Wolfpack Lookback – Sept 12 1998 – State vs FSU

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While yesterday was a sad anniversary for our country, today is a happy anniversary for Wolfpack fans. Thirteen years ago today on September 12, 1998 the Wolfpack pulled off an upset that ranks among the biggest wins in school history.

Let me set the stage: the Wolfpack was coming off a 6-5 record in 1997 and started off the 1998 season with a last minute blocked punt TD win over Ohio 34-31. The Florida State Seminoles came into Carter-Finley Stadium ranked #2 in the country coming off an 11-1 season and a 1-0 start with a win over Texas A&M. FSU had been in the ACC for 6 years and had a 47-1 conference record, the only loss coming to UVA in 1995 when Warrick Dunn got stuffed at the goalline. After that loss, FSU rolled off 18 straight ACC wins. This was also the same Florida State program that had beaten the Wolfpack by scores like 77-17 in 1995 and 62-3 in 1993. My friends and I had plans to go out to dinner for my birthday after the game, we had no idea we would have double reason to celebrate.

I doubt anybody in Carter-Finley expected to be celebrating after the first play from scrimmage. Future Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke hit Peter Warrick for a 74 yard touchdown. Twenty seconds into the game and the Noles were already up 7-0. After those 77-17 and 62-3 losses, the thought of “here we go again” was certainly in my mind.

However, at the end of the 1st quarter the Wolfpack would have a 13-7 lead. Jamie Barnette hooked up with Eric Leak for a 31 yard touchdown, but with a missed extra point the Noles still led 7-6.

Enter Torry Holt. In the previous year in Tallahassee, the Wolfpack rallied from a 27-0 first quarter deficit to eventually fall 48-35. Holt had 12 catches for 168 yards and all 5 of the Pack’s touchdowns. A year later Holt picked up right where he left off.

Just 2 minutes after Leak’s TD, Holt had a 68 yard punt return for a TD that would eventually be the game winner.

The only scoring in the 2nd and 3rd quarters came on a 39 yard field goal by Scott Earwood, giving the Wolfpack a 16-7 lead going into the 4th quarter.

The Pack’s defense, after giving up a TD on the game’s first play from scrimmage, never let the Noles score again. The Wolfpack secondary picked off Weinke 6 times, twice by Lloyd Harrison, and after completing only 9 of 32 passes Weinke was eventually pulled by Bobby Bowden for backup Marcus Outzen.

For some insurance points, Holt struck again by scoring on a 63 yard TD pass from Barnette. After a 2 point conversion, the Wolfpack had a 24-7 lead that would stand as the final score.

Rashon Spikes (the last player to wear #17 before you know who) led the Pack in rushing with 63 yards on 22 carries. Jamie Barnette was 17-32 for 267 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Torry Holt was the leading receiver with 9 catches for 135 yards.

Mike O’Cain’s quote after the game: “Nobody gave us a dog’s chance of
coming in here and winning this football game, not a prayer.”

About WV Wolf

Graduated from NCSU in 1996 with a degree in statistics. Born and inbred in West "By God" Virginia and now live in Raleigh where I spend my time watching the Wolfpack, the Mountaineers and the Carolina Hurricanes as well as making bar graphs for SFN. I'm @wvncsu on the Twitter machine.

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26 Responses to Wolfpack Lookback – Sept 12 1998 – State vs FSU

  1. STLPack01 09/12/2011 at 11:01 AM #

    I was there, my junior year, sitting on the grassy end zone hill. We rushed the field, and I took up some turf from the end zone which I saved for quite awhile. When the goal post broke it was quite scary as it whipped around and could have seriously hurt some people. Folks dragged those goalposts all the way down hillsborogh st. to campus. What a game.

  2. orionpack 09/12/2011 at 11:41 AM #

    Was there too, my sophomore year. Was a great day. Speaking of carrying the goal posts down Hillsborough st, I remember my suite mate was one of them and got pepper sprayed with all the guys taking down and carrying the goal posts.

  3. packbacker15 09/12/2011 at 11:46 AM #

    As a freshman at State now I clearly remember this day. I was five years old and only my father and I made the trip to Raleigh to watch the game. At halftime we were skeptical that State could hold on, but when the final whistle blew he took me on my first Wolfpack tradition and we went to Hillsborough St, with what seemed to be the entire stadium.

  4. Astral Rain 09/12/2011 at 11:47 AM #

    I was able to hit two football games as a student. Both games we ended up charging the field. This was one of those games.

  5. SaccoV 09/12/2011 at 11:51 AM #

    I was sitting at the Village Inn Pizza Parlor on Western Blvd, chowing down with my high school friend (whose girlfriend lived in Cary). We ate heartily and had a thud after that first bomb TD by Weinke-Warrick. I told my buddy that we would watch the at least the first quarter and to see what happened. We stayed until the end of the 3rd quarter (right when the manager wanted to see us leave), went back to my dorm (Avent Ferry Complex) to watch the rest with beer and cigarettes. I still remember drunk dialing my brother (who of course was a FSU fan from their entrance into the league) and cussing a blue streak on his answering machine just to rub it in.

  6. Red_Terrors 09/12/2011 at 11:59 AM #

    That was my freshman year, and my first in-person college game. I remember running down the hill, jumping the fence even before the last whistle blew, and carrying around the goal posts. To this day, I still have a lemonade cup with a patch of dirt/grass from mid-field (and of course the ticket stub).

  7. MP 09/12/2011 at 12:49 PM #

    I watched this one at Mitch’s Tavern. Never thought we would win. It felt surreal, particularly with all of Weinke’s picks.

  8. Hungwolf 09/12/2011 at 1:09 PM #

    We had some special wins under O’Cain. Beat #2FSU, won at Texas, won at Syracuse when McNabb was QB, and beat Lou Holtz”s Gamecocks in a wild rain storm. Had not been for the massive player suspensions after that shooting that crippled our defense for years. I still wonder if O’Cain would be Head Coach? Oh Well, good post and a good memory!

  9. ncst8zr1 09/12/2011 at 1:25 PM #

    I was there in 1998 (nice to have a memory of a fantastic Wolfpack FB game after having been in W-S on Sat.). At halftime, I ventured over into the FL State area on the west side and heard two of their fans stating how unbelievable it was that they were losing to Nobody NC State! All I could think to say was, “Well, this week you ain’t in Tallahassee, and it’s only gonna be worse for you in the second half!” I tried to sound as though I actually believed what I was saying, and I was hoping that they would not be looking for me after the game–I lucked out! I also remember holding up 3, then 4, then 5 and, finally, 6 fingers after Wenke interceptions. I wanted to be especially visible to some loud FSU fans sitting behind me. And T. Holt was fantastic, I remember best his punt return for a TD. As some of you have indicated, CF went wild (and I did my part). GO PACK!

  10. wekiser 09/12/2011 at 1:56 PM #

    AWESOME!!!!! I was there as well, it was my Sophomore year! My roommate and I was in the process of running onto the field when we said…”Hey…let’s try and get the flag on the top of the goal post when it comes down!” Well…it seemed as though a few other guys had the same thought when about 8 or so of us had a hand on the flag. Besides fighting over it…we all decided to cut it into pieces so we each will have a memory!

    I still have it and the ticket!! Boy….I miss being a student at State!!

  11. blpack 09/12/2011 at 3:01 PM #

    I remember how quiet and hot it was on our side of the stadium after that first td. It seemed like once we got going we had a couple chances to fold, but we played fantastic the whole afternoon. That win was great for State and good for the conference.

  12. GoldenChain 09/12/2011 at 3:15 PM #

    FAKE TICKET!
    Sorry WVW, across from me on the wall are 3 things framed, the 3rd is a WOLFPACKER titled “WE SHOCKED THE WORLD FSU 7 NCS 24”. Along with my stub, Sec 22 Row I Seat 9 ….. 50ydln below the press box for those in faison. The diamond logo gives it away! Don’t know what that thing is you have pictured above!LOL
    ….like I keep telling you guys, “membership has its privileges” (which comes from an old American Express ad for those in faison…which is a charge card that doesn’t exist in faison).
    Great game, Holt lit it up! Like said above, it was unusually silent at teh half, like everyone was thinking “could we actuall pull this off?!” But no one wanted to say it so as not to jinx us

    Ruffles31: That is a valid ticket. It is a student ticket. I was in the same group with WV Wolf. I know that ticket is valid. How’s that for membership?

  13. GoldenChain 09/12/2011 at 3:31 PM #

    If I’m not mistaken we lost to a weak Baylor team the next week! Such is the up-n-down nature of a Packfan!
    The Mike O’Cain high-water mark!LOL

  14. 61Packer 09/12/2011 at 3:36 PM #

    With MOC, you got a win at Texas and then had your head handed to you by Baylor. He was the consumate 41-40 coach over his 7 seasons. Best thing he ever did was bring Philip Rivers to Raleigh.

    I was also at the 24-7 FSU game, and it seems to me that the big difference between this one and most other home games was that we had more people coming to the game in the second half than were leaving it. Of course, they couldn’t catch Torry Holt, and that was the spark for us. Nobody could catch him when he got into the open field. Maybe MOC’s hired “motivator” was the difference, ya think?

    It was one of our biggest football wins ever, but to me the 16-6 win in the Astrodome in 1967 is the #1 all-time for Wolfpack football. The only thing that might have topped it would’ve been Jim Donnan scoring on 4th down at Penn State later that season and then us making a 2-point conversion for a 14-13 win. I believe we would’ve run our record to 10-0 at Clemson the following Saturday instead of another miserable close loss. Oh, what might have been…

  15. GoldenChain 09/12/2011 at 3:58 PM #

    “to me the 16-6 win in the Astrodome in 1967 is the #1 all-time for Wolfpack football. The only thing that might have topped it would’ve been Jim Donnan scoring on 4th down at Penn State later that season and then us making a 2-point conversion for a 14-13 win.”

    Damn you’re old! But thanks for the memories so I don’t have to feel as old!LOL
    A guy who used to come to the Concord games was on that “white shoes defense”. Owns a sporting goods store at the corner of Sugar Creek & Graham.

  16. 61Packer 09/12/2011 at 4:06 PM #

    Chain, I ain’t THAT old!

    One irony about the Houston game was that it followed FSU in Tallahassee, when we beat them 20-10 to go to 3-0. Of course, FSU was a non-conference opponent then, in what I call the good ole’ days.

  17. MrPlywood 09/12/2011 at 4:07 PM #

    I’m as guilty as anyone for reliving the glory days of NCSU bball, but man it gets old having to “look back” all the time.

  18. Pack78 09/12/2011 at 4:24 PM #

    Was there as well and still have the ticket stub on my dresser mirror-remember my GT bro calling when he saw the score and told me that all the GT folks went wild at the score; everybody against the Noles back then.

  19. ruffles31 09/12/2011 at 4:36 PM #

    Happy Birthday WV Wolf!

    WV Wolf: Thanks! I got a good present that day.

  20. Hungwolf 09/12/2011 at 5:20 PM #

    Yea this win was extra sweet to me, cause I had gone to the game at FSU when we lost 77-17. Hard to imagine we took an early lead in that game. They could have scored a 100 that game if they had wanted to. Ward and Dunn in the same backfield was awesome, best college QB/RB combination ever in my opinion. Would have really liked to have seen what Ward could have done in NFL.

    Watching us beat them couple years later was sweet.

  21. 61Packer 09/12/2011 at 6:32 PM #

    SEC has just accepted Texas A&M per Oklahoman newspaper.

  22. pack76 09/12/2011 at 7:39 PM #

    What Oklahoma paper???

  23. 61Packer 09/12/2011 at 9:16 PM #

    In OK City. Seems ESPN isn’t so sure it’s a done deal, but tonight they did mention this paper and the report, plus a report that the OU board of regents would seek Pac-12 membership within 2 weeks (with OK State close behind). I read it on their website. If you go to the website http://www.usanewspapers.com you can get all 50 states with all their online papers listed.

  24. PackFamily 09/12/2011 at 11:19 PM #

    Bittersweet memories for me on this one. I was scheduled to work that night (at Duffy’s in N. Raleigh) and as it was my only source of income and i was sure we would lose, i gave my student ticket to my (now) brother-in-law. First touchdown by FSU and I told myself i was relieved i didn’t go.

    My girlfriend (now my wife) and her brother were with the group who pulled one of the goal posts down and carried it down to Hillsborough. Luckily for them they broke off before getting pepper sprayed.

    I met up with everyone down on Hillsborough after the win and i remember it was as packed as i had ever seen it. It remined me of what i thought college life should be like every weekend.

    Funniest chant that came from that game was our version of “F*ck the Semin-noooles….” and using the middle finger instead of the tomahawk chop.

  25. hoop 09/13/2011 at 1:34 AM #

    I’m not criticizing, as I was there and helped transport the damn thing But…

    Are we the only fans in college sports who tear down THEIR OWN goals posts?

    Wait a sec, I wasn’t at this one. Because my gf at the time wanted to go to the friggin Allman Brothers concert. I thought, what the hell, I can skip this one. We’re going to lose anyway.

    I was the only one in the parking lot at Hardee’s Walnut Creek listening to the damn thing, going crazy and yelling a the top of my lungs. Why did it have to be the same night? AAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

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