Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 108/134
Husky Stadium lies on picturesque Lake Washington in Seattle. Home to the Washington Huskies, the scene has become one of the most iconic in college football. The purple and gold have reigned in the Pacific Northwest since 1889, and it’s a program abundant in tradition. Autumn Saturdays in the Emerald City provide a gameday saturated with passion and pageantry.
Continue reading “WASHINGTON – HUSKY STADIUM”
Washington stormed into this contest boasting a surprising 3-0 record. Having just defeated #11 Michigan State, the Huskies are beginning to see a season full of promise ahead. Today began their Pac-12 journey as Stanford rolled into Seattle. The Cardinal were not experiencing the same success as the Huskies, but conference games are never to be taken lightly.
Continue reading “Game 320: Stanford @ #18 Washington”
Washington State’s upset over Wisconsin last weekend exposed the Badgers and their predictable rushing-based offense. Four-star QB recruit, Graham Mertz, seemed to only have one or two stars lit on the field. Overall, the defense played well, but the offense had many errors to correct, especially when it came to fundamental execution. While this outcome was phenomenal for the visiting Cougars, it was probably the worst case scenario for this week’s opponent, the New Mexico State Aggies. Wisconsin would come out well-practiced and angry. The Aggies were the punching bag.
Continue reading “Game 319: New Mexico State @ Wisconsin”
Expectations for maintaining a consistently strong program is an annual outlook for the Badgers. Coming off a strong shutout of Illinois State, Wisconsin was set to host Washington State, a team coming off a less impressive victory over Idaho. In the off-season, Camp Randall Stadium had undergone a facelift with upgraded seating in the south end zone and the renaming of the field after coaching legend, Barry Alvarez. These improvements only add to the expectations for a successful season and increase the hype for an even brighter future.
Continue reading “Game 318: Washington State @ Wisconsin”
This was Northwestern’s bowl game – Wrigley Field. It really should be the site of a postseason bowl game – the College Football Tour Windy City Bowl, perhaps? But, I digress. After winning the Big Ten west division two of the last three years, the Wildcats have slipped back to the Big Ten’s basement. This battle against the surging Boilermakers in “the friendly confines” offered Northwestern a bowl-like experience.
Continue reading “Game 312: Purdue vs. Northwestern”
These Wildcats are not reminiscent of the 2018 and 2020 teams that won the Big Ten west. The defense has taken the hardest hit with the departure of their highly regarded defensive coordinator, Mike Hankwitz. The Gopher ground game would take advantage of Northwestern’s defensive rebuild all afternoon sending the purple closer to bowl ineligibility.
Continue reading “Game 310: Minnesota @ Northwestern”
Two one-dimensional offenses clashed for a laborious slogfest. Both teams relied on their run games and stubborn defenses. Occasionally, a forward-pass page in the playbook would be dusted off. But, these teams knew their strengths and had no intent on entertaining the packed house in Madison. Every play had fans seeking a recline function on their seat backs.
Continue reading “Game 308: Army @ Wisconsin”
Meeting in the middle in Chicago, Notre Dame battled Wisconsin for the first time since 1964. The headlines leading up to this matchup circulated around the quarterback matchup. Senior Jack Coan, Notre Dame’s signal caller, just had transferred from Wisconsin where current freshman quarterback, Graham Mertz, had just nudged him out of the starting position. The drama surged with discussions of which quarterback would prove himself more worthy. In the end, inexperience would be the difference as Wisconsin literally threw the game away.
Continue reading “Game 306: #18 Wisconsin vs. #12 Notre Dame”
Somewhere amid the cornfields of the midwest lies Champaign, Illinois. It’s a great college town with mounds of enthusiasm and passion for their team. On gameday, tailgating takes place in open fields where music blasts, games are played, and footballs are tossed. You might even catch the band performing a quick drumline or “Oskee Wow Wow” before they make their march into Memorial Stadium.
The opener for Nebraska and Illinois has already been billed as a must win for each team. The Illini don’t have many expected wins on their schedule and need to take advantage of every opportunity they have. Nebraska head coach Scott Frost cannot afford to lose any games that the Huskers are expected to win or his seat will continue to boil.
Continue reading “Game 302: Nebraska @ Illinois”