2008 Villanova Football Team

[UncleEd]

Ross Ventrone - Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Ijalana - NY Jets
Darrel Young - Washington Redskins
Matt Szczur - Chicago Cubs
Four players from that team in the pros.

 

[DCFRANKLIN]

As much as it hurts me to say this--- the 2008 team was one play away from earning at least 2 home playoff games. The Hail Flutie by JMU.

 

[prospect]

I'll never forget that game...we all sat through a cold rain that day....Painful. That ranks in the top memorable losses in the Talley area. I think Syracuse was the most painful given that it was a game against a name 1A team. The others are the various Youngstown State losses.

 

[DCFRANKLIN]

I think the list of most painful losses begins and ends with YSU x 4. I actually was energized by the Cuse game. Disappointed, but energized. The JMU playoff loss in '08 was a painful one, especially considering the freaky way they got the home game. The UNH loss last year was terribly disheartening. Its the only time I can ever recall Talley being blase about a game we should have won but didn't. The loss at McNeese State in '02 was painful, especially the way the refs took it away from us with a non-fumble call on them and a phantom offensive pass interference on our final drive. Losing Westbrook's final game at W&M in '01 was no picnic either. Overall, there have been more ups then down during the Talley era, so lets be thankful for the 208 wins and not dwell too long on the losses. To life, to life, l'chaim!

 

[paschall]

McNeese St. may have been the worst. We were on our way to a possible N.C. and a group of striped shirts committed Highway Robbery of the highest order. Another stunning loss was in 2003. We had beaten Temple in OT. earlier in that season, and were undefeated winning 6 straight games. My memory may be a bit fuzzy but here's how I remember it. We were leading UMass 14-12 with about 1 minute plus left in the game. We had the ball on our own 30 or thereabouts and essentially only had to run out the clock. Somehow the snap was fumbled, the ball pops up and amazingly falls right into a UMass players hands and he runs it in for the winning TD. We never recovered from that loss losing 3 of our 4 remaining games to go 7-4 and not make the playoffs. What made it worse Delaware beat us 20-17 at our place to keep us from any playoff possibilities. I believe that was the game we were driving, late in the game, with a chance to tie or win and John Dieser, our WR was open over the middle at about the Delaware 20. Delaware DB, went over his back, it appeared early, to break up the pass. No call, Cats lose!

 

[planocat]

I had been thinking about that Umass game as well. You got it right. I also agree about McNesse State. I was there and was crushed by that one - refs really did kill us calling an offensive pick play. How often to you see that being called - and at a game changing moment no less. If they didn't like how our wide receviers were playing that had over 3 quarters of the game before that to throw the flag.

 

[paschall]

Planocat: I remember that pick play call as well. We had run that same play 2 or 3 times during the game, without a penalty call. Then at a critical moment the zebra's decided it was an illegal play. I remember the announcers commenting about our running that play throughout the game with no calls. I also remember McNeese teeing off on Gordon and a couple of the hits were vicious and rather late with no calls. Gordon played with a badly bruised thumb that he hurt in the win over Fordham. He was far from 100%. Be that as it may, that game had lots of bad/questionable calls. However, the fumble, no fumble call was the game changer.