Final Tailgate of the 2022 Season

Good day, campers!

After a scaled back (8-9 people) but fulfilling tailgate for the Michigan game on Breeders Cup Saturday (yours truly had a positive ROI for the 2-day wagering event, BTW), we return Saturday, Nov. 19 for the home finale as 20-point underdogs to State Penn.

Sample of Maize and
Blue deli sandwiches, an
Ann Arbor, MI staple

Not sure that's enough points, but at least the meteorologists promise a dry and crisp low-40s with 10-20 mph winds for a game kicking off at 3:30 p.m., so nothing we haven't withstood before weather-wise.

Let's start our season-ending tailgate at noon. 

In an earlier text chain I floated the notion of smoking a turkey as our core food item, with Andrea and Pete chiming in with side dish offerings; if we have more people than vs. Michigan we could use a few more.

Please use comments for Saturday's roll call so we can think about head count and confirm what everyone's bringing.

I'll be solo (Kathy a scheduling conflict but figure Kaitlyn may show at our spot) and gave my second ticket to a friend, who I'd say is 50-50 to join our tailgate. 

In the meantime, here are a few photos from our day with Michigan. Scaled-back group but a really relaxing and warm atmosphere with great discussion. 

A B1G Home W-IN!

The Scarlet Knights finally came through with a B1G home win vs. Indiana, beating the Hoosiers 24-17 on a picturesque homecoming that provided the backdrop for yet another great BREP Nation tailgate!

Dave, Tom solve RU's
scoring problems

It's impolite to point

Eavesdropping on the
ladies' conversation

It was a beautiful autumn morning that started out in the high 40s but quickly warmed as the day progressed. The menu was solid enough, with a normal breakfast fare of scrambled eggs, homefries, pork roll, bacon, bagels, pastries, Kentucky and New Hampshire bourbon and Natty Bo. The turnout was favorable too; just a great bunch of folks to make an autumn Saturday all the better.

On the boards, the highlight was perhaps Kathy's 3 bullseyes in her and the author's double-digit thrashing of the Eric-Pete duo. 

RU 1-0 when this
crew visits Dana's brick

As generous as our buffet was the group inheriting a seat two rows in front of us from a fan who left Section 121 early. Between that and the gift of a Rutgers home win, an early Thanksgiving blessing!

Banner October day for Scarlet Knights football

Rutgers is at Minnesota next week, with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. It's a huge game for the 4-3 Knights, who are still very much alive for a .500 season and bowl bid. Of course a Nebraska win would have made that road a lot less rocky, but beating the Gophers, also 4-3 overall and 1-3 in conference, puts us in a good position with four games to go. 

Our next home game is Saturday, Nov. 5 vs. Michigan, kickoff at 7:30 p.m. (Some vintage Ann Arbor trip pics below).

Kickoff is TBD but it's not too early to discuss tailgate menu options. A few tailgates ago vs. the Wolverines we crafted sandwiches from the Maize and Blue Deli in Ann Arbor, MI, which were a big hit and fairly easy (mostly cold cuts and home made cole slaw with toppings). We could revisit those or go elsewhere (e.g. Oktoberfest menu, Jim's Blimpie burgers), so let's get the chatter going.   

It's all the more exciting to think about off a win!

RU IN? Saturday, Oct. 22, Noon

You can't spell R-U-I-N without Rutgers and Indiana. 

The loser of this game is looking at an even more ruined season, with Rutgers having 2 weeks to stew over a miserable loss to Nebraska and still trying to get its first B1G home win since 2017 and firmly in the cellar of the East division at 0-3.

Remember to wear red

Yet our Scarlet Knights could turn the tables with a homecoming win this Saturday at noon vs. Indiana, which has lost 3 in a row and is 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the B1G. 

It's likely that fans of both teams, especially Indiana's, are looking forward to men's basketball season.

Yet we still have 6 games left to make something happen On The Banks.

R U IN for this Saturday's tailgate, around 845-9 a.m. in the usual spot? 

Let's do a roll call in the comments and thoughts on cuisine. 

The early kickoff makes breakfast the logical choice but it's a democracy.

Forecast looks stellar: sunny and high of 68 (probably chilly morning).

Amazing Tailgate, Inept and Vanilla Rutgers Football Offense Again

Yesterday presented another shining example of maybe why we should just buy parking passes and a few TVs to watch the game until it gets non-competitive instead spending 3+ hours in O'Shi*! Stadium watching a team that still lacks a quarterback, downfield threat(s) and creativity.

The setting early
autumn sun shines
over BREP Nation

BREP-Nation rocked the tailgate, with a great turnout on a beautiful early autumn afternoon in Piscataway. The crew turned out in full force with two-dozen plus people and had such a bountiful feast that we took in a few new acquaintances to help clear our table. Really what our tailgating efforts are about!

It's just a wonderful group of people with great stories to tell, lots of laughs and the kind of folks you want to spend time with on a glorious day. 

The tailgate buffet was tremendous, featuring Maid Rites, steak de burgo, corn on the cob with an incredibly boujee garnish of butter, spices and fresh parmesan, potato and orzo salads, Berger cookies and Iowa puppy chow. Props, too, on the libations of Heady Topper, Miller Lite and an assortment of season IPAs and porters. I forgot to grab a Topper, so Pete keep one aside if any left toward IU.

BREP & Co. + back of
Eric's head

The atmosphere inside O'Shi*! was crazy to start, largely due to the presence of stadium director B-REP, with Rutgers driving to the Iowa 6 before settling for a field goal and 3-point lead. From there you could tell it'd be a defensive struggle; more like two teams with offenses that really struggle and where field position and ball possession would be key.

Of course Rutgers O'Shi*'!'d the bed and gave away two touchdowns -- one on a pick 6 and another on a fumble return. I think that's what Coach Schiano was referring to in his usually vague postgame talk. 

Once Iowa got up by 2 scores it was clear we'd lose. Rutgers could have played another 60 minutes and not gotten enough points to go ahead in what was a 27-10 loss.

We'll have to wait until Nebraska on Friday, Oct. 7 for that potential first home B1G win since 2017; a really sad thought when you think about the dedicated fan base that came out in support of a 3-0 team that's unfortunately still got a LONG way to go to credibility.

Speaking of Nebraska, the Hobos (UMD Parents Weekend) and Tom will miss the game. As I'll be taking the tailgate tools to College Park, please make alternative arrangements for those items. 

Everyone have a good week and cover your eyes for the upcoming game in Columbus. We'll see you on the other side of 3-2 heading into the Nebraska tilt.

Full plates of Iowa's finest dishes

Steak de Burgo (beef + 3 sticks
of butter and a head of garlic)

Pete digging in, loading up on
beef, butter and excessive garlic
pre-Puppy Chow dessert

R-L: NY Strip w/Burgo sauce,
salads, corn on cob w/boujee sauce,
Maid-Rites/Loose Meat

It was time to scrub in for cooking purposes

Andrea, seen here with a KOSH template
for her Queen of Roselle Park biz cards:
- Historical Preservationst, Halloween
Party Champion, Undamaged Goods

Guys who miss "Stan"

John and Low-Res BRES

Bill with rare tailgate sightings
Kathy and Carol (the 3rd
was a Rutgers win)

Iowa Is Maid-Rite For A Rutgers Victory

Someone was certainly eager for Iowa, at least a few days before Rutgers squeaked by Temple in a game that produced 763 texts about how bad a 3-0 football team we've got.

After a long day as pretentious d-bag (as he coined it at the Wagner tailgate, for not wanting to be refered as "Doc" 24/7) last Wednesday, our beloved warmer and fuzzier Dr. J struck gold with an idea he texted my way to do Maid-Rite sandwiches for the upcoming Iowa tailgate. If you have 65 seconds, this in-depth Quad-City Times expose details the rich history of Iowa's staple cuisine.

Dana seen here pretending
to know about medicine or
researching Iowa food

I was taken aback at first when a very fit physician's suggestion was to eat "loose meat," but it's basically a sloppy joe variant, and Eric offered to bring a batch this Saturday if folks are up for it. We know from past experience Big E's recipe (maybe stolen from Andrea) is top-notch.

On the opposite end of the spectrum (not to be confused with RU superfan "Spectrum"), Dana also suggested Steak de Burgo. Basically filet mignon or roast beef tenderloin slathered in minced garlic, butter and herbs. Very easy for grilling.

Let's get the chatter going about Saturday's menu. If people prefer to go in a different direction, offer a suggestion. Otherwise, the beef-oriented menu suggested by Dana sounds like a winner. I'm happy to procure and prep/grill the steaks but if someone else wants to that's cool too. 

Figure some kind of potato dish, corn on the cob and salad would be good on the side but, again, not entirely my show so speak up and state in the chat what you'd like to contribute as Rutgers apparently seeks its first B1G home win since 2017. Dana found this site with 11 iconic Iowa foods. Go figure.

And oh, by the way, with 7 p.m. kickoff let's decide on a time; maybe 3:30 p.m.?

Long-range outlook is favorable; 71 high during the afternoon, cooling as low as 51 degrees at night. Great football weather! 

What NJ Needs. More Staten Islanders.

You guessed it! 

Time to kickstart the sarcasm and needling with the 2022 Scarlet Knights football season quickly upon us, and there's no better time to be a Rutgers fan than after a 1-0 start and nailbiting 22-21 win on Saturday at traitorous Boston College! 

Jack Wagner:
Extremely lucky
(even if just pretend) 

Lindsay Wagner:
Seahawks may need
bionic powers vs. RU

This Saturday, kickoff at 4 p.m., the Seahawks of Wagner College -- Seagulls might have been more appropriate when the Arthur Kill landfill was still in operation but now Staten Island is a greener pasture these days -- invade Piscataway in hopes of a major upset after losing its opener to Fordham on Thursday. 

As always, let's use the comments section to debate culinary choices and who's bringing what to our first tailgate of the new season. 

In keeping with past attempts to align cuisine with the best food choices surrounding the university grounds of our opponent, the only thing that closely comes to mind here is an Italian buffet -- eggplant parmesan, chicken parm, antipasto, gabagool, etc. 

Robert Wagner:
Dr. Evil's righthand man

Billy Wagner:
Likely blowing a save

Those of my neighbors from SI will go to the mat that NJ has some good places but is lacking in quality relative to what can be had on the other side of the Outerbridge. 

If that doesn't work for folks (e.g. prep a dish in advance, heat and warm on the grill or sternos), we could do cheesesteaks, burgers, dogs or the more routine fare. Whatever people want.

Regarding meeting time, let's say ~12:30 p.m. in the Black lot? (Weather looks favorable.)

As there no longer a need to congregate at Wal-Mart, since everyone's on their own regarding tickets and parking passes, whomever's there first let's try to park where we often did last year -- back rows toward the student center. 

Finally, we're using this space to reflect upon some of the most historically significant Wagners, since the college wasn't named after its founder, Pastor Frederic Sutter. 

Rather, per its website, "John G. Wagner gave $12,000 to the school so that it could purchase a new campus, the grateful board of trustees renamed the school in memory of their benefactor’s son, George Wagner, who had died before realizing his own ambition to become a minister."

There's your history lesson. (And poor Mr. Rowan had to pay $500 million to get a school in his name. Now THAT is inflation!)