It was seven degrees outside when I entered the University of Montana’s football stadium to watch a college football game.
Seriously.
Decked out in my high-tech-won’t-freeze-your-butt-off-garb that I bought at the mall the day before (like a true southerner), I’m prepared to watch the Wofford Terriers take on the Montana Grizzlies (or the Grizzzzz as they call it) to play in the first rounds of the playoffs.
Yep, I’m 2,325 miles away from home to watch two teams from schools that I never attended and I love it.
My team – the Wofford Terriers are from a small liberal arts college nestled in the downtown area of Spartanburg, SC and I, in the last 5 years, have become a walk-on alumni. And for the next three hours I along with the rest of the traveling Wofford party became the loudest little crowd ever in the University of Montana stadium on November 24, 2007.
First, I’d like to point out that the people of Montana are nice. Like really, really, really nice. So nice that some fans even introduced them to us in the stadium. The girl at the Henley gave me an extra discount because-I-was-from-the-south-nice.
Why? Well probably because it’s their nature. Or maybe because they haven’t lost to a warm weather team ever in the existence of their football program – yes, I said ever. I guess they thought that the Terriers were going to be a cake walk.
Think again friends.
The Terriers WON! The “underdogs” beat the Griz 23-22 with a touchdown in the last 32 seconds of the game. The shocked (and I mean shocked) Griz fans watched the end of the unbeaten season end with a missed field goal. First southern team to ever beat Montana and the first team in 16 years to beat the Grizzlies in a playoff game - it was heaven!
Seriously.
Decked out in my high-tech-won’t-freeze-your-butt-off-garb that I bought at the mall the day before (like a true southerner), I’m prepared to watch the Wofford Terriers take on the Montana Grizzlies (or the Grizzzzz as they call it) to play in the first rounds of the playoffs.
Yep, I’m 2,325 miles away from home to watch two teams from schools that I never attended and I love it.
My team – the Wofford Terriers are from a small liberal arts college nestled in the downtown area of Spartanburg, SC and I, in the last 5 years, have become a walk-on alumni. And for the next three hours I along with the rest of the traveling Wofford party became the loudest little crowd ever in the University of Montana stadium on November 24, 2007.
First, I’d like to point out that the people of Montana are nice. Like really, really, really nice. So nice that some fans even introduced them to us in the stadium. The girl at the Henley gave me an extra discount because-I-was-from-the-south-nice.
Why? Well probably because it’s their nature. Or maybe because they haven’t lost to a warm weather team ever in the existence of their football program – yes, I said ever. I guess they thought that the Terriers were going to be a cake walk.
Think again friends.
The Terriers WON! The “underdogs” beat the Griz 23-22 with a touchdown in the last 32 seconds of the game. The shocked (and I mean shocked) Griz fans watched the end of the unbeaten season end with a missed field goal. First southern team to ever beat Montana and the first team in 16 years to beat the Grizzlies in a playoff game - it was heaven!
