If you are blindly reading this Blog today with no historical context, then you are going to think that I am a total ass for what you will see as constantly referring to my desire for NC State to score at least 50 points against East Carolina in today’s football game.
But, as any elementary school child would whine…I respond to you with a classic, “He hit me first.”
In case you need a primer on some of the more recent history between the Wolfpack and Pirates, please allow me to turn your attention to the last game of the 1996 football season between NC State and East Carolina.
On the last week of the 1996 season, the 3-7 Wolfpack limped into Charlotte at its low point since Dick Sheridan had resurrected the program a decade earlier. By contrast, East Carolina was fielding one of its best two or three teams in the history of its football program.
Unfortunately for Wolfpack fans, even the weather cooperated with the Pirates a nagging rain served to neutralize any chance that State’s balanced offense had of consistently scoring to mask its pitiful defense. The rain also allowed the Pirates to focus on their ground game led by Scot Harley, who had previous run for over 200 yards in similar weather against the University of South Carolina.
Harley ultimately ran for a school record 351 yards and ECU cruised passed Mike O’Cain and the Wolfpack. Late in the fourth quarter, the Pirates scored an un-necessary touchdown to make the score 48-29. Never one to hide from controversy, ECU Head Coach Steve Logan elected to go for two in a blatant attempt to hit the 50 point threshold against the Wolfpack.
The Pirates succeeded in the 2-point attempt and the Ericsson Stadium scoreboard read a painful, and unnecessary “50” for ECU.
