Best TCF Bank Stadium game atmosphere

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Thanks for providing detail Nomellini. Yes, it was truly a "miraculous" play!
 

Gopher07 said:
I haven't been to them all (far from it), but my personal favorites:

September 12, 2009 vs Air Force: The opener. I had my own "Rudy" moment as I walked up the stairs to my section. Everything about that night was perfect - capped off by the loudest Rouser I've ever heard when Triplett ran back the fumble.


November 27, 2010 vs Iowa: The "Jeff Horton" game. A back-and-forth affair that ends with the Gophers completely unexpectedly beating Iowa. It was damn cold that day too, which made it even more special.
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I call it the Duane Bennett/ Jeff Horton game. The Iowa players were shivering and slipping on the turf pregame while Duane Bennett comes out with no shirt on at all. I remember seeing a few of the Iowa players looking at him in amazement. He psyched them out.

I don't have anything new to add. I just felt crushed after the Michigan game.

Top three atmosphere wise

Stadium opener against AF. It was so loud I couldn't hear the flyover!

MSU Halloween game

Michigan 15'

Honorable mention TCU game

Iowa 10' and Iowa 11'(Quis)

*Single I can't believe he did that moment. Decker's goal line catch against Cal, with Duane's immaculate reception second. Honorable mentions: Aaron Hill's pick against Wisconsin(pick six) and fumble recovery Indiana (game saver?).
 

A tie between the 2009 game vs Air Force and the Syracuse game.

Not at TCF, but the road trip to Colorado State was a lot of fun.

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It would be interesting to see a chart comparing the crowd's blood-alcohol level to rankings of atmosphere.

I am not saying that booze is the only factor in determining stadium atmosphere, but it does play a role.

Coyle's got an interview in the Strib talking about reaching out to the fans. I still maintain that, if the U wants a real game-day atmosphere around the campus, they have to take the handcuffs off and let the students and the fans cut loose. More tailgating opportunities. Corporate hospitality tents. Live music. Let the frat houses host parties (without trying to hide). Have the band marching around campus. Turn up the fun. And if the blue-noses in the neighborhood squawk, remind them that the University has been there a lot longer than they have.

It's one day a week - on 7 days out of the year. The U's goal should be to make those the best 7 days of the year - and if that means a little more drinking goes on, so what.
 

I have a clear bias, but it's easily the Nebraska game in 2013. That may or may not have something to do with the fact that I got married that day AND got to stand at the goal line (on the field) next to my bride (a Husker) as the Gophers scored the clinching touchdown. Epic stuff. :)
 


short ornery norwegian said:
It would be interesting to see a chart comparing the crowd's blood-alcohol level to rankings of atmosphere.

I am not saying that booze is the only factor in determining stadium atmosphere, but it does play a role.

Coyle's got an interview in the Strib talking about reaching out to the fans. I still maintain that, if the U wants a real game-day atmosphere around the campus, they have to take the handcuffs off and let the students and the fans cut loose. More tailgating opportunities. Corporate hospitality tents. Live music. Let the frat houses host parties (without trying to hide). Have the band marching around campus. Turn up the fun. And if the blue-noses in the neighborhood squawk, remind them that the University has been there a lot longer than they have.

It's one day a week - on 7 days out of the year. The U's goal should be to make those the best 7 days of the year - and if that means a little more drinking goes on, so what.
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Very good points. I never buy the "neighborhood" angle. What's adjacent to the U where people actually "party" for games? Parking lots and railroad tracks, Dinkytown (where college students live), Stadium Village (where college students live). I guess the only possibility would be Prospect Park, but that seems well removed from any adjacent hoopla for football games. Maybe I'm wrong.
 

Nomellini said:
Dear Gopher Jack- Yes, it was truly "miraculous". Here is what happened. The Gophers were up 35-34 with 6:00 left. The Gophers had just forced MSU to settle for a point blank field goal with 8:00 to go and had lost the momentum. Weber threw a 20-yard pass over the middle. Nick Tow-Arnett, who had already caught 2 touchdown passes, took a tremendous lick from a Spartan db and was lying on his back without secure possession of the ball. From nowhere, Duane Bennett swooped in, caught the ricochet with perfect timing and finished a 59-yard scoring play without being touched. The Gophers still had to weather another kickoff return (Keyshawn Martin had already run back TWO kicks for scores) and had to defend several long passes from Kirk Cousins in the last couple of minutes. Weber finished with 416 passing yards, 4 td passes and 1 pick. The Gophers also tied a Big 10 record with 17 penalties!
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Thanks for the prompt. I forgot that was the "these refs "$@ck" chant went around the stadium.
 

Schnauzer said:
It is hard to believe but TCF Bank Stadium is now on the home stretch toward reaching its ninth season of hosting Gopher Football. With the eight seasons we have seen, what were your most memorable games in terms of atmosphere?

For me, in no particular order:

- That 2009 Michigan State game over Halloween weekend. Great win in front of a Halloween crowd, night game.
- 2009 loss to Cal. The only loss on my list. First season, postcard weather. Basically a emphatic statement of how good outdoor college football could be as the stadium was packed and everyone was enjoying Eric Decker put on a show to match the highly ranked and big favorites from Cal.
- Night game against Syracuse. A lot of electricity in the air as it felt like something was building with the football program. Night game. Exciting game.
- All three wins over Iowa in TCF - all were special in their own ways. Either the huge upset angle or the unexpected blowout angle.
- The 2009 opener against Air Force. Will never forget it, or how great it felt to sit outside on campus to watch a Gopher game. Packed crowd, close game, night game, and everyone was into it. Sort of bitter sweet as hind sight has taught us there were some bitter moments ahead of this night that showed so much promise. Thanks Brewster.

I thought the atmosphere for the Michigan game in 2015 was great but the result was so deflating I could't keep it on my list like the Cal game. It is sad when the best thing you can say about it is "Well, it wasn't as painful as 2003."

My honorable mention list would include the win over Penn State in 2014, The kickoff return win against Purdue (although it felt that one should have been more easily won, and the big win over Nebraska.

It is interesting that 3 of the games I identified took place in TCF Bank Stadium's inaugural season. Here's to hoping for some more recent examples of electric atmosphere in the Bank.
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I agree with this list, mostly. I would only flip-flop the 2009 Cal game and the TCF opener v. Air Force to 2nd. Had the 2015 Michigan game turned out differently, that may have vaulted to #1. Maybe 1b. But, that outcome left me lost.

That 2009 Michigan State game was incredible on Halloween. Adam Weber slinging it all over the yard and you throw in the crazy 60+ yard TD from a dropped passed right into Duane Bennett's hands (albeit a legit play or not, it still counted at the time), that night was electric and I'll never forget that game.

**EDIT: Just sitting here thinking that some of my favorite home games I remember best were from the Brewster years. God damn that is sad. :cry:
 

Nomellini said:
Dear Gopher Jack- Yes, it was truly "miraculous". Here is what happened. The Gophers were up 35-34 with 6:00 left. The Gophers had just forced MSU to settle for a point blank field goal with 8:00 to go and had lost the momentum. Weber threw a 20-yard pass over the middle. Nick Tow-Arnett, who had already caught 2 touchdown passes, took a tremendous lick from a Spartan db and was lying on his back without secure possession of the ball. From nowhere, Duane Bennett swooped in, caught the ricochet with perfect timing and finished a 59-yard scoring play without being touched. The Gophers still had to weather another kickoff return (Keyshawn Martin had already run back TWO kicks for scores) and had to defend several long passes from Kirk Cousins in the last couple of minutes. Weber finished with 416 passing yards, 4 td passes and 1 pick. The Gophers also tied a Big 10 record with 17 penalties!
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STPGopher said:
Thanks for the prompt. I forgot that was the "these refs "$@ck" chant went around the stadium.
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I remember just a wave of 15 yard penalties as well. There was booing for probably 10 minutes straight, through an entire tv timeout even.
 



short ornery norwegian said:
It would be interesting to see a chart comparing the crowd's blood-alcohol level to rankings of atmosphere.

I am not saying that booze is the only factor in determining stadium atmosphere, but it does play a role.

Coyle's got an interview in the Strib talking about reaching out to the fans. I still maintain that, if the U wants a real game-day atmosphere around the campus, they have to take the handcuffs off and let the students and the fans cut loose. More tailgating opportunities. Corporate hospitality tents. Live music. Let the frat houses host parties (without trying to hide). Have the band marching around campus. Turn up the fun. And if the blue-noses in the neighborhood squawk, remind them that the University has been there a lot longer than they have.

It's one day a week - on 7 days out of the year. The U's goal should be to make those the best 7 days of the year - and if that means a little more drinking goes on, so what.
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This x 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
 

TCU 2015 - #2 team in nation, night game, national TV, perfect weather.

If Kirkwood doesn't fumble while diving into the end zone, Gophers win that game and pandemonium would have broken out in Dinkytown.


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Gopher Gildy said:
TCU 2015 - #2 team in nation, night game, national TV, perfect weather.

If Kirkwood doesn't fumble while diving into the end zone, Gophers win that game and pandemonium would have broken out in Dinkytown.


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How many cars lost would you say?
 

STPGopher said:
*Single I can't believe he did that moment. <b>Decker's goal line catch against Cal, </b>with Duane's immaculate reception second. Honorable mentions: Aaron Hill's pick against Wisconsin(pick six) and fumble recovery Indiana (game saver?).
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I still talk about that TD catch. Not Decker's part, but how the defender taunted Decker as he lay there because of how hard he hit him. It didn't seem to matter to him that he had just given up a TD. What a tool.


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Gopher Gildy said:
TCU 2015 - #2 team in nation, night game, national TV, perfect weather.

If Kirkwood doesn't fumble while diving into the end zone, Gophers win that game and pandemonium would have broken out in Dinkytown.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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The IFs are huge..... the above ^, and if Woli would have pierced the goal line late vs. Michigan in 2015.... I'd probably never had left Dinkytown.
 


Michigan Halloween game from 2015. Not only was it a night game, so it was packed, but it was super fun to be in the Halloween show in the band, and no game I have attended has had so much excitement then when we thought we had just sealed the deal. Even though it turned into a loss, it was still the funnest game I've been to for 99.9% of it.
 

There were better games, but I have to go with the opener against Air Force. A fun souvenir from the game was a great photo of the full stadium that the U sent out to all season ticket holders. I remember showing it friends and all of them joking about finding me in the crowd. Well, on further review, there I was in the foreground of the shot plain as day and easily identifiable. That picture is now framed and hanging on my basement wall.
 

Wisconsin, November 2017. Return of the Axe and win Big Ten West. Will be hard to top.
 

Old Goph said:
There were better games, but I have to go with the opener against Air Force. A fun souvenir from the game was a great photo of the full stadium that the U sent out to all season ticket holders. I remember showing it friends and all of them joking about finding me in the crowd. Well, on further review, there I was in the foreground of the shot plain as day and easily identifiable. That picture is now framed and hanging on my basement wall.
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Are you the guy bottom left-of-center that is looking back directly at the camera?
 

Old Goph said:
There were better games, but I have to go with the opener against Air Force. A fun souvenir from the game was a great photo of the full stadium that the U sent out to all season ticket holders. I remember showing it friends and all of them joking about finding me in the crowd. Well, on further review, there I was in the foreground of the shot plain as day and easily identifiable. That picture is now framed and hanging on my basement wall.
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That would have been a cool keepsake. I have a time capsule packed away from that game. My ticket stubs, the newspaper from the day of the game and the day after and the game program. Maybe someone will want to look at it when they clear my stuff out decades from now.
 

RodentRampage said:
That would have been a cool keepsake. I have a time capsule packed away from that game. My ticket stubs, the newspaper from the day of the game and the day after and the game program. Maybe someone will want to look at it when they clear my stuff out decades from now.
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I got the photo framed and matted along with my ticket for the game.

The opener was the best experience I've had at TCF with the TCU opener not too far behind. Sitting outdoors in a packed stadium on campus after decades in the dreary dome will be very hard to beat. Michigan 2015 was spoiled due to the terrible ending and I wasn't at any of the Iowa or Nebraska wins.
 

I wasn't at the Air Force game but I agree with the TCU game. That was the first time I thought to myself this is finally what a big time college football atmosphere feels like in Minnesota.

Getting to talk to a couple of smokin hot TCU girls on the light rail home after the game didn't hurt either.
 

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