NCAA Football FanHouse

Gophers Christen New Stadium With Win

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: Air Force, Minnesota, Big 10, Mountain West

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster preached it all week. He knew his team had to somehow maintain its focus, despite the festivities planned to celebrate the dawn of a new era for Gopher football. The opening game of TCF Bank Stadium Saturday night did come with much celebration. For some time, the Gophers were caught up in the moment.

Thanks in part to some ill-timed penalties, Air Force took a 10-3 lead in the third quarter. The Gophers finally turned it on after that, scoring 17 straight points en route to a 20-10 win.

Brewster acknowledged that the hype and atmosphere contributed to his team's sluggish on-field start to the game.

"I think that emotionally, it gets you too high for the game," Brewster said, "and coming into the game we had to calm ourselves down a bit, but I was so proud of this place and I want to say thank you. We wanted to give our fans a victory, they deserved one tonight."

50,805 fans jammed into TCF Bank Stadium on a near-perfect Saturday night. The effort they saw for the better part of three quarters was anything but perfect.

The Gophers lost fumbles. Quarterback Adam Weber threw erratically at times. They committed a lot of penalties, killing multiple drives with flags. They badly blew a coverage on Air Force's lone touchdown.

The game's turning point came in the third quarter, when Minnesota faced a third-and-25. Weber was able to find tight end Nick Tow-Arnett down the seam on a perfect play. Tow-Arnett got the first down with a yard or two to spare. The Gophers scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to tie the game, and they dominated from there.

When a team is defending the Air Force triple option offense well, you see a lot of plays made by linebackers. Saturday was no different, as Nate Triplett was all over the field for Minnesota. Not only did he set a career high with 17 tackles, but Triplett also scored the winning touchdown. He ran a fumble by Falcons quarterback Tim Jefferson 52 yards to give Minnesota the lead for good at 17-10.

"Defense was set up right off the bat," Triplett said. "We practiced on Tuesday and they (the coaches) said linebackers have to make plays. Coach (Brewster) came to up to me and said we need a big game out of you. I said 'Alright.' I watched a little extra film and did a little extra this and that. I just went out there and did what I was coached to do all week."

Minnesota (1-1) continues non-conference play with a home game against California Saturday, while Air Force (1-1) opens Mountain West Conference play at New Mexico.

Gophers Christen New Stadium With Win originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gophers' New Stadium a Modern Beauty

Bruce Ciskie — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Air Force, Minnesota, Big 10, Campus

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the University of Minnesota, this has been a long time coming.

In 1981, the Gophers played their last football game at Memorial Stadium. The decision was made to move home games to the Metrodome, which isn't terribly far from campus but is definitely not a "typical" college football stadium. By 2002, the university was looking into the feasibility of an on-campus stadium. In the spring of 2005, funding was finally approved. On Sept. 12, 2009, the dreams of many Gopher football supporters became a reality.

As TCF Bank Stadium opens with a game against Air Force, much history is being made. The Gophers are the first Big Ten team since 1960 (Indiana) to open a new stadium. Most Big Ten football facilities originally opened in the 1920s, though all have undergone some sort of expansion and/or renovation since then.

This, however, is a first of its kind. A truly modern college football stadium housing a Big Ten school. While it's modern in amenities, its look is decidedly retro. There is a large plaza overlooking the stadium and nearby Williams Arena, where the Gophers play basketball. The horseshoe shape of the stadium gives fans a chance to see downtown Minneapolis from their seats.

When the stadium studies began, talk was that the NFL's Minnesota Vikings would share this facility. Many years after those talks broke off, the Vikings are still seeking funding for their own stadium, while the university's dream has been realized.

One of the reasons those talks never got past the exploratory stage was parking. In traveling to the site, it's easy to see why there were concerns. If this facility were to house both the Gophers and Vikings, it would easily have in the area of 65,000 seats, as opposed to the 50,000 this stadium has. Even with 15,000 fewer seats than it could have had, parking is an absolute mess. There are fans parking in the area of two miles from the stadium, and then riding shuttle buses to the site. Only those with season tickets have access to ramps and lots that are a reasonable walking distance away.

On the bright side, this situation appears to have been handled very well by the university. Plenty of staff and buses are awaiting those looking for a ride, and they operate starting four hours before games.

If the rest of the season goes more smoothly than the first game has, fans should have little to complain about.

There is worry about the action on the field, though. Air Force is a pretty good team, and they come from a conference (Mountain West) brimming with confidence. The Falcons and their triple-option attack could prove troublesome for a Gopher defense that struggled mightily defending Syracuse last week.

The sold-out crowd should be in for a good show. If nothing else, the stadium they walk into is a lot nicer than anything the Big Ten has seen in a long time.

Gophers' New Stadium a Modern Beauty originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ohio State Urges Fans to Show Some Respect for Navy

Mark Hasty — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:20:00 EST

Filed under: Air Force, Army, Navy, Ohio State, Fans

In ten days (I'd say ten short days, but this time of year the days are never short enough), Ohio State will open its 2009 season with a home game against the United States Naval Academy. It will mark the first time these two teams have faced each other since the 1981 Liberty Bowl, which the Buckeyes won, 31-28. Prior to that, Ohio State and Navy hadn't played since 1931.

Ohio State University wants its fans to know that this isn't exactly the Kentucky School of Turfgrass Management that's coming to town. The Midshipmen are giving up a minimum of four years of their postgraduate life serving this country in harm's way and face a brutal class load off the field. Consequently, they deserve a better treatment than hearing "YOU SUCK, 23" from five directions at once. OSU has a YouTube video saying as much (video after the jump).

No argument here, except for the fact that some schools already do this, so it can't start at Ohio State. Nebraska fans even go so far as to applaud every opponent who comes to Lincoln.

But yes, there is something different about the service academies. Perhaps the most memorable afternoon I've ever had watching college football was the 1995 Navy-Air Force game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. The weather that day was pretty wretched, but the whole experience of watching the cadets march in, experiencing all the formality and regalia involved, and the F-14 Tomcats which flew over the stadium precisely as the Air Force team was being introduced, made it the most special game I've ever seen in person.

So we might goof on Army's perennial lack of success or how Navy and Air Force both run basic high school offenses, but you know those players on the field aren't dreaming of big Sunday paychecks and aren't putting all their eggs in the football basket. In a sport where purity has all but vanished, the service academies are still doing it right, and they deserve all the respect we fans can give them.

But would it kill us all to show our appreciation for all the opposing teams, even if they've just ended our quest for a conference championship? No, it would not. And that goes double for the teams playing the money games. You're having a blast, but they're not having very much fun. Let them know you appreciate them.

(Hat tip: Midwest Sports Fans)

Ohio State Urges Fans to Show Some Respect for Navy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turkey Legs to Go: Armed Forces Bowl Travel Guide, Houston vs. Air Force

Will Brinson — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Air Force, Houston, Conference USA, Mountain West, Campus, Coaching, Fans, Bowl Games

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas), which pits Houston against Air Force.

Overview/Matchup: A strong performance from the Mountain West this year helped Air Force land in the Armed Forces Bowl (which seems pretty, pretty, pretty convenient) even though they lost their last two games against BYU and TCU, while Houston's 6-2 record was good enough for fourth overall in Conference-USA (yikes) and a spot in nearby Fort Worth.

Hotels: The top hotel in Fort Worth, the Renaissance Worthington Hotel offers a sophisticated atmosphere of polished wood and marble complimented by a courteous staff. The Renaissance is about four miles from the stadium. The Courtyard by Marriott on Riverfront Drive and the Days Inn on S. University Drive are each about a mile from the stadium. The Courtyard offers the best all-around value, balancing proximity to the stadium and quality of the hotel. The Days Inn will probably have rooms for less than US$100 per night, but you shouldn't expect the same quality amenities as the nearby Courtyard.

Restaurants: When it comes to dining in Fort Worth, there's only one place to celebrate a big win (that is assuming, a classy celebration is what you're after); Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House. Del Frisco's is the place to go for a world-class steak, but make sure you budget accordingly. Blue Mesa Grill is a local southwestern chain specializing in blue corn and green chilies. Reasonable prices and good portions make it a local favorite. One location is just north of Texas Christian.

Normally we've tried not to put two restaurants of the same variety in our guides, but Joe T. Garcia's deserves the exception. Joe opened part of his home as a restaurant in 1935. Thanks to recipes of his wife, Jessie, it's now one of Fort Worth's most renowned Mexican restaurants. The food is delicious and cheap, but be advised; it's a cash only establishment.

Nightlife: The major nightlife areas are in and around downtown and the Stockyard district. Billy Bob's Texas calls itself the "world's largest honky-tonk" and they're probably right. The massive bar/dance-hall/nightclub covers 7 acres. They offer live music, dancing, bull-riding and 32 different bars. If honky-tonk isn't your thing, look no further than City Streets. This massive 21,000 sq ft dance club, sports bar, pool hall, techno club and karaoke bar will have something for everyone.

All travel related information provided by Professional Travel Guide.

Turkey Legs to Go: Armed Forces Bowl Travel Guide, Houston vs. Air Force originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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