All the heartache and frustration that have plagued this season could be rendered completely irrelevant on Saturday night, when the Pirates take on the Cincinnati Bearcats.
That dreadful 31-13 loss to Connecticut, the one that featured four combined interceptions by Blake Kemp and James Summers, would be a thing of the past. The 22-17 home loss to USF, where the Pirates took over an entire half to finally get a first down, wouldn’t matter one bit.
This season was supposed to be a step back for Ruffin McNeill’s program. Graduating the best quarterback and wide receiver in school history, as well as losing offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, had expectations set far lower than in years past.