The death of the Terrordome

After yet another loss at Lane, I came out with a really weird feeling. I was disappointed, no doubt, and mentally exhausted after 4OT worth of stress, but there was an underlying feeling I never really felt before yesterday... a sense that I expected us to lose the game going into overtime. I knew the crowd, probably the best it has been since the OSU game (if not better), would do nothing to rattle Duke. I knew our players would be as confused as if they were playing away, and I knew Duke would be able to torch our defense which is probably the worst unit in 20+ years.

Lane stadium has lost whatever home field advantage it used to have. Completely destroyed. Here are our victories since 2012 at home:

Georgia Tech
Austin Peay (FCS)
Bowling Green (G5)
Duke
Virginia
Western Carolina (FCS)
Marshall (G5)
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
William and Mary (FCS)
Western Michigan (FCS)
Virginia
Furman (FCS)
NC State

So, of the 14 victories since 2012, 5 were against FCS teams and 2 were against G5 teams.

Here are our home losses:

Florida State
Duke
Maryland
East Carolina (G5)
Georgia Tech
Miami
Boston College
Ohio State
Pittsburgh
Duke

10 losses, all but one against P5 opponents. That gives us a record of 14-10 at home. 9-10 against non-FCS opponents. Granted we faced #1 OSU, but still, a loss is a loss. FSU were ranked as well but were beatable.

If we narrow our search parameters even more and take out 2012, our home record would be 9-9 since 2013.

We are 9-11 away/neutral, 8-6 since 2013. Yup, we have a better away record than home the past 2 years.

We have beaten 3 P5 opponents in 2 YEARS at lane. Pitt (10/12/13), UVa (11/28/14) and NC State (10/09/15).

I don't get what has happened to Lane, but our players and coaches are no longer comfortable playing here. It's sad, the fanbase is still decent and yesterday's game had the best atmosphere I've seen since the FSU game in 2012. Yes, even better than OSU. The 'defense' chant in the fourth overtime was one of the greatest things I've ever seen at Lane right before our defense shit the bed again.

I don't know what it will take to get Lane back to having even a decent home field advantage, but whatever magic we used to have at home is no longer there.