Who remembers this game?

[BleedsGreen33]

We always talk about them. In almost every conversation the 2001 GMAC Bowl is the consensus #1 comeback. One game I have never heard talked about is the 1988 game at WCU. I watched that game last night. At one point we were down 35-7. The first half saw us give up a score on their first possession, a bad kickoff for a return, an epically bad punt that ended up in our punter attempting to throw the ball and it getting picked off.

We rally back a bit to end the half 35-17. Then in the second half we outscore the Catamounts 35-10 and the final score ends up being Marshall 52 and ECU 45.

It also appeared as though Gregory had somewhat of a cast on his left leg from a motorcycle accident (I believe that is what they said on the broadcast) and could barely move or step into his throws.


There was also a lot on the line. That was the next to the last game of the season and a loss most likely would have cost us the 1988 Southern Conference Championship. It was also the first time Marshall would win at WCU.


That was a pretty exciting game.

 

[HaveYouHerd22]

Ron Darby had something like 270 yards that game and Kerry Parks returned a kickoff to the 1yd line to set up a score. Gregory wore that cast all that season and still had noticeable limp the next season....

 

[BleedsGreen33]

I would like to find some more recordinfs of the wins from that season. I have this one and EKU. I would like to have a day game from Fairfield. EKU goes into the night and it gets hard to ser on the old footage I have. Looked great in the 1st half though.

 

[GreenDuke]

I was at that game in Cullowee. A beautiful fall day in the Smokies and it was a terrific game. Darby was at his best, Bob Waters health was quickly deteriorating so he coached from an elevated chair along the sideline. Was sitting across the aisle from WCU fans and at halftime they told me not to worry they would blow it. To add to the drama there was a lengthy power outage during the fourth quarter which delayed play but couldn't stop the Herds momentum. A memorable day.

 

[herdgadfly]

Originally posted by GreenDuke:
I was at that game in Cullowee. A beautiful fall day in the Smokies and it was a terrific game. Darby was at his best, Bob Waters health was quickly deteriorating so he coached from an elevated chair along the sideline. Was sitting across the aisle from WCU fans and at halftime they told me not to worry they would blow it. To add to the drama there was a lengthy power outage during the fourth quarter which delayed play but couldn't stop the Herds momentum. A memorable day.

As I understand the mountain geography, Cullowhee, NC is nestled in the Plott Balsams - a part of the Blue Ridge range. Access to the Blue Ridge Parkway is about 15 miles north of the town.

 

[GreenDuke]

Originally posted by herdgadfly:

Originally posted by GreenDuke:
I was at that game in Cullowee. A beautiful fall day in the Smokies and it was a terrific game. Darby was at his best, Bob Waters health was quickly deteriorating so he coached from an elevated chair along the sideline. Was sitting across the aisle from WCU fans and at halftime they told me not to worry they would blow it. To add to the drama there was a lengthy power outage during the fourth quarter which delayed play but couldn't stop the Herds momentum. A memorable day.

As I understand the mountain geography, Cullowhee, NC is nestled in the Plott Balsams - a part of the Blue Ridge range. Access to the Blue Ridge Parkway is about 15 miles north of the town.

The western terminus of the parkway is an engineering marvel. One of my travel goals is to drive the entire 400+ miles in one trip. Its one of my favorite roads to drive.

 

[OVERHERD]

I was a freshman student manager for the football team then.

I shot video of that game on Sony Super Beta.

There was almost 16 mm film shot by Woody.

Crazy, crazy game. Darby was unstoppable.

 

[imherdfan]

Remember it well, it was televised back to Huntington on WSAZ I believe. Most likely Bob Bowen was calling the game. So frustrating watching the first half then the Herd comeback was amazing. Darby was a total freak that game.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Originally posted by OVERHERD:

I was a freshman student manager for the football team then.

I shot video of that game on Sony Super Beta.

There was almost 16 mm film shot by Woody.

Crazy, crazy game. Darby was unstoppable.

Watched the 1988 game with EKU at Fairfield. That game was crazy.

 

[imherdfan]

Originally posted by BleedsGreen33:

Originally posted by OVERHERD:

I was a freshman student manager for the football team then.

I shot video of that game on Sony Super Beta.

There was almost 16 mm film shot by Woody.

Crazy, crazy game. Darby was unstoppable.

Watched the 1988 game with EKU at Fairfield. That game was crazy.

Is that the one where EKU attempted some ridiculously long FG at the end of the game, and didn't miss it by a whole lot.

 

[therd1]

I just finished watching both the EKU and the WCU game in the last 2 weeks. Both were really wild. EKU tries a 65 yard fg to win it and just missed.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Originally posted by therd1:
I just finished watching both the EKU and the WCU game in the last 2 weeks. Both were really wild. EKU tries a 65 yard fg to win it and just missed.

Sweet. Do you have very many games? If so maybe we can trade some. I looking for more of thr televised wins from the 80s. The bulk of mine are from 1992-Present.

 

[SteveCasino]

I went to the game at Eastern Kentucky that year, The EKU fans were aholes with signs about a WR we had transfer in named Percy Morman and his past criminal record. I think we lost that game but can't remember the score..., but do remember being in a very crowed rest room when our holder #88 Scott Crouch walked in off the bench into the stands to pee during the 1st quarter. Was weird seeing a fully dressed player using a public restroom during a game...said he couldn't wait till half time and couldn't get into the visitors locker room either

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Originally posted by SteveCasino:

I went to the game at Eastern Kentucky that year, The EKU fans were aholes with signs about a WR we had transfer in named Percy Morman and his past criminal record. I think we lost that game but can't remember the score..., but do remember being in a very crowed rest room when our holder #88 Scott Crouch walked in off the bench into the stands to pee during the 1st quarter. Was weird seeing a fully dressed player using a public restroom during a game...said he couldn't wait till half time and couldn't get into the visitors locker room either

Which year? We won in '88. 34-32

 

[GreenDuke]

Originally posted by BleedsGreen33:

Originally posted by SteveCasino:

I went to the game at Eastern Kentucky that year, The EKU fans were aholes with signs about a WR we had transfer in named Percy Morman and his past criminal record. I think we lost that game but can't remember the score..., but do remember being in a very crowed rest room when our holder #88 Scott Crouch walked in off the bench into the stands to pee during the 1st quarter. Was weird seeing a fully dressed player using a public restroom during a game...said he couldn't wait till half time and couldn't get into the visitors locker room either

Which year? We won in '88. 34-32

The game Steve is referring to was played in '89.

 

[BleedsGreen33]

Originally posted by GreenDuke:

Originally posted by BleedsGreen33:

Originally posted by SteveCasino:

I went to the game at Eastern Kentucky that year, The EKU fans were aholes with signs about a WR we had transfer in named Percy Morman and his past criminal record. I think we lost that game but can't remember the score..., but do remember being in a very crowed rest room when our holder #88 Scott Crouch walked in off the bench into the stands to pee during the 1st quarter. Was weird seeing a fully dressed player using a public restroom during a game...said he couldn't wait till half time and couldn't get into the visitors locker room either

Which year? We won in '88. 34-32

The game Steve is referring to was played in '89.

I thought so but wasn't sure.

 

[Rockin Herd Fan]

I went to a game at EKU when Chaump was coach. Was the 89' game where EKU put the Marshall fans in the nosebleed section and our fans moved to the other side of the stadium, which were wooden bleachers and was their student section, which was basically empty? During most of the game they continuously made announcement over their intercom system for us to move back to our seats. Of course we didn't.

 

[flairforherd]

Originally posted by Rockin Herd Fan:
I went to a game at EKU when Chaump was coach. Was the 89' game where EKU put the Marshall fans in the nosebleed section and our fans moved to the other side of the stadium, which were wooden bleachers and was their student section, which was basically empty? During most of the game they continuously made announcement over their intercom system for us to move back to our seats. Of course we didn't.

That sounds right. I was at that game too. I don't remember the announcements but I recall the rest of what you do. I also recall we got beat pretty bad that game. Made for a crappy drive home.

 

[sistersville]

Okay Does anybody remember this game? I believe it was Western Carolina also. In this game we trailed the whole game. I think we might have been undefeatef cause it was early. Now we faced 4th down like 5 times. We scored and kicked the extra point for a tie. Nobody got mad at that call. We were beat, dead in the water and was tickled not to get the loss. A hell alitbofvfun.

 

[OVERHERD]

Originally posted by flairforherd:

Originally posted by Rockin Herd Fan:
I went to a game at EKU when Chaump was coach. Was the 89' game where EKU put the Marshall fans in the nosebleed section and our fans moved to the other side of the stadium, which were wooden bleachers and was their student section, which was basically empty? During most of the game they continuously made announcement over their intercom system for us to move back to our seats. Of course we didn't.

That sounds right. I was at that game too. I don't remember the announcements but I recall the rest of what you do. I also recall we got beat pretty bad that game. Made for a crappy drive home.

You are referring to 89. One of the worst road trips I ever took as a manager. The were incredible assholes over there. Wouldn't let us into the locker room till game day. We played awful. They had that horrible woman announcer who screeched into the PA.

Awful.


The only highlight was my brother Jim kept their locker room key by mistake, but stopped at the Boonesborough bridge and threw it in the quarry because they had been such incredible jerks.

 

[GreenDuke]

Originally posted by sistersville:
Okay Does anybody remember this game? I believe it was Western Carolina also. In this game we trailed the whole game. I think we might have been undefeatef cause it was early. Now we faced 4th down like 5 times. We scored and kicked the extra point for a tie. Nobody got mad at that call. We were beat, dead in the water and was tickled not to get the loss. A hell alitbofvfun.

That was '85 a 10-10 tie. Team scored late and Stan went for the tie explaining that he didn't want the guys to possibly lose after making a good comeback. It kept the team undefeated and about 4 or 5 in the rankings. MU lost three games that year by a combined score of something like 140-10 including a whitewash in Boone the last day of the season when the team knew he was leaving for K-State. App had 7 nfl players on that team and I thought they were going to kill Foder.

 

[sistersville]

No Qb ever had a more amazing series of downs on that last drive against WCU than carl fodor.. We faced 4 or 5 4th downs.. Like greenduke said stan didnt want to chance the loss
Right or wrong Acrocombie caught several passed that game.If our younger fans enjoy herd football at the joan half as much as we did at fairfield then that is great!@

This post was edited on 1/30 9:37 AM by sistersville

 

[Tim Hensley]

Getting back to that WCU game, I think Bob Waters died of ALS or some similar muscular/nerve malady I had his brother as an NCO at Ft. Sam Houston when I was in the Army -- nice guy, carried a staff. The Catamounts did right by Bob to let him coach out like that.

As for EKU, they beat us in an early-round 1-AA playoff game at Fairfield in what may have been Donnan's first year. I told a couple of their fans walking out of the West Side stands to enjoy it, because they would never beat us again. I was right!

 

[flairforherd]

Tim, I think the EKU game you are referring to was the last regular season home game at Fairfield, at the end of the 1990 season. That was the only year Donnan coached at Fairfield, and it was also the last year we did not make the 1AA playoffs until we moved up in '97.

 

[OVERHERD]

Still pissed about that last game at Fairfield. ugh.


Coach Waters at WCU did have ALS. He coached his final seasons in a wheel chair and they literally rolled him onto a raised platform on the sidelines.