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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