Week 3 - Mother Freaking Nature

Swamp Creatures

Sometimes the best laid plans are just not meant to be. I packed up the DFT suitcase and flew to Fort Lauderdale for a week of work in our U.S. Office. The plan was to head up to North Carolina Thursday for the BC at Wake Forest Game and then catch the UCF at UNC game Saturday and a possibility of also seeing WVU at NC State. I was to meet up with a large assortment of family, friends and new instant buddies. Mother Nature had other ideas as she cast her spawn named Florence toward the coast of North Carolina keeping all but the very bravest away and in the process cancelling 6 Division 1 A games for the weekend. Faced with this conundrum and in possession of that rare hall pass to go play for the weekend, I broke out the DFT game tracker and saw that the University of Florida had a home game on Saturday versus Colorado State. I had never been to “The Swamp” and thought that was a more than adequate plan B. I called my old work mate Steve “Nerdcell” to join me who I had last caught an American college football game with on the continent of Australia two years prior. He obtained his hall pass within 30 seconds and was a go. We are already planning for the next time a college game will be played in Ireland and England, so we can claim the rare distinction of possibly the only people to catch games on 3 continents.

My newest Besties!

Steve picked me up Saturday morning after a night of reconnecting with my old high school buddy Jeff Brunner and his wife. Needless to say, DFT might have stood for “Dan Feeling Terrible” at that point. We pulled into campus and set up camp under shade trees and joined in with a group of Gator and Colorado State fans that were parked next to us. Due to the extreme heat and humidity, it was recommended we stay well hydrated, so we complied by making an Arctic cooler bag full of Yuenglings disappear. We kibitzed with a group of spirited people that were all Colorado State grads and shared stories and laughs. They even had their own Dazed and Confused version of Mathew “All Right All Right All Right!” McConaughey in their mix. 

 

Planting the banner in The Swamp

The boys from Fort Collins

After breaking camp and mooching a shot of spirits in route to the stadium, we joined the cattle call to gain entrance to the “The Swamp”. As we neared the gate, a loud security guard called out “ YOU COLORADO STATE FANS, MARIJUANA IS ILLEGAL IN FLORIDA. DISPOSE OF IT NOW!!!!. That got a collective chuckle from the masses.

Florida is one of the few “Blue Bloods” of college football schools I had not yet crossed off my list. The Gators have a more modern tradition of greatness going back to the late 80’s with Emmitt Smith as their star running back followed by the Steve Spurrier era which garnered the Gators a National Championship in 96. The Gators followed up in 06 & 08 with 2 more Nattys under now disgraced coach Urban Meyer. Many great players have matriculated through Gainesville along with Emmitt Smith such as Danny Wuerful, Tim Tebow and the ole ball coach hisself, Stevey Superior back in the 1960s.

The Swamp in all it's glory

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, named after a former well-heeled alumni is known throughout college football as The Swamp. The Swamp is said to be one of the loudest stadiums when at capacity in all of college football. Unfortunately for us, it was perhaps 60% full for this game. After the Gators lost for the first time in 30 years to Kentucky last week, it appears the fans decided to make a statement by sitting this one out. Originally built in 1930,  The Swamp has a current capacity of 91,000. The most famous in game tradition is the Gator Chomp. When the Jaws music comes over the loud speakers, the fans break out in unison doing the Gator chomp by extending their arms vertically and horizontally and bringing their hands together and speeding up as the music does the same. I have no rhythm, so I refrained from partaking. Another ritual at the end of the third quarter is when the song We Are The Boys From Old Florida is played and the fans, arm in arm sway back and forth in alternating rows. I was able to accomplish this without messing our section up. The Florida Marching Band was large and loud throughout the day, however we heard less of them and more of the annoying piped in music. This is rare in the SEC as the Bands usually dominate the sounds. The student section in the sun baked side of the stadium looked to be at best half full.

Never smile like a crocodile.....

Knowing this would be a hot Florida day, I made sure our seats were on the shady side of the stadium in the upper deck with a great view of the action. The first quarter of play was fairly even with a few mistakes by each squad. The Gators’ size and speed started to wear down the scrappy Rams in the second quarter and went into the locker room at half with a 28-3 lead. At halftime, we were visited by my Frostburg classmate and wife of a fraternity brother, Karen Langrehr and her daughter Rachel who is a student at Florida. It is always good catching up with old friends just to remind me how much I have forgotten. Colorado State started to make a game of it with a touchdown and a couple of long drives in the third quarter, but Florida was just too deep and significantly better in the 4^th quarter as they ran away with the game. Final score Florida 48, CSU 10. Back to my airport hotel for a zero dark thirty flight to the West Coast.

Catching up with the Langrehrs.

Around the country

Get over it people, Alabama is just damn good this year as they went into Oxford and had to show mercy on the Rebs, pounding them 62-7. Colonel Reb was crying. In what appeared to be the game of the day, the LSU Tigers went into Jordan Hare and clawed out a win over the Auburn Tigers on a last second field goal. Coach Shrek in the post game field interview was heard saying “come on Donkey, One Heartbeat!”. In Jerry World, Ohio State without Urban for the last time this season took down a good TCU squad. Further down Interstate 35, the Longhorns put a Texas size whipping on the Men of Troy in a 2005 National Championship rematch. In the game I missed that was not cancelled, Boston College beat Wake Forest to improve to 3-0. Syracuse beat Florida State for the first time in forever. The mighty OU Sooners behind Center Fielder Kyler Murray went up to Ames and claimed revenge over the Cyclones for last year’s upset. In Stillwater, Mrs. Tailgate’s Cowpokes rounded up daughter #1’s Broncos and handed them their first defeat while remaining perfect on the season. I normally don’t mention Kansas, but since they annihilated Rutgers for their second win in a row, I had to write about them. Wisconsin joins the list of pretenders as the BYU “Book of Mormon” prayed upon the Badgers in Camp Randall for a massive upset. Hawaii traveled all the way to West Point only to be defeated by Army. This may be the longest road trip of the season with the Rainbow Warriors changing 6 times zones. 

Just a reminder, if your school beats an FCS school or an irrelevant group of 5 program, I won’t be mentioning you. However, when you lose to these programs I will gladly print prose about it. Just ask Chipper at UCLA, The Hermanator at ASU and John Smith at Oregon State as all three led their squads to defeats against inferior Mountain West Conference opponents Fresno, San Diego State and Nevada. Scott Frost and Nebraska losing to the other Men of Troy, as in Troy University and Nerdwestern giving the Akron Zips their first win over a Big Ten opponent in 124 years. Sadly, what is going on with Arkansas as they also lost to North Texas out of Conference USA?

Bieber – Those teams that Copy Miami’s Turnover Chain. Last year, the University of Miami started an original concept: after every time their team forced a turnover, the person who was credited with it put a big chain around their neck on the sideline as a reward. It was cool, original and unique. This year, in a world of non-original, me too people, we are seeing a plethora of copycats. Boise State started the Turnover Throne, as in Royal throne. Florida State came up with the Turnover backpack, however, it was last seen on their opponents’ backs. FCS Kennesaw State has the Turnover Plank and Oregon has the Oregon chain. Tulane has Mardi Gras style Turnover Heads, Memphis the Turnover Robe, and Louisville with Turnover Gloves with a belt. So, you’re not cool, you’re not original, you are simply copycat stains on the napkins of life. Find something else to placate the mindless with.

Navy tailgaters

Last week at OU v UCLA

The Major from his Trojan Perch at Texas

The Bostic's view form their seats at Happy Valley

Miscellaneous Since I did not have an article last week, I wanted to acknowledge the passing of Florida State Great Burt Reynolds, the Bandit himself. I was fortunate enough 5 years ago to attend a game at Tallahassee where they honored Burt at halftime. I even did a remake of his famous bear skin pose prior to that game. RIP to the leader of the Mean Machine.

Next Week – I will be back home for a Monte Vista High School football tailgate and game on Friday night with family and friends. Saturday will be a backyard tailgate to watch Army play OU. Also, there will be weeks when I do not write a recap if I have not gone to a game. I apologize in advance, but it is not as inspiring to write if I don’t attend a game. Next road game is Ohio State at Penn State in 2 weeks.

Happy Tailgating!