For those who follow the Maverick Rambler's This Day in UTA Football History, you know I try to follow a few general rules. Unfortunately, one of those will be broken today. Specifically, I try to avoid multiple games in a row from the same season. I just have no other choice.
There are two things working against me in this week. First, to refresh, there are only three season to choose from. That in and of itself makes that guideline difficult. But, as for today specifically, it is one of only two dates I can recall between the second week in September and the second to last week in November to have only one game. It is uncommon to have a bye week in September. However, 1975 and 1980 both had a bye week today.
Ironically, the first season to qualify, 1969, is the only game that was every played by an Arlington State / UT Arlington football team on September 20.
To avoid repetition, I'll just I'll just link the original entry for this game. On this day in UTA football history, UTA opens the 1969 season.
As for the 1986 schedule, today is one of the more intriguing matchups of the non-conference schedule. An argument could be made for this being the most. UTA was scheduled to play its third road game in a row against Stephen F. Austin.
The teams had met four times prior, though the first three were from 1960-62. In 1984, one of the better years as a Division I institution for the Mavericks, UTA lost 27-13 at home, one of only four that year. 8,894 saw the defeat. That crowd stands as the fifth largest to fill Maverick Stadium in its six-year run. SFA finished a half game ahead of UTA at 7-3-1 that year.
The '86 Lumberjacks finished 5-6, mostly due to a 1-3 record in conference play. They won their first four games, lost six in a row, then claimed their only Gulf Star Conference win over Northwestern State.
I'm not sure who they grabbed to replace UTA. Today was an open date and I don't have a media guide or something similar to reference who was the last-minute addition to their schedule.
While UTA had played in Nacogdoches twice in the 1960's. Their current home, Homer Bryce Stadium, opened in 1973. Unlike many places in the general area of the country still in existence, UTA had not played in their current facility. This would have been the first one.
This game is also a great example of a change in scheduling philosophy. UTA changed from schools like Southern Mississippi in Division I-A to more regional schools more on UTA's level in I-AA. UTA overall is 21 games below .500, 129-150-2, but has a conference record right at .500. They were attempting to revive their fortunes by playing non-conference games that weren't as stout. The Athletic Department's hope was more wins and ultimately an increase in the gate. Turns out the change was a couple years too late.
Like Weber State, if UTA was as good as billed, there's a large chance this game would not have been close and UTA would have run away with it. Three road games to open the year and the Mavs would have been no worse than 2-1.
But it wasn't meant to be as on this date in UTA football history, the Mavs cancelled season of 1986 did not see UTA visit Stephen F. Austin.
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