Homecoming-ween

Know your tailgaters

Rob Tailgating Coordinator	Matt Frymaster/Driver
Duck Beermaster	Madeline & Suzanne Team Amazing Tailgaters	Chris Grillmaster

The increasingly-inaccurately-named Dual Diesel tailgate 6 began as all great tailgates begin: very early in the morning. The sun had yet to rise when our day began.

Our morning tailgate convoy quickly spotted Vaughn's car on our way in. We arrived outside of lot 13 at 0715 hrs. The still dark sky was very chilly as the sun slowly rose over BJC. Early morning tailgaters enjoyed pre-breakfast while we waited for the lots to open. Madeline and Suzanne baked sausage pockets and muffins for us, since we couldn't cook until after we got into the lot. Matt's extended cab was quite a sight loaded to the roof with beer.

Official Stats

Total hours:	16.25
Guests:	120 *
Donations:	$158 *
Ford PowerStroke® Diesel Trucks:	1
Total vehicles:	6
Cases of beer	36 *
* new records

When lot 13 opened at 0800 hrs, our convoy made its way to the 1st aisle. Despite the best effort of the parking patrol, we anchored the fleet at our old spot for DDT3 and DDT5. Good tailgaters already know where to park. The trucks were unpacked quickly. A flagpole modification first implemented at our UConn tailgate permitted us raise the flags on the pole, rather than put them on the pole while it went up. A second PSU flag and eventually an American flag was added to the pole as the day went on. Beer was stacked on Matt's tailgate prior to being loaded into the coolers. 36 cases made for an excellent photo spot.

While breakfast eggs, sausage bacon and ham were cooked, morning beverages were served. Suzanne made cocoa and coffee drinks, plus cosmic Lions were served. Chris K made hot hard cider to get the party going.

The Bon Flame fireplace was lit to warm up cold tailgaters. Our newest propane accessory was purchased for me by a horrible person with the stipulation that she and the dog would always have a seat near it. It looks just like a regular outdoor fireplace, but is propane-powered (and thus tailgate legal) with fake logs and coals. At any given time, about 6 to 8 tailgaters were huddled around it.

Many costumed tailgaters joined us during the morning hours. My personal favorite was Rich and Chad. Upon arrival, Chad shed the bottom of his lion costume for both to reveal their newly inked Penn State tattoos. Awesome! Besides Chad's lion costume, there were many other great costumes. Check out the costume page for more.

Flair awards

From the flair master:

Bleeds Blue and White Rich and Chad for their PSU tattoos

Most unique single piece of flair Chad for his Lion costume

Most unique single piece of flair Tiffany for her PSU cowboy hat pretty badass

Most pieces RR as JoePa 12 pieces of flair

Most original costume BLB booze clown (God bless 'em)

Best use of costume at the tailgate Bill G. the Ref (he was throwing flags left and right)

Special thanks to the pumpkin carvers: Konik, BLB, and Rich

By lunchtime, the clouds had parted and sunshine filled the sky. Both grills and the deep fryer were lit and the feeding frenzy began. There was so much food that it was hard to keep track of it all. There was BBQ brisket, sausage, and shrimp kabobs on the grill with turkeys and pierogies from the fryer. Madeline and Suzanne also had plenty of goodies, like the tray of "dirt" with tombstone for PSU's previously defeated opponents and football shaped cookies to name a few. It was all so good.

For the first time ever, I beat Chris in Polish horseshoes competition. Final score Rob: 27 Chris :24

We also made sure to get the group photo before the game. It's got to be one of our greatest group photos yet. By my count, there are 75 people in the photo and I'm sure there were many more on either side that couldn't quite fit into the photo. About the time of the photo, there were around 120 tailgaters, which is our new record. It was wall to wall people.

Penn State	Purdue
33	15

The 33-15 win over Purdue was very satisfying, but not a cakewalk. Homecoming in recent years hasn't been good to Penn State, such as last years embarrassing 4-6 loss to Iowa. The game took a turn during the 4th quarter when Purdue narrowed the lead to 23-15. Penn State's final touchdown after an interception sealed the victory.

Game notes Football letter

It was dark by the time tailgaters returned from the game. The Christmas lights were turned on to light up the canopies and flagpole. For once, all the lights on the flagpole actually lit. Duck started his beer can chickens. The bacon/cheddar burgers were cooked and a second tray of brisket was cooked.

We were plagued by the "great stove fire of 'aught 05." Josh's Coleman stove caught fire rather than lighting. Several tailgaters were shocked and awed, thinking that Suzanne's car was on fire. Suzanne was especially alarmed, but the fire was quickly extinguished. Luckily, no one was hurt and nothing was damaged. We will, however, implement a ban on Coleman fueled appliances in the future. See the lesson learned.

As the night continued, more and more costumes showed-up. Some other favorites were Ace and Gary, the ambiguously gay duo from SNL and a kilted Scottsman.

The party continued until 2330 hrs for a grand total of 16.25 hours of tailgating. Great friends, great weather (almost 50 degrees) and a great game made for our most awesome tailgate to date. I'm not exactly sure how we're going to top this one, but I'm sure we'll manage to have another awesome tailgate for Blue/White in the spring. Hope to see you there.

Thanks to everyone who made it out.

For the Glory,
-Rob
Tailgating Coordinator

Homecoming-ween Equipment list

UConn

Know your tailgaters

Rob Tailgating Coordinator

Chris Grillmaster/Driver

Matt Frymaster

Pat UConn Liasion

Rain, rain and more rain poured down on our first away non-PSU game tailgate. It was very warm for October and stiflingly muggy with light rain. To further the differences from our normal situation, the game was also on Friday night. All of us were coming directly from a short work day, rather than 2 days of drinking and merriment. Even with the differences, it didn't stop us from having an awesome time.

The afternoon started by meeting at Home Depot in Glastonbury to meeting with our UConn Contingency. Many other tailgaters also picked this spot for a rendezvous point. From there, it was a quick drive to Rentschler field, through the Pratt and Whitney parking lot. The field was very flat and that made parking and setup easy.

The rain took a short break during our setup. Canopies and the flagpole were raised. A Red Sox flag was also flown on the flagpole. We were quite the landmark. During the course of the evening, about 3 dozen people used our unique and well-lit flagpole as a meeting point. Many other Penn Staters, like Becky, found us. Other Electric Boaters also noticed and appreciated the SEAWOLF Class submarine-shaped weather vane.

Official Stats

Total hours:	8
Guests:	30
Donations:	$41
Ford PowerStroke® Diesel Trucks:	1
Total vehicles:	4

The first order of business was cooking dinner. Matt got to work on the fryer. Chris cranked up the stove to heat up beef and venison chili and my homemade Poquonnock River clam chowder. Mike grilled sausage and peppers and Nick made shrimp kabobs.

Many of us were still in full Penn State gear. UConn fans around were pointing out in a friendly way that we were at the wrong game. We just said that we were "Bringing a little bit of the Big Ten to UConn." Some also gave me a "Squeeze the Orange" pin.

Beer pong and horseshoes were played while the guys were listening to the Sox game on the radio. The deep-fried turkey was started and then it was time for the group picture. For the first time ever, we boiled lobsters using the second deep fryer. The Christmas lights on the canopies and flagpole were also turned on, since it was dark way before game time. The blinking flagpole was the only one of its kind.

UConn	Syracuse
26	7

A steady light rain filled the sky at game time. It was a short walk from our tailgate to the "Rent." It was a small stadium, but full of spirit. The Huskies nearly got a shut out for their Big East opener against the Syracuse Orange (formerly the Orangemen). UConn dominated the game. The Orange only managed to score a single touchdown in the fourth quarter after most of the fans had left. Most of us stuck around till the end of the game.

Read more about the game

After the game, the rain picked up. Bacon Cheddar burgers were grilled as everyone got cozy under the canopies. It wasn't much longer until the rain died down and we packed it in for the night. It was a grand total of 8 hours of tailgating. We received many complements on our setup, which was a mere fraction of our normal ensemble. It was a great time and we will definitely go back.

I'd like to thank everyone who came out. There were plenty of new faces out there. I'd also like to thank Pat for getting us interested and figuring out the details.

For the Glory,
-Rob
Tailgating Coordinator

Dual Diesel Tailgate 5

Know your tailgaters

Rob Tailgating Coordinator

Chris Grill/Flairmaster

Duck Beermaster

Madeline & Suzanne Team Amazing Tailgaters

Kevin Back-up driver

The last game of the PSU pre-season made for an excellent tailgate. The combined team of Diesel tailgate plus the "2 the Lion" tailgating combination of Madeline and Suzanne rolled up to Lot 13 at 0730. It was a warm and overcast, but a slight breeze gave promise of better things to come.

Even though the lots didn’t open until 0800, our convoy started at 16th in line. The extra half hour passed quickly and assured us an excellent location. Kevin was our backup driver for this tailgate. We were in the near identical spot to DDT3. The first row is definitely the place to be. The Chalupa even played a few games of fetch before "The Man" made us put him back on his leash.

The extra vehicle in the convey was little and didn't have a tailgate, but it did bring one big thing to the tailgate: LOUDNESS! Carter’s Celica may seem small, but dual 100 watt siren speakers and satellite radio kept the big sound pumping all day. Sometimes even a bit too loud, especially at 0730. At night it looked more like a transformer with doors and the rear hatch open and neon glowing.

Official Stats

Total hours:	16
Guests:	36
Donations:	$16
Ford PowerStroke® Diesel Trucks:	1
Total vehicles:	4

Morning setup went smoothly with many veteran tailgaters to raise the flag pole. Everyone pitched in to get things setup while Chris grilled up breakfast. Madeline and Suzanne spread out their assortment of baked goods and sweets. They were hard to resist, even for breakfast.

Duck was quickly in business passing out “little bits of happiness.” Suzanne also followed suit by mixing a few electric lions, which are awesome.

Chad and Butch at the tailgate next door “welcomed us to flavor country” with BBQ brisket sandwiches. They were excellent.

A brief rain threatened to spoil the fun in the afternoon, but quickly subsided. The sun poked out to warm things up and make us shed the extra layers and long sleeves.

Even with all the snacks, lunch bacon/cheddar burgers and bratwurst were grilled. I even managed to get one of my own burgers this time.

Penn State	Central Michigan
40	3

When it came time to "Pass the Chips," the Lions were ready. The Chippewas fell easily in a game that was very easy to watch. You can read more about the game at goPSUSports or on the Alumni Football Letter.

Following the game, we quickly snapped the group photo before it got dark. Duck’s excellent beer can chickens and my homemade clam chowder was served up for dinner, as traffic slowly crawled away from the stadium. All of us enjoyed watching it, while we eat and drank in the warm evening weather. Things also started to get a bit rowdy as the sunlight went dim and the Christmas lights were turned on. Many Nittany Lion fans decided to extend their merriment into the night, but we were the only tailgaters with lights.

The evening also brings out strange things, like a Lincoln Towncar filled with 10 rowdys and the full size grill strapped down in the trunk. Chris made me run the car down to grab a photo.

A bit later, I decided to spend some time in my happy place, which is sitting atop my toolbox. From that vantage point, I spotted Vaughn’s car. A few of us set out on expedition to find the tailgating mentor.

It was a short walk to the west side of the physical plant building before we heard that laugh. Vaughn headed back to our tailgate. After many hellos and a few calls to old friends, we paid a visit to Vaughn’s favorite fence post from DDT3. The entire fence had been replaced!

While the weather stayed nice, all of our tailgaters were expended from the great day and great game. We finally called it a day at 2330 for a total of 16 hours of tailgating.

Flair contest winners

Most Pieces	Most Unique Piece	Sexy
Rob 10 pieces (14 w/ dog)	Rob PSU Kazoo	Beth PSU Tatoo

For the Glory,
-Rob
Tailgating Coordinator

Dual Diesel Tailgate 4

Know your tailgaters

Rob Tailgating Coordinator	Chad Tailgate IT and logistics	Duck Beermaster	Matt Frymaster	Mocha Chalupa Dog
Chris Grill/Flairmaster	Josh Grillmaster	Chrysi T-shirt maker	Shelley Jello Shot maker

Forecast be damned! The dreary weather held off long enough for us to hold a tailgate the proved to better the infamous DDT3 which ended last season.

For our yearly on-pavement-tailgate, we were also greeted by a plethora of carnival rides. About 20 tailgaters joined us for the morning festivites and breakfast grilling. Chad and Josh cooked up plenty of pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon. While Duck was getting it organized, our massive collection of cases drew the comment, "Now hat's what I call a stash" from a passing alum.

Among the newest additions to the Diesel Tailgate was Team Amazing Tailgaters: Madeline and Suzanne O. These girls baked up a storm and impressed all the tailgaters with their amazing spread of snacks. The most memorable and delicous were the blue lion head cake, 3 different kinds of mini quiches and the football field of mini-green cupcakes complete with plastic football players and goal posts.

Chrysi unveiled the new DDT4 T-shirts and soon many of our tailgaters were clad in these awesome new pieces of flair. It really took the tailgate to the next level.

By mid morning, the clouds cleared and sun appeared. Many more tailgaters came to join us including, Sarah Cross, a reporter from the York Dispatch. She really enjoyed our operation and snapped few pictures that made the paper. These photos are the DDT’s first media coverage! York Dispatch photo 1 York Dispatch photo 2

The artist of the Banner hanging between the flagpoles was Nick. It certainly kept everyone guessing. Like a druken magic eye (that you can only see after you had enough beers), it said "PSU".

Lunch was cooked on dual grills by our dual grill masters, Chris and Josh. Things got cooked so fast that I didn't even get one of my own bacon/cheddar burgers (with the bacon and cheddar mixed right in) :-( We also had plenty of the usual goodies plus beef brisket and sausage and peppers.

At a neighboring RV tailgate across the row, we met Smitty. He was very impressed with our tailgate and even gave a few of us engraved mugs from their tailgate.

Official Stats

Total hours:	12.5
Guests:	90
Donations:	$11
Ford PowerStroke® Diesel Trucks:	2
Total Trucks:	4
Parking spots:	12

The Blue White Game itself was cut short due to rain - but in the 3+ quarters of football there were a few interesting developments.

Michael Robinson started as quarterback for the Blue, went 6 for 6, 143 yards and led 2 scoring drives. The Blue team also featured new recruits Justin King and Derrick Williams, who both saw action early with promising results (Williams had 4 catches for 64 yards and a 9 yard run; King had 2 catches for 53 yards, ran for 13 yards and broke up 2 passes on defense). Against the 2nd team defense, the Blue offense’s only hiccup was Tony Hunt’s fumble on the goal line.

The Lions’ starting defense, clad in Blue, dominated quarterback Anthony Morelli and the White offense. Morelli was 2 for 6 for 5 yards against the #1 defense.

Morelli and 3rd string quarterback, Paul Cianciolo, had more success in the 2nd and 3rd quarters against the 2nd and 3rd string defenses.

During half-time the crowd of 40,000+ was “treated” to an encore rendition of the 2005 Dance Marathon Line Dance performed by over 700 dancers and morale staff. The 1994 undefeated Rose Bowl Champion Nittany Lion football team were honored. The returning members of that historic team were called one by one to the field amid applause. Running back Ki-Jana Carter, Tight end Kyle Brady and Quarterback/team captain Kerry Collins drew the loudest cheers.

Blue	White
14	6

The game was called during the 3rd quarter due to rain with the final score Blue 14 White 6.

Postgame, the rain didn't put much of a dent in the tailgate. Duck cooked up some beer can chickens and the Matt fired up the deep frier to feed our hungry tailgaters.

Flair contest winners

Most Pieces	Most Unique Piece	Redneck	M.E. Chad commerative trash bag award	Team Amazing Tailgaters	Team Face Painter
Rob 15 pieces (19 w/ dog)	Chris Tailgater Apron	Kori full camo	Oz PSU ponco	Madeline & Suzanne O	Danielle

Josh left a sausage sandwich on the side of grill. 3 hours later, after being soaked by 2 hours of heavy rains, Rich ate it. The face he made was priceless. I swore he was going to puke, but he kept it down. People were making the connection to the Asian hot dog eating champion that dunks his hot dogs in water before eating them.

We packed in a tad earlier than I hoped due to cold and high winds. We still rounded out the day at a respectable 12.5 hours of tailgating.

Thanks everyone who made it out. Many thanks to the Planners: Chad, Duck, Matt, Josh, Chris, and Chrysi. They put in lots time, effort and cash to make the tailgate rock. A special thanks to Team Amazing Tailgaters, Madeline and Suzanne O. who really helped take our tailgate to a new level with their amazing effort. Hope to see all of you for Central Michigan in the Fall!

For the Glory,
-Rob
Tailgating Coordinator

PS.... yeah who could believe we'd get snow while we were packing up Sunday morning? Not me!

Thanks to Madeline for writing the game section of the newsletter.

Diesel Tailgate: Get Big! ^TM