Central Michigan: The View From Section L

Sorry this is so late, y’all. Funny (and true) story, while on vacation in Michigan, I saw a book about how to overcome procrastination, but I just figured I’d buy it later.

PREGAME

Cool. Cloudy. The breeze makes it chilly. Projected high of 65 today for Mt. Pleasant.

Staying just west of Ann Arbor this week. Hit the road about 10 AM.

This area reminds me a lot of eastern Kansas, but maybe with more trees.

Arrive in Mt. Pleasant around 11:30. Looking for a parking spot.

Maps from the CMU website indicate south of the stadium has public parking. $20!

But, it’s right next to the stadium. Head for the box office.

KU team buses pass us on their way in. Get some waves from the drivers.

GA tickets purchased. Can sit anywhere in the south endzone.

Was told by multiple locals that O’Kelly’s was the place to be pregame. It’s just northeast of the stadium. Heading that way.

Seems like a decent tailgating scene here.

Definitely lots of drunk college kids.

Huh, they’re selling parking spots in the parking lot at O’Kelly’s.

$5!

ARGH

Just took my first “L” of the day.

Pretty busy place but still got a table. K-State game is on, along with the Purdue game.

Of course, the Michigan-WVU game is on most of the TVs.

Some tots and some chicken strips.

And of course, some brews.

K-State looks like... well they don’t look good against this SEC opponent.

About half an hour to kick, time to head to the stadium.

Student section looks pretty full. Looks like a solid crowd.

It is their home opener.

The CMU band will be in Detroit on Monday night to do the halftime show at the Lions game.

Their video board is tiny.

They’re showing scores from around the country and you literally can’t read any of the names or numbers.

Looks like the visitor’s section is section K, right next to GA. So we’ll pull up in section L.

There’s maybe 40 or 50 KU fans here. I’m guessing mostly families of the players.

Six cheerleaders plus Big Jay.

Lost the toss (again). KU will receive.

Pretty stiff breeze out of the north.

Gonna have to keep the jackets on for this one.

If it’s this cool in September, I can’t imagine walking to class on this campus in January.

Anyway.

Game on.

FIRST QUARTER

Pooka with the first play of the game?

MOAR KHALIL HERBERT!

Or two Peyton Bender incompletions and a punt - from midfield. Yay.

Did y’all know this isn’t a basketball game?

Some of the CMU fans have figured that out and thought they’d let us know.

CMU punt.

KU punt.

CMU punt.

KU punt.

Good grief this is boring.

SECOND QUARTER

BORED.

At least the defense looks good so far.

Bender looks rough.

Yup, still not a basketball game. I wasn’t expecting one, were you?

KU winning the field position battle, starting this one in CMU territory.

LMAO a 2-yard completion.

LOL what was that? Bender with the wounded duck but there was nobody near Kerr Johnson. KU with a lead!

Defense still holding.

Why is Miles in now? Yeah Bender sucks but the offense just scored. I don’t get it.

Three minutes left and Beaty still has all three timeouts.

LOL the guy just can’t not use a timeout, can he?

HALFTIME

So a 7-0 lead for the Jayhawks. Will take.

We might have something in Pooka.

Bender can go, though. It’s past time to delete all the funny Futurama memes I downloaded last year.

When will something bad happen...

You know it’s coming...

THIRD QUARTER

CMU FUMBLE! On the first play!

And a missed field goal.

We’re gonna lose this game 10-7 somehow.

Pooka, nifty run! Right up the gut!

INT!

Another Pooka score!

We definitely have something in Pooka.

21-0 halfway through the third quarter and students are leaving in droves.

CMU answers. Damn that guy was wide open. Not a Jayhawk within 10 yards.

We’re gonna lose this game 35-21, aren’t we?

Oh how I love KU punts on 4th-and-1 in the opponent’s territory.

Bender looks awful.

Are you watching, Jeff Long?

FOURTH QUARTER

Pick-6! Neat!

Miles Kendrick time!

Offense is still stalling out.

Another INT!

We’re gonna win now, right?

RIGHT?

And ANOTHER!

We’re gonna win!

Carter Stanley time!

Boooooo. Let the kid play!

ROOOOOOCK CHAAAAAAALK

JAAAAAAAY HAAAAAAAAAAWK

KAAAAAAAAY YOUUUUUUUU!

POSTGAME

Huh.

Kinda thought the team might come celebrate with us.

They just ran into the locker room. Ok then.

The game was... interesting.

I really don’t believe what I just saw.

CMU looked pretty overmatched all day, and it took 6 turnovers to beat them by three scores.

That doesn’t seem promising.

But Pooka does.

Khalil Herbert who?

I kid, I kid.

But I’ll take the win.

Wait, we were in section L?

More like section W, amirite?

I kill me.

Let’s head out of town.

What, Purdue lost?

More like Purdon’t.

Looks like the road to the highway is backed up.

Found a country road south out of town.

It’s a pleasant drive, and no traffic!

What’s up with these lights above the intersections in the middle of nowhere?

It’s the weirdest thing. (Edit: I should’ve taken a picture.)

If you ever find yourself in Ithaca, MI, stop in at Main Street Pizza downtown.

You better have cash, but you won’t regret it.

Beautiful sunset.

You know what that means.

The sun will come up tomorrow.

On to Rutgers.

*Buttgers.

RCJH