The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

I hear the USM fans saying 0-12 was just a blip and nearly 100% due to Ellis Johnson, but having gone through what we did due to how deeply the dysfunction really was in the end under Brown, I'm inclined to think that no team - regardless of talent - goes 0-12 just because of a coach. That team/program fell to pieces from the lowest scout team guys to the President & AD. It's not directly comparable to our recovery from 40-something players but am I alone in thinking Southern Miss fans have a longer row to hoe than they are aware? I can't help but see struggles this season (less than 5 wins) and possibly next season, too.

No.

All my apprehension regarding college football is strictly reserved for UAB.

Don't care what happens to other teams.

I can only hope they suck again.

I think 0-12 leaves a stench that doesn't get washed off in one season. Historically, they've gotten more bang for their football buck than anyone in the country. Last year, you got to see how fragile it all is. Was it a blip, or are all bets off?

I guess we'll all find out together.

(08-09-2013 11:25 AM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  I can only hope they suck again.

Why? They were really good three of the four years we've beaten them.

It was kind of nice for them to experience a dose of what we have seen over the years.

For our benefit though, it would be good if they were a good team, as long as we continue to beat them & as long as we come out better in the conference race.

As a view point on your proposition, I would guess that neither 0-12 nor 12-0 is the sole responsibility of one leader. There are too many coaches and players to assign to only one the total responsibility for a single season record. Too many things have to go wrong - or right - by too many participants in the process to blame or to credit it all to just one in the group.

Remember that UAB has won against USM for several years when they were not "that bad" and UAB's record was not "that good". The 0-12 year just may have been a final culmination of breakage building up over several seasons. Ellis Johnson may have been just the unfortunate coach who was there when "the dam broke completely" and he was carried away in the flood.

It is also possible that Johnson, like Callaway, was a good assistant coach who was not successful as a head coach. Only time will tell if USM can rebuild quickly from that devastation and if a new coach and staff will turn everything around. UAB certainly hopes that is the case here.

My guess is that Ellis broke the dam.

He was pretty much the dam tour guide who watched it break.

I want them to prosper long term but they could learn a lesson or two about humility.

(08-09-2013 11:14 AM)blazr Wrote:  I hear the USM fans saying 0-12 was just a blip and nearly 100% due to Ellis Johnson, but having gone through what we did due to how deeply the dysfunction really was in the end under Brown, I'm inclined to think that no team - regardless of talent - goes 0-12 just because of a coach. That team/program fell to pieces from the lowest scout team guys to the President & AD. It's not directly comparable to our recovery from 40-something players but am I alone in thinking Southern Miss fans have a longer row to hoe than they are aware? I can't help but see struggles this season (less than 5 wins) and possibly next season, too.

I tend to agree with the Southern Miss fans. One year can be chalked up to an aberration in my opinion. A team doesn't go from 12-2 to 0-12 in one off season. A lot went wrong last year for them, and it's tough to keep your head up when seemingly nothing is going right. A change in leadership may be just what was needed.(much like Auburn this year)

Remember, this team played Nebraska tough for 3 quarters, lost narrowly to both ECU and UCF, and lost by 4 to a very solid Louisville team. They also had some real stinkers thrown in between, but this shows that talent was, and is there. Do I think they'll be 12-2 again this year? Nope. Do I think they'll be anywhere near 0-12 again? Hell no. I think they are around .500 this year, and get back to being the Southern Miss we all know the next year.

I don't believe comparing their situation to what UAB had under Brown is fair.

(08-09-2013 11:27 AM)Smaug Wrote:  

(08-09-2013 11:25 AM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  I can only hope they suck again.

Why? They were really good three of the four years we've beaten them.

Because I think Hattiesburg is a festering boil on the ass of the world.

Because I want USM fans to suffer. I want to see them disgusted. I want to hear the lamentations of their women.

Because I have never seen us beat them... I am 0-9 against USM in person. 0-8.5 if you count me leaving Hattiesburg at halftime of Calloway's first year. After we won the first game when I didn't get into town until half time and couldn't bring myself to go to Legion Field and watch us blow it again, I haven't let myself return for a USM game and wont until we lose without my being there.

(08-09-2013 12:43 PM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  

(08-09-2013 11:27 AM)Smaug Wrote:  

(08-09-2013 11:25 AM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  I can only hope they suck again.

Why? They were really good three of the four years we've beaten them.

Because I think Hattiesburg is a festering boil on the ass of the world.

Because I want USM fans to suffer. I want to see them disgusted. I want to hear the lamentations of their women.

Because I have never seen us beat them... I am 0-9 against USM in person. 0-8.5 if you count me leaving Hattiesburg at halftime of Calloway's first year. After we won the first game when I didn't get into town until half time and couldn't bring myself to go to Legion Field and watch us blow it again, I haven't let myself return for a USM game and wont until we lose without my being there.

Fair enough.

I can't believe anyone would hate another team like that.

I think that to a certain extent it was blip but the team gave up on EJ & just went through the motions from about mid season on. If they didn't give up on the staff they probably would have won a couple of games. Are they back to 12-0 from the previous year, no but they're still a decent team & very capable of bowling this year as well as breaking the streak we have going vs them.

(08-09-2013 12:43 PM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  

(08-09-2013 11:27 AM)Smaug Wrote:  

(08-09-2013 11:25 AM)BlazerMatt Wrote:  I can only hope they suck again.

Why? They were really good three of the four years we've beaten them.

Because I think Hattiesburg is a festering boil on the ass of the world.

Because I want USM fans to suffer. I want to see them disgusted. I want to hear the lamentations of their women.


Because I have never seen us beat them... I am 0-9 against USM in person. 0-8.5 if you count me leaving Hattiesburg at halftime of Calloway's first year. After we won the first game when I didn't get into town until half time and couldn't bring myself to go to Legion Field and watch us blow it again, I haven't let myself return for a USM game and wont until we lose without my being there.

+1 By Crom, that is what is best in life.

They nearly beat us last year. They should get to five wins at least.

(08-09-2013 08:06 PM)Southside Blazer 82 Wrote:  They nearly beat us last year. They should get to five wins at least.

They jumped out to a big lead and folded like a cheap card table in the second half. We completely dominated them in the fourth quarter.

My feelings about Southern Miss can be summed up by one score. 70-14

Not as bad a taste in my mouth as the homecoming game in 2005 leaves...

Not at all. I just hope they don't go 1-11 with the "1" being against UAB.

(08-09-2013 01:01 PM)the_blazerman Wrote:  I can't believe anyone would hate another team like that.

Believe it, sister.