In honor of C-MontCityKnight2's meltdown please list your top UCF "program ending loss"

[SCKnight]

For me it was 1986 loss at homecoming to Wofford College. UCF came in with a high powered offense. A then school record 23,000+ fans in the stands there to see the game and the Beach Boys concert right after. Coach McDowell called the worst game of his career including several onside kicks in the third quarter that all resulted in incredible field position for the Terriers.

I am not sure I have felt lower at a UCF game. It was either the score or the Bartels and James we were drinking before the game.

. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-10-26/sports/0260360235_1_ucf-wofford-eddie

 

[UCF 10 Georgia 6]

I would go with the FIU game this season. Maybe because it's fresh in my head..but it sure was a bad loss. Is it the worst team we've ever lost to? Of course not. The problem is that this loss came at a horrible time. Just as UCF is starting to earn a reputation (even considered amongst the big 3) we lose to an inferior team in the state. At the moment it seems like there is no clear distinction between UCF and FIU in the national picture. We had a lot of momentum the last couple of years..and maybe it's an over-reaction, but it sure as hell seems like that momentum just came to a complete stop.

The only way to salvage this season is to 1. beat either South Carolina/Stanford or 2. 3-peat AAC champs (then again the AAC has no respect) but I'd take it.

What makes it really hard to get over the loss for me is how terrible the coaching was down the stretch. I'd rather lose by 40 than play the "what-if we had a coaching staff with ***** game."

 

[UCFBS]

The losses to Troy in 1994-1995 were especially painful, as we were predicted by several outlets in both years to finish high in the FCS (fka I-AA) playoffs, if not win the FCS title outright.

 

[UCFBS]

The only way to salvage this season is to 1. beat either South Carolina/Stanford or 2. 3-peat AAC champs (then again the AAC has no respect) but I'd take it.

Winning out would change a lot of minds too. But I don't see it happening.

 

[C-MontCityKnight2]

LOL at trying to equate losses back before we actually started investing in the program. There is no comparison to losing when we pay our coach $200K and play in a rented stadium to now.

In most aspects of life you get what you pay for. With GOL we are proving that to be far from the truth...we don't even come close to getting what we pay for.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Vs Georgia Tech in 2000. Up 10 real late in the 4th only to give up two touchdowns and lose 21 - 17. We were clearly outcouched that game and it showed late, whoever that guy was knew how to get his team to step up in the clutch. The QB of Georgia Tech was also something special and is probably doing great things on the sideline right now.

 

[Ucfmikes]

According to Mont, it's any loss by a GOL coached team.

 

[C-MontCityKnight2]

According to Mont, it's any loss by a GOL coached team.

Nope. I don't expect us to beat any P5 team on our schedule. However, I don't expect us to lose to teams in the bottom 120's of FBS.

 

[SCKnight]

2001 we had Syracuse on the ropes at home. coached it away. Not sure but that might have been the game where my brother turned to me and said I think I am going to become a USF fan...pretty bad.

 

[Ucfmikes]

Nope. I don't expect us to beat any P5 team on our schedule. However, I don't expect us to lose to teams in the bottom 120's of FBS.

FIU will be decent this year. Not bottom 120. Shit happens. Yes we have issues. Mostly the end of the game calls (we should have escaped with a crappy W) and lack of evaluating the preseason talent. It seems like we are fielding the "yes men" over the best players first game for 2 years now.

 

[Ucfmikes]

2001 we had Syracuse on the ropes at home. coached it away. Not sure but that might have been the game where my brother turned to me and said I think I am going to become a USF fan...pretty bad.

Yes.., my first game. Walter Reyes ran crazy in the second half. I think we were up like 22-7 or similar

 

[UCFBS]

According to Mont, it's any loss by a GOL coached team.

Yes, we should have had 17 years of winning seasons under GoL like Boise State.

 

[UCFBS]

2001 we had Syracuse on the ropes at home. coached it away. Not sure but that might have been the game where my brother turned to me and said I think I am going to become a USF fan...pretty bad.

You know those times when foreign soldiers (or during our civil war) when say they had to execute the enemy ... even when it was family ...?

 

[cocoabeachjason]

I have to go with the loss that undoubtedly prompted this thread's existence: FIU. Yes it is very fresh and that plays a role. One cannot exaggerate just how much of a momentum killer that loss will have on the program going forward. The perception of UCF changed significantly over time in the few years preceding and including 2013. We were not only being taken seriously by our own fans and recruits, but taken seriously by the national media. The positive momentum was obvious as an overall program. Whispers about Big 12 invites were on people's lips and all over the internet. But now, momentum has ended and regressed. We are no longer thought of as standing among the Boises, BYU's, and Cincinnati's of the world, but with the SMU's, Tulsa's, and FIU's. Attendance will suffer, just watch. I guess the only thing good that could come from that loss is that Power 5 schools who didn't want to play us will now probably line up to schedule another patsy. The "sleeping giant' just cannot wake up. I am very hopeful that this wound is still fresh and I am being overly pessimistic and apocalyptic.

 

[B R Knightz]

64-12 usf.....that was brutal to watch with usf season ticket holders.

 

[cnsaguy]

Vs Georgia Tech in 2000. Up 10 real late in the 4th only to give up two touchdowns and lose 21 - 17. We were clearly outcouched that game and it showed late, whoever that guy was knew how to get his team to step up in the clutch. The QB of Georgia Tech was also something special and is probably doing great things on the sideline right now.

Was that the game that the UCF fan dropped the frat boy talking shit? Like a sack of potatoes.

 

[ucfversusbcs]

Auburn's last minute 80 yard TD to beat the Daunte Culpepper led Golden Knights 10-6 in 1998. I heard it on the radio. i cant recall if he fumbled the ball on the prior possession to lead Auburn on the final minute drive but i do remember the pass, missed tackle and how deflated Marc Daniels sounded as that receiver was running to the end zone. It seemed like one long soccer game. I never understood they didnt have Culpepper keep the ball and make some plays near the endzone. His athleticism makes up for the recruit mismatch.

 

[SCKnight]

You know those times when foreign soldiers (or during our civil war) when say they had to execute the enemy ... even when it was family ...?

He repented fairly quickly. But not until I gave him a firm smackdown....

 

[SCKnight]

I have to go with the loss that undoubtedly prompted this thread's existence: FIU. Yes it is very fresh and that plays a role. One cannot exaggerate just how much of a momentum killer that loss will have on the program going forward. The perception of UCF changed significantly over time in the few years preceding and including 2013. We were not only being taken seriously by our own fans and recruits, but taken seriously by the national media. The positive momentum was obvious as an overall program. Whispers about Big 12 invites were on people's lips and all over the internet. But now, momentum has ended and regressed. We are no longer thought of as standing among the Boises, BYU's, and Cincinnati's of the world, but with the SMU's, Tulsa's, and FIU's. Attendance will suffer, just watch. I guess the only thing good that could come from that loss is that Power 5 schools who didn't want to play us will now probably line up to schedule another patsy. The "sleeping giant' just cannot wake up. I am very hopeful that this wound is still fresh and I am being overly pessimistic and apocalyptic.

I understand the recent pain and all but I think it is waaaaay to early to be thinking in terms of the impact of the game. It really only becomes a factor if the rest of the season sucks.

 

[Central Floridave]

this FIU loss has hurt pretty bad, but lets all pick each other up and CHARGE ON ! LOL

A FSU coworker fan just came and gave me a ration of shit for losing to FIU. I didn't think it could happen but all of a sudden I'm a S.Florida fan. GO BULLS, Beat the Criminoles...

 

[ucfversusbcs]

I have no issue with C-Monty's concerns.

 

[UCFBS]

this FIU loss has hurt pretty bad, but lets all pick each other up ...

You mean instead of picking on each other?

A FSU coworker fan just came and gave me a ration of shit for losing to FIU.

Tell that chickensh-- to actually play us now that we're FBS and see how much he laughs.

I didn't think it could happen but all of a sudden I'm a S.Florida fan. GO BULLS, Beat the Criminoles...

Ahhh ... no.

 

[HoseEmDown]

The funny thing g is this isn't even the worst loss to FIU. The loss in 2011 was much worse. We just came of the first bowl win in team history, 11 win season, Godfrey was looking like a stud, we just crushed Boston College. We were in much better shape that year, this season we had a ton of youth and turnover heading into the year. The season also unraveled after that loss, this season is still too young to know if this loss will hurt as bad.

 

[HammerB08]

I just saw we play FIU in 2016 and 2017 also. We are currently 2-2 against FIU. If we don't win out in the next two meetings, we will not have a winning record against FIU. Surely somewhere it is written that if you play FIU six times in the same decade and don't achieve a winning record, you don't belong in a P5 conference. The two losses to FIU are definitely two of the lowest times in the program's history. I believe the second loss to clearly be worse. To do it at home for your home opener when you're looking to prove to the P5 you can sustain success is pathetic.

 

[ucfversusbcs]

All these statements about having a losing record against FIU, just supporting UCF regardless of their decisions and losing to P5 teams all the time and G5 teams more than once in awhile are all nice if we aren't trying to make a name for ourselves and get the big payday to join the P5. Thats not the case. We arent paying our coach close to 2 million a year so a casual fan like one of my co-workers can talk about how we lost to a no-name team last weekend.

 

[Retnuhrace]

The thing about this topic is that it is way too easy to say "last week's FIU loss" because we don't know the following events and results yet. If this becomes the catalyst to a 4-8 season, yet we get invited to the Big 12 in a year or two, nobody will care all that much about this loss. The other losses mentioned in this thread don't seem like as big of a deal because of the events that followed... bowl wins, a BCS victory, conference championships, much more TV exposure, etc.

 

[ucflee]

Sooooo Sooo many to chose from ... who can forget Pitt @ the dump? losing to USF @ the dump and listening to them chant on the way out ... or blowing it @ ECU after curb stomping them in them 1st half the year we took down NC State ... was at both of those ... pretty sure I saw @UCFBS almost get his @ss beat in the stands over his giant camera or some she-ot @ ECU... made every game but one that year ... good times but too bad there were so many season/program ending losses

 

[UCFBS]

... or blowing it @ ECU after curb stomping them in them 1st half the year we took down NC State ... was at both of those ...

Five (5) turnovers in the 3rd quarter = 3-4 ECU scores (plus 1 more early in the 4th). That was the absolute biggest reversal of all time, although a few others came close.

pretty sure I saw @UCFBS almost get his @ss beat in the stands over his giant camera or some she-ot...

Got some of NC State's finest flipping birds. Cannot remember if I brought my camera to ECU though.

The thing about this topic is that it is way too easy to say "last week's FIU loss" because we don't know the following events and results yet. If this becomes the catalyst to a 4-8 season, yet we get invited to the Big 12 in a year or two, nobody will care all that much about this loss. The other losses mentioned in this thread don't seem like as big of a deal because of the events that followed... bowl wins, a BCS victory, conference championships, much more TV exposure, etc.

The two losses to FIU are definitely two of the lowest times in the program's history. I believe the second loss to clearly be worse. To do it at home for your home opener when you're looking to prove to the P5 you can sustain success is pathetic.

 

[Ucfmikes]

Sooooo Sooo many to chose from ... who can forget Pitt @ the dump? losing to USF @ the dump and listening to them chant on the way out ... or blowing it @ ECU after curb stomping them in them 1st half the year we took down NC State ... was at both of those ... pretty sure I saw @UCFBS almost get his @ss beat in the stands over his giant camera or some she-ot @ ECU... made every game but one that year ... good times but too bad there were so many season/program ending losses

That PItt loss was ridiculous. They weren't THAT good and we weren't THAT bad. They really stomped us. I was shocked.

 

[C-MontCityKnight2]

That PItt loss was ridiculous. They weren't THAT good and we weren't THAT bad. They really stomped us. I was shocked.

I was at that game. How many freaking times has that exact thing been said under GOL's watch?

 

[Ucfmikes]

I was at that game. How many freaking times has that exact thing been said under GOL's watch?

Yeah.., but again, what's your point?
He's not going anywhere and leaving on his own terms

 

[UCF08]

64-12 in Tampa. Any other answer is wrong.

 

[ucflee]

2001 we had Syracuse on the ropes at home. coached it away. Not sure but that might have been the game where my brother turned to me and said I think I am going to become a USF fan...pretty bad.

If I recall correctly, we lost to Toledo at home in similar fashion that year, too. That was a good team but the depth and strength and conditioning wasn't there against the run late in the second half ... an example of the difference between a football team and a football program IMO ...

 

[ucflee]

64-12 in Tampa. Any other answer is wrong.

and adding insult to injury was being passed by the team busses w/ a police escort while sitting in gridlock on I-4 (or was that the next loss we took over there)

 

[spacecoastknight]

Why does this MontCity guy keep saying FIU is 120s?! Does he not realize that every year is a new year? FIU is a .500 team this year. UCF is a .500 team this year. We lost a lot of talent. It happens. First year watching sport apparently.

 

[cnsaguy]

No love for getting shut out at home by UAB?

 

[UCFBS]

No love for getting shut out at home by UAB?

That's always in my top 5 if not top 3.

 

[ucflee]

No love for getting shut out at home by UAB?

That's always in my top 5 if not top 3.

Uggggg that day was unbearable ... I remember sitting in the mostly empty stadium and seriously questioning why I continued to support the program and all of the things that I would do with my Saturdays the next season

 

[UCFBS]

Uggggg that day was unbearable ... I remember sitting in the mostly empty stadium and seriously questioning why I continued to support the program and all of the things that I would do with my Saturdays the next season

I'm fairly certain I was working the week through the weekend in Vegas after Thanksgiving.

2004 was the year I was under-employed the 2nd most (2002 was the worst, although luckily no other years in my history of consulting than those 2). I had only been at the client 2 weeks. So I was working all the hours they would give me. So I don't think I even saw it at all, just remember reading it about it after.

Yeah, it was just an all-around bad year. Still, we up'd our booster fees the next year and moved. UCFAA did a fabulous job selling the C-USA move IMHO, despite the 0-11 final season in the MAC. Either that or maybe it's because I was making the best money I had ever in my career (through then) by spring of 2005.