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Oldtimer's Memories Thread

Not sure there will ever be another Homecoming game like the Auburn game. It was truly magnificent. The story goes that Venuto in the huddle before the first play of the first series of the second half and down 18 or so started cracking jokes and had them all chuckling. They played loose the rest of the way and you could tell something had happened.
 
In 1979 at Georgia we beat them as well for the first game of the year which began in the locker room with Coach Mackovic in front of the team holding up the Atlanta Constitution newspaper headline titled, "Mackovic's Meatballs!" There's never been bulletin board material to beat that since then. Close but nothing to top that. Georgia lost on a missed long FG attempt at the end.

Neither Auburn nor Georgia have shown ANY interest in playing WF again. They never want to run the risk of getting beat by the Deacons! I'll say this for UNCCH. Unlike those SEC schools, the Heels aren't afraid to line 'em up. And this year they beat the #9 team in the nation at the time.

Like WF with UNCCH, WF owes Pitt a loss as they beat us in our first meeting.
 
The 1979 schedule is just terrific to see:

Week 1 - App State - win
Week 2 - at #12 UGA - win
Week 4 - ECU - win
Week 5 - at NC State - close loss
Week 6 - at Va. Tech (not an ACC game) - win
Week 7 - at overrated #14 UNC - win (an ACC game, as it should be)
Week 8 - UMD - win (ACC game)
Week 9 - #13 Auburn - win --- we are 7-1 and rolling into Death Valley...
Week 10 - blowout loss at unranked Clemson, surprise (0-31)
Week 11 - Duke - win
Week 12 - at USC - loss (against George Rogers who finished 7th in Heisman voting as Tr. Fr, only to win Heisman in 1980)

8-3/3-2 in conference. Finished 4th, NC State won ACC.

NO BYE WEEKS.

Played App State and ECU. Played Maryland (ACC) and Va Tech. And played USC, UGA and LSU from the SEC.

Wow. Just love this schedule.

Bowl game - LSU - loss seemed overmatched for some reason?
 
I'd be for playing App, ECU, Auburn, and SC non-con.
 
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obviously much has changed re: scheduling over the past 40+ years, but

looks like the Auburn arrangement was a 3-for-1 with us playing at Auburn in 78, 81, 82 and getting them in Groves in 79

UGA was a buy game and the only time we have played them since WWII

WF played South Carolina for 11 consecutive years after they left the ACC - 3 at Groves, 8 in Columbia; then a home and home in 86-87 (Ellis got the better of Elkins and then some)
 
The 1979 schedule is just terrific to see:

Week 1 - App State - win
Week 2 - at #12 UGA - win
Week 4 - ECU - win
Week 5 - at NC State - close loss
Week 6 - at Va. Tech (not an ACC game) - win
Week 7 - at overrated #14 UNC - win (an ACC game, as it should be)
Week 8 - UMD - win (ACC game)
Week 9 - #13 Auburn - win --- we are 7-1 and rolling into Death Valley...
Week 10 - blowout loss at unranked Clemson, surprise (0-31)
Week 11 - Duke - win
Week 12 - at USC - loss (against George Rogers who finished 7th in Heisman voting as Tr. Fr, only to win Heisman in 1980)

8-3/3-2 in conference. Finished 4th, NC State won ACC.

NO BYE WEEKS.

Played App State and ECU. Played Maryland (ACC) and Va Tech. And played USC, UGA and LSU from the SEC.

Wow. Just love this schedule.

Bowl game - LSU - loss seemed overmatched for some reason?

Anybody know why we didn't play UVA that year?
 
Auburn ranks up there as the greatest football game I've ever seen. Not just Wake football but in general.

I remember the PA announcer repeatedly asking people to not throw oranges, sugar or roses onto the field. And there were all three being thrown in the 2nd half.
Different era when bowl games were few and far between.

Agree 100% best game ever!
 
Anybody know why we didn't play UVA that year?

For some weird reason, I want to say that's why ECU ended up on the schedule. I can remember who caught the pass at VT to win the game (Raunchy Johnson) and the great trick play at UNC to Larry Kirby. But I can't remember the UVA details. Again, it seems like ECU was a late schedule change. Not sure why though.
 
I was 7 years old at the 1979 Auburn game. I don't remember it too well but my Dad always told the story of a man that had seats near us that had an orange in his hand the whole game. When the final gun sounded, the man chucked his orange onto the field. He hit one of the Auburn coaches right in the back of the head.
 
I'll add UVA game in 1981. UVA (Ralph Sampson era) was #1 until ND beat them on the weekend, came to Wake as #3. Game went to OT. Great win, great game. Frank 'Hollywood' Johnson took over in OT, IIRC.

My seat was in the top row of the coliseum where you head nearly touched the ceiling. Took a while to get to the court for the court storming.
 
The 1979 schedule is just terrific to see:

Week 1 - App State - win
Week 2 - at #12 UGA - win
Week 4 - ECU - win
Week 5 - at NC State - close loss
Week 6 - at Va. Tech (not an ACC game) - win
Week 7 - at overrated #14 UNC - win (an ACC game, as it should be)
Week 8 - UMD - win (ACC game)
Week 9 - #13 Auburn - win --- we are 7-1 and rolling into Death Valley...
Week 10 - blowout loss at unranked Clemson, surprise (0-31)
Week 11 - Duke - win
Week 12 - at USC - loss (against George Rogers who finished 7th in Heisman voting as Tr. Fr, only to win Heisman in 1980)

8-3/3-2 in conference. Finished 4th, NC State won ACC.

NO BYE WEEKS.

Played App State and ECU. Played Maryland (ACC) and Va Tech. And played USC, UGA and LSU from the SEC.

Wow. Just love this schedule.

Bowl game - LSU - loss seemed overmatched for some reason?

IIRC, we were driving late against NCSU for what would have been the go-ahead score. Don't know if this impacted the play, but it had started raining so maybe the ball was slippery, and our center snapped the ball off the inside of his thigh which either resulted in a fumble or a busted play that pretty much killed the comeback for us.
 
Fun watching that replay. I did not recall all the Wake turnovers in the first half. Man, we had some weapons on offense with Venuto, Baumgartner, Duckett and MacDougal. Sadly both Baumgartner and Duckett have passed
 
obviously much has changed re: scheduling over the past 40+ years, but

looks like the Auburn arrangement was a 3-for-1 with us playing at Auburn in 78, 81, 82 and getting them in Groves in 79

UGA was a buy game and the only time we have played them since WWII

WF played South Carolina for 11 consecutive years after they left the ACC - 3 at Groves, 8 in Columbia; then a home and home in 86-87 (Ellis got the better of Elkins and then some)

First of all- I’ve enjoyed reading this thread. 1979 Auburn was before my time but it’s a legendary game - even Auburn fans I know still talk about it til this day - Auburn had 3 NFL Running Backs on the field that day - Joe Cribbs, James Brooks, and Willam Andrews- coincidentally the father of Micah Andrews- Deacs’ RB from 2003-2007.

Have we played South Carolina since that last home-and-home in 86/87? Would rather have us play them than Ole Miss for example. They’re a “beatable” SEC team not named Vanderbilt and obviously somewhat local. I recall there is some history as to why we don’t play them - appreciate any insight. Wasn’t there some story about our guys getting caught drinking on the team bus and we cancelled the series?
 
First of all- I’ve enjoyed reading this thread. 1979 Auburn was before my time but it’s a legendary game - even Auburn fans I know still talk about it til this day - Auburn had 3 NFL Running Backs on the field that day - Joe Cribbs, James Brooks, and Willam Andrews- coincidentally the father of Micah Andrews- Deacs’ RB from 2003-2007.

William Andrews wasn't on that team. He had graduated the year before.
 
Nope. Either he was still there or I'm losing my mind. If not, who was the third RB?

I don't know who it was but it wasn't Andrews. He was drafted in the 1979 NFL draft by the Falcons.
 
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