Tales of Bowl Games past

[John Lewis]

Since we will likely have to wait until Sunday to know our exact Bowl destination and opponent, I thought it might be a good times discuss past experiences/stories at the Bowl games that we have played in the past.

I'll start with a story from a Bowl game we actually did not end up playing in.

During the week leading up to our 2016 Bowl game selection we were extremely confident that we would be playing in the Military Bowl in Annapolis. We had everything prepared to send out to our supporters that Sunday. The thinking was that since Temple had won the AAC Championship game in Annapolis they would not want to return their again. They ended up changing their mind at the 11th hour and wanted to go back to Annapolis, which shifted us to Birmingham against South Carolina.

[hm101]

My favorite bowl games are the wins against Texas Tech, South Carolina, and Clemson

I think it would be nice to get some banners for those wins hanging in the IPF

[79 Bull]

Not a great memory but the bus ride back from Miami (after CWT **** the bed against his former team) seemed to take FOREVER.  My wife just kept asking me over and over "why did you decide not to drive?" 

[Bull Matrix]

Great topic! I will post a few bowl game stories. I will start with USF’s 1st bowl game in Charlotte against NC State. I remember how exciting things were for USF to get that Meineke Car Care Bowl invitation. I knew it was going to be a blast so I was able to get club access seating for the game. I remember the kickoff being at 11am so the club area was serving nice breakfast with mimosas & strong screw drivers. The weather was supposedly chilly that day. However I had so much champagne & vodka in my system by the time I actually stepped outside to get to my seats the cool weather didn’t phase me. What I remember was seeing & hearing a loud USF fans. We had to yell as loud as we can because basically we were too close to Raleigh NC so NCST fans made up the majority or the crowd. Thankfully the USF defense kept the game close but USF’s offense was not able to do much. NC ST defense was strong too as they had some players drafted in the NFL. I remember seeing USF Mutt on the jumbo tron for what I believe to be a fan of the game. The people in Charlotte were very nice & I loved the Panthers stadium. HOT basically outperformed the NC ST band during the pep rally the night before. I still remember good times during USF 1st ever bowl game. Stay tuned as I will post some stories about the other bowl games that I was fortunate to attend.

[MaltLiquorBull]

Charlotte 2005.  Mieneke Car Care Bowl vs. NCST.  The day before, it was like USF owned the city.  USF fans everywhere.  I found out about TheBullsPen the night before the game by accidentally stumbling into a bar full of Bulls fans.  Thought it was just by chance, but it was a planned event.  Somebody asked me what my nickname/avatar was so they could give me a paper nametag.  I had no idea what they were talking about.  The said go to theBullsPen.com (which I did when I got back home).  

The morning of the game (kickoff was 11 am new years eve), when we woke up, the entire town was red black and white.  Never seen so many wolfpack fans.  We lost the game 14-0 (we never really did have an offense that year with the exception of the louisville game).  But it was cool to have experienced the first bowl game ever for the program.=

The next year, we attended to B'Ham bowl to watch USF's first bowl win over ECU.

Went to El Paso and St. Pete.  Missed the one in Canada.   and since then have only been to Miami and the one here in tampa.  Regret missing the bowl wins against Clemson, SC, and texas tech.

[gibbsak]

I was in H.O.T. Band for our first bowl (meineke car Care bowl in Charlotte against NC State) and our first bowl win (whatever they called the Birmingham bowl those days) against ECU.  

I was sick as a dog in Birmingham.

[John Lewis]

You never forget your first time. 

We had a MBB game the night before the first Papa John's.com Bowl. I stayed back for the MBB and then went up to Birmingham on a bus with the Cheerleaders/Sun Dolls and support staff who stayed back. I started to fall asleep on the bus and then was woken when the bus stopped. The driver had gotten lost in Montgomery, AL and I had to go up from and assist him in getting to the interstate. Thankfully, I knew where we were from a prior trip to that area when @Mike Stuben and I chaperoned a Student Bulls Club trip to UAB a few years prior to watch a MBB game.

We arrived in Birmingham in the early morning.

Thankfully, I was able to fly back with the support staff after the game.

Edited November 29, 2023 by John Lewis

[flsportsfan83]

 

34 minutes ago, Bull Matrix said:

Great topic! I will post a few bowl game stories. I will start with USF’s 1st bowl game in Charlotte against NC State. I remember how exciting things were for USF to get that Meineke Car Care Bowl invitation. I knew it was going to be a blast so I was able to get club access seating for the game. I remember the kickoff being at 11am so the club area was serving nice breakfast with mimosas & strong screw drivers. The weather was supposedly chilly that day. However I had so much champagne & vodka in my system by the time I actually stepped outside to get to my seats the cool weather didn’t phase me. What I remember was seeing & hearing a loud USF fans. We had to yell as loud as we can because basically we were too close to Raleigh NC so NCST fans made up the majority or the crowd. Thankfully the USF defense kept the game close but USF’s offense was not able to do much. NC ST defense was strong too as they had some players drafted in the NFL. I remember seeing USF Mutt on the jumbo tron for what I believe to be a fan of the game. The people in Charlotte were very nice & I loved the Panthers stadium. HOT basically outperformed the NC ST band during the pep rally the night before. I still remember good times during USF 1st ever bowl game. Stay tuned as I will post some stories about the other bowl games that I was fortunate to attend.

Went with the SBC to that game. Was an awesome trip. Meet some cool chick from USF and partied hard, Bulls Club got us seats in like the 3rd row in the endzone. If I recall our punter had our longest pass of the day. We owned that city and was so awesome to be at a Bowl. I still have the program from the game. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by flsportsfan83

[Rizman]

Attended both last two Birmingham Bowls and loved beating those big mouth fans of Texas Tech.   So, sweet.  I was sitting near a fellow Bull for the South Carolina game.  Really miss the QF days, that was fun and I think we are on our way back. 

[Mike Stuben]

I am 11/11 in attending. My closest to missing was Toronto, as I had to work the Outback Bowl on 1/1, and I think the Toronto game was 1/2.  I went right to the airport from the Outback Bowl, and ended up drinking in the US Airways lounge with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's private security guy. Got up there, went to the game, then came right back home.  (if my count of 11 is off, whatever the number is I have been to them all)