USM Gets Bowl Invite

[noway]

Southrn Miss (6-5) Vs Arkansas St (6-5)

New Orleans Bowl in Lafayette La Dec 20th 7 pm

[Tully Mars]

Southrn Miss (6-5) Vs Arkansas St (6-5)

New Orleans Bowl in Lafayette La Dec 20th 8 pm

Yee Haw, two mediocre teams hammering it out in the prestigious New Orleans Bowl...wonder what that trophy will look like? :smt102

[2002usmgrad]

Should be ummm, exciting?, no, well, at least Lafayette is a pretty cool place to visit, found this link with some more info.

http://www.onlineindependent.net/cgi-bin/page.cgi?id=315

And Lafayette also has a "Independent," can't be that bad of a place, here's a link of stuff going on around Lafayette during the next month.

http://www.theind.com/calendar.asp

[noway]

Checking some stats on Arkansas State.. They played FAU(florida atlantic university) And they won 3-0 in overtime.. I bet that was a great game to watch

USM 17 1/2 Point Favorite

[noway]

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051206/SOUTHERNMISS/512060307/1050

Enough is Enough Quit complaining


Tell you what. Ask the 3-8 Ole Miss Rebels or the 3-8 Mississippi State Bulldogs if they would trade places with the Eagles right now.

[2002usmgrad]

hmm, wonder how many bowl tickets they gave Van for that op ed. You know, he brings up a lot of what I think all of us feel, is that Southern can't keep it together throughout the game, but yet he thinks that's ok. Yes, if they would have not lost those two last games it would be a pretty good season, but fumbling the ball in final seconds and having a field goal blocked and giving up a substantial lead makes for a poor football team in my opinion, you would think the sports editor might be in tune with that theory, a loss is a loss, and a win is a win, or at least it use to be. And are people complaining because it's not in New Orleans? I haven't heard any of that, most people I think get that they had to move the game, that's a no brainer, ok, that's all I got.

[jmack]

What a freakin' joke. And I love how the American makes it sound like USM just received a BCS bowl bid.

We just love wallowing in our mediocrity. USM...taken off probation and the New Orleans bowl bid in the same week...yeah, I really want my kid going there.

Just because we are not going to a BCS or major bowl you would think we should all stay home. I guess following that logic, Lumberton or the other 1A, 3A and 4A high schools should all stay home and not play in Jackson this weekend. After all, they are not playing for the big title and that is the 5A division. That may sound a little drastic, but thats exactly the logic you are following if you think USM is not playing with the big boys.

[noway]

Jmack comparing High School football to the BCS (big boys) is alittle 10-92.. What you are missing is people are tired of the same ole crap every year pumping up the mediocre usm football team. Going 6-5 and winning a bowl game this year beating a team that won 3-0 in overtime to FAU, lost to army by 4 touchdowns. USM is not college football its mediocre football. Have you been to tennessee, florida state, alabama, georgia, LSU to watch a football game.. Experience a saturday at one of those stadiums and it might wake you up.. USM Fans want to experience college football not listen to praise of a mediocrity coach and team..

[jmack]

Of course I was being facetious in my comparison, but the logic in these posts are, “if we can’t be a top program then lets not support the team and coach.”

We have one of the smallest budgets in the nation and our facilities pale in comparison with almost all of the other Division I schools. Recruiting is tough with such competition throughout the south. Yet with all of these obstacles we still managed to finish higher than almost half of the Division I schools in the country.

I guess the thing that amazes me is how fickle our fans are here. This is the only school in the state that I constantly hear fans talking about their mediocre team. And to hear people state that they wish we would have lost to Tulane so we wouldn’t have a winning record and not be invited to a bowl. The logic was that the coach would be fired. That is the most ridiculous logic that I have ever heard from a so called fan. You bitch about not winning yet you want to lose so the coach will get fired.

[lamarrebel]

In all honesty, USM really did not deserve a bowl this year, and should be thankful that an at-large bowl opened up in the Motor City Bowl, which took Memphis. By losing to both Memphis and Houston down the stretch, USM rightfully should have been bypassed if only 5 C-USA teams were invited.

I recall four years ago, Ole Miss going 7-4 during Eli Manning's sophomore year and being passed over for Alabama, a 6-5 team whom Ole Miss had beaten during the season. That one really reeked -- and now this year the SEC can't even fill up all its slots.

USM should beat Arkansas State...but the whole season's performance is a disappointment.

[jmack]

Your analogy is weak. Lumberton is a powerhouse in 2A. Check it jmack...UNDEFEATED.

USM is a mediocre team from a mediocre conference.

Analogy weak? You state USM is a mediocre team from a weak conference. Lumberton is class 2A which is a weak division if you look at 3A, 4A and 5A schools. I asked, "should they stay home" just because they are not the best team in the State.

I think Lumberton is a very good team for a 2A school. And I'm sure their fans have no problem playing before the big boys play. I'm sure South Panola or Meridian would run over Lumberton but that doesn't take away from their accomplishment or being rewarded by playing after the regular season is over.

I would bet that USM is the only bowl team where the fans are whinning about how weak their team is and how much better the other teams are. No wonder Ole Miss and Miss. State laugh at USM and how backwards we act sometimes. Go ahead and say "whats wrong with wanting a winning team with tradition and going 9-2?" The point is, if you really want the best for your team, why do you disrespect their accomplishment of playing in a post season bowl which will be seen Nationwide and will certainly help with recruiting as well as financial benefits?

Disappointed? Yes. Should we still be proud and supportive of out team? Of course.

[aaron]

Are you saying that the C-USA is the 2A of college football?

[lamarrebel]

If I had to make the analogy I'd call them a 3A conference. I'd put the SEC, PAC 10, Big 12, Big 10, and ACC in a 5A category, the Big East in a 4A category, CUSA, Mountain West and WAC in 3A...Sun Belt, and some of the others 2A, and all the I-AA conferences (SWAC, MEAC, etc) as IA. Other than UTEP being ranked for one or two weeks, no C-USA teams were even ranked this year during the season...and the fan bases at most of the programs are mediocre at very best. I am particulary concerned that the quality of product at USM will decline over the long run with the drop of quality in the overall makeup of C-USA.

I really wish USM could have bolted to the Big East with the others.

[EddieD]

JMack, I get your point, but I wouldn't waste the time and effort trying to get thedoc to understand anything about football. Remember he is the guy that thinks last years PR wildcats could beat Usm. I still get a kick out of that one!

[jmack]

I'm not sure if these are USM fans to begin with. I didn't say graduates, I said loyal fans. Some of these teams we think we should be equal to have 30 to 50 million dollar athletic budgets with indoor practice fields and state-of-the-art facilities. We just don't have that here and unless someone donates 10's of millions of dollars more each year it just won't happen. A taste for champaign and a pocketbook for rootbeer.

[RevranAL]

Dear Honorable Citizenry and USM fans, ( or lack of)
While it is understandable to be upset for another lacklusta season for them Golden Eagles, we should be very fortunate to have such a fine University at our doorstep. We needs to stand together and support our University, not publicly bash it. Ol Corch Bower has his hands full, as this state is heavily recruited by every team in the SEC. Its a wonder we haves any athletes left. But Ol Corch Bower every year does the best he can with what he has got, and I don't think he has done that bad considering our schools size and bu-get. Since 1997 we have had 3 season with 9 wins.....The main ones to help change that are the area fans, instead of bellyachin' we needs to get out there and go to every game we can. Them games sho is cheap, in comparison to the SEC games.
Why just last year while attending the USM-BAMA game , I witnessed a Hattiesburg man of high ranking moral stature (that lives in Canebrake) scalp 2 tickets to a BAMA fan fo a $100 bill. That BAMA fan paid $100 to sit among a bunch of USM fans, in cheap seats behind the goalposts just to see his team play. Now, that loyalty.
Many SEC teams have refused to schedule us, because we have traditionally played hard enough against these teams, that its not a guaranteed win. Lets not forget beatin' undefeated #10 TCU right here at home in 2003. Lest we shall rememba beatin' Nebraska on the road, and narrowly upsettin' #4 CAL here at home in a game that was decided in the final 2 minutes.
Now the future looks bright with Florida on schedule next year.
2007 show LSU, Penn St, and Tennessee. Finally, 2008 and 2009, show Auburn, Penn St and Tennessee on both years schedule.
So, lets give our fine local University, Ol Corch Bower, and po' lowly jmack a break from all this ill sentiment. We simply needs to rememba the loyalty of that ol BAMA fan, and jump in there and support ol jmack's way of thinkin'.
Glory! Glory!
Judge not, lest ye be judged... RevranAL

[EddieD]

Bitter? I am just reminding Jmack of your football genius.

[EddieD]

What people fail to realize is that Southern Miss was very close to having a really good year. Somebody can correct me if I am wrong, but i think we were leading every game by 10 points except the Memphis game. Am I happy with 6-5, heck no, but Southern Miss faced more adversity than any other college football team in the country this year with the exception of Tulane.
Then factor in losing Naton Stewart, Anthony Harris, and Bennett etc. in the preseason due to dismissal or leaving the team.
Then factor the injuries all teams must deal with. (Courington & Magee really hurt)
Am I making excuses, some may take it that way, but Southern Miss came very close to having a really good season.
9-2, 10-1, 11-0
If Prothro doesn't make the circus catch right before halftime.
Who knows?

[RevranAL]

Amen Brotha EddieD Amen....

[jmack]

I know this is a USM thread but we keep hearing how weak our conference is and how we can’t beat an SEC team etc… Let’s look at the scores from Mississippi State and how they have fared over the last 5 years against some of the same SEC opponents USM has played.

Alabama 30-14 (04) 38-0 (03) 28-14 (02) 24-17 (01)
Auburn 28-0 (05) 43-14 (04) 45-13 (03) 42-14 (02) 16-14 (01)
Georgia 23-10 (05)
L.S.U. 37-7 (05) 51-0 (04) 41-6 (03) 31-13 (02) 42-0 (01)
Florida 35-9 (05) 31-38 (State win 04) 52-0 (01)
Tennessee 59-21 (03) 35-17 (02)

Mississippi State 1 win 19 loses

Totals:
Alabama 120 Miss. St. 45
Auburn 174 Miss. St. 55
Georgia 23 Miss. St. 10
L.S.U. 202 Miss. St. 26
Florida 118 Miss. St. 46
Tennessee 94 Miss. St. 38

Miss. State has been out-scored 731-221 by these teams with a .05% winning percentage.

Now consider Miss. State has a much, much larger athletic budget.
A stadium twice as large as ours, more training facilities, more exposure to potential athletes, a very good coach and a long time member of the SEC. And yet they still have won less games against the better known SEC teams than USM. And their fans
support their team and will tell you in a second how superior they are to USM.

Go figure

[noway]

cough cough

I know TV has alot to do with it. Also the HEAT...

[Tommy9854]

What people fail to realize is that Southern Miss was very close to having a really good year. Somebody can correct me if I am wrong, but i think we were leading every game by 10 points except the Memphis game. Am I happy with 6-5, heck no, but Southern Miss faced more adversity than any other college football team in the country this year with the exception of Tulane.
Then factor in losing Naton Stewart, Anthony Harris, and Bennett etc. in the preseason due to dismissal or leaving the team.
Then factor the injuries all teams must deal with. (Courington & Magee really hurt)
Am I making excuses, some may take it that way, but Southern Miss came very close to having a really good season.
9-2, 10-1, 11-0
If Prothro doesn't make the circus catch right before halftime.
Who knows?
I'm tired of people using Katrina as an excuse for the sorry season. Tell me what other game it directly affected other than Alabama?

If the COACHES would have prepared the team for 4 quarters, we might not have lost a few of those games. You can look at it as a positive, or a negative (take away Marshall, and McNeese St. and USM has only a 4-win season) in C-USA.

[aaron]

People keep complaining that we need more money. We have it, and they are spending it on a stadium expansion. Will this boost us from 3A to 4A football? Probably not. So where should that $20 million go? I guarantee you it won't go to a better coaching staff and better training facilities, so USM management does not see that as an answer to any of our football problems.

[RevranAL]

Dear Honorable Brotha aaron,
You make a valid point, now since our athletic facility was just modernized in the past few years, wouldn't it make sense to try to modernize our extremely outdated stadium? Howeva, your point taken, an allotment of that fundage mights be well surved on the coachin's side. So, do we keeps Ol Corch Bowers, gives him a raise mo in line with the SEC, and allows him extra money to hires mo quality staff membas - or fires him to take on a new coachin' era?
RevranAL

[jmack]

RevAL you seem to be a fine gentleman and a friend of the University. We should have lunch one day with courch Bower.

[noway]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2252252

Here is a 7-5 coach.. Conference championships, coach of the year, & Bowl Games..

"but ultimately done in by recent bad results on the field."

Jeff Bower's name is not on the list of candidates..

[Tommy9854]

Here is a 7-5 coach.. Conference championships, coach of the year, & Bowl Games..

"but ultimately done in by recent bad results on the field."

Jeff Bower's name is not on the list of candidates..
You should know by now why his name doesn't come up for big time jobs. Everybody in the country knows he would be too loyal to leave USM for a job in the Big 12 or SEC or any BCS conference.

[Tommy9854]

Dear Honorable Brotha aaron,
You make a valid point, now since our athletic facility was just modernized in the past few years, wouldn't it make sense to try to modernize our extremely outdated stadium? Howeva, your point taken, an allotment of that fundage mights be well surved on the coachin's side. So, do we keeps Ol Corch Bowers, gives him a raise mo in line with the SEC, and allows him extra money to hires mo quality staff membas - or fires him to take on a new coachin' era?
RevranALWhat results has he had RECENTLY that makes him worthy of a raise?

[RevranAL]

RevAL you seem to be a fine gentleman and a friend of the University. We should have lunch one day with courch Bower.
Dear Honorable Brotha jmack,
Thank you kindly fo them distinguised accolades. I am not only a friend of our fine University, but to all of Hattiesbuuurg as well. I would sur-tanly be happy to dine with a man of your chivalrous stature. Such a great local legendary humanitarian you is, standins' steadfast to ad-vuhsity fo the football program, in the face of so many naysayers. The good Reverand would be so proud.
I shall be returnin' from a goodwill mission trip to hehr-cane ravaged La, on Dec 15. So, I will haves my lovely thick-chested secah-tary set us up fo next Friday at a favorite culinary choice - Mexican Kitchen.
Glory! Glory! RevranAL
Looks if I'm runnin' a little behind, you and the Corch go ahead and haves a seat, and orders me a sweet tea....