Biggest Football Heartbreak

[AppSt8Will]

Easy, Wake Forest 2017.
GS 2019 was just a crappy game, bad weather, bad performance, bad time.

I'd also like to submit Illinois State 2012, Coach Moore's last game... Another OT blocked field goal.

It was actually a blocked extra point, to make matters worse....

[EastHallApp]

Dishonorable mention: '99 vs. FAMU. My senior year, we had won the SoCon and were ranked #4. I drove up from home on Thanksgiving weekend for what I expected to be a solid first round playoff win. Instead they picked us apart all day while our DBs played 10+ yards off their receivers.

Not exactly a heartbreaker in the usual sense, as the game was never all that close. But very frustrating and disappointing.

[AppYosef!]

The Packer & Durham show on ACC Network was discussing the Biggest Heartbreak Games in recent years for each ACC school. For UNC their loss to Clemson last year was the one they picked as Most Heartbreaking but the loss to Appalachian was also listed as a contender. This made me wonder what folks consider the Most Heartbreaking Losses for ASU over the years.

A few that came to mind were:

09-01-16 Tennessee over ASU 20-13 in Overtime at Knoxville (after ASU was up 13-3 at halftime)

09-23-17 Wake Forest over ASU 20-19 at "The Rock"

09-01-20 #12 Penn State over ASU 45-38 in Overtime at "Happy Valley"

10-31-19 Georgia Southern over ASU 34-14 at "The Rock" (the only loss on an otherwise perfect season and this loss ruined any chance we had at playing in the Cotton Bowl)

Personally, I think the Wake Forest game was the most heartbreaking in my mind...simply because we KNEW we should have won, Wake's coaching staff KNOWS we should have won, and because it was on my BIRTHDAY and it spoiled my day.

The GSU score was 24-21. That was the biggest one for me because it completely ruined any shot we had at the NY6 unless every AAC team and MWC team had 2 or more losses.

Prior to that, Wake Forest would have been it. I was pleasantly surprised to see us play Penn State so close but I fully expected to beat Wake Forest in 2017 so that one really stung for me.

Thanks for pointing out my mistake on the Ga. Southern score. I have corrected it on the original post. Sorry about that!

[jeller2315]

The VMI game in '94. I remember how silent the stadium was - everyone was leaving in shock. We couldn't stop Thomas Haskins that day - he ran all over us.

The Stephen F Austin game in the '95 playoffs was one that was tough to take. We had one of our best teams that year but were outplayed most of that game.

Montana '09 was tough. It "slipped through our fingers" - literally.

GSU last year. Hindsight is 20/20, but if we win that game we probably play a New Years day bowl game.

[AppStFan1]

The Packer & Durham show on ACC Network was discussing the Biggest Heartbreak Games in recent years for each ACC school. For UNC their loss to Clemson last year was the one they picked as Most Heartbreaking but the loss to Appalachian was also listed as a contender. This made me wonder what folks consider the Most Heartbreaking Losses for ASU over the years.

A few that came to mind were:

09-01-16 Tennessee over ASU 20-13 in Overtime at Knoxville (after ASU was up 13-3 at halftime)

09-23-17 Wake Forest over ASU 20-19 at "The Rock"

09-01-20 #12 Penn State over ASU 45-38 in Overtime at "Happy Valley"

10-31-19 Georgia Southern over ASU 34-14 at "The Rock" (the only loss on an otherwise perfect season and this loss ruined any chance we had at playing in the Cotton Bowl)

Personally, I think the Wake Forest game was the most heartbreaking in my mind...simply because we KNEW we should have won, Wake's coaching staff KNOWS we should have won, and because it was on my BIRTHDAY and it spoiled my day.

The GSU score was 24-21. That was the biggest one for me because it completely ruined any shot we had at the NY6 unless every AAC team and MWC team had 2 or more losses.

Prior to that, Wake Forest would have been it. I was pleasantly surprised to see us play Penn State so close but I fully expected to beat Wake Forest in 2017 so that one really stung for me.

Thanks for pointing out my mistake on the Ga. Southern score. I have corrected it on the original post. Sorry about that!

The only reason I corrected you is because you about gave me a heart attack because I was thinking I was perhaps completely confused on the game. I figured if you gave me a heart attack you may give it to someone else. It is no problem now. I'm still alive. lol

[scatman77]

Western loss after beating USC the week earlier. We lost the Tangerine Bowl because of it. This was 1975 and our offense that year was a running juggernaut.

[Rick83]

Dishonorable mention: '99 vs. FAMU. My senior year, we had won the SoCon and were ranked #4. I drove up from home on Thanksgiving weekend for what I expected to be a solid first round playoff win. Instead they picked us apart all day while our DBs played 10+ yards off their receivers.

Not exactly a heartbreaker in the usual sense, as the game was never all that close. But very frustrating and disappointing.

OMG, I remember that game. Don't know why but it took forever for the defensive coaches to get the play in and our players would be looking at the sidelines for the play call and FAMU would be snapping the freakin' ball. We were yelling at them to turn around the ball was being hiked..."frustrating" fits that game perfectly.

[CornCobPipes]

2009 at Montana. Heartbreaking. Soul crushing. End of an era.

NO DOUBT!
This was the ultimate defeat.

[AppYosef!]

2009 at Montana. Heartbreaking. Soul crushing. End of an era.

This game at Montana would have been next on my original list but I thought someone would mention it. Best I recall it was snowing and really cold (but warm from my living room). I really thought we were going to see a miraculous finish to win and then go on to claim another National Title. I hated to lose that one but it did make me think I would like to see a game in their stadium sometime.

[EastHallApp]

All the mentions of @Montana semifinal '09; no hate for the @Montana semifinal 2000?

[AppinVA]

We need to add to the list the 2014 loss to, then FCS Liberty, which prompted questions about Satterfield's coaching ability and David Jackson had to suspend the post-game call-in radio segment. That was a dark day...

They say it’s always darkest before the dawn (though I don’t see how the science can back that up). When we beat the ever-living dog mess out of Troy the next week, I knew we were going to be okay.

[appfanz]

2012....1st round of the playoffs vs Illinois State...blocked extra point to end the season.

I can still hear that thud.

[appdaze]

For me its either when we lost to montana in 2009 or when the team was disbanded a few weeks ago, wait nvm that was the futbal team.

[Neer86]

the Penn St game never bothered me. We showed them that we were probably the better team for 3 and a half quarters, just didn't have same number of big bodies to win in overtime.

I was proud of all our guys that day, and would love to have been in the huddle at midfield after the game to hear what Coach said.

Then we broke the huddle and walked off the field to a standing ovation from the Happy Valley crowd.

We lost on the scoreboard....we won a lot of respect. That's the game, imho, that led to us being ranked for the first time not long after.

[booneboy92]

Mine’s a tossup between WF and Montana (crushed that was AE’s swan song). I was pretty upset Halloween last year, but look back on it as kind of a wake up call. Not sure we would have closed against SC and UL (championship game) without that L. At least that’s my self-induced consolation for the Cotton Bowl...

[booneboy92]

Mine’s a tossup between WF and Montana (crushed that was AE’s swan song). I was pretty upset Halloween last year, but look back on it as kind of a wake up call. Not sure we would have closed against SC and UL (championship game) without that L. At least that’s my self-induced consolation for the Cotton Bowl...

BTW... My 15 year old daughter (who has wanted to go to App ever since I started bringing her to ballgames) told my wife when we got back to the hotel on Halloween, “I don’t want to see his heart broken twice in one night, but I’m not sure I can deal with the weather up here.” This was while I was still in the car snubbing and listening to the post game! Lol

[Yosefus]

The Packer & Durham show on ACC Network was discussing the Biggest Heartbreak Games in recent years for each ACC school. For UNC their loss to Clemson last year was the one they picked as Most Heartbreaking but the loss to Appalachian was also listed as a contender. This made me wonder what folks consider the Most Heartbreaking Losses for ASU over the years.

A few that came to mind were:

09-01-16 Tennessee over ASU 20-13 in Overtime at Knoxville (after ASU was up 13-3 at halftime)

09-23-17 Wake Forest over ASU 20-19 at "The Rock"

09-01-20 #12 Penn State over ASU 45-38 in Overtime at "Happy Valley"

10-31-19 Georgia Southern over ASU 24-21 at "The Rock" (the only loss on an otherwise perfect season and this loss ruined any chance we had at playing in the Cotton Bowl)

Personally, I think the Wake Forest game was the most heartbreaking in my mind...simply because we KNEW we should have won, Wake's coaching staff KNOWS we should have won, and because it was on my BIRTHDAY and it spoiled my day.

+1 on Wake loss it hurt. Ga So just pissed me off not butt hurt like with Wake game.
Montana game in 09 was the best football game I have ever seen in my opinion even with the loss.

[Stonewall]

Not necessarily a top heartbreaking loss, but one of notable frustration was the 1994 VMI OT loss at home (only win for VMI that season with 1-11 record) that possibly cost us a seeding and extra home game in the playoffs. We ended up losing to Boise St. in the 2nd round on the road by a field goal. We beat Marshall that season, and they went on to win the conference and get a 2 seed in the playoffs because of the loss.

Thomas Haskins

[Appsolutely]

Losing to Charleston Southern made me sick up—and it had nothing to do with alcohol.

[mountaineerman]

Tennessee and Penn state were tough but that Montana game was incredibly heartbreaking. I watch those highlights now and then so close.