Tru dat Rabid.

I think we need to gain a little perspective here. In the grand scheme of things, this loss means nothing. It's not like we would be playing for a national championship if we went undefeated. Can we still win the WAC? Yes. Can we still earn a bowl berth? Yes. Those are the only things we are capable of achieving and they are both still achievable. Also, now Utah State knows they can go toe-to-toe with the "big" programs and hold their own. That's huge. Finally...I am certain that Utah State feels much better about their loss than Wisconsin feels about their win. Let not your hearts be troubled Aggie fans.

nothing personal androidag.

Fair enough.

We need to hire a good sports psychologist. A better one than the one Cal has, though.

A win at Camp Randall gets the Aggies some more attention. Look what the loss at Auburn did for USU. winning these games get us to the next level.

Honestly. We could use a better kicker, but I think we never should have put him in that situation. One of the toughest places to win for a reason. We should have got him a 20 yarder, then if he misses that we start casting stones. But the reality is, he missed a semi-hard field goal in an extremely hard environment.. What did we expect? Love our coaching staff, but was left scratching my head at the end

AggieMeister wrote:I think we need to gain a little perspective here. In the grand scheme of things, this loss means nothing. It's not like we would be playing for a national championship if we went undefeated. Can we still win the WAC? Yes. Can we still earn a bowl berth? Yes. Those are the only things we are capable of achieving and they are both still achievable. Also, now Utah State knows they can go toe-to-toe with the "big" programs and hold their own. That's huge. Finally...I am certain that Utah State feels much better about their loss than Wisconsin feels about their win. Let not your hearts be troubled Aggie fans.

This game means nothing? You're kidding, right? We were a short FG away from beating 2 BCS teams back to back and putting USU ON THE MAP. Tell the boys who suit up that tonights game means nothing. We were on the verge of being ranked. Some of us look at the BIG picture. Bowl game? Been there.

I know Josh personally. He is as good of a kid as you'll find. He works hard. Guess what, there are about 4 or 5 other kickers on the team that the coaches could have put in that situation. After seeing all of them kick in practices and such. All 4 or 5 seem to be about the same level. Sucks that Josh has to live through this. But as Aggies we need to stand behind him as he is a member of our team.

There are plenty of other plays that could have gone another way tonight to win the game for us. This one just sticks out more.

As a kicker throughout high school I can vouch for how hard it really is. A ton of factors go into each attempt. This one had a lot on the line and any of you would be nervous as well. You can compare this to a college player attempting two free throws at the end of a game to win it. While free throws are possibly easier. PLENTY of players would miss at least one of them.

GO Aggies! This team is awesome and I can't wait to see where they go this season!

Josh, I got your back always man. Nobody else I'd want kicking the field goal tonight.

UStater wrote:Honestly. We could use a better kicker, but I think we never should have put him in that situation. One of the toughest places to win for a reason. We should have got him a 20 yarder, then if he misses that we start casting stones. But the reality is, he missed a semi-hard field goal in an extremely hard environment.. What did we expect? Love our coaching staff, but was left scratching my head at the end

We should have never put him in the situation? At Camp Randall? With a makable FG to WIN IT???? I love the kid! He's a local. But he's not that good. I don't blame HIM, I blame the coaches after 4 years and not getting better at kicker. I blame OUR SPECIAL TEAMS coach.

We were a 37 yarder from being 3-0 beating 2 BCS teams.But alas.......we don't have a kicker. Should I bring up missed extra points?

Its threads like this that could cost us the kicker we're so desperately missing.

AggieMeister wrote:I think we need to gain a little perspective here. In the grand scheme of things, this loss means nothing. It's not like we would be playing for a national championship if we went undefeated. Can we still win the WAC? Yes. Can we still earn a bowl berth? Yes. Those are the only things we are capable of achieving and they are both still achievable. Also, now Utah State knows they can go toe-to-toe with the "big" programs and hold their own. That's huge. Finally...I am certain that Utah State feels much better about their loss than Wisconsin feels about their win. Let not your hearts be troubled Aggie fans.

That's a losers mentality and I surely hope GA doesn't express this to the players. In fact, I'm quite sure he doesn't. Winning these games is how you turn your program around and recruit nationally. If we win, GA brings this up in the kid's living room in the middle of December. When we lose, it's a close loss that everyone around the country forgets about by Sunday morning.

FloridaAggie13 wrote:

AggieMeister wrote:I think we need to gain a little perspective here. In the grand scheme of things, this loss means nothing. It's not like we would be playing for a national championship if we went undefeated. Can we still win the WAC? Yes. Can we still earn a bowl berth? Yes. Those are the only things we are capable of achieving and they are both still achievable. Also, now Utah State knows they can go toe-to-toe with the "big" programs and hold their own. That's huge. Finally...I am certain that Utah State feels much better about their loss than Wisconsin feels about their win. Let not your hearts be troubled Aggie fans.

That's a losers mentality and I surely hope GA doesn't express this to the players. In fact, I'm quite sure he doesn't. Winning these games is how you turn your program around and recruit nationally. If we win, GA brings this up in the kid's living room in the middle of December. When we lose, it's a close loss that everyone around the country forgets about by Sunday morning.

I'd much rather win any day than lose.

I decided not to post until today for a reason. I didn't want to say something stupid ... We aren't ready yet it seems. It bugs me too.

ratofallaggies wrote:He's not a good kicker by any means but he's an Aggie. Have some class

+1 Give the kid a break. Yeah he missed the kick, but so do others across the country on all levels of play!

That one play may not have lost the game for us, but it would have won it.

Honestly. We could use a better kicker, but I think we never should have put him in that situation. One of the toughest places to win for a reason. We should have got him a 20 yarder, then if he misses that we start casting stones. But the reality is, he missed a semi-hard field goal in an extremely hard environment.. What did we expect? Love our coaching staff, but was left scratching my head at the end

EXACTLY!!!!!!

hipsterdoofus21 wrote:Its threads like this that could cost us the kicker we're so desperately missing.

+1 - Recruits DO read this board guys, Including one kicker who we have offered- His brother is Josh and his mother often visits this board. Keep it civil, Josh did not solely lose this game for us. There were many play that should have and didn't convert into points!

Shame on anyone that is calling out individual players. Who are we, BYU?

He is a kid. I am a grown man sitting on my couch watching him play a game. Who am I to criticize him? I'm upset we lost.....but nothing in my life has changed because he missed a kick.

There were shortcoming throughout the game. Game prep and game plan appeared good enough to win. Over the course of a game there are many plays which could affect the FINAL MARGIN. The missed kick was but the final play of an evening of missed opportunities and I am not excusing the kick, just saying it was the last mistake. Tough, nasty, disappointing, disheartening...choose your description, but it was what it was.

We are so far removed from four season ago I just have to take heart and conclude we are headed in the right direction and getting a bunch of the right results.

People act like this is the first FG Josh has missed. He's been very inconsistent his whole career here.. The sad part is none of our kickers are very consistent at all...

Ok, here goes. I don't post much on this forum. I read most of it, especially in season.
I'm as disappointed as anyone about this loss. I was standing in the stadium 100 yards from where Thompson was and I was shaking from nervous energy due to the anticipation of what the kick could mean to USU. The noise level was deafening. He was kicking on the end of the field where the most well organized and loudest student fans were sitting. This kid Thompson, in my opinion, has balls of steel to go out there with all of the expectations and hopes and dreams of his team mates as well as those of the entire Aggie nation hanging on his one leg. He was asked to deliver on this one kick something that his team mates could not do get done during the entirety of four quarters, save 11 seconds.
Not one of these haters posting on this page could have delivered under the circumstances I describe. Thompson was a trooper to go out there and give it his best shot. If it wasn't good enough for you, then apparently you could do better. You should sign up and try out for the position...I would love to see how you fare.

ineptimusprime wrote:Shame on anyone that is calling out individual players. Who are we, BYU?

Gary Anderson himself called him out for missing that kick.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with people criticizing any college athletes for mistakes they make. It's not like these are pop Warner kids, they are grown men that can handle a little criticism.

He should have made that kick, and if he can't make kicks like that he shouldn't be on a college football team.

They are grown men???? Wrong! They are kids playing a game. They don't owe you or I anything. Calm down everyone.

JonnyCienPesos wrote:They are grown men???? Wrong! They are kids playing a game. They don't owe you or I anything. Calm down everyone.

In my opinion, calling college athletes kids if far more degrading that criticizing them for mistakes they make on the field.

So your logic seems to be that Thompson is a college football player, therefore he should make every 37 yard kick.
I saw Turbin get stuffed on a 2 yard run that would have given us the win against CSU last year. He is a college football player, he should be able to make 2 yards. I do not remember seeing this kind of reaction. No, the truth is you are very unhappy we lost a game we could have won. I get that, I feel that pain too. Thompson feels agony like no other. Nothing you have to say here really can be worse than what he is already feeling. But, he is an Aggie. He signed up to try and do the hardest job on the field. It does not always work out. I was there, it was freaking crazytown. you could cut the tension with a knife and eat chunks of it like cheese. This kid got up there and despite the negative energy of 100,000 screaming fans came within a few feet of victory. Yea it sucks he missed. But, it sucks more to throw him under the bus. I support him and hope he works to get better. I hope he gets a chance to redeem himself.

I think we need to also remember that the kicker is a much different position in football. In the pros, kickers are fired for missing. That is their one job. Their job isn't like every other player on the field. Kickers are the heroes when they hit the kicks and zeros when they miss. If a kicker can't accept that role, they probably aren't mentally tough enough to be a kicker.

dangeroos wrote:We need to hire a good sports psychologist. A better one than the one Cal has, though.

Actually, we do have one of the best, Dr. Richard Gordin.

Blueballs wrote:So your logic seems to be that Thompson is a college football player, therefore he should make every 37 yard kick.
I saw Turbin get stuffed on a 2 yard run that would have given us the win against CSU last year. He is a college football player, he should be able to make 2 yards. I do not remember seeing this kind of reaction. No, the truth is you are very unhappy we lost a game we could have won. I get that, I feel that pain too. Thompson feels agony like no other. Nothing you have to say here really can be worse than what he is already feeling. But, he is an Aggie. He signed up to try and do the hardest job on the field. It does not always work out. I was there, it was freaking crazytown. you could cut the tension with a knife and eat chunks of it like cheese. This kid got up there and despite the negative energy of 100,000 screaming fans came within a few feet of victory. Yea it sucks he missed. But, it sucks more to throw him under the bus. I support him and hope he works to get better. I hope he gets a chance to redeem himself.

He's not thrown under the bus, he just isn't very good. This is very different then the Boise kicker a few years back that missed the kick that ultimately cost Boise a BCS run. Our special teams, and especially our kickers have not been very good for awhile now. Turbin was really good. But if he weren't i'd be saying the same thing. The whole point isn't to rail on Josh Thompson alone.This speaks just as much to Nick Diaz. Either we're failing to evaluate and recruit adequate kicking or the kickers and ST coaches aren't working hard enough to develop them.

For some reason this thread reminds me of this YouTube video...

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^ and lets all just give everyone participation trophies. In my line of work,if you don't perform, you're gone. SImple as that. It's nothing personal, it's just the way it is. No one is saying Josh Thompson or anyone else is a bad person. No one is saying that its all Josh Thompson's fault we lost. We're voicing a valid concern that our kicking game is not up to par, and that it has hurt us. If you want we can all pretend that kicking isn't important, and engage in group think and ignore the issue. That worked well for the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Blueballs wrote:So your logic seems to be that Thompson is a college football player, therefore he should make every 37 yard kick.
I saw Turbin get stuffed on a 2 yard run that would have given us the win against CSU last year. He is a college football player, he should be able to make 2 yards. I do not remember seeing this kind of reaction. No, the truth is you are very unhappy we lost a game we could have won. I get that, I feel that pain too. Thompson feels agony like no other. Nothing you have to say here really can be worse than what he is already feeling. But, he is an Aggie. He signed up to try and do the hardest job on the field. It does not always work out. I was there, it was freaking crazytown. you could cut the tension with a knife and eat chunks of it like cheese. This kid got up there and despite the negative energy of 100,000 screaming fans came within a few feet of victory. Yea it sucks he missed. But, it sucks more to throw him under the bus. I support him and hope he works to get better. I hope he gets a chance to redeem himself.

Whether he makes the kicks or not has nothing to do with it. All I am saying is he deserves the criticism for missing it, he also deserves the praise for the kicks he makes. Jacobs deserves the criticism for those drops, and praises for his catches. It's all part of sports. If you think it is wrong to criticize college athletes then you are just plain wrong. Trust me these guys can handle it, they accepted it when they decided to play college ball.