(11-23-2014 07:39 AM)goldsworth Wrote: I didn't realize that we've been that even over a 20 year span...... You are right the next 5 years with the excellent talent here and the new recruits coming in will tip the scale in WMUs favor
You never know how the future will play out, but at this point you have to like our chances going forward in the near future.
IMO part of the reason the 20-year-span record is surprising to many of us is because of some of the tough ways we've lost over that span, compared to how/when we've won. Consider this:
CMU wins in the past 20 years:
- 1996:
Comfortable CMU win.
- 1998: Their kicker flutters a late FG over the bar and we lose by two.
Narrow CMU win.
- 2000: Has been beaten to death here.
Enough said.
Narrow CMU win.
- 2004: We fumble late in regulation and CMU wins in OT.
Narrow CMU win.
- 2006: CMU beats us down in the second half in the cold pouring rain.
CMU wins big.
- 2007: Arguably the most controversial loss in Bronco history.
Narrow CMU win.
- 2008: Hiller puts up big numbers, but we can't stop their backup QB on third-and-long all day.
Comfortable CMU win.
- 2009: We hang for a while before LeFevour pulls away.
Comfortable CMU win.
- 2010: We fumble late in regulation going in for the winning score.
Narrow CMU win.
- 2013: We lose by five despite five CMU turnovers.
Narrow CMU win.
Now, compare those game results to this:
WMU wins in the past 20 years:
- 1995:
Comfortable WMU win.
- 1997: CMU jumps on top early, but we storm back.
Comfortable WMU win.
- 1999: Blowout city in front of the rivalry's biggest crowd.
WMU wins big.
- 2001: We win on a last-second FG.
Narrow WMU win.
- 2002: First win in Mt. Pleasant in a long time - and it wasn't close.
WMU wins big.
- 2003:
Comfortable WMU win.
- 2005: CMU jumps on top early. We storm back and hang on late.
Narrow WMU win.
- 2011: Five years of payback.
WMU wins big.
- 2012: We rally in the fourth quarter to win by multipe scores.
Comfortable WMU win.
- 2014: CMU jumps on top early, but we storm back.
Comfortable WMU win.
Feel free to disagree with my assessments of each game - for example, "comfortable" for yesterday's game may not sound right, but history will show that we led the whole second half and won by multiple scores.
IMO, though, over 20 years, that adds up to:
CMU: 1 big win, 3 comfortable wins, 6 narrow wins
WMU: 3 big wins, 5 comfortable wins, 2 narrow wins
Over those 20 years, CMU has had far more dramatic wins. They've also beaten us in many of our stronger years during that time (2000, 2006, 2008, 2009) - not to mention that 2000 has been seared into our memories. IMO these are big reasons why the myth of CMU having the upper hand against us has existed, even though the facts over 20 years do not bear this out.