Fall 2011 - Urbana University

HOnOrInG 579
Urbana University to Honor‘05, ‘07, & ‘09 Football Teams at Homecoming 2011
During the 2011 Homecoming Football Game against
St. Joseph’s College on October 15th, Urbana
University will honor the three most successful teams in
program history. Members from the 2005, 2007 and 2009
teams are invited back to campus by the Office of Alumni
relations to reminisce and receive recognition for their
accomplishments on the field.
20 20 | | Urbana Urbana Update | | Fall 2011
by Chris Anders
Assistant Athletic Director
of Media Relations
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For some schools, completing a season above .500 leaves
little reason to celebrate. To overcome an early history
of bad luck and misfortune that seemed to be conspiring
against the up-and-coming football program took blood,
sweat, and tears from a very dedicated, driven group of men.
In their very first varsity contest in 1985, Urbana dominated
Tiffin 30-7 under new head coach Ray DeCola. DeCola
led Urbana to a respectable .500 record over the program’s
first two seasons, and the new team appeared to be on the
fast track to a flurry of winning seasons. But despite the
program’s early success, the blue Knights almost seemed
cursed when it came to securing the University’s first
winning season.
During their first full season of varsity competition in ’86,
the blue Knights sat above .500 at 4-3 with two games
to play. The following year, the team sat at 4-4 with one
game to play. For many, the third time’s a charm, but for the
Urbana football team in 1988, the third time offered the first
sign that, perhaps, a winning season wasn’t in the cards for
the blue Knights.