The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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164 ■ THE WOLFPACKER "What the hell is wrong with you guys?" Byrd asked. In the second half, the offense outscored the Terps 31-6, including a 33-yard scoring strike from Donnan to Martell. However, NC State's situation changed dramatically against Duke in the season's seventh game, Late in the contest, Byrd was chopped in the leg after the whistle, causing a knee injury that hampered him for the rest of his playing career. Byrd, who died of a heart attack during back surgery in 2010, always thought that injury might have been what cost NC State a chance at winning the national champion- ship. "I said it 100 times: It did not look to me like Duke was trying to win the game; it looked like they were trying to hurt people," Byrd said shortly after being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. "There were a lot of cheap shots in that game. On my play, Mark Capuano and Billy Morrow had already made the tackle. "I was pulling up when I was hit from be- hind — and nothing was called on the play." Byrd was in on only one play at Penn State and reinjured his knee at Clemson. He did not play in the Liberty Bowl and had surgery on the knee before being taken at No. 6 in the NFL Draft by the Boston Patriots. Still, the Wolfpack went to State College, Pennsylvania, with an 8-0 record, a No. 3 national ranking — which is still the high- est in program history — and scouts from the major New Year's Day bowls watching every contest. (Stunningly, the ACC did not send a single team to a bowl game from 1964-66, and the league was eager for more postseason competition.) "We kept winning, and every time we grabbed a newspaper we were ranked a few spots higher," said offensive lineman Norm Cates. "None of us had the idea when we came here that we might one day have a chance to win a national championship, but that's what we had when we went to Penn State." The Nittany Lions, under the guidance of second-year coach Joe Paterno, punched the Pack in the facemask quickly, taking the open- ing kickoff down the field on a scoring drive. It was the first points given up by the defense in the first quarter of a game all season. Penn State sophomore linebacker Den- nis Onkotz, who was later twice named an All-American, returned an interception 67 yards to give his team a 13-0 lead. But the defense tightened up after that, allowing just one second-half first down. Warren added two short field goals in the second half, putting the Wolfpack in striking range. Donnan was intercepted again midway through the fourth quarter, but he did direct the team down the field late in the game, starting first-and-goal from the 9 with less than four minutes to play. Halfback Bobby Hall nearly scored around the end on second down, but was tripped up just a few feet from the goal-line. Hall gained nothing on third down, and the Pack called timeout before fourth down. On the Penn State sideline, Paterno wanted his front line to rush out, figuring the Wolf- pack would go outside to score the touch- down. Instead, Onkotz convinced his coach to pinch inside, correctly guessing that the Wolf- pack would turn to fullback Tony Barchuk. ■ PACK PAST Defensive tackle Dennis Byrd became the first three-time first-team All-ACC pick in program history in 1967. He was inducted into the Col- lege Football Hall of Fame in 2010. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS The 1967 team, which boasted one of the best defenses in school history, reached an all-time NC State high of No. 3 in the national polls and won nine games, including the first bowl victory in program annals, had a reunion in 2007. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS