation, 1 in the first OT, and another in the 2nd OT. UL won the game.
I know it's a fact about the crappy hotel situation but UL's coach at the time (Ron Cooper) loved to talk smack about nothing nice being in Hattiesburg, no nice hotels, no nice restaurants, etc, etc, etc... The hotel situation has gotten a lot better in the last 3 years but we still don't have Marriot or Hilton.
Overall one of USM's most heated rivalries but one in which both teams and fans respected each other IMO. Glad it's back! I just hate that it will be 2012 before Louisville comes back to Hattiesburg.
