OU was getting their asses kicked until our RB went down and the FG kicker missed 3 FG. We were in the Ole Miss and Wisconsin game for most of the game. Houston had a salty team and we played them well. ECU went to a bowl game and we about beat them. We lost many but that team played hard and was in every game. Look at that last year compared to Kug last year.
2012 was alot better than the record
- Thread starter DAYDEV
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To add to your point, four of the five games you mentioned in '12 were on the road and all five opponents were in bowl games that season. When you're down by 6 in the fourth quarter in front of 78,000 fans in Wisconsin, you're competitive. Price's recruiting had fallen significantly, particularly on offense. The common denominator in all of the games you mentioned above was defense. Not big, but fast and those guys played hard for Patterson, who knew how to use his available talent. Kugler and Stoker couldn't bad mouth many of those same kids enough the following season. As noted in another thread, despite playing some really good teams, UTEP ended the '12 season ranked 4/12 in CUSA in points allowed, while ending the year 12/12 in points scored. Think about that.
As you say, compare Price's final season against Kugler's last year, after five years of "rebuilding" the program...
It is when you are competitive against some of the top teams in the Nation compared to getting blow out by Never Was Beens. 5 to Wisky is better than 21 to NM State.
What bowl game did UTEP play in 2012? How did those close losses set up them for success the next season?
