Our journey began on Friday morning at Main Circle, where we departed for O’Hare International Airport. After a two-hour drive broken up by a gas station snack run, we arrived with time to spare. The group went their separate ways, some doubling down on the snack approach, others seeking out a heartier breakfast. The flight to George Bush Intercontinental Airport was smooth and uninterrupted and even touched down ahead of schedule.
I had been looking forward to this trip not only because of the opportunity to cover Notre Dame football in College Station, but also to see my aunt and uncle. I broke off from the group to join them on a mini tour of Texas, feasting on authentic à la carte-style barbecue, seeing the highlights of Houston and stopping in at the famous Buc-ee's on the way to the hotel. Meanwhile, in Aggieland, the rest of the group decided on chicken for dinner before heading to the A&M campus. We all reconvened outside the student center before heading back to the car, holding out some hope that we would encounter Pat McAfee on the way after seeing the location of his most recent tweet. We unfortunately had no luck.
Next was the long-awaited mini-golf match. The location: PopStroke. Upon arriving, we discovered that many had the same idea. But the impressive venue more than accommodated the large numbers across its two golf courses, multiple bars and assortment of other games from ping-pong to foosball. After a hard-fought contest with some late hole-in-one drama, we were left with a tie at the top. With plans for an early wakeup the following morning, we decided to leave it a tie and call it a night, albeit after a few moments of close consideration. We returned to our modest motel, the Days Inn by Wyndham Bryan, and hit the hay. Modest may have been an overstatement after seeing their breakfast selection, but I digress.
Leaving bright and early at 7:30 CT, we arrived on campus in time for the start of College Gameday. Seeing it start at 8 rather than 9 didn’t feel right. We viewed the spectacle from a variety of angles, getting up close and personal with the cannon before it fired and judging the various fan signs. We also took in the bustling tailgate scene, which stretched across large grassy fields surrounding the stadium and featured some heavy-duty barbecue equipment. Eventually, after a break from the heat in the Memorial Student Center, we made our way back to the set for game picks, cheering on Lee Corso as he strolled out in a leprechaun costume to loud boos from the Aggie faithful. The Gameday legend, now entering his 38th year with the show, was the only one to pick the Irish.
Whataburger was our next stop before returning to the hotel to regroup. At around 3:30, we came back to the stadium, now getting the full gameday experience with the fans in full force. Approaching the entrance, we took in the towering Kyle Field. We then took an elevator to the press box on the eighth floor. We had to overcome some obstacles with the seating arrangements, but eventually settled in. After eating some press box chicken sandwiches and overlooking a Ted Cruz interview about NIL, we spent pregame on the sidelines. The noise right behind us was deafening, as were the spontaneous cannon blasts. The kickoff was our cue to return to the box and get to work covering the game.
We all predicted a close one with late drama, and that’s exactly what the game delivered. Notre Dame kept the 12th Man at bay for most of the game, but when Mo Bamba came on in the fourth quarter, the box started to physically shake. A touchdown at the start of that quarter sent the crowd into a frenzy. A near pick-six on the following drive almost caused an eruption that may have brought the box down. The Irish were resilient in the hostile environment, however. When they got the ball with a little over six minutes remaining and a chance to win the game, we had to get back down to the field. We watched Jeremiyah Love punch in the go-ahead touchdown. Then the four-and-out. Then the dagger, a 46-yard kick from Mitch Jeter to make it 23-13.
As celebrations commenced, we got behind the team as they interlocked arms and sang the alma mater to the traveling Irish faithful. Next was the press conference, before one final return to the box to finish postgame stories. We were politely ushered out at half past midnight, and returned to the hotel around 2 a.m. The four hours of sleep did not kill our good spirits for the flight home, though it did lead to a few naps. The flight was packed with equally relieved and overjoyed Notre Dame fans, a refreshing sight to see.
