Towson -ODU - the Aftermath

[93henfan]

I drove down for this one. 31-10 Delaware lead in the fourth quarter. Poof:

NCAA I-AA Quarterfinals
#10 Delaware vs #6 William & Mary (Dec 04, 2004 at Williamsburg, VA)

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 OT [ 5 6 ] Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -- [ - - ] -----
Delaware............ 14 17 0 0 7 [ 7 0 ] - 38
William & Mary...... 7 3 0 21 13 [ 7 6 ] - 44

[GannonFan]

I drove down for this one. 31-10 Delaware lead in the fourth quarter. Poof:

NCAA I-AA Quarterfinals
#10 Delaware vs #6 William & Mary (Dec 04, 2004 at Williamsburg, VA)

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 OT [ 5 6 ] Score
----------------- -- -- -- -- -- [ - - ] -----
Delaware............ 14 17 0 0 7 [ 7 0 ] - 38
William & Mary...... 7 3 0 21 13 [ 7 6 ] - 44

That one wasn't any easier to watch on TV at home. Actually, right before the very last play by UD in the OT, my just-turned-1 year old son puked in our family room in front of the TV - it was like an omen for the resulting play.

Still amazed that Omar Cuff, who had 170 yards rushing on the day, didn't touch the ball once in the 4th quarter. As chokes go, that was an all-time classic.

[BlueHen86]

What the hell is wrong with you guys? At one point, you say that we are whining over a mere regular season game. Then you turn around and say that by losing that game, we may not get into the playoffs if we go 2-2 over the next 4 games. Make up your minds. Do you agree that the Towson game was "important" to us or not?
If we finish 2-2 without any drama playing out in those games, and miss out on the playoffs, do you think it is unusual to lament over the onside kick or the 4th and 29 where, had either of those two plays ended differently, the game would have been over (nothing but kneeldowns)? We are making a fuss over this because we know, as many of you are just now discovering, we can no longer back in to the playoffs. There is no room for error from here on out and we are getting thinner and thinner due to injuries.

Nobody is arguing that the Towson game wasn't important. But it's not nearly as important as a playoff loss that ends your season. It's not even close.

Someday ODU will be in the playoffs and lose a heartbreaker, and you will know what I mean. And when that happens, you will no longer consider last weeks Towson loss to be a big deal.

[ODUalum11]

What the hell is wrong with you guys? At one point, you say that we are whining over a mere regular season game. Then you turn around and say that by losing that game, we may not get into the playoffs if we go 2-2 over the next 4 games. Make up your minds. Do you agree that the Towson game was "important" to us or not?
If we finish 2-2 without any drama playing out in those games, and miss out on the playoffs, do you think it is unusual to lament over the onside kick or the 4th and 29 where, had either of those two plays ended differently, the game would have been over (nothing but kneeldowns)? We are making a fuss over this because we know, as many of you are just now discovering, we can no longer back in to the playoffs. There is no room for error from here on out and we are getting thinner and thinner due to injuries.

Nobody is arguing that the Towson game wasn't important. But it's not nearly as important as a playoff loss that ends your season. It's not even close.

Someday ODU will be in the playoffs and lose a heartbreaker, and you will know what I mean. And when that happens, you will no longer consider last weeks Towson loss to be a big deal.

Towson was a HUGE game, it was a game we should have and could have won. It would have put ODU at a shiny 6-1, 3-1 CAA record and ODU would most likely only have to win two of their last 4 to get into the playoffs which would have been very possible IMO. Now I believe 'Nova, and UR are must win games and now we have to win at least one of the two games against JMU or WM. ODU doesn't win this week and we could easily be looking at a 3-game losing streak with JMU coming up the following weekend. You're right about losing heartbreakers in the playoffs but up until this point in ODU history this is definitely the most heartbreaking loss of them all.

[ODUfanRazor]

What the hell is wrong with you guys? At one point, you say that we are whining over a mere regular season game. Then you turn around and say that by losing that game, we may not get into the playoffs if we go 2-2 over the next 4 games. Make up your minds. Do you agree that the Towson game was "important" to us or not?

If we finish 2-2 without any drama playing out in those games, and miss out on the playoffs, do you think it is unusual to lament over the onside kick or the 4th and 29 where, had either of those two plays ended differently, the game would have been over (nothing but kneeldowns)? We are making a fuss over this because we know, as many of you are just now discovering, we can no longer back in to the playoffs. There is no room for error from here on out and we are getting thinner and thinner due to injuries.

I only speak for myself but it was how incredulous you were that this could possibly happen. Most of the posts seem to attempt to point out that this kind of crazy finish happens all the time. It could be that it's the first time it's happened to ODU that has made you this way... but rest assured, it will happen MANY times in your lifetime. Shoot, most fans have a hard time listing the top 10 heartbreaking moments in their team's history. For UD, I can rattle off a dozen in a minute.

Jesus christ are some of you thick. You say it happens "all the time" yet the list of examples you've given are very few and far between. Each team has one or two stories spread out over decades of football. And most of the stories are laughably tame compared to the meltdown ODU had at the end of our game.

I honestly thought this was a decent place to talk sports but it's becoming pretty obvious that no one on this board has ever played a sport in their life. Get back to playing world of warcraft....I'm sure your online friends miss you.

[ODUfanRazor]

What the hell is wrong with you guys? At one point, you say that we are whining over a mere regular season game. Then you turn around and say that by losing that game, we may not get into the playoffs if we go 2-2 over the next 4 games. Make up your minds. Do you agree that the Towson game was "important" to us or not?
If we finish 2-2 without any drama playing out in those games, and miss out on the playoffs, do you think it is unusual to lament over the onside kick or the 4th and 29 where, had either of those two plays ended differently, the game would have been over (nothing but kneeldowns)? We are making a fuss over this because we know, as many of you are just now discovering, we can no longer back in to the playoffs. There is no room for error from here on out and we are getting thinner and thinner due to injuries.

Nobody is arguing that the Towson game wasn't important. But it's not nearly as important as a playoff loss that ends your season. It's not even close.

Someday ODU will be in the playoffs and lose a heartbreaker, and you will know what I mean. And when that happens, you will no longer consider last weeks Towson loss to be a big deal.

Do you understand the difference between "losing a heartbreaker" in a tough game and losing a game because of 2 freakishly lucky plays in the last 3 minutes of a game?

The odds of recovering a onside kick are very low, especially when the other team knows its coming. The odds of completing a 4th and 29 pass for a 67 yard touchdown and EXTREMELY low.

The odds of doing both in the same game, late in the 4th quarter are astronomically low.

The chance that ODU might miss the playoffs because of that extremely rare sequence of events makes that a painful, freakishly rare loss.

Most of you have been comparing that sequence of events to a couple playoff games you lost because of bad game management and failing to close a game out. I honestly thought you guys were supposed to know football. It's clear some of you (particularly just the UD fans) don't have a clue.

[BlueHen86]

I only speak for myself but it was how incredulous you were that this could possibly happen. Most of the posts seem to attempt to point out that this kind of crazy finish happens all the time. It could be that it's the first time it's happened to ODU that has made you this way... but rest assured, it will happen MANY times in your lifetime. Shoot, most fans have a hard time listing the top 10 heartbreaking moments in their team's history. For UD, I can rattle off a dozen in a minute.

Jesus christ are some of you thick. You say it happens "all the time" yet the list of examples you've given are very few and far between. Each team has one or two stories spread out over decades of football. And most of the stories are laughably tame compared to the meltdown ODU had at the end of our game.

I honestly thought this was a decent place to talk sports but it's becoming pretty obvious that no one on this board has ever played a sport in their life. Get back to playing world of warcraft....I'm sure your online friends miss you.

Says they guy who can't make a single post without insulting or namecalling the people who disagree with him. You keep teilling us how lame we are, and yet you come back in the middle of the night on a daily basis. Say what you will, but it's obvious that you like this place and you like us.

[89Hen]

Jesus christ are some of you thick. You say it happens "all the time" yet the list of examples you've given are very few and far between. Each team has one or two stories spread out over decades of football. And most of the stories are laughably tame compared to the meltdown ODU had at the end of our game.

I honestly thought this was a decent place to talk sports but it's becoming pretty obvious that no one on this board has ever played a sport in their life. Get back to playing world of warcraft....I'm sure your online friends miss you.

You just keep solidifying your position as resident douche bag. Please go back to the CAAZone.

[mcveyrl]

Most of you have been comparing that sequence of events to a couple playoff games you lost because of bad game management and failing to close a game out. I honestly thought you guys were supposed to know football. It's clear some of you (particularly just the UD fans) don't have a clue.

Dude, i'm sorry. You're right.

I didn't know we were talking about a different game. All this time I thought we were comparing a game where you couldn't recover an onside kick or defend a fourth and 29 play. I didn't know that when you have six men on the line for fourth and 29 it's considered GOOD game management or when your DB admits to not knocking the ball down on 4th and 29 you didn't fail to close the game out. Mea culpa.

[ODUalum11]

I only speak for myself but it was how incredulous you were that this could possibly happen. Most of the posts seem to attempt to point out that this kind of crazy finish happens all the time. It could be that it's the first time it's happened to ODU that has made you this way... but rest assured, it will happen MANY times in your lifetime. Shoot, most fans have a hard time listing the top 10 heartbreaking moments in their team's history. For UD, I can rattle off a dozen in a minute.

Jesus christ are some of you thick. You say it happens "all the time" yet the list of examples you've given are very few and far between. Each team has one or two stories spread out over decades of football. And most of the stories are laughably tame compared to the meltdown ODU had at the end of our game.

I honestly thought this was a decent place to talk sports but it's becoming pretty obvious that no one on this board has ever played a sport in their life. Get back to playing world of warcraft....I'm sure your online friends miss you.

And yet you still post here? I think you've been posting on CAAZone too long because I think the effects of talking with people over on CAAzone are clearly shown.

[ODUfanRazor]

Jesus christ are some of you thick. You say it happens "all the time" yet the list of examples you've given are very few and far between. Each team has one or two stories spread out over decades of football. And most of the stories are laughably tame compared to the meltdown ODU had at the end of our game.

I honestly thought this was a decent place to talk sports but it's becoming pretty obvious that no one on this board has ever played a sport in their life. Get back to playing world of warcraft....I'm sure your online friends miss you.

And yet you still post here? I think you've been posting on CAAZone too long because I think the effects of talking with people over on CAAzone are clearly shown.

Says the guy who sides with fans who were trashing his own alma matter simply so he could gain some popularity points on a f*cking message board? Seriously?

[ODUfanRazor]

Most of you have been comparing that sequence of events to a couple playoff games you lost because of bad game management and failing to close a game out. I honestly thought you guys were supposed to know football. It's clear some of you (particularly just the UD fans) don't have a clue.

Dude, i'm sorry. You're right.

I didn't know we were talking about a different game. All this time I thought we were comparing a game where you couldn't recover an onside kick or defend a fourth and 29 play. I didn't know that when you have six men on the line for fourth and 29 it's considered GOOD game management or when your DB admits to not knocking the ball down on 4th and 29 you didn't fail to close the game out. Mea culpa.

It wasn't good game management at all. I can understand the thinking "if you blitz when they are 4 or 5 wide and they need 29 yards, you can pressure them before they get deep enough thus forcing an early throw and tackle before they get to the first down marker.

The execution, however, was piss poor as the outsize blitzing linebacker and end allowed him to escape containment, thus allowing him a wide open view of the field and allowing to get comfortable and step into his throw. That was poor execution.

Hell, I even admit it was a poor play call. I've stated several times you should still drop 8 back, rush 3 and just knock it down. All I am saying is that I understand the reasoning behind the blitz being called, even though I don't agree with it.

But yes, there is still a large element of luck in completing the play regardless, especially AFTER recovering an onside kick. When you add the quite literally WIDE OPEN drop in the end zone of a pass that hit our WR directly in the breadbasket, yeah, alot of things went Towson's way that had nothing to do with their skill.

But yes, I do agree blitzing on 4th and 29 was poor game management.

[andy7171]

Dude, i'm sorry. You're right.

I didn't know we were talking about a different game. All this time I thought we were comparing a game where you couldn't recover an onside kick or defend a fourth and 29 play. I didn't know that when you have six men on the line for fourth and 29 it's considered GOOD game management or when your DB admits to not knocking the ball down on 4th and 29 you didn't fail to close the game out. Mea culpa.

It wasn't good game management at all. I can understand the thinking "if you blitz when they are 4 or 5 wide and they need 29 yards, you can pressure them before they get deep enough thus forcing an early throw and tackle before they get to the first down marker.

The execution, however, was piss poor as the outsize blitzing linebacker and end allowed him to escape containment, thus allowing him a wide open view of the field and allowing to get comfortable and step into his throw. That was poor execution.

Hell, I even admit it was a poor play call. I've stated several times you should still drop 8 back, rush 3 and just knock it down. All I am saying is that I understand the reasoning behind the blitz being called, even though I don't agree with it.

But yes, there is still a large element of luck in completing the play regardless, especially AFTER recovering an onside kick. When you add the quite literally WIDE OPEN drop in the end zone of a pass that hit our WR directly in the breadbasket, yeah, alot of things went Towson's way that had nothing to do with their skill.

But yes, I do agree blitzing on 4th and 29 was poor game management.

this could be the most normal you've sounded to date. you might be turning the corner on us.

Your shoulda, woulda, coulda sounds like me after the Maryland game.

[Aho Old Guy]

Jesus christ are some of you thick. You say it happens "all the time" yet the list of examples you've given are very few and far between. Each team has one or two stories spread out over decades of football. And most of the stories are laughably tame compared to the meltdown ODU had at the end of our game.

I honestly thought this was a decent place to talk sports but it's becoming pretty obvious that no one on this board has ever played a sport in their life. Get back to playing world of warcraft....I'm sure your online friends miss you.

You just keep solidifying your position as resident douche bag. Please go back to the CAAZone.

Hard to argue with this.

I think Towson will have a tough task keeping their momentum going over the next month. ODU actually has a better shot at the playoffs by not playing Maine or UNH, but does have to go through JMU and W&M.

Hard to figure both Richmond and Villanova this year - they cut down on turnovers either one could put a hurt on someone's playoff chances.