1989

[Uncle Drew]

Much thanks to DBR for posting the WRAL clip remembering the 1989 41-0 thrashing Duke put on UNC that year. I realize this is technically a basketball site, and I've read countless posts of favorite memories of certain Duke basketball games and players over the years. But that fall day in 1989 ranks up there with all time great Duke memories for me. First I attended the game, my brother and I sat in the middle of hundreds of UNC fans and were so bloody obnoxious we ran off most of them by the start of the 3rd quarter. Second I played high school ball against Chucky Burnette the #1 rated QB out of high school and with him in pee wee ball. When a line backer came through and hit him from behind so hard his feet almost touched the back of his head it was a joy to watch. If memory serves me correctly Duke knocked two UNC QB's that day, definately the last time (and only time) I recall Duke doing that to an opposing team! Third whether it was intentional running up the score by Steve Spurrier or Duke was that much better than the heels I don't know or care. But to see an archrival unable to put a point on the board while surrendering points at will was a thing of beauty. Finally to do it at Kenan Stadium surrounded by all that putrid light blue was the equivalent to beating the devil himself in the middle of hell. Franklin Street was devoid of UNC fans that day. It was amazing to see all the bars full of people wearing dark blue without a heckler in sight. Granted we all probably jinxed Duke football for the next 15 years against UNC, but for one day Chapel Hill really was "blue heaven". Only on THAT day it was Duke Blue Heaven!


Good luck to our guys against VT this weekend. But I want to wish South Carolina a ton of luck against the evil empire in Orange County. I hope the headline of the Durham Herald reads "Blue Devils Win Game Of Hokey Pokey" and "Tarheels Can't Beat Cocks"!

[RelativeWays]

how about "Tarheels Fall to Cocks" or "Cocks Pound Heels". No sexual innuendo here at all, get your minds out of the gutter. :rolleyes:

[Olympic Fan]

Am I the only guy on this site who is overcome by the chuckles every time I hear the media talking about how it still rankles Carolina people that Duke ran up the score on them in 1989?

I'm laughing so hard at this moment that I can barely type this.

Duke ... ran ... up ... the ... score ... on ... the ... poor ... Tar ... Heels

Okay, it's 10 minutes later and I'm back in control.

I did want to mention that a few years ago I obtained a tape of Duke's "one in a million" victory over Clemson in 1989. I have a lot of great basketball memories in my life, but I don't think I've ever had a chill-inducing moment at a football game to match Randy Cuthbert's first touchdown of the second half -- hit and swarmed under at the five and he just overpowers 4-5 Clemson tacklers to get into the end zone.

Awesome!

[sandinmyshoes]

I enjoyed that season and that game like no other. However, not the scoreboard incident. That just wasn't Duke to me. Low class. In hindsight, I think Spurrier knew he was done at Duke and pulled that stunt knowing that it wouldn't come back to bite him any time soon. No, he left Duke to face that bit of retribution.

But, I keep that to myself around UNC fans and never let it get in the way of some friendly jabs. I also keep to myself, around them, that it left me much less appreciative of Coach Spurrier than most Duke fans. Of course, had he stayed and kept winning, I probably would have over come my inhibitions. :cool:

[hc5duke]

how about "Tarheels Fall to Cocks" or "Cocks Pound Heels". No sexual innuendo here at all, get your minds out of the gutter. :rolleyes:

Might be an urban legend, but I could have sworn I've seen a picture of this... At the USC vs U$C game, a Cocks fan had a sign that read "Our Cocks are too big for your Trojans". No sexual innuendo here either, naturally.

[Uncle Drew]

I enjoyed that season and that game like no other. However, not the scoreboard incident. That just wasn't Duke to me. Low class. In hindsight, I think Spurrier knew he was done at Duke and pulled that stunt knowing that it wouldn't come back to bite him any time soon. No, he left Duke to face that bit of retribution.

But, I keep that to myself around UNC fans and never let it get in the way of some friendly jabs. I also keep to myself, around them, that it left me much less appreciative of Coach Spurrier than most Duke fans. Of course, had he stayed and kept winning, I probably would have over come my inhibitions. :cool:


Class? Okay the pose in front of the score board may have been a little salt in the wound. But anyone here remember a few years back when UNC kicked a winning field goal at Wallace Wade and the kicker ran and attacked the inflatable Duke helmet? You are probably right saying Spurrier knew he was on his way to bigger and better things, and didn't care how the pose would be percieved.

And the Clemson Randy Cuthbert thing was another thing of beauty that year. I stood in a cold rain watching that game and yet despite being soaked on the outside I was warm and squishy on the inside by the end of the day. Okay yes we were drinking Crown Royal, but that's not what I meant!

When USC beats Oregon St and the headlines read "Trojans Pound Beavers" the inuendo doesn't much better than that.

[sandinmyshoes]

Class? Okay the pose in front of the score board may have been a little salt in the wound. But anyone here remember a few years back when UNC kicked a winning field goal at Wallace Wade and the kicker ran and attacked the inflatable Duke helmet? You are probably right saying Spurrier knew he was on his way to bigger and better things, and didn't care how the pose would be percieved.



My first thought is that Duke should be classier than UNC. My second thought is Coach K's admonishment "who's the player and who's the coach?" A player displaying infantile behavior is one thing, but a coach?

In Spurrier's defense, he seems to have caught a lot of flack from UNC boosters when he took the Duke job. They basically taunted him about taking on a job they thought was a dead end where he couldn't win. The scoreboard incident was evidently seeded in those jabs. But still, while Spurrier may have had his motivation, I still did not like the way it represented Duke, or the fact that he left his players to face the music in the following seasons.

[Shammrog]

My first thought is that Duke should be classier than UNC. My second thought is Coach K's admonishment "who's the player and who's the coach?" A player displaying infantile behavior is one thing, but a coach?

In Spurrier's defense, he seems to have caught a lot of flack from UNC boosters when he took the Duke job. They basically taunted him about taking on a job they thought was a dead end where he couldn't win. The scoreboard incident was evidently seeded in those jabs. But still, while Spurrier may have had his motivation, I still did not like the way it represented Duke, or the fact that he left his players to face the music in the following seasons.

Hey - I like Spurrier! I think he is funny and did a HELL of a job at Duke.

Fall of 1989 was my freshman year. Anyone remember that he let Dave Colonna (the tight end) kick the final extra point?!? :-)

[killerleft]

Cuthbert did not reach the endzone by himself. I'm embarrassed to say I can't recall the name of the offensive lineman that helped mightily, but he played pro ball in New Orleans. Duke's offensive line that year was the heart of the team.

[killerleft]

Chris Port was the offensive lineman who was in the mass of humanity that slowly pushed goalward until Cuthbert scored Duke's first touchdown. Man, I'm glad I remembered that!