Nebraska vs. Penn State

Lincoln, NE, September 13, 2003

Our campground was filled with Nebraska and Penn State fans. We got our first taste of what great fans and friendly people the Nebraska fans are. Every one we met welcomed us to Lincoln, wished Penn State good luck or made some other friendly comment. We visited with several Penn State groups and ended the evening sitting around a Nebraska fan's campfire with a mixed group of PSU and Nebraska supporters. The weather was great and the setting was perfect.

Mostly everybody reading this knows that my nephew, Sean McHugh, is Penn State's starting fullback, number 42. His dad Kevin and brother-in-law Jon Hammond made the 12-hour drive from Cleveland on Friday and found their way to our campsite. That's Jon, Kevin and me, above.

Saturday morning we strolled the streets of Lincoln and visited the farmer's market where there were actual farmers selling local produce. Again, all the NU fans and townspeople could not have been more friendly and courteous. We were very impressed.

Later we walked over to the Hotel where the players were staying and had a gin and tonic. Sean had a few minutes after a team meeting (notice the coat & tie!) to visit with us. He said he was a little nervous about the game, which didn't start until 7:00 PM local time. Makes for a long day of waiting and anticipating.

We found an excellent tailgating location a couple blocks from the stadium. There were quite a few PSU fans there so we didn't feel lonely. In the second photo you can see some of the fans and Nebraska's Memorial Stadium in the background.

Here is another shot of some Penn State fans and Kevin and the stadium. In the middle is a typical Nebraska fan! On the right is an NU tailgate party. I must admit that the Huskers know how to tailgate.

Joe Pa gets off the bus and heads into the stadium!

As we headed to our seats I was impressed by the sea of red.

Lions warming up before the game.

Nebraska's band

Penn State's band (the Blue Band didn't make the trip)

Kickoff!

Look for number 42, Sean McHugh!

Well, Penn State lost, but we all had a good time.

Outside the stadium the next day, we took these photos. I bought a red Nebraska shirt as a souvenir (don't tell Sean) and posed with some Nebraska players. On the right the sign says "Through these gates pass the greatest fans in college football". I will say that they are the greatest fans in college football, next to Penn State fans. We had a great time there.