Halftime
Earlier, Ron had seen the drunkest man in the stadium. He literally all wobbled and weaved by on the concourse. I missed him, but did meet the second drunkest man standing in the long line to the bathroom. He was way too friendly and happy to be there. The third drunkest guy was just outside the bathroom, puking into a trash barrel. I may have seen that gorgeous girl again briefly, but she went over to the student side. I looked over the team gear tent by the entrance, but didn’t see anything compelling. On the way back, I thought I’d get some popcorn. Apparently, so had half the stadium. The line into the concessions was longer than the bathroom line (if that makes sense). The line went out to the entrance of the stadium. The roving vendors never came around the upper section either. I missed the halftime show again. I did hear the Lobo band play their team back onto the field as I got back to my seat.
3rd Quarter
This half is already starting off well. Half of the cheerleading squad came over to our end of the stadium. It just wasn’t the same without them. The Aggie team didn’t start off as well as they go three and out. Worse, there’s a bad snap on the punt. The kicker rolls out in the endzone, being chased by Lobo linemen, and has to kick on the run.
I notice that there are kids playing on the steep grass hill on the south end of the stadium, in front of the luxury boxes and next to the cannon, which the ROTC fires on Aggie scores. They were rolling down the hill. Ron decides to get up and take a walk. He returns later and reports, “We’re sitting in the wrong section.” We’re on the 30. We should be about on the 40. On the other hand, he notes, “If we’d been in the right section, we wouldn’t have been sitting by our favorite little Aggie fan.” View-wise, the seats were about the same. Price-wise, Ron overpaid, so I’m glad he was okay with it.
The Lobos start on the Aggie 45. The Lobos score another touchdown, mostly rushing it. 24-15 Lobos. The Aggies go three and out again on their possession. There’s a double-clutch on the punt, but the punter gets it downfield.
The NM State Softball team is honored on the field for winning the regular season title. It’s good to see the girls after a few months away. I think I saw Kayla pass below us. The PA reports that members of the baseball team are going around the stadium selling tickets. I may have seen one of them pass below us, but nobody in our section.
A couple goes by wearing hunting camo/team gear that looks interesting. There’s a fellow wearing an Albuquerque Dukes hat. Meanwhile, the game must be getting interesting as one of the cheerleaders down below us, forgets to join the others cheering as she watches the game.
The Lobos get a first down, but have to punt. The Aggies get it back and nearly lose it on an interception that was called off for pass interference. With a second chance, the Aggies make the most of it. They methodically move the ball downfield (I’m not using the word “matriculate,” as that is actually an incorrect usage no matter how many sportswriters use it) and score a touchdown. 24-22 Lobos.
There’s a big kickoff return for the Lobos and a personal foul penalty on top of it. They are well in the Red Zone when the quarter ends. The Sundancers run out and perform in the vacated endzone. I’m really wishing for binoculars. Our squad of cheerleaders also leaves us to return to the other end of the stadium.
4th Quarter
Okay, here we go. Get ready for the big finish. The Lobos go for it on a 4th and 1 and come away with another touchdown. 31-22 Lobos. With the ball back, the Aggies make a good drive. They get two 10+ yard passes and a roughing the passer penalty to move into Lobo territory. Then there was a sack which brought up a 3rd and 18. Rodgers finally caught a receiver in stride and brought the team into field goal range. 31-25 Lobos with a successful kick. On the video board, the Women’s volleyball and soccer teams are promoted. The pictures of the girls they’re using are rather enticing. This is how to sell women’s sports: sex appeal.
The Lobos get the ball back and here we have the key play of the game. The Aggies get an interception off a long 3rd down. At this point, there’s about five minutes left in the game. The crowd is standing (and I’m standing) for the rest of the game. The Aggies lose their good field position on a chopblock penalty, going from the 15 to the 35 yard line. But, the Aggies keep plowing forward after that to inside the 10. Three Lobo players stop play for cramps on the drive. Chicanery is suspected, but it doesn’t matter. An over the shoulder catch in the corner of the endzone by Greg Hogan makes the score 32-31. The Aggies finally have the lead.
Below us in the lower section, I’m chuckling at a little kid with his shirt off, cheering on top of his dad’s shoulders. The little girl sitting below us left with her grandparents just after the 3rd quarter. I nudge Ron and tell him that I’m sorry she left. She’d lend a heck of a voice to the cheering. Ron had to spoken to her grandmother. The little girl was very knowledgeable about the game. I think he’d like to part-time adopt her. Meanwhile, there’s a lady sitting next to us that was corralling two rambunctious little boys for most of the second half. I don’t know how much of the game she’s seen of this half. Across the stadium, the full student section is still standing. They’ve been that way the whole game.
The Lobos get the ball back inside of the three minutes left in the game. They try a deep pass downfield that’s broken up. The Lobos have to go for it on a 4th down and just make it on a slant pass. The Aggie defense comes up big with a sack and a dropped interception. Its 4th and 15, and the radio color commentator, Preston Williams, sums it up, “We need one play from the defense.” The Lobos get 13 and a penalty called against them on top of it. Turnover on downs with a 1:23 left.
The Aggies rush for a first down. I pull out my earplugs and take in the deafening roar of the crowd. This is really a great moment as the Aggies take a knee while the clock runs down to triple zero. Aggies over the Lobos 32-31. The players and the cheerleaders go over to the student side of the stadium and salute them. The Lobo band plays their team off the field. Me and Ron are extremely pleased with our evening. I’m not nominating a player of the game, because I’m just not that football knowledgeable. I’d hate to be so self-serving to give it to the 10th man in the stands, but I think all of the players on both teams appreciated playing to an enthusiastic full house. I’ll say it was a real team effort by the Aggies, down the whole game, but never giving up or letting the game get out of hand so that they could have a chance at the end.
Travelling across the stands I picked up a couple of different discarded programs. One of them turns out to be from last year. The other one is missing pages at the front. I wish I could have found where they were giving these out on the way in. Ron finds his lost earplugs sitting on the trunk of his car. We go over to a nearby convenience store with an ice cream bar and have shakes. A bunch of other people from the game also come by, including Lobo fans. One of them was mad about losing, since he’d come down from Albuquerque, but even he thought it was a good game to have seen. That’s gives you a good idea of how entertaining the game was.
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