Almost perfect

The New England Patriots today are in search of perfection, a 19-0 NFL season. But there’s a long list of sports teams and athletes who fell agonizingly close. Among them are:

The Blue Devils (9-0) lost to USC, 7-3, in the 1939 Rose Bowl. Duke hadn’t given up a point that season.

Hoad won the first three stages of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments and was heavily favored to win the fourth and then turn professional for a lucrative contract offered by Jack Kramer. In a stunning upset, however, he lost to fellow Australian Ken Rosewall in the United States Championships at Forest Hills, N.Y.

Duke: 1938

Lew Hoad: 1956

Roy Face: 1959

The Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher hadn’t lost since May of the previous season and had won his first 17 decisions of the season before taking the mound at the Coliseum on Sept. 11, protecting a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning. He gave up a pair of runs on three hits, all fork balls that didn’t fool the Dodgers batters, and lost, 5-4. He finished the season 18-1, a single-season record for relief victories. “We beat Don Drysdale twice in one day at Pittsburgh,” he said, grinning, “so I guess I can afford to lose one game in a year and a half.”

Dan Gable: 1970

The Iowa State wrestler, a career 181-0, lost his final collegiate match to Larry Owings of Washington in the NCAA wrestling championships.

Terry Howard: 1975

A Louisville reserve guard, had made all 28 of his free throws during the season when he was fouled with 20 seconds to play in overtime of the NCAA semifinals, with the Cardinals holding a 74-73 lead over UCLA. He missed the front end of a one and one, and Richard Washington’s basket with two seconds to go gave the Bruins a 75-74 victory. The day was better remembered for the announcement by John Wooden that he would retire after the national championship game, won by UCLA over Kentucky.

Rutgers: 1976

Undefeated at 31-0, Rutgers lost to Michigan in an NCAA tournament semifinal, 86-70. Indiana beat Michigan to finish a perfect season at 32-0 (Footnote: Rutgers lost again in the third-place game to UCLA).

Nebraska: 1983

The 12-0 Cornhuskers lost, 31-30, to Miami in the Orange Bowl. Some considered Nebraska the best team ever.

Larry Holmes: 1985

Holmes, 48-0, was one fight short of matching Rocky Marciano’s pro record of 49-0. Holmes suffered his first loss to Michael Spinks in his 49th fight. After losing the decision Holmes said: “If you want to get technical about it, Rocky couldn’t carry my jockstrap.”

Nevada Las Vegas: 1991

The Runnin’ Rebels (34-0) lost to Duke, 79-77, in a semifinal of the NCAA tournament. It was the first loss for UNLV in 45 games.

Mark Price: 1993

For 12 years, the NBA record for most consecutive free throws was held by Houston Rockets mighty mite Calvin Murphy, who became the guardian of the record, often gleefully cackling whenever a player got close but fell short. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mark Price came one free throw short of tying Murphy’s mark of 78 in a row. After the miss, someone asked Murphy if Price choked. “I don’t want to use that word,” Murphy said, “but the shot speaks for itself. I can’t believe it missed that badly.”

Gary Anderson: 1998

Anderson, who hadn’t missed a kick for the Minnesota Vikings the entire season (35 for 35 on field-goal attempts, and 59 for 59 on extra points), missed a 38-yard field goal attempt that eventually cost his team the NFC championship game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Mike Mussina: 2001

Mussina was one strike away from a perfect game and beating the Red Sox, 1-0, to complete a three-game sweep at Fenway Park. On a 1-and-2 pitch, Carl Everett, lined a single to left-center field.

USC: 2004

The Trojans -- a team with two Heisman Trophy winners in its backfield -- lost to Texas in the BCS Championship game at the Rose Bowl in 2005. Each team came into the game 12-0.

-- Times Staff