Some Nostalgia - NY Times Preview of 1988 Army-Lafayette Game

[Franks Tanks]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE1D8113FF936A25753C1A96E9482 60

Interesing stuff. The articles says Lafayette came into the game ranked #5 in I-AA behind the arm of Frank Baur, and 5 games into the season Frank was on pace to have the highest QB rating in NCAA D-I history.

[Go...gate]

One of the best Patriot League squads ever. No question.

[ChickenMan]

One of the best Patriot League squads ever. No question.


but not good enough to beat a pretty strong (9-3) Army team that year..

Army 24 Lafayette 17

[Go...gate]

Army had a great year, losing 29-28 to Alabama in the Sun Bowl.

[JoltinJoe]

I saw that Lafayette team play Columbia in 1988. I went with some law school classmates who had gone to Columbia. Columbia was nearing the end of its record losing streak but was no match for Baur/Lafayette. The game was so lopsided at halftime that we ducked into some uptown bar at halftime, and never returned.

Lafayette Trounces Columbia As Lions Lose 43d Straight (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE1D91E38F936A1575AC0A96E9482 60&scp=5&sq=Lafayette+football+Baur&st=nyt)

[Pards Rule]

I was at that game! Yes indeed. I dont recall it being that close though - did LC score some late? Or am I finally getting where I cant recall all the games I witnessed?

[Ivytalk]

The Times now buries all the FCS games on an inner page of the sports section. Even Harvard-Yale gets that treatment.xsmhx I still have the November '74 front-page story about the thrilling H-Y Game that year!xnodx

[carney2]

THE Game that year ended up with the Pards beating the Squawks by a 52-45 score. It was like a ping-pong game, with each team scoring on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd play of a drive with regularity. In the 2nd quarter when Lafayette lined up for a field goal, the field announcer stated that this was "the first 4th down play of the game." No one punted until pretty deep into the 3rd quarter, and you knew long before that punt that the first team that used their punter would lose.

That Lafayette team had the PL Player of the Year (Baur), Offensive Player of the Year (Baur), Rookie of the Year (Tom Costello), and Coach of the Year (Bill Russo).

Alas, even this team could not break "the curse." The record against the Ivys was 1-1-1, with a previously mentioned trampling of Columbia (no news there), but a loss to Penn and a tie with Cornell.

[Pards Rule]

THE Game that year ended up with the Pards beating the Squawks by a 52-45 score. It was like a ping-pong game, with each team scoring on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd play of a drive with regularity. In the 2nd quarter when Lafayette lined up for a field goal, the field announcer stated that this was "the first 4th down play of the game." No one punted until pretty deep into the 3rd quarter, and you knew long before that punt that the first team that used their punter would lose.

That Lafayette team had the PL Player of the Year (Baur), Offensive Player of the Year (Baur), Rookie of the Year (Tom Costello), and Coach of the Year (Bill Russo).

Alas, even this team could not break "the curse." The record against the Ivys was 1-1-1, with a previously mentioned trampling of Columbia (no news there), but a loss to Penn and a tie with Cornell.

Carney, I was at that game too! I remember thinking "I can't go to the bathroom cause I might miss something!" Needless to say I overflowed an urinal later!