COLUMN: Four reasons why you should go to Romney Stadium on Saturday
Here are four reasons why you should go to Romney Stadium Saturday at 6 p.m. to watch the Aggie football team. I don’t care if you like football or not.
1. You’ll get to witness a rare Aggie win (OK, I’m not 100 percent sure on that, but it’s highly likely).
I don’t mean to bring down the football team with the use of the word “rare” in relation to how many wins they get. I am aware of the great physical and mental preparation that go into these games from players and coaches.
I’m just pointing out a fact. Remember that all of last season USU won only one game while losing 11 others. The year before the Aggies won three games. If that isn’t rare, I don’t know what is.
Saturday they are playing the San Jose Spartans, who are also in the infamous 0-3 club. That means the Spartans are beatable, and, really not at all better than the Aggies. Playing at San Jose in 2006, the Aggies were one play away from sending the game into overtime. The Spartans took off after that win and went on to play a bowl game. This time the game is literally on the Aggies’ home turf. That changes things.
2. Not only will it be a win, but a tight and exciting game for all to enjoy.
One of the greatest things about sport is when the competition is equal and competitive.
If Saturday is to be victory for USU, it will likely be a game the Aggies have to really, really earn and hang on to.
Make no mistake: “Earn and hang on” are very key words here. Had these things occurred against UNLV or Wyoming, USU would be a gorgeous 2-1 right now.
In last year’s Homecoming game, the Aggies earned a 13-12 victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs. That wasn’t just any win. True freshman quarterback Riley Nelson had to throw a 30-yard pass twice to Kevin Robinson (the first attempt was called back on a penalty), even though Nelson had to throw the ball diagonally against the direction of his body to get the ball into Robinson’s hands. That’s the kind of grind-it-out effort it took for one win last year.
I don’t think it will be any different this Saturday. The Aggies are still learning how to win through four quarters instead of just three. These things take time.
And, for those of you who aren’t in the know, Saturday’s game will be the first Western Athletic Conference game of the season for both teams. Conference play is a new season. Both squads are looking for their first win.
Both teams have had the opportunity of being beat up by much bigger and better teams like Oklahoma and Stanford. It should be very close.
3. A large and loud crowd is really what gives a team “home-field advantage.”
Aside from the game against the University of Utah last year, a “big” Romney Stadium crowd wasn’t much more than eight or 10,000 people.
That’s pretty weak at the Division-I football level.
And, even with that Ute game, the fans in red were undoubtedly louder than Aggie fans (though there wasn’t much to cheer about if you were on USU’s side).
From my own personal perspective as a fan and as a limited athlete, I know that not only is it a rush to play in front of a large crowd of people (in my case a large crowd was a group of 30 or 40 parents at a Junior Jazz game), but to be a fan in a well-attended venue really adds to what I take away from the game.
Imagine what the Spectrum would be like if only 500 people came to the men’s basketball games instead of 10,000. It wouldn’t be the same awesomely loud dungeon that opposing teams get drowned in.
Romney Stadium has been that way before (but not for a while), and it has potential to be that way again. That depends on you.
4. It’s the homecoming game.
In high school you probably went to the same type of game, right? I bet the Aggies are better than your high school team. Just go.
Sammy Hislop is a junior majoring in public relations. Comments can be sent to him at samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usu.edu