The Collapse in Colorado

 

Perhaps it was the effect of the solar eclipse this weekend, but I believe I witnessed two of the biggest collapses in all my time of going to college football games. Mrs. Tailgate and #1 daughter joined me on another trip to Boulder for #3’s Family Weekend. Game time for the Buffs was 8:20 p.m. on Friday night against the lowly Stanford Cardinal. Pregaming took place at the Chateau featuring street tacos and libations prior to wandering to a myriad of other parties. 

Pregaming on the Hill in Boulder and some game action.

The game — or the Colorado collapse or Deion’s debacle or the failure on the Flatirons as we now know it — is quite simple: The Buffs stormed out to a 29-0 halftime lead. Most people thought the game was over. Many left the stadium and viewers across the country flipped their TVs off. When they awoke on Saturday morning, they saw that Stanford came back and won 46-43 in double OT. How did this happen, you ask? Stanford made a few simple halftime adjustments and Colorado never countered them. Deion and his staff were out coached. 

On Saturday, I ventured up to Fort Collins to watch the Boise State Broncos take on the home team Colorado State in a Mountain West Conference matchup. The last time I went to a CSU game was 19 years ago at the genesis of my DFT quest at the old Hughes Stadium. It was game three of a three-game weekend with my brother when I decided I wanted to go to a home game at every Division 1A stadium. And 19 years later, I made my return. But this time to their new on-campus stadium, Canvas Stadium. For pregame activities I was joined by Luke Lorick and Dave The Viking. We successfully moochgated at the alumni tailgate and dined on a nice BBQ dinner. The stadium is a beautiful 36,000 seat facility built in 2017 with great views of the mountains to the northwest. The house was packed and full of excitement for this homecoming matchup. CSU had never beaten Boise State. 

CSU with Duff Man and the Viking

Much like Colorado the night before, Boise jumped out to a commanding 17-0 halftime lead. With a little over four minutes remaining in the ball game, Boise was on top 30-10. Then their collapse began as CSU scored two quick touchdowns to narrow the gap to six points. On CSU’s final possession, QB1 Brayden Nicolosi heaved a 33-yard hail Mary that was batted down only to be caught by wide receiver Dallin Holker before the ball hit the ground to tie the game. CSU converted the extra point to seal the win, and those who were left in the stadium stormed the field.

Around the country: In the game of the week, we witnessed another coaching blunder by cocky Coach Dan Lanning of Oregon. With a narrow lead and less than two minutes to go, Lanning decided to go for it on fourth down instead of punting the ball and pinning their opponent, the Washington Huskies, deep in their own territory. The play failed, UW got the ball back and scored the game-winning touchdown for a 36-33 victory. The fighting Irish exposed all the holes in the veneer that is the Lincoln Riley-led USC football program with a resounding 48-20 drubbing. Down in Knoxville, TN, the Vols sailed away with a 20-13 win over the Texas A&M Aggies. In ACC action, one week after knocking off the Fighting Irish, Louisville had a meltdown losing to the underdog Pitt Panthers by a score of 38-31. In Big Ten action, Sparty appeared to be righting their ship by racing out to a 24-6 lead over Rutgers by the end of the third quarter. It appears as though they forgot to show up for the final set as Rutgers ran off 21 straight points and a 27-24 win. In Stillwater, Okie State came from behind to top Kansas 39-32. Perhaps the new Group of Five darling is James Madison as they improved to 6-0 by pounding Georgia Southern 41-13. Too bad they are not yet eligible for a post-season bowl game.

Dusty Johnson & Big Orange Tailgate in Knoxville. Dan Lusk and his Vol Navy College Football Club

South Dakota Coyotes Homecoming Bus, The Duncans at UW and two felons at the JMU game.

Bieber: You get to vote this week as the candidates are: Deion for the Buffs’ collapse, Coach Dan Lanning for poor decision-making in the Oregon loss, Boise State Coach Andy Avalos for squandering a 20-point lead late in the fourth quarter, and last but not least, my beloved Mrs. Tailgate for paying $482 for her ticket when mine was only $100 and a better seat.

Click below to vote:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfO2Gq5pFfe6aKe2CBSM3EN6e6_jXbfeiwMnQxgHkRwpWq5pw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Ginger: Ginger has taken this week off.

Next week: Beach time back in Florida on the white, sugary sands of 30A. In two weeks, I will return to Jacksonville for the Florida - Georgia rivalry game.

Happy tailgating!

Ground Control

 Best laid plans don’t always come to fruition. As such, my planned outing to the Montana at UC Davis game did not happen due to unforeseen circumstances.  Devastated as I was, I took solace on my couch with the remote and a days worth of games to watch.

Around the country: This year's Red River Shootout was perhaps one of the best ever out of the 119 meetings in this storied rivalry. Both teams came in undefeated and ranked. The Sooners were embarrassed last year in this rivalry game by losing 49-0. With revenge on their minds and a much improved team, the Sooners punched hard early and often. Texas was equal to the task and punched back throughout the game as momentum seemed to shift constantly. In the end, the Sooners led by QB Dillon Gabriel mounted a game-winning drive to seal a 34-30 victory. Elsewhere, Miami dropped from the ranks of the undefeated at the hands of Georgia Tech on a last-second touchdown. (More on this outcome later.) If anyone was doubting whether UGA should still be top dog, those doubts were laid to rest as the Dawgs destroyed the previously undefeated Cats from Kentucky with a final tally of 51-13. Out west in the LA Coliseum, Caleb Superman Williams led USC to a triple OT victory over the University of Arizona. In the Big Ten, Michigan improved to 6-0, sinking PJ Fleck and his Gopher boat. In “Group of Five” action, last week’s darling Fresno State went down in defeat at the hands of the Cowboys from Laramie, Wyoming, 24-19. 

Clockwise from Top Left - The Bolt Boyz at Red River, Colonel Holter and his crew at Iowa, Captain Dan Lusk winning the tailgate at Minnesota and a Yeti sighting in Boise

Bieber: As promised, here’s more on that Georgia Tech victory. Miami had possession of the ball and was leading the game 20-17 with just over 30 seconds left on the clock. All they had to do was take a knee, run the clock out and go celebrate like 99.999% of teams typically do. But Miami head ball coach Mario “Two Hands” Cristobal misplaced his thinking cap and decided to run the ball instead of taking a knee and running the clock out. Mr. Murphy reared his ugly head and created a fumble, which Georgia Tech recovered. They would throw the ball twice down field and score on the second one on a blown coverage by the Miami defensive backfield, securing the upset victory. Coach Cristobal, next time look into your crystal ball so you can better predict your future before you do something so Bieberish! For now, your shiny Bieber hardware will have to do.

Ginger: The Hawkeye Wave. I have mentioned this one before, but it is always worth drawing attention to this tradition. I was reminded of it again yesterday when my buddy attended the Purdue at Iowa game and sent me a picture of the fans waving to the children in the hospital windows next to the stadium. I had the honor of being at the first Hawkeye Wave ever that was performed on Labor Day weekend, 2017. I remember getting a chill up my spine at how touching this gesture was and what it must mean to the kids. Many of these kids are fighting battles against very severe illnesses, and something like this goes a long way in improving their spirits. The children’s hospital rises from the east like a phoenix above Kinnick Stadium on the campus of the University of Iowa. At the end of the first quarter, all the kids and their families gather at the windows of the hospital. The 70,000 fans in the stadium all stand and wave in unison to the kids. This truly is one of the most moving experiences you will ever have at a college football game. It goes without saying that this is beyond badass and worthy of multiple Ginger awards!

The Hawkeye Wave!

Next up: Heading back to Boulder for Family Weekend and a Friday night matchup in the now winter temps of the Rocky Mountains. This is only two weeks after I was playing drinking games outside in my dad shorts. There is a possibility I will also head up to Fort Collins for Colorado State’s Saturday night game against the Boise State Broncos.

Happy Tailgating!

Prime Time Rise n Shine!

We coming!

 The DFT Express returned to Boulder for my sixth game at CU. The occasion this time was Dad’s Weekend for #3’s sorority. Friday night was low key, but I finally had the famous fried chicken dinner at The Post in Boulder. With a 10 a.m. Mountain Time kickoff, this meant an early start for our pregame festivities. #3 and her roomies at “The Chateau” threw an epic pregame breakfast tailgate consisting of bottomless mimosas and my patented eggolini breakfast concoction. Mother Nature provided us with a chamber of commerce day: blue skies, temps in the 70s, and the spectacular Flatirons as our backdrop.

The gang at "The Chateau" for an early morning tailgate.

After our early morning tailgate, we made the trek over to beautiful Folsom Field on campus. A new vibe was in the air in Boulder, courtesy of Coach Prime and the excitement he has brought to the Rocky Mountains. Prior to kickoff, we were treated to an air-force flyover and Ralphie the buffalo running the field. The stadium was packed for the Buffs’ matchup against #7 USC and their sleaze ball coach Lincoln Riley. There were a decent number of Trojan fans in the house; however, they were overshadowed by the Buff faithful all wearing white for a daytime whiteout. Each team had a number of celebrities on their respective sidelines amping up the intensity of the game.

In the first half, USC Heisman trophy winner and QB1 Caleb Williams owned the Buffs’ D and had his way by throwing for four touchdowns. The Buffs were without their star two-way player Travis Hunter once again as well as starting safety Shilo Sanders. Williams made sure to exploit the holes their absences left. Colorado seemed to be a step behind but showed more life than they did the week before when they got throttled by the Oregon Ducks. This gave the home team fans some hope that the game was not out of reach yet. The two teams headed into the locker room for a halftime break with USC up 34-14.

For the halftime show, we were treated by the CU band as they performed hits from many of the big concerts that have been played at Folsom Field over the last 50 years. Ralphie of course ran again to commence the second half. 

In the second half, the Buffs made a miraculous comeback led by their QB1 Shedeur Sanders. In fact, Shedeur led the Buffs to four touchdown drives and 27 second half points with 1:43 seconds left on the clock. Aside from  half the students leaving in the third quarter, the buzz in the stadium increased with each Colorado possession. The game came down to an onside kick attempt by Colorado that was recovered easily by USC. With no timeouts to stop the clock, USC simply snapped the ball and took a knee three times to end the game. Final score USC 48, Colorado 41. Caleb WIliams threw for 403 yards and six touchdowns, and his opposite Shedeur Sanders threw for 371 yards and four touchdowns. Apparently there were over thirty NFL scouts on site to watch these two future NFLers. NostraDANus did predict a one score game, so please hit me up before your next draft king's bet.

Beautiful Folsom Field with my beautiful #3!

After departing the stadium, we made the half mile trek back to the Chateau for drinking games on the front lawn the rest of the afternoon. 

Post game festivities

Around the country: Both Oklahoma and Texas each tuned up for next week by dispatching their opponents with ease. Ole Miss won in a shootout with LSU by a score of 55-49 in Oxford. Notre Dame recaptured their magic by beating Duke on a game-winning touchdown with less than a minute on the clock. Maryland improved to 5-0 by beating Indiana handily behind little Tua. And our current “Group of Five” darling Fresno State improved their record to 5-0 by defeating the Wolfpack from Nevada. 

#2, Squatch and friends enjoying another Sooner beat down.

Bieber: This week’s Bieber goes to Louisiana Tech’s Brevin Randle for one of the dirtiest actions seen on the field this century. Randle, a defensive player for LT, was captured on video shoving an injured UTEP lineman into the ground as the lineman was laying on his stomach. Well that wasn’t very nice, but what he did next was far outside the lines of competition. Randle stood up and then stomped down on the defensive player's head leaving him in agonizing pain. Unbelievably, the referees did not see this as there was no penalty called. However, it did not go unnoticed as Randle has now been suspended from the team — hopefully for good. Randle may not have shoulder pads and cleats to strap on any time soon, but he can take pride in owning his first Bieber.

Classless act

Ginger: This week’s winner is Notre Dame QB1 Sam Hartman. After Hartman led his Irish to a stunning drive late in the fourth quarter to give his team the lead, Duke had another chance as there were still 31 seconds left on the game clock. Duke’s QB Riley Leonard, who carried the Blue Devils to two second half touchdowns, was badly injured on the second play of the drive and turned the ball over to seal the game for Notre Dame. Leonard was helped off the field into the injury tent on the sideline. During the postgame on-field interviews, Hartman was filmed waiting outside the injury tent for several minutes to check on his opponent. Leonard finally came out on crutches and Hartman was seen walking up to him and giving him the bro hug before trotting off the field. I have liked this kid since I first saw him as a 17-year-old high school star on Netflix’s QB1 series. This act of true sportsmanship just made me like and respect him even more. For this Slinging Sammy, you win this weekend’s Ginger award for being such a badass.

Classy act

Next up: Off to UC Davis as they take on the Montana Grizzlies. 

Happy Tailgating!

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!

Where in the world is Jacksonville State?

Welcome back to another season of indulging me in my quest to go to a game and pregame celebration at all division 1A schools! My apologies for not doing my traditional preseason primer — life has been very busy and I failed in delivering one. That being said, we already kicked off the tailgating season at Jacksonville State this past Saturday for zero week action. Jacksonville State has been a very successful program playing at the division 1AA level for many years. This is their first season jumping up to division 1A, joining the Conference USA. Given that their name is Jacksonville State, I’d always assumed the school was located in Jacksonville, FL. Much to my surprise, when I looked at the school website, I found out it is located in Jacksonville, AL! It’s a good thing my Magellan skills kicked in, and I figured this out in advance of making the trek.

In addition to moving up to the highest level of competition, Jax State is coached by Rich Rodriguez (Rich Rod), former head coach of WVU, Michigan and Arizona. The mascot is Cocky the Gamecock and their slogan is “fear the beak.” I can relate given the shape of my nose. The picturesque campus sits in NE Alabama with a beautiful mountain backdrop. The school has approximately 11,000 future taxpayers enrolled in studies. The football team plays their games in Burgess Snow Field, JSU stadium, which was originally built in 1947 and has seats for 24,000 fans. The stadium is in the midst of a substantial renovation to make it better suited for the big time. 

This past weekend, the Gamecocks hosted the Miners from UTEP on what turned out to be the hottest game I’ve ever attended with temps on the field hitting 130 degrees. I accomplished a first by consuming more water than beer on the day as the sweat was pouring off me like Victoria Falls.

Mrs. Tailgate and I were joined by my high school buddies Dr. Alabama Al Rector and Tony Pifer and their wives Tracey and Edna. We set up an excellent tailgate under the trees in the general tailgating lot to get a little extra shade. The menu consisted of pulled pork sandwiches, chicken wings, potato salad, deviled eggs, tomato/mozzarella/basil skewers and many other snacks. We broke out my brand new RYOBI bucket top mister to cool things down, blared tailgate tunes, told embarrassing stories to the wives and even played beer pong on my new portable game stand. The Gamecock player walk from the bus to the stadium went right past our tailgate tent and was led by a section of their famed marching band known as the Southerners. As we were breaking down our tailgate, we were introduced to a Jax State super fan named Murray who was escaping his official duties with his wife’s soiree. He told us many historical facts about the campus and program and even gave us three free tickets to the game.

Fear the beak! The Taikgate couple and my cool new toy in action!

clockwise from the left - Cocky, beer pong, our TG Queen of the day and part of our amazing chow.

Ladies & sweaty men

Once in the stadium, all the fans sat on the south side, while the students and band were located in the east end zone. The north side was under construction with the bleachers already stripped out. Thanks to the extreme temperature and humidity, we continued to down water as fast as we could get it. The Gamecocks drew first blood with a field goal in Q1 and added a touchdown to take a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. The Miners were able to punch one in right before the half to close the gap to three points. In the third quarter, the Gamecocks ran another score in from the seven yard line. The Miners would make it interesting in the fourth quarter by putting another seven on the board with a 32 yard pass play. But the Gamecocks would ultimately hold onto the lead and walk away with a 17-14 win in their inaugural game at the D1A level. More impressive than the game itself was the 500+ member Southerners marching band. They put on a halftime performance that rivaled any SEC or Big Ten marching band.

Inside the sweatbox -   a stadium being transformed

Around the globe: Notre Dame would sink the Navy in Dublin, Ireland, 42-3 in the marquee match of the day. Meanwhile, the Trojans dominated the Spartans in a Roman battle in the LA coliseum. San Diego State nudged Ohio University, and Vandy got the best of Hawaii.

Bieber: The winner is the soon to be former PAC 12 for disintegrating before our eyes over the past two months. How could this happen to one of the most storied conferences in collegiate athletics? First, we saw USC and UCLA announce after last season they would bolt for the Big Ten. UW and Oregon followed suit earlier this summer with Colorado, Utah and the two Arizona schools bolting for the Big 12. Stanford and Cal are in discussions with the ACC, which only leaves WSU and Oregon State to fend for themselves. Let’s take into consideration that this move is for all sports, not just football. This makes zero sense for kids in non-revenue sports spending a chunk of their school year traveling coast to coast for events and games watched by a handful of parents and family. The state of college sports is rapidly becoming unrecognizable. And for this, the PAC 12 will at least retain the coveted Bieber hardware.

Ginger: This award goes to our tailgate crew this past Saturday for being brave enough to tailgate and sit through an entire game in outlandish weather conditions. 

Next up: My annual Labor Day trifecta with co-pilot

 Tubby and several other buddies. Thursday we’ll be in Orlando for the UCF home opener against Kent State. Friday you will find us in Miami for the battle of Miamis. And Saturday for the finale, we will be in Boca Raton for FAU’s opener when they face Monmouth.

Happy Tailgating!