Favorite Rentschler Memories

[formerlurker]

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.

 

[Justin M]

I have 3 moments that will always stand out to me when I think of the Rent....

My first moment is something that occurred every home game under Randy Edsall. For those of you that never saw it, Randy used to come out of the tunnel while everyone was stretching and personally go up to each player shake their hand and greet them. I think personally it speaks towards the type of person Randy was and I will never forget watching him walk through the rows of guys fired up one gameday.

My Second moment was the first home game after Jazz's death. Seeing a team, fan base, university and even state come together to mourn the loss of a Husky was touching and will always be engraved in my mind.

The last moment comes against USF in 2009 when Teggart hit a field goal as time expired to jolt us into the Papa John's bowl. (Link: http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/120609aaa.html) When i was younger I used to go into the stadium an hour early to watch the players warm up. I would go with my grandfather into the end zone closest to the jumbotron and stand on the wall smacking the helmets of guys like Dan Davis, Rob Lunn and Lindsey Witten as they warmed up. I remember this game specifically because of how crappy the weather is. My grandfather and I still chose to head into the game an hour beforehand and I promise you we were 1 of 20 fans in the stadium at the time. It was pouring rain and snow off the top of the rent, and I couldn't feel my toes 20 minutes in.

One of my favorites memories of the last 11+ years at the Rent. Hopefully with more to come. My grandfather has renewed his 7 season tickets for this year and tells me he has a feeling more good memories are coming.



Thanks for this thread @Drew Very cool

 

[kemba]

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.

Thought that game as well as the Baylor and Cinci games that year were when it really felt like we had arrived. The 2007 games surprised everyone. 2008 home games it wasn't a surprise anymore there was an attitude that the atmosphere at the Rent was going to be great and we were going to be really tough to beat at home.

 

[jackl]

Pregame festivities before the Indiana Game when the State and Local Dignitaries were introduced. The PA announcer says John Rowland and some one in our section says which one is he and someone yells out that he's the 2nd bag from the left. Cracked everyone up big time. Other than that it had to be DJ an the overtime win against Pitt.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Any of the three Pitt wins with RE in charge (for the record, the Pitt win under P was likely the best P home game), a few wins over USF and the OT win against WVU. Also, the back to back Baylor/UVA games were very nice.

 

[tense50]

Mine has to be the 2007 USF game. It was the first time we beat a ranked team and I was able to share it with my daughter and son-in-law and my two grandsons who were there at the game with me. And we all rushed the field at the end of the game like a pack of wild dogs; wild huskies dogs that is. That game made me become a season ticket holder. Now I'm looking for the same experience when we win all of our home games this year. The clock is ticking down. I am ready for some football!

 

[wethyhusky]

1. Tailgating with my uncle who has since passed away.
2. Maryland game when we got soused and I can't remember half the game, but had a blast.
3. DJ game. Back when I wouldn't leave early. Got to get back to being that passionate for the team.
4. Storming the field after beating USF
5. Bringing my kids to their first college games. Twin daughters are juniors and are seriously considering the old alma mater. Also marching band kids so that would be cool.
6. Being seriously excited to get up at 7 to tailgate for noon game.

 

[UCFBfan]

There are three that stand out to me.

2004 game vs Pitt was hands down the loudest I've ever heard The Rent. That set of downs by Palko where he couldn't hear himself say a thing was unreal. I had graduated in 2003 so never got to experience The Rent as a student yet still went down into the students section for that game. Having them backed up into the student section and having the student section cause those delay of games was when I realized UConn football was legit. The crowd had bought into it. Kind of sad to see where we're at now just thinking about this game. Anyways...

The OT thriller against Pitt where DJ threw the ball basically out of the stadium from what I recall. This might be my favorite memory from the time the Rent opened. We were sitting in the end zone halfway down from the scoreboard and this happened. It was crazy. I remember jumping around grabbing anyone I could and hugging them. It was crazy. Just wish more folks were there top watch it. However, DJ will forever be etched into my memory due to that play.

Final game is another mentioned here. The USF game in the snow. I remember parking right behind the scoreboard with our friends Gold Lot passes. We played beer pong on a table that sloped down towards the middle. It was so slushy that the middle of the table became a kind of icy, beer covered snow pile. Yet we played on. Our fingers were so numb. We go into the game and our friends with the Gold Lot passes have seats in the press box. My wife immediately tells me she's sitting up there. I went up there with our friends for a game earlier that season and couldn't stand it. I said something loudly about a call on the field and was basically told to shut up and sit down. So I decided I'd never go up there again. So my wife and our friends head up to the press box and my buddy and I set up shop in our usual seats. Cheered as loud as we could the entire freaking game. I remember coming back to the car with numb hands and my wife just shook her head and laughed.

Great times. Hope they come back again soon! There were plenty more memories and I look forward to making new ones with my two girls in a few years when they're older.

 

[BoatShow]

Additions to this thread next year:

ECU the Friday before Halloween: Wild atmosphere as alt unis make the debut and we beat the Pirates on final drive 17-14 in a cold rain. DUI checkpoint at Forbes St and Silver Ln keeps cautious fans in stadium til end to sober up.

Houston on Senior Day: UConn wins battle of division leaders and ranked teams as the 24th ranked Huskies knock of 22nd ranked Cougars in first sell out since
2013.

 

[UConn9604]

There are three that stand out to me.

2004 game vs Pitt was hands down the loudest I've ever heard The Rent. That set of downs by Palko where he couldn't hear himself say a thing was unreal. I had graduated in 2003 so never got to experience The Rent as a student yet still went down into the students section for that game. Having them backed up into the student section and having the student section cause those delay of games was when I realized UConn football was legit. The crowd had bought into it. Kind of sad to see where we're at now just thinking about this game. Anyways...

The OT thriller against Pitt where DJ threw the ball basically out of the stadium from what I recall. This might be my favorite memory from the time the Rent opened. We were sitting in the end zone halfway down from the scoreboard and this happened. It was crazy. I remember jumping around grabbing anyone I could and hugging them. It was crazy. Just wish more folks were there top watch it. However, DJ will forever be etched into my memory due to that play.

Final game is another mentioned here. The USF game in the snow. I remember parking right behind the scoreboard with our friends Gold Lot passes. We played beer pong on a table that sloped down towards the middle. It was so slushy that the middle of the table became a kind of icy, beer covered snow pile. Yet we played on. Our fingers were so numb. We go into the game and our friends with the Gold Lot passes have seats in the press box. My wife immediately tells me she's sitting up there. I went up there with our friends for a game earlier that season and couldn't stand it. I said something loudly about a call on the field and was basically told to shut up and sit down. So I decided I'd never go up there again. So my wife and our friends head up to the press box and my buddy and I set up shop in our usual seats. Cheered as loud as we could the entire freaking game. I remember coming back to the car with numb hands and my wife just shook her head and laughed.

Great times. Hope they come back again soon! There were plenty more memories and I look forward to making new ones with my two girls in a few years when they're older.

For that USF game in 2009, there were about 10-12 tailgates (including ours) in the Blue Lot that just pushed all of their tents together, like one big apartment building. Probably 3/4 of the tailgates had their own heaters, so it was pretty balmy inside. Getting out to go to the bathroom was not so balmy.

The coldest tailgate was probably that Louisville game to end the season in 2005. We sneaked in an hour early (following some contractor in through the side gate) and set up our tent really quickly, making it difficult for them to kick us out (we figured we were playing with house money - why not?). We must have looked like we belonged, because we never got kicked out.

That same year, we showed up for the Rutgers game (3:30 pm kickoff) at 8 am, as if it were a noon kickoff. They actually kicked us out of line, and said we couldn't wait there for 3 1/2 hours. So, we went to the Burlington Coat Factory and fired up the grill in the parking lot there.

This thread is making me half-sad for what once was, and half-giddy that the season starts next week.

 

[Chief00]

I agree with USF and Pitt games. The best individual performance I have seen there, quite frankly, was Matt Ryan picking us apart with super accurate passing.
That was also the game the BC bus got hit with beer bottles and anything but the kitchen sink - this resulted in buses using the special exit going forward.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Part of the reason the crowd cleared out early in the DJ game was to resume tailgating on an unseasonably warm late fall night. I had given UConn one more possession before going to join them in the lot, and uconn kept doing just enough to keep me from joining the party outside until after DJ's 2 point conversion.

Baylor at the rent was excellent too.

 

[ktuck911]

2003 game vs. Western Michigan...We were getting outplayed in 1st half then DanO went off in the 2nd half leading us to victory.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

Thought that game as well as the Baylor and Cinci games that year were when it really felt like we had arrived. The 2007 games surprised everyone. 2008 home games it wasn't a surprise anymore there was an attitude that the atmosphere at the Rent was going to be great and we were going to be really tough to beat at home.

If I remember correctly, scalpers were looking for tickets because they were out of tickets to sell for the UVA game. They were selling way over face value.

 

[mikedog10]

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.

I started reading your post like "Liar, WE were the first people there that day", then I realized it was you.

 

[mikedog10]

2007 USF. As soon as the game was over, we rushed the field. I used to always sit in the first row between the Uconn tunnel and the marching band, so was among the first 2 or 3 people on the field. I watched the one guy in front of me get wrapped up by the 300 pound security guard, then ran right around him. It was a glorious day. While running around on the field, I ran into my inebriated father and uncle. My uncle wore shorts to the game(!), he then did his best Scott Lutrus impression and tackled me on the field. I'll never forget how great that win was.

 

[coachcap]

Memories:
Terry Caulley goes wild against Indiana in the inaugural game
Tyler Palko 0-for the RENT.
Duke's kicker shanks the potential game winning field goal as time expires.
Finally beating WestVirginia (in OT the W.Va runner fumbles the ball away on their possession)
Beating the nationally ranked USF. Game starts out in a monsoon. UConn has a big lead. USF Comes back. UConn's defensive end stays home & stuffs the USF qb in his signature naked bootleg run (EVERYONE in my section knew that he would attempt that play).
USF snow game. Last regular season game. Teggart's kick to win. But the best part was the festive holiday themed pregame tailgate in Blue Lot. Tailgaters next to us rigged a portable electric generator to power Christmas tree lights. They attached the tree to a flagpole & hoisted it @ 20 feet up into the air. What a beacon!
D.J.'s OT run against PITT.
Fun time at Boneyard tailgate that Waquoit put together.
Randy Edsall's call to ACTUALLY go for the 1st down on 4th & one on the UCONN 20 to run out the clock. Todman was jacked.
Home game against Virginia. The Donald Brown extravaganza.
First home game against Army. In the post 9-11 era, there was a VERY patriotic passion in the stadium. I thanked every cadet that I passed for their volunteering for service to our country.
Larry Taylor's "unfair" catch & run against the 'Ville.
The game in the inaugural season against Rutgers. Laughing my butt off on the botched Rutgers punt return when the cross field Scarlet lateral was fumbled & UCONN recovered the ball.

Worst memory: In the early days of the RENT, the electronics edict against hand held televisions & cell phones that could take pictures. Batteries from the devices were confiscated by the tennis ball Nazis. UConn had an late September evening midweek game. The Yankees & Red Sox were playing each other on local tv. An usher demanded that my then 13 year old son give up the batteries to the tv or we would face ejection to the game. We complied, then when he left the scene, I pulled out the extra batteries in my pocket, put them in the tv, & told my kids to be less conspicuous. A State Trooper standing in the area came over & said, that the usher wouldn't be any trouble for the rest of the game. The next day, I sent an e-mail to Jeff Hathaway detailing the encounter. He replied back & the policy was officially changed by the next home game. I know there are many J.H. haters on the board, but he excelled in cusomer service in this case.

 

[31GuardTrap]

Game 1 vs Indiana.
2 OT win vs Pitt in the fog.
Finally beating West Virginia.

 

[CTGoonie]

Louisville game with the Larry Taylor "fair catch". It was raining the whole game but at one point it just starts downpouring and instead of people fleeing the place got LOUDER.
Even though we lost the Michigan game was insane. Tailgating for 5 hours, speeches by Ray Allen and Geno. Jeter on the big screen and I heard afterwards Tom Brady in attendance as well.

 

[pepband99]

Happiest: Justin Perkins pick 6 against Pitt. Our first Big East win, at night, with the Rent sold out.
Angriest: The phantom called back 2 pt conversion against Rutgers.

 

[kemba]

If I remember correctly, scalpers were looking for tickets because they were out of tickets to sell for the UVA game. They were selling way over face value.

I remember all to well. I was a student and I had lost my ID the day before, after the offices were closed to get a new one. I figured I could still get in with just my student ticket so I went to the game and tailgated and tried going in at gametime but no one would let me in. Went back to the parking lot but for like the first time ever it was hard to find people selling. Finally had to pay $100 for a really good seat, but still sat in the student section.

If that happened today I could probably find a ticket laying on the ground for free.

 

[UCFBfan]

I should have added that a fond memory I will always have is not game related but tailgate related. It was so unique and cool that for the first few seasons everyone parked and tailgated on a runway. It could be a pain for multiple reasons: trying to back out after games, almost getting hit while tossing a ball, etc but it was very cool to realize we were tailgating on a runway. Just a pretty cool thing.

 

[jdb50]

Once we made the move to the current parking setup and PP the presence of the scalpers has really seen a drop off. That was such a normal part of game day. The best atmosphere by far was the Michigan game. The added seating, the noise level really showed what could be. We really had tough crowds in the early days as people could see something being built, could see the promise and we were part of the discussion with the Big East Bowl bid. Bad weather didn't mean a ghost town and it will take a while to turn that around.
One game that hasn't been mentioned was the win vs. Cinci on the road to the Fiesta Bowl. Kendalls big int return, beautiful day, tough Cinci team that we flat out beat. Toughest loss for me was the Rutgers game after Jasper's murder. Life can be very cruel.
Best wins Indiana, WMU comeback, Baylor, S Florida in the rain and then the snow, finally beating WVU!

 

[Dooley]

I befriended a scalper from Rhode Island last season. He stops over for food/brews and vows to hook us up with freebies if we ever needed them. Sadly, we have never needed them. We always gave him our extras from $0-$5 throughout the season (free as the season progressed and we got to know him better and knew we couldn't give away the tickets to anyone anyway). He'd always come back to our tailgate about 30 mins before kickoff and give us his sales update. He made over $300 for every game (including SMU). I can't imagine how much he'd make if UConn was actually good and the games were important again.

 

[Palatine]

I used to like the kielbasa that Vince Markowski brought to the tailgates.