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PowerMizzou.com fan blog: Murray State

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Friday, September 1st
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YABBA DABBA DOO!!! TGIF!!! Football season is here!!! Finally, the weekend I' ve been waiting for nine months since we beat those Cocks in the Indy Bowl is here. However, this weekend is more special because my 7-week 6-day old daughter will make her first pilgrimage to Columbia, MO, and attend her first Mizzou game. Her two older sisters have been indoctrinated years ago, and will make the process of becoming a rabid Mizzou fan much easier.
Because of an incredibly busy schedule at work (my day job is as an Obstetrican-Gyncologist) and home (start of school, four soccer practices, rededication of my rebuilt church that caught on fire four years ago, my middle daughter losing her first tooth, raising money for MDA) plus my allergies & hemorrhoids flaring up (I literally had Roid rage), I couldn't wait for Friday to arrive so I could get out of Dodge and blow off some steam (my wife surprised me by deciding to go to Columbia on Friday rather than on Saturday). After delivering ten babies, performing four major surgeries & two minor ones, and sleeping for a total of 20 hours this past week, I really needed some fun time, and to me, there is no better way to do it than at a Mizzou football game.
As soon as I got home from work Friday, we took off for Columbia. When we got out of the city limits, my wife and baby fell asleep while the two older girls watch a DVD of a movie that I've heard hundreds of times, but I've never actually seen. When we cross the Mississippi River and drive into Missouri, my blood pressure and pulse drops and I get an inner calmness and peace because I am back HOME! During the quiet time, I thank God for giving me such a beautiful family and hope for a successful season.
One of my goals of a football weekend is to consume massive quantities of food. I purposely ate a light lunch so I can have a big meal when I got to Columbia. My family & I love Japanese food so the first place we hit when we arrived in Columbia is the Japanese restaurant downtown. While we were waiting for the meal, the Cards game is on RV as well as the Brad Smith led Jets' game. Watching Brad running in for a TD late in the Jets game brought tears to my eyes as I was eating my meal. The Cards win also. So far, it's been a great start to the weekend.
When we got to our hotel, Holiday Inn Select, around 9:00PM, I was surprised because my wife got us a two story suite. Sweet! I didn't ask how much damage it was going to be because it was my baby's first football weekend. The two older girls were ecstatic with the suite as well.
By this time, the whole week of sleep deprivation plus the Japapense beer I had earlier are catching up with me. Normally, I like to hang around the lobby and scope the opponent team that usually stay there. However, I decide to hang around the room and fight falling asleep. One of my favorite movie, "The 40 Year-Old Virgin" (which, by the way, I've become since I had the baby) is on. Unfortunately, I fall asleep and miss the musical ending sung to "Age of Aquarius."
Saturday, September 2 - GAME DAY
I wake up around 6:00AM; not on purpose but because that's when I usually wake up. I try to catch three more hours of sleep so I would be "up" for the game. Unfortunately, a full bladder and then the kids wake me up at 8:00AM. It's time to get ready for football! However, my wife wants to go to the mall across the street to get some school clothes for the kids. I oblige.
Columbia Mall is my favorite mall on the planet. Why? Because half the people there dress just like me in Mizzou clothes. They also have lots of stores with Mizzou stuff.
While we were having breakfast at Panera, we run into a high school girls' field hockey team from KC. One of the girls is wearing a beaker cap, and she sits next to us. I say loudly, "She's got some nerve to wear that here!" My daughters and wife roll up their eyes and lecture me on who is the parent and setting a good example.
Normally, I don't drink coffee, but that morning, I drank four large cups of some blend. My pulse got up to around 200/ minute, and I start sweating profusely. I usually have lots of nervous energy on game day, but the coffee adds more fuel to the fire. I take my baby and walk around the mall to get rid of excess energy while the rest of the family shops.
After stimulating the Columbia economy for several hours, I was anxious to get to the stadium. Because I sweated so much, I went back to the hotel and changed outfits (nothing like putting on dry underwear). By this time, we were all getting hungry so we decided to go to Booches. Luckily, we got in right away although getting the food took a little longer than usual. We sit next to two couples from St. Louis who looked like old money. It was the first game for one of the couples so I bought them two burgers while I consumed four. I am hoping they will remember me in their will.
Finally, we are off to the stadium! We meet our tailgating friends at the top of the hospital parking lot where we normally tailgate. It is the first time they've seen my baby. We all hug and greet each other. Although we call and e-email each other frequently, we haven't physically seen each other since the day of the Indy Bowl Game. A few days before the game, the mother of my tailgating friend died. The visitation took place during the game. I was listening to parts of the game on my drive to the visitation, but turned it off when it was 28-7. After the visitation, Mizzou was up by three and eventually won the game. I feel like my friend's mother had a hand in that miracle.
My tailgating friends who also sit next to us as season ticket holders are very special to my family and I. It was just coincidence (and lack of donation to TSF) that we got our seats next to each other, but in the eight seasons that we've sat next to each other, we have become extremely close and I considered them family. In the past year, we've gone thru a death, a birth, a retirement, an engagement, and a kid off to college. It's sharing these life experiences that makes us even closer. Of course a Mizzou victory and consuming few brewskis also makes the bonding process deeper.
While we were tailgating, I get a phone call from the God Father himself, VP. He is telling me to get to MCPieper's tailgate pronto. After a quick combing of the hair and breath check, my two older daughters and I head to MCPieper's party while my wife tops off the baby with breast milk in the minivan.
After passing thru VP's body guards (the cavity search wasn't all that unpleasant and actually quite stimulating) and then the entourage and posse, I finally get to meet VP and Mrs. VP (she is quite lovely so VP is either extremely loaded or well hung to have her) again. I also run into Gabe and BobbyNugget as well as Slomo from PM. Of course I also meet MCPieper (better looking than I would have imagined him from his posts) who gives me a doughnut. I was disappointed that tpmizzou wasn't there. After shooting the breeze for few minutes, its off to the game.
To me there's nothing like being inside Memorial Stadium. It's like being in my mother's womb again, but just greener. I've told my wife that if I died before her, I want my ashes spread over Farout Field on the 50-yard line.
Normally, I am very nervous at this time, but because it's only Murray State (it's not like we are playing Montana State), I was trying to enjoy the sounds and paegentry of college football - my favorite sport. My wife and baby soon join me for the start of the game. I whipped out the camcorder to capture the moment.
The Game
It was beautiful cool night for a football game. I was a little disappointed by seeing lots of empty seats, so when it was announced that the attendancce was 50K, I was surprised. I was also disappointed that the team didn't wear Gold pants and there was not a B2 flyover.
Here are my random thoughts of the game.
The Chase Daniel era started with a bang. After our defense stopped the much heralded and feared Murray State offense to a three and out in the first series, CD led the offense in a crisp and efficient TD drive. He certainly didn't look like it was his first start. In fact, he look like a cool veteran who knew what to do in the pocket. In addition to his good pocket presence, most of his passes were on target. Simple passes that we Mizzou fans never took for granted in the past are now something we can now all take for granted with CD as our QB. I don't recall CD throwing an incompletion in the first quarter. It almost look like CD was passing against our defense from 2000. I was very impressed with CD even though it was only against Fred McMurray State U. Hopefully, he will do same thing next week against Mississippi.
Tony Temple was also impressive. He ran with power and speed, but he also looked elusive. In one run reminiscent of his run against Arkansas State last year, he did a flip and landed on his feet and not his knees to gain more yards. I am hoping the hyped TT I've heard while he was at RHS will show up at Mizzou this year.
In second quarter, Chase Coffman outjumped the shorter cornerback to score a TD. If I was the OC, I would run that play over and over again as it's indefensible.
The defense played solid although I don't remember seeing a devastating hit. I was hoping by they fourth quarter when everyone in the stadium knew that My 3 Sons U would pass that someone would decapitate the QB, but I only recall only seeing one sack.
There was also a Jared Perry sighting in the game. He was left wide open late in the game and burned MSU with a TD. Not bad for a first game as a true freshman.
The only downside was the kickoff coverage team earlier in the game when MSU had some long runs. They can't do that against a quality foe. I also witnessed some high snaps, but CD was able to bring them down.
I was hoping for a shutout, but late in the game, MSU ran a play option from an "I" formation close to our goal line. Everyone on Mizzou defense bit on the fake, and MSU score a TD to prevent a Mizzou shutout. I hope we can incorporate some plays out of the "I" when we are close to the goal line.
Overall, the team played great except for some special team snafus. However, it was hard to evaluate as it was only against a Divison 1AA school. Certainly, the team didn't play to the level of the opponent and there was no fear of losing since Mizzou had total control the entire game. Except for third quarter when the team seem to lose focus for few minutes, it was one the best Mizzou "team" performances that I've seen. Hopefully, this effort can be duplicated all season against Divsion 1A schools.
After the game, I wanted to tear down the goal posts, but I had no takers. Unfortunately, the school now has collapsable goal posts so tearing down the goal posts is now a thing of the past. Where's the fun in that?
Post-Game
We all go back to our cars and tailgate some more. My two daughters and I throw a football around for an hour, and we are having the time of our lives in a parking lot of all places. I am starving, and I am having erotic dreams of the the two Booches that I gave away earlier in the evening. After we are full on chips and salsa, the traffic in the parking lot clears up. We do a group hug with our friends, and it's off to our hotel.
After a quick shower and another dry underwear change, I go to the Business Center at the Holiday Inn. Unfortunately, the internet service at the hotel is down. I am freaking out because I want to do my blog while everything is fresh in my mind. However, the night manager tells me to come in the morning. I go to the Sports Zone (sports bar in the lobby) to hand write my blog. Unfortunately, I have one beer and I am ready to crash.
The following morning, September 3 (which is also my 41st birthday), I get up early to e-mail by blog to Gabe. Unfortunately, the hotel still has no internet access for it's guests. I am now really freaking out so I call VP to relay my dilemma to Gabe.
From Columbia, we head to St. Louis to visit a friend who's wedding we missed due to the football game (I have no idea why a healthy American male would allow her girlfriend to pick a wedding date during football season). Then it's off to another Labor Day party at another friend's house. After the party, we check into the Sheraton in downtown St. Louis. Again, no internet access for it's guests! I am now really crapping bricks at this stage. I can't get home soon enough to do this blog.
The following day, Monday, September 4, we go to the St. Louis Zoo to see a newborn elephant followed by stimulation of the St. Louis economy at the Galleria. Finally, we get home around 8:00PM. I finally have internet access, but I am worn out so I write most of it but go to bed. I proof read it the next day, and e-mail it to Gabe.
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