The sun sets on another Rutgers football tailgating season!

A stunning sunset did little to inspire the Scarlet Knights on this day. 

BREPNation convened for the final time in the overflow black for a Thanksgiving themed tailgate spread. The turkey casserole was as a great idea, and enjoyed by all. Guest stars at this week’s tailgates were the BRES grandmother and grandfather, and JC’s friend Dana.  Unfortunately, it was not a good day for the Knights as they finished the season 4-8. 

Are these guys playing harmonica or shotgunning beers? 

The Holobowski relatives 

BRES, as usual, shunned pants for the cold weather. Some Rutgers pants for Christmas would be great gift idea. Even after buying 250 tickets as a group of 10, we still couldn't win the 50/50!

Alexa makes an appearance - one quad is better than none!

Eric makes an new friend - RU Fan since 1869

Dana and his RU brick 

Thank you very much for the 2017 season BREPNation.com tailgaters! You have inspired us for the last magnificent 7 tailgates. You have excelled in your corn hole competitions. You have shared your emotions with us and the whole RU world. You have celebrated victory with dignity, and accepted defeat with dignity. 


I declare the 2017 Rutgers tailgating season closed. In accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world (and BREPNation.com) to assemble 9 months from now in the overflow black parking lot of Piscataway to celebrate with us the 2018 Rutgers football season!

Time to put the bags away 'til next year

250 numbers - I'm still checking!!!

Honoring the flag during the national anthem  

A Happy Thanksgiving to All...and 1 Game Left

Well, Rutgers laid an egg in Indiana, so we're relegated to a "play for pride" and spoiler-role type game vs. Michigan State on Saturday. Kickoff is at 4 p.m.

I already know that Shane's interested in going and figure Kaitlyn will be as well.

If people are up for tailgating, I'll offer to make Firehouse Turkey -- basically a casserole that includes turkey, stuffing, pepper jack cheese and cream soups. It was a big hit in our last Derby party (but with chicken) and is a great leftovers dish.

Since we're doing about 40 lbs. of turkey for Thursday, I'm figuring to have ample supplies.

If others have different ideas, please try to chime in before Thursday.

Everyone be safe and enjoy their families!

Its a Party in Piscataway!

After turning down a shot at the Scarlet lot, the BRepNation crew descended on our usual secondary black area lot to set up shop. Battling through a tough week with a bad cold, torn ACL, and a flood ravaged basement, our fearless leader, the BRES father, 

Have you seen this boy?

turned out to host despite being listed as doubtful on the injury report, with a rare appearance from the BRES Mother. Unfortunately we were down a few from our usual crew, with BRES under the weather and sis home hitting the books.

 BRES Father and BRES MOTHER gutting it out

If the fist fits, wear it!

Don't worry, you'll beat her next time! 

The boys from the Asbury 'hood 

   As usual, the corn hole action was hot and heavy with Mother beating son in Witkowski clan action. Sharon's 'holing continues to improve after attending here fifth game of the year. Several newcomers got involved, including Hunterdon County Glen, Lawyer Bob, and Cousin Kyle's buds. With the great subs, salads and desserts, the Yuenglings were flowing. DL jr ably filled in to cover the BRES duties again. Please remember to tip your BRES! The tailgate was also treated to the IPod spinnings of DJ BREP, a new tradition sure to continue.

The ladies enjoying the game - Make some noise on 3rd down !!!! 

Chris makes an appearance!!!

After two weeks on the road, the next and last home game for the Scarlet Knights is November 25th against Michigan State - See you there!

Retreat Yields Huge Benefits

Clearly, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights were a more relaxed squad without the excessive booing and heckling of Chris Skurat, Basil Kmech and Scott Fitzgerald, who were absent from Saturday's 14-12 win vs. Purdue but missed by their compadres in B-REP Nation.

It was the second-straight B1G victory for a Rutgers squad that could be 4-3 and two games away from bowl eligibility but instead is 3-4 and may have a few more wins in it yet fall short of the requisite 6-6 record to qualify. It's not the 2007 squad but they're playing hard and clearly an improvement over Chris Ash's debut season. It was nice getting a conference win and in nail-biting fashion.

BREP Photobomb

The weather in Piscataway was fantastic again -- sunny and mid-70s and extremely comfortable inside the stadium.

BREP Nation
Thurmanator

In the black lot, the B-REP Nation was a bit lighter than usual but still represented well, serving up a fantastic spread highlighted by our rendition of the Thurmanator -- big burgers with 3 kinds of cheese at once, plus bacon, ham, pickles, banana peppers, sauteed onion, tomato, lettuce, ketchup and mayo...if you did it right. 

Jennifer's anti-cheese, but the Labue family made amends by bringing the glazed crumb cake again from Mueller's. It also was good seeing Tom and Dave's dad. Younger brother Roy couldn't make it again, as he's busy getting paid to teach students how to kick someone's ass.  

The Tinton Falls Scotts -- dad and son -- made it safely with Evan, who was slotted in as the substitute BRES for the absent orienteerer Shane but ultimately replaced by Dave's eldest, who was quick on his toes and reportedly a capable replacement in answering to BREP's rants and expedient requests for a cold Yuengling. I'm not sure he cleaned out Larry's wallet on concessions like Shane, but it was a job well done! (We're not sure that BREP was aware that Evan is extremely fast on his feet -- to the point where he has already broken freshmen running records at MRHS.)

Schaefer City!

Great to see Fred & Suzanne!

As it was homecoming weekend, our Section 121 crew was visited by Sam-Beth and Chrissy-John, as well as Fred and Suzanne Simon, who were eager to discuss the finer points on bourbon, among other things.

In the end, it was another example of why we deal with the tragedy of Rutgers football...it's more about the friendships and camaraderie.

As most of you are aware, we meet again in two weeks...at Rutgers Stadium for the Maryland game. Fortunately, the Yankee Stadium idea went kaput. We hope to have details shortly on how parking passes and tickets will work out.

Anyway, our game at Michigan kicks off on Saturday at noon.

We meet at the Burk's house for their Halloween party at night; looking forward to it!

A proud Jen after her 4 bag ringers on one turn!

John/Chrissy & Sam/Beth 

The chef snacking on some bacon 

Purdue Tailgate and Roll Call

Nothing says breakfast like a
pound-and-a-half artery blocker

Fresh off our first B1G win of the season, we meet this Saturday morning, say 9 a.m. at Wal-Mart, for pregame festivities ahead of RU's noon kickoff vs. Purdue.

As we skipped the Ohio State food theme to accommodate Festmeister Skurat's outstanding Oktoberfest celebration, my proposal this week is to keep it simple, but gluttonous and tasty at once -- the Thurmanator hamburger -- since Indiana doesn't have real food! (The alternative is Papa John's takeout from one of Payton Manning's franchises.)

If someone has another idea, please pass it along...but NOT late Friday afternoon after everything's been purchased.

I'm offering to pick up all of the burger supplies -- buns, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, banana peppers, bacon, cheddar, onions, ham, mozzarella and cheddar. I have a few minutes to kill between work and picking Shane up at MAST at 645 p.m., so it's no problem.

And it's sorta late notice, as this week -- like all others -- has gotten away quickly.

If we're cool with this theme, maybe one of you can do tots or fries for the side. Dessert and chips welcome too, and let's go BYOB -- alcoholic and N/A -- to keep things simple.

The Hobo crew is Bill, Kaitlyn and her friend Erin this weekend. Kathy was going to join us, but volunteered to drive Shane to Pa. for his first day of competitive "Orienteering."

We'll need a substitute servant this week, so let's see if Evan's ready to answer the call.

Roll call below, please.

Pre Ohio State Tailgate: Oktoberfest 2017!!! High calorie food, heavy beer & sweet liquor to lessen the pain??

Friends:

Festmeister here.  I am looking forward to a treat this Saturday as the Big10 gods have granted us a 730pm kickoff which means optimal tailgate conditions.  The weather is looking iffy, with some potential afternoon rain, in addition with cooler temperatures at night (which is much welcomed in my opinion after miserable sauna like conditions for Morgan State).

Oktoberfest is on the menu for our tailgate, and as Bill mentioned in his blog, I will assume the role as point man. I will handle the majority of the food, so folks can just chip in cash. Here is what I am planning to bring:

-Beer bratwursts, rolls, beer & butter onions, sauerkraut, mustard

-Tray of sauerbraten with option to serve on potato rolls.

-Tray of German spaetzle (potato pasta pan fried in butter) with side of gravy

-German cucumber salad

-Bottles of Jagermeister, Barenjager, Asbach Uralt brandy

-Table, German decorations

If other can divvy up the following (if wanted)

-German potato salad (I can also order from German restaurant)

-Potato pancakes w/sour cream & apple sauce. (I can also order from German restaurant)

-Beer, some German selection would be nice!

-Soft drinks

-Desserts

-Utensils, plates, napkins, etc.

Can't wait to celebrate my favorite time of the year with my good friends!  Prost!!

Chris 

Rutgers, Crab Cakes and Sloppy Joe Poutine -- a Winning Trifecta

"This is probably the hottest 80 degrees I've ever felt" -- John Coulter, Sept. 16, 2017, at some point during Rutgers' first win of the 2017 season.

In a football game that was essentially academic from the get-go, with the Scarlet Knights pummeling FCS-level opponent Morgan State 65-0, the BREP Nation crew withstood unseasonably sweltering conditions and impacted several outcomes on the field.

It was clear that several of Pete's interjections distracted the Bears while on offense, giving the Rutgers defensive unit a clear 12th man from about 80-150 yards away in Section 121. It was a big help for a team that was without the services of nonsequitur kings BREP and Nick.

Meanwhile, BREP-for-the-day Shane and trusty servant BRES Evan executed a new gadget play well, changing their seat locations three times, including from two positions in the upper deck on the same side of the field as Morgan State. Had Evan been mentored to be an Eagles fan, surely he would have hurled some Duracell 9-volts down onto the sideline for added distraction. We're lucky that's not the case since we're a classy bunch and his Dad's more "Up With People" than battery tosser.

Seat-cushion heads, moving seat
locations...all part of getting in the
opposing team's head.

Phone off the
hook w/texts from
the ladies

The afternoon started strongly, with Bill and Chris only 8 minutes late, a marked improvement over their usual tardiness. Fortunately, John's water got shut off and he didn't want to subject the Nation to his profuse sweating after a morning run, so the Tinton Falls tandem weren't the last ones to show. It all worked out well.

Our own spin on the Scarlet Walk...
The BREP Nation Black Lot Walk

The parking lot was rather underutilized, with folks like BREP and the Scotts passing for family-focused reasons, including seeing daughter Alexa reportedly scoring a goal in a Drew women's soccer victory. And as it's not yet Movember 'stache season, we're pretty confident that the other Scott wasn't working on a new highly classy film. 

Trying to stay
entertained in
65-0 demolition

Erica and Andrea totally brought it with the top-secret Sloppy Joe recipe that proved to be a perfect topping for those going with the Baltimore poutine theme over the patented Skurat tots, while Pete came up aces with excellent crabcakes. John's salad and our visitors Terry and Anne's gourmet popcorn were perfect accompaniments. 

There was heavy traffic on the cornhole boards, where Pete and Bill won back-to-back games against the Thurkauf twins, sending them crying for their daddy somewhere else in the black lot. Then the former South Amboyans beat the substitute BREP-BRES team before the youngsters turned the tables and subsequently went on to win several matches, by all accounts.

After wrapping up and heading in with the sort-of-sparse crowd, we had pretty clear sailing into the stadium to watch the demolition and lament the visiting band's seat location way in the upper deck. They were more audible and in sync than the Rutgers band. A shame that a MEAC-school band didn't get the opportunity to perform at halftime on the field.

Tried getting a shot
of Basil before
Terry got in the way

Jenn's killer hat
makes an appearance

Ohio State Tailgate and Tickets

Saturday's a much-needed rest for BREP Nation.

Our first B1G game is on the road vs. Nebraska, coming off a home loss to Northern Illinois, prompting the athletic director to come out in support of the head coach. That's normally not a good sign, so Rutgers certainly can hope to get fortunate against a program that's seen better days. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and can be seen on BTN.

As for our next home game vs. Ohio State, the kickoff's TBD, and we may not find out the game time until next Sunday.

That being said, we're going to flip-flop our tailgate with the one for Purdue.

For Ohio State, Festmeister Skurat requests that the honor of serving BREP Nation his excellent Oktoberfest menu -- brats, sauerbraten, potato pancakes, etc. That would be regardless of game time, since nothing says good morning like processed meats and beer.

That's because he's not going to be with us for the Purdue game on Oct. 21, and so we're thinking of doing the Thurmanator Hamburgers (an Ohio State cuisine) for that tailgate.

Chris will be the point person closer to our next home game, so for food and drink needs he's your man.

BREP Nation's Cornhole bitches

As for tickets and such, I'm figuring it'll be in high demand, so if there are extras let's try to keep them within the group if at all possible. 

In the meantime, enjoy the off-week from tailgating, and be ready to bring it on Sept. 30!

Tailgates Great, Rutgers Football...Not So Much

Our Scarlet Knights may be off to a 0-2 start to the 2017 season, but that hasn't deterred the revelry in BREP Nation and the Black Lot.

Last week's effort was outstanding, as the return of Maize and Blue sandwiches (shop just 7-8 miles from the E. Michigan campus) worked out well, especially with our Gilligan's Island-size nuclear sourdough bread. (We later learned that baked goods that sized are outlawed in 23 states, though people can now carry firearms at the University of Georgia, go figure).

Abnormal Sourdough

Sloppy Joe Poutine

In some tense matches of Cornhole and side-matches in Wash Shoes, the trust BREP Nation author succumbed to the Witkowski men, who saddled him with their friend Glenn, a champion supporter of the Nation but clearly a B-teamer in the Witkowski beanbag-tossing world. Pete saved the day again for Adam on several occasions, according to sources with ties to TMZ.com. 

Adam sucks at
cornhole...again

Otherwise, it was great as always seeing extended members of the Holobowski segment of the Nation, including the twins, their pops Frank, and their brother-in-law, the esteemed XXL Da Jerzy GiANT (and his son). We're hoping they join us again for another tailgate sometime soon.

Morgan State

"Eat whatever we cook at your
own risk." -- E. Burk, one time

This Saturday, Rutgers faces Baltimore-based Morgan State, the Bears...though bears aren't known to be prominent in Charm City as far as we can tell. 

In keeping with the food-of-the-opponent theme, Pete -- the best addition to our tailgate group since its formation, sorry Jennifer -- has offered to make crab-cake appetizers.

Shane is On the Air on WCTC!

The main course will be handled by Eric and Andrea, who are making their famous Sloppy Joe's. 

Biz, Picture Master

Shhh...B-REP's
listening

Interesting, too, in that it fits our food theme. 

In extensive, 15-second Google research we found a place in Baltimore called Fork & Wrench (F&W, also short for our message to Rutgers football... "F'n Win!"). This "boutique dive bar" is known to make (seasonally) Sloppy Joe Poutine -- a fancy way of calling them fries with gravy and meat.

Hipster kids even like RU football

Anyhow, F&W's version includes bacon as well, so to accompany the Burk's meat concoction, I'll pick up some mozzarella and bacon. If Chris graces us with his presence this week, perhaps we'll tab him for tots and we can go crazy w/a new variation of tots loaded with Sloppy Joe, etc. 

Sound good?

We hope to see you there on Saturday, and let's say noon instead of 11 this week. Deal?

Roll call, contribution list, etc. below in the comments field.

Regards,
NJ Horseplayer

Big Euro Red Elvis Servant - BUERES! 

We're Back! (2017-2018 RU Season Kick-Off)

Greetings, once again, and welcome to the 2017-2018 season of Rutgers football! I'm excited and I hope you are too because it's a new season and a fresh start (and hopefully we won't get totally destroyed by Washington on Friday, fingers crossed).

Since it's a new year and the first game, we decided to go with something simple for the tailgate: subs. We will be getting the subs, a table, plates, utensils, and the homemade RU cornhole board, as usual. I am personally making fresh pico de gallo in preparation of the tailgate. Just bring your own drinks or snack and we should be fine.

We will be meeting at 5 o'clock at the WalMart. I'm hoping to see you there and here's to the new RU season!

-BRES

Fun in the Summertime

Courtesy of mine and Chris' friend, Coach Dan, the kids and I got to watch RU's Mike Williams' magic at the inaugural Tinton Falls Summer Hoops Camp.

The benefits of showing up at a high school BOE meeting to encourage the district to allow the program to go forward as planned.

Really nice kid and showed off some NBA 3-point range in a fun contest vs. one of the local coaches -- mentioned Dadika when I said I was RU Class of '91. I hope this encounter breaks the NCAA Tournament hex since I was the last student broadcaster to do an RU men's NCAA game.

We hope everyone's summer is going well and we'll see you on September 1!