Five notable games in the NC State football rivalry with Maryland

Duke’s Mayo may be the title sponsor of the postseason football game at Bank of America Stadium between NC State football and rival Maryland later this month. But everyone knows it will be the Tiebreaker Bowl.

Because when else will the two former Atlantic Coast Conference foes meet again on the football field?

As it stands right now, the series record is 33-33-4, dating back to 1909, when the two schools played for the first time at Raleigh’s Riddick Field and they were both called the Aggies. State won that contest 31-0.

How closely were the two agricultural school’s matched? The series record after the first nine games was 3-3-3.

The two teams met nearly every season after World War II until Maryland opted to leave the ACC in 2014.

Along the way, however, there were some important, historical and memorable matchups between the two schools.

Here are five:

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NC State Football’s First Time On Television

One of the biggest unknown upsets in NC State football history was a 16-13 victory over the Terps in newly opened Byrd Stadium on Oct. 21, 1950, which had opened three weeks before against Navy. Maryland, coached by “Sunny” Jim Tatum at the time, was a football power then, ranked No. 8 in the nation.

It was just the second game ever played in the 47,000-seat, $1 million on-campus venue and the first time an NC State football game was broadcast on regional television.

Wolfpack coach Beattie Feathers and his team were not intimidated by those two things. Feathers’ defense stopped the Terps three times inside the 10-yard line. NC State’s defense also created a safety and turnover that led to the Wolfpack’s first 9 points, while the offense was carried on the strong legs of halfback Alex Webster to record the first road win over a Top 10 team in Wolfpack history.

After the win, the Wolfpack players hoisted Feathers onto their shoulders to celebrate the win, one that was seen by a handful of people on the new technological marvel called television. State won its next three games, then tied Wake Forest and lost its season-finale against William & Mary to finish 5-4-1.

It was the last winning record of Feathers’ tenure. Maryland did not lose again that season, edging Southern Conference foes Georgia Washington and Duke, tying North Carolina and whipping West Virginia (41-0) and Virginia Tech (63-7).

However, neither team was invited to a postseason contest.

December romance

The Dec. 30 game at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium will actually be the second time the two longtime foes have met in the final month of the season. On Dec. 9, 1959, the teams played each other at Byrd Stadium in College Park, the latest regular-season game ever scheduled for NC State football.

It was just two years after head coach Earle Edwards led the Wolfpack to its first ACC title, but few things were bright about that season except for the debut of sophomore quarterback Roman Gabriel of Wilmington.

While the Pack lost 33-28 to finish the season with a miserable 1-9 record, Gabriel shattered four ACC records when he completed 23 of 38 passing attempts for 279 passing yards and 276 yards in total offense.

It was a big deal, and gave Edwards’ team something to build on heading into the 1960s, when the program won four ACC titles.

The Pack stayed in Washington after the game so Edwards could take the entire team to Griffith Stadium the next day to see a showdown between legendary NFL quarterbacks Norm Van Brocklin of the Philadelphia Eagles and Eddie LeBaron of the Washington Redskins.

The Eagles, coached by former NC State coach Buck Shaw, won 34-14, though both Van Brocklin and LeBaron threw for fewer yards in their game than Gabriel threw in his.

Last Second Drive

On Oct. 1, 1977, Maryland came to NC State’s Carter Stadium with a 21-game ACC winning streak, one that helped the Terps win three straight conference titles from 1974-76 under head coach Jerry Claiborne. Maryland stumbled out of the gate, losing to West Virginia and Penn State, but looked to get off their turtleshell backs against Bo Rein’s Wolfpack.

With junior Ted Brown carrying for 110 rushing yards, NC State was in the game all afternoon. With less than two minutes remaining, it trailed 20-17. That’s when Wolfpack senior quarterback Johnny Evans took over and led the offense on a 69-yard drive as the clock wound down.

With 27 seconds left on the clock, Evans scored the game-winning touchdown from the 2-yard line, ending Maryland’s winning streak with a 24-20 loss.

Rivers Runs Dry

Everything was perfectly set for a perfect farewell for senior quarter Philip Rivers and his favorite target, wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery. The two Alabama natives were celebrated as heroes on their 2003 Senior Day, including a pregame celebration to retire Rivers’ No. 17 jersey.

In 51 games as a starter, Rivers completely rewrote the ACC passing record book and was looking for a career-capping victory in his final home game on Nov. 22, 2003.

The Wolfpack surged to a 24-10 lead with less than 10 minutes to play, thanks to an 83-yard punt return by Tramain Hall and a 32-yard field goal by Adam Kiker.

The Terps, however, spoiled the day, as it often did during that era. Quarterback Scott McBrien led his team to a pair of touchdowns in a five-minute span. Then, following a Wolfpack fumble, kicker Nick Novak kicked a 43-yard field goal with 23 seconds to play for a 26-24 victory.

The Wolfpack said goodbye to its greatest player of the 21st century with a loss that defied belief.

The Craziest NC State Comeback

In the third quarter on Nov. 26, 2011, last-place Maryland owned a 41-14 lead over NC State and fans began to file through the gates of Carter-Finley Stadium, ready to begin their holiday shopping.

Quarterback Mike Glennon caught fire, however, and led the Wolfpack to five fourth-quarter touchdowns to complete the second biggest comeback victory in ACC history.

Glennon, a future NFL quarterback like Rivers, threw a school-record 5 touchdown passes and scored another on the ground, tying Rivers’ record for touchdown responsibility with six. He finished the game with 36 completions on 55 attempts for 306 yards.

The season-finale victory made the head coach Tom O’Brien’s Wolfpack bowl eligible, earning a trip to Charlotte to face Louisville in Charlotte in what was then called the Belk Bowl. The Pack, which won five of its final six games, finished the year with at least 8 wins for the second year in a row.

Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at [email protected].