Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 113/134
Purdue or Purdont? Well, it’s quite simple. The Boilers Pur”did” in the first half and Pur”didn’t” in the second. The Badgers came into West Lafayette carrying all the pressure. With Wisconsin ranked 9th nationally and still holding a great hand to collect the Rose Bowl bid, the nerves may have caused this team to come out flat in the first half.
Seriously. How does Michigan State get away with playing their first game out of the state of Michigan in mid October. I know it’s an election year, but really, did they have to give THAT much to the senator’s campaign? Well, Northwestern isn’t much of a road trip. I’m not discounting the Wildcats’ ability, but home field advantage in Evanston is sometimes comparable to a Chucky-E-Cheese. However, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit reminded viewers that Ryan Field can put opponents to sleep. It has the same effect as poppies have on the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, and Dorothy.
Continue reading “Game 174: #7 Michigan State @ Northwestern”
The entire sports world seemed to be focused toward Madison on the night the Badgers upset #1 Ohio State. A heap of notable sports celebrities added to the attendance numbers that crammed Camp Randall. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Erin Andrews, Scott Van Pelt, Michael Finley, and Ron Dayne names a few of the attendees that only amped the wattage on the spotlight that tilted toward this matchup. As if Madison wasn’t electric enough, include College Gameday live from the stadium, a night game toward a top ranked hated rival, and an opening kickoff returned for a touchdown that vaulted Wisconsin toward a 21-0 lead in the first half.
A nail biting finish closed Appalachian State’s homecoming as the Mountaineers eeked out a win over Elon. In the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains, fans filled Kidd Brewer Stadium to see their team stretch their record to 5-0.
Finding Yager Stadium turned out to be a strange trek though woods and farmland (see post on Yager Stadium), but it ended in a pleasing result. The first quarter saw Kent State take control with a 14-3 lead under gray skies. The second quarter saw the skies open releasing cold rain on the Redhawk fans that came to watch their team.
Compared to the surroundings of their hated rival, Houston, the campus of Rice is like a little slice of “Oz,” and Owl fans know it. It’s a twelve minute drive from UH to Rice and the scenery changes from boarded up houses to old southern style oak tree lined streets.
Rice is an outstanding academic institution that tends to seem out of focus when it comes to their football program. Despite some recent bowl success, the Owls appeared doomed to roost among the average in Conference USA. Further evidence of this came on this night when Baylor came to town. Of the mere 23,000 fans that showed up, around half displayed green and yellow in support of their Bears. Rice fans were not very vocal. However, their team did not provide them with much to exercise their vocal cords. In fact, the only thing that appeared to stop the Baylor offense was a lightning delay early in the second quarter.
Houston did have a problem. But, they fixed it. Not long ago, the Astrodome housed Cougar games. Moving college football games from campus and into downtown professional stadiums puts an antiseptic on the energy and culture that drives the spirit of the game. With some renovations and updates, the University of Houston resuscitated old Robertson Stadium and brought the Cougars and their fans back to campus. It seats around 35,000, which is considerably smaller than most FBS stadiums. But, that does not equate to lack of noise and excitement.
UPDATE: In 2014, Houston opened TDECU Stadium – CFT WILL RETURN!
The stands did not reflect the near sell-out crowd recorded in the box score after the Cougars’ victory over the Green Wave. Perhaps it was the lack of QB Case Keenum that kept fans away. Houston’s electrifying quarterback was set to break the all-time passing yard record this season when UCLA took out his ACL last week. The lower fan numbers could also be due to the loss of Houston’s backup QB due to a broken collarbone. Although both these factors can drain the energy out of a fan base, so can mid 90 degree temperatures and a sun that just could not find a cloud to hide behind. Usually, Cougar games take place at night, but this time, the television schedule would not allow for a sun strokeless event. Rather, Houston fans were forced to fry as they watched the third string quarterback, Terrance Broadway, take charge of the offense.
Dear Jay Valai and Shelton Johnson,
We certainly are aware that Arizona State outplayed the Badgers in many facets of the game on Saturday. However, because of a few timely plays by you, Wisconsin was able to escape with a one point victory. Shelton, we are very impressed by the “never give up” attitude displayed on the 95 yard kickoff return by the Sun Devils. By tackling ASU’s Kyle Middlebrooks at the one yard line right before the half, you kept momentum on Wisconsin’s side and perhaps saved the game. I’m sure that coaches across the country will roll that footage as you have now become 2010’s posterboy for “never giving up on a play.” The team certainly experienced difficulty covering kickoffs as the Sun Devils returned one for a touchdown and smoked the Badgers on a few more impressive returns. It even got to the point where the crowd gave out a cheer of sarcasm with any kickoff coverage tackle. Nevertheless, you managed to maintain your poise and scrape away the stigma that comes with being a freshman.
