The Bulldogs are now on the bus, headed back to Barbourville. It's been a long day to say the least. However, I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to say "Thank you" to all the parents, friends, family, students and fans that came to Fort Wayne to support the Bulldogs in the NAIA playoffs.
By my estimation, there were between 200-300 Bulldog supporters there - a nice size crowd, in my humble opinion. I know the drive for us was 6-plus hours and I know others had greater distances to travel. Your support is very much appreciated.
Like I said in previous posts, I firmly believe this season was just a stepping stone of what is yet to come. I believe there are some good football yet to be played at Burch/Nau Field, and your support makes it possible and worth.
From the team, the coaching staff and the athletic department, I again say, "Thank you."
Showing posts with label Burch/Nau Field. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Burch/Nau Field. Show all posts
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Who Let the Dogs Out?!?!?!
Tonight, I went to Wal-Mart with my daughter in tow. And because my 5-year-old bundle of energy and joy was with me, she dedicated what channel my XM Radio got turned to. (What can I say, I'm a softee.)
On the way home, a song came on, one that I hadn't heard in a couple years. But yet, it was one that brought back a lot of memories.
Blaring through my speakers was "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baha Men.
Like many, when the song came out, I liked it. It was fun, catchy and it fit Union. After all, we are the Bulldogs.
Well, during the 2000 season - the year the Baha Men produced their version of the song, the song got played at Burch/Nau Field. Over and over and over.
We played it when the team ran out on the field before the game. We played it when the team scored. We played it when the team into to the lockerroom at halftime and when they came back out for the second half.
And when Union won, it got played REPEATEDLY.
"Who Let the Dogs Out" was played on average 10-15 times per game.
Needlesstosay, many of us got sick of the song and it didn't get played again anywhere on campus for a long time following the 2000 football season.
But hearing the song again tonight brought back some fun memories, and some painful ones as well.
You see, it was five games into the 2000 season that Union won a game. That win was the first win in THREE YEARS, snapping a 25-game losing streak.
After beating Lambuth 14-10 to end the 1997 season, Union went 0-10 in 1998, 0-11 in 1999 and started the 2000 season 0-4 before enjoying a three-game win streak.
I have always enjoyed Union football. Saturday's at Burch/Nau Field are a blast for me, win or lose. (Obviously, it's always more fun when the Bulldogs win.)
Yet, there's always been something keeping the Bulldogs from getting over the hump.
I can't tell you how many games I've seen Union battle, go toe-to-toe against the opponent, only to come up just short of getting the victory.
One of the most gut-wrenching losses I've witnessed in Union history (that's encompassing all sports) came on Homecoming 2006 when the Bulldogs fell to Frostburg State 7-3. It was an ugly game. Neither offense get anything generated for the field was an absolute muddy mess. (This was the final season of Union having a natural grass surface.)
With less than three minutes remaining, Union was up 3-0. Forced to punt, the feeling was good because the Bulldog defense had held strong ALL DAY. However, the punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown, sealing Union's fate.
I mention all this to just give you a sense of how fun, how amazing, how exciting this football season has been and continues to be.
The Bulldogs are 9-2!!! NINE WINS and just TWO LOSSES!!!
Since 1995, Union had not won more than four games in a season. In the three seasons prior to this year, the Bulldogs had just 11 wins.
And now Union is heading into the NAIA Playoffs!!!
How great is that?
Union has been blessed, especially in the past five, six years with some amazing teams. Women's basketball has been to three national championship tournaments. The baseball team went to the NAIA World Series and placed 5th. Women's soccer advanced to the Final Four in 2002, the same year the mountain biking team won the NCCA National Championship. The men's and women's tennis teams both have made back-to-back trips to the NAIA Sweet Sixteen, and the softball and volleyball teams each have won their first conference championships in program history.
Every program has enjoyed some sort of success this decade. All but football.
Until now.
So, tonight, as my daughter danced in the backseat to sounds of "Who Let the Dogs Out", I enjoyed the journey and the lengths the Bulldog football program has come over the years.
And the ride isn't over.
On the way home, a song came on, one that I hadn't heard in a couple years. But yet, it was one that brought back a lot of memories.
Blaring through my speakers was "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baha Men.
Like many, when the song came out, I liked it. It was fun, catchy and it fit Union. After all, we are the Bulldogs.
Well, during the 2000 season - the year the Baha Men produced their version of the song, the song got played at Burch/Nau Field. Over and over and over.
We played it when the team ran out on the field before the game. We played it when the team scored. We played it when the team into to the lockerroom at halftime and when they came back out for the second half.
And when Union won, it got played REPEATEDLY.
"Who Let the Dogs Out" was played on average 10-15 times per game.
Needlesstosay, many of us got sick of the song and it didn't get played again anywhere on campus for a long time following the 2000 football season.
But hearing the song again tonight brought back some fun memories, and some painful ones as well.
You see, it was five games into the 2000 season that Union won a game. That win was the first win in THREE YEARS, snapping a 25-game losing streak.
After beating Lambuth 14-10 to end the 1997 season, Union went 0-10 in 1998, 0-11 in 1999 and started the 2000 season 0-4 before enjoying a three-game win streak.
I have always enjoyed Union football. Saturday's at Burch/Nau Field are a blast for me, win or lose. (Obviously, it's always more fun when the Bulldogs win.)
Yet, there's always been something keeping the Bulldogs from getting over the hump.
I can't tell you how many games I've seen Union battle, go toe-to-toe against the opponent, only to come up just short of getting the victory.
One of the most gut-wrenching losses I've witnessed in Union history (that's encompassing all sports) came on Homecoming 2006 when the Bulldogs fell to Frostburg State 7-3. It was an ugly game. Neither offense get anything generated for the field was an absolute muddy mess. (This was the final season of Union having a natural grass surface.)
With less than three minutes remaining, Union was up 3-0. Forced to punt, the feeling was good because the Bulldog defense had held strong ALL DAY. However, the punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown, sealing Union's fate.
I mention all this to just give you a sense of how fun, how amazing, how exciting this football season has been and continues to be.
The Bulldogs are 9-2!!! NINE WINS and just TWO LOSSES!!!
Since 1995, Union had not won more than four games in a season. In the three seasons prior to this year, the Bulldogs had just 11 wins.
And now Union is heading into the NAIA Playoffs!!!
How great is that?
Union has been blessed, especially in the past five, six years with some amazing teams. Women's basketball has been to three national championship tournaments. The baseball team went to the NAIA World Series and placed 5th. Women's soccer advanced to the Final Four in 2002, the same year the mountain biking team won the NCCA National Championship. The men's and women's tennis teams both have made back-to-back trips to the NAIA Sweet Sixteen, and the softball and volleyball teams each have won their first conference championships in program history.
Every program has enjoyed some sort of success this decade. All but football.
Until now.
So, tonight, as my daughter danced in the backseat to sounds of "Who Let the Dogs Out", I enjoyed the journey and the lengths the Bulldog football program has come over the years.
And the ride isn't over.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Brinkley and his band of merry men
OK, I have waxed rhapsodic about how fun and amazing this football season has been thus far ... and the scary part is that there are still SEVEN MORE GAMES LEFT!!!
The Bulldogs have taken us - well, at least me - on a fun ride. And one of the problems at the helm of this
thrilling ride is quarterback Mike Brinkley.
As with any new season, there are a number of question marks facing a team. For the Bulldogs, one of the big one was how to fill the void left by Joey Waters. He only threw for more than 3,200 yards and had 27 passing TDs last season. Not easy numbers to replace.
Yet, Brinkley has stepped in nicely.
The 6-foot-1 quarterback has not been flashy, has not racked up huge yardage, but more importantly he has held his composure and guided the team with limited mistakes. Through the first four games, Mike has thrown for 814 yards and 9 TDs and completed just under 61 percent of his passes. Against Georgetown, Mike managed the game very well as he threw for a season-high 253 yards and completed 77.3 percent of his passes.
And Brinkley has spread the wealth as well, hitting eight different receivers this season with only three registering double-digit catches. Ben Kelly leads the team with 19, while Kyle Callahan has 16 and Chris Thomas 13.
Additionally, there's been a different leading receiver each week. Callahan and Thomas led the team in week one with 7, then Kelly led the way against Malone and Faulkner with 6 and 4, respectively. Against Georgetown, the show belonged to Rolando Dyer, who hauled in a 6 catches for 98 yards and 2 TDs. Heading into the game, Dyer only had 2 catches for 32 yards.
Chew on this thought: Brinkley is just a freshman. With the maturity and composure he's showing in the pocket now, it gets me kind of jazzed to think about what's to come.
Here are some other random football tidbits:
The Bulldogs have taken us - well, at least me - on a fun ride. And one of the problems at the helm of this
thrilling ride is quarterback Mike Brinkley.As with any new season, there are a number of question marks facing a team. For the Bulldogs, one of the big one was how to fill the void left by Joey Waters. He only threw for more than 3,200 yards and had 27 passing TDs last season. Not easy numbers to replace.
Yet, Brinkley has stepped in nicely.
The 6-foot-1 quarterback has not been flashy, has not racked up huge yardage, but more importantly he has held his composure and guided the team with limited mistakes. Through the first four games, Mike has thrown for 814 yards and 9 TDs and completed just under 61 percent of his passes. Against Georgetown, Mike managed the game very well as he threw for a season-high 253 yards and completed 77.3 percent of his passes.
And Brinkley has spread the wealth as well, hitting eight different receivers this season with only three registering double-digit catches. Ben Kelly leads the team with 19, while Kyle Callahan has 16 and Chris Thomas 13.
Additionally, there's been a different leading receiver each week. Callahan and Thomas led the team in week one with 7, then Kelly led the way against Malone and Faulkner with 6 and 4, respectively. Against Georgetown, the show belonged to Rolando Dyer, who hauled in a 6 catches for 98 yards and 2 TDs. Heading into the game, Dyer only had 2 catches for 32 yards.
Chew on this thought: Brinkley is just a freshman. With the maturity and composure he's showing in the pocket now, it gets me kind of jazzed to think about what's to come.
Here are some other random football tidbits:
- The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 34-0 in the third quarter this season.
- In addition to being on a 6-game win streak, Union has won its last 3 in a row on road, its last 3 in a row at Burch/Nau Field and its last 3 in a row versus ranked opponents.
- Union is 4-0 for the first time in program history. Other first-time 4-0 teams this season include the Tennessee Titans, who've never reached that mark even during the franchise's heyday as the Houston Oilers.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
How 'bout them Bulldogs!!!
WOW!!!
What else is there to say after the amazing football game this weekend?
The Bulldogs defeated the then-No. 24 team in the nation. They did it in an impressive manner,
dominating ball control in the second half and just wore down Malone. It was a true team effort. The defense did all it could to keep the team in it in the first half, while the offense seized control of things in the second half.
Malone might've had more yardage and more first downs, but Union led in the category that matters most - the FINAL SCORE!!! 35-28.
In amongst the great team effort were some spectacular individual performances.
Kyle Callahan had just four catches all day, but he hauled in three TD passes - all three of which were SportsCenter worthy.
After a rough first half, running back Terence Pollock, Darrell Taylor, Tim Coffey and Ben Kelly did what they needed to do to eat up the clock and keep Malone's offense off the field. Quarterback Mike Brinkley did a commendable job of managing the clock and guiding the team to victory. And just think, Brinkley's just a freshman.
On defense, the line did a tremendous job getting pressure on the quarterback while the linebackers and secondary just did their thing.
The Bulldogs are now 2-0!!! It's been since 1994 that Union has been able to say that.
And now, the Bulldogs are ranked in the NAIA Top 25!!!
Union is currently tied for No. 18 in the latest NAIA Football Coaches' Poll. The last time Union was ranked the year was 1996 - and the ranking did not last long. The Bulldogs finished the 1995 season 7-2-1 and ranked 16th, just missing the NAIA playoffs. So, coming off the stellar, Union entered the 1996 season with high hopes and expectations and were ranked in the Top 25.
But things didn't go so well for Union in 1996. The Bulldogs finished the year 1-9 - with the only win being an 24-23 overtime victory over Cumberland (Ky.) College. (So, the year wasn't a total loss :-D )
The 1996 began a long, dry spell for the Bulldogs. Union has not had a winning season since 1995.
Twelve seasons and counting ...
Hopefully, the counting stops in 2008.
There's something special going on with this year's Bulldogs. The offense is relatively young yet overflowing with talent. The defense has strong senior leadership, especially in the linebacking corps. And it just seems everything is aligning just so, giving at least this old SID the hopes that a winning football season is just over the horizon.
I've been at Union since 1999, but I remember the winning seasons in the early 1990s. I was working at the local newspapers at the time, and football Saturday in Barbourville was an event - and it still is. The fans have always come out and supported the Bulldogs. Union football fans are among the most loyal and faithful. Yet, there was a certain buzz around Burch/Nau Field during those winning seasons.
And now, that buzz is starting to come back. Don't believe me? Then join me at Burch/Nau Field on Sept. 27 to see for yourself.
What else is there to say after the amazing football game this weekend?
The Bulldogs defeated the then-No. 24 team in the nation. They did it in an impressive manner,
dominating ball control in the second half and just wore down Malone. It was a true team effort. The defense did all it could to keep the team in it in the first half, while the offense seized control of things in the second half.Malone might've had more yardage and more first downs, but Union led in the category that matters most - the FINAL SCORE!!! 35-28.
In amongst the great team effort were some spectacular individual performances.
Kyle Callahan had just four catches all day, but he hauled in three TD passes - all three of which were SportsCenter worthy.
After a rough first half, running back Terence Pollock, Darrell Taylor, Tim Coffey and Ben Kelly did what they needed to do to eat up the clock and keep Malone's offense off the field. Quarterback Mike Brinkley did a commendable job of managing the clock and guiding the team to victory. And just think, Brinkley's just a freshman.
On defense, the line did a tremendous job getting pressure on the quarterback while the linebackers and secondary just did their thing.
The Bulldogs are now 2-0!!! It's been since 1994 that Union has been able to say that.
And now, the Bulldogs are ranked in the NAIA Top 25!!!
Union is currently tied for No. 18 in the latest NAIA Football Coaches' Poll. The last time Union was ranked the year was 1996 - and the ranking did not last long. The Bulldogs finished the 1995 season 7-2-1 and ranked 16th, just missing the NAIA playoffs. So, coming off the stellar, Union entered the 1996 season with high hopes and expectations and were ranked in the Top 25.
But things didn't go so well for Union in 1996. The Bulldogs finished the year 1-9 - with the only win being an 24-23 overtime victory over Cumberland (Ky.) College. (So, the year wasn't a total loss :-D )
The 1996 began a long, dry spell for the Bulldogs. Union has not had a winning season since 1995.
Twelve seasons and counting ...
Hopefully, the counting stops in 2008.
There's something special going on with this year's Bulldogs. The offense is relatively young yet overflowing with talent. The defense has strong senior leadership, especially in the linebacking corps. And it just seems everything is aligning just so, giving at least this old SID the hopes that a winning football season is just over the horizon.
I've been at Union since 1999, but I remember the winning seasons in the early 1990s. I was working at the local newspapers at the time, and football Saturday in Barbourville was an event - and it still is. The fans have always come out and supported the Bulldogs. Union football fans are among the most loyal and faithful. Yet, there was a certain buzz around Burch/Nau Field during those winning seasons.
And now, that buzz is starting to come back. Don't believe me? Then join me at Burch/Nau Field on Sept. 27 to see for yourself.
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