UNH Season Comes To An End

Problems with our Internet connection up here on the mountain continue. I'm guessing the high winds Friday damaged the relay. (As if I would have a clue ;-). ...

We had a good trip down to Amherst, Mass., to watch an exciting UNH-UMass I-AA quarterfinal. The Minutemen advanced to a semifinal matchup at Montana when a fourth-and-one UNH pass on its final possession deep in the UMass end was batted down, allowing the home team to escape with a 24-17 win. It was a disappointing end to All-America wide receiver David Ball's career for sure. He finished his four years tied with Jerry Rice for I-AA career touchdowns and 28 yards behind Rice for career yards. UMass made life difficult for New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos by sending pressure from every angle and sacking him six times.

The game was called a sellout, the first at UMass in more than a quarter century. The mess left behind by the tailgaters afterward was unbelievable. Walking back to the car it was almost impossible to avoid stepping on beer cans and bottles strewn everywhere. ... The kids and I had a mini-tailgate of our own with a little grill and hamburgers. Unfortunately, someone made off with our LL Bean charcoal starter while we were in the game. It's not an expensive thing but it was really annoying.

To avoid the traffic jam after the game we walked up to the Mullin Center where UMass and Boston College were playing basketball last night. If there had been tickets available we might have caught the game but it was sold out. Quite a party atmosphere outside the arena as the juiced-up football tailgaters awaited the opening of the doors.

Driving home we were able to pick up some of the West Virginia-Rutgers game on the radio. The fourth quarter had just started as we walked through the door. If you didn't stay up you missed a real nailbiter that went to three overtimes before West Virginia could win it. I'm no big fan of Rutgers but you've got to feel for the Scarlet Knights. From what they were saying on the broadcast, a win would have put them in the Orange Bowl. A loss puts them in something called the Texas Bowl.

Links aren't working again this morning so I'll get them to you when I can.