06Jan

Normal sometimes shows up when you least expect it

A closeup view of a map shows Normal (Illinois) as the focus of the illustration.

Normal is a place I visited a long time ago. Circumstances conspired last night for me to revisit it in memory.

15Sep

What coaches often fail to address in praising sports life lessons

People will discuss Oregon Ducks football coach Dan Lanning’s comments from Saturday for some time. Here’s what he didn’t say.

28Oct

Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary pass reminded me (and many others) of LSU’s Bluegrass Miracle

From Wikipedia: The Bluegrass Miracle was a 74-yard game-winning touchdown pass by the No. 16 LSU Tigers with no time left on the clock against the Kentucky Wildcats on November 9, 2002, at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. The ball was tipped by a Kentucky player before being caught at the 15-yard line by Devery Henderson of LSU, who ran it in for the score. Background Kentucky, the home team, was the underdog to the defending SEC champion Tigers. LSU was ahead by as many as 14 points at one point and led 24–14 after a field goal with 13:58 left in the fourth quarter, but Kentucky came back with a 13–3 run to tie it at 27. However, a Kentucky player called the Wildcats' last timeout on first down from the LSU 11 with 15 seconds left on the clock, and rather than risking a turnover or a tackle within the field of play that would leave the clock running and the Wildcats unable to line up to spike the football, head coach Guy Morriss opted to send kicker Taylor Begley out to kick a 29-yard field goal, giving the Wildcats a 30–27 lead with 11 seconds left on the clock. LSU got the ball back, but the ensuing kickoff pinned the team at its own 9-yard line. On the first play of the series, the Tigers quickly got the ball to their own 26-yard line on a pass from quarterback Marcus Randall to wide receiver Michael Clayton. An LSU timeout stopped the clock with 2 seconds left, and set up a desperation Hail Mary pass. The chances for success were considered slim because Randall's arm was not strong enough to reach the opponent's end zone from 70+ yards away. Kentucky players were so confident that they had won the game that they gave Morriss a Gatorade bath before the final play had taken place.

The way the football game in suburban D.C. ended yesterday brought back memories of a game 22 years ago in Lexington, Kentucky.

20Oct

People ask me if I miss it. I think they are surprised when I say no

Baton Rouge, LA - February 2023: Tiger Stadium, home of LSU Football on the Louisiana State University Campus.

Almost 100,000 people yelling, there to watch modern gladiators. I was there to witness and tell the story. People wonder if I miss it.

14Oct

Remembering McNeese’s 1993 stars as they continue to make their mark in football

A college football program that hasn’t won a postseason game since 2002 and lost every game it played in 2023 once had stars who still shine.

13Oct

Cannon’s return has echoes every October. Even so, it is often underappreciated

One of Saturday’s college football games took me down memory lane and reminded me of how much context matters when it comes to great plays.

09Sep

Awards are not what I’m most proud of as I review my career

Stacks of old newspapers printed on paper with news and headlines

I’m writing this for me. By any of today’s guidelines and metrics, it’s too long. But it feels like the right way to take stock of my career.

03Sep

Wow, I have seen college football games in a lot of stadiums

I’ve seen a lot of college football in a lot of stadiums. This doesn’t even include high school and pro games. It’s quite a list.

29Aug

USC-LSU 1979 football game an impossible act for Sunday’s season opener to follow

LSU and USC meet in football for the third time Sunday in Las Vegas and on ABC. They face a high bar 45 years after their instant classic.

20Oct

That time I wrote a column by hand and it seemed to write itself

A 2005 column I wrote came from a part of my brain not normally accessed when I typed my thoughts on a laptop.

CarlyJDubois.com

Tag: college football

Normal sometimes shows up when you least expect it

What coaches often fail to address in praising sports life lessons

Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary pass reminded me (and many others) of LSU’s Bluegrass Miracle

People ask me if I miss it. I think they are surprised when I say no

Remembering McNeese’s 1993 stars as they continue to make their mark in football

Cannon’s return has echoes every October. Even so, it is often underappreciated

Awards are not what I’m most proud of as I review my career

Wow, I have seen college football games in a lot of stadiums

USC-LSU 1979 football game an impossible act for Sunday’s season opener to follow

That time I wrote a column by hand and it seemed to write itself