A sixteen year odyssey across the backroads of America during the ultimate College Football roadtrip.

Author: Pigskin Pursuit (Page 13 of 61)

Notre Dame vs Arizona State: Irish shock the Sun Devils in Dallas…

Having lived in Dallas for several years and attending a handful of games at the soaring monstrosity of new Cowboy Stadium, the trip to the Big D was more about catching up with friends than exploring a new corner of the college football world.  With Notre Dame playing Arizona State in one of their annual “Shamrock Series” neutral site contests, a special event that grants leeway for the crack design team at Adidas to make some deplorable changes to the traditional Fighting Irish uniforms, this trip was a great opportunity to reconnect with a few of my Irish cohorts that were also making the journey into town.  But with #22 Arizona State fresh off a blowout victory over the USC Trojans, this game would be anything but a walk in the park for the decidedly pedestrian Irish squad thus far this year.   Of course the allure of some proper Texas barbecue would offset any anxieties that I shared about the tenuous Irish matchup…(See my review of Pecan Lodge from last year here)

Saturday morning we rise early and load up Bryce’s truck with a payload of tailgating provisions.  Coolers are stuffed to the gills with refreshment, and shopping bags ripple with snacks.  We rendezvous with a handful of friends in the parking lot of a Bone Daddy’s restaurant in Grapevine, a Hooters restaurant clone known for their, ahem, “alluring” fare.  From there we convoy south into Arlington with surprising ease, and then enter the asphalt expanse surrounding the new Cowboy Stadium.  We have a hangtag parking pass for Lot 12, a privilege that Jerry Jones charges $50 apiece for.  Judging by the wide open swaths of parking that never fill up, the contest will be far from a sellout.

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As our tailgate is unfurled in the cool overcast morning air, our numbers swell as visitors stop by and meet up.  Bryce sets up a slick Beats By Dre portable radio with some Texas Country pumping, while Kate lays out an impressive spread on a foldout table. I take this opportunity to crack into my first Shiner of the day.  My friends Larry and Luke had followed us in and parked alongside.  Both friends from my Notre Dame years, they were in town for a doubleheader of the Irish contest on Saturday, and then an NFL Cowboys game the next day.   Seasoned tailgating veterans in South Bend, they were both familiar with my tailgating antics, and we spend the morning working our way through an impressive list of microbrews that Bryce toted along.  As always, a few hours tailgating with great friends flies by like seconds, and as the sun starts to dip into the horizon, it signals the end of our festivities.  We stuff our pockets with a few walking beers and head towards the giant alien spacecraft that is Jerryworld.

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Walking towards the stadium, tickets are for sale everywhere.  People stand on corners with fistfuls of them in hand, asking as low as $5 apiece for the tickets which the university had the gall to put a $110 face value price tag on.  There simply isn’t enough demand for what amounts to a neutral site game between two lackluster teams that are each nearly 1,000 miles from their respective campuses.  Security procedures as we enter the giant dome include a metal detector and possible pat down.  If it’s one thing I always appreciate – it’s invasive, superfluous and ineffective security procedures that cause a choke point to enter the stadium and offer little more than an illusion of safety.  Fortunately, the “security” goons aren’t wise enough for my ruse, and I breeze through with a full can of Shiner Bock cleverly concealed by years of experience (send me an email if you want the technique)…

For those that haven’t been, Cowboy Stadium (recently redubbed “AT&T Stadium”, which I will ignore) is an impressive space, a befitting monument to football in the Lonestar State.  It’s sparkling new and clean, has generously wide concourses that are easy to navigate and a plethora of concessions that sport everything from nachos to sushi.  The retractable roof soars nearly 300 feet over the field, supported by a pair of massive 35’ deep box trusses that span the entire 1200’ length of the stadium.  The gaudy centerpiece of the structure is the infamous Mitsubishi Jumbotron, a 160’ high definition TV screen that continuously flashes replays and advertisements, the largest of its kind in the world.  Stretching from one 25 yard line to the other, the epilepsy inducing behemoth is so obtrusive, that you find yourself accidentally watching the game on the screen instead of the actual action on the field.

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While it’s impossible not to be impressed by the sheer size and spectacle of the structure, and it’s a fine venue for the climate controlled, banal professionalism of the NFL; I find Jerryworld completely unfit for a college football game.  College football is quite simply meant to be played outdoors, under the elements, in the splendor of a fervent college campus bursting with foliage on a crisp fall afternoon.

But despite my purist protestations, beer flows freely at the concession stands, and Larry, Luke and I intend to take advantage of this break from typical NCAA Puritanism.  Given the frustrating play of the Irish thus far this season, we’ll clearly need it, and we alternate a few rounds while the countdown clock winds down.  Although billed as a neutral site contest, looking around the audience is anything but an even split.  The Irish fan base probably outnumbers the Sun Devils 3:1, and the massive jumbotron plays exclusively Irish promotional videos and messages.  After a few pre game announcements, the contest kicks off with as much roar as the 2/3 capacity crowd can muster as helmets begin popping on the artificial turf below.

Cowboy Stadium Wide

After a scoreless first quarter, what follows is a surprisingly competitive, seesaw battle that delivers for all four quarters.  Irish running back and Texas native Cam McDaniel batters the ASU defense on the ground, while QB Tommy Rees has a serviceable day in the air with three touchdowns against one (albeit costly) interception.  After trading a few quick touchdowns in the second quarter, the score at halftime is 14-13 in favor of the Irish.

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In the third frame, as Rees finds some rhythm, the Irish jump out to a comfortable 24-13 lead after successful touchdown drive and impressive 53 yard field goal boot by place kicker Kyle Brindza.  But the explosive Sun Devil squad will not be pinned down in the 4th quarter, as they return a Tommy Rees gaffe for a six point interception, and later punch in a touchdown with eight minutes remaining to knot the score at 27.  After an ensuing Irish field goal drive (30-27), the key play of the game occurs as Arizona State assumes the ball deep in their own territory with 1:16 remaining.  Skilled ASU QB Taylor Kelly, facing a 4th and 13 conversion to keep his teams hopes alive, fires an interception into the outstretched arms of ND linebacker Dan Fox.  Fox returns the interception for a touchdown, effectively icing the game as the Irish assume a 37-27 lead with only a minute remaining.  Final score ND 37 ASU 34.

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Special thanks to my friends Bryce and Kate for their incredible Texas hospitality as always, and can’t wait to see what games we meet up for next year!

Thanks to my friends Larry and Luke, it was awesome to catch up with you guys in Dallas, and lets lock down ASU in Arizona next year!!!

 

Full clickable gallery below:

 

 

 

 

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Georgia vs LSU – Dawgs take a bite out of the Tigers…

After spending the better part of Thursday and Friday gluttonously eating my way through the impressive Atlanta food scene, a binge highlighted by some house cured charcuterie and an unctuous pork belly banh mi sandwich from Star Provisions, I fight through the oppressive traffic on I-85 South towards Hartsfield Airport.  There, I greet my cohort for the weekend – Brian.  A former benchwarmer on the University of Maryland lacrosse team, he assured me he had plenty of experience watching college athletics from the sidelines.  But having been to a few epic SEC games before, including a trip to the Florida Georgia game in Jacksonville, aka “The worlds largest outdoor cocktail party”; a last minute trip to Athens was more than enough to lure him out of Saint Louis. He presses his 6’6” frame into my shiny silver Toyota Corolla, which, between the two of us, nearly bottoms out the suspension in the little go kart.   What looks like an easy 1-1/2 hour drive on Google maps proves arduous instead, as the route is littered with construction zones, traffic lights and surprisingly awful Georgia drivers.

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The pork belly banh mi from Star Provisions

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A house made charcuterie sampler at Star Provisions

 

We set our bags down briefly at the hotel, pound a couple of Yuengling tall boy cans, and walk over to Clayton Street – the throbbing heart of downtown Athens.  I’d heard legends about the nightlife in Athens, widely regarded as one of the finest college towns in the country, but unless you regularly wander Bourbon Street in New Orleans, little can prepare you for the delightful mess of Clayton on a home game weekend.  As revelers spill out of bars, the sidewalks are teeming with bodies.  Frat boys in khakis and topsiders, girls sporting tiny dresses and shiny heels, all of them punching their smartphones furiously while elbowing into or out of the myriad bars lining the street.  We press into All Good Lounge after making a quick scan of the scene and order a couple of green Yuengling bottles.  From there, the night melts into a handful of different pubs along Clayton, each of them as jam packed as the next… Athens is an impressive scene.

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It’s an early wake up call on Saturday morning, and though I’m shaking a few cobwebs from a couple extra unwarranted Yuengling’s the night before, we’re both wired to get the day underway.  We make a quick stop at a liquor store for provisions, then tote our new stash of cold Yuenglings towards Sanford Stadium.  The streets are already lined with tailgaters, pressed into any free stretch of asphalt they can find.  A few tailgates have loudspeakers set up, replete with jort and jersey wearing, goateed MC’s babbling incessantly on the microphone in between bouts of insufferable southern hip hop tunes.  There should be some kind of licensing procedure to use a microphone in public, especially for LSU fans…

Just south of the stadium we meet up with Cody and Kendel, friends of mine from Dallas.  Texas Tech and Baylor grads, respectively, their college football experience had been solidly forged in the formidable Big 12 conference.  As avid sports fans, however, for the past couple of years the husband and wife duo has been traveling extensively to high profile sporting events. Inspired by my adventures, they finally wanted to see what SEC football hoopla was all about.  With the allure of a monster matchup in Athens, Georgia vs LSU would be a fitting introduction to their first SEC experience.  You can read Cody’s full take on his first SEC experience here

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We join their tailgate, graciously hosted by Kendel’s extended family.  Tossing our beers in the community cooler and shaking hands, we crack a few cold ones to get the day underway.  Shaded beneath the broad canopies of magnificent oaks, it’s a crystal blue late September sky overhead and a sublime day for tailgating.  While Brian and I immediately raid the snack table, we introduce ourselves to the rest of the group, all of whom are acquainted with Kendall’s extended family.  Bradi and Alan, the hosts, welcome us in typical Georgia tailgate fashion, swiftly sequestering us to the nearest table for a game of flip cup. Despite our newcomer status, little mercy is shown, and fifteen minutes later I’m already three beers deep.  It’s going to be that kind of day…

The morning quickly devolves into bouts of flip cup, beer pong and cornhole – interrupted only for fistfuls of burgers hot off the grill and a particularly addictive buffalo chicken dip.  While our tailgate is delightfully rowdy and boorish, a tailgate next to ours does a gender reveal for their expecting baby as a few of their toddlers scramble around in the bark mulch.  Anywhere else, this may seem peculiar, but at an SEC tailgate, it seems oddly appropriate.

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Georgia exemplifies the best of what SEC, and broader college football, tailgating is all about.  Our collective group of Alan, Bradi, LeAndra, Meredith, Lindsay and Katie are among the most welcoming hosts I’ve encountered on my travels.  A cup never runs empty, participation in drinking games is mandatory, and strangers are welcomed into the fold with open arms and sharp tongued smack talking.  The next four hours pass like minutes as we spend the resplendent morning drinking, laughing and reveling.  As the afternoon sun arches over the sky, it’s regrettably time to leave, but after this serious bout of tailgating, I’m appropriately lubed up for the game.  With pre game field passes awaiting us, there’s no way I’m missing a chance to walk between the hedges…

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Fighting our way towards Sanford Stadium, the scene outside the gates is a human cattle stock pen.  Sanford is built into a small valley on campus, a feature that limits access to the entrance gates, so thousands of fans cramp into the small basin between the stadium entrance and the Tate Student Center.  We jostle through the crowd towards the hospitality tent to pick up our field passes and game tickets, and make a quick dive into the coolers for a few final Yuenglings, naturally.  Shortly after, a University of Georgia representative leads our group through the entrance gates and into the darkconcrete tunnel.

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We emerge from the tunnel into a brilliant wash of colors surrounding the field at Sanford Stadium.  A crystal blue sky overhead, bright red seats fill the grandstands, and the lush green of grass tucked in between the neatly manicured hedges that famously surround the field.  Standing on the sidelines, the stadium still hushed as spectators start trickling in, we observe the players taking warm-ups on the field.  Up close is the only way to grasp exactly how freakish some of these athletes are, the speed in which they accelerate, leap, or change direction.  We observe one player nonchalantly catch a 50 yard kickoff in the back of the endzone – one handed, over his shoulder – as if it were a set of tossed car keys.   Heralded Georgia QB Aaron Murray zips passes to his wide receivers, all of them running crisp, geometrically precise patterns with delicate footwork and split second timing.

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As the stadium begins to fill and the student section starts its boisterous pre game chants, the field crew ushers us off the grounds.  We find our seats on the 35 yard line, only a few rows up.  Seated adjacent to the student section, we’re in for a delightfully raucous afternoon.  As the pre game energy reaches its zenith, flags are raised and the crowd wails as the Bulldogs quickly hustle on to the field.  During the final moments of warm up, the student crowd taunts LSU Quarterback Zach Mettenberger with chants of “No Means No”, or, more accurately “Neaux means Neaux” according to a few painted signs.  The barb is a reference to his two sexual battery charges.  Originally a Georgia recruit and quarterback, Mettenberger was booted off the team in 2010 for these off field exploits.

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A few moments later, LSU place kicker James Hairston boots the ball high into the late afternoon sky and the crowd “barks” as the ball starts to fall.  After touching a knee down in the endzone, the Dawgs assume control first.   What follows is one of the most exciting, back and forth games that I have attended on my travels.  Far from a typical SEC defensive standoff, both teams move the ball with remarkable ease.   The Georgia defense is powerless against the LSU passing attack, and gives up several third down conversions over 20 yards.  On the other side, the Bulldog rushing attack, despite an injury to star running back Todd Gurley, absolutely steamrolls the normally stout Tiger defense.  Although Georgia leads for the first three quarters, they never pull more than a touchdown ahead, as LSU responds with each swing in momentum.  As the game swings back and forth, we sit down only a handful of times, the exuberant Georgia crowd stands nearly the entire contest.  The way it should be…

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Finally, in the fourth quarter, the game breaks stride.  With 4:14 left on the clock, LSU running back Jeremy Hill scampers 8 yards into the endzone for a touchdown.  The Bayou Bengals assume their first lead of the game at 41-37 as the crowd in Athens hushes in frustration.  But when senior Bulldog QB Aaron Murray takes over, he takes to the skies, zipping the ball to his receivers and ripping off massive chunks of yardage.  On only his 6th play from scrimmage, he fires a touchdown pass to Justin Scott Wesley to complete the 75 yard drive and bounce the Bulldogs back on top 44-41.

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While LSU would get the ball back with 1:47 left on the clock, more than enough time to get within field goal range, after nearly four quarters of frustration the Georgia defense finally comes up with a key stop.  They stifle the controversial LSU quarterback, as Mettenberger fires four straight incomplete passes, ending the Tigers chances.  The crowd roars in celebration as the Georgia bench storms on to the field, earning the team a pesky excessive celebration penalty.  But the 15 yard penalty is meaningless as the clock soon expires; the Bulldogs have pulled off a massive home win, and kept their SEC Championship hopes alive.

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Thank you to my friend Brian for the last minute spontaneity and hitting it hard the entire weekend.  Can’t wait for the next one man!

Thank you to my friends Cody and Kendel – always great to meet up with you guys for a game and I’m glad I got to be a part of your first SEC experience.  Let’s get another one on the calendar soon!

Thanks to the entire tailgating crew – Alan, Bradi, LeAndra, Meredith, Lindsay and Katie (and anyone else I forgot) for your warm hospitality and putting on a fantastic tailgate for my first Georgia game.  When do I get to come back???

And of course, special thanks to my other friend for the game tickets and field passes.  Amazing experience as always, and can’t wait to finally get to a game with you one of these days…

Full Clickable Gallery Below:

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Atlanta BBQ Battle: Heirloom Market vs Fox Bros…

Although a familiar refrain this season, only moments after touching down in Hartsfield Atlanta Airport, I am gleefully awaiting my order at one of the finer barbecue establishments in the city.  In what has become a thriving barbecue scene in Atlanta, Heirloom Market BBQ – with their unique brand of American and Korean BBQ fusion – has quickly asserted itself as one of the best in the city.  Tucked off the side of Interstate 285, I pull into the parking lot of a shady convenience store, the kind of place with bars on the windows and a rainbow assortment of bum wines.  A red vinyl banner hanging over a corner of the building announces Heirloom Market, the tiny joint tucked inside a small side building.

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My friend Katy greets me there, her tailored blue dress and matching pumps elegantly out of place among the usual rabble.  Although a staunch vegetarian, she graciously agreed to meet me here and give an appropriate evaluation of the rotating menu of crafted side dishes at Heirloom.  An avid chef and purveyor of Squash Blossom Kitchens, a local boutique catering company, Katy has a developed palette despite those dubious dietary restrictions. Squash Blossom Kitchens Website

I order up the “Texas Trinity” an appropriate name for my usual order of brisket, pork ribs and sausage, and an acknowledgment of the joints Texas roots.  We round out the order with some spicy mac & cheese, kimchi cole slaw and a cucumber radish salad.  Once our number is called, we retreat to one of the few, standing only, outdoor tables under the shade of a pop up tent.  Standing next to a few of their custom built, Southern Pride smokers, it’s an easy glimpse into the workhorses behind their reputed fare.

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True to its reputation, the barbecue here is excellent all the way around.  The brisket was heavily smoked with a pronounced smoke ring and well developed bark.  The only fault with the brisket is that it had dried out a bit, and some fresher slices probably would have been better.  The sausage was fair, while it’s house made (a move that I typically applaud), it had an overpowering sweetness that just didn’t agree with my palette.  Ribs, however, were expertly cooked with a deep pink color inside and pulled from the bone with a slight tug.  They had a delicately sweet profile with a touch of Korean influence, but the flavors worked perfectly.  These are first class ribs all the way around.  Even the hand crafted sides here have a nice attention to detail, the spicy mac and cheese in particular was completely ravaged.

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My appetite satiated, but not dead, I decided to squeeze in an epic BBQ doubleheader before the Georgia Tech game.  Fox Brothers BBQ with their Texas roots and one of the most decorated joints in Atlanta would be the perfect head to head comparison with the fare at Heirloom.  After a quick jaunt down the highway, I pull into the gravel parking lot and take a seat, jostling to make room for my second meal only 30 minutes later.

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Here, I order my typical brisket and pork rib combo, but after hearing legends about their wings, I toss an order in for some poultry to complete the trifecta.  Rounding out the order is a side of mac & cheese, as well as Brunswick Stew – an elusive southern bbq staple.  A few minutes later, the waitress sets the heaping platter in front of me, and I’m elbow deep in another couple pounds of meat.

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The brisket here is well cooked, and delightfully, they provide slices from the fattier point end of the brisket – always the more flavorful side of the cut.  While the protein is cooked appropriately with well rendered fat, the meat isn’t as smoky as I would have hoped for and could have benefited from a few more logs on the fire.  Baby Back ribs are cooked well, but a bit on the dry side, although the savory rub really accentuates the sweet flavor of the pork.  The wings, true to reputation, were sublime.  Perfectly crispy on the outside, and delectably smoky and pull apart tender on the inside, they really are about as good as chicken wings get.  Brunswick stew was hearty and delicious, and reminded me of a summer in North Carolina where I routinely ate it with a pile of ribs.  It’s a side dish I wish a few more Texas places would readily adopt.

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In the end, the Atlanta BBQ scene certainly impressed, their pork is expectedly top notch and they and had some of the better briskets I’ve found outside of the state of Texas.  Oddly enough, since both of these joints have Texas roots (both founders have ties to Texas) it’s no accident that they have risen to the top of the Atlanta BBQ heap.  If you forced me to choose one, I’d probably have to give the nod to Heirloom Market – their brisket has a better smoke profile, and the ribs are absolutely perfect.  But on a day when you get to eat BBQ twice in the span of an hour, everybody is a winner in my book….

Special thanks to my friend Katy for accompanying me on the BBQ trip, and a broader culinary tour of the thriving Atlanta food scene!

Full clickable gallery below:

 

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Georgia Tech vs Virginia Tech: Ramblin’ Wreck wrecked by the other Tech…

After an appalling Thursday afternoon of gluttony, chowing my way through some of the finer BBQ establishments in Atlanta, I head towards the Georgia Tech campus for a primetime night tilt against ACC foe Virginia Tech.  An urban campus located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the school lacks the small town charm and sprawling lawns of more traditional southern campuses.  One of the most prestigious technical universities in the South, Georgia Tech is rife with accolades and highly accomplished alumni.  But I’m here for football, and with their unique brand of triple option offense, the Yellow Jackets are known for giving opposing defenses fits, and would be an interesting squad to witness first hand.   

I shoehorn my rental into a free parking spot on 5th Avenue and hoof if the mile towards campus.  Strolling towards the stadium, I stop in at Barnes & Noble which has taken over as the official university bookstore for Georgia Tech.   I’m there to meet up with my college football doppelganger – Taylor Mathis – in town to promote his new book.  A Wisconsin Badger alum and photographer by trade, Taylor has traveled extensively to some high profile college games across the country, and the list of places he has been nearly rivals mine.   Documenting the unique and colorful culinary traditions he’s found along the way, Taylor keeps a blog: http://taylortailgates.com/, which has manifested into an impressive book project. With hundreds of breathtaking photos of the various foods and tailgating traditions found at each school, Taylor has put together a cookbook featuring some of the finest recipes that he’s encountered on his travels.  It’s a must own for any college football fan, and the photos alone make it a mouth watering addition to your coffee table.

You can order his book here: Amazon Link

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Taylor and I chat for a few minutes about our shared travels before I head down to Tech Wood Avenue, one of the main approaches to Bobby Dodd Stadium. Frat parties line the streets and spill out onto the lawns, while a few RV’s have staked out spots in the parallel parking spaces.  For the guys, the uniform dujour appears to be a starched white oxford shirt, khaki pants and topsider shoes worn without socks.  The entire ensemble completed, of course, with a southern “swoop” haircut, delicately feathered over the forehead.  Girls wear open toe shoes and flimsy white dresses.  I, along with the entire male population of Atlanta, pray for rain…

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As I close in towards the stadium, the pomp and brass of entrance ceremonies can be heard in the distance.  Soon, the Georgia Tech band, led by the “Ramblin Wreck” – a 1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupe, marches down Bobby Dodd Avenue to enter the stadium.  A few cheerleaders hang off the running boards, and the driver lays on the old school “AAOOOGAHH” car horn.  As a “yellow jacket” would be a rather inconvenient live mascot, the Ramblin’ Wreck serves as the official mascot of the school and leads the football team into every home game.  While a mechanical mascot is an appropriate choice for a technical school, the Wreck is completely financed by the student Ramblin’ Reck Club, and receives no official university funding.  The driver is elected annually by the club, and with only 46 of them in history, the position is considered one of the most prestigious at the Institute.

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After the entrance ceremonies, I circle the stadium on the hunt for a ticket.  A few minutes later, strolling through the crowd with my index finger waving in the air, a guy walks up and hands me a free ticket from a handful in his grasp.  Before I can even get his name, he trots off into the crowd and disappears into the sea of white jammed onto Bobby Dodd Avenue.  Proof yet again for all my readers that game tickets should be the least of your concerns when heading out for a college football adventure.

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Entering historic Bobby Dodd Stadium on the Southwest side, one would be hard pressed to tell that this is the oldest stadium in College Football.  Some recent facelifts have given the interior fresh pours of concrete and sparkling aluminum hand rails that belie the true age of the historic structure.  Originally built in 1913, the stadium is actually celebrating its 100th anniversary this evening, at least according to my souvenir drink cup.  But the Virginia Tech Hokies will be a far cry from the first game at Grant Field on September 27th, 1913 against Fort McPherson.  A game that the Yellow Jackets won 19-0.

Although my free ticket is located on the second deck in Section 215, I squeeze into the white oxford masses of student section 19 to enjoy the game amongst my khaki wearing brethren.  With anticipation for kickoff building, students excitedly wave white pom pom shakers that have been taped to the bleachers as part of the historic evening.  But when the contest kicks off, Virginia Tech and their egregious stone pattern helmets, assume immediate control.  The Yellow Jackets, wearing pleasantly simple throwback uniforms, fumble on only their fourth play from scrimmage and the Hokies recover.  Two quick plays later, Virginia Tech finds the endzone and jumps out to a quick 7-0 lead.  Tech would continue their sloppy play throughout the first half, fumbling a couple of times and running headlong into the opposing Hokie defense to no avail.

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At halftime, Georgia Tech Football All Americans are honored at a midfield ceremony as part of the 100 year Anniversary, before the Ramblin’ Wreck leads the team back out of the tunnel.  In the second half, the Yellow Jacket offense finds a bit of rhythm, and their triple option reels off a 14 play, eight minute touchdown drive to close the score to 14-10.  But in the fourth frame, they sputter once again.  Stymied on a couple of drives by the well engineered Hokie defense, Ga Tech QB Vad Lee throws a critical interception with two minutes remaining to effectively end the game.  The Hokies escape with a 17-10 victory on the strength of their increasingly stout defense.

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While in the end, I certainly tend to favor the sprawling lawns, ample tailgating and open green spaces of more remote southern campuses, Georgia Tech is certainly an impressive and tradition laden program.  Given the extraordinary Atlanta food scene nearby, and a primetime ACC tilt against a premier division opponent, it’s definitely a place worth putting on your college football radar.

Thank you to my new friend Taylor, for taking a few minutes to chat.  It was great to finally meet you and best of luck on the new book!

Full Clickable Gallery Below

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