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A 1987 Coach Joe Morrison Memory

BedouinCock

BedouinCock

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I accepted an invitation by a coworker, the president of the Raleigh Gamecock Club in 1987, to ride with him to the airport to pickup coach Joe Morrison. Coach Morrison was scheduled to speak at the Touchdown Club in Raleigh on the Friday before the game with NCSU in Columbia. Coach Morrison arrived on the private, Garnet and Black airplane from Columbia. He was very gracious, polite and friendly to both of us. The conversation with him from the airport was one of my favorite sports memories. Being one on one with coach Joe and being able to ask him anything I wanted was priceless and remains that way for me. During his talk to the TD Club, he was asked by reporters if he was going to change his offense for the NCSU game. He told them yes that he was going to do so but would not give details. Everyone was shocked. During our drive back to the airport afterwards, I asked him if he really was planning to change his offense. He laughed and said, “Hell no! I just wanted to mess them up and make them think that I was!” The three of us a had laugh. The head line in the Raleigh News and Observer Sports Page the next morning, the day of the game, was: “Morrison To Change USC’s Offense for Game with NCSU”. I am still laughing at how gullible they were and actually printed that headline. I know coach Joe must have loved it. I attended that game with my wife the next day. And, we whipped their butts, 48-0!!! Great memories that I will treasure.
 
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surfincock said:
That's cool. I never met Joe but I was in school when he was the coach. It was an awesome run in 1984!
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Ah, I remember the 84 season! Had we not lost to Navy, we would have played Brigham Young for the National Championship that year! Of course Brigham Young won it then, but had we not lost to Navy (and of course still beaten sCUm just as we did), we would have had a perfect shot of winning it all back in 1984!!
 
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BedouinCock said:
I accepted an invitation by a coworker, the president of the Raleigh Gamecock Club in 1987, to ride with him to the airport to pickup coach Joe Morrison. Coach Morrison was scheduled to speak at the Touchdown Club in Raleigh on the Friday before the game with NCSU in Columbia. Coach Morrison arrived on the private, Garnet and Black airplane from Columbia. He was very gracious, polite and friendly to both of us. The conversation with him from the airport was one of my favorite sports memories. Being one on one with coach Joe and being able to ask him anything I wanted was priceless and remains that way for me. During his talk to the TD Club, he was asked by reporters if he was going to change his offense for the NCSU game. He told them yes that he was going to do so but would not give details. Everyone was shocked. During our drive back to the airport afterwards, I asked him if he really was planning to change his offense. He laughed and said, “Hell no! I just wanted to mess them up and make them think that I was!” The three of us a had laugh. The head line in the Raleigh News and Observer Sports Page the next morning, the day of the game, was: “Morrison To Change USC’s Offense for Game with NCSU”. I am still laughing at how gullible they were and actually printed that headline. I know coach Joe must have loved it. I attended that game with my wife the next day. And, we whipped their butts, 48-0!!! Great memories that I will treasure.
Click to expand...
What a great memory. Thanks for sharing.
Gaimcock said:
Ah, I remember the 84 season! Had we not lost to Navy, we would have played Brigham Young for the National Championship that year! Of course Brigham Young won it then, but had we not lost to Navy (and of course still beaten sCUm just as we did), we would have had a perfect shot of winning it all back in 1984!!
Click to expand...
That game still chaps my butt to this day.
 
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Gaimcock said:
Ah, I remember the 84 season! Had we not lost to Navy, we would have played Brigham Young for the National Championship that year! Of course Brigham Young won it then, but had we not lost to Navy (and of course still beaten sCUm just as we did), we would have had a perfect shot of winning it all back in 1984!!
Click to expand...

We would have played Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, not BYU in the Holiday Bowl. Had we advanced that far & beaten Oklahoma, we'd have been crowned.
 
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Rod Dangerfield said:
We would have played Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, not BYU in the Holiday Bowl. Had we advanced that far & beaten Oklahoma, we'd have been crowned.
Click to expand...
WADR, and forgive me of my ignorance, but from what I recall, when OU lost to Kansas or Kansas State in October of 84, that's when the possibility of us vs BYU in The Natty became somewhat of a lean, at least as much as long as we remained undefeated. Up until the very day of us vs Navy, it looked need liked the best possibility of being undefeated were us and BYU. Then there was the Navy game. We choked. BYU remained undefeated and beat Michigan in whatever bowl that was. We lost to Navy, beat Clemons, and then choked against Oklahoma State and their badass running back in the gator bowl. Was it Thurman Thomas or something similar??

Anyway, just my recollection. No biggy. I was in Jacksonville in 84 and 87. We lost both games!

Later. Peace'n out.
 
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BedouinCock said:
I accepted an invitation by a coworker, the president of the Raleigh Gamecock Club in 1987, to ride with him to the airport to pickup coach Joe Morrison. Coach Morrison was scheduled to speak at the Touchdown Club in Raleigh on the Friday before the game with NCSU in Columbia. Coach Morrison arrived on the private, Garnet and Black airplane from Columbia. He was very gracious, polite and friendly to both of us. The conversation with him from the airport was one of my favorite sports memories. Being one on one with coach Joe and being able to ask him anything I wanted was priceless and remains that way for me. During his talk to the TD Club, he was asked by reporters if he was going to change his offense for the NCSU game. He told them yes that he was going to do so but would not give details. Everyone was shocked. During our drive back to the airport afterwards, I asked him if he really was planning to change his offense. He laughed and said, “Hell no! I just wanted to mess them up and make them think that I was!” The three of us a had laugh. The head line in the Raleigh News and Observer Sports Page the next morning, the day of the game, was: “Morrison To Change USC’s Offense for Game with NCSU”. I am still laughing at how gullible they were and actually printed that headline. I know coach Joe must have loved it. I attended that game with my wife the next day. And, we whipped their butts, 48-0!!! Great memories that I will treasure.
Click to expand...

Thanks, great story
 
Gaimcock said:
WADR, and forgive me of my ignorance, but from what I recall, when OU lost to Kansas or Kansas State in October of 84, that's when the possibility of us vs BYU in The Natty became somewhat of a lean, at least as much as long as we remained undefeated. Up until the very day of us vs Navy, it looked need liked the best possibility of being undefeated were us and BYU. Then there was the Navy game. We choked. BYU remained undefeated and beat Michigan in whatever bowl that was. We lost to Navy, beat Clemons, and then choked against Oklahoma State and their badass running back in the gator bowl. Was it Thurman Thomas or something similar??

Anyway, just my recollection. No biggy. I was in Jacksonville in 84 and 87. We lost both games!

Later. Peace'n out.
Click to expand...

Oooooooooooooooookie dokie.
 
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In 84, I think there was some controversy as to whether the Orange Bowl had prematurely extended an invitation to us prior to the Navy game and before they could "legally" do so. At any rate, I remember all indications were that we were headed to the Orange Bowl had we beaten Navy. With its tie-in with the Big Eight, our Orange Bowl opponent would have been from that conference, whether that team had a chance at the national title or not. We likely would have been undefeated, playing in the Orange Bowl, while BYU would have been undefeated and playing in the Holiday Bowl, with neither of our opponents standing any shot at winning the title unless we both lost.
 
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uscg1984 said:
In 84, I think there was some controversy as to whether the Orange Bowl had prematurely extended an invitation to us prior to the Navy game and before they could "legally" do so. At any rate, I remember all indications were that we were headed to the Orange Bowl had we beaten Navy. With its tie-in with the Big Eight, our Orange Bowl opponent would have been from that conference, whether that team had a chance at the national title or not. We likely would have been undefeated, playing in the Orange Bowl, while BYU would have been undefeated and playing in the Holiday Bowl, with neither of our opponents standing any shot at winning the title unless we both lost.
Click to expand...
There ya go right there!!

Fellas I was 17 years old in 84! I simply posess no articulatly accurate means of recollection! Not at 51 years of age!!
 
Gaimcock said:
Ah, I remember the 84 season! Had we not lost to Navy, we would have played Brigham Young for the National Championship that year! Of course Brigham Young won it then, but had we not lost to Navy (and of course still beaten sCUm just as we did), we would have had a perfect shot of winning it all back in 1984!!
Click to expand...

I'm skeptical that we would have beaten Clemson if we had won at Navy, but that's just old Carolina negativity that still tends to plague me. Sure would have been nice to have a shot at it!!
 
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cockthehammer# said:
I'm skeptical that we would have beaten Clemson if we had won at Navy, but that's just old Carolina negativity that still tends to plague me. Sure would have been nice to have a shot at it!!
Click to expand...
And it's not like we rolled Clemson that day either. We squeaked by them with a one point win. However, that was a quality win in 84 as they were still a very good team and they didn't lose in donkey valley very often.

Who knows- but it would have been fun to find out!
 
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uscg1984 said:
In 84, I think there was some controversy as to whether the Orange Bowl had prematurely extended an invitation to us prior to the Navy game and before they could "legally" do so. At any rate, I remember all indications were that we were headed to the Orange Bowl had we beaten Navy. With its tie-in with the Big Eight, our Orange Bowl opponent would have been from that conference, whether that team had a chance at the national title or not. We likely would have been undefeated, playing in the Orange Bowl, while BYU would have been undefeated and playing in the Holiday Bowl, with neither of our opponents standing any shot at winning the title unless we both lost.
Click to expand...

This.
 
BYU played a 6-5 Michigan team in the Holiday Bowl in 1984. We would have played Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, if we had survived the Naval Academy.
 
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ken in sacramento said:
cockthehammer# said:
I'm skeptical that we would have beaten Clemson if we had won at Navy, but that's just old Carolina negativity that still tends to plague me. Sure would have been nice to have a shot at it!!
Click to expand...
And it's not like we rolled Clemson that day either. We squeaked by them with a one point win. However, that was a quality win in 84 as they were still a very good team and they didn't lose in donkey valley very often.

Who knows- but it would have been fun to find out!
Click to expand...

I sat on The Hill that day amongst all the taters. My favorite Clemson game of all time. We won 22-21 but it was bittersweet because of what happened at Navy.
 
Gaimcock said:
Ah, I remember the 84 season! Had we not lost to Navy, we would have played Brigham Young for the National Championship that year! Of course Brigham Young won it then, but had we not lost to Navy (and of course still beaten sCUm just as we did), we would have had a perfect shot of winning it all back in 1984!!
Click to expand...
GarnetGhost said:
What a great memory. Thanks for sharing.

That game still chaps my butt to this day.
Click to expand...
9/8 vs. Citadel (non-IA) W 31 24
9/22 vs. Duke (2-9) W 21 0
9/29 vs. Georgia (7-4-1) W 17 10
10/6 vs. Kansas State (3-7-1) W 49 17
10/13 vs. Pittsburgh (3-7-1) W 45 21
10/20 @ Notre Dame (7-5) W 36 32
10/27 vs. East Carolina (2-9) W 42 20
11/3 @ North Carolina State (3-8) W 35 28
11/10 vs. Florida State (7-3-2) W 38 26
11/17 @ Navy (4-6-1) L 21 38
11/24 @ Clemson (7-4) W 22 21
12/28 vs. Oklahoma State (10-2) L 14 21 @ Jacksonville,
 
The Navy game was originally scheduled for Columbia, but Bob Marcum switched the game to Navy, because that would have been 8 Home games. I don’t think we would have lost a Home game.
 
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USCBIRDS said:
The Navy game was originally scheduled for Columbia, but Bob Marcum switched the game to Navy, because that would have been 8 Home games. I don’t think we would have lost a Home game.
Click to expand...

What the hell was wrong with 8 home games?!
 
nJ92rV
 
Gaimcock said:
Ah, I remember the 84 season! Had we not lost to Navy, we would have played Brigham Young for the National Championship that year! Of course Brigham Young won it then, but had we not lost to Navy (and of course still beaten sCUm just as we did), we would have had a perfect shot of winning it all back in 1984!!
Click to expand...

BYU barely beat a 6-5 Michigan team in the Holiday Bowl that year. Their national championship needs an asterisk.

I went to 10 games that season, which must be a record.
 
jerryusc said:
9/8 vs. Citadel (non-IA) W 31 24
9/22 vs. Duke (2-9) W 21 0
9/29 vs. Georgia (7-4-1) W 17 10
10/6 vs. Kansas State (3-7-1) W 49 17
10/13 vs. Pittsburgh (3-7-1) W 45 21
10/20 @ Notre Dame (7-5) W 36 32
10/27 vs. East Carolina (2-9) W 42 20
11/3 @ North Carolina State (3-8) W 35 28
11/10 vs. Florida State (7-3-2) W 38 26
11/17 @ Navy (4-6-1) L 21 38
11/24 @ Clemson (7-4) W 22 21
12/28 vs. Oklahoma State (10-2) L 14 21 @ Jacksonville,
Click to expand...
I remember fans questioning if we were any good after beating The Citadel by only 1 TD in the opening game. I have often told my buddies about this game and season when we stink it up on opening day but still win. We have had our share of those and it seems that a TO usually bails us out.
 
Great story...always love a JoMo story. He was one of a kind. Many years ago a guy told a story similar that. Joe flew in to recruit a kid and he had this guy pick him up to take him around town. As they were driving towards the school to watch the kid play Joe asked for him to pull into a corner store where he purchased a six pack. They split it and drove on to the game.
 
In reference to Willie -B If it aint swaying we aint playing
 
ken in sacramento said:
And it's not like we rolled Clemson that day either. We squeaked by them with a one point win. However, that was a quality win in 84 as they were still a very good team and they didn't lose in donkey valley very often.

Who knows- but it would have been fun to find out!
Click to expand...
And we got a God sent opportunity to re-kick the extra point because a tigeeer jumped off-sides did we not?
 
Gaimcock said:
WADR, and forgive me of my ignorance, but from what I recall, when OU lost to Kansas or Kansas State in October of 84, that's when the possibility of us vs BYU in The Natty became somewhat of a lean, at least as much as long as we remained undefeated. Up until the very day of us vs Navy, it looked need liked the best possibility of being undefeated were us and BYU. Then there was the Navy game. We choked. BYU remained undefeated and beat Michigan in whatever bowl that was. We lost to Navy, beat Clemons, and then choked against Oklahoma State and their badass running back in the gator bowl. Was it Thurman Thomas or something similar??

Anyway, just my recollection. No biggy. I was in Jacksonville in 84 and 87. We lost both games!

Later. Peace'n out.
Click to expand...
we were boat raced by the corndogs in '87
 
Gamecockben1979 said:
Nightmare game. Still wonder what happened that day. That was a great team that looked horrible that day.
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I was living in Raleigh when we played Navy. The game score was given live on a speaker system in a department story I was in while shopping. The NCSU announcers were gleeful that we were being beaten and said "USC needs to get on its horse if it plans to win the National Championship" or something to that affect. It has been a long time since that day. I still remember how sick I felt in my stomach as well as mad as hades at the attitude of the NC State fans who were rejoicing.
 
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