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Most embarrassing loss of the Fitz Era?

Most embarrassing loss of a Fitz-coached team?

  • 2006 vs Michigan State - biggest comeback of alltime

  • 2010 vs Wisconsin - a 70-23 beatdown in Madison

  • 2014 vs Iowa - a 48-7 loss to an average Iowa team

  • 2016 vs Tennessee (Outback Bowl) - can’t believe I traveled to see that

  • 2016 vs Illinois State - they wore us down for a 9-7 victory

  • 2018 vs Akron - yes, we lost to Akron during one of his “Big Ten West” championship years 😳

  • 2021 vs Nebraska - 56-7 loss vs Scott Frost

  • 2021 vs Illinois - 47-14 loss signaling the end of our dominance versus them

  • 2022 vs Southern Illinois - although we gave them a game

  • 2022 vs Miami (OH) - a bad MAC team dominated us

Results are only viewable after voting.
CatManTrue

CatManTrue

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Which loss was the most embarrassing of the Fitz coaching era (2006-2022)?

I almost didn’t include the 2006 loss since it was his first season - but man it was bad.

Another interesting thing is how the losses seemed to get worse overtime.
 
CatManTrue

CatManTrue

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phatcat_rivals223240 said:
Throw in WMU because it was on my daughter's wedding day, and now we have to look at PJs punchable face.
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I didn’t include them because it was a very close one and they went undefeated.

It is a great question though: would we have to deal with PJ Fleck in the B1G if Fitz hadn’t blown that one?
 
CatManTrue

CatManTrue

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NURoseBowl said:
HOLY HEARTBURN, BATMAN!
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How i felt making this poll:

Adam West Reaction GIF
 
H

hdhntr1

All-Conference
Sep 5, 2006
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CatManTrue said:
Which loss was the most embarrassing of the Fitz coaching era (2006-2022)?

I almost didn’t include the 2006 loss since it was his first season - but man it was bad.

Another interesting thing is how the losses seemed to get worse overtime.
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MSU was bad because how it happened but considering it was Ftiz first year in a position he was thrust into,,,,,,,,

How about New Hampshire in 2006 34-17? Not even listed on the poll. But it was his second game being HC and that NH team did go 9-4.

But 2006 also had the win at Iowa that showed that he was gonna be around a while.

Most unforgivable was likely SIU but that NU team did turn out to be pretty bad
 
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hdhntr1

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CatManTrue said:
They were numbing as a fan to live through.

2006 New Hampshire was particularly awful to watch live. I didn’t include it but Fitz losing to a 5-5 UNH team was a harbinger of things to come.
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The team ended up with a 9-4 record
 
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hdhntr1

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kaTNap said:
The Army loss needs to be on the list. We played like we thought it was our patriotic duty to throw that game ... DOA.
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Didn't that Army team have a pretty funky offense that it was pretty difficult to prepare for? Army only played 4 home games that year and won 3 of them (their only three wins), Did not win any on the road, Had to wonder why we played them there
 
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CatManTrue

CatManTrue

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hdhntr1 said:
Didn't that Army team have a pretty funky offense that it was pretty difficult to prepare for? Army only played 4 home games that year and won 3 of them (their only three wins), Did not win any on the road, Had to wonder why we played them there
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Army still ran the triple option but they were absolute AWFUL back then. IIRC they went 2-10 and we were one of the two wins.

Their pass defense was soft but of course Fitz stuck with Kain instead of Trevor, and they kept stuffing the box against the run. Absolutely awful loss.
 
bringbacktherantboard

bringbacktherantboard

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Aug 31, 2003
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I can forgive the 2010 loss to a top 5 Wisconsin team that played in the Rose Bowl because that was after Persa's injury. Evan Watkins was the starting QB. The Wrigley loss to Illinois the game before was more disheartening, letting Leshoure run for over 300 yards. The last 3 games of that season (including the bowl) were probably the worst the defense ever performed under Hank.
 
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hdhntr1

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CatManTrue said:
Army still ran the triple option but they were absolute AWFUL back then. IIRC they went 2-10 and we were one of the two wins.

Their pass defense was soft but of course Fitz stuck with Kain instead of Trevor, and they kept stuffing the box against the run. Absolutely awful loss.
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I think they had 3 that year and all three were among their 4 home games
 
C

CappyNU

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Mar 2, 2004
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bringbacktherantboard said:
I can forgive the 2010 loss to a top 5 Wisconsin team that played in the Rose Bowl because that was after Persa's injury. Evan Watkins was the starting QB. The Wrigley loss to Illinois the game before was more disheartening, letting Leshoure run for over 300 yards. The last 3 games of that season (including the bowl) were probably the worst the defense ever performed under Hank.
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I have a hard time faulting Hank on that, the time of possession in the game was 41:18-18:42. In the first half we had drives of 0:53 (fumble), 2:33 (fumble), 0:56 (interception), 0:12 (touchdown), 1:27 (punt), 1:24 (FG), and 3:29 (touchdown). We were only losing by 3, but Illinois had the ball for 19:06. In the second half, we went 1:25 (3 and out punt), 1:35 (3 and out punt), 2:07 (punt), 2:06 (sad FG) and 0:35 (end of game). 22:12-7:48 Illinois in possession.
 
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Eurocat

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Loss to Duke. Forgetting the year. Had we won they would have then been the "biggest losing streak of all time" team. And the loss to MSU. Gotta give credit to MSU, they were coming off a tough loss the week before to Notre Dame and John L Smith could easily have "lost the team" when they were down by a ton to us but those guys showed character and came back to win. Gotta tip my cap to them for that.
 
CatManTrue

CatManTrue

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Eurocat said:
Loss to Duke. Forgetting the year. Had we won they would have then been the "biggest losing streak of all time" team. And the loss to MSU. Gotta give credit to MSU, they were coming off a tough loss the week before to Notre Dame and John L Smith could easily have "lost the team" when they were down by a ton to us but those guys showed character and came back to win. Gotta tip my cap to them for that.
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I believe you’re referring to the 2007 Duke loss. That was a particularly jarring one as it also cost us a bowl bid (we finished 6-6 like Iowa and sat at home).

I’m sure UMess or someone will “beat the streak” at some point.
 
CatManTrue

CatManTrue

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CappyNU said:
I have a hard time faulting Hank on that, the time of possession in the game was 41:18-18:42. In the first half we had drives of 0:53 (fumble), 2:33 (fumble), 0:56 (interception), 0:12 (touchdown), 1:27 (punt), 1:24 (FG), and 3:29 (touchdown). We were only losing by 3, but Illinois had the ball for 19:06. In the second half, we went 1:25 (3 and out punt), 1:35 (3 and out punt), 2:07 (punt), 2:06 (sad FG) and 0:35 (end of game). 22:12-7:48 Illinois in possession.
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Agreed. The one highlight of that game was Trumpy’s late long TD run.

Talk about an ominous start to our “residence” at Wrigley. Never again!
 
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