Most Unlucky team article

GameFAQSAggie · Post by **GameFAQSAggie** » August 14th, 2024, 5:19 pm

I had an article pop up in my feed that talked about us being the most unlucky team last year and my first thought was that I don't even agree that we were that unlucky last year, as much as if anything, we were lucky to get the wins we did get, and there were other years I would have, more so that last year, agreed with us being an unlucky team.

The article talked about turnovers being bad, and we did finish dead last BUT I would have to say that wasn't at the top of the list of things that stuck out in frustration with how last year went. It was bad we threw the two interceptions against James Madison at the end BUT the fact that we came out as flat as we did in the first half has survived the test of time more than two plays. Just playing well enough the first half to even be tied with JMU would have been good for a W the way we played the second half. And while it was bad we threw the crucial interception against Fresno, we had earlier scored what would have been good for the game winning touchdown with a competent defense. We had some bad turnovers against Boise and Air Force BUT we were dominated by them to a point of a few plays not making a difference. The San Jose loss is one you could maybe attribute to turnovers, but we still got outgained yardage wise, and that doesn't have the feel of one where turnovers was the big backbreaker either.

AggieBlues · Post by **AggieBlues** » August 14th, 2024, 6:47 pm

Link or it didn't happen.

GameFAQSAggie · Post by **GameFAQSAggie** » August 15th, 2024, 4:56 am

AggieBlues wrote: ↑
August 14th, 2024, 6:47 pm
Link or it didn't happen.

https://sports.yahoo.com/utah-state-unl ... 0the%20FBS.

MWCFAN12 · Post by **MWCFAN12** » August 15th, 2024, 10:08 am

When you throw to wide open Line Backers in the middle of the field after you didn't get the ball out on time is NOT being UNLUCKY. It is being bad at your job.

Madmartigan · Post by **Madmartigan** » August 15th, 2024, 11:16 am

In contrast, I'd venture our MBB team last year would rank among the luckiest groups in all of basketball.

StanfordAggie · Post by **StanfordAggie** » August 15th, 2024, 12:18 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 11:16 am
In contrast, I'd venture our MBB team last year would rank among the luckiest groups in all of basketball.

Ken Pomeroy ranked USU as the 8th-luckiest basketball team in the country last year. Having said that, there have been at two times in the last ~20 years where USU finished dead last in the country on Pomeroy's "Luck" ranking, so we are still cursed more often than not.

Madmartigan · Post by **Madmartigan** » August 15th, 2024, 1:03 pm

StanfordAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 12:18 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 11:16 am
In contrast, I'd venture our MBB team last year would rank among the luckiest groups in all of basketball.
Ken Pomeroy ranked USU as the 8th-luckiest basketball team in the country last year. Having said that, there have been at two times in the last ~20 years where USU finished dead last in the country on Pomeroy's "Luck" ranking, so we are still cursed more often than not.

Encapsulates Aggie fandom overall. Mostly extraordinary bad luck and bounces with the occasional brief glimpse of success that keeps you coming back for more.

Naked Bull Rider · Post by **Naked Bull Rider** » August 15th, 2024, 1:55 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 1:03 pm
Encapsulates Aggie fandom overall. Mostly extraordinary bad luck and bounces with the occasional brief glimpse of success that keeps you coming back for more.

Much like my golf game. 1 great shot will keep me coming back & enduring the heartache.

GameFAQSAggie · Post by **GameFAQSAggie** » August 15th, 2024, 5:36 pm

StanfordAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 12:18 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 11:16 am
In contrast, I'd venture our MBB team last year would rank among the luckiest groups in all of basketball.
Ken Pomeroy ranked USU as the 8th-luckiest basketball team in the country last year. Having said that, there have been at two times in the last ~20 years where USU finished dead last in the country on Pomeroy's "Luck" ranking, so we are still cursed more often than not.

The big thing that at least for me had the feel of our basketball program being cursed was the inability to get into a rhythm of shots falling in an NCAA Tournament for 23 years. I don't think there were too many NCAA first round debacles where we were overmatched to a point where it was inexplicable that we were never going to win, our program just felt cursed.

Post by **aggies22** » August 15th, 2024, 5:57 pm

StanfordAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 12:18 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 11:16 am
In contrast, I'd venture our MBB team last year would rank among the luckiest groups in all of basketball.
Ken Pomeroy ranked USU as the 8th-luckiest basketball team in the country last year. Having said that, there have been at two times in the last ~20 years where USU finished dead last in the country on Pomeroy's "Luck" ranking, so we are still cursed more often than not.

I would like to know what the top 7 teams did that was luckier.

StanfordAggie · Post by **StanfordAggie** » August 15th, 2024, 6:40 pm

GameFAQSAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 5:36 pm

StanfordAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 12:18 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 11:16 am
In contrast, I'd venture our MBB team last year would rank among the luckiest groups in all of basketball.
Ken Pomeroy ranked USU as the 8th-luckiest basketball team in the country last year. Having said that, there have been at two times in the last ~20 years where USU finished dead last in the country on Pomeroy's "Luck" ranking, so we are still cursed more often than not.
The big thing that at least for me had the feel of our basketball program being cursed was the inability to get into a rhythm of shots falling in an NCAA Tournament for 23 years. I don't think there were too many NCAA first round debacles where we were overmatched to a point where it was inexplicable that we were never going to win, our program just felt cursed.

Pomeroy's "Luck" ranking takes the entire season into account. We finished dead last in the 2021-2022 season (Odom's first season). We finished 18-16 despite a #60 overall KenPom with 9 losses by six points or fewer. In 2004-2005, we were #320 (out of 330) on his "Luck" ranking. (I had thought we finished last, because I remembered that Ken Pomeroy wrote a blog post about our last place Luck ranking. But I guess we moved up ever so slightly before the end of the season.) Ken Pomeroy ranked USU as #21 overall, but we still finished 24-8 in the Big West. If you look at our record for that season, essentially every win was a blowout and every loss was close.

GameFAQSAggie · Post by **GameFAQSAggie** » August 15th, 2024, 6:55 pm

StanfordAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 6:40 pm

GameFAQSAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 5:36 pm

StanfordAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 12:18 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 11:16 am
In contrast, I'd venture our MBB team last year would rank among the luckiest groups in all of basketball.
Ken Pomeroy ranked USU as the 8th-luckiest basketball team in the country last year. Having said that, there have been at two times in the last ~20 years where USU finished dead last in the country on Pomeroy's "Luck" ranking, so we are still cursed more often than not.
The big thing that at least for me had the feel of our basketball program being cursed was the inability to get into a rhythm of shots falling in an NCAA Tournament for 23 years. I don't think there were too many NCAA first round debacles where we were overmatched to a point where it was inexplicable that we were never going to win, our program just felt cursed.
Pomeroy's "Luck" ranking takes the entire season into account. We finished dead last in the 2021-2022 season (Odom's first season). We finished 18-16 despite a #60 overall KenPom with 9 losses by six points or fewer. In 2004-2005, we were #320 (out of 330) on his "Luck" ranking. (I had thought we finished last, because I remembered that Ken Pomeroy wrote a blog post about our last place Luck ranking. But I guess we moved up ever so slightly before the end of the season.) Ken Pomeroy ranked USU as #21 overall, but we still finished 24-8 in the Big West. If you look at our record for that season, essentially every win was a blowout and every loss was close.

Oh yeah, I can still remember the 2004-05 season like it was yesterday, where it seemed like the ONLY way we could win games was in blowout mode, and couldn't make plays down the stretch to win games where we needed to. I can then remember the win over Fullerton in the Big West Tournament semi-final where we had to make plays down the stretch to win and the relief, we finally did it after a whole season of an inability to do it.

dyedblue · Post by **dyedblue** » August 15th, 2024, 7:31 pm

I firmly believe you make your own luck. GA 1.0 had our kids believing THEY would make the play when it mattered - they did way more often than not. MW was also able to instill that belief at times. That belief is long gone and outside of Ike Larsen has been replaced with excuses, complacency, entitlement, and lack of discipline. Time to toughen up again and make our own luck.

I’d give almost anything for a Conner Williams type leader on this team. That guy brought it every single game and demanded excellence from everyone around him.

Madmartigan · Post by **Madmartigan** » August 15th, 2024, 8:19 pm

dyedblue wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 7:31 pm
I firmly believe you make your own luck. GA 1.0 had our kids believing THEY would make the play when it mattered - they did way more often than not. MW was also able to instill that belief at times. That belief is long gone and outside of Ike Larsen has been replaced with excuses, complacency, entitlement, and lack of discipline. Time to toughen up again and make our own luck.

I’d give almost anything for a Conner Williams type leader on this team. That guy brought it every single game and demanded excellence from everyone around him.

This almost reinforces the point about luck. GAs 2011 team managed the most creative ways to lose games they’d won. Auburn, BYU, CSU and La Tech from that opening stretch. We should’ve won at least one of those games but were unlucky.

GameFAQSAggie · Post by **GameFAQSAggie** » August 15th, 2024, 9:30 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 8:19 pm

dyedblue wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 7:31 pm
I firmly believe you make your own luck. GA 1.0 had our kids believing THEY would make the play when it mattered - they did way more often than not. MW was also able to instill that belief at times. That belief is long gone and outside of Ike Larsen has been replaced with excuses, complacency, entitlement, and lack of discipline. Time to toughen up again and make our own luck.

I’d give almost anything for a Conner Williams type leader on this team. That guy brought it every single game and demanded excellence from everyone around him.
This almost reinforces the point about luck. GAs 2011 team managed the most creative ways to lose games they’d won. Auburn, BYU, CSU and La Tech from that opening stretch. We should’ve won at least one of those games but were unlucky.

I know I have said before that we weren't successful under GA 1.0 cause of his good in-game adjusting, we were successful IN SPITE of his poor in-game adjusting cause of him being great at alot other things like recruiting, developing players, getting them to believe, even game planning and preparing the kids to play. We very nearly had a few of the big wins we did get in 2012 go to other way. Of course, if that happened, we would have kept him longer, and maybe it just would have delayed the timeline of him being at bigger schools, getting fired, then getting hired back here cause of delusions that he was still his younger self.

Madmartigan · Post by **Madmartigan** » August 16th, 2024, 8:33 am

GameFAQSAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 9:30 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 8:19 pm

dyedblue wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 7:31 pm
I firmly believe you make your own luck. GA 1.0 had our kids believing THEY would make the play when it mattered - they did way more often than not. MW was also able to instill that belief at times. That belief is long gone and outside of Ike Larsen has been replaced with excuses, complacency, entitlement, and lack of discipline. Time to toughen up again and make our own luck.

I’d give almost anything for a Conner Williams type leader on this team. That guy brought it every single game and demanded excellence from everyone around him.
This almost reinforces the point about luck. GAs 2011 team managed the most creative ways to lose games they’d won. Auburn, BYU, CSU and La Tech from that opening stretch. We should’ve won at least one of those games but were unlucky.
I know I have said before that we weren't successful under GA 1.0 cause of his good in-game adjusting, we were successful IN SPITE of his poor in-game adjusting cause of him being great at alot other things like recruiting, developing players, getting them to believe, even game planning and preparing the kids to play. We very nearly had a few of the big wins we did get in 2012 go to other way. Of course, if that happened, we would have kept him longer, and maybe it just would have delayed the timeline of him being at bigger schools, getting fired, then getting hired back here cause of delusions that he was still his younger self.

Hindsight is unfair and 20/20. But when you look of the amount of NFL talent and borderline NFL Talent he had on that roster that saw the field, I'd argue he underperformed in 2011. He deserves credit for getting a lot of these dudes to Logan and for creating the conditions for a culture change from forever losers, but we legitmately had a very talented team in 2011 capable of more than 6 wins.
Nevin Lawson
Robert Turbin
Bobby Wagner
Will Davis
Michael Smith
Brian Suite (near)
Kerwynn Williams
Joey DeMartino (near)
Maurice Alexander
Kyler Fackrell
Zach Vigil
Bojay Filimoeatu (near)
Tyler Larsen
DJ Tialavea

Hoot · Post by **Hoot** » August 16th, 2024, 8:49 am

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 16th, 2024, 8:33 am

GameFAQSAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 9:30 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 8:19 pm

dyedblue wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 7:31 pm
I firmly believe you make your own luck. GA 1.0 had our kids believing THEY would make the play when it mattered - they did way more often than not. MW was also able to instill that belief at times. That belief is long gone and outside of Ike Larsen has been replaced with excuses, complacency, entitlement, and lack of discipline. Time to toughen up again and make our own luck.

I’d give almost anything for a Conner Williams type leader on this team. That guy brought it every single game and demanded excellence from everyone around him.
This almost reinforces the point about luck. GAs 2011 team managed the most creative ways to lose games they’d won. Auburn, BYU, CSU and La Tech from that opening stretch. We should’ve won at least one of those games but were unlucky.
I know I have said before that we weren't successful under GA 1.0 cause of his good in-game adjusting, we were successful IN SPITE of his poor in-game adjusting cause of him being great at alot other things like recruiting, developing players, getting them to believe, even game planning and preparing the kids to play. We very nearly had a few of the big wins we did get in 2012 go to other way. Of course, if that happened, we would have kept him longer, and maybe it just would have delayed the timeline of him being at bigger schools, getting fired, then getting hired back here cause of delusions that he was still his younger self.
Hindsight is unfair and 20/20. But when you look of the amount of NFL talent and borderline NFL Talent he had on that roster that saw the field, I'd argue he underperformed in 2011. He deserves credit for getting a lot of these dudes to Logan and for creating the conditions for a culture change from forever losers, but we legitmately had a very talented team in 2011 capable of more than 6 wins.
Nevin Lawson
Robert Turbin
Bobby Wagner
Will Davis
Michael Smith
Brian Suite (near)
Kerwynn Williams
Joey DeMartino (near)
Maurice Alexander
Kyler Fackrell
Zach Vigil
Bojay Filimoeatu (near)
Tyler Larsen
DJ Tialavea

You also have to remember that those guys all had to learn how to win games which really didn’t happen until Kennedy came in for that win streak.

Madmartigan · Post by **Madmartigan** » August 16th, 2024, 8:56 am

Hoot wrote: ↑
August 16th, 2024, 8:49 am

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 16th, 2024, 8:33 am

GameFAQSAggie wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 9:30 pm

Madmartigan wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 8:19 pm

dyedblue wrote: ↑
August 15th, 2024, 7:31 pm
I firmly believe you make your own luck. GA 1.0 had our kids believing THEY would make the play when it mattered - they did way more often than not. MW was also able to instill that belief at times. That belief is long gone and outside of Ike Larsen has been replaced with excuses, complacency, entitlement, and lack of discipline. Time to toughen up again and make our own luck.

I’d give almost anything for a Conner Williams type leader on this team. That guy brought it every single game and demanded excellence from everyone around him.
This almost reinforces the point about luck. GAs 2011 team managed the most creative ways to lose games they’d won. Auburn, BYU, CSU and La Tech from that opening stretch. We should’ve won at least one of those games but were unlucky.
I know I have said before that we weren't successful under GA 1.0 cause of his good in-game adjusting, we were successful IN SPITE of his poor in-game adjusting cause of him being great at alot other things like recruiting, developing players, getting them to believe, even game planning and preparing the kids to play. We very nearly had a few of the big wins we did get in 2012 go to other way. Of course, if that happened, we would have kept him longer, and maybe it just would have delayed the timeline of him being at bigger schools, getting fired, then getting hired back here cause of delusions that he was still his younger self.
Hindsight is unfair and 20/20. But when you look of the amount of NFL talent and borderline NFL Talent he had on that roster that saw the field, I'd argue he underperformed in 2011. He deserves credit for getting a lot of these dudes to Logan and for creating the conditions for a culture change from forever losers, but we legitmately had a very talented team in 2011 capable of more than 6 wins.
Nevin Lawson
Robert Turbin
Bobby Wagner
Will Davis
Michael Smith
Brian Suite (near)
Kerwynn Williams
Joey DeMartino (near)
Maurice Alexander
Kyler Fackrell
Zach Vigil
Bojay Filimoeatu (near)
Tyler Larsen
DJ Tialavea
You also have to remember that those guys all had to learn how to win games which really didn’t happen until Kennedy came in for that win streak.

100% GA deserves loads of credit for helping instill a winning culture and there is a bust of GA 1.0 in my holy room where I worship Aggies that have reached sainthood. He was tremendous for our program and I'm not trying to downplay that, more pointing out luck does play a role and it's not all within our control.

dyedblue · Post by **dyedblue** » August 16th, 2024, 10:50 am

The fact that we didn’t win more with that talent reinforced my point that you make your luck more often than not. Once we started believing, we made winning plays and luck went our way.

If we contribute down the path of entitlement, lack of discipline, and making excuses we’ll continue to be amongst the unluckiest teams in the country.

hickaggie · Post by **hickaggie** » August 16th, 2024, 12:36 pm

dyedblue wrote: ↑
August 16th, 2024, 10:50 am
The fact that we didn’t win more with that talent reinforced my point that you make your luck more often than not. Once we started believing, we made winning plays and luck went our way.

If we contribute down the path of entitlement, lack of discipline, and making excuses we’ll continue to be amongst the unluckiest teams in the country.

I have no idea how they come up with the luck scale but teams mostly create their own luck. I mean what are the luck scenarios in football. (injuries #1 by far, the results of Loose footballs, the results of tipped balls, unfortunate wind direction in the wrong quarters, ball spots, and to a small extent some 50/50 penalties.

Thats really about it for luck. Even the tipped ball/loose ball scenario outcomes are only tangentially based on luck. Knock the ball out on D and don't fumble on O, catch the ball on O, don't commit penalties, and be multi-dimensional on offense for bad weather. None of that is luck.

I think the basketball example goes the same way. Whatever formula for luck was actually clutch play probably. Namely Brown. Maybe the UNLV win and the banked 3 count as luck but he still put himself in position to make the shot both times.

Upcoming Events

Event Results