(07-02-2019 09:28 AM)cmt Wrote: (07-01-2019 08:36 PM)EarthBoundMisfit Wrote: (07-01-2019 12:48 PM)cmt Wrote: Before West we did have some good seasons under Stobart and Bailey and even before them, but all in all, we were one of the very worst football programs in the history of the sport. Memphis, Rice and Temple were all three considered awful over the decades, losses, lack of bowl appearances, etc. I remember being ranked in the bottom ten football programs over time more than once.
These days, that seems to be behind us with several new teams in "D1" and the fact that we've been good for more a decade. I'm just glad those days are over and when the next round of expansion happens, I now feel like we are one of the very first to be added.
don't forget Baylor and Kansas State, and Northwestern.
Until Art Briles, and Bill Snyder....those two schools were perennial losers....as was Northwestern.
We were rarely the worst team, but we had never been great, ever, the Burley Bowl (1956) and Pasadena Bowl (1971) were our only claims to fame. We won the MVC in 1968, 69 and 71. The problem was almost every other team had won something at some point.
Baylor has been to 24 bowl games, way back tho the Orange bowl in 1951, Gator in 1956 and 1960, Sugar in 1956, Cotton in 1974 and 80, etc, etc, etc.
Kansas State didn't do anything until the 1990's
Northwestern won the Rose bowl in 1948 and lost there in 1995 and had a few other brief moments of glory.
Even Tulane had been to the Sugar and Rose Bowls in the 1930's and the Liberty Bowl in 1970 and 79 and had the 12-0 season with a Liberty Bowl win in 1998.
We hadn't accomplished very much and are still looking for an AAC championship game victory.
We had never been great, ever? We were for 4 years, at least, from 1960-63. We went 8-2, 8-2, 8-1 and 9-0-1.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/memphis/
In 1960, we had the 12th best record (8-2) out of 113 football schools. We were 2nd nationally in points per game (30.3), and 22nd in points allowed (8.5). Our only losses were to Ole Miss, who was great that year, and Miss State.
In 1961, our record (8-2) was 10th best out of 111. We were 3rd in the country in points scored per game (33.2), and 8th in defensive points allowed (7.5)
In 1962, our record (8-1) was 5th best out of 120 teams. We were 3rd in the country in scoring offense, and 10th in scoring defense.
In 1963, we had our best team ever (9-0-1). Second best record out of 120 teams. 27th in scoring offense, 2nd in scoring defense. Harry Schuh was a first team All American, and went on to play in the NFL for several years before injuries got him. IIRC, we had another All-American, and a couple others went on to the NFL.
And the capper, we finished 14th in the national poll that year. Our only blemish was a scoreless tie with Ole Miss, a game we should have won (I was there). Ole Miss was ranked #2 in the country at the time, and finished 3rd in the poll that year, IIRC.
We also beat Miss State, who was 7-2-2 that year, a team that beat Tennessee, Auburn and LSU, and tied Ole Miss and Florida.
Our only drawbacks were not being in a conference, thus not getting a bowl game each year (you had to be in a conference to make one, and there weren't many bowl games), and not having a great strength of schedule. But back then, there weren't that many great teams we could schedule.
At any rate, it's just not true that we were never great in football. It just happened so long ago that only really old Tiger fans remember it.