news-record.com

OK, kids, unless you've been hiding under a rock this week, you've been pounded over the head time and time again by the Worldwide Leader's coverage (ad nauseum) of Patriots coach Bill Belichick and his decision to go on fourth-and-2 from his own 28 -- a decision that helped the Colts rally to win.

That incident and its coverage has made my good friend Jay Reddick, a proud Wake Forest alum, smile. Because, in his own words, "I think it's the second-dumbest move I ever saw. A couple of you may have been in attendance for the dumbest, and ironically (or is it coincidentally?), it was made by ... the winning coach, Jim Caldwell.

"It's November 1993. Wake Forest is leading Maryland 32-26, with 2:35 to go (yes, I had to look up the time, though the rest is pretty well burnished in my memory). The Deacons had gotten to first-and-goal on the 1, and tried three times to send running back John Leach over the top of the pile."

At that point in the game, Leach had rushed for 328 yards -- tied for the most ever by an ACC runner and 1 yard short of sole possession of the ACC single-game record. Jay picks up the narrative:

"On fourth down, with a field goal 99.99999% likely to clinch it, Caldwell goes for it with Leach over the top again. Leach doesn't make it, and Maryland quarterback Scott Milanovich leads the Terps 99 yards for the winning touchdown."

Oh by the way, Leach did end up with 46 carries for 329 rushing yards in the game -- the last of his career -- which still stands as the ACC single-game record. It topped the 328 yards on 39 carries set by North Carolina's Derrick Fenner in 1986.

Caldwell spent eight seasons as Wake Forest's head coach. His record at Wake from 1993-2000 was 26-63 with one winning season (7-5 in 1999) out of eight.

Caldwell landed on his feet after Wake replaced him with current coach Jim Grobe. Caldwell was hired as quarterbacks coach by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he moved with head coach Tony Dungy to Indianapolis.

Caldwell is 9-0 as a head coach with the Colts. It took him four years to win nine games at Wake Forest (the Deacs were 9-35 from 1993-96).

-- JEFF MILLS, Staff Writer