Nebraska Football Tailgate: Bye week means recharge

Nebraska Football is off this week.

In full disclosure, I did not watch the Husker game last week. I received updates on my phone which was painful enough. I also deleted it from my DVR cache when I got home. You can relive it here. They say no sense dwelling on the past, and yet we can’t seem to get away from the chains of the past coaching staffs which have put us in this precarious position. Regardless, I say onward and upward!

The Nebraska football team and the coaches both spoke about using this bye week as a time to recharge and step away from the past 7 games for a bit. That’s exactly what I did. I went to experience college football in one of the best environments — Death Valley. If you’ve never been, I say you should put it on your bucket list.

I’m very familiar with LSU’s fan base. I’m a HUGE LSU baseball fan. When people ask me why, I tell them that our fan bases are so similar it’s uncanny. Both fan bases are passionate and knowledgeable about the game, and they are both great at tailgating. I’ve learned a lot from my purple and gold people over the years about the art of a good tailgate and great food!   

Death Valley is similar in design except imagine the press box going all around the south end zone and meeting up with the east side. That’s where the extra 15,000 seats figure into the mix. Now imagine the sound quality that generates. I’ve never heard it as loud as it was at the beginning of that game. We get loud in Nebraska, no doubt, but that extra 15k of voices could not only be heard, but felt as they yelled “GEAUX TIGERS!.” The sound level then reverted to what one would expect in Memorial Stadium. It’s great to be a part of a rowdy crowd, no matter what the zip code.

LSU is a wet campus. It felt like Vegas to be able to walk around with a drink anywhere on campus. There were people just rolling with a cooler and selling beers. Not something you see in Nebraska on game day at all. I tried a Tiger Punch. It was light and dark spiced rum, OJ, pineapple juice and a dash of nutmeg. That would make anyone RAWR!

I was asked what are some of the things Nebraska fans do on game day. Like my Louisiana peeps, we get there early. In fact, down south they can even set up on Friday night in the RV lots. Yes, RV lots…. can you imagine what that would be like? **note to self, call Bill Moos** The lots are filled with BIG rigs and the good smells of barbecue and smokers starts quickly. Remember, the good stuff, like good football is worth the wait.

Another game day tradition in Nebraska is  the tunnel walk into the stadium. LSU has its version but it’s the pregame walk down Victory Hill to the stadium by the players. I participated in this tradition. It was very spirited. It reminded me that this game is played by very young men and they have high hopes just like the fans.

A big difference between the fan bases is the savagery at which the student body, and others, go after the opponent in their cheers and chants. I laughed, I giggled, I even participated. I may have used the F-bomb (sorry Mom). In talking with my LSU friend I told her that wouldn’t fly in Memorial Stadium. We are “Nebraska nice.” She laughed at me and said, “We get after it in the south.” And in my mind’s eye I could see Coach Osborne coming over the loudspeaker and shaming us all into being more cordial.

Tailgating down south is something to behold. Another big difference is they have all kinds of pots, kettles and fryers where we are more of just a grill crowd. TVs and speaker systems were everywhere but that is the same in Lincoln on game day too.

Some of the goodness I tasted was Alligator Sauce Picante, seafood gumbo, smoked boudin (boo-dan) and shrimp etouffe (eh-too-fay). There are several recipes on the web but I encourage you to get one from your favorite Louisiana friend. They are as competitive about their food as they are about their football.

The game was amazing. The chants were spirited. The band rocked it. I came home recharged for the rest of the season. There are only 5 games left and only three more at home. At the end of the day (or season) you should remember the good times with your friends more than you remember the games, so why not embrace what you can for now. Let the coaches worry about the players and the stats. Much like making a great roux (essential for a great gumbo), we must have patience with the Huskers.

Thanks so much to Amy & Eric for taking good care of me and letting me in on their amazing culture. Don’t worry, I’ll be back next week decked out in my scarlet & cream and screaming GO BIG RED! Hit me up with your tailgate experiences or recipes at @Kelian_NE.