Rhody-can anyone remember a situation where program turned it around?

[Brad82]

Rhody is way off expectations this year.
3 winning seasons since 1986. Other than Columbia,can't recall anything like it.
Can anyone remember where a program went say 10 losing seasons and then turned it around-say 5 winning seasons in a row?

[Eagle22]

Prairie View ? I think they're working this year on their 5th consecutive winning season ... and they were absolutely putrid prior to 2007.

[aceinthehole]

I'll throw Central Connecticut out there as an example of a program that has "turned it around"

From 1974 to 2003 (30 seasons), Central Connecticut had a total of just 3 winning seasons. During that period, CCSU had finished with 3 or less wins in 12 of those seasons.

Since 2004, Central has had 7 straight winning seasons! CCSU has won 7 or more games in 6 out of those 7 seasons. Additionally, CCSU has won at least a share of the conference title in 4 out of the last 7 seasons.

Further proof of our progress can be seen in our recent perfromance against UMass.
2002 - CCSU 3, UMass 52
2003 - CCSU 7, UMass 51
2011 - CCSU 26, UMass 42

In our most recent game, CCSU missed a 2-pt conversion to tie the game at 28 with 8:46 left in 4Q. Also, Central had more 1st downs and rushing yards than UMass. Central had 4 sacks comapred to 0 for UMass.

Bottom line, the progress CCSU has made is unreal - and many fans feel we still have ability to continue to improve!

[UNIFanSince1983]

Indiana State...

They aren't on 5 straight, but with as bad as they were it is amazing how good they are right now.

Edit: From 2005-2009 they won 2 games. Then in 2010 they went 6-5, and this year are 4-2 to start the year and are ranked. 2009 they lose in the UNI-Dome 62-7, and this year only lose 23-9 in a game that was much closer than 14.

[Go...gate]

Colgate. Only two (2) winning seasons between 1986 and 1995. 0-11 in 1995. Improved to 6-5 in 1996 (tied for biggest turn around in Division I history). Won Patriot League in 1997 and 1999, NCAA I-AA Playoffs 1997, 1998, 1999.

[ngineer]

From 1962-1970, Lehigh had 9 straight losing seasons...one stretch from 1963-68 with winning only 7 games in those six seasons. The turnaround began with Fred Dunlap's arrival in 1965, but it took him 7 years for a winning season, though respectability began to arrive with 4 wins in 1969. From 1970-the early half of the 1980's Lehigh was a national D-II power (Champions in 1977) and I-AA playoff participants (Runner-up 1979). Since then, the last 30 years have had overall success with a 'golden age' from 1998-2005 with a record of 78-18 (average record of 9-2).

[Franks Tanks]

Lafayette went from 93-01 without a winning season. We had a 5-5 season in 96, the Fordham game that year was cancelled due to the tragic death of Fordham player Bill Tierney before the game.

We had a winning season in 2002, and then a stretch from 2004-2009 where we were ranked in the top 25 at least one week in each season. We did finish 6-6 in 2006, but won the PL and made the playoffs if we want to get technical.

[GaSouthern]

At Savannah State they.... oh nevermind.

[Silenoz]

Indiana State. They went from being arguably the worst program in FCS, to rankings, winning records, and kicking the sh#t out of an (admittedly terrible) FBS team in a matter of about 2 years

[813Jag]

Prairie View ? I think they're working this year on their 5th consecutive winning season ... and they were absolutely putrid prior to 2007.
80 straight losses, 29 straight losing seasons dating back to 1977. Can't really top that.

[Silenoz]

From 1962-1970, Lehigh had 9 straight losing seasons...one stretch from 1963-68 with winning only 7 games in those six seasons. The turnaround began with Fred Dunlap's arrival in 1965, but it took him 7 years for a winning season, though respectability began to arrive with 4 wins in 1969. From 1970-the early half of the 1980's Lehigh was a national D-II power (Champions in 1977) and I-AA playoff participants (Runner-up 1979). Since then, the last 30 years have had overall success with a 'golden age' from 1998-2005 with a record of 78-18 (average record of 9-2).

Lafayette went from 93-01 without a winning season. We had a 5-5 season in 96, the Fordham game that year was cancelled due to the tragic death of Fordham player Bill Tierney before the game.

We had a winning season in 2002, and then a stretch from 2004-2009 where we were ranked in the top 25 at least one week in each season. We did finish 6-6 in 2006, but won the PL and made the playoffs if we want to get technical.

Impressive. I think Montana had something like 6 winning seasons in the 35 years prior to building Wa-Griz. We have not had a losing season since.

[Brad82]

Thanks-Men.
Interesting- less than 10 examples.

[bluehenbillk]

I'm sure URI will fare better in the NEC.

[URMite]

80 straight losses, 29 straight losing seasons dating back to 1977. Can't really top that.

The only thing that prevented UR from being the worst Div-I team in 1978 & 1979 was Praire View.

Maybe we didn't have as long of a losing streak but...I believe between 1936 & 2004 we never had 3 winning season in a row. Although maybe our typical schedule for most of that time had something to do with that. (W&M/VMI/Furman/THE Citadel/some MAC team/Maryland/WVU/VATech/UVA/UNC/USC) xeekx

If we find a way to 6 wins this year that will be 7 winning years in a row. xprayx

[wr70beh]

The only thing that prevented UR from being the worst Div-I team in 1978 & 1979 was Praire View.

Maybe we didn't have as long of a losing streak but...I believe between 1936 & 2004 we never had 3 winning season in a row. Although maybe our typical schedule for most of that time had something to do with that. (W&M/VMI/Furman/THE Citadel/some MAC team/Maryland/WVU/VATech/UVA/UNC/USC) xeekx

If we find a way to 6 wins this year that will be 7 winning years in a row. xprayx

Those were the good old days when Tech, Carolina and WVU would come to City Stadium to play the Spiders. Those days are long gone. The way things are going we'll be going up to the Turkey Coop to play a payday game.

[Pard4Life]

Lafayette went from 93-01 without a winning season. We had a 5-5 season in 96, the Fordham game that year was cancelled due to the tragic death of Fordham player Bill Tierney before the game.

We had a winning season in 2002, and then a stretch from 2004-2009 where we were ranked in the top 25 at least one week in each season. We did finish 6-6 in 2006, but won the PL and made the playoffs if we want to get technical.

We were also mediocre in the 1970s... then all of a sudden Bill Russo shows up in 1981 and out of nowhere we go 9-2! We were very successful under Russo until 1995.

You can asterik 1994... though we started 0-6, we finished 5-0 and won the Patriot!

[Sader87]

HC had to forfeit the last 8 games of the 1969 season due to a hepatitis outbreak on the team (due to a contamanited drinking water source at the practice field), went 0-10-1 in 1970 but rebounded somewhat in 1971, defeating Harvard in the opener that year and finishing 4-6-1.

Truth be told , somewhat like Richmond, HC floundered on the fringes of D1 football through much of the rest of the 1970's only becoming successful when we transitioned to 1-AA in the early 1980's.

[Go...gate]

Wasn't Davidson way down in the '80's and '90's and then they went undefeated under Landis about five-six years ago?

[dgreco]

Rhody is way off expectations this year.
3 winning seasons since 1986. Other than Columbia,can't recall anything like it.
Can anyone remember where a program went say 10 losing seasons and then turned it around-say 5 winning seasons in a row?
I think the upside is they are 1-2 years away from being a really good team and they will be in the NEC by then so they may be a playoff team by 2013 or 2014...

[Pards Rule]

We were also mediocre in the 1970s... then all of a sudden Bill Russo shows up in 1981 and out of nowhere we go 9-2! We were very successful under Russo until 1995.

You can asterik 1994... though we started 0-6, we finished 5-0 and won the Patriot!

Yes! That final year under Neal Putnam in 1980 (my freshman year) was moribund - we went 3-7 (winning only against Davidson, Merchant Marine and believe it or not Carney beating Penn 3-0 in the Homecoming game). We did not score a TD in 6 games that year and the last one the most notorious a 32-0 roasting in Easton by the then-Engineers. Russo was hired in December and in the 1981 season went 9-2, the two losses were a blowout 30-0 at Colgate and a close loss at home, 21-18, to UNH. We beat Lehigh in a memorable game at the old Taylor Stadium, 10-3, on a cold November day with a start time - does anyone recall? - of 11AM!! To cut back on student drinking - true!

[Eagle22]

80 straight losses, 29 straight losing seasons dating back to 1977. Can't really top that.

What do I win ? ;)

[Pards Rule]

HC had to forfeit the last 8 games of the 1969 season due to a hepatitis outbreak on the team (due to a contamanited drinking water source at the practice field), went 0-10-1 in 1970 but rebounded somewhat in 1971, defeating Harvard in the opener that year and finishing 4-6-1.

Truth be told , somewhat like Richmond, HC floundered on the fringes of D1 football through much of the rest of the 1970's only becoming successful when we transitioned to 1-AA in the early 1980's.

Sader - I dont think i have heard of anything quite like that in the annals of collegiate football! That has to be a record of forfeited games not due to ineligible player(s) etc??

[ngineer]

Yes! That final year under Neal Putnam in 1980 (my freshman year) was moribund - we went 3-7 (winning only against Davidson, Merchant Marine and believe it or not Carney beating Penn 3-0 in the Homecoming game). We did not score a TD in 6 games that year and the last one the most notorious a 32-0 roasting in Easton by the then-Engineers. Russo was hired in December and in the 1981 season went 9-2, the two losses were a blowout 30-0 at Colgate and a close loss at home, 21-18, to UNH. We beat Lehigh in a memorable game at the old Taylor Stadium, 10-3, on a cold November day with a start time - does anyone recall? - of 11AM!! To cut back on student drinking - true!

And it didn't work. (;-). Yes, that loss ruined and undefeated season, I think.

[Pards Rule]

And it didn't work. (;-). Yes, that loss ruined and undefeated season, I think.

Actually that year you lost to Colgate and UNH too but that loss almost resulted in my beloved leopard (Carneys favorite stadium seat wiper) being kidnapped by Lehigh students who ripped it off the hood of my car where I had taped it after the game to drive back triumphantly to Easton. We were stuck in some traffic, I saw some Lehigh dudes quicken their pace, and yelled "get the wheel Danno" - with movie star coolness and aplomb I might add - to my friend Dan Weisman riding shotgun and with the car IN GEAR (and being a Cougar I might add) jumped out and ran after these abductors. We were in a park near Taylor (Ngineer?) and I got up to them (a 125 pounder I was, but no track star) and only then did I realize what do I do now..it was four against me. Well I guess he feared the power of the leopard and yelled at me not to touch him which I agreed to only with the Pard's safe return - which I secured. Warren Christopher (thats for you Ivytalk and time period is spot on, PARDon the pun ;)) would have been proud! We wound up shaking hands! Ah, rivalries and memories!

[MR. CHICKEN]

16182.....YEARS AGO...IN DUH YANKEE CONFERENCE....BOSTON UNIVERSITY... WAS PICKED...DEAD LAST...IN PRESEASON...GUESS WHOM...WON IT...LADS?.........DING! DING!......DUH TERRIERS.......MOS' REMARKABLE....TURN-AROUND.....EVERAH.....IN DUH HISTORY.....O'....SWINE-TIME.....xbowx...AWK!

[MR. CHICKEN]

OR.....MAYBEAH....DUH SEER'S........CRYSTAL BALL.......MO'....RESEMBLED....UH CONCRETE BLOCK!

[Go...gate]

HC had to forfeit the last 8 games of the 1969 season due to a hepatitis outbreak on the team (due to a contamanited drinking water source at the practice field), went 0-10-1 in 1970 but rebounded somewhat in 1971, defeating Harvard in the opener that year and finishing 4-6-1.

Truth be told , somewhat like Richmond, HC floundered on the fringes of D1 football through much of the rest of the 1970's only becoming successful when we transitioned to 1-AA in the early 1980's.

Colgate records do not show this as a forfeit - merely as "cancelled" I believe Rutgers' records show the same.

[Go...gate]

16182.....YEARS AGO...IN DUH YANKEE CONFERENCE....BOSTON UNIVERSITY... WAS PICKED...DEAD LAST...IN PRESEASON...GUESS WHOM...WON IT...LADS?.........DING! DING!......DUH TERRIERS.......MOS' REMARKABLE....TURN-AROUND.....EVERAH.....IN DUH HISTORY.....O'....SWINE-TIME.....xbowx...AWK!

Was that 1982 or in the 1990's?

[Gil Dobie]

NDSU went 24-59-3 in the 1950's and 9-26-1 from 1960-63, then went 58-5 from 1964-69.

[Captain]

UT Martin lost 43 consecutive OVC games and 64 consecutive games against scholarship Division 1 programs from 1995-2003. Most of those games were decided by halftime. They were down to funding around 30 scholarships and had a chancellor that was determined to end the program.

That chancellor was forced out and private money was raised to increase scholarships and build a new fieldhouse. Those improvements led to an increase in talent and morale around the program. In 2006, the Skyhawks won the OVC title and have not had a losing OVC season since 2004.

[MR. CHICKEN]

Was that 1982 or in the 1990's?


16183.....1993.....HOWEVERAH.....AS DUH CHICKEN'S MEMORY....FADES TA BLACK...:o:o....RHODE ISLAND...WAS ACTUALLY....PICKED DEAD LAST...(VIDEO #2...'BOUT 4 MIN. IN)....BOSTON U.......WAS CHOSEN NEXT TA LAST.....STILL UH REMARKABLE TURN-AROUND........HERE'S SOME VID.....ON HOW IT HAPPENED.............BRAWK!

ps........SEEMS DUH WHITTLE DOGGIES....AVOIDED NEWARK...DAT SEASON....AS DUH HENS....ALSO WENT DANCIN'...WHIFF MONTANA/MARSHALL....YES GRIZZWOLDS.....DUH INFAMOUS...49-48.....LOST DUH NAIL-BITER....34-31...IN WEST VIRGINNY!

B. U...THREW IN DUH TOWEL....CRIED UNCLE....&....LAST SEEN....WAVIN' UH WHITE FLAG.....IN 1997...AWK!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4KkOYskbzA

http://www.theu.com/college_videos_view/1993_ncaa_div_1_aa_boston_university_football_part _2_1555

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4f7qKv2PJ8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8TwI9IvJtA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCG4g6m88Tk

[URMite]

One team I don't think we have mentioned is VMI.

1974..7-4
1975..3-8
1976..5-5
1977..7-4
1978..3-8
1979..6-4-1
1980..3-7-1
1981..6-3-1 included a win @ VA Tech

Then fell off a cliff, best two seasons since...
2002..6-6
2003..6-6

And unless they go 5-1 the rest of the year this will be 30 seasons of .500 or less. That sort of rivals Prairie View...

[URMite]

Those were the good old days when Tech, Carolina and WVU would come to City Stadium to play the Spiders. Those days are long gone. The way things are going we'll be going up to the Turkey Coop to play a payday game.

VA Tech played @UR for the last time opening day my freshman year. I suggested that they play opening day at Robins Stadium but no one took me up on that idea. :D

[URMite]

Rhody is way off expectations this year.
3 winning seasons since 1986. Other than Columbia,can't recall anything like it.
Can anyone remember where a program went say 10 losing seasons and then turned it around-say 5 winning seasons in a row?

I have a hard time thinking of URI as that bad, since my first view of them was a loss to them in 1984 in the second round of the FCS playoffs. That was an interesting year, We were 7-0 in FCS and 0-3 in FBS, plus 1-1 in the playoffs. Our win came against another team with an interesting history BU.

[Go...gate]

One team I don't think we have mentioned is VMI.

1974..7-4
1975..3-8
1976..5-5
1977..7-4
1978..3-8
1979..6-4-1
1980..3-7-1
1981..6-3-1 included a win @ VA Tech

Then fell off a cliff, best two seasons since...
2002..6-6
2003..6-6

And unless they go 5-1 the rest of the year this will be 30 seasons of .500 or less. That sort of rivals Prairie View...

Small school, good academics, military regimen - not an easy combination...

[alvinkayak6]

Prairie View....ouch.

[dwtime]

16183.....1993.....HOWEVERAH.....AS DUH CHICKEN'S MEMORY....FADES TA BLACK...:o:o....RHODE ISLAND...WAS ACTUALLY....PICKED DEAD LAST...(VIDEO #2...'BOUT 4 MIN. IN)....BOSTON U.......WAS CHOSEN NEXT TA LAST.....STILL UH REMARKABLE TURN-AROUND........HERE'S SOME VID.....ON HOW IT HAPPENED.............BRAWK!

ps........SEEMS DUH WHITTLE DOGGIES....AVOIDED NEWARK...DAT SEASON....AS DUH HENS....ALSO WENT DANCIN'...WHIFF MONTANA/MARSHALL....YES GRIZZWOLDS.....DUH INFAMOUS...49-48.....LOST DUH NAIL-BITER....34-31...IN WEST VIRGINNY!

B. U...THREW IN DUH TOWEL....CRIED UNCLE....&....LAST SEEN....WAVIN' UH WHITE FLAG.....IN 1997...AWK!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4KkOYskbzA

http://www.theu.com/college_videos_view/1993_ncaa_div_1_aa_boston_university_football_part _2_1555

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4f7qKv2PJ8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8TwI9IvJtA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCG4g6m88Tk

Notice that when Zach Burwell scores the touchdown to win vs. UNI you can see a couple of BU hockey players wearing their hockey pants and shin pads run out to congratulate the player. Jack Parker, the BU hockey team head coach let the players come out of the ice rink and watch the end of the game and overtime I was standing with them in the end zone when BU scored (I'm in the middle of that mess somewhere).

[Sader87]

Colgate records do not show this as a forfeit - merely as "cancelled" I believe Rutgers' records show the same.

You are correct...poor word choice on my part (forfeit instead of cancelled)....I still have my father's unused season's tickets from that ill-fated 1969 season.

[B&G]

Chattanooga looks to be in the beginning stages of doing this...

One winning season from 1992 to 2004.... Went 6-5 in 2005... Then went 6-28 over the next three seasons.

Now they have 6-5 records in 2009 and 2010. We'll see what happens in 2011.

[dgtw]

http://www.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/hcm/fall04/features/feature1.html

[Go...gate]

http://www.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/hcm/fall04/features/feature1.html

Thanks for posting.

[MinuteFan]

How are people forgetting the biggest one-year turnaround ever? UMass had their worst record ever, 2-9 in 1997. In 1998, they won the National Championship.

[CFBfan]

A win this week over Howard would give Georgetown their 5th of the season, their first 5 win campaign after a lot of losing season including an 0 -11 just 2 years ago.

[msupokes1]

How are people forgetting the biggest one-year turnaround ever? UMass had their worst record ever, 2-9 in 1997. In 1998, they won the National Championship.

McNeese had a 3-8 year in 1996 and went to the National Championship game in 1997. Then lost to UMass in the first round of the 1998 playoffs.

[Catbooster]

How are people forgetting the biggest one-year turnaround ever? UMass had their worst record ever, 2-9 in 1997. In 1998, they won the National Championship.

1983 Montana State was 1-10 (the only win against Montana 28-8)
1984 MSU wins the national championship (12-2 with losses to Eastern Washington and Idaho State)
1985 MSU 2-9 (beat Eastern Oregon 86-0 -non-DI- and Montana 41-18)

[Mattymc727]

1983 Montana State was 1-10 (the only win against Montana 28-8)
1984 MSU wins the national championship (12-2 with losses to Eastern Washington and Idaho State)
1985 MSU 2-9 (beat Eastern Oregon 86-0 -non-DI- and Montana 41-18)

That is wild

[ngineer]

Actually that year you lost to Colgate and UNH too but that loss almost resulted in my beloved leopard (Carneys favorite stadium seat wiper) being kidnapped by Lehigh students who ripped it off the hood of my car where I had taped it after the game to drive back triumphantly to Easton. We were stuck in some traffic, I saw some Lehigh dudes quicken their pace, and yelled "get the wheel Danno" - with movie star coolness and aplomb I might add - to my friend Dan Weisman riding shotgun and with the car IN GEAR (and being a Cougar I might add) jumped out and ran after these abductors. We were in a park near Taylor (Ngineer?) and I got up to them (a 125 pounder I was, but no track star) and only then did I realize what do I do now..it was four against me. Well I guess he feared the power of the leopard and yelled at me not to touch him which I agreed to only with the Pard's safe return - which I secured. Warren Christopher (thats for you Ivytalk and time period is spot on, PARDon the pun ;)) would have been proud! We wound up shaking hands! Ah, rivalries and memories!

Can't say I know the name at this stage of my career. I know there was a small park in the neighborhood east of Taylor, but have only driven past it. I rarely go in that area as the streets go in all sorts of weird angles due to the mountain and end up having to double back.
My sense of the undefeated season I guess was that by going 9-2 that year, we had a decent shot at going to the playoffs since the loss to UNH was by only 1 point...still have my ol' media guides to help the recall.