Definitely a bowl game where we had the better team on paper but simply didn't show up. Sad that JoMo's last game had to be that way.
Watching this Baylor vs. Air Force Bowl game in 11 degree temperatures & a major butt whipping commencing reminds me of the '88 Liberty Bowl
- Thread starter Dod Rangerfield
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That was the worst 8-win team in the history of football - every loss a rout. It was apparent Joe was waning at the time, what with the terrible losses and all the personal stuff all over the news.
Every loss was a rout, but we beat top 10 UGa by 2 TDs & went to Raleigh & just destroyed a very good & ranked NC Hate team. It was a good team just plagued by internal turmoil. I blame King Dixon.
Remember a similar "cold" bowl experience in 1975 at the Tangerine Bowl in "citrus damaging" cold weather with Jim Carlen squaring off against Dick Crum's Miami Ohio team. Lost that one 20 - 7 and trailed 14- 0 at half. Never were really a threat to win. Went for warm weather and a win and got neither!
Joe mishandled the steroids thing and also the second family thing. He escaped ultimate accounting in one of the only two ways it could have been done. Sad ending.
My memory may be a little fuzzy, but I don’t recall Coach Joe being a very dynamic recruiter either. Obviously, he brought in some good players, but the 84 season was made up primarily of players that Carlen brought in, especially along the line of scrimmage. Joe came from a pro background (even though he was at New Mexico) so I’m not sure how “into” the recruiting process he was. Probably not as much as you have to be to win at USC. Still, Coach Joes gave us some great memories.
He signed Todd Ellis, an extremely high rated recruit. Signed Harold Green. Signed Robert Brooks. Signed Cory Miller. List is pretty dang long of big shot recruits he lured in. Pretty sure Sharpe was a Morrison signee, as well. Ryan Bethea definitely was.
Oh, I know he brought in some great players, I just don’t know if Coach Joe had the recruiting drive it takes here at USC to sustain long term success. At least on a consistent yearly bases. If I’m not mistaken, Coach Joe only had two great seasons 84, 87 and one good season 88. Oh well, still remember those days fondly.
Amazing that 40 years ago he was newly hired at Carolina (hired on 12/5/82). Even though 83, 85, & 86 were sub par, I can't bring myself to ever think anything bad about Joe Morrison. Loved him then & still do.
86 was a strange year. That team was MUCH better than the 3-6-2 record indicated. Should have been 6-5 minimum, maybe even 7-4. They were a team that could play with just about anybody (not the U), but had trouble closing out opponents.
Yep, that team was snake bit. I do remember in the tie against Clemson Sterling Sharpe made one of the best catches I’ve ever seen. Caught about a 30 yard pass while laid out parallel with the turf. Awesome catch.
Yep. In both tie games we looked like the better team. Lost to UGa by 5 & that crazy fumble rule. Lost to Nebraska by 3 after leading the entire game. Just couldn't hang with FSU. Led them until mid-3rd then they started pulling away. The UVa game early in the year was kinda strange. They weren't good but handled us pretty well. Then there's that infamous NC State game........
Honestly, that team had 7-4 or better written all over it.