Ducks

On Saturday, Lindsay and I drove to Eugene to watch the highly anticipated college football game of the week--#4 Ducks vs. #18 USC--at Autzen Stadium. While driving down I-5 I counted no less than 25 cars sporting Ducks flags out of their windows, and it seemed that every other car on the highway had a Ducks decal in their back window.

We drove down in the afternoon and met up with her brother and his friends to tailgate. We were walking from campus to the field with hundreds of (drunk) students when Lindsay said how perfectly content she is no longer being a college student. I was thinking almost the exact same thing and replied, "I'd like to go back to college with 25 year-olds, not 18 year-olds." A few years ago, I would have loved to go back to the college lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I love a good time, but it's amazing how quickly things change.

It was easy to distinguish between "adult" tailgates and "student" tailgates. Adults had tents, heat lamps, tables covered with table cloths, blankets, extensive spreads of food, a plethora of drink options. They looked warm and happy. Students were, for the most part, grossly underdressed (it was in the upper 30s by kick-off), huddling around cases of Bud Light at their feet. They looked cold and happy.

According to fans, it "never rains in Autzen stadium" (it always does!). We had a perfectly clear and crisp night.

The Ducks started the game horribly--a few turnovers, terrible pass defense--and were quickly down two touchdowns. I was beginning to think we were bad luck. While we were warming up over a beer in the Moshofsky Center (The Mo, as it's called by students), Oregon launched a third quarter comeback while trailing 24-7. They scored 28 points in the second half (to USC's 17), but came up short. Their kicker missed a 37-yard field goal as time expired, and USC snapped the Ducks' 21 game win streak at home.

Although they lost, it was still a blast. I hope we'll get back to Autzen Stadium next year, where, hopefully they'll win.