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[Brad]

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Guest Column

Occasionally Bulls fans write in their thoughts and opinions.  SouthFloridaBulls.com is please to print these on behalf of Bulls fans.

By Rich Street  

What has ups, downs and plenty of drops?  Bulls football, what else?

The 2003 season left most Bulls fans with a lot of questions.  Ronnie Banks was clearly not the answer at quarterback, but could Pat Julmiste develop into a consistent starter?  What about the departure of J.R. Reed and Kevin Verpaele?  Could they be adequately replaced?  Would the young receivers flourish with a veteran offensive line protecting the guy chucking the ball?

Clack, clack, clack up the roller coaster went as we bided our time through the months of April – August waiting, wondering and ultimately assuming all would be well.

Funny.  As Bulls fans, we’ve only known the roller coaster to go up.  Gee, for all we knew it was a rocket.  Higher and higher each year.  This young program once surprised more established programs – even snuck in a win against Pittsburgh in 2001 that drew national headlines.

The clack, clack clack should have given us a hint that not all was well.  The clacking sound is the sound you hear as the coaster labors to its initial high point – unfortunately, usually right before a big drop.

It was, for us, the sound of rebuilding.  We mistook it for just another sound on the Bulls  effortless coast to a National Championship.

Its difficult when your only “up” is at the beginning of the season and the rest of the way every other “up” is smaller and only a recovery from a larger “down”.

Look at how ready we were to open the season against Pittsburgh.  Hurricane Frances blew that game away.  The Bulls opened the following week against Tennessee Tech and struggled to a 21-7 win.  The coaster was on its way.

There is no need to recap the whole season, but suffice it to say that South Carolina certainly was the first huge descent.

The Bulls were beaten, and then beaten again and again.  In fact the score (34-3) doesn’t begin to tell the whole story of an inept offense and a porous defense.

Just as some Bulls fans were looking to jump coaster, the Bulls began an apparent ascent defeating TCU 45-44 in overtime - salvaging the confidence of many fans.  Then came the swiftest and steepest descent in Bulls history – three straight convincing losses including an embarrassing loss to Army.

Suddenly, even fans knew what a “Marquel” was were ready to get off this ride; but the weight was too great as the Bulls coaster ascended to a nationally televised win against UAB and then ECU.  Questions about those at the helm even began to fade (slightly).

As the coaster comes around, fans feel a light drop here – affectionately known as “Peyton Drop.”  Back there was  “Bain Drop” – up ahead, you have “Lipp Drop”, the “Feldman Drop”, and oh my, the “Crossley Drop.”

The Feldman and Crossley drops increased the depth attained in the Memphis fall.  The Bulls lost any hope for a bowl game and looked plain dazed and confused from the ride.

Well, now we’re at that uneasy part of the ride, when the coaster slows towards the end.  Some feel exhilarated, others just want to get off - the end can’t come soon enough for many, but there is still one segment to complete.

This last slow stretch is a chance at redemption.  Maybe a nice trick or turn that makes you want to ride again.  Maybe the coaster still has more to it – perhaps a “Pitt Peak” and not a pitfall.

Often, when you are not in the front, you can’t always see what’s around the turn or after the next climb, so please - stay seated until the ride comes to a complete and final stop this season.

Forever Bull.

[bulls96go]

nice story!

[E.T.]

N'joy'd it.

[BULLO12]

Hits the nail on the head.

[mutt]

The Truth hurts, we need to put some sticky tack on the ball.

[The_Reaper]

Where is Freddy Balitnikof when we need him.

[MikeG]

The true measure of faith is how one deals with adversity. If you expected the Bulls to never face it, you missed out on the obvious. Everything is life involves some sort of roller coaster ride. If you are fortunate the ride is long, has more ups than downs, and you use those downs to understand and appreciate the ups.