Orange Bowl Redux

DrJacket

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This morning, I have watched (again) the last 3 scoring drives from the Orange Bowl. Some things stand out, and it made me want to see if I could prompt some of you to share some of your favorite memories if you were there....moments from the game itself on tv or otherwise....and impressions from game that might have bearing on this upcoming season.

Some highlights for me--
* I can remember pulling up to the stadium. We parked and it was about 2.5 hrs. before gametime. Before we opened the door, we could hear this weird sound. Quickly, we remembered the whole Cowbell thing. They were EVERYWHERE. Inside our car, that was all one could hear. My wife said, "That's going to get old. I hope that isn't going to be a problem for our players. That could be distracting." I told her, "The best way to shut those cowbells up is to jump out to a big lead. Maybe our players will do Paul's favorite thing and 'Punch 'em in the nose.'"

* After a stop at the fanfest, eventually we went in and got up on the concourse. Cellphone rang and it was Mrs. CPJ-- "Can you see us yet? We're just about to pull up!" We looked over the edge and right below us was the Ga Tech entourage. Police escort followed by about seven buses. The Ga Tech guys got off the buses and started to file in with a "business trip" look on most of their faces. Not star-struck about being there. Not intimidated, but not clowning around a lot either. Focused like they had something they had come there to do.

* Before the game, one of the Ga Tech football staff assistants stopped through the area where we were seated. She said that, "The guys say the mood in the locker room is good. There's a vibe in there that's good. The guys believe they can come out and do something special. They're up! Not over-hyped. But, not nervous either. Just ready to get this thing going."

* Watching the replay now on dvr, the touchdown that gave us 28 pts had an interesting moment. The camera cuts to the sideline and guys are celebrating. While all good head-coaches are already signaling the special-teams play for the extra point (or the two if they want to), there's something a little chilling about CPJ. That quick camera shot shows "the look." Keep in mind that CPJ likes Dan Mullen. But, that look isn't one of strategy. It isn't one of decision-making. The look I saw had a furrowed forehead and arched eyebrows. It's the one that says, "We're up...and I'm going to push the gas pedal for all the team is worth. We're going to try to mash them. "

* Finally, some of the broadcaster sound bites are fun. (Heard going to commercial after another Ga Tech touchdown) "If you live in the state of Mississippi, you have cause for concern tonight!" Then there was, "An unstoppable force has been unleashed on the SEC tonight!" Finally, "If you coach young players in the option offense, this is one game you want to rack up and use for teaching."

What Orange Bowl images are still dancing around in your head?
 
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iceeater1969

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Before the game the MSU band bus pulled up by our car which we were sitting in while getting refreshed. The band members were milling around with the occasional cow bell clang . I cracked the window and gave various renditions of Moo .

During 4th q of the game - The redshirt guys were fired up as a group. Some stood facing on the bench - facing the stands --- repeatedly yelling YELLOW and the stands gave a loud reply of JACKETS.
 

B Lifsey

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Great posts! I love the broadcaster comments...especially the unstoppable force being unleashed on the SEC.

I recall several posts leading up the the game about the cowbells and how they shouldn't be allowed, etc. It was great to see them silenced by the progress of the game and not stressing over the rules.
 

AlabamaBuzz

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Been to many games at MSU, cause my daughter and son-in-law both attended there, and to be honest, the cowbells really are not very loud, as compared to a crowd going crazy screaming and stomping the stands. I always thought the complaints by other teams was overblown related to the cowbells, but maybe I am just a deaf old man, at least in that frequency. :)
 

MonroeJacket

GT Athlete
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Unfortunately, I wasn't at the game, but I WAS at my girlfriend's parent's house for a New Years Eve party. Her and her family are BIG Mississippi State folks. I actually went to a game out there last year on our BYE weekend. Anyways, during the Orange Bowl, I was the lone Tech fan in a house FULL of Mississippi State folks. There were some dwags there as well. The cowbells were loud initially, but after that first INT and touchdown, they all went to watch in another part of the house because they felt that room was bad luck. I guess their entire house was bad luck that night ;). It was a good night.
 

gtalltheway

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My favorite memory was thinking back to when it was released we would be playing miss st. I was on bleacher report and all the miss st fans were talking about how they wish Michigan state was the team they were playing and how they would beat us pretty bad, they continued with a bunch of junk about the triple option ect ect. Then game day came along and as I saw we were pulling away and even after the game I was just thinking about what those miss st fans were thinking, how their faces looked, and even what excuses they had to why they lost. I bet they really do wish they played Michigan state now.
 

buzz_wiser©

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I recall the gates to parking lot notn opening til 3.
We were in line at 2.

There was alot of MSY to be seen...everywhere! !
Cowbell hell.....

As we got in and started seeing tailgaters I was seeing more white and gold.
As typical to ant GT game our fans show up and represent.

The game was great from pregame til the passing of the old year into 2015.

I especially remember the team flags being parachuted in and the American flag as well

As time went on during the game the Cowbell got silent.
I have so many memories from the game having my kiddo with me and spending new years with sooo many of my newest GT family members.
Made for the perfect ending to a promising beginning.
 

Enuratique

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Haha, I just rewatched the Orange Bowl yesterday... What stood out to me was how we couldn't sustain drives in the first half... I guess CPJ made his patent-pending halftime adjustments which caused us to put a hat on their monster MLB (#50 I think?) which opened up the dive mercilessly. I also noticed Bostic making decent attempts at blocking but their OLB would make athletic hurdles and maintain their feet/momentum enough to make a tackle for loss. We turned it around in the second half, though.
 

Sheldon's

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First was the vibe. I noticed the difference in reaction when the teams came out. MSU came out like they had hit their peak, and GT came out excited, but recognizing they were there for business and there was business left to do. There was a huge difference in what their body language was saying. The other great thing was that two MSU fans sat behind us. One of the guys said he was Dan Mullins cousin, and the other guy a big fan. They were very respectful. Had a nice conversation about Dan Mullin, which solidified my opinion that Dan was a class act. The friend kept going on and on about how shameful it was that their DC left before the bowl game and that if they played 'assignment football' then they wouldn't be getting whipped. I tried to explain the fallacy of his observations, but he didn't get it. It was nice not to hear those stupid cowbells after the middle of the third and really enjoyed leaving the stadium and seeing all those cowbells stacked by the garbage cans. The other great memory was going with my teenage son together as it was the first GT game he had been to where the good guys won (I took him to the ACC championship game in Jaxs and the Peach Bowl against LSU.
 

DrJacket

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I also remember somewhere in the late 3rd quarter when the cowbells had not only been silenced--but a TON of their fans had walked out. That was awkward and actually a little sad to look at.

They traveled all the way to Miami and abandoned their team. What must it have felt like for the players to look into the stands and see their folks gone by the thousands?

Let's don't ever do that, friends!
 

AlabamaBuzz

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I also remember somewhere in the late 3rd quarter when the cowbells had not only been silenced--but a TON of their fans had walked out. That was awkward and actually a little sad to look at.

They traveled all the way to Miami and abandoned their team. What must it have felt like for the players to look into the stands and see their folks gone by the thousands?

Let's don't ever do that, friends!


I agree, but to some degree we did at the Peach Bowl that year against LSU. It was very painful to stay.
 

Skeptic

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Great posts! I love the broadcaster comments...especially the unstoppable force being unleashed on the SEC.

I recall several posts leading up the the game about the cowbells and how they shouldn't be allowed, etc. It was great to see them silenced by the progress of the game and not stressing over the rules.
If I recall the OB would not allow MSU to bang the bells when Tech had possession. My memory is from TV, but it is of the ace MSU RB groggy on the sidelines after being leveled by Golden and fumbling. (Anybody would have.) There were of course a couple of snapshots of Mullen and the acting DC (Omigo, he must have been thinking) looking thoroughly flummoxed and resigned. And now, after this, I am going to go back and watch it.
 

Skeptic

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Unfortunately, I wasn't at the game, but I WAS at my girlfriend's parent's house for a New Years Eve party. Her and her family are BIG Mississippi State folks. I actually went to a game out there last year on our BYE weekend. Anyways, during the Orange Bowl, I was the lone Tech fan in a house FULL of Mississippi State folks. There were some dwags there as well. The cowbells were loud initially, but after that first INT and touchdown, they all went to watch in another part of the house because they felt that room was bad luck. I guess their entire house was bad luck that night ;). It was a good night.
You are an evil man.
 

JacketFromUGA

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My favorite memory was thinking back to when it was released we would be playing miss st. I was on bleacher report and all the miss st fans were talking about how they wish Michigan state was the team they were playing and how they would beat us pretty bad, they continued with a bunch of junk about the triple option ect ect. Then game day came along and as I saw we were pulling away and even after the game I was just thinking about what those miss st fans were thinking, how their faces looked, and even what excuses they had to why they lost. I bet they really do wish they played Michigan state now.

I'd love an old link of those for when I'm bored.
 
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