It was still a great day. Let me tell you why ...
We were IN the Hawkeye Nation ... While my Iowa pride is unwavering [even living in Happy Valley] there is something to be said for being physically amongst others with similar leanings. There was a healthy Hawkeye contingent present and we were not shy about cheering on our team. Even the stadium was decked out in gold [as it plays host to the Steelers on Sundays].
Heinz Field is a nice stadium ... From the river view and paddleboat fan shuttles to the ketchup bottles that pour into the big screen when the home team enters the "red zone" it offered a great fan experience. Did you know that Mike Ditka and Dan Marino played at Pitt?
It was a good game ... The battle went back and forth, provided some exciting turnovers, fewer penalties, one review [on the fate sealing final fumble] and offered a decent offensive showcase [Iowa claimed the statistical advantage, in all but the most critical statistic].
The Play of the Panthers ... While The Daily Iowan had prepared me for the offensive potential of Pitt, it was their defense that impressed me in person. Additionally, I appreciated the way oft-criticized coach Wannsted mixed it up ... going for it on fourth down, flea flickin' and recruiting a kicker that can make field goals.
Most of the Pitt fans were good sports ... Sure, they can't fill their stadium and really only get into it on defensive third downs ... but the vast majority were gracious winners. One Pitt fan went the extra mile to lift our spirits, shouting, "Go Hawkeyes - we still need you - Beat PSU". There were a few less-than-creative cretins who commented on Sarah's jersey and its similarity to a Steelers uniform and a smaller group that were more crude. I would like to think that, given the opportunity, I would have been more pro-Iowa than anti-Pitt after the victory.
We saw a guy in an Iowa State shirt ... Hey, at least we beat them! While my first reaction was that this was one confused dude - it is more likely that he is just a college football fan that had the unfortunate opportunity to attend ISU. When Sarah and I go to the Indiana/Penn State game in November we will certainly be representing the Hawkeyes.
We opened a map ... Who doesn't love a road trip? Sarah and I are having fun exploring our new stomping grounds. Pennsylvania is a beautiful state and will certainly only continue to be more so as Fall progresses.
Did I mention we were at a college football game ... A wise man once said, "The worst day at a college football game is better than the best day doing most other things". If that is not on a T-shirt or license plate frame, it really should be.
Tomorrow is another day ... Like the Happy, High-Fiving Hawkeye said after the game, "We're still good ... the Big10 has not even started yet".
More importantly, the Graham-Cooper Cup is still in play.
I believe that it was Lou Holtz [channeling Yogi Bera] that said, "If you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one". Think about it ... I hope the Iowa coaching staff will.
Next week Iowa welcomes the undefeated Northwestern Wildcats to Kinnick Stadium.
As a final note on our one-point loss I would like to offer a piece of advice to the victors ... When you are staring down a piece of critical third down yardage and a good defense ... you might want to steer clear of the Neil Diamond tunes. Sweet Caroline may be a staple at the baseball park but the college football soundtrack should always be dominated by AC/DC.
In other GCC news ...
Penn State pounded the stuffing out of the Temple Owls in front of 105 thousand plus college football fans in their last pre-conference game. The 546 yard, 45-point victory [coupled with Wake Forest's defeat of FSU] gives Coach Paterno the lead in the all-time 1-A wins contest ... and it only took him 43 years! The Nittany Lions will attempt to win another one for JoePa next week against Illinois. This should be a good contest and certainly the first real competition for an impressive looking PSU team. Kickoff is scheduled for 8pm EST which should allow the student body enough time to finish their homework, do a load of whites and perhaps squeeze in an adult beverage or two.
Wisconsin was idle this week. On the 27th, they travel to Ann Arbor for a final tune-up game before getting into serious conference play. Divine scheduling keeps the Badgers in the friendly confines of Camp Randall Stadium for consecutive games against Ohio State and PSU. After that, the boys in red and white travel to Iowa City for a heaping helmet full of black and blue from the men in black and gold.
After last week's heart-breaking loss to Oregon, Purdue continued to contribute to the gastrointestinal troubles of their fans by trailing early to Central Michigan. The back-and-forth battle was not decided until the Boilermakers put up eight[8] points with one minute remaining. The Chippewas out gained Purdue on the ground and through the air but were not as productive on third and fourth downs or after turnovers. Next week is the in-state showdown against Notre Dame, who knocked off the Wolverines before succumbing to Michigan State this week. In the back of the collective West Lafayette mind ... we host PSU on October 4th.
Under the lights in Bloomington, the battle of guys named Lewis went to MiQuale and Ball State. The five foot, six inch HB amassed 166 yards and four TDs to secure the win. Indiana's Kellen rushed for 148, threw for 159 but only found the end zone once. Despite some big tackles by Brandon Mosley, the Hoosiers were unable to defend the fabled rock, giving up 42 points to an undefeated Ball State team. Indiana must now prepare for conference play and the Spartan invasion.
We were IN the Hawkeye Nation ... While my Iowa pride is unwavering [even living in Happy Valley] there is something to be said for being physically amongst others with similar leanings. There was a healthy Hawkeye contingent present and we were not shy about cheering on our team. Even the stadium was decked out in gold [as it plays host to the Steelers on Sundays].
Heinz Field is a nice stadium ... From the river view and paddleboat fan shuttles to the ketchup bottles that pour into the big screen when the home team enters the "red zone" it offered a great fan experience. Did you know that Mike Ditka and Dan Marino played at Pitt?
It was a good game ... The battle went back and forth, provided some exciting turnovers, fewer penalties, one review [on the fate sealing final fumble] and offered a decent offensive showcase [Iowa claimed the statistical advantage, in all but the most critical statistic].
The Play of the Panthers ... While The Daily Iowan had prepared me for the offensive potential of Pitt, it was their defense that impressed me in person. Additionally, I appreciated the way oft-criticized coach Wannsted mixed it up ... going for it on fourth down, flea flickin' and recruiting a kicker that can make field goals.
Most of the Pitt fans were good sports ... Sure, they can't fill their stadium and really only get into it on defensive third downs ... but the vast majority were gracious winners. One Pitt fan went the extra mile to lift our spirits, shouting, "Go Hawkeyes - we still need you - Beat PSU". There were a few less-than-creative cretins who commented on Sarah's jersey and its similarity to a Steelers uniform and a smaller group that were more crude. I would like to think that, given the opportunity, I would have been more pro-Iowa than anti-Pitt after the victory.
We saw a guy in an Iowa State shirt ... Hey, at least we beat them! While my first reaction was that this was one confused dude - it is more likely that he is just a college football fan that had the unfortunate opportunity to attend ISU. When Sarah and I go to the Indiana/Penn State game in November we will certainly be representing the Hawkeyes.
We opened a map ... Who doesn't love a road trip? Sarah and I are having fun exploring our new stomping grounds. Pennsylvania is a beautiful state and will certainly only continue to be more so as Fall progresses.
Did I mention we were at a college football game ... A wise man once said, "The worst day at a college football game is better than the best day doing most other things". If that is not on a T-shirt or license plate frame, it really should be.
Tomorrow is another day ... Like the Happy, High-Fiving Hawkeye said after the game, "We're still good ... the Big10 has not even started yet".
More importantly, the Graham-Cooper Cup is still in play.
I believe that it was Lou Holtz [channeling Yogi Bera] that said, "If you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one". Think about it ... I hope the Iowa coaching staff will.
Next week Iowa welcomes the undefeated Northwestern Wildcats to Kinnick Stadium.
As a final note on our one-point loss I would like to offer a piece of advice to the victors ... When you are staring down a piece of critical third down yardage and a good defense ... you might want to steer clear of the Neil Diamond tunes. Sweet Caroline may be a staple at the baseball park but the college football soundtrack should always be dominated by AC/DC.
In other GCC news ...
Penn State pounded the stuffing out of the Temple Owls in front of 105 thousand plus college football fans in their last pre-conference game. The 546 yard, 45-point victory [coupled with Wake Forest's defeat of FSU] gives Coach Paterno the lead in the all-time 1-A wins contest ... and it only took him 43 years! The Nittany Lions will attempt to win another one for JoePa next week against Illinois. This should be a good contest and certainly the first real competition for an impressive looking PSU team. Kickoff is scheduled for 8pm EST which should allow the student body enough time to finish their homework, do a load of whites and perhaps squeeze in an adult beverage or two.
Wisconsin was idle this week. On the 27th, they travel to Ann Arbor for a final tune-up game before getting into serious conference play. Divine scheduling keeps the Badgers in the friendly confines of Camp Randall Stadium for consecutive games against Ohio State and PSU. After that, the boys in red and white travel to Iowa City for a heaping helmet full of black and blue from the men in black and gold.
After last week's heart-breaking loss to Oregon, Purdue continued to contribute to the gastrointestinal troubles of their fans by trailing early to Central Michigan. The back-and-forth battle was not decided until the Boilermakers put up eight[8] points with one minute remaining. The Chippewas out gained Purdue on the ground and through the air but were not as productive on third and fourth downs or after turnovers. Next week is the in-state showdown against Notre Dame, who knocked off the Wolverines before succumbing to Michigan State this week. In the back of the collective West Lafayette mind ... we host PSU on October 4th.
Under the lights in Bloomington, the battle of guys named Lewis went to MiQuale and Ball State. The five foot, six inch HB amassed 166 yards and four TDs to secure the win. Indiana's Kellen rushed for 148, threw for 159 but only found the end zone once. Despite some big tackles by Brandon Mosley, the Hoosiers were unable to defend the fabled rock, giving up 42 points to an undefeated Ball State team. Indiana must now prepare for conference play and the Spartan invasion.
I told you so, Iron Jack Roberts!
The drunk parrot perched on my shoulder could
teach Herky a thing or two about swashling bucks.