Most Heartbreaking Loss?

[NDALA]

Since the '93 loss to BC what is the most heartbreaking loss in memory? (minus the "BushPush" game of course) Mine would probably be the 02 loss to BC because thats the first time an undefeated season was possible that late in the season since '93. Althought the '96 Orange Bowl loss to FSU was really hard to take after what happened in '93 i really wanted them to win that game. (As i do all games)

 

[fairkidz]

living in ohio mine recently would be the fiesta bowl loss to ohio state

 

[chadder20]

NAVY!!!!!! PERIOD

 

[irish1958]

Our loss to U$C in Ara's first year.
Second is the Thanksgiving weekend loss to U$C when they scored a million points in the second half.
Next, the BC loss when the defense finally had stopped them, except our ace linebacker had the interception bounce off his chest.
AND any loss for ND

GO IRISH!

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

"Heartbreaking loss" is a term I assign to teams I couldn't really care less about that lose a squeaker in an important game. The blown umpire call that blew a perfect game for that pitcher last month was a heartbreaker for that pitcher.

When it comes to Notre Dame though, any loss, especially all those mentioned above, I consider to be atrocious herculean failures of Titanic proportions and severely tests my ability to keep from lashing out against the world and cute animals, or inducing self bodily harm.

That's all. No big whoop.

 

[GoingGreen]

2002 against Boston College, we were 8-0.

2006 against Michigan, becuase of such high expectations that year.

Last year's UConn and Navy losses were the worst of 2009.

 

[military_irish]

2004 was just one big heartbreak ( not to relive the Willingham era)

but the opener against BYU

then late in the season they lost to PITT on a late FG and BC on a late TD

those games were the difference between a 6-5 season and a 9-2 season (regular season)

but then again it was definitely a blessing in disguise, because Willingham was fired that year

 

[TerryTate]

USC Bush Push - I ran onto the field and ended up standing next to Stephen A Smith with my hands on my head for a good 5 minutes. F'ing joke.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

Season opener loss to Northwestern at home in '95 was a bad one.

However, each loss brings so much anguish and I hate them all pretty equally.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I'm forced to reveal myself as an unfeeling robot, but I cannot remember any loss which made me sad. Every loss made me want to go outside to find someone to punch, but not sad. The closest thing to this was when we were playing MSU in, I believe, 1961. Kuharich was terrible, but our players were so good that we were undefeated anyway. So was MSU and we were rated 1-2 in the country. The game was a bloodbath. Players were being carried off the field on both sides. My "hero" Nick Buoniconti limped off the field at least six times, willed himself back together, and got back in. We lost. I felt sad for Nick--and his superhuman effort. Both teams were so damaged by the game that they won, I believe, a total of ONE game between them afterwards, and finished around .500 for the year. A great unknown player, Tom Hecomovich, our center, never played again. He was having an AA season. Real football...real tragedy...real heroism. This memory probably doesn't count as a heartbreaker of the type that the initial poster wanted, but, who knows what might have happened to both ND and MSU if they had not destroyed each other that day?

 

[Riddickulous]

North Carolina 2008.

 

[phork]

Any loss to Michigan. Especially last year since my nephew is now old enough to know how sports can take a hold of you. He is a Michigan fan and we had a bet.

 

[The Polish Irishman]

The 91 Orange Bowl....I was a kid...that was not a clip

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Season opener loss to Northwestern at home in '95 was a bad one.

However, each loss brings so much anguish and I hate them all pretty equally.

I completely agree every loss just eats me inside. The close ones or the ones where teams came from behind are killer.

 

[IrishGiant]

The most heartbreaking loss is when Knute Rockne was killed in the plane crash, the second most is when George Gipp died of Strep. I know you meant games, but losing these two fine gentlemen was a bigger loss than any given game. In the last 5 years I'd say the USC game in 2005 sticks in my craw.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Any loss to pOsu....

Those bastards want to continue and paint my house and lawn just because I proudly fly my ND flags along with my Ireland National flag right next to the US of America Flag, I'll be waiting this time.

Also, I've had two Ireland flags go down now. One to burning, one to theft. Nice....

 

[IrishGiant]

Any loss to pOsu....

Those bastards want to continue and paint my house and lawn just because I proudly fly my ND flags along with my Ireland National flag right next to the US of America Flag, I'll be waiting this time.

Also, I've had two Ireland flags go down now. One to burning, one to theft. Nice....

Freakin animals! I sometimes wonder where this country is headed...

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Good ol' Fuck*eye Fans....

 

[Rudy89]

BC I was 4 years old and cried when we lost.
USC in 05 but now with the sanctions we won that game like we rightfully shouldve right
Michigan in 06 and every loss this past year.

(Dis)honorable mention to syracuse in 08 the only reason I didnt include it was because had we won that game we prolly wouldnt have gone to the hawaii bowl which despite having the chance to win a better bowl game, the hawaii bowl win was so sweet and such a great ending to a season. Also a nice Christmas present for me during a familt trip to florida I wouldnt change that season because I loved the final moment of i so much.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Goodness. This is quite the masochistic thread. Each loss was a stab in the gut the first time, and reading about them again is, well...masochistic.

 

[DomeisourHome]

All of the past Senior Day games. I couldn't feel worse for those guys.

 

[Lou Holtz]

09 vs Navy first ND game ever and they LOST second time in 45 years and it was my first time goin up to a game WTF

 

[TDHeysus]

that nebraska game a few years back(10years??)...cant remember the year..I thought ND had zero chance of even making that game respectable. Didnt they lose in OT, or lose on that last drive after coming back? I try to forget painful losses.

 

[irishfan]

Michigan in 2009. Outplayed them easily and still lost. Especially tough after the 35-0 win the week earlier and we were ranked going into that game. A win there and with the next three games of MSU, Purdue, and Washington, and we would have been 5-0 and in the top 10 (most likely) going into the USC game. Also set the tone for the close losses and sloppy play for the rest of the year.

 

[GEORGIA DOMER]

ERIC COUCH

ERIC COUCH

that nebraska game a few years back(10years??)...cant remember the year..I thought ND had zero chance of even making that game respectable. Didnt they lose in OT, or lose on that last drive after coming back? I try to forget painful losses.

he got us in ot on a long qb run i think after we scored a fg

 

[Irish93]

Stanford in 1990 when a TE (his name escapes me) dropped a sure TD right in front of the student section that could have won the game. Watters had like 3 fumbles. It broke a 19 game winning streak at home. We were ranked #1 and lost to an unranked team.

 

[irish1958]

Stanford in 1990 when a TE (his name escapes me) dropped a sure TD right in front of the student section that could have won the game. Watters had like 3 fumbles. It broke a 19 game winning streak at home. We were ranked #1 and lost to an unranked team.

Perhaps that is why Lou never called a pass to the tight end again. If I recall correctly, didn't Bettis fumble on the first play of the second half when hit by Lynch, and never was a factor for the rest of the game?

 

[BGIF]

Stanford in 1990 when a TE (his name escapes me) dropped a sure TD right in front of the student section that could have won the game. Watters had like 3 fumbles. It broke a 19 game winning streak at home. We were ranked #1 and lost to an unranked team.

The pass was off Derek Browns outstretched fingertips in the end zone.

I not sure if Watters had 3 fumbles but there were three fumbled turnover overs committed by the receiving unit. Ismail was out with a injury and Watters muffed two kicks in his place so Holtz replaced Watters with Jarrell and he muffed another one. Stanford scored TDs off at least two of those turnovers negating a 24-7 lead ND in the 2nd Q.

The defense held Touchdown Tommy Vardell to less than 50 yds on the day something like 3 yds/carry but he scored 4 TDs in short field situations due to the turnovers. ND had built the lead off a pair of short field TDs set up by a Stanford fumble and a blocked punt.

Don't recall if there were other fumbles or not. It was a disastrous last 35 minutes as ND slowly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

I'm not sure I'd put this came in the heartbreak category as much as the disaster category. It wasn't a sudden loss. There's a story that Moose Krause had already lit his celebratory victory cigar in the first half before Vardell added a late TD to cut the gap. This game was somewhat similar to the disasterous '74 game when ND had a 24-0 lead and USC scored 55 unanswered points.

 

[BestBIrish47]

I don't mean to one up anyone on here, but to be 100% transparent... anytime they lose my girlfriend and family know not to contact me or expect me to be social for a couple hours. The 2005 USC loss I didn't say a single word until sunday morning. I had people at my house watching the game...and they all looked at me... and thanked me for the invite...and left.... LOL..

 

[IrishGiant]

I don't mean to one up anyone on here, but to be 100% transparent... anytime they lose my girlfriend and family know not to contact me or expect me to be social for a couple hours. The 2005 USC loss I didn't say a single word until sunday morning. I had people at my house watching the game...and they all looked at me... and thanked me for the invite...and left.... LOL..

I'm the same way. My wife knows to leave the house on saturdays, and sundays during football season. When she finally comes home she can tell right away how my team fared. If the living room looks like a crime scene (broken remotes, discarded team items like hat, and jersey, overturned couch cushions) she knows not to converse with me accepting the bare essentials such as "are you eating dinner tonight, and what would you like?" If I meet her at the door she knows my team won. She waits for the dust to settle to ask me how a game can get me so mad. Women, they just don't get it!

That USC game was like a karate punch to the nads for sure! If I remember correctly I didn't wreck the living room that day, I think I fell prostrate to the floor like I'd been shot, and laid there for a good 5 minutes wondering what I'd done wrong to deserve this! Funny how committed football fans are, or maybe we should be committed! Football is the only sport that makes me react this way, thank god they only play once a week!