Exactly three weeks ago in a column titled “Bulldogs lacked fight in Ruston,” I expressed discontent with the Bulldog football team for giving up against Louisiana Tech. I called for the team to “regain the never-quit attitude they had a year ago.” At this time I would like to commend the Bulldogs, particularly the defense, for answering the call and fighting tooth-and-nail until the bitter end last Saturday.
Yes, the Bulldogs wound up on the wrong end of a bizarre score. Yes, they lulled thousands nationwide to sleep with their utter lack of offense. Ultimately, the ‘Dogs lost, and that’s what matters. What they didn’t do, however, was quit before it was over.
Let me preface this by saying I don’t believe in moral victories. A loss is a loss, whether it’s a 45-0 blowout (like last year’s conference opener) or a 3-2 heartbreaker. However, if it were possible to give half-wins, the defense definitely deserved one of those.
A lot of people counted the ‘Dogs out before the game had even kicked off. Those people are the same ones who have run the team into the ground all week for not winning.
State had plenty of opportunities to mail it in last week.
One such opportunity came after the offense failed to convert a third down for the 12th-straight time with less than eight minutes left in the game after being utterly dominated for three and a half quarters. Thankfully, that’s not what happened.
After Blake McAdams boomed a 52-yard punt that pinned Auburn next to the goal line, the defense stepped up and did what the offense had failed to do all game – score.
The Bulldogs had another chance to tuck their tails after failing to convert on fourth and inches, but again they didn’t do it. Jessie Bowman forced a fumble to give the offense another opportunity.
The ensuing drive offered another wastebasket State could have used to puke away its hopes of victory when the team inexplicably chose to attempt a pass on fourth and 15 instead of punting from midfield. This should have nailed down the game for the Tigers, but the Bulldogs continued to fight. State’s defense won the ball back yet again.
That makes at least three times State certainly could have packed it in, and they didn’t do so until the final buzzer sounded. The Bulldogs played with pride and didn’t quit against long odds.
Even though they lost, I walked away from the game Saturday knowing that my Bulldogs were going to be OK. State had opportunity after opportunity to win the football game and didn’t do it. That’s disheartening to say the least. However, I know if we’re in every game at the end, the rule of regression to the mean suggests that we’ll win our fair share.
Hold your heads up, Bulldogs. Go in tomorrow and whip Georgia Tech, and let’s get this season back on track.
Brandon Wright is the sports editor of The Reflector. He can be reached at [email protected].