The Gradual's Brief Daily Moment of Sobriety

Thursday night is not only the first game of the year, but the first BIG game of the year. Will we be able to reverse a 16 year trend of stumbling the first time the bright lights come on? 1997 was the last time we were able to get any momentum going to start the year by beating the first big time opponent/test we faced.

We win on Thursday and we have a good chance to build momentum and start 5-0 (maybe 7-0) and the national rhetoric around this program changes. I'm sick and damn tired of losing in the first big time game of the season, BTHO USC!

2013 - Lost to Bama 49-42 after beating Rice and Sam Houston St.

2012 - Florida 20-17 after La Tech game is postponted due to a "hurricane"

2011 - OSU 30-29 after leading 20-3 at the half (SMU and Idaho were our wins leading up to the game)

2010 - OSU 38-35 on last second FG in turnover plagued game on ESPN Thrusday night (SFA, La Tech and FIU)

2009 - Ark 47-19 promising start turns to blowout in Arlington (New Mexico, Utah St and UAB)

2008 - Lost to Arkansas St to start the season, blown out by Miami 41-23 three weeks later

2007 - Miami 34-17 in another Thursday night debacle in the OB (Montana St, Fresno St and ULAMon)

2006 - Tech 31-27 on Harrell's last minute pass into the corner endzone (Beat Citadel, ULaLa, Army and LaTech to start season)

2005 - Clemson 25-24 on primetime Saturday night to start the year.

2004 - Utah 41-21 to start the season in the Thursday night Torbush game.

2003 - Virginia Tech 35-19 on a rainy Thursday night in Blacksburg (Ark St, Utah St)

2002 - Virginia Tech 13-3 with no offensive help in the Dustin Long-Reggie McNeal shuffle. (ULaLa Pitt)

2001 - You could make an argument for our 24-3 win over Notre Dame being a big time game, but that team finished 5-6 enroute to Bob Davie getting fired. We lost 31-21 to eventual Big 12 champ Colorado on the late fumble by Mark Farris (McNesse, Wyoming, a bad OkSt in Les Miles first year, Notre Dame, Baylor were our prior wins)

2000 - Notre Dame 24-10 on first Saturday of the year against a team that would make the Fiesta Bowl

1999 - Tech 21-19 (LaTech, Tulsa, Southern Miss) would rebound with wins against BU and KU before the blowout loss against Stoops in Norman

1998 - FSU 23-14 in the Kickoff Classic at the Meadowlands

1997 - Won our first big game at # 16 CU before losing at KSU 2 weeks later. By my estimation this is the last time we came out and claimed a W in our first "big game" of the season


*this post has been shamelessly ripped off from tExags