By Euclid 419er

After some soul searching, assisted by the advice of OA Nation, I made the decision several weeks back to follow in the footsteps of early American pioneers and push west, not for the promised riches of California gold or Manifest Destiny, but rather for the Orange opener against the Zips of Akron.  So on Friday evening, I joined fellow Otto Army scribe, Tim Schlittner, two friends of the Army, Cuse-Cuse-Cuseadelphia and Illini Jeff, and our yet-to-be-indoctrinated friend Sean, and embarked on a 348 mile journey from the shores of the Potomac to the shores of the Cuyahoga. And even with the Roy Rogers and Popeye’s pit-stops, and the twelve total hours in the car, it was unquestionably the right call.

Shortly after midnight, we pulled into the Country Inn and Suites in “The Falls” and were immediately met by friend of the Army, Shamarko…Polo.  Some cocktails in the room, accompanied by some spirited sports debate, then bed.

As I shared with you Saturday morning, we awoke to pristine gameday conditions.  A stiff but polite breeze, the sun dancing with the clouds, football in the air.  After taking full advantage of the complimentary continental breakfast, we set out for the Akron campus, our host for the day.

(Right here, I am going to glance over the fact that there was a two hour black hole in my day, during which I had to participate in a work-related conference call.  Let us never speak of that again.)

Upon reaching campus, we were directed to Lot 15 14 (h/t Shamarko…Polo), a smallish slab of space at the edge of campus.  We were the first to arrive, so we set up camp in the vacant lot, fired up the grill, cracked open some beers and let the season begin.  For the full effect, we turned on the radio (key detail) to catch the early game – Illinois/Missouri, with Illini Jeff paying particular interest.

It wasn’t long before we were joined by some new friends.  Gary, a Syracuse native in his late 50s pulled in to the lot driving an RV, his wife and dog along with him, SU banner hanging dutifully in the window.  Shortly after coming and introducing himself, Gary swapped his orange Syracuse shirt for a tie-dyed orange and blue selection.  Something told me had a closet full of tie-dyed gear in the RV.  The same thing that told me he probably caught the October 27, 1971 show, which looks freakin’ legendary.  We liked Gary immediately and Shamarko…Polo (SP) chatted him up all day.

Next came the group that would become the local celebrities…Robert Carter (heretofore referred to as RC3) father of SU running back Delone Carter.  Otto’s Army helped him with an ill-fated attempt to set up a tailgate tent in the face of winds that were approaching gale-force.  He and his companions were very friendly and graciously spoke with the many SU fans who approached him throughout the day.

Pretty soon, a 28-foot RV pulled into the lot and six or so guys popped out, set up an impressive grilling station, and the afternoon attraction – cornhole (two sets).

As the afternoon went on, the lot filled up with an impressive amount of ‘Cuse fans.  There was the SUV decked to the nines in ‘Cuse paraphernalia and manned by a cadre of ‘Cuse crazies more likely to miss their first child’s birthday than a Syracuse football game.  Their triple-vuvuzuela was a hit.

It may have been around this time when I asked SP if perhaps we should turn the radio off to preserve the battery.  He dismissed the suggestion, citing the fact that his vehicle was American-made metal.  (This is what we in the biz call “foreshadowing”)

We were also joined at our spot by the family of Syracuse Offensive Tackle Andrew Phillips.  Let me put this way, you want this family on your team when the neighborhood plays its annual Thanksgiving Day turkey bowl.

As I mentioned, the cornhole drew a lot of interest. The RV guys graciously invited us to partake, and soon, people from every corner of the lot were strolling over to watch.  As much as I’d like to think it was my skills that drew the masses, I’m pretty sure it was the chance to meet and greet RC3 and his wife (I think) as they showed off their bean-bag bonafides.

Burgers, dogs and brats were sizzling as SP impressively manned the grill, while simultaneously drinking, commiserating and playing cornhole.  And with the sounds of the early games emanating (again, key) from his Suburban, SP was in his element.

The afternoon glided by and it was nearing time head toward the stadium.  Time to close up shop. Problem – battery dead.  The OnStar call was made and Joe’s Auto was dispatched.  Since a brother doesn’t leave a brother behind, a couple of us decided to stay back in a show of solidarity, but seriously jeopardizing our chance to see kickoff.

But lo and behold, Joe’s showed up in half the time expected, infusing the Suburban, not to mention our spirits, with energy.  Onward!

InfoCision Stadium is a very young, very intimate stadium. Holding over 27,800, the stadium is a typical design for a small school.  I liked the lawn seating in the far endzone.  The orange faithful was relegated to a couple sections on the far right side of the Syracuse bench – the same side of the field as the “student section.”

As I mentioned, the Syracuse turnout was impressive and much more vocal than the sparse Akron contingency.  Highlights of the game:

• Van Chew hauling in his diving TD catch right before half and directly in front of the Syracuse fans.
• SP getting an SU cheerleader to do repeated back flips on command.
• The guy in the concession line who taught his young boys to sing the Syracuse alma mater.
• Live tweeting.

The final seconds ticked off the clock. 29-3. The seven-game opener losing streak had ended.  The Orange had looked impressive.  But their impressing wasn’t over.  The squad gathered in front of the Syracuse fans, and after some words from Coach Marrone, sang the Syracuse alma mater to those of us who made the trip.  A great finale to a great game.

So, who’s going to Seattle?