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1989

CatManTrue

CatManTrue

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Oct 4, 2008
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I looked it up and the last time we finished with less than 2 wins was 1989, when we finished 0-11.

We lost to Duke (sound familiar?), Air Force, and Rutgers that season.

Lowlights included a 43-11 loss to Indiana, 52-27 loss to OSU, a 63-14 loss to Illinois, and a 76-14 loss to MSU.

Highlights included the individual seasons of Bob Christian and Richard Buchanan who had nice stats and earned All B1G honors.

Were any of our posters around that season? Are there any lessons you could share?
 
I had just graduated and followed the team from afar but I cannot imagine any kind of wisdom I could share.

Barnett's book talks about what the team was like when he took over a few years later,
 
CatManTrue said:
Were any of our posters around that season? Are there any lessons you could share?
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I was definitely around ... went to the Rutgers game, maybe a couple others. Duke was coached back then by someone you may have heard of named "Steve Spurrier," so that loss is somewhat understandable.

The coach back then, Francis Peay, had been interim coach for one year (1986) and said the interim status had hurt recruiting for that year, hence the goose-egg year 3 years later.

Basically just the "little nadir" of the Dark Ages vs the "big nadir" of 1979-1981.
 
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I went to the Rutgers game in New Brunswick(I think that was the year)NU had a lead and could not lose unless Rutgers ran a kickoff back and recovered an onside kick. NU lost
 
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I do remember we ran a very unusual offense that year, wide receivers at different dephs, an occasional option play. I guess we were trying to trick everyone or something.
 
docrugby1 said:
I went to the Rutgers game in New Brunswick(I think that was the year)NU had a lead and could not lose unless Rutgers ran a kickoff back and recovered an onside kick. NU lost
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The Rutgers game in 1989 was in Evanston. The return visit was in 1991. NU lost by the strange score of 22-18. Maybe that's the one you're thinking of.
 
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CatManTrue said:
I looked it up and the last time we finished with less than 2 wins was 1989, when we finished 0-11.

We lost to Duke (sound familiar?), Air Force, and Rutgers that season.

Lowlights included a 43-11 loss to Indiana, 52-27 loss to OSU, a 63-14 loss to Illinois, and a 76-14 loss to MSU.

Highlights included the individual seasons of Bob Christian and Richard Buchanan who had nice stats and earned All B1G honors.

Were any of our posters around that season? Are there any lessons you could share?
Click to expand...
It was pre internet and I was out of town. I'd see a score in the Pittsburgh paper and that's it..
 
I was a sophomore and just remember that any win during my 4 years was a huge pleasant surprise. I sure hope that’s not where we are again.
 
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I think the MSU in '89 game is where the Spartans scored a late TD and took a knee on the extra point because George Perles had ordered the team not to score any more points.

Also in 1989, Tim Weigel was the radio announcer for the team. In the 4th quarter of the last game, he was pleading for Northwestern to drop out of the Big Ten. I believe he was replaced by Dave Eanet the next season.

*edited to clarify who scored the TD.
 
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CatManTrue said:
I looked it up and the last time we finished with less than 2 wins was 1989, when we finished 0-11.

We lost to Duke (sound familiar?), Air Force, and Rutgers that season.

Lowlights included a 43-11 loss to Indiana, 52-27 loss to OSU, a 63-14 loss to Illinois, and a 76-14 loss to MSU.

Highlights included the individual seasons of Bob Christian and Richard Buchanan who had nice stats and earned All B1G honors.

Were any of our posters around that season? Are there any lessons you could share?
Click to expand...
Like TheC, I was also a sophomore that fall. It was the Dark Ages, so expectations were very low.

1989 was the middle of "The Little Streak" (the losing streak of 1988-'90), and, yes, it sucked. But there were a few bright spots. As mentioned above, Buchanan and Christian were in the offense (running backs that year were coached by none other than Randy Walker), and the O wasn't that horrible. Also, I recall the schedule being a murderers' row of ranked teams.

Expectations and resources in 2022 are SO MUCH more than they were in the late '80s, which makes 2022 so much more disappointing.

By the way, keep in mind that the only time during the Dark Ages that NU played an FCS team was in 1986, when NU played Princeton and whipped them, 37-0.
 
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GoUPurple said:
Like TheC, I was also a sophomore that fall. It was the Dark Ages, so expectations were very low.

1989 was the middle of "The Little Streak" (the losing streak of 1988-'90), and, yes, it sucked. But there were a few bright spots. As mentioned above, Buchanan and Christian were in the offense (running backs that year were coached by none other than Randy Walker), and the O wasn't that horrible. Also, I recall the schedule being a murderers' row of ranked teams.

Expectations and resources in 2022 are SO MUCH more than they were in the late '80s, which makes 2022 so much more disappointing.

By the way, keep in mind that the only time during the Dark Ages that NU played an FCS team was in 1986, when NU played Princeton and whipped them, 37-0.
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So we should get Princeton back on the schedule? I’d rather play them than Duke.
 
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CatManTrue said:
I looked it up and the last time we finished with less than 2 wins was 1989, when we finished 0-11.

We lost to Duke (sound familiar?), Air Force, and Rutgers that season.

Lowlights included a 43-11 loss to Indiana, 52-27 loss to OSU, a 63-14 loss to Illinois, and a 76-14 loss to MSU.

Highlights included the individual seasons of Bob Christian and Richard Buchanan who had nice stats and earned All B1G honors.

Were any of our posters around that season? Are there any lessons you could share?
Click to expand...
My Freshman year.

Duke was not bad that year, coached by Spurrier I think. They won the ACC that year. I remember it being my first NU game.

Michigan State was really ugly. The Spartans had their 3rd stringers in by the 3rd quarter and were just running it up the middle but we still couldn’t stop them. The announcers were saying you couldn’t expect MSU to do anything else to show mercy, short of instructing their RBs to fall down or run out of bounds.

This year’s run D feels a lot like 1989. Worse than any Colby defense. Just can’t stop anyone even if we know it’s coming.
 
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phatcat said:
www.sports-reference.com

Patrick Wright College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits | College Football at Sports-Reference.com

Check out Patrick Wright's College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits and More College Stats at Sports-Reference.com
www.sports-reference.com www.sports-reference.com
Click to expand...

No that was Barnett’s first year, the next year. One of Peay’s final recruits. Pat Wright (was roommates with Lee Gissendaner) they lived in Bobb McCullough down the hall from me. Pat was short but was super fast.
 
EvanstonCat said:
My Freshman year.

Duke was not bad that year, coached by Spurrier I think. They won the ACC that year. I remember it being my first NU game.

Michigan State was really ugly. The Spartans had their 3rd stringers in by the 3rd quarter and were just running it up the middle but we still couldn’t stop them. The announcers were saying you couldn’t expect MSU to do anything else to show mercy, short of instructing their RBs to fall down or run out of bounds.

This year’s run D feels a lot like 1989. Worse than any Colby defense. Just can’t stop anyone even if we know it’s coming.
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So why is it you hate OSU so much and not MSU?

I’d never like any team that hung 76 on us when I was in college.
 
EvanstonCat said:
No that was Barnett’s first year, the next year. One of Peay’s final recruits. Pat Wright (was roommates with Lee Gissendaner) they lived in Bobb McCullough down the hall from me. Pat was short but was super fast.
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No biggie, but just a little fact correction. Barnett didn't arrive till two years later, winter of '92 (actually December of 91 to be exact). Giss and Patrick were in their third year during GB's first season, which is a reason our offense took a big jump forward in '92. Gissendaner exploded into an All Big Ten star in Barnett's first season. Wright was the third receiver on that team, after Gamble. Senters would have been the #2 - he had three catches in the opening game but got hurt and missed the whole season - otherwise we could have been better in the passing game and on offense that year.

But Patrick Wright also played baseball at NU, and was the starting CF and leadoff man for a few years. Lunker might know more... I believe Wright is still in the NU top 5 for career steals and runs scored.
 
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mountaindrew said:
No biggie, but just a little fact correction. Barnett didn't arrive till two years later, winter of '92 (actually December of 91 to be technical). Giss and Patrick were in their third year during GB's first season, which is a reason our offense took a big jump forward in '92. Gissendaner exploded into an All Big Ten star in Barnett's first season. Wright was the third receiver on that team, after Gamble. Senters would have been the #2 - he had three catches in the opening game but got hurt and missed the whole season - otherwise we could have been better in the passing game and on offense that year.

But Patrick Wright also played baseball at NU, and was the starting CF and leadoff man for a few years. Lunker might know more... I believe Wright is still in the NU top 5 for career steals and runs scored.
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While I missed the glory years of NU football, I take solace in remembering that it was my senior year and I was in attendance at Welsh-Ryan Arena the night that Barnett was introduced and pledged to Take the Purple to Pasadena!! (Which was met with somewhat tepid applause)
 
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CatManTrue said:
So why is it you hate OSU so much and not MSU?

I’d never like any team that hung 76 on us when I was in college.
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I can say that my experiences with MSU fans have always been pleasant. In the '97 "we're gonna block that kick" upset over the 11th-ranked Spartans, there were some MSU fans nearby who were nice as nice could be. We lost the "worst comeback of all-time" game to MSU but I don't remember a single MSU fan gloating about it. When they have a good season, they don't let it go to their heads and they still respect us.

Others might have different experiences, but I've always considered them one of the best fan bases in the conference.
 
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phatcat said:
It was pre internet and I was out of town. I'd see a score in the Pittsburgh paper and that's it..
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Heard them say in the Steelers blowout loss to the Bills on Sunday that the last time they lost by 35 was in 1989. Now and then it's rough to be both a Wildcats fan and a Steelers fan.
 
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kaTNap said:
The Rutgers game in 1989 was in Evanston. The return visit was in 1991. NU lost by the strange score of 22-18. Maybe that's the one you're thinking of.
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Watched the 1991 version in my one room house rental in New Haven. Rodney Ray and Dennis Lundy were our one two RB punch. Ray I think scored 2 touchdowns that day.
 
We averaged over 20 points a game that year and Hobart IN's Tim O'Brien racked up some yards in his only year as QB starter Pretty good WR corps. The defense was awful. (Even though we had four future NFLers on that D.) We were really only in two or three games all year.
 
EvanstonCat said:
My Freshman year.

Duke was not bad that year, coached by Spurrier I think. They won the ACC that year. I remember it being my first NU game.

Michigan State was really ugly. The Spartans had their 3rd stringers in by the 3rd quarter and were just running it up the middle but we still couldn’t stop them. The announcers were saying you couldn’t expect MSU to do anything else to show mercy, short of instructing their RBs to fall down or run out of bounds.

This year’s run D feels a lot like 1989. Worse than any Colby defense. Just can’t stop anyone even if we know it’s coming.
Click to expand...
The last 2 or 3 games that year were debacles. MSU was the worst, with the Illinois game not far behind. These days, no coach- and I mean not even Fitz would have survived the off-season. Times have changed.
 
TheC said:
While I missed the glory years of NU football, I take solace in remembering that it was my senior year and I was in attendance at Welsh-Ryan Arena the night that Barnett was introduced and pledged to Take the Purple to Pasadena!! (Which was met with somewhat tepid applause)
Click to expand...
I was at that game, and heard the speech but remember the response very differently, the crowd went crazy at least in the student section and we started chanting and kowtowing to Barnett after hearing it. We were playing Ohio State if I recall correctly and the OSU fans sitting behind us started laughing at us uncontrollably. The audacity of Barnett to talk about taking us to Pasadena along with the blind hope that change can bring was like an oasis in the desert for a man fanbase dying of thirst for something to live for.

If only such change and hope were thrown to us like a bone today, I think the program or at least the fan base would be energized like never before.
 
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RevCat said:
The last 2 or 3 games that year were debacles. MSU was the worst, with the Illinois game not far behind. These days, no coach- and I mean not even Fitz would have survived the off-season. Times have changed.
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You don’t call losing to a winless FCS team, a losing MAC team and then a shellacking by a coach less Wisconsin team that hadn’t beaten a Power 5 team all year debacles? When Iowa scores 20 pts on us will you call that a moral victory?
 
1989 was my freshman year. That team was bad, but...

it also broke the NU record for most points scored in a season, a record that stood for a few years before Barnett and Walker came to town.

They won more games in 1995 than they did in my four years at NU. I'm sure a lot of people here can make the same claim.
 
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