20 year anniversary of "the season of destiny" (1997)...
- Thread starter ttowncoug
- Start date
Man that was my freshman year... A group of us would set up shop early to get front row seats in the student section for the home games, and the only one I missed (was visiting home) was the overtime classic against Arizona that played out right in front of where we sat. Oops.
As close to an injury free year as we will probably ever see. Stewart gets hurt and Lamont Thompson's shirt is burned and the defense doesn't miss a beat. If only Michael Black could have made it through the Rose Bowl!
First and only Rose Bowl I have attended.
First and only Rose Bowl I have attended.
I remember telling my two young boys at the start of the season that if the Cougars end up going to the Rose Bowl, we will make the trip to Pasadena. Never thought I'd have to back up what I "promised"....but was more than happy to follow through. Told them we would go any year the Cougs play in the RB, so had to do it again a few years later. Even though they are now both adults, I'll still take them & their families to any future Rose Bowl that involves WSU. Hope that happens soon!
Glad Cougar
Glad Cougar
2001-03 were three pretty good seasons from my perspective. If not for a bizarre string of AC losses, those would be even higher. 2002 ended with a clunk but there is no way that you can rate a Top 10 finish with a Rose Bowl appearance behind the 1981 season.
In context, it's very easy to do so. No bowl game for 51 years - 4 head coaches in a short period of time. Most of the players were leftovers or second thoughts for bigger schools (who at the time still could stockpile athletes). Complete overachievers who laid the foundation.
The snow had already been plowed for 2002 with the 1997 team. Totally different experience for the fan base and school. The expectations were very high.
I go back to the early 70's watching the Cougs. By far, 1981 and 1997 were the 'best' years for Cougar football. The rest were enjoyable and perhaps other teams were better (1984 and 1994 were spectacular defensively) - but those two stand above the rest.
You could make a case for either '97 or '81 to be a favorite team. I started following the Cougs seriously in about '69 or '70, and two of my favorite teams were '72 (I think of that year as a whole season of Bernard Jackson track meets) and '04. That Holiday Bowl win over Texas was probably the sweetest individual game for me...better even than any of the great Apple Cups, or the '88 win over #1 UCLA. That puts Doba's first year as HC in my top 3 at least.
Best is a matter of perspective. I would agree that in terms of burdens shed, the 1981 season was special. From an actual performance perspective, it was a pretty mediocre season. 6 of the 8 wins were against teams that failed to reach bowl eligibility and the team went 1-3-1 against bowl teams. The other win was against 6-5 Arizona that stayed home for the holidays because there weren't many bowls back then. That 2002 squad beat 5 bowl teams and played in the Rose Bowl. In my book, that is a far better season than one that's fame is really based only on the fact that it broke our drought.
Is that the one where the official broke his leg and had be taken away on a stretcher? Or was that '98? I was at the game but a youngin'.
It must be the 98 game. They played at Illinois in 97. For me me the 97 season was a confluence of a new job, being single, young, and no clue how to budget money. The only game I missed was at Illinois. I had no money to show for myself at the end of the year but it was a lot of fun.
The 2002 Cougs won the P-10 when it was at its very best - 8 teams with 7+ wins, 2 BCS bowl teams, and a win over a 11-2 USC Pete Carroll led team. That is a one and only. In 1997, the P-10 had only 6 teams with 7+ wins and we beat a mediocre 6-5 (4-4) USC. Both teams lost to the national champ. The difference was the sour ending, but that wasn't the team's fault. It was created by Sterk/Rawlins and their refusal to give the assistants more than 1 year contracts. The worst admin decision since the decison not renewing Evashevski's contract because of ego.
Hardly.
Not taking away from the 81 season, but I think a lot of people put way too much credit on 1997 for the 01-03 seasons. They went 3-8, 3-9 and 4-7 98-00, and the 01 team was littered with freshman and sophomores (who would go on to power the 02-03 teams). They were still filling out about half the starters on D with under classmen, and even more on offense.
No doubt winning a rose bowl helped get our all-star seniors on D (along with the incredible recruiters we had back then), but I deign to say that 01-03 were there only because 97 happened, because 98, 99, and 00 happened too.
The 1997 would have beaten the 2002 team by 14+. There was no comparison between the 2001 - 2003 teams and the 1997 squad.
Can't someone load up the teams on Madden and see what happens? That way we can definitively settle this debate once and for all!
While both teams lost to the #1 team, the 2002 team beat the #3 team in the nation, #1 rated by computer, the second most acclaimed win in school history, the 1997 team beat the #5 team, on a disputed, but favorable call, that UCLA fan still lament as costing them a shot at a national championship. Funny, most Coug fans don't have a clue what I'm talking about, but you mention it to UCLA fans and they go ape sh--. Both teams have some negative historical baggage for entirely different reasons. One team continued to win despite a mountain of injuries/suspensions, the other was blessed, until ... The computer would have the 1997 team a -5 favorite. I'd loved to have seen a game between the two.
If both team were healthy, I'd have to go with 2002 -- there is a reason they are the only Cougar team ever picked by the coaches to win the conference -- without doubt the most talented and deep team in school history. I just don't see Leaf having his usual success throwing against trufant, davis, paymah and coleman (NFL DBs) and being pressure by a guy who one the Outland, did I mention DD and Ike. On defense, Bush, Darling, Riley, Bieneman and Lunde were just too big and physical for the likes of Dee and Lejuan to cover. Did I mention Jermaine Green as fast as Broussard and as big as Schambe.
