A rare home opening homecoming game for Miami had fans buzzing with anticipation around the red bricked campus in Oxford. Marshall being the opponent added even more hype. The enthusiasm was hitting its peak during the pregame Hawk Walk when…
TOLEDO – GLASS BOWL
The University of Toledo is a proud beacon in this classic Midwestern blue-collar town. Game day showcases that pride. Blue and gold blanket the entire campus from the team walk in pregame to the final canon blast on the field. Once assembled inside The Glass Bowl, it becomes evident that the fervent fans fuel the Rockets.
Game 259: Tulsa @ Toledo
Toledo and Tulsa opened their playbooks to the “Defense Optional” chapter. The consequential offensive torrent made for a thrilling game for casual fans, but a frustrating one for invested supporters – lots of groans hovered over The Glass Bowl on this Saturday night, but the final celebration belonged to the home fans.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS – HUSKIE STADIUM
DeKalb, Illinois is not that far from the city life of Chicago, but it may as well be in central Nebraska. From interstate 88, you can see Huskie Stadium, that is if the corn has already been harvested. Due to television contracts with ESPN, many Middle-American conference games fall on weekday nights, but that does not dull the enthusiasm. Many folks drive in from work and it may take a while to get adjusted to the college football mindset, but once the Huskies take the field to a barrage of fireworks, that ol’ Saturday feeling comes back.
Game 256: Boston College @ Northern Illinois
#BlackoutBC was the battle cry in DeKalb on a Friday night opener for Northern Illinois’ tussle with Boston College. Decked in black, Huskie fans flanked both sides of Huskie Stadium to kickoff Labor Day weekend with some serious tailgating.
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WESTERN MICHIGAN – WALDO STADIUM
The scene in Kalamazoo is one of those that gives the smaller venues in college football a great reputation. The fans that fill Waldo Stadium are lively, devoted, and help to make Western Michigan football relevant.
Game 251: Eastern Michigan @ #20 Western Michigan
Not only were the Broncos entering this game undefeated at 7-0, they were hosting their first game as a ranked team in program history – this got WMU fans to cram themselves into Waldo Stadium.
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AKRON – INFOCISION STADIUM
Some folks may react unfavorably about the move to InfoCision Stadium from the classic Rubber Bowl that hosted Zips games since 1940. However, the venerable old stadium required much repair, and the dream of a brand new facility on campus drew closer to reality. In 2009, Akron opened InfoCision Stadium and parked it right amongst the hotspots in campus. The excitement for this new arena certainly had justification. It towers high off the main strips in campus. Akron University has fallen into the rat race for the newer and better when it comes to stadiums. However, InfoCision Stadium, other than its name, has clung to many traditional aspects of what a college football atmosphere is all about.
Game 248: Appalachian State @ Akron
Coming off their first bowl victory, Appalachian State appeared fit to be in the FBS and primed to return to bowl season. Akron was also coming off of a successful bowl victory, and a victory over the Mountaineers would certainly keep them on pace to return.
Game 246: Akron @ #10 Wisconsin
Finally, it paid off. Wisconsin’s insistence on scheduling a high profile opening game reaped some benefits. After falling short to LSU in 2014 and Alabama in 2015, the Badgers chalked up a victory in the highly anticipated rematch against LSU at historic Lambeau Field. Underdog status be damned. The Badgers are for real.