Ready, Set, Blog Live from Rutgers

I don't have to tell Navy fans how big of a game this is for the Mids tonight, but I will anyway. A win over the Scarlet Knights would be as big as any in the past 20 years. That's why I made the 200 mile trek to my old stomping grounds in New Jersey to blog live from the press box. Be sure to check the forum for real-time postings and this story for the entire blog. UPDATED: 10:14 p.m.

5:00     Arrived in Green Lot outside Rutgers Stadium

5:12     Had my bag checked by a campus police officer who may have been 16-years old

5:20     Arrived in the Press Box and there was a line for food

5:22     Find my seat…feel like I am at Fenway Park because I have an obstructed view

5:33     Breaking News: Matt Nechak will be starting at OLB in place of Matt Humiston

5:40     Dinner: Hot dog (good), Pasta (very good) and a cookie or 3 (not shabby)

5:44     Notice a banner in stadium: ESPN…Welcome to the Scarlet Chop Shop

5:50     Forgot to mention that I met Joy and Will who do video for Navy football.  They are third class midshipmen.  One of them knew about GoMids.com, one didn’t.

5:51     I would have been o.k., for this once, if Will would have told a white lie…

5:52     Stadium reminds me of Papa John’s stadium in Louisville…lots of red

5:59     Rutgers fans are chanting already…it’s gonna get loud here

6:03     Still have not heard Bon Jovi music on the speaker system…shocking.

6:08     D&B has arrived…now Rutgers students only outnumber Mids by about 6,000 to about 50 – we can take them!

6:10     Rutgers has about 400 cheerleaders…ok, not that many, but at least 60.  Navy has 14 – we can take them!

6:11     Just saw our mascot, Bill the Goat…no kidding, he is laying on the ground studying!  Shouldn’t he be taunting Ray Rice?

6:14     4 Mids are spotted!  They are walking towards the visiting students.

6:16     Just met Ron Synder of the Baltimore Examiner…cool.

6:18     MEDIA ACCESS UPDATE: Temple, check; Rutgers, check; Army – nope.  They still don’t recognize GoMids.com as media.  Do I sound bitter?

6:24     CORRECTION: Those 4 Mids in uniform were officers…sorry.

6:30     No sign of Bill Wagner yet

6:31     Did I mention I was from New Jersey…guess the town and you win a congrats from me.

6:32     Bill Wagner has arrived!  Let the game begin!  He said “hi” to me.  I can die now.

6:32.30  Speaking of dying…no Tony Soprano sightings yet. James Gandolfini did go to Rutgers.  Funny before last year he probably NEVER said that in public.

6:35     25 minutes to kick-off and I’m not as nervous as during Temple pre-game

6:41     Rutgers mascot is riding a horse.  What if the real Bill the Goat was here?  Would they mess it up on the sidelines?  Speaking of mess, if the horse needs to do #2…nevermind.

6:45     Rutgers PA is announcing starting line-ups.  Crap, Ray Rice is playing.

6:46     Press Box announcer welcomes media to the press box.  He tells us we are not allowed to cheer, or we will be removed.  Folks, you know the drill…I’ll cheer right here thank you.

6:48     Weather conditions: 83 degrees with a touch of New Jersey humidity

6:50     National Anthem: Rutgers scoreboard scrolls names of Rutgers alumni killed on 9/11 – very nice touch

6:52     Fly-over!  It was a huey…Chris Swezey thinks it was a traffic copter.

6:59     Navy football takes the field!  I HEART NAVY FOOTBALL!!!!

6:59.30 Rutgers fans are booing us…huh?

7:00     We lost the toss!  Not a good sign.  Rutgers will receive.

7:01     Good crowd…not full…but close which is amazing considering NJ traffic

7:02     Did I mention I have an obstructed view?  That may come into play later in this blog

7:02     90% of stadium is standing for kick-off: NOTE TO SELF: Tell Navy fans to stand before kick-off next week.  I know…but I can dream, right?

7:04     Rutgers gets the ball on the 25 yard line

7:05     Pass to Underwood…first rut ro of the night.

7:06     Run by Rice…second rut ro of the night.

7:07     Paul Johnson is upset at somebody already…not sure who.

7:08     We are taking the penalty?  Head scratcher…

7:09     Paul Johnson is smarter than me.

7:10     Pooch punt…PJ is really mad…penalty on Rutgers…re-kick!

7:12     QB sneak…nope…option…not sure about that call.

7:13     First down…Paul Johnson is still smarter than me.  Go figure.

7:15     Delay of Game – very unNavy.

7:17     Reggie dropped the ball – veryunReggie.

7:20     Offense just got a sideline chat from Coach Johnson.  Can you say spit bubbles?

7:21     This place is packed.  Maybe 250 Navy fans…maybe not.

7:23     I just said, “You’ve got to be kidding me” out loud after 30 yard pass play.

7:24     Touchdown Rutgers…Rutgers 7, Navy 0.  Jeff Deliz hobbled off.

7:25     If we don’t start making plays on defense, I’m going to start blogging NJ trivia.

7:27     INJURY UPDATE: Jeff Deliz is taking ice to his leg…refused crutches.  Not sure if that is good or bad.

7:28     Half of Rutgers team was off-sides on the kick-off…most of press box said so.  NO call though.

7:29     Kettani in at fullback…NOTE TO SELF: Ask Coach Johnson about that.

7:30     Paul Johnson is still not happy.  Was it my article about his family?

7:34     That’s another Navy first down!  Ok, by penalty, but we’ll take it.

7:37     Penalty on Reggie…I don’t get it.

7:38     Interception…did you know NJ has the most diners of any state in the U.S.?

7:40     Touchdown, Rutgers 14, Navy 0.  Sovie was hurt on a previous play…in lots of pain on bench.  Could this be ANY worse?

7:45     Ok, we are moving the ball…Bill Wagner, “Fullback controversy.”

7:47     Deliz out for the game; Sovie at least for the half

7:48     Press Box consensus: Go for it on 4^th down…only shot we got.

7:49     One of these days we need to run out of that pyramid thing

7:50     Lots of substitutions on the offensive line for Navy

7:51     That’s a new play…fake sweep, option right…closed up in a hurry

7:52     TOUCHDOWN NAVY!  Rutgers 14, Navy 7.

7:57     End of 1^st Quarter: Rutgers 14, Navy 7.  I’m getting a cookie.

8:01     Cookie didn’t make it back to my seat.

8:02     Rutgers fans are doing the wave

8:02     AWFUL CALL….that is ridiculous…press box agrees…there was no pass interference.

8:05     Nate Frazier is tired…

8:06     NJ is the largest chemical producing state in the nation.

8:08     Need a little bend but don’t break.

8:09     Navy is taking the 2^nd holding penalty…I’m scratching my nearly bald head again.  Lark is in the game.  Lark made the tackle.

8:10     I predicted screen pass to Rice…Swezey (Wash. Post) can attest to it.

8:11     Field Goal Rutgers…Rutgers 17, Navy 7.  Could be worse…

8:15     Foster of Rutgers is going to play at the next level…yeah I know not breaking news.

8:18     Rutgers press grumbling after roughing the kicker call…whatever.

8:19     Pass on 3^rd and short…nice.

8:21     Navy may have more penalty yards than actual yards

8:24     Interception – NJ has the most shopping malls in one area in the world with seven major ones in a 25 square mile radius.

8:26     Paul Johnson is having a drink of something.  He just tossed it on the ground.  Wait, but he threw the cup towards the garbage.  A perfect pass!

8:34     Rutgers is moving the ball at will…so on that note…Did you know NJ has the tallest water tower in the world?

8:36     Touchdown Rutgers…Rutgers 24, Navy 7.  First TD receiving for Rice.

8:36.30 This is going to be one of those press conferences when Coach Johnson says if we don’t throw a pick here, if we don’t miss every tackle there, if, if, if…we still get beat, but maybe it doesn’t look so bad.

8:38     With 34 seconds to play in the half, can we bring in Ben Fay?

8:39     Our offensive line is getting…um…outplayed a bit.

8:50     Passed Adm. Fowler in the press box.  I decided to duck into the bathroom since it was my time to go (there was a line).

8:53     Saw John Feinstein…but I decided to duck into my seat since…um…I felt weird introducing myself.  Maybe I’ll go back and say “hi.”

8:56     I have learned in my short time as a credentialed member of the media that if the press corps is writing their stories at halftime that usually means the game is somewhat over.  Lots of stories being written as I write this.

9:01     43,514 – 3^rd largest in Rutgers history…3^rd sellout in a row…first time that has happened at Rutgers.

9:03     Second half is underway…Navy gets the ball on 33 yard line.

9:07     We’re moving the ball again…

9:08     Need some red zone offense…

9:09     Predicting the Kaipo sneak…Ron Snyder (Balt. Examiner can attest) TD NAVY…Rutgers 24, Navy 14.  Dead silence in Piscataway, New Jersey.

9:09.10 But can we stop Rutgers?

9:11     That interception looms very large right now.  Ok, I stole that line from a colleague.  But he’s writing his story and not reading this, so he will never know.

9:12     Bad feeling about the kick-off…I announce to the press box.

9:13     I’m an idiot…I’ll keep my mouth shut.

9:14     1,444 words in the blog and I’m going strong…Ray Rice strong.  Yikes.

9:15     I just yelled “THERE WE GO” after the INT.  I may get kicked out.  Folks, fight for me!!!

9:17     I see a Rutgers press box guy looking at me…I’m staring him down.  This could get ugly...should I tell him I spent 4 weeks in Quantico after my plebe year?

9:19     WHY KAIPO????? WHY???????????????????????????????

9:20     Ray Rice always cuts back to his left.  I’m ready to go in on defense.  Put Ausiello in!  Let’s get a chant going.

9:21     Parsippany, New Jersey has been named Tree City USA for 24 consecutive years.

9:27     Kettani leads Navy in rushing with 48 yards…geesh.

9:30     FG Rutgers, Rutgers 27, Navy 3INTs…

9:32     Without the INTs…Rutgers 24, Navy 20…can we keep score that way?

9:36     Navy is driving again…

9:38     END OF 3^rd QUARTER: Rutgers 27, Navy 14.

9:39     Prediction: You are going to see Rutgers tighten up big time on Defense.  PJ must get creative…

9:48     FG Navy, Rutgers 27, Navy 17…good drive.

9:50     How about an onsides kick?

9:51     Ok, maybe not.

9:54     We need to pressure the quarterback or…

9:55     TD Rutgers…Did you know, New Jersey has 108 toxic waste dumps which is the most in any one state in the nation.  Rutgers 34, Navy 17.

9:58     Consensus in the press box….Navy is playing better this week…defense still a bit shaky…but look at the talent level we are playing against.

10:00   New Jersey’s state motto is liberty and prosperity.