A post-practice visit with Bradley Dale Peveto this evening revealed these entertwined nuggets from the fall of 2001...
... The new Demons' football coach has extra appreciation for NSU's 2001 27-24 overtime win at TCU. It was a Horned Frogs team that beat nationally-ranked Louisville and reached a bowl game at season's end.
Peveto watched the game on tape right away. He was secondary coach at Houston in 2001, and the Cougars played TCU the following week after the Demons' Sept. 22 win. TCU handled Houston 34-17 in Houston.
Peveto remembers the great effort of the Demons, and watching future NFL QB Craig Nall and teammates pull off the upset. He was impressed with Demons' tailback Jeremy Lofton, who caught the game-tying 14-yard touchdown pass with 50 seconds left in regulation and ran for 96 yards on 22 carries....
... That game was the first contest for both TCU and NSU after the tragedy of 9/11/01, the attacks on America beginning with the World Trade Center.
When college football resumed 11 days later, Peveto and the Cougars had an unforgettable experience. Their first game back was at Army.
West Point, he recalls, was in high security alert on Sept. 22. In fact, there were four stone-faced soldiers inside the Cougars dressing room, standing guard, throughout game day. Bomb-sniffing dogs checked all vehicles and security details inspected the Cougars' busses. Sharpshooters were posted throughout the area around the stadium.
To say that it was an emotion-filled day is a vast understatement, said Peveto.
Army prevailed, 28-14.
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