BELK BOWL DEACS VS. 1963 DEACS

[JOJESMA]

There may be a few old-timers and statistics geeks who remember the glory days of the 1963 Deacon football team headed up by Billy Hildebrand. This team played a 10 game schedule and finished with a 1-9 record which was still good enough for a seventh place finish in the ACC since UVA did not win a game in the conference.

The amazing comparison is that the Deacs in the Belk Bowl alone surpassed or came close to many of the 1963 teams season records. For example:

1. The most astounding is that the Belk Bowl team scored 38 points in the first half while the 1963 team only scored 37 points for the ENTIRE season.

2. In the bowl game, Scotty Washington had 138 receiving yards and Cam Serigne had112 receiving yards. In 1963 the leading receiving, Wayne Welborn, had only 17 catches all year for a total of 102 yards.

3. In the bowl game, Matt Colburn ran for 150 yards. In 1963 Brian Piccolo had 367 yards for the entire season.

4. The bowl team scored 55 points in 1 game. As stated above the 1963 team scored only 37 points in 10 games. In 1963 20 points were scored in the 1 win over South Carolina, 7 against Duke, and 10 against ECU. In the remaining 7 games against Va. Tech, UNC, Fla. St., Army, Md., Clemson, and N.C. St. the Deacs failed to score a single point. For the 1963 season the Deacs were outscored by 318 to 37.

WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY!

 

[morrison2951]

Apparently 1963 was a good year for the split window Corvette, but a very bad year for our Deacs.

 

[liveanddiedeac]

But we went 5-5 the next year behind the legs of somebody named Piccolo.

 

[JOJESMA]

But we went 5-5 the next year behind the legs of somebody named Piccolo.

Correct and in 1964 Piccolo lead the nation in rushing with 1,044 yards, rushing TDs with 17, and points scored with 111. The points scored was a Deacon record until it was broken at the Belk Bowl by Mike Weaver's total of 115. Also, after the 1964 season Piccolo was named ACC POY.

The 1964 team, under new coach Bill Tate, was a complete turn around from 1963. The 1964 team actually had a winning record of 4-3 in the ACC.

 

[AlwaysaDeac]

I believe 63 was the year we held the nations losing streak at 16 or so straight games. South Carolina came here (Bowman Gray Stadium) to play and almost every play in the fourth quarter was a Piccolo run. He was so exhausted the linemen were literally picking him up after he was tackled. At any rate it was great to break the streak. The new coach the next year was credited with saying that if Wake was the only school to recruit blacks we would have a picnic in the ACC in football. Didn't take the other schools very long after we did to figure that one out. Grambling was a significant recruiting area for the NFL back in the 60s and early 70s but was obviously hurt by the athletic inclusiveness of all colleges including the southern ones.

 

[raldeac]

But we went 5-5 the next year behind the legs of somebody named Piccolo.

And a QB named Mackovic.