October 6, 1998

Justin Griffin
Sports Editor

1998 was going to be the season for Wake Forest.

It was the game just after a 29-19 win over Clemson in Death Valley.

It was homecoming. 

It was time to start making bowl plans.

It was also a 30-27 victory for Appalachian State.

The win didn’t come without a fight, however.  The game wasn’t in hand until Mountaineer quarterback Daniel Jeremiah squeezed through with a one-yard touchdown in overtime.

The touchdown capped a night in which Jeremiah had 139 yards passing, all of which came in the last 53 seconds of the third quarter and the fourth quarter. “I didn’t know whether I was going to play in the first game of the season or the last game,”  Jeremiah said.

When Jeremiah took over, Wake was ahead 17-13, and it looked like momentum had shifted in the favor of the Deacons. Appalachian marched the ball down the field to the Wake Forest seven-yard line and Stuart Jones connected on a 24-yard field goal to draw within one point, at 17-16.

The Appalachian defense held steady on the next Wake possession and forced them to punt after three plays.

On ASU’s next possession, Jeremiah connected with Joey Gibson for a 57-yard touchdown pass. “That throw is not going to be on any of the highlight films,” Jeremiah said. “It’s one of the ugliest throws I have ever made.”  That ugly throw, however, put Appalachian back in the game.

Following the score, Jeremiah hit Daryl Skinner with a pass for the two-point conversion. 

Wake answered back with a touchdown of their own and elected to kick the extra point instead of attempting the two-point conversion.

Jeremiah got his chance to play when starting quarterback David Reaves sprained his ankle.   Appalachian State Coach Jerry Moore said the injury wasn’t serious, and that “David was OK.” But, Moore added, “We didn’t feel like he was as mobile as we would have liked for him to be.”

“It was killing me inside,” said Reaves, who sprained his ankle.

“But I knew I wasn’t 100 percent and that Daniel could get the job done, and that’s what’s best for the team.”

Appalachian surprised Wake by passing early and often. “Obviously, they had been more of a running football team,” said Wake Forest Coach Jim Caldwell.  “They really took it to us in the passing game.”

Appalachian hit on 21 of 34 passes.

Wake Forest’s overall approach to the game seemed lackadaisical at best. “I think that they were a little bit more motivated than we were,” Caldwell said of Appalachian’s effort. “They seemed like they had a little bit more at stake than we did, and that shouldn’t have been the case,” Caldwell said.

The win was also Moore’s 100th career victory. “It was very special (to win game number 100 at Wake Forest). I can’t deny that,” Moore said.  “There was a time in my career when I wasn’t sure I was going to get ten (wins).”

Appalachian jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter when Terrence McCall ran for a 47-yard touchdown with five seconds remaining in the quarter.

Matt Burdick put Wake on the board with a 53-yard field goal that barely sailed over the uprights. Brian Kuklick added to the points later when he connected with Marvin Chalmers for a nine-yard touchdown pass, making the score 10-10 at the half.

Appalachian scored first in the second half with a 40-yard field goal at the 7:00 mark.

On the next drive, Wake Forest scored on a 43-yard pass from Kuklick to Desmond Clark at the 4:25 mark.

Defensively, the Mountaineers were led by Corey Hall, who had nine tackles.  Appalachian held Wake Forest to 55 yards rushing, and allowed them 259 yards of passing.  Rocky Hunt and Wes Hunter each had a quarterback sack.

The way things are going, it looks like this game will be the last with Wake Forest for Appalachian. NCAA rules that only allow a win against a Division I-AA opponent to count every four years will all but kill the rivalry between the two schools.  However, it is the Mountaineers that got the last laugh in this series.

“It’s strange that this is the last time were playing them and we’re walking off the field happy,”  said Gibson.  Reaves added, “It’s too bad it ended, but I am glad it ended this way.”

Hunt had the most compelling words about the subject, however.  “If they don’t want to play us, that’s fine. I wouldn’t want to play us either.  If it’s close every year, it’s an embarrassment.  If they want to discontinue it, we’ll find someone else to play.”