Wallace Wade: I was there then...

[longtimedevil]

I was there when Mike McGee's only option was to give it to Steve Jones..
...when the USSR came to town..
.when Tony Dorsett ran for over 200 yards
.when there were wooden bleachers above the bowl
.when they all boo'd when our boys came home from Vietnam
.when the old ball coach made his OC debut
.when Carl Franks could run fast and catch
.when Shirley Wilson became Red
.when Connor Barth kicked us in the gut..with .02 left
.when they clapped and cheered for man called Bear..
.when streaking was cool
.when Ted's twins were too young to know
.when i was the last person in the stands the day they fired Franks
.when the pelican bowl was played
.when the world record was set in the high jump
.when they smoked grass instead of pot
.when Jamison made the catch
.when we all cried on Sept. 22 2001 our first game since 9/11
.when Cut said 'We are Duke..'

and I'll be there today..what a long strange trip its been..

Wallace Wade I love the place.

[NYBri]

I was there when Mike McGee's only option was to give it to Steve Jones..
...when the USSR came to town..
.when Tony Dorsett ran for over 200 yards
.when there were wooden bleachers above the bowl
.when they all boo'd when our boys came home from Vietnam
.when the old ball coach made his OC debut
.when Carl Franks could run fast and catch
.when Shirley Wilson became Red
.when Connor Barth kicked us in the gut..with .02 left
.when they clapped and cheered for man called Bear..
.when streaking was cool
.when Ted's twins were too young to know
.when i was the last person in the stands the day they fired Franks
.when the pelican bowl was played
.when the world record was set in the high jump
.when they smoked grass instead of pot
.when Jamison made the catch
.when we all cried on Sept. 22 2001 our first game since 9/11
.when Cut said 'We are Duke..'

and I'll be there today..what a long strange trip its been..

Wallace Wade I love the place.

Post of the day.

[moonpie23]

we will be there today....

[Jarhead]

we will be there today....

Wallace Wade is sold out tonight. There are no seats on Brooks Field.

[weezie]

I was there when the Stones played, "Sympathy For The Devil," but I expect all visiting teams to begging for our sympathy now.

[CDu]

I will be introducing my son to WW tonight. My last trip to a game got him so excited that my wife went into labor a few weeks early. So now, almost a year old, he will get to finally make his return!

[Kimist]

It goes back further. . .

I remember the 2-3 football game loss against Clemson.

I remember when all games were on Saturday afternoons. Guys dressed up, and gals did the same. A football game was a big social event.

The first game with (portable) lights was on a Thursday night. Walking around the stadium area in the dark felt weird. . .

(Heck, I remember "carolina" and "Joe College" weekends and the way the campus living groups went crazy on Homecoming weekend.)

The Blue Devil wore a cape, carried a pitchfork at all times, and could be seen all over the place including on the goalposts.

The scoreboard was fairly primitive, to include a clock with moving hands.

Oh yes: One of the associated experiences of attending any game in the stadium was pulling numerous splinters out of your backside.

Serious side note: I was there for the USA/USSR track meet. While many folks maligned the presence of the (now gone) track et al, it was quite an experience to attend those track events. Two or three days worth, I believe??

k

[davekay1971]

Great OP, great thread!

My favorite WW moment was my freshman year, Spurrier's last, when we beat Clemson and charged the field. Being a clutz, I tripped and separated my shoulder in the charge, but the juice was worth the squeeze.

PS: Streaking isn't cool anymore? There goes my Saturday night...

[jimsumner]

Would it be churlish of me to point out that Dorsett only rushed for 129 yards in his only game at Wade?

It was Matt Cavanaugh that Duke couldn't handle. He threw five TDs.

Now, Ron Johnson in 1968? That was a performance.

But mostly I remember the splinters. Oh, the splinters.

[budwom]

Would it be churlish of me to point out that Dorsett only rushed for 129 yards in his only game at Wade?

It was Matt Cavanaugh that Duke couldn't handle. He threw five TDs.

Now, Ron Johnson in 1968? That was a performance.

But mostly I remember the splinters. Oh, the splinters.

OK, I'm trying to recall this without actually looking anything up....but I think back to the 1968 Ron Johnson game, and in many ways it seems like it might have had at least
one signal warning of our decades wandering in the wilderness.

IIRC (and that's a huge if) Duke received the opening kickoff. It went to Bobby Hepler who was very small (but slow). He bobbled the ball, picked it up, bobbled it again, fumbled it into the
end zone where Michigan recovered. Seven zip all of about five seconds into the game.

[jimsumner]

OK, I'm trying to recall this without actually looking anything up....but I think back to the 1968 Ron Johnson game, and in many ways it seems like it might have had at least
one signal warning of our decades wandering in the wilderness.

IIRC (and that's a huge if) Duke received the opening kickoff. It went to Bobby Hepler who was very small (but slow). He bobbled the ball, picked it up, bobbled it again, fumbled it into the
end zone where Michigan recovered. Seven zip all of about five seconds into the game.

Some context. That 1968 Michigan game was the first home game for both budwom and I. Michigan won 31-10 and Johnson running over, around and through an overmatched Duke defense is etched in my memory. I do not recall that opening sequence but it sounds so bad I may well have blocked it out.

[Kimist]

Some context. That 1968 Michigan game was the first home game for both budwom and I. Michigan won 31-10 and Johnson running over, around and through an overmatched Duke defense is etched in my memory. I do not recall that opening sequence but it sounds so bad I may well have blocked it out.

That sounds around the same time period with Coach Tom Harp and tongue-in-cheek suggestion team be renamed Blue Tunas ? ? ?:rolleyes:

k

[jimsumner]

That sounds around the same time period with Coach Tom Harp and tongue-in-cheek suggestion team be renamed Blue Tunas ? ? ?:rolleyes:

k

Absolutely correct.

Then again, I was in the stands for the shoestring play in 1969. That made up for a lot of less-than-stellar outings.

[arnie]

Some context. That 1968 Michigan game was the first home game for both budwom and I. Michigan won 31-10 and Johnson running over, around and through an overmatched Duke defense is etched in my memory. I do not recall that opening sequence but it sounds so bad I may well have blocked it out.

The best: shoestring play in 69 to beat the heels
One of the worst: 13 secs to go, ahead of the Twerps by 5, they are on their own 13 yd line with no timeouts left. Twerps win on two consecutive 40-45 yard pass plays.

[jimsumner]

The best: shoestring play in 69 to beat the heels
One of the worst: 13 secs to go, ahead of the Twerps by 5, they are on their own 13 yd line with no timeouts left. Twerps win on two consecutive 40-45 yard pass plays.

I remember that Maryland game well. Almost as bad was a game against NC State. Down by 10 in the final minute or so, State kicked a field goal on 4th down, recovered the on-side kick, scored on the last play of the game and converted the two-point conversion for the win.

Duke has pulled out some memorable wins. One of my favorites was Ben Bennett's final home game, 1983, played on Thursday night under temporary lights, for TBS or TNT. Duke trailed 26-7 in the fourth quarter but Bennett threw three touchdown passes, the last one to Mark Militello on fourth and goal. 27-26 final.

Bennett was a gunslinger, a cocky Billy-the-Kid type who could cash any check his mouth wrote.

Good times.

[Kimist]

...
Bennett was a gunslinger, a cocky Billy-the-Kid type who could cash any check his mouth wrote.

...

Didn't Mr. Bennett and friends engineer the upset win over Univ of TN in Neyland Stadium about that time??

k

[Tripping William]

Charlie Ward's Heisman-winning-season-debut. Seems like it was .... only yesterday.

[killerleft]

OK, I'm trying to recall this without actually looking anything up....but I think back to the 1968 Ron Johnson game, and in many ways it seems like it might have had at least
one signal warning of our decades wandering in the wilderness.

IIRC (and that's a huge if) Duke received the opening kickoff. It went to Bobby Hepler who was very small (but slow). He bobbled the ball, picked it up, bobbled it again, fumbled it into the
end zone where Michigan recovered. Seven zip all of about five seconds into the game.

Unless we lost two fumbles for game-opening opponent TDs, I think South Carolina was the team that did that. My memory isn't perfect, though.

[duke79]

I remember that Maryland game well. Almost as bad was a game against NC State. Down by 10 in the final minute or so, State kicked a field goal on 4th down, recovered the on-side kick, scored on the last play of the game and converted the two-point conversion for the win.

Duke has pulled out some memorable wins. One of my favorites was Ben Bennett's final home game, 1983, played on Thursday night under temporary lights, for TBS or TNT. Duke trailed 26-7 in the fourth quarter but Bennett threw three touchdown passes, the last one to Mark Militello on fourth and goal. 27-26 final.

Bennett was a gunslinger, a cocky Billy-the-Kid type who could cash any check his mouth wrote.

Good times.

I was at Duke for all of Ben's four seasons. Apparently, he could be a cocky jerk on the field and off, but he had to be one of the best pure passers in Duke football history. I don't remember him having a rifle arm but he was very accurate and threw a beautiful spiral. Wasn't he the all-time NCAA passing leader (in terms of pass yards completed) for a few years until (maybe) Doug Flutie passed him by?

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

I remember Duke Stadium before it was Wallace Wade Stadium ... and I remember Bill Murray.

[-jk]

Great OP, great thread!

My favorite WW moment was my freshman year, Spurrier's last, when we beat Clemson and charged the field. Being a clutz, I tripped and separated my shoulder in the charge, but the juice was worth the squeeze.

PS: Streaking isn't cool anymore? There goes my Saturday night...

One of those big track meets I saw as a kid: streaker made it past the steeple chase water hazard, past the scoreboard, almost made it - but tripped over a low fence at the open end... Quite the sight!

-jk

[buddy]

The cheerleaders (there were men on the squad then) tossing lamp chops into the Carolina section chanting "Here's your ram" after they had stolen it days before the game.

[devildeac]

I was there when Mike McGee's only option was to give it to Steve Jones..
...when the USSR came to town..
.when Tony Dorsett ran for over 200 yards
.when there were wooden bleachers above the bowl
.when they all boo'd when our boys came home from Vietnam
.when the old ball coach made his OC debut
.when Carl Franks could run fast and catch
.when Shirley Wilson became Red
.when Connor Barth kicked us in the gut..with .02 left
.when they clapped and cheered for man called Bear..
.when streaking was cool
.when Ted's twins were too young to know
.when i was the last person in the stands the day they fired Franks
.when the pelican bowl was played
.when the world record was set in the high jump
.when they smoked grass instead of pot
.when Jamison made the catch
.when we all cried on Sept. 22 2001 our first game since 9/11
.when Cut said 'We are Duke..'

and I'll be there today..what a long strange trip its been..

Wallace Wade I love the place.

Great list but you forgot the Rolling Stones;).

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

That sounds around the same time period with Coach Tom Harp and tongue-in-cheek suggestion team be renamed Blue Tunas ? ? ?:rolleyes:

k
The source of that notion was a male cheerleader named Al who championed the Blue Tuna as a mascot. Don't remember his last name; he became head cheerleader at some pint before his senior year... it was an elected position. Al campaigned to get the mascot changed, but his efforts got nowhere. This was sometime between 1966 and 1968. I've checked the Chanticleers for that era, but could find little about cheerleaders. (I worked on the Chanticleer staff and relate that some of the out of the box ideas in yearbook design at the time caused the final product to lack some level of detail that would be helpful to identify people years later.)

[BigWayne]

I remember the splinters, but I was also there when they solved that problem...
5481

and when that made it possible to make a snow jump into the endzone.

5482

[budwom]

The source of that notion was a male cheerleader named Al who championed the Blue Tuna as a mascot. Don't remember his last name; he became head cheerleader at some pint before his senior year... it was an elected position. Al campaigned to get the mascot changed, but his efforts got nowhere. This was sometime between 1966 and 1968. I've checked the Chanticleers for that era, but could find little about cheerleaders. (I worked on the Chanticleer staff and relate that some of the out of the box ideas in yearbook design at the time caused the final product to lack some level of detail that would be helpful to identify people years later.)

I don't know about this cheerleader Al, but I CAN tell you that I was the guy who spearheaded the Blue Tuna mascot move. I still have some of the bumperstickers I had made up (I sent one to Julio years ago).
I believe it was in 1969-70....good fun with that, being assistant sports editor of the Chronicle gave me lots of opportunities....The Durham Sun went nuts about it, saw it as an anti-war protest (which it was not), stating
that "there is presumably nothing warlike about tunas," an assertion with which I cannot argue.

[Atldukie79]

I remember...

* As a young boy, my Dad and across the street neighbor would direct the parking of cars on the (then) grass field where Koskinen stadium and the new track field are located. My neighbor's son and I would be dropped off by a mom at the power plant near the Duke hospital around noon. Then, an official Duke University van (driven by my neighbor) would drive up to the power plant, my friend and I would hop in the back, and we would proceed to drive through the gates of the football stadium on "official business". We would park near the really old press box and surreptitiously sneak out of the back into a football game for free.

* As a Boy Scout in Durham in the late 60's, we would don our uniforms, show up at the stadium 3 hours before kick off, gain some cursory instructions on ushering, and (most important) receive a free lunch box. We would then stand in the aisles for several hours, mostly getting in the way, and then sit on the aisles to watch the game. Free yet again.

* As a Duke Student and DUMB member, I would gain admittance for free...well, at the cost of a couple of hours of "practice", if you can call it that.

Now that I think of it, I guess I did not pay for my first 60 or so home games!

[howardlander]

Great list but you forgot the Rolling Stones;).

We also shouldn't forget (IIRC) Ella Fitzgerald singing the national anthem before a game. I think it was 1977 or 1978.

Howard

[Bob Green]

IIRC (and that's a huge if) Duke received the opening kickoff. It went to Bobby Hepler who was very small (but slow). He bobbled the ball, picked it up, bobbled it again, fumbled it into the end zone where Michigan recovered. Seven zip all of about five seconds into the game.

I remember a very similar start to the Duke, South Carolina game in 1967. Duke fumbled the opening kick-off and South Carolina recovered in the end zone for a 7-0 lead in a game the Gamecocks won 21-17.

I was there in 1976 for the Pitt game. It was the last game I attended prior to leaving home for my 30 year career in the Navy.

Another memorable game was beating Purdue the week after Purdue upset Notre Dame. I believe that was in 1974 or 75 but I'm too lazy to look it up.

[OZ]

I remember a very similar start to the Duke, South Carolina game in 1967. Duke fumbled the opening kick-off and South Carolina recovered in the end zone for a 7-0 lead in a game the Gamecocks won 21-17.

I was a student then and attended that game. The memory is fading a bit; but wasn't that when they actually dedicated/named the stadium "Wallace Wade?"

[wilson]

I remember Duke Stadium before it was Wallace Wade Stadium ... and I remember Bill Murray.5484

[Olympic Fan]

One of those big track meets I saw as a kid: streaker made it past the steeple chase water hazard, past the scoreboard, almost made it - but tripped over a low fence at the open end... Quite the sight!

-jk

That was the USA-USSR meet ...

My first Wade memory was the 1958 Duke-Baylor game. I was nine years old and watched Wray Carlton rush Duke to a 12-7 victory.

I have a much stronger memory of the 1960 Duke-Navy game. Navy came to town ranked No. 4 nationally with star running back Joe Bellino (who would win the Heisman Trophy that season). Some Duke students stole the Navy goat -- and paraded him around the track with a Blue D stenciled on his sides. As for the game, there was incredible frustration in the first half -- Duke dominated, but thanks to a couple of turnovers, Navy led 10-0. But Duke cut out the mistakes in the second half, continued to dominate and won 19-0.

I also remember the final home game in 1961 ... Notre Dame came to Wade and got run out of the stadium -- 37-13. The big news was that the Big Ten and Rose Bowl were having a contract fight and the story before the game was that if Duke beat the Irish impressively, Duke would get a Rose Bowl bid. Late in the game, fans were chanting "Rose Bowl ... Rose Bowl." Unfortunately, as soon as I got home, I saw on the news that the Big Ten and Rose Bowl had just renewed their deal, so Duke didn't get a third trip to Pasadena.

Two years later, I was field for the finish of the Duke-UNC game. Such a great turnout that they pit temporary bleachers around the lower bowl. Duke led 14-13 with just a couple of minutes left, when UNC mounted a final drive ... with a few seconds left, they tried a field goal into the open end of the stadium. I was standing under the right goal post -- and watched the ball sail just outside the post ... I was jumping up and down, but as I celebrated I was stunned to see the ref standing a few feet away with his arms in the air. To this day, I'll insist that UNC's 16-14 victory was bogus -- their winning FG was wide right.

Two years later, Duke routed UNC 34-7 in Bill Murray's last game as head coach. That win gave Duke a share of the ACC title -- his sixth ACC championship in the first 12 years of the league. Later, Duke lost the title when the ACC decided that South Carolina had to forfeit all its games. Duke had beaten South Carolina, so it didn't help us -- but it gave Clemson and NC State each an extra win and they were declared co-champions. We won it on the field, but lost it -- through no fault of our own -- in the boardroom.

Not much great football after that. I do recall the '89 Clemson game -- especially the moment when Randy Cuthbert caught a swing pass at the Clemson 5 was hit and apparently stopped there ... then the surge of electricity as Cuthbert (with some help from Chris Port) pushed the pile slowly into the end zone. I think that's the single most electric moment I ever experienced in Wade ... unless it was the Crowder catch to beat UNC in 2012.

I was there for all the big track meets in the 1970s, The first one was the USA Pan-African Meet -- 40,000 people in the stands. Anybody else remember Mirus Yfter -- a tiny Ethiopean distance runner who lost the 5,000 meters when he miscounted the laps and stopped a lap short? The next day, he bounced back to win the 10,000 meter race with the crowd roaring for him every step of the way (To be honest, I may have flipped the 5,000 and 10,000 ... I know those were the two races, biet I'm not sure which won he lost on Friday and which one he won on Saturday).

One last thing ... when was the last time the students tore down the goalposts? I know they did it in 1969, when Duke beat UNC on the Leo Hart-to-Wes Chesson shoestring play. I'm pretty sure it happened into the late '80s, but I'm not sure the last time. Anybody else remember?

PS Buddy, I remember the Blue Tuna campaign ... didn't the Duke swimming team actually adopt the Blue Tuna nickname for a few years?

[budwom]

Ha, that would be fitting, the swimming Blue Tunas. I do know we had have some true believers.

I loved those track meets.....astonishing world class talent on display.

[wilson]

One last thing ... when was the last time the students tore down the goalposts? I know they did it in 1969, when Duke beat UNC on the Leo Hart-to-Wes Chesson shoestring play. I'm pretty sure it happened into the late '80s, but I'm not sure the last time. Anybody else remember?We tore one goalpost down in the pouring rain on Aug. 31, 2002 after a win over East Carolina. That snapped a 23-game Duke losing streak. As a junior, it was the first time in my undergrad tenure that Duke won a football game.
I also heard tell of a goalpost coming down after the win over Clemson in 2004, though I had graduated by then. And at least one goalpost should have come down after Jamison's catch to beat the heels in 2012, but my understanding is that stadium security types make it a lot harder to tear one down nowadays than it used to be.

[SilkyJ]

Great list but you forgot the Rolling Stones;).


We tore one goalpost down in the pouring rain on Aug. 31, 2002 after a win over East Carolina. That snapped a 23-game Duke losing streak. As a junior, it was the first time in my undergrad tenure that Duke won a football game.
I also heard tell of a goalpost coming down after the win over Clemson in 2004, though I had graduated by then. And at least one goalpost should have come down after Jamison's catch to beat the heels in 2012, but my understanding is that stadium security types make it a lot harder to tear one down nowadays than it used to be.

Yes, yes, and yes.

The game vs ECU was my first game as a freshman. We stormed, we brought down 1 post, we marched it all the way back to east campus.

The Clemson win was my junior year, and we brought them down (or at least 1) again.

My dad came down for the Stones in 05 during my senior year--that was quite a show. The building they erected behind the stage was taller than than the top of the bleachers!

What a long way we've come!

[drcharl]

On November 16, 1963, Navy came in with Roger Staubach and they were ranked #2. Was a very close game until well into the 4th quarter. With Navy leading by 6, and in possession with the ball on their own 3, it looked like Duke was going to force them into a punting situation. Duke stacked the defensive line, but Navy RB Johnny Sai broke through and went 97 yards for a TD. This was the year Staubach won the Heisman and Navy played for the national championship vs Texas (but lost to Texas).

Another memory from those years - Was sitting in the stands with friends when someone pointed out that comedian Bob Newhart was sitting in the row right in front of us.

[fuse]

I remember the pummeling Virginia put on Duke, 59-0.

I was maybe one of a handful of people who stayed to the end of the game.

Why bring up such a horrible memory? Show how far we have come, and how long it took to get there.

Really amazed at how the football team has transformed under Cut.

[Sandman]

It goes back further. . .

I remember the 2-3 football game loss against Clemson.

I remember when all games were on Saturday afternoons. Guys dressed up, and gals did the same. A football game was a big social event.

The first game with (portable) lights was on a Thursday night. Walking around the stadium area in the dark felt weird. . .

(Heck, I remember "carolina" and "Joe College" weekends and the way the campus living groups went crazy on Homecoming weekend.)

The Blue Devil wore a cape, carried a pitchfork at all times, and could be seen all over the place including on the goalposts.

The scoreboard was fairly primitive, to include a clock with moving hands.

Oh yes: One of the associated experiences of attending any game in the stadium was pulling numerous splinters out of your backside.

Serious side note: I was there for the USA/USSR track meet. While many folks maligned the presence of the (now gone) track et al, it was quite an experience to attend those track events. Two or three days worth, I believe??

k

"....Those were the days my friend....." To just add a few more nostalgic memories from days that are returning now:

The day in 1958 when Dave Sime trotted onto the field as our “lonesome end”. It tied up at least two defenders to cover him, giving our offense a definite advantage. He was a constant threat and caught several touchdown passes (After he graduated from Duke in 1958, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions but he never pursued a professional football career.)

The day in 1960 when 9th ranked Duke beat 4th ranked ranked Navy with Heisman Trophy winner running back Joe Bellino in front of a Wallace Wade stadium + the wooden bleachers crowd that had to be at least 55,000.

The day(s) that the Duke - Georgia Tech game was always "THE game of the South".

The 1963 game against 2nd ranked Navy and Heisman winner Roger Staubach (sadly we lost 25-38(?)) on a really beautiful November Saturday in front of a really loud, raucous packed WW.

[CBDUKE]

I remember seeing Sonny Jurgensen, Joe Bellino, Wray Carlton, Walt Rapold, Mike Curtis, and many, many others in all these years. I love the new renovations to WW.

[drcharl]

In 1963 we saw Brian Piccolo play for Wake Forrest. In 1971, the movie about his football career and untimely death, "Brian's Song" starring James Caan, was made. In the 1964 game at Wake he lead them to a huge upset of Duke in their house.

[Acymetric]

We tore one goalpost down in the pouring rain on Aug. 31, 2002 after a win over East Carolina. That snapped a 23-game Duke losing streak. As a junior, it was the first time in my undergrad tenure that Duke won a football game.
I also heard tell of a goalpost coming down after the win over Clemson in 2004, though I had graduated by then. And at least one goalpost should have come down after Jamison's catch to beat the heels in 2012, but my understanding is that stadium security types make it a lot harder to tear one down nowadays than it used to be.

I'm pretty sure we tore the goalposts down after one of Roof's rare wins (last season or two of his career). Seems as though there was a head injury, possibly not enough people there to properly tear one down.

[duke09hms]

I'm pretty sure we tore the goalposts down after one of Roof's rare wins (last season or two of his career). Seems as though there was a head injury, possibly not enough people there to properly tear one down.

Yep, fall 2007, I was there. We had beaten Northwestern away in Evanston, and so we tore down a goalpost and dragged it all the way to the front of the Chapel. For some reason, we then tried to stand it up, and it fell over and nailed a girl in the head. She was fine afterwards.

[Bob Green]

I was a student then and attended that game. The memory is fading a bit; but wasn't that when they actually dedicated/named the stadium "Wallace Wade?"

Yes, September 30, 1967. I had to look it up to confirm.

[60's Devil]

I was there for a game with Georgia Tech. While play was going on near the end zone, two buck naked streakers ran out on the 50 to mid field and then ran toward the open end of the horseshoe. As they were pursued by slow running campus cops the crowd went wild. Certainly one of the most memorable runs in Wallace Wade.

[grossbus]

Navy RB Johnny Sai broke through and went 97 yards for a TD. .


With Biff Bracy, recently returned from an ankle injury, two steps behind him the whole way.

[jimsumner]

I was there for a game with Georgia Tech. While play was going on near the end zone, two buck naked streakers ran out on the 50 to mid field and then ran toward the open end of the horseshoe. As they were pursued by slow running campus cops the crowd went wild. Certainly one of the most memorable runs in Wallace Wade.

Too bad Mike Curtis wasn't around. :)

[Tom B.]

One of the worst: 13 secs to go, ahead of the Twerps by 5, they are on their own 13 yd line with no timeouts left. Twerps win on two consecutive 40-45 yard pass plays.

I was there for that game. October 24, 1992. And it was worse than you remember. Duke had kicked a field goal on its pevious series to stretch a one-point lead to four points, meaning Maryland needed a touchdown to win. There were 11 seconds left, not 13. And Maryland was on its own 11, with no timeouts. Two plays later -- both Hail Marys from John Kaleo to Marcus Badgett (a 51-yarder and a 38-yarder) -- and Maryland had won.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-10-25/sports/1992299127_1_badgett-kaleo-terps

Trivia note -- one of the players in that game would later be involved in one of the most famous plays in NFL history. A little over seven years after that Duke-Maryland game, Maryland tight end Frank Wycheck threw a cross-field lateral to Kevin Dyson in a last-gasp, desperation trick play that would come to be known as the Music City Miracle.

Those Barry Wilson teams had a knack for pulling gut-punch defeats from the jaws of victory. The year before, Duke led N.C. State by 10 with about 2:30 left. N.C. State promptly kicked a field goal, recovered an onside kick, scored a touchdown, and converted a two-point conversion to go up by one with under 10 seconds left. State still had to kick off, and Duke's return man Brad Breedlove broke free and looked to be headed to the end zone, with one man to beat. N.C. State's kicker then caught and tackled Breedlove at the five yard line. In the span of about two minutes of game time, everyone in the stands went from, "Yay! We're going to win!" to "Crap" to "ONMYGOD, WE'RE GOING TO WIN AFTER ALL!!!" and then back to "Crap."

[Indoor66]

Too bad Mike Curtis wasn't around. :)

Mike had the big hit in the Sunday game when a fan ran on the field and picked up "his" ball! Baaaaaaaaaaaaaad mistake! That was his game ball. (https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=mike+curtis+tackles+streaker&ei=UTF-8&fr=chr-greentree_ff&ilc=12&type=683654)

[Olympic Fan]

"....Those were the days my friend....." To just add a few more nostalgic memories from days that are returning now:

The day in 1958 when Dave Sime trotted onto the field as our “lonesome end”. It tied up at least two defenders to cover him, giving our offense a definite advantage. He was a constant threat and caught several touchdown passes (After he graduated from Duke in 1958, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions but he never pursued a professional football career.)


Everything else you remember is true, but not this -- Dave Sime never caught a touchdown pass at Duke.

In fact, I'm not sure he ever caught a pass. Period. I've searched the records for that period and game-by-game stats are hard to come by, but scoring summaries are available and he never scored.

The other curious thing is that Dave Sime never lettered in football. At the time, letterman status was a big honor and to get it, you had to play in a certain number of quarters. Sime joined the team late -- I believe that his first game was against Notre Dame on Oct. 18 (the fifth of 10 games). Duke lost that one 9-7. Even then, he didn't play a lot -- remember, that was in the days of limited substitution and most guys had to play two ways (some old timers claim that Sonny Jurgensen was a better defensive back than a QB at Duke). Pretty sure that Bill Murray didn't want Sime playing defensive back -- he took advantage of the limited substitution rules to spot use him on offense. Apparently, he never got enough snaps to letter.

Duke was 3-3 after Sime joined the team (two of the losses were to No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 1 LSU). The team didn't score much before or after Sime's arrival. That was the era when Murray rarely threw the ball -- he was much as three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust kind of coach as Woody Hayes. That changed in 1960, when Duke came out throwing at South Carolina and kept it up all season, bouncing back from 5-5 in 1958 and 4-6 in 1959 to an eight-win Cotton Bowl season in '60.

Even if Sime didn't score a TD pass for Duke, he was a multi-sport star. In addition to being the world record holder in the 100 meters, he was a second-team All-American center fielder for the baseball team and a world class speed skater (although Duke obviously didn't have an ice skating team).

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Everything else you remember is true, but not this -- Dave Sime never caught a touchdown pass at Duke.

In fact, I'm not sure he ever caught a pass. Period. I've searched the records for that period and game-by-game stats are hard to come by, but scoring summaries are available and he never scored.

The other curious thing is that Dave Sime never lettered in football. At the time, letterman status was a big honor and to get it, you had to play in a certain number of quarters. Sime joined the team late -- I believe that his first game was against Notre Dame on Oct. 18 (the fifth of 10 games). Duke lost that one 9-7. Even then, he didn't play a lot -- remember, that was in the days of limited substitution and most guys had to play two ways (some old timers claim that Sonny Jurgensen was a better defensive back than a QB at Duke). Pretty sure that Bill Murray didn't want Sime playing defensive back -- he took advantage of the limited substitution rules to spot use him on offense. Apparently, he never got enough snaps to letter.

Duke was 3-3 after Sime joined the team (two of the losses were to No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 1 LSU). The team didn't score much before or after Sime's arrival. That was the era when Murray rarely threw the ball -- he was much as three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust kind of coach as Woody Hayes. That changed in 1960, when Duke came out throwing at South Carolina and kept it up all season, bouncing back from 5-5 in 1958 and 4-6 in 1959 to an eight-win Cotton Bowl season in '60.

Even if Sime didn't score a TD pass for Duke, he was a multi-sport star. In addition to being the world record holder in the 100 meters, he was a second-team All-American center fielder for the baseball team and a world class speed skater (although Duke obviously didn't have an ice skating team).
I would add that the idea that Sime was the first lonesome end at Duke is not what I remember and not what I've read in Tee Moorman's descrition years later. While some teams may have experimented with a TE in a pass offense, Army's team was the one which made that role a successful staple on the offense. According to Moorman, after the 1959 Army game, Coach Murray began to reconsider offense as primarily a running game. Tee was selected to be Duke's version of the lonesome end in part because of his athleticism and speed. He adapted well to the role and was named All America.

[AtlDuke72]

We tore one goalpost down in the pouring rain on Aug. 31, 2002 after a win over East Carolina. That snapped a 23-game Duke losing streak..

The goal posts came down in 1972 when Steve Jones led the Devils to a 9-3 win over Stanford which was #3 in the country at the time. The game was played at Stanford.

[Olympic Fan]

I would add that the idea that Sime was the first lonesome end at Duke is not what I remember and not what I've read in Tee Moorman's descrition years later. While some teams may have experimented with a TE in a pass offense, Army's team was the one which made that role a successful staple on the offense. According to Moorman, after the 1959 Army game, Coach Murray began to reconsider offense as primarily a running game. Tee was selected to be Duke's version of the lonesome end in part because of his athleticism and speed. He adapted well to the role and was named All America.

Didn't we have this debate about a year ago?

I cited newspaper articles from 1958 that identified Sime as the 'Lonesome End."

It was Army in 1958 that invented the Lonesome End ... but it was such an immediate sensation that by mid-season, it was being copied by teams like Duke. My point is that while Murray copied the idea, he never integrated the Lonesome End into his offense -- it was strictly a decoy. He continued to pound the ball into the ground. It wasn't until Moorman's senior year in 1960 that he actually committed to a passing game. Duke went from 665 yards passing in 1959 to 1,042 in 1960 -- still not a lot by modern standards, but enough that Moorman earned All-American honors for his 54 catches for 476 yards and three TDs. For the record the leading receivers in 1958 and 1959 were running backs (Wray Carlton and Joel Arrington).

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Didn't we have this debate about a year ago?

I cited newspaper articles from 1958 that identified Sime as the 'Lonesome End."

It was Army in 1958 that invented the Lonesome End ... but it was such an immediate sensation that by mid-season, it was being copied by teams like Duke. My point is that while Murray copied the idea, he never integrated the Lonesome End into his offense -- it was strictly a decoy. He continued to pound the ball into the ground. It wasn't until Moorman's senior year in 1960 that he actually committed to a passing game. Duke went from 665 yards passing in 1959 to 1,042 in 1960 -- still not a lot by modern standards, but enough that Moorman earned All-American honors for his 54 catches for 476 yards and three TDs. For the record the leading receivers in 1958 and 1959 were running backs (Wray Carlton and Joel Arrington).
Maybe so.... I AM older than you and may not remember as well as you do!

[53n206]

My time started in 1953. Sonny Jurgenson etc. Really good teams. Stopped when Sonny injured in practice by,as I recall, late tackle when he had been run out of bounds. (Memory sometimes fails.) He was followed by a QB I called "dribble once and dive....." (name withheld). Anyway we have all had some good memories-- on to many more. GO DUKE!!!

[duke blue brewcrew]

- My first game ever at WW, #24DUKE vs Cheater Hill, 1994. The game was an absolute trackmeet and very exciting to watch, with a final score of 41-40,
Cheaters.

- Watching future Heisman candidate Andrew Luck and Stanford pass/run up and down the field all day. It was a blowout loss for Duke, but a cool moment for my
nephew and me.

Sadly, both of those memories are losses. I have seen some wins at Wally for Thad, Renfree, AB and now Sirk...and look forward to many more in the Coach Cut era!

[Olympic Fan]

My time started in 1953. Sonny Jurgenson etc. Really good teams. Stopped when Sonny injured in practice by,as I recall, late tackle when he had been run out of bounds. (Memory sometimes fails.) He was followed by a QB I called "dribble once and dive....." (name withheld). Anyway we have all had some good memories-- on to many more. GO DUKE!!!

Would that be Bob Brodhead?

He started the last four games in 1956 after Jurgensen (it's Jurgensen with the "en" finish) was hurt. He did pretty well that season, leading the team to a 2-1-1 finish -- but the loss was to No. 2 Georgia Tech and the tie was with No. 12 Navy. He engineered lopsided wins over Wake Forest and UNC.

A year later, Brodhead started every game in Duke's Orange Bowl season. He started nine of 10 as a senior -- including that Baylor game that was my earliest memory in Wade Stadium.

His numbers weren't all that great, but as I mentioned that was the era when Murray believed in run first and pass only as a last resort. Brodhead actually threw for more yards in his career than Jurgensen -- their career passing numbers were amazingly similar.

If you started watching in 1953 then you saw the best Duke quarterback of the 1950s -- the 1954 ACC player of the year and the MVP of our Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska -- Jerry Barger.

[Nesto]

One last thing ... when was the last time the students tore down the goalposts? I know they did it in 1969, when Duke beat UNC on the Leo Hart-to-Wes Chesson shoestring play. I'm pretty sure it happened into the late '80s, but I'm not sure the last time. Anybody else remember?
We did it in '82 after a win vs UNC to cement TWO winning seasons in a row (6-5 in '81 and '82). It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, so student numbers were thin, but we managed to carry it to the Chapel via Wannamaker (?) Drive. Earlier that same season, after a 3-0 start and a huge win vs UVa, we students were feeling a little heady with hope and hundreds of oranges were taken from the PIT to be thrown on the field when we would inevitably defeat Navy - to make sure that all in attendance knew we were Orange Bowl bound! ... the Weauf Gods were watching and we lost to start on a four game losing streak.

In addition to being the cocky gunslinger as noted, Ben Bennett was also one of the best quarters players in North Carolina. IIRC, he had a deadly roll down the nose delivery.

Sad to see the track move out. Was on the team for 2 years. Two highlights: (1) getting smoked in the 200m by a future Olympian. Forget who, but I seem to remember that he wasn't even a sprinter - I think he was a hurdler. And (2) being mistaken for a minute for Chris Castor by an NFL scout from the Rams ;)

[Indoor66]

And (2) being mistaken for a minute for Chris Castor by an NFL scout from the Rams ;)

Was that a LONG minute or a short minute? :cool:

[Atldukie79]

Duke v Maryland 1970

It seemed big at the time, yet has mostly faded from memory, perhaps because I was leaving the stadium in frustration and had to run back to see the end of the game. (Oh, and it was 45 years ago) But Duke won 13-12 as time ran out on a 45 yard FG by David Wright. My impression was that a 45 yarder was considered a long FG at that time.

But as I looked up the actual score just now, I noticed that in the late 60's and early 70's, Duke did not play Maryland every year. That surprised me. I thought we maintained a round robin at that time. Does anyone recall what the scheduling convention was then?

[jimsumner]

Duke v Maryland 1970

It seemed big at the time, yet has mostly faded from memory, perhaps because I was leaving the stadium in frustration and had to run back to see the end of the game. (Oh, and it was 45 years ago) But Duke won 13-12 as time ran out on a 45 yard FG by David Wright. My impression was that a 45 yarder was considered a long FG at that time.

But as I looked up the actual score just now, I noticed that in the late 60's and early 70's, Duke did not play Maryland every year. That surprised me. I thought we maintained a round robin at that time. Does anyone recall what the scheduling convention was then?

What I remember about that Maryland game was that it had an absurdly early start time; 10:30 or 11.00 A.M. or some such. IIRC State and Carolina were playing later that day and maybe the State Fair was going on in Raleigh and I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. But practically no one was in stands at kickoff and it just kept getting hotter and hotter.

And yes, 45-yards was a long way in those days.

[DukieInKansas]

We did it in '82 after a win vs UNC to cement TWO winning seasons in a row (6-5 in '81 and '82). It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, so student numbers were thin, but we managed to carry it to the Chapel via Wannamaker (?) Drive. Earlier that same season, after a 3-0 start and a huge win vs UVa, we students were feeling a little heady with hope and hundreds of oranges were taken from the PIT to be thrown on the field when we would inevitably defeat Navy - to make sure that all in attendance knew we were Orange Bowl bound! ... the Weauf Gods were watching and we lost to start on a four game losing streak.

In addition to being the cocky gunslinger as noted, Ben Bennett was also one of the best quarters players in North Carolina. IIRC, he had a deadly roll down the nose delivery.

Sad to see the track move out. Was on the team for 2 years. Two highlights: (1) getting smoked in the 200m by a future Olympian. Forget who, but I seem to remember that he wasn't even a sprinter - I think he was a hurdler. And (2) being mistaken for a minute for Chris Castor by an NFL scout from the Rams ;)

Only played quarters with him once - anyone that got the quarter in the cup passed it to him. He would line them all up and bounce all the quarters in. And he got better the more he drank - it was a bit irritating.

[Olympic Fan]

What I remember about that Maryland game was that it had an absurdly early start time; 10:30 or 11.00 A.M. or some such. IIRC State and Carolina were playing later that day and maybe the State Fair was going on in Raleigh and I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time. But practically no one was in stands at kickoff and it just kept getting hotter and hotter.

And yes, 45-yards was a long way in those days.

Actually, it was a 10 am start time. The thing at the time was that there were believed to be thousands of football fans in the Triangle who were frustrated by the conflict in start times. On that Saturday Duke started at 10 am, UNC at 1:30 pm and NC State at 7:30 pm (at the time, they were the only school with lights). The idea was that all those fans could take in a football tripleheader.

Of course, it didn't work that way. Just 12,000 fans showed up or the morning game in Wade... and attendance at Kenan and in Carter-Finley was normal. We learned that there were very few "football" fans in the Triangle ... just Duke fans, UNC fans and State fans.

Atldukoe, you are right that the Duke-Maryland series was sporadic in he '50s-60's and even 70s. In the first three years of the ACC, Duke and Maryland were unbeaten in the league -- but shared two titles because they didn't play each other (Maryland did tie a game in '55 that gave Duke the outright title). in 1965, it ended up costing us a share of the ACC title. Duke finished 4-2 but didn't play Maryland. State and Clemson played everybody and were 4-3. But later, the ACC forced South Carolina to forfeit all its games. That didn't help Duke, which had beat SC, but both State and Clemson had lost to the 'Cocks and their record was changed to 5-2 ... and the officially shared the ACC title.

But not playing Maryland almost gave Duke a share of the 1975 ACC title. The Terps finished the regular season unbeaten in the ACC. But they didn't play Duke. The Devils lost five non-conference games, but was 3-0 in the ACC when they got screwed out of a win vs NC State (the ACC later issued a formal apology for the blown call that cost Duke the game). The next week, a dispirited Duke team went through the motions against a terrible (3-7-1) UNC and tied them. Duke finished 3-0-2 ... unbeaten in the ACC, but second to 5-0 Maryland.

[Nesto]

Was that a LONG minute or a short minute? :cool:

To me... very long. I'm sure to any objective observer... a double take. :cool:

[Atldukie79]

Actually, it was a 10 am start time. The thing at the time was that there were believed to be thousands of football fans in the Triangle who were frustrated by the conflict in start times. On that Saturday Duke started at 10 am, UNC at 1:30 pm and NC State at 7:30 pm (at the time, they were the only school with lights). The idea was that all those fans could take in a football tripleheader.

Of course, it didn't work that way. Just 12,000 fans showed up or the morning game in Wade... and attendance at Kenan and in Carter-Finley was normal. We learned that there were very few "football" fans in the Triangle ... just Duke fans, UNC fans and State fans.

Atldukoe, you are right that the Duke-Maryland series was sporadic in he '50s-60's and even 70s. In the first three years of the ACC, Duke and Maryland were unbeaten in the league -- but shared two titles because they didn't play each other (Maryland did tie a game in '55 that gave Duke the outright title). in 1965, it ended up costing us a share of the ACC title. Duke finished 4-2 but didn't play Maryland. State and Clemson played everybody and were 4-3. But later, the ACC forced South Carolina to forfeit all its games. That didn't help Duke, which had beat SC, but both State and Clemson had lost to the 'Cocks and their record was changed to 5-2 ... and the officially shared the ACC title.

But not playing Maryland almost gave Duke a share of the 1975 ACC title. The Terps finished the regular season unbeaten in the ACC. But they didn't play Duke. The Devils lost five non-conference games, but was 3-0 in the ACC when they got screwed out of a win vs NC State (the ACC later issued a formal apology for the blown call that cost Duke the game). The next week, a dispirited Duke team went through the motions against a terrible (3-7-1) UNC and tied them. Duke finished 3-0-2 ... unbeaten in the ACC, but second to 5-0 Maryland.

Thanks for the answer...I am surprised the ACC did not mandate a round robin.

[madscavenger]

A few a little off the beaten track memories:

a) Al Woodall. His MO: drop back 17 and go down (happened a lot).

b) Bob Matheson. My first down in the bowels mailbox at Duke had previously belonged to Bob Matheson. How did i know? i didn't get a whole lot of mail and was thrilled to see a postcard in the box. It was addressed to one Bob Matheson - something to do with the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.

c) I spent part of a semester tutoring Leo Hart (and Randy Denton). My memory must be shot to hell, but i will swear on the Order of the Chair that the subject was calculus.

d) Kappa Alpha; Saturday night. Nuff said!

[oldnavy]

Only played quarters with him once - anyone that got the quarter in the cup passed it to him. He would line them all up and bounce all the quarters in. And he got better the more he drank - it was a bit irritating.

Ben and I worked together at a CC in Durham one summer as lifeguards. Actually he really didn't do much work even for a lifeguard, but we did go out a few times and yes, he was amazingly good at bouncing the quarter into the cup or glass.