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Since this year represents the last time we won at Rice, it might be wise to rewind the clock back to that year to let us know what was going on.

For the players on the SMU roster, they were either 2,1 an infant or still a twinkle in their parent's eyes. For me, I was a senior in high school.
My greatest memory was coming out of class in January to hear the Challenger exploded.

Courtesy of the History Channel.com, please review and enjoy.
1. The United States bombs Tripoli, the capital of Libya, after terrorist groups attack a West Berlin disco.

2. The space shuttle Challenger explodes after lift-off, generating national mourning and a setback for the U.S. space program.

3. A prominent nonviolent fighter against apartheid, Desmond Tutu becomes archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa.

4. The U.S. national debt exceeds $2 trillion and is accompanied by a trade deficit of over $170 billion.

5. In the world's worst nuclear accident, the Chernobyl plant in the Ukraine explodes, polluting the environment and causing perhaps 8,000 short-term deaths.

6. Oliver Stone's Vietnam-era movie, Platoon, earns Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards.

7. Electronic games from Nintendo debut.

8. Ivan Boesky and Dennis Levine both plead guilty to insider trading after using non-public information in financial transactions.

9. A bombshell lands in American politics as it is discovered that the U.S. is selling arms to Iran during its war with Iraq and using the profits to fund Contra forces in Nicaragua. Congress proceeds to investigate the Iran-Contra affair.

I was at that season opener at Rice in 1986, it was a hot and muggy night. I remember Bobby Watters completing his first nine passes, and the Stangs won 45-3.

I listened to the game on my boombox radio in McGinnis Hall, It was my Freshman year at SMU the weekend after the final Jam party where the drinking age went from 19 to 21 without a grandfather clause!

I was about two years of even being thought of.

carrying around a wiffle ball bat... man i picked the wrong sport

Mustangs35SMU wrote:I was about two years of even being thought of.

Ditto.

I was in Cambridge. Heard about Challenger from the BBC with Reagan talking about it at a news conference. Watched Randy Andy and Fergie's wedding on the telly in the common room of my college.

I was playing offensive Guard.

I was chilling/crying in a crib somewhere.

I was living in Kerrville, TX working for the local radio station as a newscaster/sportscaster. Covered the Kerrville Tivy Antlers sports teams. Single and enjoying the Hill Country. Didn't make it to any SMU games that year but listened to them via radio.

I heard about the Challenger while in my mom's car leaving pre-school... I remember I still carried my "blanky" around... I vaguely remember telling my mom that "I hate Rice" and that "Rice is the worst." She thought I was talking about Uncle Ben's Wild Rice that we had every damn night with dinner. Little did she know, I was talking about those Rice Owls... Sure enough, that night, we still had Uncle Ben's.

I was also at that game. And, Bobby Watters completed 13 passes to start the game, not 9.

..what a sad thread......

I saw the Challenger explode, from our front yard in Florida. We'd always go outside to see the shuttles launch.

I have an old pic somewhere of me wearing an 80's ROYAL BLUE SMU shirt that my mom must have bought when she was on campus for homecoming or something.

I saw the Challenger explode, from our front yard in Florida. We'd always go outside to see the shuttles launch.

I have an old pic somewhere of me wearing an 80's ROYAL BLUE SMU shirt that my mom must have bought when she was on campus for homecoming or something.