1st Gopher football memory

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bailee88

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1971(I think)
We were playing Michigan at home and they were ahead 28-7 with very little time left in the game and Bo Schembechler called a time out so they could score again in the final minute to win 35-7. As the teams walked off the field a fan or two yelled at the Michigan coach as he walked off the field and he didn't even look up as he flipped off the crowd. I was young and with my dad and I asked him what that meant and he said it meant Michigan did not like us very much.
Those are the memories that make college football special for me. I think somewhere along the way Gopher fans have forgotten why they love the Gophers and college football.
 

My first memories would have been listening to Ray Christensen on the radio in the late 80's. I vaguely remember reading the box scores and seeing that Nebraska put up 80+ on us. Thankfully the first game I ever attended was with my dad, sat in my sister's student tickets when students didn't show up, and saw Tyrone Carter return those fumbles against Syracuse. For all we've had to endure the last 40 years I was fortunate to attend an exciting game and a gopher victory.
 

Losing the Axe in 1991. 9years old, had been to many games before that but my dad bought 8 tix to that game and took my brothers and our cousins (his brother went to Madison and was trying to indoctrinate his kids) to that game.
 

At memorial. Bleachers were cold. some people had cool plastic cups for their soda and I really wanted one. My dad bought me one. Sometimes we had to get up and cheer for something, and then I couldn't see nothing because I was small and not so tall. But I cheered anyway and it was still fun. But mostly I got a cool plastic cup.
 

1979. Last game of the year versus Wisconsin. We were splitting wood in the back yard, and I was listening to the game on the radio. I had been following the Gophers for a while, but this was the fist game I actually remember.
 


In October 1955, my Dad and I attended the snowy game at Memorial Stadium against USC and their star running back, Jon Arnett. The Gophers won, 25-19!
 

I was young. It was the 70's. Marion Barber lost as shoe but kept going. That's all I remember.
 

Watching the Gophers beat U-Dub & Warren Moon at Memorial Stadium (think it was '77 or '78). It was the season the Gophers beat both Rose Bowl teams.
 

Going to the game with the in-laws, which turned into season tickets and gatherings around watching the Gophers.
 



I took my three year old to his first real game two weeks ago against South Dakota. At least he can say he was given a proper introduction to the frustrations of being a Gopher football fan early on.
 

My first game at Memorial Stadium. My parents bought me a maroon T-shirt with a block "M" on it. I remember being infatuated with that t-shirt because the gold in the 'M' was sort of old-gold and it sparkled. That was a pretty impressive advancement in T-shirt tech in those days, but it would be considered just another t-shirt now. We lived outstate MN and went to one home game per year. I remember my dad telling me that Memorial Stadium could hold more than Metropolitan Stadium and I could barely believe him. That just didn't seem right.

We sat in the SE corner of the stadium for that game. I also remember sitting in the NE corner on a bright sunny, perfect fall day the next year.

I also remember they used to have "band day" where the high school bands from half the state (or so it seemed) used to sit together in the seats in the open end of the stadium and play together. I just loved every part of it. Half of the excitement was over the Gophers and the Stadium, the other half was just being in the Twin Cities (being a little fella from the corn fields).
 

Alright, I was a Husker fan and went to the Nebraska/Minnesota game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln with a neighborhood friend and her grandparents (her grandfather passed away last week at 89.) What I remember was that they were great seats and we were very close to the band. And Nebraska won 56-0.

That was the last time Nebraska and Minnesota played. That all changes in about 12 months!
 

Listening to my mother talk about Clayton Tonnemaker. I think she did it to make my dad jealous. LOL.

As for actual Gopher on-field action, the 1960 Rose Bowl.
 



In 1991, my family had just moved to Indianapolis from Portland, Oregon. I grew up a Pac-10 fan, so my dad wanted to take my brother and I to different games in Big Ten country that fall. We hit up an Iowa State/Wisconsin game in Madison, Wisconsin/Purdue in West Lafayette, Northwestern/Indiana in Bloomington....and Minnesota/Illinois in Champaign.

The only thing I really recall is sitting in the corner of the end zone, and that the Illini were WAY better than the Gophers. Actually, the thing that sticks out the most was the drive home, listening to baseball on the radio, and hearing that my Dodgers had been eliminated from a great NL West race with the Braves on the next-to-last day of the season.
 

Hearing about Murray Warmath being hung in effigy by the students.
 

Jike Spingleton said:
In 1991, my family had just moved to Indianapolis from Portland, Oregon. I grew up a Pac-10 fan, so my dad wanted to take my brother and I to different games in Big Ten country that fall. We hit up an Iowa State/Wisconsin game in Madison, Wisconsin/Purdue in West Lafayette, Northwestern/Indiana in Bloomington....and Minnesota/Illinois in Champaign.

The only thing I really recall is sitting in the corner of the end zone, and that the Illini were WAY better than the Gophers. Actually, the thing that sticks out the most was the drive home, listening to baseball on the radio, and hearing that my Dodgers had been eliminated from a great NL West race with the Braves on the next-to-last day of the season.
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How'd the Twins do that year? :)
 

First Gopher FB TV Moment:
Watching highlights or part of a home game sometime between 1994-1997 (I remember the dome astroturf and the visitors had a black helmet with a red oval decal...which makes me think it was Indiana in Nov. 1997).

First Gopher FB Radio Moment:
Driving home from my grandparents in November 2001 when the Gophers beat Wisconsin in the dome (Mason's first of two victories over wiscy).

First Gopher FB Game Moment:
49-10 win over Tulsa Sept. 2003. I don't remember much about the game except there were 36,000 in attendance and the Gophers rolled offensively. First time I had been in the dome in about 10 years.

First Gopher FB Away Game Memory:
27-21 loss at Purdue Sept. 2006. A dreery, drizzly day, but tailgating was great. End of the first half, third and goal, down 10-7. Cupito throws a fade to Wheelwright, but the ball bounces off his hands and is intercepted in the endzone. Purdue came out and scored on the first possession of the second half. Just a few plays later Cupito fumbles and Purdue gets the ball back and scores again. ... Gophers have a 4th quarter drive with 2 fourth down conversions, and score to trail 27-21. The Gopher D forces a three-and-out, and after the last drive with the 4th down conversions and I'm starting to think they are going to win 28-27. Offense goes three and out and punts with 2 mins to go. No problem, D just forced them to punt. First play goes for like 50 yards and Purdue runs out the clock.
 

No idea of the year (early '70's), but it was being allowed to leave the parents and walk through Dinkytown with my two best buddies...just the three of us, and then making our way down University Avenue with the band marching, looking at all the parties going on at the fraternities and finally making our way into the stadium through the open end. I still go to games with my two best buddies. That's what Gopher football is to me, and I'm lucky enough to be able to pass that down to my two boys.
 

Mid 1980s, my old man was a high school head coach and at the U for a coaching clinic. He brought me in the Gopher's locker room at Gibson-Nagurski and I ran around with Darrell Thompson's helmet on. He later brought me a DT card with his autograph on it.
 

Mid-80's, in the garage with dad, listening to Ray. Mike Moe was the QB that day; pretty cool for this 10 year old, since Mike was our neighbor.
 

Circa 1980. Memorial Stadium w/ Mom and Dad. Too young to remember who we played or what happened. Got one of those foam #1 fingers - Used it as an air guitar while jumping off my bed in my underwear.
1a. Listening to Hohensee/Salem era games with the old man on the radio (before every game was on TV) - and learning new 4-letter words.
 

Nov. 1986 listening to the Gophers win at Wisconsin on the radio. I know it was deer hunting week-end because my dad wasn't home and my mom wouldn't let us play outside for those two week-ends, so there was nothing better to do then sit inside and listen to Ray Christensen. This is the first game I remember listening to, though my mom claims I would sit and listen even when I was four years old. So I guess somewhere in my subconcious I do remember the Lou Holtz era.

My next memory is listening to the MN/Northwestern game in 1987 on the way to the airport and listening to the Twins-Tigers play-off game on the way home. The very next week I got to go to my first game, an 18-17 loss to Indiana after starting 6-0. A fitting intro to Gopher football.
 


I know I went to games prior to 1966, but I don't remember exactly which ones. I do remember listening to the games on the radio and our 1960 National Championship Team. I know I met some players like Bell and later ginormous Eller. I still have a few autographs from those guys.

The earliest game I still remember was at Memorial Stadium against tOhio State. I was walking in following my dad and this woman just cut me off. She was dressed in a full length mink and had a red and gray scarf slung around her neck that hung and flapped in my face. It said bucknuts on it. I temporally lost my dad because of her in the sea of people and when I found him I said, "what are bucknuts?"

I guess I said it loud enough for this same women to hear, because she then turned around and stuck her face in mine pointing a finger at me and said, "you'll find out". WE beat tOhio State that year, but I have always hated them since.
 

I've got some vague memories of Cory Sauter being mediocre.

But my first real memory was watching Antwaan Randle El slice and dice our D back in 99 (although the Gophers did win that game). He may have been the shiftiest college player I've ever seen.
 

Figured this would be a good time to finally make my first post! Been reading for a while but finally decided to start an account. Love the Passion that everyone has for Gopher football! My first memory was in 94 when my father took me to the San Diego State game. Hoping to return the favor to him soon at the bank as he has not yet been there.
 

Section 100 said:
Mid-80's, in the garage with dad, listening to Ray. Mike Moe was the QB that day; pretty cool for this 10 year old, since Mike was our neighbor.
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Almost an identical memory. In the garage with my dad. Sweeping out the fall leaves or changing the oil of the Pontiac 6000. Mid 80's. Rickey Foggie. Darrell Thompson. Ray Christensen.
 


Sometime around 1961 or 2 my father took me into Mpls to see a Gopher FB game. I can still feel the excitement I had as a 7 year old walking up the ramp leading into the stands at Memorial Stadium and seeing the immense horse shoe open up infront of me. I remember how cool it was that the grass alternated with dark and light green every 5 yards. But the sheer size of the stadium and the roar of the crowd is something I wish could happen to every father and son combination out there. I will never forget it.
 

1981 Minnesota at Iowa - Me, my brother and Dad drove through the night all the way from Massachusetts to meet my Uncle and go to the game. I am Gopher fan, my brother and Dad (got his PhD from Iowa) are Hawkeys fans. It was the first year Fry had Iowa playing good. They won the Big Ten that year. Gophs won 12-10 on a Jim Gallery filed goal with 2:22 left in the fourth quarter. We had seats right behind the Gophers bench. Gino Cardelli, senior DB, walked up and down the sidelines all game proclaimimg himself "the Italian Stallion". He was crazy! I remember it vividly. Such a great day. Hawks fans were different then, much nicer, not spolied by winning like they are now.

I always remembered that trip so foundly. Once my boys were old enough I have taken them on a football trip every year whereever they wanted to go. Have been to Nebraska, Oklahoma, Colorado, Florida, Arkansas, Notre Dame, South Carolina, USC, Georgia. Going to the Civil War this year OSU vs Oregon. College Football is great - gives you such great memories with family- So glad my Dad took us on that trip. He passed away this summer. I miss him - in his honor my brother and me are going to the MSU-Illinois game (my Dad taught at MSU) and then hoping in the car at halftime to go to the Big House to see the Michigan vs Iowa game this year.
 

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