Gameday Observations: Buffalo
Few things are better than an early-September night game.
You spend all day tailgating in beautiful weather before taking your seat inside of Beaver Stadium as the sun sets. It’s neither too hot nor too cold and even better when Penn State beats up on the opponent, so you can just enjoy the atmosphere and one of the year’s last few warm evenings.
Other than one weird, frustrating, and confusing half of a game, this past Saturday was just that: everything you could ask for for a day in Happy Valley. The sun shone. The birds chirped. Another banner challenging President Eric Barron’s handling of Joe Paterno made an appearance. And we were treated to another great day of football.
Gate A: Still A Shitshow
The second week of mobile ticketing had similarly-mixed results as the first. Plenty of students were still disgruntled by the change, its confusing procedures, and the ensuing slow-moving lines, but still, others reported no struggles whatsoever.
My group again needed to go to the resolution booth, as one friend still had phone troubles. The line we waited on wound around the gated area, but I can’t say it would’ve been much better had we gotten in one of the normal lines. They seemed to be as equally stagnant, for whatever reason.
It took about an hour for us to get to our seats, so we didn’t sit down until there were fewer than ten minutes left in the first quarter. I understand that it’s only the second week with this new system and that it’s complicated both for students and the ushers to adapt to, but an already-aggravating process seems to have somehow gotten worse and less predictable.
I’ll continue hoping for the best and that it will all come together eventually, but until then, I am dreading how much crazier Gate A is going to be next week against Pitt.
Only Real Ones Stay For The Alma Mater
I get that it was night game. And against Buffalo. And not close whatsoever at the end. But the student section disappointingly deteriorated during the fourth quarter.
Here’s what it looked like during the singing of the Alma Mater:
Forgive me for sounding like an angry Facebook commenter who goes on and on about how they walked to class in 10 inches of snow and how “Joe wouldn’t stand for this!” but staying until the very end is supposed to be one of our most sacred traditions.
Either way, the song still sounded as glorious as ever.
Cheering Evan Finegan
Buffalo punter Evan Finegan suffered a gruesome injury that silenced all of Beaver Stadium. Fans paid a quiet tribute to Finegan as he laid on the ground in pain before cheering him on as he was carted off the field. It was a touching moment of solidarity and support that best-captured the so-called “Happy Valley Hospitality” better than any tacky promotion on the big screen. Fans and players have also reached out to Finegan on social media since the injury.
We at Onward State wish Evan the best during his recovery.
Still No First Down Cheer
We still have yet to hear the new first down cheer that was introduced at “Be A Part From The Start” last month. Where has it been?
An Out-Of-This-World Halftime Show
The Blue Band has been BRINGING IT with its halftime shows this year. Its boy band tribute halftime show last week had plenty of catchy songs that were great to sing along to. Complete with fireworks and unique on-field formations, this weekend’s show went even further while commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing.
The Playlist
It felt like Beaver Stadium again with “Sweet Caroline,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” and “Mr. Brightside,” which were all absent last week, queued up, in addition to other classics like “Zombie Nation.”
However, the biggest music-related story Saturday was the debut of Music Man PJ Mullen’s remix of “Year 3000” and “Encore.” With Joe Jonas not in attendance and no imminent JoBros concert, Mullen didn’t play too much by the band. However, he did prove once again that you can add Jay-Z saying “Oh!” to any song and make it better — even if it’s one as monumental as “Year 3000.”
Quote Of The Day
“I’ll give you $30 for that shirt. Do you take Venmo?”
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