Assorted thoughts from SoCal:
(1) That was one of the most satisfying NU victories I've ever attended. That third quarter was one for the ages. Surreal. Keep in mind that we were down 5 key starters in the 2nd half, but managed to pull it together and find a way to win. "Next man up" mentality was on full display.
(2) Credit to BOTH coordinators for making obvious halftime adjustments. And Fitz's postgame comments speak for themselves. I'm delighted.
(3) My San Diego friends said hours of relentless rain is basically unheard of, yet we say through all of it. It all felt just fine after the game, but it was...not pleasant at times.
(4) NU was outnumbered 2-to-1 in terms of fans, but we probably had about 10,000 there. Before the rain started, I looked around & we had a very respectable showing. Once the downpour began, many fans retreated to under various overhangs, so it looked emptier than it was. And when we were making big plays, we were loud.
(5) The Holiday Bowl experience was awesome. We spent two days in Coronado, had an amazing dinner in downtown SD after the game, and loved the weather than bookended game day. I would 100% go back if we get invited again in the future, in spite of...
(6) That awful stadium. Hard to overstate what a dump it is. Woof. Move it to PetCo Park.
(7) I am so proud of this team. They have now:
- Won 36 games in 4 years. Nine W's per year, on average. Damn impressive. Thank you, seniors.
- Won three consecutive bowl games, against the ACC, SEC and PAC 12. Having sat through half a dozen straight bowl losses, this is especially sweet.
- Finished this season as the B1G West champion (the West went 4-1 in bowl season btw) AND the champion of a good bowl game against a fellow P5 divisional champ. They'll almost certainly finish ranked in the top 20 for the second straight season.
- Done all of this while achieving the best graduation rate in all of major college football.
Hard to imagine the program being in better position moving forward. I hope recruits and donors (new stadium next, please!) are paying attention. Let's keep building. Always proud to be a Wildcat, but a bit prouder than usual today. Go 'Cats!
(1) That was one of the most satisfying NU victories I've ever attended. That third quarter was one for the ages. Surreal. Keep in mind that we were down 5 key starters in the 2nd half, but managed to pull it together and find a way to win. "Next man up" mentality was on full display.
(2) Credit to BOTH coordinators for making obvious halftime adjustments. And Fitz's postgame comments speak for themselves. I'm delighted.
(3) My San Diego friends said hours of relentless rain is basically unheard of, yet we say through all of it. It all felt just fine after the game, but it was...not pleasant at times.
(4) NU was outnumbered 2-to-1 in terms of fans, but we probably had about 10,000 there. Before the rain started, I looked around & we had a very respectable showing. Once the downpour began, many fans retreated to under various overhangs, so it looked emptier than it was. And when we were making big plays, we were loud.
(5) The Holiday Bowl experience was awesome. We spent two days in Coronado, had an amazing dinner in downtown SD after the game, and loved the weather than bookended game day. I would 100% go back if we get invited again in the future, in spite of...
(6) That awful stadium. Hard to overstate what a dump it is. Woof. Move it to PetCo Park.
(7) I am so proud of this team. They have now:
- Won 36 games in 4 years. Nine W's per year, on average. Damn impressive. Thank you, seniors.
- Won three consecutive bowl games, against the ACC, SEC and PAC 12. Having sat through half a dozen straight bowl losses, this is especially sweet.
- Finished this season as the B1G West champion (the West went 4-1 in bowl season btw) AND the champion of a good bowl game against a fellow P5 divisional champ. They'll almost certainly finish ranked in the top 20 for the second straight season.
- Done all of this while achieving the best graduation rate in all of major college football.
Hard to imagine the program being in better position moving forward. I hope recruits and donors (new stadium next, please!) are paying attention. Let's keep building. Always proud to be a Wildcat, but a bit prouder than usual today. Go 'Cats!
