Special thanks to all the M fans in Evanston
October 9th, 2011 at 4:39 AM ^
I think the Michigan fans in the stand definitely helped for the first road game. They got over their jitters, and when Michigan came back into it the Maize and Blue faithful completely took the crowd out of the game. I think they have a confidence about playing on the road now, which is an exciting thought.
October 9th, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
It was great. I really felt like it was in Ann Arbor. The few Northwestern fans around me complained about our turnout.
October 9th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
I think they have a confidence about playing on the road now, which is an exciting thought.I hope so, they will have a decidedly different environment and tougher challenge next Saturday. Here's to Dantonio having a permanent scowl on his face after the end of the game next week.
October 9th, 2011 at 5:05 AM ^
I really wish I could've beent there (especially when you see folks you know in the crowd shots - always a thrill).
No reason you can't make the crowd 45% Maize and Blue next weekend, is there? (Yes I know there are more Spartan alums than NW alums and that they probably have less tickets to general sale etc. but still I'm proud of you guys and I'm sure you'll represent next weekend GO BLUE)
October 9th, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
Hey, I will be there with some friends, so that's a start...
October 9th, 2011 at 5:42 AM ^
My roommates and I just got back after leaving at 9 am this morning. So much driving for one football game, but entirely worth it.
October 9th, 2011 at 6:55 AM ^
If you were coming from AA it's not too terrible a drive. Did it a couple times in my years as a student. Though I did tend to stay the night after games. I hope you had a blast, my experiences at NW weren't the greatest.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:29 AM ^
Its the trip back that is terrible today...you lose an hour and have the Chicago marathon to contend with....good luck...I have heard Lake Shore DR is open
October 9th, 2011 at 8:36 AM ^
Totally worth the trip. i was totally surprised at the number of M fans there...It semed like 1/3 or 1/4...
Game was interesting...That little child sprinting onto the field at the end of a timeout or something. Where were the parents on that one?
Awesome game...bring on the Spartans...and Go WILCATS!
October 9th, 2011 at 9:08 AM ^
That's weak, it used to be half and half! I think that FItzgerald has something resembling a football program so the NW fans are showing up a bit more. Good for them, and good for the Maize and Blue for making it out.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:58 AM ^
I was on the northwestern side and I can tell you the visiting sideline was pretty
<br>much all maize and blue. And in my section I think the 3 rows behind and in front of me were almost all Michigan.
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<br>There are more Michigan alums living in the Chicagoland area than NW alums.
October 9th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
Not only was it about 50-50, but it was Northwestern's largest crowd since 1996 (47,330). We came in force.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:23 AM ^
That little kid was supposed to pick up the tee after the kickoff but ran right past it. He was pretty young to understand what he was supposed to do.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:30 AM ^
That sounds way better...we were just like...whaa
Now do you have an answer for the missing D? I still can't get over that
GO WILCATS
October 9th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
in the area were more like "baaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwww". His dad seemed to be having as great time as the kid was
October 9th, 2011 at 9:11 AM ^
Felt like almost a bowl game, it was not an away game atmosphere at all, alteast on the visitor side. Was my Girlfriends first College Fball game and she loved it. Saw Dhani Jones roaming around before the game, and Even saw David Brandon walking to the stadium, which kinda surprised me figured he would have better parking lmao.
I remember late when it was just about to be out of grasp for NU there band started playing 7 nation army, every one in my section first laughed then started singing it. then we on the next defencsive series did our own but seemed louder.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:25 AM ^
We, as fans, were awesome. We got a little quiet in the 2nd qtr, but roared back in the third. I was in the Northwestern section surrounded by purple (only a couple of Michigan fans) and I made sure they heard me, to the embarrassment of my husband. I think my son was secretly proud, though.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:41 AM ^
Did the kid end up getting his autographs?
October 9th, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^
Too shy to ask, but got some high fives, which was perfectly ok with him. His friend, who joined us, was in total awe. My son knows all the players, but his friend is a first time M fan, so anytime anyone with dreads came out, he'd say, "Is that the quarterback?" Even when I would say, oh, here comes Tay Odoms, the kid would say, "He's the quarterback, right?" and I'd say, "No, Denard is the quarterback," and then Vincent Smith came out, and I said, "Here comes Vincent Smith," and the kid would say, "He's the quarterback, right?" It was like a Who's on First skit.
October 9th, 2011 at 9:39 AM ^
Awesome weather. Great fans.
<br>One of the things I'm always amazed with, at Northwestern games, is the amount of 'interestingly awful' fans they have. I've always held N in high regard, mostly because of their high academic record, but clearly, they have a fan base that rivals that of MSU. Can't tell you how many fancy stiff straight billed caps I saw, as well as un-finished stashes (as if a finished full stash is better). The sweet guys in front of us enjoyed the chant 'state school' and thought it was clever to point at Michigan fans. I'm glad the 10 year old Michigan fans behind us, showed more class than these turds.
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<br>Go blue. Not a pretty win by any means, but it was fun.
October 9th, 2011 at 2:21 PM ^
Bless their hearts. The nice thing about having their noses stuck in the air like that? They are in perfect position to view the billboards their school pathetically rented to try to promote more interest in their QB. Not so incidentally, also puts their head at the right angle to see the outcome of the game plastered on the scoreboard.
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<br>Hope I can find some of these $1+ billion dollars in research funding lying around, to dry my eyes over being "just" a state school...
October 9th, 2011 at 2:47 PM ^
Growing up in Chicago I have been to games at NW since the 70's when Ryan field was Dyche stadium. I was in section 105 Row 42 seat 4 and 5 near the aisle. Special thanks to awolverienetoo sitting behind me. We had a running conversation about M football that seemed to be word for word from any number of threads read here and sure enough when I asked if he was on MgoBlog he shared his moniker.
The crowd was at least 40% M and probably closer to 45%. At some point hopefully next week for Sparty this team plays a complete 4 Quarters and that will be something to see! Considering having to overcome three first half interceptions and shutting out NW in the 2nd half the defense is playing well beyond expectation.
October 9th, 2011 at 10:05 AM ^
That was my fourth UM/NU game @ Ryan Field. It's the first time I recall seeing the stadium full. NU fans are mostly courteous and gracious hosts. I never heard any trash talk before, during or after the game. My wife estimated that the crowd was about 50/50 UM to NU fans. It was nice to see David Terrell on the side lines. I spoke with him, briefly, after the game. He was friendly to all around him. The game was certainly the tale of two halves. And, it was clear that Persa was limited by his Achilles. But, yeah, it was pretty easy to take the NU crowd out of the game with just one stop (on D) or a few first downs (on O), esp. in the second half.
On to EL!!
October 9th, 2011 at 10:35 AM ^
I'm grew up around Evanston and my Dad is an alumn at NU so I have had my fair share of experiences at Ryan Field. Their alumns can sometimes get surprisingly nasty. We went to the last game there where an alumn asked my brother (a UM alumn) if he was a "40 pointer", which is a affirmative action joke for those who don't know and this week my friend and I sitting in the alumni section got yelled at by a guy angrier then a Brian Kelly-Bo Pelini fusion. I've always been a little surprised by the amount of vitrol some of the Wildcat fans have.
October 9th, 2011 at 12:37 PM ^
An older gentleman hit my girlfriend on top of her head (accident) then refused to apologize. When I turned around and told him to control himself his wife absolutely flipped out. One of the most classless displays I've even witnessed.
October 9th, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^
Some of the older fans are surprisingly rude. I've seen that at some of the basketball games.
October 9th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^
I was also at the game last night, great turnout! Even got to shake Brock mealers hand after the game
October 9th, 2011 at 11:10 AM ^
DB told a great story at the alumni tailgate (which, FYI, had more than 500 in attendance) to support his assertion that no coach in the country works harder than Brady Hoke. Brandon was staying in the same hotel as the team and had a room on the 10th floor. When he was getting ready yesterday morning, he looked out the window and saw Brady Hoke on the roof of the parking structure below working on schemes with the defensive line. He chuckled that Hoke was playing quarterback!
October 9th, 2011 at 3:08 PM ^
Hope those weren't countable hours
/s
October 9th, 2011 at 11:20 AM ^
I was close to the endzone (the one with seats). It was really a great experience. The only chants that got started up were Michigan ones. I think 50 50 is a huge overestimation. I think it was closter to 75 25 in favor of northwestern.
October 9th, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
I've been to every m game in Evanston since 1998 and this was my first tine in the Michigan section. We had a bunch of douches fans there and one even attacked a heckling nw fan.
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<br>My wife is a fat fan so we left that section (horrible seats anyway) and watched rest of game from roof on north siend zone. Much better
October 9th, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
My wife is a fat fan so we left that section (horrible seats anyway) and watched rest of game from roof on north siend zone. Much better
October 9th, 2011 at 2:49 PM ^
She is a cat fan, but I'm a fat m fan
October 9th, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^
Where do you live in Jordan? I've been living in Safi area in the Wadi Araba off and on for a few years.
October 9th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^
October 9th, 2011 at 4:46 PM ^
Almost indescribably beautiful weather; and the best away-game crowd I have seen in many, many years.
For the lucky Michigan fans there, it was very much like Under The Lights Jr. We were making our presence, uh, known. Somebody mentioned that it was a "Bowl game" atmosphere. That is exactly right.
October 9th, 2011 at 4:58 PM ^
and it seemed like our whole section was filled with M fans. Got quite a few go blue chants going. Seemed like the whole end zone was invloved.
October 9th, 2011 at 10:30 PM ^
It was my second trip, and it was as awesome as the first. The other time (2003) I was in a NW section, but this time I was in the visiting section, surrounded by M fans. One thing I love about traveling fans is that you get the really hardcore fans, who have no problem standing up and being vocal. My only complaint was that the video board is angled so that the visiting section can't see it. (Come on, Northwestern - that seems a little petty.)
October 9th, 2011 at 11:13 PM ^
What video board? Oh, you mean that little 19" Black and White TV in the north end zone?
I could not see a thing. I saw DB on the field and yelled to him to give the NW AD the number for the "Jumbo Trons." He just chuckled at me. I saw him squinting at the screen too.
I guess, "there is no place like the big house"
Was Lloyd Brady in da house?