Goal: To thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS college football stadium. STADIUM COUNT: 113/134
Temple’s campus rests on the north side of Philadelphia. They’ve been playing their home games in professional stadiums on the south end of town since 1978. Lincoln Financial Field is their current home, and a flurry of cherry and white descends upon “The Linc” on Temple gameday Saturdays converting the outskirts of the arena into a collegiate tailgating oasis.
Continue reading “TEMPLE – LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD”
The first home game of the season brought a nice crowd to Lincoln Financial Field for an anticipated duel against Boston College. Most of the fans were shuttled down students from the north campus and they brought the noise. Many other Temple faithful showed a more disgruntled side as they didn’t have to wait long for their Owls to crumble against the Eagles.
Continue reading “Game 305: Boston College @ Temple”
Finish.
The word was ringing through Badger ears all week.
A frustrating game last Saturday against Penn State had Wisconsin dominating the time of possession battle 42:51 – 17:09, but repeatedly failing to cross the goal line when reaching the red zone. Wisconsin lost 16-10. The packed Camp Randall that had bubbled over with “jump around” energy ended up quietly deflating.
This week’s game against Eastern Michigan was the opportunity to remedy those offensive stutters.
Boston College football Saturdays weave together a quaint New England atmosphere with a charged fan base of Eagle fanatics. Alumni Stadium rests in Chestnut Hill, just west of the Boston fray. A flurry of gameday activities are wedged in just outside the on-campus stadium. This is an often overlooked venue that deserves much more recognition.
Continue reading “BOSTON COLLEGE – ALUMNI STADIUM”
A slowly emerging post-pandemic world provided the backdrop for Boston College’s season opener. Vaccination screening offered a new wrinkle in the pregame routine. But, it didn’t slow down the fan support inside Alumni Stadium. A sizable crowd was ready to add notable noise to this arena for the first time since 2019. There would be plenty to cheer for, as well, as a painfully mediocre Colgate team that only played two games last season played the role of opponent.
Continue reading “Game 303: Colgate @ Boston College”
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”
For what will be a blip in the annals of college football history, Wisconsin looked to have Ohio State strangled at halftime. The Badger offense looked undaunted by the two time defending Big Ten champ, and leaped to a 21-7 halftime advantage. But, like many of their previous contests, Wisconsin looked competitive, but not quite enough.
Continue reading “Game 301: #2 Ohio State vs. #8 Wisconsin”
The smoke off the mountains welcomes visitors to Knoxville. These massive natural structures highlight the beauty of this vibrant Tennessee town. The Tennessee River that runs along Neyland Stadium adds to this picturesque venue and is the site of a tradition known as the Volunteer Navy. Here, a bevy of boats of all sizes line up along the river side to engage in pregame tailgating. Neyland Stadium is one of only a few stadiums accessible by boat, and Vol fans have turned this into one of college football’s most unique traditions.
Few things are more deflating for a passionate fan base than a season opening home loss to a lowly regarded non conference opponent – especially when expectations are on the ascend. This defined Tennessee’s forgettable start to 2019 as they dropped a decision to Georgia State. Such a loss can drape a dark fog over the remainder of the season, leaving a gloomy residue on every pregame tailgate and every playing of the fight song. But, the Volunteers didn’t allow their eventual 1-4 start to dictate the remainder of the schedule. We were fortunate to stroll into Knoxville with Tennessee on a four game win streak and the orange and white faithful infused with a resurgent spirit.
Continue reading “Game 300: Vanderbilt @ Tennessee”