Week 2 of season reminiscing -- 1998

[Eric15]

2 completely unnecessary shots at P there.

P did not lose Syracuse the Tenn game, you said so yourself.

P did not hurt Will Allen and instruct Tory Holt to exploit that and destroy Syracuse.

@WV is always a tough place to play and season was already shot.

Bowl game? Whatever who cared??

McNabb did not deserve to be in NYC.

McNabb was drafted where should’ve been, if you want to argue #1 fine, I would’ve preferred him there but Couch was the prototype and #2 is damn good.

McNabb had a better career than anyone not named Champ Bailey in that entire draft.

Please let the record show that you said you were "passing" on this 1998 thread and Ottomets and Scooch liked it, but all three of you provided wonderful contributions.

 

[Faegan]

Might've been their second home game? But it was definitely the first year for the expanded stadium and our game was the largest crowd to ever watch a college football game at that time.

I thought the same thing... just looked it up - they lost to ND in South Bend, so it was their second game of the season but first at home in their new digs.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Please let the record show that you said you were "passing" on this 1998 thread and Ottomets and Scooch liked it, but all three of you provided wonderful contributions.

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I have no problem with the genus of the Friday threads, just this particular year I will not be discussing my exploits and thoughts.

I will however be correcting historical inaccuracies as they arise.

I mean this is a fan board on the Internet, next to King James Bible, I’m not sure what else there is for history to remember us and it all by.

 

[Eric15]

I have no problem with the genus of the Friday threads, just this particular year I will not be discussing my exploits and thoughts.

I will however be correcting historical inaccuracies as they arise.

I mean this is a fan board on the Internet, next to King James Bible, I’m not sure what else there is for history to remember us and it all by.

Next week we'll do the 1893 season. What do you do when you open a season 0-6? You play a high school team in Week 7 to get your mojo back. I'm surprised more teams don't do that today.

 

[KaiserUEO]

2 of the 4 wins were in another dimension void of date and time too.

That had to be a can’t miss party...

 

[RF2044]

My sophomore year.

-The Tennessee game was obviously fixed by the SEC crew. Has anyone ever seen a penalty for illegal uniform(!!) since then? And then the phantom PI in the end zone when the closest ref is signalling incomplete. I hit one of the refs in the back with a cup of ice as they left the field.

-I was only a soph and wasn't familiar enough with P yet. I thought we'd win at NC State. Silly me.

-Miami game was probably the loudest I ever heard the Dome. There was like no room to move or sit. We would have crushed any team in the country that day.

-McNabb was just masterful all season. Really an indictment on P that he didn't get invited to the Heisman ceremony.

Agree with your highlighted sentence above, but funny you should ask that question.

A couple of years ago I was watching college football after our game. Don't even recollect who was playing but it was an afternoon game between two ranked teams. Lo and behold, the refs throw a flag for a uniform violation -- made me sit up in my chair [it wasn't the pants below the knee thing that we got flagged for a couple of times].

The announcers ridiculed the call while the refs tried to explain it to one of the head coaches, who could be seen mouthing, "That's bullsh--" over and over again, as he loudly protested.

It's the only time I've ever seen that call made in 20+ years since that game... and we had it called against us at least twice, and I believe three times against Tennessee.

We got screwed by an SEC officiating crew, blatantly making calls in favor of the team from their conference.

 

[sutomcat]

Next week we'll do the 1893 season. What do you do when you open a season 0-6? You play a high school team in Week 7 to get your mojo back. I'm surprised more teams don't do that today.

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Thank God for Hamilton or we would have gone 0 for everything against college teams. That game was in Clinton! I wonder if they had electricity?

 

[Chip]

I could write a novel on that season.

But I'll just go with, being on the field after the Miami game, happened to run into McNabb's dad, and told him that was some top notch baby making.

Spoiler alert: I was not sober. (he laughed).

One of my favorite Dome days ever. 49k+ in their seats when the seniors are announced.

 

[ForCuseSake]

1998 was my junior year at college in Pennsyltucky (not PSU).

My roommate's dad graduated from Michigan in the '60s and was a UM booster. The level of donor who frequently traveled with the program and sat in the UM AD box at most football games (home & away).

He got us excellent tickets for Michigan's 1997 match-up at State Penn. It was the first time I'd been in a crowd over 100k and it was glorious because Michigan pounded the Pedos like (insert late 90s Chip/Millhouse reference here).

Fast forward to 1998 and my buddy and I were unable to take up his dad's offer of box seats at the Big House for the SU game because we wouldn't be able to drive to Ann Arbor and back in time for my on campus job (quitting the job wasn't an option).

Alas, we were forced to watch it at a fraternity house among other good friends (approximately 20 of us). My roommate spent an entire week talking smack about how the defending national champs were going to continue to expose how overrated SU was after the Tennessee game.

He put his fist through a window at the frat house after we went up 24-0 in the 2nd; we were encouraged to leave at halftime. We didn't live together our senior year which spared me the indignity of having to watch the 1999 rematch with him (effn Troy Nunes).

 

[Eric15]

Another memory from Va Tech game: we were going for two late in the game and VT picked the pass off. McNabb (who was such an exceptional athlete) chased the VT cornerback down from behind, viciously horse-collar tackled him (before that was illegal), but the VT player "accidentally" fumbled the ball forward and another VT player fell on it and scored the two.

 

[Phillymoose]

VT: Wife was pregnant with our son and at the time we were living on the UWS - 85th between Columbus and Amsterdam. It was such a pleasant weekend in the city and she fell asleep with her head on my lap while I was watching the game. I was successful pretty much all game in keeping it quiet, and keeping her comfortable.

That is.. until the last play.
I still hear about it to this day - and I am not kidding.

 

[Faegan]

One last thing about the Michigan game: Don't let the final score fool you. For those that forget, the score was 38-7 with 7 minutes left in the 4th. They scored three touchdowns after we started subbing.

 

[sufandu]

Kaiser defending McNabb, strange times we're living in...

P didn't lose the UT game...but settling for that field goal when we couldn't get a stop was one of those face-palm decisions.

I still blame Phil Nash for his crazy late hit out of bounds giving away free yards on the last drive more than I do the refs. Putting emotion aside after 20+ years (holy s---), the Allen play wasn't as clear-cut a bad call as some people remember.

I hate typing it, but the Allen call was accurate, even if the wrong ref made the call. I've watched the play on slow motion. He got there early. The equipment violations were ridiculous. The fix was in when those were called, and we still almost overcame them.

 

[sufandu]

Another memory from Va Tech game: we were going for two late in the game and VT picked the pass off. McNabb (who was such an exceptional athlete) chased the VT cornerback down from behind, viciously horse-collar tackled him (before that was illegal), but the VT player "accidentally" fumbled the ball forward and another VT player fell on it and scored the two.

My recollection earlier was inaccurate. I forgot it was a two point conversion play. that took place almost right in front of me. It was clear he threw it up. I suppose he had nothing to lose by trying and the refs let him get away with it.

 

[MSOrange]

I hate typing it, but the Allen call was accurate, even if the wrong ref made the call. I've watched the play on slow motion. He got there early. The equipment violations were ridiculous. The fix was in when those were called, and we still almost overcame them.

Exactly how I see everything you mentioned.

 

[NJCuse97]

I watched

Another memory from Va Tech game: we were going for two late in the game and VT picked the pass off. McNabb (who was such an exceptional athlete) chased the VT cornerback down from behind, viciously horse-collar tackled him (before that was illegal), but the VT player "accidentally" fumbled the ball forward and another VT player fell on it and scored the two.

I watched the highlights just the other day. That was no horse collar. He grabbed jersey at the guy’s name.

 

[Shenexon]

I didn't go to a single game that year. I had three kids, was living in northern Virginia, and was working every day that fall. I was working for FEMA on a software development project with contracted developers out of Ft. Lauderdale and it was crunch time.

My POC onsite was a Michigan grad whose husband was a Ford executive. She went to the game and sat in the Ford box, trashtalking for the week before the game & confident that Michigan would roll. I so enjoyed her return on Monday...

 

[OrangeDW]

Shady equipment penalties, shady pass interference calls, blowing Michigan out, stealing their banner, pesky NC State, McNabb to Brominski, taking Miami behind the woodshed on Senior Day, Orange Bowl.

What are your best memories from this year? What away games did you attend?

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Only game I attended that year was VT. Not the best game I attended by any means - it was an exercise in insane frustration for much of the way as we should’ve been hammering them if not for some incredibly fluky big plays. But definitely the best ending. Because it had that feel of yet another devastating loss in a game we should’ve won...and then we completed the TE throwback. I was sitting in the VT section, as we bought our tickets from VT WR Andre Davis’s father outside the Dome.

The Miami game, I had my first varsity hoop game of the season that night. I watched the first half and then had to go catch the bus. I couldn’t believe the outcome was already decided. Then my team went out and boat raced a team that was probably better than us, as we shot out of our minds - especially in the first half. That was a good day.

UT - I don’t know if I’ve ever been that gutted after a loss - because we played so well against a great team. But lost it on our own conservativeness playing for the FG and a questionable 4th down interference call. Classic Syracuse stuff in that era, really. But that one hurt even more than Oklahoma(both games, really), NC State(we slept walked and sucked in that one - UT we played great), etc.

Michigan - similar to Miami - over at halftime. The only time I got briefly worried was when the starting C got hurt and the backup C and McNabb couldn’t get the snaps right and we kept fumbling.

 

[OrangeDW]

-McNabb was just masterful all season. Really an indictment on P that he didn't get invited to the Heisman ceremony.

My memory tells me that games against crappy teams(like Rutgers when we beat them 70-14 or whatever) were he’d get to throw like 8 times, while we handed off to Kyle McIntosh every play kept his numbers down.

 

[OrangeDW]

I thought the same thing... just looked it up - they lost to ND in South Bend, so it was their second game of the season but first at home in their new digs.

Ha. That makes me remember there was a narrative that “Syracuse should be really good this year, but there’s a good chance they start 0-2 because they open with Tenn. and Michigan.” My stance was that Michigan should be good, but they’re gonna start 0-2 because they start with ND and Syracuse.

 

[JHarris44]

Was sophomore year and came from a high school where I was a lineman in a Wing T. Tee Martin and the “penalty” for sure. Shoeless DNabb domination of Hensen/Brady in the Big House. Was that Torrey Holt and/or Rivers with NC State? But biggest takeaway was knowing Coach P had to go with So. Many. Pros. and would be Pros if not for injury (Spotwood, others maybe?} then being dominated in the previous bowl and in this one. Friend who was close to the program told me Spurier took it easy on his old friend, Coach P. Anyway, based on my Wing T knowledge I was predicting the play call based on formation down and distance at a good clip. Not good. Enter Grob; the wrong coach and too late.. Not good to downright awful. Can’t wait for Carolina this year!!

 

[adk(roc)CUSE]

Right in the middle of the season ticket years for me and my dad. We were joyus, elated, celebrating with the Albany and Watertown regulars around us. We had won it...And so quickly.. It was the dream scenario. Donny Mac closes his era with a win against hateful Miami...Before halftime...wow..awesome..Clinching a Big East title.

At that halftime, as I walked down through the tunnel in 329 I passed by some guy, in full Syracuse gear, complaining he wasted his money to see a game that was 45-7 at the half...There will be more of those people soon. But that Dome is also going to be alive again like those days soon..Can't wait

 

[kcsu]

Four years out of college, I was in Mass with my brother at our grandparents for the Michigan game... I had told him that we were going to be awesome. I remember him being blown away by our offense and the swagger we displayed at the Big House.

I remember one play in particular when Spotwood went out for a quick hitch and caught it. He popped up off the ground with the ball and the field mic caught him saying "All day, baby. All day" as he walked past the Michigan DB.

I believe that was the home opening for the newly renovated/expanded Big House. We played and acted like all of that work was done just for us. Glorious.

I was at that game as well. 100k sitting in total disbelief.
It was one of our best road trips.

 

[Cuse1985]

The infamous kneepad above the knee penalty smh never saw that before and never since. Rushing the field after beating va tech is my #1 cuse memory. I was 13

 

[Eric15]

Curious: how were the Tennessee fans who attended our game? More fun/jovial or more obnoxious?