The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525890
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024 ■ 35 the Cotton Bowl when they visited Carter Stadium with two weeks remaining in the 1974 regular season. Head coach Joe Pa- terno knew his team was in for a challenge, even though the Lions had won all 10 of the previous meetings against the Wolf- pack in a series that dated back to 1920. Paterno had pocketed two wins over Penn State graduate Earle Edwards, one over Wolfpack interim coach and PSU grad Al Michaels and a second over Holtz. Mingled in a day-long defensive struggle was a stellar performance by Wolfpack fullback Stan Fritts, who ac- counted for both Wolfpack scores in the game. Fritts gained 112 yards against a unit that ranked first in the nation in rushing defense, pushing him over 1,000 yards for the season. However, it was the Wolfpack defense, which had not allowed fewer than 10 points in a game all season, that deserved the credit for State's biggest upset since the 16-6 victory at No. 2 Houston in 1967. With the Pack clinging to a 12-7 fourth-quarter lead, the Nittany Lions rolled down Carter Stadium's famous crowned field to the 6-yard line. Wolf- pack linebacker Mike Daley stopped Penn State on the next two plays, then defensive end Tom Prongay threw run- ning back Dick Barvinchak backward for an 8-yard loss. On fourth-and-goal, PSU quarter- back Tom Shuman overthrew receiver Jerry Jeram in the end zone, giving State its first victory over the longtime rival. After the final whistle, Holtz pre- sented the game ball to Michaels, who had stayed on as defensive coordinator after one year as interim head coach. It was PSU's first November loss in 26 games, dating back to 1966, and was Holtz's 17th consecutive win at Carter Stadium, where he dropped just one game in his four seasons as head coach. The Wolfpack finished the season at No. 9 in the final UPI ranking and No. 11 in the AP poll, both the highest in school history. NC State 32, No. 13 Syracuse 31 Aug. 30, 1997 | Syracuse, N.Y. NC State 38, No. 11 Syracuse 17 Oct. 1, 1998 | Raleigh For two consecutive seasons, head coach Mike O'Cain's Wolfpack stunned the nationally ranked Orangemen, led by future NFL All-Pro quarterback Donovan McNabb. The first was a dar- ing 32-31 overtime win at the Carrier Dome, and then came a 38-17 blowout at Carter-Finley Stadium. O'Cain's teams were huge underdogs in both games, but the plucky play of quar- terback Jamie Barnette and emerging wide receiver Torry Holt sparked the upsets. Barnette, a reliable and durable passer who started more games under center (41) than any Wolfpack quar- terback other than Philip Rivers (51) in his career, outplayed Heisman hopeful McNabb in both contests, overcoming a 14-0 first-quarter deficit in the first game. He managed to find Holt twice on touchdown passes and got the ball to senior tailback Tremayne Stephens when he needed ground contributions. The score was tied 24-24 at the end of regulation, and Syracuse scored on its first possession of overtime to take a 31-24 lead. Barnette then converted a fourth-and-7 with a 10-yard scramble to the 2-yard line. Stephens scored the touchdown that could have set up a sec- ond overtime with a kick conversion, but O'Cain rushed his offense back onto the field for a surprise two-point attempt. The fully confident Barnette found a streaking Holt in the corner of the end zone to score with ease, giving the Pack one of the biggest surprises of the 1997 season. Early in the 1998 campaign, Barnette and Holt connected on a 63-yard scor- ing pass in a 24-7 upset of No. 2 Florida State. The Pack then bounced back from a disappointing loss at Baylor with a dominating performance against the Orangemen in a nationally televised Thursday night game at Carter-Finley Stadium. It's the only time in school history that State has beaten a top-five and top-15 team in the same season. NC State 23, No. 16 Texas 20 Aug. 28, 1999 | Austin, Texas In his seven seasons as NC State's football coach, O'Cain played aggres- sive nonconference schedules that included multiple games against Ala- bama, Purdue, Texas Tech, Marshall, East Carolina and Syracuse. One of the biggest victories was a 23-20 decision over nationally ranked Texas to open what was ultimately O'Cain's final season. The Longhorns jumped out to a 10-0 lead, thanks to a pair of Wolfpack fum- bles. State got back into the game on a 25-yard touchdown run by Ray Robinson and a blocked punt by safety Eric Leak. Trailing 17-9, State turned to its spe- cial teams unit, led by remarkable red- shirt freshman Terrence Holt. Holt, the NCAA's all-time kick-block- ing leader by the end of his career, swatted down two more Longhorn punts, with cornerback Tony Scott returning one 23 yards for a touchdown and Leak returning the other 13 yards for a go-ahead score. A two-point conversion and a defen- sive interception by Lloyd Harrison on the final play of the game secured the win, allowing the Wolfpack to overcome its lowest total offense (172 yards) since 1965. The Pack, however, lost six of its final nine games, and O'Cain was fired after the season. ■ Defensive coordinator Al Michaels (right) received a game ball from head coach Lou Holtz (left) after NC State stifled seventh-ranked Penn State, 12-7, in November 1974. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS