College football games were one of my favorite things to do when I was in high school and in college. I spent many afternoons and evenings at Dowdy-Ficklen stadium for cheering on my future alma mater, East Carolina University. And even when I was younger, I had a chance to attend a few games for the University of Washington in Seattle with my dad. When I moved to Florida though, I didn't attend nearly as many sporting events, with the exception of a pair of Tampa Bay Rays games against the Mariners, a Orlando Solar Bears hockey game, and a college football game as ECU came to play Central Florida in Orlando. After moving back to Seattle a while ago, I had the time and income to support attending more frequently, and while I had been to several baseball, hockey and soccer games, as well as a couple rugby matches in my international travels, I hadn't really gone to many football games as a fan (I did work at Lumen Field as a beer vendor the first few years I was back in the Northwest, but I wasn't able to really sit and watch the Seahawks play if I wanted to make better money for the day). So when my friend Stephen suggested meeting up to watch the University of Washington take on the University of Oregon down in Eugene, I was certainly interested as I had missed the atmosphere of the college game. I also loved the idea of getting to see the Washington Huskies live for the first time since I was about eight years old. Part of the reason for attending the game in the first place is because Stephen's son Logan is a student at the University of Oregon, and he and Gretchen came up to visit him as well as to check out what would be a pivitol game in helping to determine who would take part in the Pac-12 Conference championship. As we made our way over from Logan's dorm on he main part of the campus, it was neat to see one of their more historic venues in Hayward Field, their Track and Field complex and stadium with over 100 years of history tied to it from hosting various NCAA and USA Track and Field competitions, and fairly well known athletes who've competed there including the founder of Nike, Phil Knight, and distance runner Steve Prefontaine. The tower in the Northeast corner which is meant to resemble to Olympic torch from other athletic venues around the world depicts Prefontaine and other notable athletes who have competed in this venue. One thing's for certain, there are some gorgeous areas around the university's campus, especially when you cross the Willamette River, the same river that flows throught the city of Portland up North and into the Columbia River. While I wasn't going to be cheering for the home team, I will applaud their campus for having some very pretty sights. Of course, the venue for tonights contest was Autzen Stadium, just on the North side of the river. The Southside stands made it look like a nearly brand new stadium thanks to a major renovation in 2002. It dates back to 1967, however, as it was built to replace the older Hayward Field as the capacity of the older venue would lead to major games being held up in Portland over 100 miles away. So Autzen was built to have their entire schedule at home in Eugene. The Ducks make use of their indoor practice facility before the game gets started as a pre-game party location that includes a variety of food and beverage options, football inspired activities for the kids, and a display that shows the uniform combination for that day's game, which the University of Oregon has been well known for having a rediculous number of uniform options because of their partnership with Nike. Something that I thought was really cool to see was that one of Oregon's beer makers, Hop Valley Brewing, offers a lager called Shout, with several ties and inspirations from the Oregon Ducks, as the colors of the can are the teams colors, and the name Shout is in reference to the famous Otis Day and the Knights song of the same name, which is tied to a tradition that we'll get to a bit later. As the game gets closer to kick off, the Oregon players make their way from the locker room in their main football facilities to the field inside the stadium, which draws many duck fans to share their support for the team on their way to the field for warm-ups. At this point, we get our first look inside of Autzen Stadium when the teams begin their warm-ups. As someone who has only been to a handful of college football stadiums, It's always interesting to be how there's still venues like this built as if it's just one level of seating that goes all the way back, as opposed to most modern venues which have multiple decks. Part of the design of this particular venue comes from being built within a hillside, almost like an ampitheater. The uneven shaping of the outer edge of the seats, and the inside edge along the sideline corners also give this place a very unique look. And with a capacity of nearly 60,000 when including standing room only spots, it certainly can get a huge crowd. But this wasn't one of those events in which I was there just to watch a game for simply experiencing the venue. I was actively pulling for Oregon's opponent, the Washington Huskies, as I've been a UW fan even since the days of the Dawg Father, Don James, leading his teams to some of the best seasons in the team's history. This particular team was also looking to have a promising year under their 1st year head coach, Kalen DeBoer, and behind a very skilled quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. I also have to say, I loved getting to see them in the all purple uniforms with the gold helmets, as there was a fairly classic feel to the combination. No matter the venue though, whether it's for your favorite home team, or going to support them on the road in their rival's territory, one thing that is really hard to beat about any college football experience is the pagentry of the pre-game festivities. I have many great memories of hearing "E.C. Victory" at Dowdy-Ficklen back in Greenville, North Carolina when East Carolina's Marching Pirates would come onto the field and get the festivites started before playing the Star-Spangled Banner and then creating the path for the Pirates' run onto the field for the start of the game. This is where you see and feel many of the traditions of various teams that have been part of that institution's soul for years, and while there are some aspects of the college sports experience that has been lost due to the constant shuffling of conference alignments and focusing on making as much cash as possible, this part of the college football experience feels like it will never be lost on the sport, and that was no different for the Ducks faithful in Eugene that night. There was an added level of excitement for this night's festivities as Oregon's presentation of the National Anthem was complimented with a military jet flyover. While the Ducks are a major rival of Washington's, there's one thing I can always appreciate about teams is when their mascot has earned a bit of legendary status, and the Oregon Duck certainly plays the role of lovable villian for me. When they introduced him to the crowd for his entrance, he arrived on a platform with a throne, and held a septor to stake his claim as king. The tradition of the duck doing push-ups after each score is something I get a kick out of as well as the general silly antics, Although the UW fan in me definitely booed as he tore up a plush husky before stepping down from his throne, but it certainly got to Oregon faithful riled up. That prior display then led to the arrival of the team on the field for the start of the game, which even I have to admit gives that dastardly furry duck bonus points, as the signature of their team entrance is for him to hop on the back of a motorcycle that leads the cheerleaders running with the flags bearing the team's name as the players follow out of the tunnel. Again, regardless of the team, the pagentry of college football is hard to beat. As the game was played, it was a tight contest all the way through as the Ducks and Huskies traded jabs back and forth for their Pac-12 Showdown, and admittedly, I don't remmember too many details of the nuances during most of the game that makes it different here in Eugene vs. other places, that is except for their start of the 4th quarter tradition, which pays tribute to Oregon's role in the filming of the classic college movie "Animal House". The fans are led through a rendition of the hit song "Shout" by Otis Day and the Knights, which for the fans at the game includes a video of the Oregon Ducks players playing the role of the students in the toga party scene of the beloved film, and the fans join in the dancing to the popular tune. There came a point in which even I had to admit that it didn't look good for the Huskies to grab a major road win, as they were down by a touchdown with about 4 minutes left. and then Penix Jr. hit a clutch 62 yard touchdown pass to Taj Davis to tie it up, and then they would get the ball back and get a field goal to take a 37-34 lead with less than a minute to go. And that would end up being the final score as the Washington Huskies came out on top on the road! A huge game as the Huskies gained a major vistory against a rival who was ranked 6th in the nation at the time, and did so on their turf. Even if they hadn't won it though, it was a great and tough battle as the best games to watch often are, and competative from beginning to end as neither team led by more than a touchdown at any point in the contest. And that was the experience of a college gameday in Eugene. I was absolutely thrilled to see U Dub win it, but I still would have enjoyed the experience as Oregon may be a rival, but they privide an excellent atmosphere down there, and I certainly wouldn't mind a return visit in the future if the chance comes to do so. I also really enjoyed getting to watch my first football game live in a long time, especially a college game as there is something special about that atmosphere. At some point, I need to head back to Montlake for a game at Husky Stadium as I haven't been since 1992, and the stadium has changed quite a bit since then.
A special thank you to my friend Stephen for inviting me to join him, Gretchen and Logan for the game. I definitely look forward to the next time we get a chance to catch up again. And a thank you to all of you who read this look back at gameday in Eugene. I hope you all enjoyed it, and would love to know more about your personal experiences with college football in the comments below! Especially if you favorite team has a tradition that you particularly enjoy, or perhaps they have a food or beverage offering that isn't found at many other places. Take Care and Safe Travels everyone! - Gary |
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