Unreal…well yes, that is our own local media.
Should have some of the guys from 2011 come and give a pregame speech.
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Uh, that’s wrong.
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Talk to some of the players from that team. They will tell you how that week was not same preparation as before.
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As long as I live, I’ll never forget Case calling a timeout in the second half to beg Sumlin to let him go for it on a fourth down instead of punting.
There was a conspiracy theory going around back then that Sumlin was actively sabotaging us on the way out the door. The theory was that ATM didn’t want UH to go to the Sugar Bowl and enjoy the prestige and recruiting benefits that trip would have generated.
I don’t really believe Sumlin was actively sabotaging us, but then I think back to that play and ask myself why Case had to talk Sumlin out of throwing in the towel at that point in the game.
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I’m actually going to both games, I have a bunch of Clemson buddies flying in from SC for it. Going to be a loooong day.
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Yep…that theory popped up in the tailgates after the game and I’ve met a few Aggies that admit that they believe their school was actively trying to shut us down at the time. Aggies were not happy about all the attention we were getting.
I don’t believe it, personally, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it was true either.
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As I recall it (memory being what it is) that was the only time the crowd really had a chance to cheer in the game. I recall booing my head off as the punt team was coming on the field, Case Keenum screaming at Sumlin, and the crowd erupting when Keenum called the time out.
Sumlin gave up but Keenum wouldn’t.
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Whether intentional or not, Sumlin quit on his team and in so doing was working against us.
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I’m guessing by your name that you graduate in 2020? If not, my mistake. I only bring this up because there was a lot of stuff that was going on that time prior to the game. I worked with a couple of the players moms and they specifically told me that the pregame walk-through the day before the game was canceled because someone went to go interview at A&M. This was the Friday before the game.
So you are correct and that Southern Miss was prepared to play the game, and mentally our players were dejected and upset regarding someone essentially bailing on them before the most important game of the year. Some say that the player should’ve been mentally tough, but people forget how much trust they put in their coach.
So this is why so many people are angry at Sumlin. We aren’t mad that he left, we are mad on how he left. There are several other coaches who have shown that you can complete a whole season with a team including a bowl game and then move onto your next destination. Sumlin had that opportunity but he screwed over those kids.
That being said, anybody who just watches that game doesn’t really know the whole story. The story is is there was a U of H team that was mentally defeated before they even hit the field. Anybody that knows that team saw that on the field that day and knew something was wrong. Southern Miss was good but they had no business being on field with U of H. Without the distraction, we would have a beat Southern Miss.
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it makes me physically sick to watch the replay.
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Same except I have never watched it. I have avoided it since I walked out of that stadium but occasionally the mental/memory replay occurs and it just wrecks my day.
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The whole game just felt off. I remember that our band wouldn’t play at normal times or during all commercial breaks. Band director said afterwards that the conference prohibited them playing at certain times…except that the Southern Miss band played normally throughout the game, between snaps, and during every break in action. Just strange and it started from the very beginning of the game so it had nothing to do with the score.
I sat behind the visitor’s bench and the Southern Miss players were the most classless players I’d ever seen. Many of them were shouting at fans behind the bench, giving all of us the middle finger, and generally rubbing it in. Some were even trying to egg fans on to try to get them on the field to fight them. This lasted basically all game.
I remember just sitting there stunned when the game was over. A few Southern Miss fans came by to offer their condolences which was very classy. Definitely felt that their fans and players were polar opposites that day.
Walking back to the car, I remember folks at the tailgates screaming at anyone that walked by that Sumlin was going to A&M. I hadn’t heard anything about it so it was basically a second gut punch.
Just an awful day.
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Also knew it was a bad omen when we came out in all red. Had not done that the whole year
We were going g to play Michigan in the sugar bowl and Sumlin wrecked it for a paycheck.
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I remember showing up at the tailgate around 7 am, and hearing shortly thereafter about the Sumlin/ATM shenanigans. We were all pretty stunned.
Then I went to the Cougar Walk.
Every game that year, Sumlin was the first guy off the bus. That game, he was the last guy off the bus.
He knew.
I’m hoping our Coogs can play in the mud and rain a whole lot better than those desert cats
If the field is muddy UH should sue the turf manufacturer.
You can be made at Sumlin regarding the timing but schools often say, accept the job now or it’s not yours. The system in place is terrible, and don’t forget coaches are fired every season. Yes they’re paid well, overpaid actually, but don’t act but hurt when someone leaves the job and in the next breath you’re screaming for them to be fired because their team lost a stupid football game.
Coaches put up with a lot of vile fans, so maybe they do actually deserve the pay.
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No mud it’s artificial turf, have u not been to a game at TDECU stadium??
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I attended UH from 2009-2012 but had to stop school a year short of my degree, so my username is left as Coog20 just because I’m still waiting to go back and finish up. But at this rate I might finish in 2020. Anyways, I remember the 2011 season. The UH offense was almost unstoppable. The C-USA championship game was electric. The energy to start the game was amazing. But when UH got punched in the mouth the energy died down. Southern Miss came into the game and was very physical. The UH players just couldn’t make plays. But when they did they were very explosive. Rewatching the game, one can blame Sumlin’s departure but honestly, it’s the biggest game of the season so far with BCS implications and the players can’t get their heads in the game to do the things that they’ve done all season? The game plan didn’t look like Sumlin didn’t plan it out, things looked like they always did but the team couldn’t execute and Southern Miss capitalized on that.
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