We've all had 'em -- those sinking, sick in the gut feelings as you watch something really horrible happen to your team. I thought it would be interesting, since we are all now extremely optimistic about out teams' chances this year, to bring ourselves down a peg and remember those bad times!

My Miami low point might well have been in 1987, my sophomore year of college. It was the year after our MAC championship season. We had some real players on the 1987 team -- Gary Gussman was an All-American kicker, Sheldon White went on to play in the NFL, Andy Schillinger was a stud at WR....

Anyway, I went up to Toledo for the game and to visit my grandfather. I took the bus, stopping at every crappy town along the way...Troy, Piqua, Findlay, Bowling Green....UGHHHH! No kidding, I think the bus ride took 8 hours! And let me tell you, you always meet the finest people travelling to Toledo via bus!

It was a night game in the @ss Bowl, and it started pouring down rain about midway through the 2nd quarter. I'm surrounded by unemployed auto workers who are becoming increasing vocal, hostile, and intoxicated as the game wears on.

It really was a pretty good game. Mike Bates was 38-65 with 341 yds. Andy Schillinger had 13 receptions for 156 yards. All these were Miami records.

Alas, it was all for naught. We lost 25-37, as I was continuously insulted, taunted, and harassed. Towards the end of the game, the guys behind me (who evidentily still thought the AMC Pacer deserved to be manufactured) took umbrage to my Red and White and began to try to decorate my outfit with beer. I swear to god, one full beer can caught me in the head. Meanwhile, my grandfather just sat there chuckling.

A great game, you say! Sure.

However, it was the beginning of the "Dark Ages" of Miami football. From that point forward, we managed only to beat Bowling Green and Kent for the next two and one half years.

Should I mention that we got embarrassed 54-3 a couple weeks later at Coral Gables?

Naahh...probably not.

Oh, and should I mention that Ball State beat us 45-14 the next year at Yeager?

No....that's too painful, too.

Perhaps now you see why we are so hunger for a MAC Championship.

<small>[ August 21, 2002, 07:57 PM: Message edited by: Dodo ]</small>