University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: It's Carolina vs. State
October 12, 2002 | Football
Oct. 12, 2002
By Adam Lucas
So you're trying to explain the State-Carolina game to a stranger. What is this game about, what does it mean?
It's blue against red.
It's the marching band against rock music.
It's old school against new school.
It's Na Brown pulling in a pass in the corner of the end zone to cap a 37-34 overtime win in 1998.
It's Damon Hartman pushing a 56-yard field goal over the Kenan Stadium uprights to pull out a 12-9 victory in 1990.
It's family member against family member, and on that one day, you're not family.
It's Charles Kuralt against Hugh Shelton.
It's squinting into the sun against reflective sunglasses.
It's pulling up chunks of Carolina blue turf to celebrate a Wolfpack victory in 2000.
It's putting up your house flag on Monday before the game and leaving it up until the next Monday.
It's Robert Redford against Clint Eastwood.
It's blue bloods against red bloods.
It's chinos against Levi's.
It's trying desperately to find a parking space at Carter-Finley Stadium on the weekend of the state fair, going to the State-Carolina game in the afternoon, and then going back to the fair to ride the Zipper and eat elephant ears until they shoot off fireworks over the midway.
It's telling your best friend that even though State has won five games in a row during the Dick Sheridan era against Carolina, it is an indisputable fact that the Tar Heels are infinitely better. And believing it.
It's Terry Taylor batting away Dave Bucky's two-point conversion attempt in 1972, preserving a 34-33 Tar Heel win.
It's a wide open Dave Truitt touching his knee to the Kenan Stadium turf before he could take Mark Maye's two-point pass attempt into the end zone in 1986, sealing a Wolfpack victory.
It's Julian's against Eddie Bauer.
It's Tar Heel born and Tar Heel dead against the Cardiac Pack.
It's Mike O'Cain against Mike O'Cain.
It's Blue Blitz against red storm.
It's Broadway against Branson.
It's Franklin Street against Hillsborough Street, He's Not Here against Player's Retreat, although you're obviously not from Raleigh if you call it anything other than the PR.
It's the Old Well against the Bell Tower.
It's Krispy Kreme against, well, can't we all agree on Krispy Kreme?
It's wearing your favorite Carolina sweatshirt to school the day after a big win.
It's Durant against Rivers.
It's flying your interlocking "NC" car flags on the way back up I-40 after another win at Carter-Finley Stadium, honking at your fellow fans who are doing the same.
It's Famous Amos Lawrence and Choo Choo against Ted Brown and Torry.
It's two schools that aren't as different as they like to believe-or even as this column would have you believe-having one day per year when everything they think, believe, and root for are polar opposites.
It's the best day of college football in the state of North Carolina every year.
It's today at noon.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly, click here.
