The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472609
56 ■ THE WOLFPACKER pack won despite the worst offensive performance of Rivers' career. The of- fense got all the help it needed from two special teams touchdowns. "People want to call us frauds and ev- erything else in the book," Amato said then. "I am so proud to be 9-0 and the biggest fraud team in America." The nine wins matched the most in school history, with five games remain- ing on the schedule. Then, just as soon as Amato's team reached the top 10 in both national polls, a three-game losing streak at the most critical part of the season ruined what might have been for a program aiming for its first ACC title since 1979 and its first-ever appearance in one of the big traditional postseason games. All three losses were by a touchdown or less. The first loss was against Georgia Tech in one of the most unfavorable circum- stances in Wolfpack history. A delay- of-game penalty by the Yellow Jackets negated a sack by Wolfpack defensive lineman George Anderson, which would have pushed Tech near its own goal line. On the next play, the Jackets con- verted a third-and-19 and marched the length of the field for a touchdown. When McLendon fumbled the ball away with eight minutes to play, the Wolfpack's perfect season was spoiled in a 24-17 loss. The next weekend, defending ACC- champion and Amato nemesis Mary- land beat the Wolfpack 24-21, thanks to a field goal with 24 seconds remaining. The nightmare continued in a game that was supposed to be all about the quarterback matchup between Rivers and eventual ACC Offensive Player of the Year Matt Schaub of Virginia. The cold, rainy weather kept the passing and scoring down, and the Cavaliers won 14-9. "It was just one of those things where one loss turned into three," Holt said. "We were staggered, and it took us a couple of games to recover." Stepping Up The Wolfpack's team slogan going into the 2002 season was "Step Up," which was plastered all over Carter-Finley Sta- dium at each home game and on school marketing material from the spring game forward. Players admitted, however, that the team was taking more steps backward at the end of the season than steps upward, and the realization stung going into the season finale against No. 14 Florida State, which was playing for a chance to win another ACC title. Although the Wolfpack had won two of its previous four games against the Seminoles, the likelihood of becoming the first ACC team to beat Bowden's team two years in a row seemed slim. But NC State amassed a 40:26 to 19:34 time-of-possession advantage and held Bowden's team without an offen- sive touchdown for just the second time since 1988. The Pack blocked two punts and tipped another. Even when it was try- ing to give the ball back, Florida State couldn't get beyond the line of scrim- mage. The surprise 17-7 outcome did two things: It gave the Wolfpack its first ever double-digit victory total in the 111-year history of the program, and, in a twisted turn of fate, it gave Florida State a share of its ninth ACC title in 10 seasons, thanks to a Virginia win over Maryland that same afternoon. As it turned out, the victory over the Seminoles provided a double shot of redemption. It capped the regular sea- son with a win and impressed the Ga- tor Bowl selection committee enough to invite the Wolfpack over Virginia and Maryland to play Notre Dame on New Year's Day. It was definitely a step up for the program. NC State had never played against college football's most publi- cized program, but the Fighting Irish were not an entirely unfamiliar foe. Irish head coach Tyrone Willingham, Chuck Amato's third season as NC State's head coach still stands as the winningest year in school history. The Wolfpack went 11-3 in 2002, the only time it has ever surpassed nine wins in a season. PHOTO BY MIKE PITTMAN