I was in Columbia on Hugo related work, and driving past Longstreet Theate, listening to the game when Todd was hurt. How different would USC's history be had he not been hurt and played the whole season? There's a contingent of fans who still say NC State injured the NC native intentionally.
State was the one ACC team we played every single season during the independent years. During the Morrison years the rivalry became particularly heated. There was the controversial finish in 1986, when State was awarded an extra play after time had expired and won on that play. In 1987 Carolina embarrassed State 48-0. The 1988 game at Carter-Finley was the most hostile environment I've ever seen as a fan. Both teams ranked. Objects being thrown at the team, etc. The team couldn't take their helmets off on the sidelines. Carolina won. If Todd stays healthy in '89, the end of that year certainly looks different. Maybe 7 or 8 wins. Perhaps a better bowl invitation (which USC would have actually accepted), and an entirely different trajectory for the Woods era. And for Todd, of course, it would have been interesting to have seen how he fared as a pro had he stayed healthy. Entire seasons and coaching regimes can change with the vagaries of a single play.
I was at Carson -Newman with Sparky. Which is to say we would nod our heads when we passed by each other. He was a class guy then, as he is now. I have always felt he needed one more year to do good things at Carolina.
I was in Columbia on Hugo related work, and driving past Longstreet Theate, listening to the game when Todd was hurt. How different would USC's history be had he not been hurt and played the whole season? There's a contingent of fans who still say NC State injured the NC native intentionally.
State was the one ACC team we played every single season during the independent years. During the Morrison years the rivalry became particularly heated. There was the controversial finish in 1986, when State was awarded an extra play after time had expired and won on that play. In 1987 Carolina embarrassed State 48-0. The 1988 game at Carter-Finley was the most hostile environment I've ever seen as a fan. Both teams ranked. Objects being thrown at the team, etc. The team couldn't take their helmets off on the sidelines. Carolina won. If Todd stays healthy in '89, the end of that year certainly looks different. Maybe 7 or 8 wins. Perhaps a better bowl invitation (which USC would have actually accepted), and an entirely different trajectory for the Woods era. And for Todd, of course, it would have been interesting to have seen how he fared as a pro had he stayed healthy. Entire seasons and coaching regimes can change with the vagaries of a single play.
Great reading!
I was at Carson -Newman with Sparky. Which is to say we would nod our heads when we passed by each other. He was a class guy then, as he is now. I have always felt he needed one more year to do good things at Carolina.
Ron, I remember you telling me that before. Yes, he’s a class act all the way, as every Carson-Newman grad I’ve known are :)
I loved reading about Sparky's thoughts on the bowl - especially looking back at it now. Great piece!