Opening Day- favorite/ worst memories

[wheezer]

No question the UNC game in 2006 was my favorite opening game experience. Had my mom, dad, sister and family and my wife and son with me for the first and only time at an RU game, as most of them lived in Charlotte at the time. Awesome game and huge win.

------------

this and that, about this game:

there were quite a few RU fans at that game....I was there with a group of about six

the flight we took flew over the remains of tropical storm ernesto, that hit parts of North Carolina.... the rain just began in NJ as our flight took off..

the pre-game rituals outside the stadium, and inside were quite impressive, making me a lot less confident that we could win the game....not that, that stuff influences the game itself, but was a bit intimidating

having obtained the game tickets through RU, we of course had endzone seats, the worst in the house....as many colleges stick the visitors...

anyway, when it came to the goal line stand, it was difficult to follow if a running back made any progress towards the goal line from the other endzone

..... I sat there, certain we were about to lose the game, and each play I waited for the inevitable roar of the home crowd, signalling the crossing of the goal..... the roar never came....

afterwards, seeing the video on how hard the defense worked to hang on down there, the amazing qb sack, timed perfectly on the snap, it was easy to see that the team was a bit special

Many RU fans stayed in the same hotel as me.....the night before I went down to the hotel bar and had a few with a couple other RU fans....... the bartender was either a RU grad, or a former NJ resident...... the tab for the drinks never materialized.....which was nice.....

the day before the game I was in a store, wearing my RU gear...... a young worker in the store looked at me and asked "why are you here?", which I took to mean, why make the trip, when you have no chance of winning....

 

[e5fdny]

No question the UNC game in 2006 was my favorite opening game experience. Had my mom, dad, sister and family and my wife and son with me for the first and only time at an RU game, as most of them lived in Charlotte at the time. Awesome game and huge win.

------------

this and that, about this game:

there were quite a few RU fans at that game....I was there with a group of about six

the flight we took flew over the remains of tropical storm ernesto, that hit parts of North Carolina.... the rain just began in NJ as our flight took off..

the pre-game rituals outside the stadium, and inside were quite impressive, making me a lot less confident that we could win the game....not that, that stuff influences the game itself, but was a bit intimidating

having obtained the game tickets through RU, we of course had endzone seats, the worst in the house....as many colleges stick the visitors...

anyway, when it came to the goal line stand, it was difficult to follow if a running back made any progress towards the goal line from the other endzone

..... I sat there, certain we were about to lose the game, and each play I waited for the inevitable roar of the home crowd, signalling the crossing of the goal..... the roar never came....

afterwards, seeing the video on how hard the defense worked to hang on down there, the amazing qb sack, timed perfectly on the snap, it was easy to see that the team was a bit special

Many RU fans stayed in the same hotel as me.....the night before I went down to the hotel bar and had a few with a couple other RU fans....... the bartender was either a RU grad, or a former NJ resident...... the tab for the drinks never materialized.....which was nice.....

the day before the game I was in a store, wearing my RU gear...... a young worker in the store looked at me and asked "why are you here?", which I took to mean, why make the trip, when you have no chance of winning....

Two thIngs about that game:

1. It was the same day as a Line of Duty funeral out on LI for a guy killed at a fire in the Bronx. Pretty sure he was Boomer Esiason's back up in HS. So I missed most of the game. Only saw the end when I was back in the firehouse in my room changing out of my uniform.

Which brings me to...

2. One thing I do remember at the very end was when ABC was going to commercial there was a great shot of Greg running off the field giving you guys a fist pump. It looked awesome on TV because all you could see in the shot was the section in red and him running off the field. Always thought the still of that would have made a great pic for the Hale Center.

 

[fischy5000]

Some of the worst-
Home Cincy game (2009?) - as someone else said---had such high hopes and then we got crushed right off the bat.

Away Fresno st - watching in a bar in the obx...just so many highs and lows to ultimately lose in the end.

One of my best-
Away wash st 2014-
A) it was a great game and we finally were on the winning end of a close game.
B) tied in with an amazing sports week and had a suite from work for the Seahawks/packers opener, suite for the sounders match, and also caught a mariners game.

 

[beaced]

9/5/1992. Graber had some studs on that team and we lost to Boston College. Rutgers kept driving down the field pretty easily only to F it up every time. It was extremely frustrating. RU gave that one away. It would have been an 8 win season (9 if Cinci missed that long fg). We did beat West Virginia that year which was great.

Virginia Tech too. On Halloween.Fortay to Brantley to end the game.We beat WVa again in '94.THAT was the last time that we did. They stole the F*^* game in '06 and some one decided to plow the field at half time to help us lose another one to them,in the Snow Storm game.GRRRRR!!!(one could infer that I am still PISSED OFF about that one)

 

[beaced]

Opening day,1946.We played Columbia,then a national power,at Baker Field in NY. If you wanted to bet the game,RU was a 32 point dog.We had them 7-6 at the half and Legendary Columbia HC Lou Little was wearing,actually,a very long face.Frank Burns quarter backed that team. Final score Col. 13-RU 7. We went on to have a very good season that year and for the next 3 as well.I had friends on the team and it was the beginning of a lifelong, bitter sweet,Love affair with RU Football.

 

[RUsince52]

Opening day,1946.We played Columbia,then a national power,at Baker Field in NY. If you wanted to bet the game,RU was a 32 point dog.We had them 7-6 at the half and Legendary Columbia HC Lou Little was wearing,actually,a very long face.Frank Burns quarter backed that team. Final score Col. 13-RU 7. We went on to have a very good season that year and for the next 3 as well.I had friends on the team and it was the beginning of a lifelong, bitter sweet,Love affair with RU Football.

Now that's a memory ! I was only 6 weeks old so didn't know Rutgers from a rattle. You had a really good year if you made it to all the games. Only 2 losses and of course the other one was Princeton.
Bakers Field was a nice setting for a game on a nice sunny day. Old wooden stadium with the open end overlooking the baseball field and the Hudson. Can still picture the big blue " C " painted on the rockface across the river.

 

[wheezer]

2. One thing I do remember at the very end was when ABC was going to commercial there was a great shot of Greg running off the field giving you guys a fist pump. It looked awesome on TV because all you could see in the shot was the section in red and him running off the field. Always thought the still of that would have made a great pic for the Hale Center.[/QUOTE]

---
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, was not really a camera guy...my friend might though, I could ask....

one of the nicest things about winning an away game is stuff such as that, the head coach coming over to the visitors section, the
alma mater, etc.....

strangely enough, over the past 15 years or so I have gone to a number of away games, and we have won just about all of them.... it is been a while since I have seen us lose an away game I have been at.

I am going to Chicago this year.....chalk up a win!

 

[RUsince52]

One of the worse was against Colgate in 1977, 2nd game up in the Chenango Valley. They were counting the days since the 17-9 loss on TGN at GS. No way we ever had a chance in the game, 23-0 and we couldn't do anything. The Governor of NY flew in by helicopter just to be there.
Colgate was good too, 10-1. Only loss was to Delaware 21-3, last game of the season. A definite revenge/payback situation for them.

 

[demauroj]

------------

this and that, about this game:

there were quite a few RU fans at that game....I was there with a group of about six

the flight we took flew over the remains of tropical storm ernesto, that hit parts of North Carolina.... the rain just began in NJ as our flight took off..

the pre-game rituals outside the stadium, and inside were quite impressive, making me a lot less confident that we could win the game....not that, that stuff influences the game itself, but was a bit intimidating

having obtained the game tickets through RU, we of course had endzone seats, the worst in the house....as many colleges stick the visitors...

anyway, when it came to the goal line stand, it was difficult to follow if a running back made any progress towards the goal line from the other endzone

..... I sat there, certain we were about to lose the game, and each play I waited for the inevitable roar of the home crowd, signalling the crossing of the goal..... the roar never came....

afterwards, seeing the video on how hard the defense worked to hang on down there, the amazing qb sack, timed perfectly on the snap, it was easy to see that the team was a bit special

Many RU fans stayed in the same hotel as me.....the night before I went down to the hotel bar and had a few with a couple other RU fans....... the bartender was either a RU grad, or a former NJ resident...... the tab for the drinks never materialized.....which was nice.....

the day before the game I was in a store, wearing my RU gear...... a young worker in the store looked at me and asked "why are you here?", which I took to mean, why make the trip, when you have no chance of winning....

I agree about the 2006 UNC Game. I was also there and remember driving thru the remnants of that storm in VA to get to the game.
It was a very muggy day, and I realized that day that we may have something with that team and it could be a special team.
It was confirmed in South Florida a few weeks later when I was at that Game. Actually Sprained my Ankle at USF jumping out of my seat when Ito hit the long 53 YD field goal. Can still see that play in my minds eye as it was on my side of the stadium.

In reference to the day before a game. I also remember at USF seeing 3 players in the mall the day before the game. They looked at me wearing my Rutgers gear and said " Rutgers?". I looked at them and said "you bet, Good luck you're gonna need it" to which they laughed. They knew it was all in good fun and actually appreciated the tame back and forth.

 

[RUboston]

The worst opening for me was the 1997 home opener vs. VA Tech. It was the Terry Shea era. The pre-season talk was all "all we're focused on is VA Tech." We were all excited for a new season.

The game was over in about 4 minutes. Final score 59-19. I remember sitting there and it looked like a group of grown men track stars (VT) playing a bunch of slow, skinny high schoolers. The huge difference in team speed was obvious from the opening kickoff.

I still recall the one brief highlight from the first quarter. An RU defensive back cut in front of a VT receiver on the sideline and intercepted a pass, with nothing but empty field in front of him and a five yard head start. The VT receiver ran him down in about 15 yards.

We went on to 0-11 that year.

Here it is 20 years later and I'm still excited for a new season.

GO RU!! Beat Washington!

 

[RUnTeX]

Best, '91 vs BC. I hadn't made it in to the stadium yet when the cannon fired, signaling our first score. First Big East game. Decent season from what I recall.

That first score was a Marshall Roberts pick-6 that he ran back into the north endzone directly at my brother and I, sitting in the first row of the student section toward the right side when facing the field.

'91 season was mildly disappointing to me as Rutgers started 5-1 including OOC wins against Northwestern and Michigan State only to lose next four in a row and close out the season with a win against Temple to finish at 6-5 and no bowl game.

 

[RUsince52]

The worst opening for me was the 1997 home opener vs. VA Tech. It was the Terry Shea era. The pre-season talk was all "all we're focused on is VA Tech." We were all excited for a new season.

The game was over in about 4 minutes. Final score 59-19. I remember siting there and it looked like a group of grown men track stars (VT) playing a bunch of slow, skinny high schoolers. The huge difference in team speed was obvious from the opening kickoff.

I still recall the one brief highlight from the first quarter. An RU defensive back cut in front of a VT receiver on the sideline and intercepted a pass, with nothing but empty field in front of him and a five yard head start. The VT receiver ran him down in about 15 yards.

We went on to 0-11 that year.

Here it is 20 years later and I'm still excited for a new season.

GO RU!! Beat Washington!

There was nobody on our schedule that year that we could beat, including ourselves. At least we stayed under 500 points allowed.

 

[redlinehw]

Worst

#1 2009 Cincy





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