Purdue

September 16, 2008







Purdue



If Friday was all about reminiscing about my high school days, then Saturday switched to recalling my days as a Purdue Boilermaker as I drove the 60 miles from Indianapolis to West Lafayette to attend the big football match-up between Purdue and the 16th ranked Oregon Ducks. The game was not until late in the afternoon, which offered me plenty of time to roam the campus and partake in the myriad of pregame activities around the campus.

Oregon fans

Purdue Pete

If you have never attended a major college football game, there is nothing quite like it. Tailgating takes on a life of its own and the entire campus is alive with excitement. I began my day by hitting a few of the bars that I once frequented, my favorite, the famous Harry’s Chocolate Shop is virtually unchanged in the 20 plus years since I went to Purdue. One interesting new wrinkle is that it has become a tradition for students to dress up in costumes at the pre-game parties and there were thousands of dressed up students wondering through the bars.

Harry's Chocolate Shop



After a few drinks, I walked across campus, touring the union and seeing all the growth that has occurred in recent years. I headed over to pay a visit to my former fraternity, Sigma Nu where a pre-game bash was going strong. The house is a short walk from the stadium and after a few more drinks, I headed over in that direction, taking time to tour the renovated Mackey Arena and to watch the Purdue All American Marching Band perform their pre-game concert.



Mackey Arena

The game itself was amazing, though ultimately disappointing in that Purdue basically handed away a victory. Things started off well as Purdue jumped out to a quick 20-3 lead early in the second quarter due to a huge 80 yard TD run by Kory Sheets and a couple of great defensive take-aways, but then the Boilers managed to screw up their advantage.



Purdue Cheerleaders

Oregeon Cheerleaders

With questionable coaching decisions and terrible clock management, Purdue allowed Oregon to get back in the game and get momentum leading into halftime by wasting 3 possessions in the final 5 minutes of the half and throwing an ill timed interception that let Oregon get a field goal to end the half.



First Down



The second half saw more poor decision making as Oregon fought back to tie the game in regulation and Purdue missed a late field goal that might have won the game. The game ended up going two overtimes before LaGarrette Blount punched in a 3 yard touchdown to win the game for Oregon 32-26. Despite the loss, it was a great game and a ton of fun.

Winning Touchdown