COLUMN: Time for the Spectrum to rock, again
Not to totally say I called it or anything, but I totally called it a week ago when I mentioned that one of the clear signs of greatness for this year’s Aggie team is their ability to overcome poor performances and still rack up victories.
That’s exactly what happened last week in Boise, when the Aggies gave up a handful of furious scoring runs to the Broncos, only to bounce back and kill any momentum Boise State had built up. That game appeared to be slipping away from Utah State on four or five different occasions, yet the Aggies still managed to hand Boise State its first conference loss.
Now it’s back to home sweet home, and for pretty much the first time since Weber State, the crowd at the Spectrum should be full-strength and should be ready to rock.
Oddly enough though, I feel the need to stress that the crowd “should be” ready to rock. It’s been an odd season thus far, with seemingly less enthusiasm surrounding the program than what has been the standard for the past few years. And for no good reason either, as the team hasn’t lost in a month and a half, is again atop the Western Athletic Conference standings and now hanging just barely outside of the top 25 polls. Another pair of wins this weekend and Utah State very well could find itself in next week’s top 25.
But for most Aggie fans, the heart and soul of the program, the thing that drives this force is the Spectrum. Few places, if any, around the country can boast a fan base that takes as pride in defending its home court like Utah State does.
Now, with school back in session, and the student body back in full force, it is time to crank the volume all the way up on this thing. It’s time to make up for all the lack of noise that was present over the holidays, but also to remind the rest of the WAC and everybody watching on TV that Utah State fans have still got it.
It’s time to bring back that thunder that has routinely gotten Utah State’s crowd mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Duke, UConn and Syracuse. It’s time to synchronize the 4,000 students that ESPN broadcasters hailed as being more choreographed than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It’s time to recapture that x-factor that has come to be known simply as “Spectrum magic”.
Since the start of the 2007-08 season, Utah State is 61-1 at home. That is no mistake. That is the Spectrum at work right there. This season has been underwhelming to this point due largely to a lack of shared enthusiasm from massive gatherings of 10,270 Aggie fans, but now the time is here to finish the season strong. After all, what better way is there to blow off some steam built up from the stress of school and work than by throwing on a blue shirt and yelling your head off at an opposing team?
It really doesn’t get any better than a packed Spectrum at Utah State.
Matt Sonnenberg is a senior majoring in print journalism. Matt is an avid fan of Aggie athletics and can be found on the front row of every home football and basketball game. He can also be reached at matt.sonn@aggiemail.usu.edu.