The View From Section 12

PREGAME

It’s hot. Humid. Steady breeze out of the south, though. Maybe it won’t be too unbearable.

Picked up an old college friend on the way to the game. Wife is gonna stay home with the baby, cuz, you know, late game and all.

Got a sixer in the cooler.

Left Olathe around 3:30, got to the parking garage a little after 4. Time to pregame.

It’s not too bad in the shade.

Six-pack is gone, let’s go to the stadium.

Gonna check out this Field Goal Club.

It’s a little packed, but this could work.

$7 beer? Better than a Royals or Chiefs game.

The view is better from the platform above the concessions, so we’ll set up there.

FIRST QUARTER

Nicholls won the toss. KU just took its first L of the season. The Colonels defer.

Three and out. This is familiar.

LOL and Nicholls converts two third-downs to drive down rather easily and score.

Gonna be a long season.

Well. Maybe not?

KU answers, but it took four third-down conversions to do it. That’s not sustainable.

Did we seriously just put that kickoff out of bounds?

Nicholls stalls, but set themselves back with a false start.

The stadium is maybe half full. Maybe. No doubt the crowd noise got to them. #Sarcasm

Just realized there are no chairs up here. Or on the field level.

I’m too old to stand for the whole game.

Unless...

Need more beer.

SECOND QUARTER

They put Chris Harris in the Ring of Honor during the break.

Why did we call timeout on a third-and-six?

Everyone’s cheering! Video board... Video board... Steven Sims??!!? Touchdown!!!?!? Right???

RIGHT????

Nope, he dropped it.

WHY DID WE CALL TIMEOUT ON FOURTH-AND-SIX?

A 55-yard field goal attempt instead.

Nice! With the wind, but still had plenty of distance.

Wish I coulda seen it from the beer line.

MVP-MVP-MVP

There’s a reason why Rui is on the cover of the gameday program!

Oh hey, there’s Devonte Graham.

Seems like a cool dude. Taking pics with anyone who asks. That’s awesome.

What is Miles Kendrick doing in there? Bender just led the Jayhawks on two straight scoring drives.

Has to be scripted.

(It better be scripted.)

((It’s probably not scripted.))

Nicholls ties is up after a long drive that was stymied by the KU defensive inside the 20-yard line.

Four minutes until halftime to do something. Plenty of time.

Timeout?

You just got the ball. You haven’t even run a play yet. WHY DID YOU NEED A TIMEOUT.

Beaty went to a clock management seminar run by Andy Reid, didn’t he?

DIDN’T HE? BE HONEST!

And we’ll just exchange punts until halftime. Great.

10-10 tie at the break.

Need more beer.

HALFTIME

The band is playing boy band songs from the ‘90s. Ugh.

Nicholls gets the ball first...

THIRD QUARTER

And they go three and out. Ok.

And we go three and out. Great.

More punts. This game sucks.

WOW now THAT was a hole in the defense. Nicholls with the touchdown.

Kansas looking inept on offense in this half so far.

FOURTH QUARTER

We still have all three timeouts? I’m amazed.

Nicholls just snapped the ball over the punter’s head for a safety. That’s... something.

#Momentum?

Fumble?

That’s a fumble?

TUCK RULE YOU MORONS.

Ok, maybe not tuck rule. But still, the ball doesn’t go that far forward if his arm isn’t moving forward. That should be an incomplete pass.

KU’s first turnover of the game.

But Nicholls couldn’t capitalize, and KU blocks the punt!

Three and out. 4th-and-9 from the NSU 37. Field goal, right? Rui’s already nailed one longer than this (and in the same direction, with the wind).

Still 10 minutes on the clock. We have time.

Timeout?

.... Punt?

False Start.

Punt.

SIGH.

Time is running out.

More punts.

Empty possession after empty possession for KU tonight.

Under 7 minutes to go. Gotta do something.

Nope another three-and-out + punt.

MUFFED!

LMAO it’s second and goal from the 22 yard line. That’s like the third bad snap tonight.

Why can’t we have nice things?

LIKE KERR JOHNSON WEAVING THROUGH TRAFFIC AND SCORING TOUCHDOWNS!!

Nice play call for the two-point conversion. Where has this imagination been all night?

Defense has gotta hold for 4:26.

SACK on first down!

Facemask on second down... ugh.

They’re driving...

They’re stalling...

NOW use your timeouts!

NOW!! NOW!!!

NOOOOO. NOT NOW YOU MORON. Why would you let them run 40 seconds off the clock there?

Field goal attempt, a decent distance, 40+ yards.

He MISSED!

Timeout?

TIMEOUT???

YOU MORON

You tried icing the kicker instead of giving yourself an extra 40 seconds for a game-winning

I can’t even.

KU is losing this game.

Hoping for an announcement from the PA - “David Beaty, please report to the athletic director’s suite. David Beaty, to the athletic director’s suite.”

David Beaty owes somebody in Vegas a lot of money, and he’s paying them tonight.

KU doesn’t even try on the final possession with 45 seconds left.

Probably because THEY’RE OUT OF TIMEOUTS YOU IDIOT.

OVERTIME

Jayhawks lose the toss again. Second L of the year.

Third-and-six and Kendrick runs on?

Nicholls timeout.

Kendrick still on the field.

Quick crowd poll of six people, what’s the play call?

All six said run. Four said QB draw. Two said read-option.

QB draw it is. Stuffed. Lost yards.

SIGH

Why the hell did Kendrick come in for that play? He hasn’t been in since the first quarter.

Field goal.

MVP? MVP? MVP?

Nope.

Nicholls punches in a TD in five plays.

I am sad.

POSTGAME

Shoulda got a selfie with Graham. Dammit.

The Pizza Hut giveaway early in the game got the loudest cheering in the stadium all night long.

Quick Facebook Live to bitch about the game.

LOL one person doesn’t believe that we lost.

Dude, it’s not fake news.

Nicholls is the better team. No doubt about it. They had two late special teams miscues that we even capitalized on and we still couldn’t beat them.

It’s gonna be a long season.

Headed up to Michigan on Wednesday.

But first, Raising Cane’s before leaving town.

See ya next week.