Couch Potato Saturday

 After attending six games throughout the first four weeks of the season, the DFT Board of Directors insisted I take the weekend off from attending a college game in person. This measure was taken so I can roar into October firing on all cylinders for several monumental weekends. Well, I mostly complied as I did not attend a college game — but they made no mention of not attending high school football. We did get to experience some Friday night lights in our new Cali hood of Lincoln where we watched the mighty Twelve Bridges Raging Rhinos demolish the team from Bear River 41-7. The intent was to expose the grandsons to football. They did not make it through the first quarter as bedtime competed with the outing, but they had a blast until the sleepies kicked in.

Friday Night Lights!

On the couch Saturday: My lineup was simple. First up, I watched Oklahoma’s defense welcome Cincinnati to the Big 12 with a masterful performance. The offense left much to be desired. OU won the contest by a score of 20-6. Second on the slate was the disaster in Eugene, Oregon, as Coach Prime and the Buffs came crashing back to earth after being throttled by the Ducks 42-6. Maybe Deion, having an aversion to Ducks now, won’t want to do any more AFLAC commercials? Last on the primary ledger was the marquee matchup between Notre Dame and Ohio State. Not only did Notre Dame lose in the final seconds to Ohio State 17-14, but they also lost to one of the most classless coaches in the history of the game. (More on that nut job later.) 

Elsewhere, Florida State ended up scalping the tigers of Clemson in Death Valley. Some of Dabo’s play calling is being questioned now. Bama rebounded with a strong performance against Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss in T-Town. Coach Saban will definitely continue with AFLAC commercials! And Penn State absolutely white washed Iowa in the white out game in Happy Valley 31-0. On the backyard blackstone we cooked a bevy of teriyaki chicken, grilled pineapples, corn on the cob and, of course, ice cold lagers and a little red vino.

The Buckley tailgate at the rain out/white out game

Bieber: This week, the Bieber goes to none other than the aforementioned classless coach of Ohio State, Ryan Day. Apparently, earlier in the week, 86-year-old geriatric Lou Holtz made some comment about Ohio State not being the same Ohio State of years past and said that they are not physical enough. After squeaking out a victory against the Irish, Day was interviewed on the field by an NBC reporter. He proceeded to go on a rant targeting Lou Holtz for almost a minute about how tough his team is while yelling into the microphone with his voice cracking and spittle flying. Uhh …. uhhh Coach Day, Lou Holtz left Notre Dame nearly 30 years ago. I bet you feel real tough now going after a man 40+ years older than you who was making an observation that most of the country believes too. After you take a chill pill, get a grip on your new Bieber hardware and relish in the fact that you are a Bieberite for life.

Ginger: Matt Gaynard is a 34-year-old first year kicker for the UVA Cavaliers. But it’s not just his age that is important. Sixteen years ago he tried out for UVA as an undergrad and did not make the team. The interesting part is that he never played football in high school — he was a soccer player. After graduation from UVA, he went on to fly helicopters in the Marines for 10 years. After leaving the Corps, he went back to UVA for grad school and received a waiver to try out for the football team. This time he made the squad and now actually starts for them on the kickoff team, booming kicks to the opposition. For your perseverance, service to your country and your advanced age as a college football player, you are truly a badass and have earned your first Ginger award!

Next up: Heading to Boulder, CO, for Dad’s weekend to watch Coach Prime take on Coach Slime from USC. 10 a.m. kickoff will have us getting after it early!

Happy Tailgating!

Magnolia Magic

 This past Saturday I made the three and a half hour trek from the Redneck Riviera to Southern Mississippi University (SoMo) in Hattiesburg, MS. I was joined by my brother Brian who flew in from Baltimore and his Maryland cohort Lagarius Buckley. A few facts about the school: The SoMo student population is just under 12,000. The football team plays in the Sun Belt Conference, and its most famous alumni is none other than Brett Favre. The Golden Eagle home games are played on campus at M.M. Roberts Stadium which seats 36,000 football hungry fans.

After an afternoon and evening of hitting the beach and bars of 30A on Friday, we jumped in the F150 for our journey to Southern Mississippi. This marked my 105th D1A home stadium and pregame that I’ve attended.* The Hattiesburg weather was mostly sunny and in the 90s with that patented late Mississippi summer humidity. Upon our arrival on campus, we looked for grassy areas with all the tents but did not initially see any (we found them at game time). 

Planting the flag in the Hat

 We set up our gate under a big shade tree in a grassy area with only one other tent close by. Regardless, the three of us engaged in our typical shenanigans. We grilled up a menu similar to that of my FAU and Miami tailgates from two weeks ago: bacon and cheddar-infused short rib burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, brownies and, of course, ample ice cold Yuengling. We scored three online tickets for $12 each by playing the waiting game and made our way down to the beautiful M.M. Roberts Stadium for the main event. The stadium has seen several renovations over the past fifteen years. The south end zone is on par with any power five stadium with beautiful suites and shaded box seats. The north end zone has their new football facilities in a detached building. 

The opponent on the day was the Tulane Green Wave who had an amazing season last year capped off by a Cotton Bowl win over USC. However, they were without their “All World” QB1 Michael Pratt missed his second straight game due to a leg injury. The absence of Pratt gave the SoMo Golden Eagles some hope they could keep up with the Green Wave. 

Tulane jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on their first drive. From that point on, it became a defensive battle between the two squads with neither team adding any more points in the first half. At halftime we were treated to a spectacular performance by the Southern Miss marching band. They were also joined by the Tulane band and the alumni band for several songs. The three bands combined totaled over 700 members. We made friends in our section and learned a bit about the program, its history and what it means to the local community. By the second half, the student section sitting in the sun started to diminish in numbers. But those of us in the shade stuck around. Tulane added two more touchdowns in the third set and Southern Miss got three on a field goal. Final score: Tulane 21, Southern Miss 3. 

Breathtaking M.M. Roberts stadium.

Around the country: In the most hyped game of the weekend, which lived up to its billing, Colorado bested Colorado State in double overtime in Boulder in a very chippy contest. My #3 braved the packed crowd and stuck it out to the bitter end. The Washington Huskies obliterated the Michigan State Spartans who are in disarray based on this week’s Bieber news. In the SEC, we saw the once invincible Alabama Crimson Tide struggle with the University of South Florida. Staying in the state of Florida, the Gators upset the Tennessee Vold in Gainesville, and Florida State escaped Chestnut Hill in Boston with a two point win over BC. In a battle out on the plains, Mizzou squeaked out a W over the Kansas State Wildcats in Columbia, MO. North Carolina, behind Everyone’s All American Drake Maye, hunted down the Gophers in a solid non-conference win. 

Bieber: Mel Tucker, disgraced head coach of the Michigan State Spartans. With the recent disgusting scandal of Dr. Nassar at this prestigious institution, one would think they need to be on their best behavior. Overpaid and overrated head coach Mel Tucker failed to get that message as he is being charged with sexually harrssing a former rape victim in a manner so grotesque I cannot print it. Tucker has been placed on leave, but really, he needs to leave for good and leave now. MSU completely overpaid him a few years back after one good season. Hopefully they can recoup that amount and find a less, shall we say, “hands on” coach. Well Mel, you can put your hands on your new Bieber hardware as a consolation prize.

Ginger: Shout out to my buddy “Joe”, diehard Duquesne fan and alumni. It wasn’t until just recently that I learned Joe has been battling major illnesses for almost four years. Joe, being a very private and stoic person, kept this information to himself until recently when we had a text exchange. Joe and I coached girls basketball against each other for a number of years, and we share the same passion for college sports. From the DFT Nation — get well soon, Joe, and let’s get you back to a tailgate!

Next Up: I will be taking next weekend off to practice the art of couch gating at our Cali house. We are planning on taking the two grandsons to a high school game on Friday night. I will make my paternal return to Boulder on 9/30 for Dad’s Weekend when Coach Prime faces Coach Slime and the USC Trojans.

Happy Tailgating!

The sweat continues

My return to Tallahassee. Chief Osceola and the marching band doing a Disney tribute to Aladin

 Since I made a return trip to Tallahassee for the Florida State game this past Saturday, I will not be writing a full article this week. Instead, I am providing a link to the latest edition of Tailgater Magazine where I wrote an article on neutral site rivalry games and was interviewed for another article. The two articles start on pages 42 and 50. Here is the link:

https://cloud.3dissue.com/96043/96462/113567/TailgaterFall2023/index.html?page=44

Around the country: Texas shocked Bama in T-Town with a convincing win. Coach Prime and the Buffs ruled Matt Rhule and the Huskers in Boulder. (ESPN Gameday will be there next weekend.) The Utes snatched a victory in Waco over Baylor in a tight contest. The Hurricanes blew by the Texas A&M Aggies in Miami. The Ducks quacked up a win in Lubbock against Texas Tech and Ole Miss knocked off Tulane in Nawlins.

The Pig Bus tailgaters and movie star Luke Lorick at Baylor

BC superfan Patsy Doherty and her doppleganger!

#3 and her bestie pre game in Boulder

Drubacara & Stanky Reinke and the Polynesian bruddahs at SJSU gate

Tailgate Connect: Remember to check out my company Tailgate Connect® at www.tailgateconnect.com. If you are in need of an all inclusive, hassle-free tailgating experience at a football game this season, we have you covered. Tailgate Connect® now offers 40 college tailgates and 23 NFL tailgates for you to choose from.

Next up: I will be attending the Tulane/Southern Miss game in Hattiesburg, MS, this coming Saturday with my brother Brian and Lagarius Buckley. 

Happy Tailgating!

Move over Idalia

 

The sunshine state!

What has now become a tradition for the last 10 years, I was once again joined by my college friend known as Tubby for a trifecta Labor Day weekend. We were also joined throughout the weekend by another college friend, Sparky Pomeroy, and our buddies the Butcher and Ouzie. When planning a three day weekend for football games in September, it’s probably best not to do it in a state known for high humidity and heat this time of the year. That said, after all the sweating throughout the weekend, I am proud to announce that I too can now wear skinny jeans. The weekend commenced 24 hours after hurricane Idalia packed a heavy punch through north Florida.

Our first stop was Orlando to watch the University of Central Florida take on the Golden Flashes of Kent state. UCF is the newest member of the Big 12 and one of the largest schools in the country with 68,000 of students. The stadium is known as the bounce house because the fans like to bounce up and down and make the place rock. We were treated to an amazing halftime performance by the marching band who did a tribute to Earth, Wind and Fire. We also saw the SpaceX launch during the second half of the game. 

The game itself was mostly a one-sided affair, dominated by the golden knights of UCF. Although Kent State showed some grit in the first half, by the second half the superior talent, speed and conditioning of the golden knights was very apparent. Kent State players appeared to be running in quicksand against the much faster UCF squad. UCF won by a commanding score of 56-6.

Game one, let us not forget that UCF was the self proclaimed national champions in 2017. Bottom right is the spaceX launch we saw.

On Friday, we linked up with the aforementioned Sparky and Ouzie for the University of Miami versus Miami of Ohio battle in Miami, FL. After throwing up our tailgate tent, tables, grills, music and beer pong tables, we grilled some beer brats and hotdogs, accompanied by amazing sides and desserts. A good portion of the tailgate was spent standing under the tent as the heavens opened up on us and dumped a large quantity of H2O onto the area. We were treated to some thunder and lightning, and the game was delayed for 30 minutes.

Hunkering down under the tent during the storm. Winners of the Tailgate Connect drawing, and a sparsely attended Hurricanes home game.

The University of Miami is a member of the ACC and plays its home games at Hard Rock Stadium, which is 15 miles away from campus and also serves as the home field for the Miami Dolphins. While it’s a perfect NFL stadium, it’s the antithesis of perfection for a college atmosphere. Miami of Florida was clearly the better team throughout the night in the very cavernous stadium. It’s hard to tell whether they’ve improved or we’re just playing lesser competition. Final score of this match was Miami, FL 38, Miami, OH 3.

Game three on Saturday placed us in the picturesque town of Boca Raton, Florida, on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. It was a beautiful afternoon for a tailgate. We grilled burgers infused with blue cheese and bacon followed by two pans of chicken wings, totaling 100 in all. The Tailgate Connect tent was going full force with a special drawing and lots of interest from fellow tailgaters. An ample number of Yuenglings were consumed without any effect due to the sweat factor. 

FAU plays on Schnellenberger field at FAU stadium. Built in 2011, the on-campus venue seats 30,000 fans. The opponent on the day was Monmouth from New Jersey who plays at the FCS level. FAU was known for its Cinderella story this past year when they reached the final four in basketball. In the past they have been coached by Howard Schnellenberger and Lane Kiffin. The current coach is former Texas head honcho Tom “put your hands in your pits” Herman. FAU QB Casey Thompson also played for Herman at Texas. The game turned out to be the third blowout of the weekend we witnessed. FAU prevailed in the contest with a tally of 42 to Monmouth’s 20. We finished off a great weekend with a visit to a cigar bar complemented by a nice glass of neat whiskey. Then it was a nine hour drive back to my crib in NW Florida on Sunday morning. But prior to my departure on Sunday, I toured the Lynn University (formerly Marymount) campus where my two oldest siblings matriculated from many decades ago.

My doppleganger the Owl, portable beer pong getting another workout and the cozy FAU Stadium.

The victory cigars!

Around the country: Coach Prime in Colorado shocked the world by knocking off TCU in Fort Worth. Brian Kelly and his family got scalped by the Seminoles in Mickie world. Penn State took a bite out of the mountaineers in Happy Valley. Are the Sooners back as they put up 73 points against Butch “Sergeant Carter” Jones and the Arkansas State pigskin squad?  The soon to be PAC 12 or now known as the Tupac go 12 and 0 for the first time ever on opening weekend. In the battle for the Carolinas, the north beat the south in Charlotte. On Monday night the nation witnessed the unthinkable: Duke not only beat Clemson but absolutely destroyed them. Isn’t Duke supposed to be just a basketball school? The Gators were eaten alive by the Utes on Thursday in SLC.

Ryan Lufkin and the Utah Pig Bus crew grilling up some gator!

The Kernans at the Hampden Sydney opener.

Bieber:- Although LSU coach Brian Kelly should be in contention this week for stating that they were going to beat the crap out of Florida State, he is not the winner. This week’s Bieber is a collective. It is anyone — specifically sports commentators, but also college football fans — who after one week declares somebody is a Heisman candidate. I get so nauseated at hearing so-and-so (who had one great game during the week) is all of a sudden a front runner for the Heisman. Settle down folks, it’s a long season and one game does not make a person a legend. Let the season play out and see if that person that played so great in week one plays great for the next 12 weeks. Then you can pop off all you want about who is a contender or front runner for the Heisman. Until then, all you got is this Bieber award, which you can treasure for the rest of your life!

Ginger: My #3 for flying into the lion’s den of Fort Worth to root on her beloved CU Buffaloes against TCU. The abuse she must have braved by jilted Horn Frog fans must have been unbearable as she stood tall in the saddle (actually she is only 5’2) with great pride.  Way to be a badass, little one.I will see you in three weeks for Dad’s Weekend. Get those beer funnels warmed up for me.

Next up: There is a very strong possibility I will drive over to Tallahassee for Florida State’s Saturday night game against Southern Mississippi.

Happy Tailgating!