Best & Worst RU Football Games You've Ever Attended...
- Thread starter DirtyRU
- Start date
I totally forgot about that Pitt game at three rivers. Took my kid down and it was cold as hell, snowing. Pitt fans were surprisingly awesome to us buying us beers on the boat ride to the stadium. I feel like I’ve been to every shitty game in this thread and almost none of the good ones 🤷♂️.
I will also add OSU the first time we played in Columbus. Fans were total assholes all tailgate time, pre game, game and post game. Called my daughter a Rutgers ho and she had to stop me from fighting some punk kid. God I hate Ohio state. Worst fans ever. 1% of them actually know more than 2 players. I will also add it was like 40-0 at half and I said I’m out. I’m always asked if I stayed for the band and I always say f the band. Don’t care even if they are good. Sue me
I will also add OSU the first time we played in Columbus. Fans were total assholes all tailgate time, pre game, game and post game. Called my daughter a Rutgers ho and she had to stop me from fighting some punk kid. God I hate Ohio state. Worst fans ever. 1% of them actually know more than 2 players. I will also add it was like 40-0 at half and I said I’m out. I’m always asked if I stayed for the band and I always say f the band. Don’t care even if they are good. Sue me
I have NEVER heard a good thing about the "tailgate" scene at OSU. Apparently you have to walk through 30,000 students to get to the stadium and it's a complete shit-show of asshats.
+1.
Was walking out with my then girlfriend on the concourse and she’s goes “it’s so quiet why is no one talking at all”
I could only shake my head.
WVU in 2011 was also pretty bad. Especially risking death to get to the game in that snowstorm.
Best 2006 Louisville.
Told the story before was offered for two of my tickets enough money to pay for my 2007 tickets. Told my wife that our 8 year old could stay home with her nana (my mom Who was willing). Long story short wife and daughter talk me into to taking her. 4 of us go daughter asleep across my mom, wife and my lap by the end of the first quarter. Halftime wife decides the 3 will go to car. I of course tell them I am saying ( just had a feeling). Best comeback ever, Leonard leap, Ito pointing to camera etc etc…
I run to the purple lot end of the game. Wife meets me we hug, kiss, cry. We get in the car to drive home. Put the post game show on get yelled at by my wife to turn it down, daughter sleeping. She wakes up to ask me if we won. Before I can say yes she is back asleep until we pull into the driveway an hour later.
Great win but………."could have been better by paying for next years tickets.
Told the story before was offered for two of my tickets enough money to pay for my 2007 tickets. Told my wife that our 8 year old could stay home with her nana (my mom Who was willing). Long story short wife and daughter talk me into to taking her. 4 of us go daughter asleep across my mom, wife and my lap by the end of the first quarter. Halftime wife decides the 3 will go to car. I of course tell them I am saying ( just had a feeling). Best comeback ever, Leonard leap, Ito pointing to camera etc etc…
I run to the purple lot end of the game. Wife meets me we hug, kiss, cry. We get in the car to drive home. Put the post game show on get yelled at by my wife to turn it down, daughter sleeping. She wakes up to ask me if we won. Before I can say yes she is back asleep until we pull into the driveway an hour later.
Great win but………."could have been better by paying for next years tickets.
@yesrutgers01
I remember that so well. You and I were shocked, baffled, defeated, as though the gods dropped a huge bucket of horseshit on our impending victory. At least we didn't get in a fight that game. ;-)
I was at that game. After the game an RU fan screamed "Duke, 95 South!"
That qualifies as both; worst for the racial epithet. Best for anybody rooting for Duke getting punched in the face. As Eddie Murphy said in his comedy film Raw, "gotta say something, motherf@#$er punch you in the mouth".
I didn't have an issue that day in Columbus. Thought the fans were pleasant. Guess I wasn't around any students.
Best - Lville 2006
Worst - Tie between WVU 2007 in the rain, and Cincinatti 2007 (the Ben Mauk game)
Louisville 2006 would have been an easy choice but I picked that game to go to Rome for the NJ Bar Association convention and missed my first home game in 25 years. However, about 20 RU alumni on the trip led by a Superior Court judge found a bar in Rome who agreed to reopen (6 hr difference had kickoff at 2:15 am). They opened the kitchen and we had the banquet room with a projection screen TV and had a blast.
Worst was my trip to South Bend for the RU ND game in 1996 which was Holtz’ last regular season game. Lost 62-0.
My personal favorite is the win over Kentucky in 1987 at Giants Stadium. Got engaged after the first quarter as friends unfurled a banner where I asked my current bride to marry me. Champagne in the parking lot after the win for the double celebration!
Worst was my trip to South Bend for the RU ND game in 1996 which was Holtz’ last regular season game. Lost 62-0.
My personal favorite is the win over Kentucky in 1987 at Giants Stadium. Got engaged after the first quarter as friends unfurled a banner where I asked my current bride to marry me. Champagne in the parking lot after the win for the double celebration!
not just students. Some old people took offense to a couple R groups parking in a lot sorta like scarlet. They were mad we bought passes online 🤷♂️ lol
Was at that game. Despite the score, I still thought it was a good college football experience. I had a good time, the ND fans were actually very cordial and invited us to house parties after the game and wanted to make sure we enjoyed ourselves.
yeah.. bowl games in Orlando sees many fans wearing their fan gear at the Disney parks (soon to be the Universal Parks mostly.. when Epic Universe opens in 2025)
I had a wicked hangover before that WVU game. Had to puke up my Brower breakfast…grabbed a plastic bag to hurl in and found out the hard way that the bag had holes in it.
100% agree with Louisville 2006 (duh), especially rushing the field with my then 12-year old son after the game as the best by far (the miracle VT comeback in '92 was also pretty damn good), and the triple OT loss at WVU was the worst. Was a great game (also with my son), but just so heartbreaking to lose and have to listen to those hillbilly fans talking trash.
And you know the pre-game at Insight was just so much freakin' fun highlighted, of course, with Zowie handing you and me the mic to lead thousands of RU fans in singing most of Born To Run at Jackson's.
Best was Louisville in 06. The bowl game in Phoenix vs ASU was also pretty cool. I spite of the heartbreaking loss. Worst......hard to pick one. So many of the games during the Shea years. Pitt, Syracuse, Va Tech. Miami. You name it. The games where RU would be down 28-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. Or 42-0 at the half. It was so depressing.
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Best - 50-49 win over Va Tech on Halloween in 1992. one of the most dramatic wins in the history of College football. Doesn't get the attention it deserves..
2nd best - 28-28 tie with Florida. 1986 I was getting Masters at Miami, and drove up to meet everyone for game. Florida was ranked #1, having won at #1 Miami the week before. RU came roaring back from 28-7 deficit and even had a chance to win the game..(Albert Smith jumped too early for catch)
3rd - Comeback win at Vanderbilt 2004. RU was way down to Jay Cutler led team, but Ryan Hart & Brian Leonard led furious comeback
-- I was out of town on a gig, so missed the Louisville game. It would have made this list obviously.
Worst Loss - as a kid I remember us losing at home to Colgate in the pouring rain 42-0. early 70's..Maybe the best performance by a visiting running back - Mark van Eeghen, who later became a star for my team - The Raiders
2nd worst - Michigan game a few years back 78-0. nothing to say about that game..
I was not at the Illinois game in 2005, but that would have made the list. But on a positive note, that game was the birth of the chop.. First Half against Illini the next year at RU might have been the most dominating half ever by Rutgers Total destruction, up 28-0, Illinois never crossed the 50
2nd best - 28-28 tie with Florida. 1986 I was getting Masters at Miami, and drove up to meet everyone for game. Florida was ranked #1, having won at #1 Miami the week before. RU came roaring back from 28-7 deficit and even had a chance to win the game..(Albert Smith jumped too early for catch)
3rd - Comeback win at Vanderbilt 2004. RU was way down to Jay Cutler led team, but Ryan Hart & Brian Leonard led furious comeback
-- I was out of town on a gig, so missed the Louisville game. It would have made this list obviously.
Worst Loss - as a kid I remember us losing at home to Colgate in the pouring rain 42-0. early 70's..Maybe the best performance by a visiting running back - Mark van Eeghen, who later became a star for my team - The Raiders
2nd worst - Michigan game a few years back 78-0. nothing to say about that game..
I was not at the Illinois game in 2005, but that would have made the list. But on a positive note, that game was the birth of the chop.. First Half against Illini the next year at RU might have been the most dominating half ever by Rutgers Total destruction, up 28-0, Illinois never crossed the 50
Have not read thread, but:
1. Louisville 2006, of course. Runner up was the the 2011 WVU game- don't stop bELievin'!!! That moment, the cover of SI. And the facilities guy plowing the darn field!!!!!????????????????
2. Worst- Louisville Nov. 29, 2012. The phantom illegal man downfield. Watching a hobbled Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville win the game. I went to the funeral of the father of one of my best childhood friends the day before. As I left the game with a high school classmate, I remarked that it felt like two funerals in two days.
Runner up- Michigan 2016: 78-0.
1. Louisville 2006, of course. Runner up was the the 2011 WVU game- don't stop bELievin'!!! That moment, the cover of SI. And the facilities guy plowing the darn field!!!!!????????????????
2. Worst- Louisville Nov. 29, 2012. The phantom illegal man downfield. Watching a hobbled Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville win the game. I went to the funeral of the father of one of my best childhood friends the day before. As I left the game with a high school classmate, I remarked that it felt like two funerals in two days.
Runner up- Michigan 2016: 78-0.
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Those were my choices as well, but that was 2012, not 2011.
Not only that, but the flag wasn't even thrown until the play was over. DC Jefferson caught the ball, landed in the end zone for a touchdown, and THEN the official decides to throw the flag for a completely fabricated ineligible receiver call. I also remember a Louisville fumble that was ruled an incomplete pass even though it seemed like the receiver was firmly holding the ball for multiple steps before it got knocked out of his hands. Rutgers made some critical errors too though, like Deering muffing a kickoff that I believe helped Louisville start the comeback.
Worst was the Army game when Eric got hurt on a humitarian level. The Louisville game in 12 was the worst-on win/loss level.
Best game was 2005 Bowl just a lifetime of waiting to make a bowl and Scottsdale in late December ain’t bad.
Best game was 2005 Bowl just a lifetime of waiting to make a bowl and Scottsdale in late December ain’t bad.
Well...what I meant (and friends at many other schools, particularly my boys at LSU, ageee)...is that the BAR scene sucks.
Eh I wouldn't say it means we miss the Big East, it's just that that's when our best moments were so far, and a lot of people's choices for worst game were from that era too because with higher expectations comes more heartbreaking losses.
Ha I was actually going to say the opposite and add that maybe the fact that almost nobody mentioned anything prior to the 2000s indicates our fanbase is young, but maybe I'm just in denial 😂
I would have to think there is not much post B1G as we do not go into these games with high expectations. Though, the 2014 Mich game should be much higher up.
Best for me was Louisville 2006.
Worst was Kansas 2018. My son and I (he was 13 at the time) went out and had a great time checking out the campus the day before. Every time we go to a college campus we make a point of breaking into the football stadium. This was no different...we broke in Friday afternoon and checked out the campus, ...surprisingly nice campus, but crummy stadium, but basketball arena was sweet. Saturday came and we had a great time tailgating...talking to Kansas fans. I will never forget how sure they were that we would roll them. I thought we would too, but didn't dare say that. All good and all fun up to this point. Then the game happened. We got smoked so bad by the worst team in all of football, something like 60-14. What a miserable time in a totally shitty stadium. If I ever hear the words "Rock Chalk - Jay Hawk" again, I will likely projectile vomit.
Worst was Kansas 2018. My son and I (he was 13 at the time) went out and had a great time checking out the campus the day before. Every time we go to a college campus we make a point of breaking into the football stadium. This was no different...we broke in Friday afternoon and checked out the campus, ...surprisingly nice campus, but crummy stadium, but basketball arena was sweet. Saturday came and we had a great time tailgating...talking to Kansas fans. I will never forget how sure they were that we would roll them. I thought we would too, but didn't dare say that. All good and all fun up to this point. Then the game happened. We got smoked so bad by the worst team in all of football, something like 60-14. What a miserable time in a totally shitty stadium. If I ever hear the words "Rock Chalk - Jay Hawk" again, I will likely projectile vomit.
For a second I thought you were saying our stadium sucked but the RAC was sweet...lol then I realized it was an away game
55-14 KU. 6 turnovers, including 2 pick 6's. A pair of 50+ yard TD runs from KU. That game was a horror show.
We followed that up with that home beating from Buffalo the next week. I believe we were down 35-6 at half in that one.
TBH, it's pretty difficult to believe you are Rutgers fan based on this post.
Most responses point to the Ville '06 game as their "best" and most memorable game and not because they loved the Big East. This was for good reason knowing just how bad the program was during the decades leading up to that point. We were ranked and undefeated playing the #3 Ranked team. The atmosphere at that game was the most electric football game experience I've ever been at which includes Bowl and NFL Playoff games.
Best List:
'Ville 2006
USF 2007 - beating the #2 Team at the time
Michigan 2014 - First Big10 Win
Worst:
Kent State 2012 - we were 7-0 and Ranked in the Top 20 going into that game
Cincy 2006 - complete let down after the Ville Game
Worst 78-0, one of only two games i ever left early (other was actually win over Army but I was freezing)
Unfortunately missed Lille game due to work, but couple of memorable games:
1969 100 year anniversary win over Princeton
Last minute win over VaTech
Win over South Florida
Houston bowl
Unfortunately missed Lille game due to work, but couple of memorable games:
1969 100 year anniversary win over Princeton
Last minute win over VaTech
Win over South Florida
Houston bowl
The UConn game with Savage and Brown TD is still better than most B1G games.
Beating MIchigan was good but that Michigan team (coach was dead man coaching) was worse than UConn. B1G is good for the money but otherwise more sizzle than steak.
OSU, Michigan, PSU are football first universities and its hard to run-up against that kind of wall
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Can't decide on the best, so:
1st best - '06 UNC - don't like the school, hate the fanbase
2nd best - '68, '69 and '80 wins over Princeton. Love beating them in anything
3rd best - comeback win over Indiana at Bloomington in '15
Worst - home loss to PSU in '14. There may have been some Shea-era and other losses I've chosen to forget about.
1st best - '06 UNC - don't like the school, hate the fanbase
2nd best - '68, '69 and '80 wins over Princeton. Love beating them in anything
3rd best - comeback win over Indiana at Bloomington in '15
Worst - home loss to PSU in '14. There may have been some Shea-era and other losses I've chosen to forget about.
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Just made me rewatch the game fast forwarding through much of it. That was such a great game- so many highs and lows that make being a sports fan so fun.
It's funny though, when we scored, you could tell how many fans we had there- the cheering was pretty loud.
And the greatest meme in sports history.
BTW- It also made me miss watching a couple of great OT's...
Oh I get 06’ louisville, I’m saying both ways.
There’s a lot of losses in the Big 10 that piss me off and almost none have been mentioned. I’ve seen a psu 2014 which makes sense, I haven’t seen a mention of 78-0 which made me seriously consider giving up my fanhood of my own alma mater.
It’s just a lot of Big east answers is all, just an observation
