Favorite Rentschler Memories

[Drew]

Thought this might be a great way to hone in the new season. What is your favorite memory at a UConn Football game at Rentschler Field? Can be anything from very personal to a general idea of something you do every game. I'm curious to see the stories behind why some of us continue to show up year after year.

For me it has to be sitting through the rain to watch us beat UCF last year (my senior year) at home coming. My parents flew up for the game from North Carolina and left in the third quarter, leaving me inside the stadium with a bunch of strangers huddled underneath the awning behind the student section. Running out into the wind and rain and screaming every time UConn did something good, then sprinting back to cover as it was so unbearable to even be outside of cover for 10 seconds at a time. Staying all the way to the end of that game and being rewarded with a shocking UConn win is easily my favorite memory at the Rent.

I'd love to hear some stories from everyone below. 11 days and it can't get here soon enough. GO HUSKIES!

 

[FDNY99]

Hands down for me and my wife...watching the win against Pitt in OT when DJ scored into the scoreboard end zone ...right into our laps!!!

 

[BugsyCT]

What FDNY99 said - Drew's avatar is my favorite Rentschler memory.

2006 - trailed Pitt by 2 TDs late, and half the stadium emptied. Those of us who stuck around saw a classic finish. UConn tied it in regulation, eventually went to double OT where DJ took the QB keeper on the 2-pt conversion for the win 46-45. Place was going bonkers.

Another one - 2007 vs #11 USF - late goal line stand to seal the win

Many others come to mind, but DJ's keeper is the best IMO.

 

[huskymedic]

Spending game days/nights w/ my sons, brother and friends over the years. My college sophomore was turned into quite the college football fan over the journey and the bond we developed over UConn football's successes, trials and tribulations is something I won't forget. It's more than wins and losses sometimes.

 

[Durks07]

Two-parter, both in 2007: I was a freshman at Uconn at the time. 1) I'll always remember watching our goal-line stand against USF to secure our first victory against a ranked team, and rushing the field afterwards, jumping wildly and hugging whomever was nearby (not an USF player obviously). That win secured our first top-25 ranking. 2) The very next game, at hosted Rutgers with Fiesta Bowl representatives in the building. We won 38-19, and I swear, I've never heard the Rent so loud as it was that night. It felt like we truly arrived as a football program. That win boosted us to #16 in the polls. I'll never forget them.

Honorary mention: Larry Taylor definitely not calling for a fair catch.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

The 2007 USF game is the biggest for me.

Another was the Virginia game. There was an attitude in the parking lot and stadium that night that UConn was going to win and win by a lot. It happened.

 

[Wildgopher]

First game, against Indiana, when Terry Caulley made his famous run, I thought to myself it can't get any better than this! To see how far UConn football had come and to be at a big time football game in our brand new stadium on a beautiful day with such a likeable team.

The Pitt OT game was so exciting, especially being in the stadium after so many non-believers had left, and watching the team go crazy after the win.

I think this years team has a chance to get us all excited again, if not this year, next for sure.

Who will be our Terry Caulley? There are plenty of very likeable guys on this team....I really hope it works out well for all these kids. I already like this team very much, it would be great to see the kids walk around with a good feeling again after the games.

I am so ready for this season...and the extra hour of tailgating isn't going to hurt either!

 

[Doggie Style]

What FDNY99 said - Drew's avatar is my favorite Rentschler memory.

2006 - trailed Pitt by 2 TDs late, and half the stadium emptied. Those of us who stuck around saw a classic finish. UConn tied it in regulation, eventually went to double OT where DJ took the QB keeper on the 2-pt conversion for the win 46-45. Place was going bonkers.

Another one - 2007 vs #11 USF - late goal line stand to seal the win

Many others come to mind, but DJ's keeper is the best IMO.

I'm not sure why that USF game doesn't get more consideration. That was a HUGE win for us at the time and I believe USF was ranked as high as #2 that season. They were getting a TON of national coverage at the time even though they were starting a slide at the point we beat them. We were in the front row behind the USF bench that game and were heckling the living hell out of USF! Alvarado was the point of most of my attention! We were calling him "Avacado"all game especially after his big blunder that gave us the momentum. I loved the fact that USF had nowhere to hide from us and the security guys on the field were laughing their 's off. That was the first time I ever rushed the field after a win, it was a blast!!

 

[Doggie Style]

im gonna say one of my most ....... Well.... Very good memories was in 2007, game 2 when we were sitting in the corner above the students next to the press box, when we actually HAD a decent student section..... There were about 6 sorority chicks bombed out of their minds all wearing miniskirts right below us. One girl lost her balance fell over the back of her seat, legs went up in the air and it was glorious! When one of the group realized that we were cheering for them and not the game, she grabbed the ankles of the two girls NOT wearing underwear and flipped them back slowly as well. It was hysterical and made me remember why I loved Uconn so much but also made me wonder why I didn't become the newest "Physics Phil"

 

[kemba]

-2007 the 3 straight wins against Lousiville, USF, and Rutgers. 3 straight great atmospheres. Lousiville was pouring rain all game, and was the Larry Taylor game. I remember walking out after was basically 2 lines of people just high fiving everyone. Then USF with the goal line stand and storming the field. Then beatdown Rutgers. After that game I literally lost my voice for the only time in my life

-2006 Pitt was my freshmen year, all my friends left, I said I'll stay, celebrated after with the handful of students left

-Then the Fiesta bowl year the wins over WVU and Pitt were both amazing

 

[CAHUSKY]

In February 2007 I took my mom on a trip to the east coast that included the Cuse game at Gampel (initial ring of honor ceremony) and Rutgers at XL. After the game at XL we drove over to the Rent to check it out. That short drive through the parking lot is my favorite and only memory of the stadium. Need to actually catch a game there one of these days.

 

[Santini35]

 

[UConn9604]

Too many to count. Even some of the lesser-known memories are great. Obviously, the Indiana game in 2003 was fantastic, but so was the BC game two weeks later and even the Rutgers game to end the year. We were finally playing big-boy football against big-boy teams.

I still remember how the stadium looked (and sounded) for the first night game vs. Pitt in 2004, the turf was perfectly manicured, almost like a video game, and that was the first time a football game sounded like a Big East hoops game at Gampel (Tyler Palko still can't hear himself think). I also vividly remember manhandling Syracuse (and beating USF on Lou Allen's LONG run) in 2005, and almost beating Louisville to go to a bowl, in probably the coldest tailgate in UConn history. The Pitt win in 2006 was probably the only highlight that year (not beating Wake in the first game, despite dominating them statistically, was a harbinger -- and then getting pushed around by a service academy vs. Navy a few weeks later was not fun). All of 2007 was fantastic, and so were both the Virginia and Cincinnati wins in 2008. 2009 was probably my favorite season of all time in UConn history, despite the bad UNC and painful Rutgers losses, capped by an underrated win vs. USF to end it in the snow. 2010 was tremendous despite starting slow - especially beating Pitt and then having Sio Moore dominate WVU - and then Pasqualoni killed the program in 2011. Hasn't been the same since.

 

[husky10]

2009, my senior year in high school, took a group of friends for their first experience with Uconn football against USF in the snow storm. Being rowdy kids and having seats behind the USF bench, we got a large group in our section to all taunt the USF punter with us. He loved it at first, then he shanked a punt out from the back of his own end zone. That allowed Uconn the opportunity to drive and kick the game winning field goal. We like to tell people we played a part in that victory.

 

[Doggie Style]

2009, my senior year in high school, took a group of friends for their first experience with Uconn football against USF in the snow storm. Being rowdy kids and having seats behind the USF bench, we got a large group in our section to all taunt the USF punter with us. He loved it at first, then he shanked a punt out from the back of his own end zone. That allowed Uconn the opportunity to drive and kick the game winning field goal. We like to tell people we played a part in that victory.

Dude ........ This sounds WAY TO MUCH like my memory! You can't steal memories Bro, it's totally against "Bone Code"

 

[husky10]

Dude ... This sounds WAY TO MUCH like my memory! You can't steal memories Bro, it's totally against "Bone Code"

I always thought there must have been other yarders there for that great moment. Even though I posted after you I didn't see your post until after I posted mine haha.

 

[BoatShow]

Obviously not the result we wanted but the atmosphere surrounding the Michigan game from pulling into Silvas at 1 and being the only UConn car out of probably 30 and hanging with the Michigan fans as slowly but surely our faithful arrived to the buzz in the stadium the entire game was something else. Still blame the video guy for the loss as he for some reason showed Derek Jeter in the press box as Christen lined up a big field goal eliciting a huge roar.

 

[Dooley]

Nice thread. Lots of good memories from Rent past. Here are mine in no particular order of favorites:

- first game vs Indiana w/flyover and Terry Caulley running in BEAST mode;

- Baylor game vs RG III. Fun game, back and forth, lively night crowd and nice win;

- 2007 game vs USF. They were ranked #2 the week before and lost at Rutgers and were ranked #10 for us. Then they made their way up the coast and further solidified the reputation that southern teams can't win big games up north in the elements. Great atmosphere and the stadium shook when Lutrus return his pick-6;

- Michigan. Yes, we lost but the atmosphere was good and almost enough to propel one of the worst teams in program history to a W. Byron Jones' coming out party of sorts. Bonus: I booed Derek Jeter. To put into context, I'm a Yankee fan and have thoroughly enjoyed watching his career from beginning to end. But he was there rooting for Michigan and we can't have that inside our stadium (aside: I also booed Youk when he made his way up the stairs in my section after standing on the sidelines for most of the first half in a game vs Cincinnati);

- UVA. Agree with @NavinRJohnson: the energy in the parking lot pre-game was wild, almost as if we were partying over a big W that hadn't happened yet. Lots of revenge on the minds of UConn fans over losing to UVA by 1 point the year before;

- Pitt game in 2004 (?) that they couldn't run a single series without a false start penalty for crowd noise. Pretty certain Tyler Palko threw a pick 6 but don't remember on account of being blackout drunk. Bonus: a few drunk girls were sitting in the row in front of us and I'm fairly certain that every guy in our group got to feel up one of them (do you like my new ?!);

- Larry Taylor's "fair catch" (and the years of b1tching/moaning from LCC fans);

- Tim Brown's 80 yard slant TD that broke all of our hearts in the first home game after Jaz was murdered. I have never been more heartbroken leaving the Rent in the stadium's history...felt like I wanted to cry. It's a painful memory but one that I will always have;

- first win over WVU and "the fumble" (my apologies for infringing upon Ernest Byner copyright laws) in OT that UConn recovered that sent the Rent into a field storming madhouse;

- DJ firing the ball into the parking lot after scoring the game winning TD in double OT vs Pitt. GREAT game that thousands missed so that they could get home 30 minutes earlier than the rest of us!

Honorable mentions: the drunk girl who had the hots for my married brother and gave him her # out of the blue; the hot UMass cheerleader that made her way up to a few rows in front of us to say hello to her friends/family (and show off her Top 10 booty); the loss to TowNson and finally growing confident/satisfied that the PP/GDL days were numbered; game winning FG vs USF in the snow game; the play from the picture below because it happened right in front of our section and was one of the smartest plays I've seen by a UConn player at the Rent; same game as the picture below - Edsall going for it on his own 21 yard line on 4th down...that decision propelled us to the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[CTBasketball]

When we beat WVU in OT was a good game as well.

 

[cheech63]

One of my most memorable games was the win against Pittsburgh 29-17 in 2004.Tyler King broke his leg that night.The crowd was so loud that night.Oh those memories when the house was packed.

 

[BlueDogs]

2009, my senior year in high school, took a group of friends for their first experience with Uconn football against USF in the snow storm. Being rowdy kids and having seats behind the USF bench, we got a large group in our section to all taunt the USF punter with us. He loved it at first, then he shanked a punt out from the back of his own end zone. That allowed Uconn the opportunity to drive and kick the game winning field goal. We like to tell people we played a part in that victory.

All of the above, but the USF snowstorm game was really cool. The crowd was as rowdy and load as they could be even at 75% capacity. It was a day where the crowd was as tough and got more jacked the worse it got.

 

[Waquoit]

All of the above, but the USF snowstorm game was really cool. The crowd was as rowdy and load as they could be even at 75% capacity. It was a day where the crowd was as tough and got more jacked the worse it got.

That's the one for me. That time when it got really nasty, sleet started coming very hard and the crowd just erupted as if to say, "Is that all you got?"

 

[formerlurker]

- DJ firing the ball into the parking lot after scoring the game winning TD in double OT vs Pitt. GREAT game that thousands missed so that they could get home 30 minutes earlier than the rest of us!

There have been more important home wins than that game but staying true to the OP that game gets my vote.

 

[Waquoit]

There have been more important home wins than that game but staying true to the OP that game gets my vote.

You know what sucked about that game? Because it went so long we had to go through a DUI checkpoint on the way home. If the game ended normally, no problem.

 

[Mike75]

The 2007 USF game. Was there with my brother in law, who is a USF alum. Even he was rooting for UConn by the end of the game. Just an electric environment and experience.