Hey fellow Ute fans: This is my first post anywhere since the demise of the original UF.N. I used to post over there under a different name and have been lurking here since. (Tony – I echo the thanks of many others to you for starting and maintaining this excellent forum for us.) This site was a sports lifeline for me while living – for far too long – in Big Ten country. Although I am now happy in Arizona, opportunities to attend Utah games, at home or away, or to interact with other Ute fans have been limited for most of the last 20 years.
So yesterday was my first game since 2015. And wow, what a difference those seven years have made. That sea of rowdy red was pretty darn impressive. I can only imagine how that ancient stadium would have shaken if we had had anything to cheer about after halftime. The last road game I attended was at Notre Dame in 2010 (by coincidence also a rain-soaked bed-sh**ting that makes yesterday’s debacle look dull). I remember Crazy Lady dancing during some solemn on-field award ceremony to scattered cheers from the visitors’ section and outraged objections from the home crowd, which no doubt wondered who had let the peasants into the castle.
Then I experienced my first moment of loudness yesterday. I know I’m late to the party and many of you have experienced it at RES or in Vegas, but that blew me away as 65,000 Ute fans shouted to the sky and lights came on all over the stadium. Even among those blue blood fans in white. Yes, the outcome of the game sucked, but the growth of the fan base – in passion, knowledge, diversity, and size – in the past 10 years is incredible and evident to this semi-outsider. So glad to have reconnected with it.
As for the game itself: There’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said. The vibes on the field seemed bad to me from the opening kickoff and got worse with the first INT. When Penn State broke off that first huge TD in the third quarter to go up 21-14, it sure felt more like 42-14. Was Utah overconfident and underprepared? I don’t know. I hope not. Was Utah missing key players due to opt outs and injuries? Absolutely. Would Utah win more often than not if both teams were at full strength? Perhaps. But sometimes the other team just plays better. Penn State did yesterday and deserved the win. Good for them.
The future remains bright, especially while Coach Whitt is around. He’ll have a statue outside RES someday. Hopefully by then he’ll also have another meaningful trophy or two.
Until then, I look forward to seeing you all in the stands next season. Go Utes!!
.
Loading ...
