Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 113/134
Nebraska fans are billed as being some of the most knowledgeable and respectful in the country. Memorial Stadium is noted as being a top ten stadium to visit on a college football Saturday. The stories about Nebraska’s devotion to their athletics are endless and after my experience in Lincoln, Nebraska, it can be safely said that these statements are absolutely true.
Nebraska has experienced some hard times lately under new head coach Bill Callahan. A program rich in national titles and winning streaks experienced their first season without a bowl last year. A team that history has dubbed “The Big Red Machine” has been recently reduced to “The Big Red Wind-Up Toy.” But, a win over Kansas State would make them bowl-eligible again. Walking around Lincoln prior to the game, you wouldn’t know that the Cornhuskers have been struggling. Fan support is strong and the folks in this state make football Saturdays an event that rivals Christmas.
I know that Michigan held Northwestern to zero points in the second half last week, but do Wildcats have that short of a memory. Remember your team, Wildcat fans? If not, allow me to help you remember – your team is known for their potent, yard gaining, point scoring, spread ‘em out offense that relentlessly baffles defenses and pulls out thrilling last minute victories. Please print out this description and laminate it. Put it in your billfold or purse and refer to it when another situation arises like that of the Iowa game. I apologize for my rant, but it always has remained a pet peeve of mine when fans give up on their team when there is still a chance for them to come back from behind. Evanston was the scene for this situation this past Saturday.
A sellout at Ryan Field is not commonplace. Michigan, although hated by all Big Ten brethren, tends to bring out the best in others. A completely transformed atmosphere from the usual paltry attendance made Evanston the place to be on this Saturday night. The fact that game time had been set for the evening coupled with homecoming weekend gave Ryan Field a more purple glow, as well. Still, a strong contingent from Michigan displayed their maize and blue and when the Wolverines took the field, images of the Big House in Ann Arbor came to memory.
Continue reading “Game 111: #25 Michigan @ #21 Northwestern”
Patience is an old friend of Purdue. Before Coach Joe Tiller came to West Lafayette, the Boilermakers soaked in many losing seasons. Ross-Ade Stadium was not the cauldron of excitement it is today, but those loyal fans in attendance showed their support and calmly waited for a notable season to arrive. Since Tiller trotted to town, Purdue has made a bowl game every season. The crowd has gained a restored sense of expectation and explosive cheers welcome the team’s entrance to the field as opposed to the meager guffaws of the past. However, this year, their bowl streak is in jeopardy and that old friend patience has not been welcomed back through the gates of the stadium. Many angry faces filed into Ross-Ade Stadium hoping to realign the train toward victory. Northwestern heads to the state of Indiana coming off a huge upset of Wisconsin. Being mid-October, this game showcased two teams meeting at a crossroads.
Evanston, Illinois is the only place where a wild, exciting shootout resulting in a victory by the home team over the undefeated and fourteenth ranked squad in the nation is experienced in a stadium where large sections appear to have been attacked by a delete button. In what ranks as one of the most entertaining games of the 2005 season, Northwestern fans allowed the stage to give off a high school ambiance. The Wildcat fans managed to fill the upper deck side of the stadium with their purple followers while the other side of the stadium glowed a bright red with all the travelers from the north. Unfortunately, the two sides of fans did not meet at the curved horseshoe portion of the stadium. Rather, a few empty sections separated the masses like the Berlin Wall. This is the nature of Wildcat athletics – unless the team is competing for a championship, don’t expect a flood of backers coming out to support.
A battle of Big Ten undefeateds set the stage in Madison on October’s first day. Indiana’s unscathed record may be impressive by Hoosier standards, but the competition they scheduled including Papa Smurf, Strawberry Shortcake, and Dora the Explorer didn’t exactly make the pollsters stands at attention. Wisconsin, on the other hand, validated their perfect mark with an incredible last minute victory over Michigan last week. We sat in the student section to absorb the aftershock of the win over the Wolverines.
Usually, when legendary head coach Joe Paterno brings his Nittany Lions to a stadium, tickets are sold out weeks in advance. Add a Big Ten opener to the mix and you may as well set up camp on the couch. But, not unless it’s Penn State at Northwestern. Ryan Field has to be the only team that wouldn’t fill even half their stadium in such a situation. Northwestern’s fan base is extremely fair weather. The slightest cloud in the way will keep them home. A large portion of the fans traveled from Pennsylvania, as well. Wildcat fans have their good moments, but this day certainly was not a day to allure new recruits. Seriously, some fans actually stretched out on their bleachers and grabbed a few snoozes at halftime. Ridiculous.
Temple is worse than a doormat. They are the dirt kicked off onto it. Need a confidence builder? Invite Temple to your stadium. Guaranteed to make your offense sharper and your defense tighter. Wisconsin’s offense already lathered up the week before with a shootout victory over Bowling Green. It wouldn’t be long before the 80,000 plus compacted into Camp Randall knew to relax and kick back. Quarterback John Stocco and tailback Brian Calhoun were relieved of their duties in the first half. Wisconsin hunted the Owls all afternoon and knocked out a 51-0 halftime lead causing everyone to wonder if this was Temple University or Temple High School.
Who would win in a race between the Road Runner and Speedy Gonzalez? Finding out the answer would be similar to watching the Falcons and Badgers clash this past Saturday. Every respiratory machine in Madison wouldn’t have aided the wheezing occurring on the sidelines from this high scoring battle. Wisconsin donned their throwback helmets and jerseys to “celebrate the legacy” of Camp Randall Stadium as the entire renovation project finally reached its completion. They may have been wearing the old school attire, but they didn’t play like their daddy’s Wisconsin. Bowling Green doesn’t normally pose a threat, but this year they promoted their star quarterback, the elusive Omar Jacobs. Badger fans would soon learn that they had offensive weapons, as well.