"The Eagles fielded a club team in 1982 and 1983 and began official NCAA Division I-AA play in 1984. The next year, the Eagles would win their first Division I-AA national championship in Tacoma, Washington, defeating Furman University, in only the team's fourth year in existence, second as a varsity team. The Eagles would return to Tacoma the next year and win the championship vs. Arkansas State. In 1989, the Eagles became the first college team to go 15–0 in the 20th century, winning the national championship on their home field vs. Stephen F. Austin."
And their coach was Erk Russell - good man, good coach. They have a lot to be proud of, and I remember their '89 season. At the time, I was just sorta' noticing that they were doing pretty well and had recently gotten some hype and recognition, while I was on a job for P&G in Oglethorpe GA the night that Hugo came through SC. Even in SW Georgia that night it was nothing but wind and torrential downpours. Just an interesting irony and coincidence that "Florence" is about to hit SC while we are preparing to play Georgia Southern on about the same date that Hugo hit.
But that's where the respect stops. '89 was Danny's last year with the Tigers, and I remember our Tigers kicking FSU's buttox that year in Tallahassee - simple revenge for the previous year's "punt rooskie". However, this year, GSU, or whatever they're called, will find a hurricane in Death Valley this weekend, and it will have nothing to do with wind and rain.