MOBILE – After a career of offenses that dazzled huge crowds in both NFL and SEC Stadiums, Bobby Petrino (left in Breitbart Sports photo) started the slow road back to character rehabilitation Saturday by taking Western Kentucky on the field for a less than half filled stadium and losing to a team that has only played football for four years and is barely in the top 200 in www.masseyratings.com.
Several years ago Bobby Petrino was so sought after as a head coach that he posted a note in the Atlanta Falcons locker room to let them know he was quitting during the season, then traveled to Arkansas for an announcement of his new gig. Saturday he coached his first Sun Belt Conference game – since Western Kentucky team was willing to pick him up after he was dumped for an accident involving a motorcycle and former women’s volley ball player.
The “Just win Baby” approach the Hilltoppers took being the team to hire Petrino looked great after a huge win to open the season over Kentucky. It looked like Petrino would also win his first conference game as his complicated offense seemed to be working to perfection for WKU, which also is not ranked in the Top 100 at www.masseyratings.com, as Brandon Doughty drove them down the field in the closing minutes of a 24-24 tie.
With 2:12 to go, USA’s Tyrell Pearson intercepted Doughty’s pass and ran it back to the 1 yard line to set up a touchdown run to take a 31-24 lead, then he intercepted another pass at the goal line in the closing seconds that would have given WKU the win.