Ruffled Feathers

Some dates are etched in your mind.  12/7/41.  11/22/63.  9/11/01.  For me, 10/10/81 is one of those.  On October 10, 1981, I was there when we tied the Bear.

Southern Miss (as we were then known in Alabama, but not yet in Hattiesburg, where it was still USM or Southern exclusively) travelled to Birmingham’s once legendary Legion Field, which in those days served as Paul “Bear” Bryant’s Crimson Tide’s primary home field, to take on 7th-ranked Alabama.  College football was a different game in 1981, as TV broadcasts were yet to be torn from the iron grip of the NCAA.   ABC owned exclusive live rights to broadcast games in those days.  One of the familiar locations from which you heard Keith Jackson calling the action was Legion Field.  For a 13-year-old college football fan, it was treading on hallowed ground.

A subtext of the game was Bryant’s pursuit and ultimate catch of Amos Alonzo Stagg’s coaching record of 314 wins.  The Southern Miss game was supposed to produce victim #311.  In 1980, Bobby Collins fielded a 6-0 team, ranked for the first time at #20 only to be overwhelmed by the Tide in Tuscaloosa by a score of 42-7.  The Golden Eagles came into Birmingham 4-0, having beaten a less-than-impressive lineup of Southwestern Louisiana, Tulane, Richmond and Texas-Arlington.  In short, few expected an upset.

However, there was one wild card- one Reggie Collier, the junior quarterback from D’Iberville.  The previous week, against Texas-Arlington, Reggie had 164 yards rushing after two carries.  That is not a misprint.  Reggie went on to become the first Division 1 quarterback to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in a season.  10/10/81 would be just another Saturday lost in the shuffle for Southern Miss fans if not for Reggie Collier.

27 years on, details of the day and game are harder than I expected to recall, but I do remember getting up early to meet Token, his father and a mutual friend to drive to Birmingham.  It had been raining earlier, but stopped in time for the game.  I remember getting to the stadium early and watching warmups.  Bear Bryant walked around the field, watching his Tide warm up.  When he stopped and leaned against the goal post, everyone in the stands stopped what they were doing and watched him watch his team.

Game details are hard to recall, but I do remember it being a close, hard-hitting game all the way.  I do recall that in the waning seconds of the game, Reggie Collier drove the Eagles, trailing 13-10, down the field from his own 20.  The drive stalled, and on came sophomore placekicker Steve Clark, who booted a 40-yard field goal to tie the game.  Alabama failed to move the ball and it was over, a 13-13 tie.  The headline in the Hattiesburg American on 10/11/81 read “Much Better Than Kissing Your Sister- USM 13-Alabama 13″.

A tie may be like kissing your sister, but that day, it felt like a win, and all the Southern Miss fans in attendance celebrated that way.  Token and I have been through many Southern Miss football days since, but the first one will always be remembered by me as the best one.

So tomorrow night, when #10 is so deservedly retired, my thoughts will run immediately to 10/10/81, when I saw Reggie Collier tie the Bear.  Congratulations on an honor that is a long time coming, Reggie.

1) No punts in the UTEP game.

2) Offense ranked 20th in total yards per game.  Last year?  64th.  Anyone who cannot see improvement in the offense is blind or loyal to a man over a school.

3) Coach Fedora, after a tough loss, walked out and greeted fans on Loyalty Field, thanking them for their support and asking them to hang in there.

Here’s an open invitation to all the Toters who can’t let go of their bippy to follow wherever the bippy goes. It will be good riddance for true Southern Miss fans, I can assure you.