North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: A Day to Remember
9/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 16, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - It was a moment I don't think I'll ever forget. Seconds after NC State running back T.A. McLendon had been slammed to the Ohio Stadium turf, his body sprawled out on the green grass and most of his head across the goal line, time stood frozen like something out of the Twilight Zone. As more than 100,000 fans held their collective breath and players and coaches from both sides eyed the striped-shirted officials, there was an eerie two seconds of chaotic silence. Suddenly, just like that, it was over. The best game many people had ever witnessed in person ended with the line judge marking the ball just inches short of the end zone.
An Ohio State ball boy standing next to me on the east sideline stood still, not knowing what had just happened. It wasn't until the Buckeyes themselves starting jumping for joy that he leaped into the air and screamed out, "yes!"
Wearing stunned expressions of disbelief, some members of the NC State offense seemed ready to line up for just one more play, not wanting to believe that this epic struggle had come to a screeching halt.
While all of this was going on, a couple of sportswriters walked over to the spot where McLendon had been tackled, hoping to see some evidence of just how close he had come to tying the game at 44-44.
There are days in our lives that produce memories we know will stick with us forever. Memories like Apollo 11 landing on the moon and Neil Armstrong delivering a line that can be repeated by anyone who watched him take those first steps on the lunar surface. Memories like the Berlin Wall crashing down. Memories like the tragedy of 9/11 2001.
The memory of Saturday's football game between NC State and Ohio State should never be put into the same class as the events just mentioned. It was just a game, although a small and vocal minority would lead you to believe otherwise.
But as sporting events go, the toy department of life if you will, this day will be remembered by many for years to come. For yours truly, the game itself is almost a blur now. Ohio State was ahead 24-7 before a series of bizarre events eventually allowed Philip Rivers and NC State to crawl their way back and send the game into one overtime, then two, then three.
The outcome didn't come down to what happened on two quarterback sneaks. Moving the ball on one of the best defenses in the land, NC State scored 38 points, an output that should have been more than enough to win. Had it been facing any other opponent on Saturday, the Wolfpack probably would have prevailed. But these Buckeyes of Jim Tressel have a gift for rising to the occasion and finding a way to get it done. It can't be a fluke if you do it almost every week, but for whatever reason, the defending national champs continue to fall in the polls. Apparently, their streak of 17 wins in a row doesn't impress some people.
Celebrating as if they had won a second national title in a span of nine months, Ohio State's players and fans knew that they had just survived a struggle that was every bit as challenging as last January's Fiesta Bowl triumph over Miami.
Then there was the other side of the field. Slowly making their way up a steep, curling ramp around the west grandstand at the massive stadium, NC State's players were probably too distraught to even hear the ovation of respect they received from the Buckeye faithful along the way. Outside the visitor's locker room, a longtime Columbus police officer said he had never seen the hometown supporters offer a visiting team such commendation. It was quite a scene.
Understanding that their disappointment would be temporary, Wolfpack players speaking to the media in the aftermath of the colossal contest were already grasping the greatness of the event in which they had just participated. Rivers said it was the most fun he'd ever had on a football field. Pack coach Chuck Amato's prediction of Instant Classic status on ESPN did indeed come to fruition.
Even in the midst of their heartbreak, they knew it had been a day to remember.
