December 7, 2003
BRING ON THE BCS:
Colgate advances to I-AA semifinals (Darryl Slater, December 07, 2003, Syracuse Post-Standard)
As dusk approached late Saturday afternoon, snow flurries still fell on the Colgate University campus, where a pair of metal field goal posts settled to the bottom of Taylor Lake.The game that preceded their removal from Andy Kerr Stadium will go down as the most significant in the 113-year history of Colgate football. Beneath steady snowfall, the Raiders defeated Western Illinois 28-27 to advance to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs for the first time in school history. [...]
"This is one of the greatest things to ever happen to this school," Colgate head coach Dick Biddle said. "This will never happen again, probably."
The crowd of 5,287 celebrated accordingly. As time expired, students rushed the field and tore down the south end zone’s goal posts in 45 seconds. The students carried the posts across the field and down College Street, stopping after two blocks to toss them into Taylor Lake. It is believed to be Colgate’s first ever goal-post removal.
Some fans remained on the field and mobbed the Raiders.
"They said it was the greatest game they’d seen in a long time," Colgate quarterback Chris Brown said. "And I think it is."
Again, Brown, now 17-0 as a starter, led the Raiders to victory.
With seven minutes, four seconds left in the game, Western Illinois took a 27-21 lead on quarterback Russ Michna's 1-yard touchdown dive. Colgate's next drive stalled, but the Raiders then forced the Leathernecks to punt after three plays.
With 3:09, J.B. Gerald returned that punt 28 yards to the Leathernecks' 25-yard line, and Brown promptly completed a 24-yard pass to Luke Graham — a yard away from the go-ahead score. Western Illinois stuffed running back Jamaal Branch on the next two plays. Before lining up for third down, Brown turned to his teammates in the huddle.
"Let's go win it right now," they all said.
Moments later, with 1:50 remaining, Branch stumbled into the endzone for the touchdown. [...]
On Friday, the NCAA decided Colgate, now winners of 20 consecutive games, would play on the road for the semifinals. Concerns about Andy Kerr Stadium's field conditions played a part in the decision.
"I'm just glad we're in the final four," Biddle said.
Said Branch: "We deserve to play at home because we won. But I understand it."
As he spoke, Branch stood in the Colgate locker room. Rap music thumped in the background. Players mulled over the evening's celebration plans.
"Holy (cow)!" shrieked one Raider. "Twenty in a row!"
Moments earlier, Biddle had addressed his players in the locker room.
"You're the best Colgate team in history," he told team. "No one can take that away from you."
Given that the best team in football history was a Colgate squad, Coach seems a bit hyperbolic, though justifiably so. Posted by Orrin Judd at December 7, 2003 11:25 AM
Now you're ignoring that Michigan, in the 1901 season (ending in the 1902 Rose Bowl), finished a 11-0 season unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon. In addition, the 1907 Illinois team finished unbeaten and unscored upon. See here.
Both playd much tougher schedules than the pathetic schedule that that Colgate team played.
Oregon State finished the 1907 season unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon.
The 1909 Yale football team finished unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon. (Search for "1909 Yale squad" on that page.) Also see here, where it's noted that their opponents did not get inside the 25-yard line the whole season.
The 1906 Washington State team also was unscored upon.
Grambling went unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon in 1942.
The 1902 Nebraska team was, yes, unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon.
It hasn't happened in a regular season in Division I-A since the 1938 Duke and 1939 Tennessee teams.
Posted by: John Thacker at December 7, 2003 12:11 PMCollege football, of course, was quite a bit different in the older era. In the oughts, such teams occurred with reasonable regularity. By the 1930s, the nature of the game had shifted, with more passing and wide-open offenses, and teams had started playing tougher schedules, with games against difficult opponents from other states, as opposed to just local teams (with the exception of Colgate's 1933 schedule, which was over half non-Division I local opponents), making such seasons much more difficult.
Posted by: John Thacker at December 7, 2003 12:24 PMNone ended their seasons that way except Colgate. They're also-rans.
Posted by: oj at December 7, 2003 12:24 PMFootball posts at Brothers Judd? What has the world come to?
Posted by: kevin whited at December 7, 2003 12:47 PMKevin Whited -
It's merely a continuation of the religiously-themed posts we so often see here....
Posted by: Bruce Cleaver at December 7, 2003 1:28 PMSpeaking of which, will someone please say a prayer (or a rite of exorcism) for my alma mater, Penn State?
Posted by: Bruce Cleaver at December 7, 2003 1:30 PMYou're just asking for it. Next time Chicago's in the championships, I'll flood the blog. Just you wait.
Posted by: David Cohen at December 7, 2003 1:39 PMYou're wrong, Orrin. All those teams from 1900-1910 ended their season unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon. Michigan won the Rose Bowl in so doing. The 1938 and 1939 teams did not, which is why Colgate may hold the title of last team to finished unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon, counting bowl games, in Division I, even though Colgate's schedule itself was not of Division I caliber.
Posted by: John Thacker at December 7, 2003 2:49 PMThe 1902 Michigan team won the Rose Bowl 49-0 over Stanford. This was the only Rose Bowl until 1916, and hence all the other teams from 1900-1910 that went unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon also finished the season that way.
So as you see, there were indeed MANY other teams that finished unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon, and univited. Since there were no bowls to be invited to, of course.
Posted by: John Thacker at December 7, 2003 2:52 PMFAU is gonna kick Colgate's ass -- from nothin' to Division II champs in three years, baby.
Sorry, my mom is on the administration there.
Posted by: Charlie Murtaugh at December 7, 2003 10:40 PMIt's good to see Howard Schnellenberger has finally found a level of competition he can handle these days. :)
Posted by: kevin whited at December 7, 2003 11:23 PM