Gameday(Night) Utah Version!
Welcome Back students (finally) version. OSUMB debut version too.
Orange out version.
Another National TV audience version, pitting 2 teams ranked in the top 20.
Friday night lights version. (Also Friday parking and traffic nightmare version, but that comes with the territory on college campuses in towns that were never designed to handle this on a weeknight.)
Get back on track version for the Beavers, after a evening on the Palouse didn't exactly go as planned.
Redemption against Utah version, after last seasons' 4 interception driven blowout loss in Salt Lake City, by far the worst outing by Oregon State in quite a while.
OSU at Reser version, where the Beavers are 13-1 over the last 2+ seasons, including a win 2 years ago (see lead photo) that was one of the Ute's biggest losses in quite a while.
But while home field advantage in the series has held this decade, its also the 10th anniversary (plus a couple of weeks) of one of Oregon State's better road wins, when Sean Mannion barely cleared the finger tips of a Utah defender to get a touchdown pass to Branin Cooks for the overtime win as the clock struck midnight in Salt Lake city. And then a year later, the Utes returned the favor when Devontae Booker scored his 3rd touchdown of the game to snatch victory in the 2nd overtime.
Another last time version, as Utah an Oregon State are unlikely to encounter each other again any time soon. Unless they do, in Las Vegas, or otherwise, should the saga of realignment take an unexpected turn. Better get your fill of the rivalry, just in case. I know I am, having seen every OSU-Utah game since the Pac-10 became the Pac-12. This is another (Of many) great rivalries that should not be ending.
Hard hitting, and probably close, need to fight it out in the 4th quarter version. Most realistic predictions and analysis don't expect another going away large margin win like the last 2 meetings. That's probably mostly because of Utah's QB uncertainty, and OSU's QB inconsistency of late. And the fact that both teams can resort to old-fashioned grind it out ground games, and are not the least bit hesitant to do so.
Fall weather is here version. It will look and feel like football weather.
This will not end happily for someone, but it will be an occasion for celebration for some. Just like last week in Martin Stadium, and Rice-Eccles, for that matter. And really, everywhere on any game day. Looking forward to finding out who gets to dance at about 9:30. Unless its closer to 10 PM because it's gone to overtime.
In other words, everything one would want, or look for, from Gameday night!
Go Beaves!
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com