For 29 ½ minutes Saturday afternoon, 4,000 Texas fans found themselves asking, “what have we gotten ourselves into”. The Longhorns' trip to the high plains, just east of the front range of the Rocky Mountains, was heralded as the biggest sporting event in the history of the state of Wyoming. Ever since the game was substituted on the UT schedule for Arkansas when the Razorbacks asked to be let out of their meeting this year so they could play the Aggies in Jerryworld, the anticipation in Wyoming had been building. Nestled between the Snowy Range and the Laramie Range, sits the town of Laramie, Wyoming. Laramie is a town of 27,000. And at the center of the town is the University of Wyoming. The interesting thing about Laramie is that at more than 7,200 feet, the vistas surrounding the town generally do not do justice to the majestic Rocky Mountains situated off to the west. And after Texas’s special teams blunders that lead to a 10-6 Wyoming lead before halftime, I found myself wondering if I was really in Laramie, or if I was in stuck in Lubbock in some sort of requiem of a dream. However, as the clock ticked down in the first half, so did Colt McCoy’s composure and my fear of funeration. Colt McCoy led the longhorns to a scoring drive right before the halftime buzzer and the Longhorns never looked back.
The Texas fans that made the trip to Laramie, including myself, enjoyed both a special blend of Laramie’s western hospitality and the comfortable sophistication that comes from the influence of a major university (UW is the only four-year University in the entire state). In every direction you looked you could find a yellow Wyoming Cowboy’s flag, banner, or sign supporting the local team. The streets of “downtown” Laramie were shutdown the night before the game to make room for the crowds that flooded the restaurants, bars, and street vendors. The University of Wyoming marching band even made an appearance on the temporary stage that was erected so a local band could entertain the crowds outside. The pageantry and support of the ‘pokes in Laramie this past weekend had an eerily familiar feel: the event that is Friday Night Lights in State of Texas. Being a fan of the University of Texas, rarely do you get to experience this small town feel on gamedays, where the locals make you feel welcomed with their friendly demeanor and cheap prices. It’s a far cry from that to which has become UT home games. With the grandiosity and commercialization that is now associated with Texas Football, it takes trips like these to remind myself why I love college football, in particular Texas Football.
All in all, the outcome of the trip will probably be a blessing for the team and an event to remember for the fans. What Mack wanted was a challenge, and after only the second game of the season, he has live game action to provide positives, and things that can be fixed. He’s said repeatedly that he wants his team to play for the fun of the game, and to validate what can be each week, rather than be fixated by what might be down the road. There are things in life we all come to expect as constants. The Rockies are still the Rockies, and Texas is still Texas. It is a long season, a long ride and if you want to be there in January you have to take it one-step at a time.
