FB: Wake Forest 59, Duke 7

[devildeac]

1976, Kenan

Duke 38 UNC 31, a minute or so left.

Carolina QB (Chris Kupec?) throws a long pass downfield. It's a jump ball. Carolina receiver and Duke defender jump for ball, which falls incomplete.

Incidental contact, at best.

Flag thrown. Old rules. It's about a 60-yard pass interference call.

Carolina wins 39-38.

The rules were changed a few years later, limiting PI to 15 yards. I've always wondered if this call had something to do with it.

That's the one. Still painful to recall/read. I thought my friend was going to be arrested at kenan and I felt badly as I had no bail money.

Sometimes, your memory is just too good, Jim. :o:rolleyes:

[devildeac]

No one answered my question for upthread.

Did our focus on staying out of foul trouble cause us to be less active and aggressive, causing our first half defense to be miserable?

Strange question to ask in the Duke-WFU FB game thread. :confused:;)

[devildeac]

...but...but...but...Jim, it's purely coincidence that Duke lost 2 straight in Kenan by one point in the final seconds...

EDIT: WAIT WAIT...my bad...lost in 74 at Kenan 14-13 - so three straight losses at Kenan by 1 point. What are the odds?

Depends on what shade of blue you're wearing...

:mad:

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

No one answered my question for upthread.

Did our focus on staying out of foul trouble cause us to be less active and aggressive, causing our first half defense to be miserable?

Actually, trying to stay out of foul trouble might explain some of Duke's defensive issues. Not sure how to explain our inability to score.

[jimsumner]

That 16-15 loss in 1978 was Mike McGee's last game at Duke. Three field goals, a TD and a missed two-point conversion left Duke with a 15-3 lead late in the game. Carolina scored twice in a couple of minutes, the game-winner an Amos Lawrence run with just a few seconds left.

I do not recall an officiating controversy. Duke just did a horrible job closing out the game.

[Kfanarmy]

Jim S. brought up excellent points about this being Thanksgiving weekend...Duke having a small student body, much of which is out of state...and a small alum base, also much of it out of state...and absolutely zero Thanksgiving tradition for football. He's right on the freaking money with all of these.

So maybe I'm out of line, but I think Kevin White should have Cut and the football team's back on this. Thanksgiving is this early only rarely....and certainly White should know every single fact Jim mentioned above. It's his job to know that. I don't think Swofford or any ACC coach wants to have this kind of crowd no show anywhere in the league. Off top of my head, I would think the regular season would run into Thanksgiving week about 2 years every 7, or less with Leap Years. Certainly Duke can avoid a home game those infrequent occasions. Duke is uniquely positioned to be killed by a Thanksgiving home game.

White can't control the weather, and it was awful, but I think he should be able to not have home games when the student body and the alums are out of state. Like I said, am I out of bounds here?

It was Thanksgiving week for Wake as well and, weren't they the visitors? Motivation is likely a factor, but I think the holiday is a wash for consideration.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

It was Thanksgiving week for Wake as well and, weren't they the visitors? Motivation is likely a factor, but I think the holiday is a wash for consideration.

I am talking about the empty seats. NOT the performance. The seats. The fans who weren't there.

[arnie]

That 16-15 loss in 1978 was Mike McGee's last game at Duke. Three field goals, a TD and a missed two-point conversion left Duke with a 15-3 lead late in the game. Carolina scored twice in a couple of minutes, the game-winner an Amos Lawrence run with just a few seconds left.

I do not recall an officiating controversy. Duke just did a horrible job closing out the game.

I remember listening to the game. Isn’t this the game in which Carolina 1) passes their way down to about the 8 and 2) with no timeouts and under 10 secs left ran Famous Amos on a delay up the middle? My recollection is the middle was wide open and he walked into the end zone. Our announcer couldn’t believe they ran the ball with no TOS left. My details may be off a bit, but remember we dominated until it counted.

[TheDevilMadeMeDoIt]

I was at the game with my father-in-law, a Carolina fan. Yes, the last play of the game. I think Crum was the coach. It should have been a terrible play call, but it was so bad no one expected it. Had it failed Crum would have been run out of town. The only time I saw us win a game with UNC back in those days was the “shoe string” play by Wes Chesson. Thanks to Cut for finally beating the cheats regularly.

[johnb]

I am talking about the empty seats. NOT the performance. The seats. The fans who weren't there.

I grew up in Dallas, and there is just no comparison between a TX/A&M Thanksgiving wkd game, and us playing Wake in Wallace Wade.

Leaving aside the reality that college football is religion in Texas (and both football and religion are generally viewed religiously in Texas), it's a social phenomena in which extended families will sit quietly watching the games--marked only be yelling at the tv set. That's true through much of the country, but often less true in places where Duke alums grew up or moved to. But even if we were equally passionate, here are some numbers:

University of Texas has seen its student population dwindle to "only" 50,000 in 2018 after having been the largest school in the country from 1998 to 2003. They have 16,500 current faculty and staff, as well as about 500,000 alums.

Texas A&M has 68,000 undergraduates. 436,000 people are alums.

Many Texans who never attended college or who attended colleges without prominent football teams (there are some), follow Texas or Texas A&M with great passion.

The large majority of students and alums of both UT and A&M live in Texas, and so will be home over Thanksgiving.

When Texas and A&M played over Thanksgiving, there would be well over 1,000,000 people who have a direct link to the schools, are football fans, AND would be within driving distance (or within a cheap Southwest flight).

As is true for other football hotspots, we can't even minimally compete in regards to filling a stadium.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

I grew up in Dallas, and there is just no comparison between a TX/A&M Thanksgiving wkd game, and us playing Wake in Wallace Wade.
As is true for other football hotspots, we can't even minimally compete in regards to filling a stadium.

This was my point, points I have made many times. But without a doubt, the weather was a huge factor as well as Thanksgiving and the bigger demographic realities you brought up. The last home game during Thanksgiving week drew about 22,000 I believe.....there were what, 5,000 vs WF? And most left.