Until I met Adriene, NC State was just another ACC opponent to me. I didn’t really cheer for them and I didn’t really root against them.

That all changed when I married Adriene. I had now married into a Wolfpack family. So, now I’ve been catching up on my NC State history and learning all about their program. I’ve been learning all about the glory days under Lou Holtz and the strong run in the 80’s and 90’s under Dick Sheridan. Much like Georgia Tech, their football program has experienced some ups and downs, but always seems to be right in the thick of the ACC when it comes time to play.

Georgia Tech has enjoyed a lifetime record of 16-8 against NC State. The teams first played in 1918 when John Heisman’s team handed NC State a 128-0 whipping. Their second meeting in 1922 was closer, but Tech was still victorious. After that game, Georgia Tech and NC State would not meet again until 1983, when Georgia Tech joined the ACC.

Amazingly, Georgia Tech has experienced an incredible amount of good fortune against State in the last 10 years, going 9-1 against some pretty good teams. Some of those years, Tech had no business beating a superior State team, but still managed to pull out the game. The only loss to NC State came in 2000 in an overtime game 30-23. The most unbelieveable win was in 2002 when Adriene and I sat in the upper deck in Raliegh and nearly froze to death. NC State was 9-0 and seemingly unstoppable with Phillip Rivers leading an offense that scored in bunches. State led 17-9 into the fourth quarter when AJ Suggs, a quarterback who up to that point had been a disapointment, suddenly played as if he was the Heisman candidate instead of Rivers, leading the team to a startling 24-17 victory and ending NC State’s undefeated season. The 2004 game featured Calvin Johnson’s unbelievable one-handed catch that earned him the nickname “Spiderman” from one of NC State’s cornerbacks.

Adriene and Jeff at NC State, 1998

The most memorable game for me though was in 1998 in Raleigh when Tech won 48-21. Adriene and I had just started dating and we were still in the glow of a new relationship. We travelled up to Raleigh with a group of good friends and spent the weekend in Raliegh. I remember getting lost in the woods after the game and having to find our own trail back to the freeway to get back to the car. It’s amazing how much Carter-Finley Stadium has changed since we went to that game. The improvements have really turned it into a very nice facility.

Carter Finley Stadium, 1998

This year should be an interesting game. The weather conditions should be pretty poor, so there will probably be a lot of fumbles and dropped passes. The ball has bounced Tech’s way so many times in the last 10 years that it’s hard to believe luck won’t swing the other way. We’ll see. This game is always a bunch of fun because I cheer for my father-in-law’s alma mater every other game and he cheers for Tech every other game. But tonight, it’s every man for himself.