This is the real ending
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Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
16 team football conference scheduling
On the off chance that this idea gets implemented, I'm documenting that I came up with it on September 20, 2011. (Of course, winning the lottery has a higher probability) But I think last game of the season flex scheduling, which allows for conference semifinals is the wave of the future. Anyway, here is my idea that I sent through the gopack.com wolfpack unlimited feedback.
If the ACC gets to 16 teams, and we split into 4 pods for football scheduling, I had an idea that has never been tried in college football, but it's an idea that could create de facto conference semifinals on Thanksgiving weekend (which TV will love) and lead into the conference championship weekend with two remaining teams. I can describe the setup in more detail, but as basic as I can get it, here goes. Essentially, you play a 7 game conference schedule leading up to Thanksgiving. You play all three teams in your pod (called Pod 1), and then all four teams in Pod 2. Then the last game of the season, each team in Pod 1 has a guaranteed home "flex" game. The top team in Pod 1 plays the top team in Pod 3 (which is a de facto semifinal). Then the 2nd place team in Pod 1, plays the 2nd place team in Pod 3, and 3rd place teams play and 4th place teams play. These 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place matchups have no effect on who participates in the conference championship, but would certainly impact bowl positioning, etc. This guarantees that everyone plays on Thanksgiving weekend. In Pod 2, all the teams know that in that year, they will go on the road for the "flex" game, and their flex matchup will be against Pod 4. After that year of scheduling, in year 2, you flip the matchups with regard to home and road, and you also, flip the pre-determined home team for the flex game. Pod 1 will go on the road to Pod 3 for the flex game, and then Pod 2 will host Pod 4 for their flex game.
In year 3 and 4 of this scheduling, your would regular-season pod partner would change. (Pod 1 would now be matched up with Pod 3, and Pod 2 would be matched up with Pod 4) And the flex game match up would change to: Pod 1's first place team would play Pod 4's first place team same with 2nd place, 3rd place and 4th place; The Pod 2 flex match up would be with Pod 3.
Then in years 5 and 6, you'd change regular-season pod partners again (1 v 4, and 2 v 3) with the last game flex matchups as 1 v 2 and 3 v 4.
Then the whole thing would circle back on a six year cycle. From a specific team perspective like NC State, we would home-away our pod partners each year. And we'd get a home and away (2 games) with each other conference member in a six year cycle, plus whoever you matched up with in your flex game.
The requirement of course is to predetermined the hosting teams for the flex game, because of stadium scheduling and balancing out a 4 home-4 road yearly conference schedule, but it wouldn't be too hard. If NC State is in Pod 1 (teams A, B, C, and D) as team A, then in the first year we would play a schedule of @B, C, @D, E, @F, G, @H, and host the flex game. (Pod 2 is of course teams E, F, G, and H) If UNC is in Pod 1 as team B, they would play a schedule of A, @C, D, @E, @F, @G, H, and host the flex game. They would be traveling to 3 of their cross pod partners, but would get to host the flex game. The following year, both teams would reverse that schedule. UNC would get to host 3 of their cross pod partners, but would go on the road for the flex game.
Ultimately, this creates a 4 home and 4 road yearly schedule. It keeps rivalries in a pod system. It rewards "pod" winners with a flex game that acts as a conference semifinal, and it should create great last week of the season matchups across the board. Stadiums are pre-scheduled for that weekend, so hosts know they will be in a game, and the only drawback, is that road teams won't know where they are going (they'll know it's one of four possible locations) for that last game until the standings are completed.
Anyway, I just thought of this in the last couple of days and thought it was worth suggesting. I think it would be revolutionary for the ACC to introduce flex scheduling and conference semifinals into college football and would put us ahead of the curve as we re-negotiate the TV deal. If this sounds interesting and there is any interest in me mapping out the full schedule, I'd be happy to do so. If not, thanks for at least reading this suggestion.
If the ACC gets to 16 teams, and we split into 4 pods for football scheduling, I had an idea that has never been tried in college football, but it's an idea that could create de facto conference semifinals on Thanksgiving weekend (which TV will love) and lead into the conference championship weekend with two remaining teams. I can describe the setup in more detail, but as basic as I can get it, here goes. Essentially, you play a 7 game conference schedule leading up to Thanksgiving. You play all three teams in your pod (called Pod 1), and then all four teams in Pod 2. Then the last game of the season, each team in Pod 1 has a guaranteed home "flex" game. The top team in Pod 1 plays the top team in Pod 3 (which is a de facto semifinal). Then the 2nd place team in Pod 1, plays the 2nd place team in Pod 3, and 3rd place teams play and 4th place teams play. These 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place matchups have no effect on who participates in the conference championship, but would certainly impact bowl positioning, etc. This guarantees that everyone plays on Thanksgiving weekend. In Pod 2, all the teams know that in that year, they will go on the road for the "flex" game, and their flex matchup will be against Pod 4. After that year of scheduling, in year 2, you flip the matchups with regard to home and road, and you also, flip the pre-determined home team for the flex game. Pod 1 will go on the road to Pod 3 for the flex game, and then Pod 2 will host Pod 4 for their flex game.
In year 3 and 4 of this scheduling, your would regular-season pod partner would change. (Pod 1 would now be matched up with Pod 3, and Pod 2 would be matched up with Pod 4) And the flex game match up would change to: Pod 1's first place team would play Pod 4's first place team same with 2nd place, 3rd place and 4th place; The Pod 2 flex match up would be with Pod 3.
Then in years 5 and 6, you'd change regular-season pod partners again (1 v 4, and 2 v 3) with the last game flex matchups as 1 v 2 and 3 v 4.
Then the whole thing would circle back on a six year cycle. From a specific team perspective like NC State, we would home-away our pod partners each year. And we'd get a home and away (2 games) with each other conference member in a six year cycle, plus whoever you matched up with in your flex game.
The requirement of course is to predetermined the hosting teams for the flex game, because of stadium scheduling and balancing out a 4 home-4 road yearly conference schedule, but it wouldn't be too hard. If NC State is in Pod 1 (teams A, B, C, and D) as team A, then in the first year we would play a schedule of @B, C, @D, E, @F, G, @H, and host the flex game. (Pod 2 is of course teams E, F, G, and H) If UNC is in Pod 1 as team B, they would play a schedule of A, @C, D, @E, @F, @G, H, and host the flex game. They would be traveling to 3 of their cross pod partners, but would get to host the flex game. The following year, both teams would reverse that schedule. UNC would get to host 3 of their cross pod partners, but would go on the road for the flex game.
Ultimately, this creates a 4 home and 4 road yearly schedule. It keeps rivalries in a pod system. It rewards "pod" winners with a flex game that acts as a conference semifinal, and it should create great last week of the season matchups across the board. Stadiums are pre-scheduled for that weekend, so hosts know they will be in a game, and the only drawback, is that road teams won't know where they are going (they'll know it's one of four possible locations) for that last game until the standings are completed.
Anyway, I just thought of this in the last couple of days and thought it was worth suggesting. I think it would be revolutionary for the ACC to introduce flex scheduling and conference semifinals into college football and would put us ahead of the curve as we re-negotiate the TV deal. If this sounds interesting and there is any interest in me mapping out the full schedule, I'd be happy to do so. If not, thanks for at least reading this suggestion.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
12 Days of Wolfpack Football (Day 12: Florida State 2010)
Last day of the countdown! Tomorrow we kick it off for real, and hopefully the start of another great season of Wolfpack football.
Today's entry is Florida State. They entered the league as the gold standard of the ACC in 1992. In the 90s they were simply seen as unbeatable, and to be honest for a while they were. When I woke up in my college apartment on 9/12/1998, FSU was 47-1 all time in the ACC, and if you would have told me in the next 13 years we'll be Florida State even 2 or 3 times, I'd have probably called you crazy. But we've done it six times! And each of those six has been pretty special.
There was 1998 where Torry took over. He led the 25 point underdog Pack over the #2 Seminoles in a game the Charlotte Observer would call the next day "probably the most significant regular-season game in conference history."
Then there was 2001 . The first ever ACC team to win in Tallahassee in ten seasons. After the last play, we stormed the field, players laying on the field crying, Amato crying. The win over #10 FSU was a program maker and probably got the ball rolling for the 9-0 start in 2002.
The 2002 win over #14 FSU sent us to the Gator Bowl.
The 2005 win over #9 FSU was only the second ever ACC win in Tallahassee. In 14 years, we were the only ACC team to win at Florida State and we did it twice!
Plus in 2006 we had the Thursday night win led by Daniel Evans, with the winning touchdown in Dunlap's Corner to John Dunlap.
All of those were special, and an argument could be made for all of them. But for the most part, those games were surprises. Unexpected celebrations. The 2010 game was different in that there were serious title implications. The winner was in the driver seat, and the loser had to hope for help later in the season. The pre-game build up was incredible. A big game feel, "most significant game of the O'Brien era", "not just another game". Those were a few of the pre-game headlines.
So when the game kicked off off at 7:45 PM, there was quite a buzz in Carter-Finley. And the Pack came out on fire! The first drive was a 3 and out for FSU, with Nate Irving making a big stop on 3rd and 1. Then it was the offense's turn. Big passes to Quinton Payton, James Washington, and George Bryan led the Pack down to the 1. And after a couple of attempts, Russell Wilson snuck it over the goal line to put the Pack up 7-0.
After the initial excitement wore down, the teams traded punts for six straight possessions, with neither team advancing past midfield as the 1st quarter came to an end with the Pack still up 7.
But it was early in the 2nd when the tide started to turn towards the Noles. Starting on the 25, future first round draft pick Christian Ponder and Ty Jones alternated runs and passes all the way to the 3, and from there Ponder ran it in himself to tie it up.
With the momentum clearly on FSU's side, on the first play of the next drive, Dean Haynes fumbled and got a concussion that would knock him out of the game, giving the ball to the Noles on the 18. Five plays later, it was Ponder again with a keeper. This one from 2 yards out and it was 14-7. 4:54 to play, and NC State stopped the bleeding with a first down, but that was it. After a punt, FSU was off to the races again. This time a quick 72 yard drive capped off with a Ponder TD pass and this one was getting away. 21-7 FSU, with 47 seconds to play in the half. The Pack managed to advance to midfield, but got no further and both teams went to the locker room 21-7.
The crowd was uneasy through halftime, it certainly looked like the better team was pulling away, but as the 3rd quarter started, it began to turn. Mustafa Greene, the true freshman, decided it was his time. Runs of 8,6,3,6,2,2, and a 12 yard catch, sprinkled in with a couple of other Wilson passes got the Pack in the red zone.
Then on 3rd down, with the Seminoles rushing hard, Russell scoots right up the middle for 10 yards and a touchdown. The lead was cut to 21-14.
Now the crowd was back in it and on FSU's second play of the next drive, Natanu Mageo forced the fumble, recovered by JR Sweezy and the Pack was in business again.
Two plays later, it was 3rd down again, but Wilson was again up to the challenge. A 20 yard scramble up the middle, and Russell dives into the end zone for the tying score. 21 all!
Only halfway through the 3rd quarter and the Pack had already erased the deficit. On the next drive, FSU got to mid-field, but a Nate Irving/Earl Wolff sack ended the threat, and NC State had it back on the 22. The Moose got loose again, eating up yardage on a tired FSU defense. Then a Wilson sack escape led to a 28 yard pass to Asa Watson as the 3rd quarter came to a close. Then on 3rd and 22, Wilson found Jarvis Williams for 29 and the Pack was at the 11. With the crowd getting louder with each first down, the Noles changed the game in one play. Xavier Rhodes stepped in front of a slant at the goal line and returned it to the NCSU 28 to end the threat. The six minute drive yielded nothing and now the Noles had a bounce in their step. A big 30 yard pass to Reed, and a 26 yard run by Thompson put FSU with a 3rd and 3 on the 15. Ponder, on a designated run, appeared to be in a position to cut up field for a first down, but instead he went wide around CJ Wilson and Ponder paid the price. Wilson made the stop, and forced a 4th and 1. The Seminoles elected to kick and the score was 24-21 with 9:01 to play.
Then came the drive of the season for the Pack. Starting at the 30, Greene for 4 yards. Greene for 12 and a first down. Wilson to Greene for 3. Greene for 3 more. Now on 3rd and 4, Wilson with the pass to Steven Howard. We're down to the 42 now and the clock ticks under six minutes to play. Three plays later, it was 4th and 4, and NC State elected to go for it. Shotgun snap. Left tackle Rob Crisp with a great chop block on the blitzing end. Slant to Davis, he breaks a tackle, and he's racing the safety to the end zone. 20, 15, 10, 5......He dives, and is down at the 1. FIRST AND GOAL WOLFPACK!
4:40 to go. Russell with the sneak. No good. Another sneak. No good. tick tick tick.....Hand off to Washington..stopped at the one. Decision time......Timeout Wolfpack, 2:44 to go. We're going for it. 2 tight end set, Wilson, with the play action, he sees Bryan at the back of the end zone.....TOUCHDOWN! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! NC STATE leads 28-24.
2:40 to go. Just one more stop needed. But it wasn't going to be easy. An 18 yard 2nd down pass to Willie Haulstead put FSU on their 47. An incompletion and 3 yard run later, it's 3rd and 7 at midfield. Ponder to Easterling on the slant. He breaks free. Earl Wolff grabs his jersey and pulls him down at the 21 saving the touchdown. Two plays later, Ponder with an 8 yard rush, it's first and goal for FSU on the 8. Clock still ticking and Wolfpack hearts sinking. Jones with a 4 yard run to the 4. Timeout NC State, 54 seconds to play.
On the snap, Ponder drops back, play action fake. HE FUMBLES AND IT'S LOOSE!....
NATE IRVING HAS IT! WOLFPACK BALL!
48.3 seconds to go! Three kneel downs later, it's ball game. NC STATE WINS 28-24!
Youtube #1 with ESPN highlights and commentary
Youtube #2 with ESPN highlights and NCSU radio audio
Today's honorable mention:
1998 NC State over #2 Florida State 24-7
2001 NC State over #10 Florida State 34-28
2002 NC State over #14 Florida State 17-7
2005 NC State over #9 Florida State 20-15
2006 NC State over #17 Florida State 24-20
Up next:
Tomorrow: IT'S GAME DAY!!!!!
Today's entry is Florida State. They entered the league as the gold standard of the ACC in 1992. In the 90s they were simply seen as unbeatable, and to be honest for a while they were. When I woke up in my college apartment on 9/12/1998, FSU was 47-1 all time in the ACC, and if you would have told me in the next 13 years we'll be Florida State even 2 or 3 times, I'd have probably called you crazy. But we've done it six times! And each of those six has been pretty special.
There was 1998 where Torry took over. He led the 25 point underdog Pack over the #2 Seminoles in a game the Charlotte Observer would call the next day "probably the most significant regular-season game in conference history."
Then there was 2001 . The first ever ACC team to win in Tallahassee in ten seasons. After the last play, we stormed the field, players laying on the field crying, Amato crying. The win over #10 FSU was a program maker and probably got the ball rolling for the 9-0 start in 2002.
The 2002 win over #14 FSU sent us to the Gator Bowl.
The 2005 win over #9 FSU was only the second ever ACC win in Tallahassee. In 14 years, we were the only ACC team to win at Florida State and we did it twice!
Plus in 2006 we had the Thursday night win led by Daniel Evans, with the winning touchdown in Dunlap's Corner to John Dunlap.
All of those were special, and an argument could be made for all of them. But for the most part, those games were surprises. Unexpected celebrations. The 2010 game was different in that there were serious title implications. The winner was in the driver seat, and the loser had to hope for help later in the season. The pre-game build up was incredible. A big game feel, "most significant game of the O'Brien era", "not just another game". Those were a few of the pre-game headlines.
So when the game kicked off off at 7:45 PM, there was quite a buzz in Carter-Finley. And the Pack came out on fire! The first drive was a 3 and out for FSU, with Nate Irving making a big stop on 3rd and 1. Then it was the offense's turn. Big passes to Quinton Payton, James Washington, and George Bryan led the Pack down to the 1. And after a couple of attempts, Russell Wilson snuck it over the goal line to put the Pack up 7-0.
After the initial excitement wore down, the teams traded punts for six straight possessions, with neither team advancing past midfield as the 1st quarter came to an end with the Pack still up 7.
But it was early in the 2nd when the tide started to turn towards the Noles. Starting on the 25, future first round draft pick Christian Ponder and Ty Jones alternated runs and passes all the way to the 3, and from there Ponder ran it in himself to tie it up.
With the momentum clearly on FSU's side, on the first play of the next drive, Dean Haynes fumbled and got a concussion that would knock him out of the game, giving the ball to the Noles on the 18. Five plays later, it was Ponder again with a keeper. This one from 2 yards out and it was 14-7. 4:54 to play, and NC State stopped the bleeding with a first down, but that was it. After a punt, FSU was off to the races again. This time a quick 72 yard drive capped off with a Ponder TD pass and this one was getting away. 21-7 FSU, with 47 seconds to play in the half. The Pack managed to advance to midfield, but got no further and both teams went to the locker room 21-7.
The crowd was uneasy through halftime, it certainly looked like the better team was pulling away, but as the 3rd quarter started, it began to turn. Mustafa Greene, the true freshman, decided it was his time. Runs of 8,6,3,6,2,2, and a 12 yard catch, sprinkled in with a couple of other Wilson passes got the Pack in the red zone.
Then on 3rd down, with the Seminoles rushing hard, Russell scoots right up the middle for 10 yards and a touchdown. The lead was cut to 21-14.
Now the crowd was back in it and on FSU's second play of the next drive, Natanu Mageo forced the fumble, recovered by JR Sweezy and the Pack was in business again.
Two plays later, it was 3rd down again, but Wilson was again up to the challenge. A 20 yard scramble up the middle, and Russell dives into the end zone for the tying score. 21 all!
Only halfway through the 3rd quarter and the Pack had already erased the deficit. On the next drive, FSU got to mid-field, but a Nate Irving/Earl Wolff sack ended the threat, and NC State had it back on the 22. The Moose got loose again, eating up yardage on a tired FSU defense. Then a Wilson sack escape led to a 28 yard pass to Asa Watson as the 3rd quarter came to a close. Then on 3rd and 22, Wilson found Jarvis Williams for 29 and the Pack was at the 11. With the crowd getting louder with each first down, the Noles changed the game in one play. Xavier Rhodes stepped in front of a slant at the goal line and returned it to the NCSU 28 to end the threat. The six minute drive yielded nothing and now the Noles had a bounce in their step. A big 30 yard pass to Reed, and a 26 yard run by Thompson put FSU with a 3rd and 3 on the 15. Ponder, on a designated run, appeared to be in a position to cut up field for a first down, but instead he went wide around CJ Wilson and Ponder paid the price. Wilson made the stop, and forced a 4th and 1. The Seminoles elected to kick and the score was 24-21 with 9:01 to play.
Then came the drive of the season for the Pack. Starting at the 30, Greene for 4 yards. Greene for 12 and a first down. Wilson to Greene for 3. Greene for 3 more. Now on 3rd and 4, Wilson with the pass to Steven Howard. We're down to the 42 now and the clock ticks under six minutes to play. Three plays later, it was 4th and 4, and NC State elected to go for it. Shotgun snap. Left tackle Rob Crisp with a great chop block on the blitzing end. Slant to Davis, he breaks a tackle, and he's racing the safety to the end zone. 20, 15, 10, 5......He dives, and is down at the 1. FIRST AND GOAL WOLFPACK!
4:40 to go. Russell with the sneak. No good. Another sneak. No good. tick tick tick.....Hand off to Washington..stopped at the one. Decision time......Timeout Wolfpack, 2:44 to go. We're going for it. 2 tight end set, Wilson, with the play action, he sees Bryan at the back of the end zone.....TOUCHDOWN! AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! NC STATE leads 28-24.
2:40 to go. Just one more stop needed. But it wasn't going to be easy. An 18 yard 2nd down pass to Willie Haulstead put FSU on their 47. An incompletion and 3 yard run later, it's 3rd and 7 at midfield. Ponder to Easterling on the slant. He breaks free. Earl Wolff grabs his jersey and pulls him down at the 21 saving the touchdown. Two plays later, Ponder with an 8 yard rush, it's first and goal for FSU on the 8. Clock still ticking and Wolfpack hearts sinking. Jones with a 4 yard run to the 4. Timeout NC State, 54 seconds to play.
On the snap, Ponder drops back, play action fake. HE FUMBLES AND IT'S LOOSE!....
NATE IRVING HAS IT! WOLFPACK BALL!
48.3 seconds to go! Three kneel downs later, it's ball game. NC STATE WINS 28-24!
Youtube #1 with ESPN highlights and commentary
Youtube #2 with ESPN highlights and NCSU radio audio
Today's honorable mention:
1998 NC State over #2 Florida State 24-7
2001 NC State over #10 Florida State 34-28
2002 NC State over #14 Florida State 17-7
2005 NC State over #9 Florida State 20-15
2006 NC State over #17 Florida State 24-20
Up next:
Tomorrow: IT'S GAME DAY!!!!!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
12 Days of Wolfpack Football (Day 11: UNC 2010)
48 hours til game day! And today's choice was a difficult one. When you have a rivalry that's been fought as closely as this one in the last quarter century (NC State leads the series in that span 13-12) you are bound to have some great ones.
There was 1986: Dick Sheridan's first year where we stopped a game deciding 2 point conversion with 7 seconds left to win 35-34.
In 1990: We had the Damon Hartman 56 yard field goal to win it.
How about 1991 or 1992 where we pushed our streak to five in a row. '92 was a personal favorite as it was my first trip to Chapel Hill to see the Pack, and we drove 78 yards in the closing minutes to win 27-20.
In 2000, Philip Rivers caught his one and only receiving touchdown to win 34-17.
O'Brien's first State-UNC game in 2007, the 41-10 blowout in 2008, and the regular season finale in 2009 were all pretty sweet.
But to get pumped for the 2011 season, why not go with the most recent game, the 2 yard Hail Mary game in the 100th game in the series, that simultaneously gave us our fourth win in a row over the Heels, and put us in a position to play for a division title.
It was a high noon showdown amongst the intimidating pine trees in Chapel Hill, and Carolina carried the play in the early going. An early drive down to the State 28 was ended by Nate Irving causing the first turnover of the game, forcing a fumble, and setting the tone for the Heels on how hard it would be to get in the end zone this day. After another State punt, UNC took over on their own 19. From there they marched 81 yards and with a 7 yard TD pass to Anthony Elzy, they went up 7-0 with 4:34 to go in the 1st quarter.
State's offense continued to struggle to get in gear, and after another 3 and out, UNC started to drive again as the first quarter ended. They entered State territory again, but this time the defense held and forced a punt that was down at the 13. This time the Moose got loose with a couple of runs and an 11 yard reception to get State near midfield.
Then a 48 yard pass to Owen Spencer gave NC State first and goal, where on 2nd down, Russell Wilson hit Darrell Davis on the slant for the touchdown and the game was tied 7-7.
A quick 3 and out and the momentum was on the Pack's side, but an interception on the next drive swung it right back to the Heels. UNC with the ball now on the Pack 39, drove to the 10. 1st and Goal. On third down a swing pass to Elzy and he raced to the corner. CJ Wilson knocked him out of bounds as he dove for the pylon. No touchdown. The play was reviewed and the call upheld. 4th down, and UNC elected to kick the field goal. 10-7 Heels.
On the ensuing kickoff, TJ Graham returned it 35 yards, and with a penalty tacked on, State had the ball at midfield. Wilson with passed to Spencer and Davis quickly moved into field goal range, and Josh Czakowski, who had been declared out for the season with a hamstring injury just two weeks ago, came on and kicked a season long 47 yard field goal to tie it back up at 10.
With 1:08 to play, the Heels had just enough time on the clock to get something going and they did. A 29 yard TJ Yates pass on first down immediately got them close to field goal range. Another 7 yarder got them even closer with the clock ticking well under a minute. Two incompletions later, Casey Barth was trying a career long 49 yarder, and he was down the middle. To the locker rooms, both teams went with UNC up 13-10.
The third quarter started with everything going Carolina's way. On State's first drive, a trifecta of penalty, sack, and then fumble, had us punting out of the end zone. UNC with the ball on the 39 quickly raced down the field and had 1st and goal at the 7. But on 3rd down, Nate Irving with the pass knockdown, and UNC was forced to settle for another field goal. 16-10 UNC.
Another three and out, and another drive by UNC. This 67 yard drive got them into field goal range again, but the Pack defense held, and Barth came on for another field goal. UNC led 19-10 with 4:30 to play in the third and it wasn't looking good. But it was time for Russell Wilson to make his move. A nice TJ Graham 26 yard return got it started, and then a Wilson to Spencer 20 yarder crossed midfield. A Paige-Moss sack though, put the Pack in 3rd and 18. Then came the kind of play that defined Wilson's career at State. He dropped back, scrambled to his right. Takes off running, cuts, back left, the stiff arm.....
Gets a block and turns the corner near the sideline. Finally pushed out of bounds at the 8. Plus an extremely late hit by Coples and the Pack had first and goal at the 4!
Three plays later, the Pack was on the two, and O'Brien had a choice to make. He was going for it! Wilson rolls right, stops, spins, scrambles left some more. Looking, looking, drifting back, to the 20 with defenders closing in. He heaves it to the end zone, back of the end zone, tipped by Jarvis Williams left hand and UNC's Searcy's right hand...
Owen Spencer sees it...
...he dives...
GOT IT! TOUCHDOWN WOLFPACK!
The two-yard hail mary works! NC State has cut the lead to 19-17 late in the third and the Pack has the momentum. Next drive, Audie Cole with the sack on 2nd down, Earl Wolff with the sack on their, and now it's TJ Graham's turn. The UNC punt came down on the 13, he cuts up the left side. Gets a block. The blocking wall is formed, one man to beat, he races past the punter and nothing green grass in front of him and red Wolfpack fans to his left. He takes it to the house, check that, to the construction site, and NC State leads!
Now it's the time for the defense to step up and they do. Rieskamp with a sack, and another 3 and out for Yates. NC State has the ball with 12 to play, and it's time for another Moose crossing. On the strength of Greene and Washington, NC State marches from the State 37 to the UNC 3. But a huge false start penalty on 2nd and goal, ends the momentum, and the Pack has to settle for 3. It's now 27-19 NC State with just 5:41 to play.
Now the senior TJ Yates with once last chance to try and beat State comes on the field. He hits Elzy on a 17 yard screen, and Elzy again on a 42 yard screen. Three stops for the Pack and it's 4th down. But freshman Josh Adams tips his own pass but holds on for the first down and goal. On first down, a huge sack by Nate Irving pushes UNC to the 16....tick tick tick...they are letting a lot of time go. Incomplete on 2nd, but on 3rd and goal, Yates on the check down to Highsmith and he pushes towards the end zone. Audie Cole drags him down, and what was originally ruled touchdown is reversed to down at the 1. 4th and goal now 70 seconds to play. Yates keeps the Heels alive with a 1 yard TD pass, 27-25 with a 2 point conversion attempt coming. Yates rolls right, heaves it in the end zone, it's tipped, but this one falls to the ground, NO GOOD!
1:04 to play, and a failed onside kick attempt allows NC State to force UNC to burn all of their timeouts. Under a minute now and State's got to punt from the 39. Jeff Ruiz, gets it off, and it's the punt of his life! It rolls all the way to the four, with just 36 seconds to play. Does Yates have a miracle in him? Is 36 seconds and no time outs long enough? The answer was given by Terrell Manning, and it was an emphatic NO! On 2nd down, Manning with the delayed blitz up the middle...SACK...
..SAFETY....
29-25 and this baby is over! A failed onside free kick, and one kneeldown, and the Pack has a four game winning streak over UNC! Let the celebration begin.
Today's honorable mention:
Many are mentioned above, but for the last 25 years, they all deserve a mention:
1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010!
Up next:
The 12 day finale: Florida State
Also, another big note of thanks and credit to Gene Galin of accfootballphotos dot com His work is incredible, particularly on the 2 yard hail mary!
There was 1986: Dick Sheridan's first year where we stopped a game deciding 2 point conversion with 7 seconds left to win 35-34.
In 1990: We had the Damon Hartman 56 yard field goal to win it.
How about 1991 or 1992 where we pushed our streak to five in a row. '92 was a personal favorite as it was my first trip to Chapel Hill to see the Pack, and we drove 78 yards in the closing minutes to win 27-20.
In 2000, Philip Rivers caught his one and only receiving touchdown to win 34-17.
O'Brien's first State-UNC game in 2007, the 41-10 blowout in 2008, and the regular season finale in 2009 were all pretty sweet.
But to get pumped for the 2011 season, why not go with the most recent game, the 2 yard Hail Mary game in the 100th game in the series, that simultaneously gave us our fourth win in a row over the Heels, and put us in a position to play for a division title.
It was a high noon showdown amongst the intimidating pine trees in Chapel Hill, and Carolina carried the play in the early going. An early drive down to the State 28 was ended by Nate Irving causing the first turnover of the game, forcing a fumble, and setting the tone for the Heels on how hard it would be to get in the end zone this day. After another State punt, UNC took over on their own 19. From there they marched 81 yards and with a 7 yard TD pass to Anthony Elzy, they went up 7-0 with 4:34 to go in the 1st quarter.
State's offense continued to struggle to get in gear, and after another 3 and out, UNC started to drive again as the first quarter ended. They entered State territory again, but this time the defense held and forced a punt that was down at the 13. This time the Moose got loose with a couple of runs and an 11 yard reception to get State near midfield.
Then a 48 yard pass to Owen Spencer gave NC State first and goal, where on 2nd down, Russell Wilson hit Darrell Davis on the slant for the touchdown and the game was tied 7-7.
A quick 3 and out and the momentum was on the Pack's side, but an interception on the next drive swung it right back to the Heels. UNC with the ball now on the Pack 39, drove to the 10. 1st and Goal. On third down a swing pass to Elzy and he raced to the corner. CJ Wilson knocked him out of bounds as he dove for the pylon. No touchdown. The play was reviewed and the call upheld. 4th down, and UNC elected to kick the field goal. 10-7 Heels.
On the ensuing kickoff, TJ Graham returned it 35 yards, and with a penalty tacked on, State had the ball at midfield. Wilson with passed to Spencer and Davis quickly moved into field goal range, and Josh Czakowski, who had been declared out for the season with a hamstring injury just two weeks ago, came on and kicked a season long 47 yard field goal to tie it back up at 10.
With 1:08 to play, the Heels had just enough time on the clock to get something going and they did. A 29 yard TJ Yates pass on first down immediately got them close to field goal range. Another 7 yarder got them even closer with the clock ticking well under a minute. Two incompletions later, Casey Barth was trying a career long 49 yarder, and he was down the middle. To the locker rooms, both teams went with UNC up 13-10.
The third quarter started with everything going Carolina's way. On State's first drive, a trifecta of penalty, sack, and then fumble, had us punting out of the end zone. UNC with the ball on the 39 quickly raced down the field and had 1st and goal at the 7. But on 3rd down, Nate Irving with the pass knockdown, and UNC was forced to settle for another field goal. 16-10 UNC.
Another three and out, and another drive by UNC. This 67 yard drive got them into field goal range again, but the Pack defense held, and Barth came on for another field goal. UNC led 19-10 with 4:30 to play in the third and it wasn't looking good. But it was time for Russell Wilson to make his move. A nice TJ Graham 26 yard return got it started, and then a Wilson to Spencer 20 yarder crossed midfield. A Paige-Moss sack though, put the Pack in 3rd and 18. Then came the kind of play that defined Wilson's career at State. He dropped back, scrambled to his right. Takes off running, cuts, back left, the stiff arm.....
Gets a block and turns the corner near the sideline. Finally pushed out of bounds at the 8. Plus an extremely late hit by Coples and the Pack had first and goal at the 4!
Three plays later, the Pack was on the two, and O'Brien had a choice to make. He was going for it! Wilson rolls right, stops, spins, scrambles left some more. Looking, looking, drifting back, to the 20 with defenders closing in. He heaves it to the end zone, back of the end zone, tipped by Jarvis Williams left hand and UNC's Searcy's right hand...
Owen Spencer sees it...
...he dives...
GOT IT! TOUCHDOWN WOLFPACK!
The two-yard hail mary works! NC State has cut the lead to 19-17 late in the third and the Pack has the momentum. Next drive, Audie Cole with the sack on 2nd down, Earl Wolff with the sack on their, and now it's TJ Graham's turn. The UNC punt came down on the 13, he cuts up the left side. Gets a block. The blocking wall is formed, one man to beat, he races past the punter and nothing green grass in front of him and red Wolfpack fans to his left. He takes it to the house, check that, to the construction site, and NC State leads!
Now it's the time for the defense to step up and they do. Rieskamp with a sack, and another 3 and out for Yates. NC State has the ball with 12 to play, and it's time for another Moose crossing. On the strength of Greene and Washington, NC State marches from the State 37 to the UNC 3. But a huge false start penalty on 2nd and goal, ends the momentum, and the Pack has to settle for 3. It's now 27-19 NC State with just 5:41 to play.
Now the senior TJ Yates with once last chance to try and beat State comes on the field. He hits Elzy on a 17 yard screen, and Elzy again on a 42 yard screen. Three stops for the Pack and it's 4th down. But freshman Josh Adams tips his own pass but holds on for the first down and goal. On first down, a huge sack by Nate Irving pushes UNC to the 16....tick tick tick...they are letting a lot of time go. Incomplete on 2nd, but on 3rd and goal, Yates on the check down to Highsmith and he pushes towards the end zone. Audie Cole drags him down, and what was originally ruled touchdown is reversed to down at the 1. 4th and goal now 70 seconds to play. Yates keeps the Heels alive with a 1 yard TD pass, 27-25 with a 2 point conversion attempt coming. Yates rolls right, heaves it in the end zone, it's tipped, but this one falls to the ground, NO GOOD!
1:04 to play, and a failed onside kick attempt allows NC State to force UNC to burn all of their timeouts. Under a minute now and State's got to punt from the 39. Jeff Ruiz, gets it off, and it's the punt of his life! It rolls all the way to the four, with just 36 seconds to play. Does Yates have a miracle in him? Is 36 seconds and no time outs long enough? The answer was given by Terrell Manning, and it was an emphatic NO! On 2nd down, Manning with the delayed blitz up the middle...SACK...
..SAFETY....
29-25 and this baby is over! A failed onside free kick, and one kneeldown, and the Pack has a four game winning streak over UNC! Let the celebration begin.
Today's honorable mention:
Many are mentioned above, but for the last 25 years, they all deserve a mention:
1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010!
Up next:
The 12 day finale: Florida State
Also, another big note of thanks and credit to Gene Galin of accfootballphotos dot com His work is incredible, particularly on the 2 yard hail mary!
12 Days of Wolfpack Football (Day 10: Clemson 1998)
Under 100 hours to go.....only three days left.
And this one against Clemson was a tough call. It's hard to decide which win is greater. One that is a statement or one that is exciting. Certainly the 1986 win at home on CBS with Brent Musberger was a great one. 27-3 win in Dick Sheridan's first year. This in-game interview with Jim Valvano is an an absolute must watch 5 minutes for any combined Wolfpack football and basketball fan. That was certainly a great time in Wolfpack Sports.
And of course, the 2002 game in Death Valley may have been the all-time peak in the program. We were 8-0, #9 in the country going on the road for a Thursday Night ESPN against Clemson. There were doubters going on that night, but with an early Manny Lawson punt block for TD and then this TA McLendon 4th and 1 run that went for 31 yards and another score put the Pack put the doubters to bed early. Going up 15-0, and absolutely dismantling the Tigers, only giving up a late score on a kickoff return TD, but ultimately winning 38-6
But despite those two great ones, there is another that stands out as my favorite Clemson win of all time, and although pictures from the internet of this game is scarce, it was "one for the books".
The year was 1998. The Pack had already beaten #2 Florida State and #11 Syracuse earlier in the year, but the Pack still needed a big win to end their three year bowl drought. And so NC State went down to Death Valley. It was Torry Holt's day right from the start. He grabbed three catches in the first drive alone, but on a 4th and 1, Clemson got a stop and grabbed the early momentum. Clemson used that momentum, and later in the 1st quarter drove from midfield and took the first lead of the day on a Brandon Streeter 5 yard QB keeper. 7-0 Tigers.
Then on one of the stranger kickoffs you will see, future NFL star Brian Williams fumbled the ball off of future All-Pro true freshman Adrian Wilson right at the goal line. While still in the end zone, Williams grabbed the ball that was just over the line and took a knee in the end zone. Oops, can't really do that, and Clemson took the free two points on the safety to go up 9-0.
Clemson maintained that lead right on through the rest of the first quarter, and well into the second. But with 5:35 to go in the 2nd quarter with NC State on their own 15, Jamie Barnette and Torry Holt decided to take over. Barnette dropped back and heaved a long one over the middle that Torry caught in stride crossing midfield and raced to the corner of the end zone for an 85 yard TD and the lead was cut to 9-7.
That was just the wake up call that the Pack needed for this noon kick off. A couple of plays later, one of the "Rough Riders" (NC State's secondary, who was 2nd in the nation in interceptions) came up with another pick. This time Tony Scott with the interception and State was in scoring position again.
After a couple of runs, NC State had first and goal at the 4 yard line, and true freshman Ray Robinson ran it over the left side for a score and NC State now had the lead at 14-9.
With just 3:11 left in the half, Clemson hoped to drive and retake the lead, but instead a Clemson fumble on 2nd down gave NC State the ball in the red zone again. The Wolfpack, with a 2nd down and 1:15 to go....who you going to? Of course, Torry Holt with the bubble screen and he easily runs into the end zone on a 17 yard TD Pass from Jamie Barnette. The Pack now led 21-9 and took that lead to the locker room at half. Already in the first half, Jamie Barnette had set the all time passing career yardage mark for NC State and added to his all time TD mark. And it was a good thing because he was going to need every one of them in this contest.
As the 2nd half began, the Pack kept the heat on. On 2nd down for Clemson, another turnover. This time a fumble that was scooped up by Jason Perry and raced 36 yards for a TD. The rout was on, right? Not so fast my friends.
Clemson regrouped on the very next possession. 83 yards they marched down the field, eating almost 7 minutes off the clock in 14 plays, and on the last play, a 1 yard TD run plus a 2 point conversion on a shuffle pass cut the lead to 28-17.
A couple of traded punts worked out much better for Clemson as NC State now had the ball pinned at the 1, and Clemson's defensive coordinator Reggie Herring (who would be our defensive coordinator in 2004 when we got the Virginia Tech win mentioned two days ago...how about that little nugget) kept the pressure on the NC State offense, and NC State punted from their end zone, giving Clemson the ball on NC State's 39.
As the 4th quarter started, Clemson marched down the field and Brandon Streeter threw a 14 yard TD pass to cut the lead to 28-24, and the Tigers were on the prowl. No concern for the NC State offense this time. Barnette hit Holt three times in a five play drive that covered 78 yards. The last one, a 41 yarder for a TD that gave Holt his 3rd TD of the day.
Surely this 35-24 lead with 11:44 to play would be enough. Not even close. It looked like the defense had left the building on this warm October day. Clemson with a five play drive of their own gained 84 yards, with the highlight a 52 yard TD pass from Streeter (who would set a school record of his own this day). This time though, the 2 point conversion failed, and the score now sat at 35-30. After the kickoff, Clemson got NC State into 3rd down and a key dropped pass by Ray Robinson, forced a punt. Clemson now had the ball on NC State's 44 with 7:29 to play. Streeter is on fire now, and in 3 plays, Streeter with a 25 yard TD pass to take the lead. But another failed 2 point conversion left the game at 36-35.
6:19 to play now, and Jamie Barnette was going to have to lead his troops back on top.
He was ready, and on first down, a 51 yard pass to Ryan Hamrick who made one of the best one handed catches you'll even see on the dead run. It wasn't enough for a TD, but it was enough to pick up a field goal, and NC State now led 38-36 with 3:40 to play. One more stop needed for a Wolfpack victory. But the special teams gave up a 45 yard return, and Clemson had the ball on their own 47.....3rd and 3...3:09 to play....gotta get a stop. Bubble screen for 18 yards, and Clemson is on the edge of field goal range. Clemson gets conservative and forces NC State to use up all of our timeouts. 2:19 to play. 40 yard field goal attempt. The snap...it's up....Good. Clemson leads 39-38.
One last chance. A touchback on the kickoff, and 80 yards between us and the end zone. The crowd was roaring. Can Barnette do it again? First down, bubble screen to Holt for 9. The clock is ticking....1:43 to go....Barnette back to pass again. Slant to Hamrick...complete, up the seam for 23, and we are at the Clemson 48 (with a walk-on kicker waiting on the sidelines with a "long" range of 39 yards)...Barnette drops back...scrambles right, hits Chris Coleman between two defenders and he gets pushed out at the 22....1:17 to go...Handoff to Ray Robinson, he breaks a tackle and gains 4 yards...clock ticking, down to 52 seconds...Barnette to Holt, bubble screen to the left, 9 yards and a first down to the Clemson 9. Time out Clemson with 42 seconds to go, First and Goal!
Barnette drops back....
....to Holt....
TOUCHDOWN WOLFPACK!!!!!......throw in a 2 point conversion and it's 46-39. One final interception by Lloyd Harrison, and it's a ball game. NC STATE WINS!
Torry Holt with 11 receptions for 225 yards and 4 TDs. Truly one of the greatest!
Today's honorable mention:
1986 NC State over Clemson 27-3
2002 NC State over Clemson 38-6
Up Next:
Thursday: UNC
Friday: Florida State
And this one against Clemson was a tough call. It's hard to decide which win is greater. One that is a statement or one that is exciting. Certainly the 1986 win at home on CBS with Brent Musberger was a great one. 27-3 win in Dick Sheridan's first year. This in-game interview with Jim Valvano is an an absolute must watch 5 minutes for any combined Wolfpack football and basketball fan. That was certainly a great time in Wolfpack Sports.
And of course, the 2002 game in Death Valley may have been the all-time peak in the program. We were 8-0, #9 in the country going on the road for a Thursday Night ESPN against Clemson. There were doubters going on that night, but with an early Manny Lawson punt block for TD and then this TA McLendon 4th and 1 run that went for 31 yards and another score put the Pack put the doubters to bed early. Going up 15-0, and absolutely dismantling the Tigers, only giving up a late score on a kickoff return TD, but ultimately winning 38-6
But despite those two great ones, there is another that stands out as my favorite Clemson win of all time, and although pictures from the internet of this game is scarce, it was "one for the books".
The year was 1998. The Pack had already beaten #2 Florida State and #11 Syracuse earlier in the year, but the Pack still needed a big win to end their three year bowl drought. And so NC State went down to Death Valley. It was Torry Holt's day right from the start. He grabbed three catches in the first drive alone, but on a 4th and 1, Clemson got a stop and grabbed the early momentum. Clemson used that momentum, and later in the 1st quarter drove from midfield and took the first lead of the day on a Brandon Streeter 5 yard QB keeper. 7-0 Tigers.
Then on one of the stranger kickoffs you will see, future NFL star Brian Williams fumbled the ball off of future All-Pro true freshman Adrian Wilson right at the goal line. While still in the end zone, Williams grabbed the ball that was just over the line and took a knee in the end zone. Oops, can't really do that, and Clemson took the free two points on the safety to go up 9-0.
Clemson maintained that lead right on through the rest of the first quarter, and well into the second. But with 5:35 to go in the 2nd quarter with NC State on their own 15, Jamie Barnette and Torry Holt decided to take over. Barnette dropped back and heaved a long one over the middle that Torry caught in stride crossing midfield and raced to the corner of the end zone for an 85 yard TD and the lead was cut to 9-7.
That was just the wake up call that the Pack needed for this noon kick off. A couple of plays later, one of the "Rough Riders" (NC State's secondary, who was 2nd in the nation in interceptions) came up with another pick. This time Tony Scott with the interception and State was in scoring position again.
After a couple of runs, NC State had first and goal at the 4 yard line, and true freshman Ray Robinson ran it over the left side for a score and NC State now had the lead at 14-9.
With just 3:11 left in the half, Clemson hoped to drive and retake the lead, but instead a Clemson fumble on 2nd down gave NC State the ball in the red zone again. The Wolfpack, with a 2nd down and 1:15 to go....who you going to? Of course, Torry Holt with the bubble screen and he easily runs into the end zone on a 17 yard TD Pass from Jamie Barnette. The Pack now led 21-9 and took that lead to the locker room at half. Already in the first half, Jamie Barnette had set the all time passing career yardage mark for NC State and added to his all time TD mark. And it was a good thing because he was going to need every one of them in this contest.
As the 2nd half began, the Pack kept the heat on. On 2nd down for Clemson, another turnover. This time a fumble that was scooped up by Jason Perry and raced 36 yards for a TD. The rout was on, right? Not so fast my friends.
Clemson regrouped on the very next possession. 83 yards they marched down the field, eating almost 7 minutes off the clock in 14 plays, and on the last play, a 1 yard TD run plus a 2 point conversion on a shuffle pass cut the lead to 28-17.
A couple of traded punts worked out much better for Clemson as NC State now had the ball pinned at the 1, and Clemson's defensive coordinator Reggie Herring (who would be our defensive coordinator in 2004 when we got the Virginia Tech win mentioned two days ago...how about that little nugget) kept the pressure on the NC State offense, and NC State punted from their end zone, giving Clemson the ball on NC State's 39.
As the 4th quarter started, Clemson marched down the field and Brandon Streeter threw a 14 yard TD pass to cut the lead to 28-24, and the Tigers were on the prowl. No concern for the NC State offense this time. Barnette hit Holt three times in a five play drive that covered 78 yards. The last one, a 41 yarder for a TD that gave Holt his 3rd TD of the day.
Surely this 35-24 lead with 11:44 to play would be enough. Not even close. It looked like the defense had left the building on this warm October day. Clemson with a five play drive of their own gained 84 yards, with the highlight a 52 yard TD pass from Streeter (who would set a school record of his own this day). This time though, the 2 point conversion failed, and the score now sat at 35-30. After the kickoff, Clemson got NC State into 3rd down and a key dropped pass by Ray Robinson, forced a punt. Clemson now had the ball on NC State's 44 with 7:29 to play. Streeter is on fire now, and in 3 plays, Streeter with a 25 yard TD pass to take the lead. But another failed 2 point conversion left the game at 36-35.
6:19 to play now, and Jamie Barnette was going to have to lead his troops back on top.
He was ready, and on first down, a 51 yard pass to Ryan Hamrick who made one of the best one handed catches you'll even see on the dead run. It wasn't enough for a TD, but it was enough to pick up a field goal, and NC State now led 38-36 with 3:40 to play. One more stop needed for a Wolfpack victory. But the special teams gave up a 45 yard return, and Clemson had the ball on their own 47.....3rd and 3...3:09 to play....gotta get a stop. Bubble screen for 18 yards, and Clemson is on the edge of field goal range. Clemson gets conservative and forces NC State to use up all of our timeouts. 2:19 to play. 40 yard field goal attempt. The snap...it's up....Good. Clemson leads 39-38.
One last chance. A touchback on the kickoff, and 80 yards between us and the end zone. The crowd was roaring. Can Barnette do it again? First down, bubble screen to Holt for 9. The clock is ticking....1:43 to go....Barnette back to pass again. Slant to Hamrick...complete, up the seam for 23, and we are at the Clemson 48 (with a walk-on kicker waiting on the sidelines with a "long" range of 39 yards)...Barnette drops back...scrambles right, hits Chris Coleman between two defenders and he gets pushed out at the 22....1:17 to go...Handoff to Ray Robinson, he breaks a tackle and gains 4 yards...clock ticking, down to 52 seconds...Barnette to Holt, bubble screen to the left, 9 yards and a first down to the Clemson 9. Time out Clemson with 42 seconds to go, First and Goal!
Barnette drops back....
....to Holt....
TOUCHDOWN WOLFPACK!!!!!......throw in a 2 point conversion and it's 46-39. One final interception by Lloyd Harrison, and it's a ball game. NC STATE WINS!
Torry Holt with 11 receptions for 225 yards and 4 TDs. Truly one of the greatest!
Today's honorable mention:
1986 NC State over Clemson 27-3
2002 NC State over Clemson 38-6
Up Next:
Thursday: UNC
Friday: Florida State
Monday, August 29, 2011
12 Days of Wolfpack Football (Day 9: Boston College 2006)
Start getting the tailgate menu organized, we are just four days away! And only four days left of the 12 days of Wolfpack Football!
Today's entry is against Boston College and brings us back to 2006. A game for the ages. Daniel vs Goliath. Maybe not exactly Goliath, but the QB comparison could not be more different. Matt Ryan, a junior at BC had won his last eight starts for the Eagles, and would go on to be a first round draft pick, an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a 2011 Pro Bowler. Daniel Evans on the other hand was an unheralded legacy QB recruit that picked up an NC State offer on signing day when one of the Wolfpack targets went elsewhere.
In retrospect, it seems even more amazing now that Evans would help the Pack win in his first career start over Ryan and the Eagles. But it was really the NC State defense that kept the game in check for 59 minutes before Evans could deliver the magic.
The Pack was 1-2 going against the 20th ranked, 3-0, seven point favorite BC Eagles. The game started ominously for the Pack as BC took the opening drive 83 yards for a score, capped off by a 22 yard Matt Ryan TD pass.
But there was a silver lining, just five minutes into the game. The extra point was missed, and it would prove vital. Eagles 6, Pack 0. NC State's first drive on offense didn't look too good either. The 3 and out went for just 1 total yard, and BC had the ball again. But it was here that State began to gain some traction. A 3 and out for BC gave State the ball back, and this time they did something with it. A 49 yard Andre Brown run followed by a 22 yarder by Toney Baker gave NC State a first and goal. We didn't punch it in, but the field goal by Deraney cut the lead to 6-3.
The teams exchanged punts to close out the 1st quarter, and early in the 2nd, BC was on the move again. They marched 71 yards into the red zone, but a big Demario Pressley sack on third down forced a field goal try, and the lead was now 9-3. The rest of the 2nd quarter moved quickly, with four punts exchanged, and neither team crossing midfield with the ball, so this Saturday night ESPN2 game went to halftime with the score BC 9, NC State 3.
Nothing doing on NC State's first drive of the 3rd, but the NC State defense again held it's own against a BC team averaging 32+ points on the season with another stop. This time NC State capitalized on good field position, and moved the ball down to the BC 26, where on second and ten, Andre Brown plowed through the BC defense, and NC State took it's first lead of the game at 10-9.
On the ensuing kickoff, a 36 yard kickoff return proved costly in this field position battle. Although BC didn't gain a first down, their punt pinned State at the 2, and Deraney's ensuing punt from the end zone gave BC the ball at the 46. But State's defense stood tall. This time on a pass to the end zone, Jimmie Sutton came up with the pick and the lead stayed intact.
Still the Pack offense struggled and a 0 yard possession gave BC the ball back around midfield again as the 4th quarter started. This time, BC wasn't denied as they marched 49 yards for the go ahead score. However, with the score 15-10 in this low scoring affair, BC had to go for 2, and they tried, but failed, so the score held at 15-10.
NC State drove to the 50 on the next possession, but had to punt, and from here BC grinded out a 5 and a half minute drive, and the Pack got the ball back on their own 20, with only 4:30 to play. With only 1 timeout left, this looked like the last chance, and an 8 yard pass pulled State to a 3rd and 2, but the 3rd down pass was incomplete, and the 4th down pass was picked off at the 35, sending a few Pack fans to the exits with 3:08 to play.
On the next possession, the clock started to tick before first down (as it did in 2006) and 1st down went for no gain. Then came the second down play that was the first in a series of miracle/turning points. This being the one that noone really remembers or even noticed. Callendar with a run around the left side and with a hard charge towards the sidelines he would have gotten the first down, and this puppy would have been over. But because he didn't want to go out of bounds he essentially gave himself up to stay in bounds and only gained 9 yards. NC State called timeout with 1:37 to play, and a 3rd and 1 coming up.
On third down there was a fumbled snap that Ryan fell on and now it was 4th and 1. The clock ticked under a minute, and on the 27 BC elected to go for it instead of trying a risky field goal. It was the right call, especially with their kicking woes, but the handoff to Toal was STOPPED! NC State ball with 46 seconds to play!
No timeouts and 73 yards to go. And it was only made worse by the fact that our offense had to run on the field and snap it was quickly as possible. The crazy 2006 time rules started the clock on change of possession after ready for play, so we lost about 4 seconds before the first snap. After an incompletion, 2nd down with to Anthony Hill for 18 yards.
But Hill couldn't get out of bounds, so quickly to the line we went. An incompletion, and then a 20 yarder to Dunlap along the State sidelines. Now we had the ball on the 34. Just 16 seconds left. Then, Evans drops back to pass, he pumps, eludes the pressure, shuffles left, sees Dunlap in the right corner and heaves it towards the end zone......
CAUGHT! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN! CARTER-FINLEY EXPLODES!
8 seconds to play and NC State has the lead! We tack on the extra point, and after the kickoff runs off the 8 seconds, we have the victory 17-15!
More youtube highlights of the game from ESPN
Today's honorable mention:
2010 NC State 44 Boston College 17
Up next:
Wednesday: Clemson
Thursday: UNC
Friday: Florida State
Also of note, a big thanks to accfootballphotos dot com for many of the pictures in this thread. Gene Galin's pictures are really the best in the business.
Today's entry is against Boston College and brings us back to 2006. A game for the ages. Daniel vs Goliath. Maybe not exactly Goliath, but the QB comparison could not be more different. Matt Ryan, a junior at BC had won his last eight starts for the Eagles, and would go on to be a first round draft pick, an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a 2011 Pro Bowler. Daniel Evans on the other hand was an unheralded legacy QB recruit that picked up an NC State offer on signing day when one of the Wolfpack targets went elsewhere.
In retrospect, it seems even more amazing now that Evans would help the Pack win in his first career start over Ryan and the Eagles. But it was really the NC State defense that kept the game in check for 59 minutes before Evans could deliver the magic.
The Pack was 1-2 going against the 20th ranked, 3-0, seven point favorite BC Eagles. The game started ominously for the Pack as BC took the opening drive 83 yards for a score, capped off by a 22 yard Matt Ryan TD pass.
But there was a silver lining, just five minutes into the game. The extra point was missed, and it would prove vital. Eagles 6, Pack 0. NC State's first drive on offense didn't look too good either. The 3 and out went for just 1 total yard, and BC had the ball again. But it was here that State began to gain some traction. A 3 and out for BC gave State the ball back, and this time they did something with it. A 49 yard Andre Brown run followed by a 22 yarder by Toney Baker gave NC State a first and goal. We didn't punch it in, but the field goal by Deraney cut the lead to 6-3.
The teams exchanged punts to close out the 1st quarter, and early in the 2nd, BC was on the move again. They marched 71 yards into the red zone, but a big Demario Pressley sack on third down forced a field goal try, and the lead was now 9-3. The rest of the 2nd quarter moved quickly, with four punts exchanged, and neither team crossing midfield with the ball, so this Saturday night ESPN2 game went to halftime with the score BC 9, NC State 3.
Nothing doing on NC State's first drive of the 3rd, but the NC State defense again held it's own against a BC team averaging 32+ points on the season with another stop. This time NC State capitalized on good field position, and moved the ball down to the BC 26, where on second and ten, Andre Brown plowed through the BC defense, and NC State took it's first lead of the game at 10-9.
On the ensuing kickoff, a 36 yard kickoff return proved costly in this field position battle. Although BC didn't gain a first down, their punt pinned State at the 2, and Deraney's ensuing punt from the end zone gave BC the ball at the 46. But State's defense stood tall. This time on a pass to the end zone, Jimmie Sutton came up with the pick and the lead stayed intact.
Still the Pack offense struggled and a 0 yard possession gave BC the ball back around midfield again as the 4th quarter started. This time, BC wasn't denied as they marched 49 yards for the go ahead score. However, with the score 15-10 in this low scoring affair, BC had to go for 2, and they tried, but failed, so the score held at 15-10.
NC State drove to the 50 on the next possession, but had to punt, and from here BC grinded out a 5 and a half minute drive, and the Pack got the ball back on their own 20, with only 4:30 to play. With only 1 timeout left, this looked like the last chance, and an 8 yard pass pulled State to a 3rd and 2, but the 3rd down pass was incomplete, and the 4th down pass was picked off at the 35, sending a few Pack fans to the exits with 3:08 to play.
On the next possession, the clock started to tick before first down (as it did in 2006) and 1st down went for no gain. Then came the second down play that was the first in a series of miracle/turning points. This being the one that noone really remembers or even noticed. Callendar with a run around the left side and with a hard charge towards the sidelines he would have gotten the first down, and this puppy would have been over. But because he didn't want to go out of bounds he essentially gave himself up to stay in bounds and only gained 9 yards. NC State called timeout with 1:37 to play, and a 3rd and 1 coming up.
On third down there was a fumbled snap that Ryan fell on and now it was 4th and 1. The clock ticked under a minute, and on the 27 BC elected to go for it instead of trying a risky field goal. It was the right call, especially with their kicking woes, but the handoff to Toal was STOPPED! NC State ball with 46 seconds to play!
No timeouts and 73 yards to go. And it was only made worse by the fact that our offense had to run on the field and snap it was quickly as possible. The crazy 2006 time rules started the clock on change of possession after ready for play, so we lost about 4 seconds before the first snap. After an incompletion, 2nd down with to Anthony Hill for 18 yards.
But Hill couldn't get out of bounds, so quickly to the line we went. An incompletion, and then a 20 yarder to Dunlap along the State sidelines. Now we had the ball on the 34. Just 16 seconds left. Then, Evans drops back to pass, he pumps, eludes the pressure, shuffles left, sees Dunlap in the right corner and heaves it towards the end zone......
CAUGHT! TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN! CARTER-FINLEY EXPLODES!
8 seconds to play and NC State has the lead! We tack on the extra point, and after the kickoff runs off the 8 seconds, we have the victory 17-15!
More youtube highlights of the game from ESPN
Today's honorable mention:
2010 NC State 44 Boston College 17
Up next:
Wednesday: Clemson
Thursday: UNC
Friday: Florida State
Also of note, a big thanks to accfootballphotos dot com for many of the pictures in this thread. Gene Galin's pictures are really the best in the business.
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