Locals prepare for college football season opener
The LSU Tigers will be on the road to Texas this weekend for their first game of the season.
The No.12 Tigers will face-off against the No. 20 Horned Frogs from TCU in a Week 1 matchup Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium. Local Tigers fan Scott Wolf will be among the crowd of purple and gold fans cheering them on to, what he hopes is, a victory in Arlington.
Wolf, a fan since junior high, said he’s looking forward to seeing the team play in the new Cowboys stadium and experiencing everything the season has to offer.
“There’s an excitement when the fans are really into the game and even building up to the kickoff,” he said. “LSU fans have a special camaraderie and they are very dedicated to their team and every aspect of the game. There’s something special about fans inviting you over to tailgate and eat their food. It’s a neat experience.”
The Tigers finished the 2012 season with an overall 10 – 3 record (6 – 2 in conference play), ending with a one point loss against Clemson in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl last December. LSU has a 5-2-1 all-time record against the Horned Frogs, but the teams haven’t played each other on the football field in more than 40 years.
The Tigers, however, will have quite a cheering section for them this weekend’s Top 25 matchup. Fans are known to rock Tiger Stadium, also known as “Death Valley,” and have the loudest crowd in college football for a reason – they are loud, proud and not afraid to show it.
Wolf said there’s nothing that compares to watching the Tigers play in Baton Rouge on a Saturday night.
“I’ve been to games at other stadiums and even NFL games before and there’s nothing like it,” Wolf said. “I like to cheer, holler and really get into it. That’s something you miss out on if you’re sitting at home watching the game.”
LSU has quite a season ahead with a challenging schedule, including road matchups against Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Georgia and Alabama as well as home games against Florida and Texas A&M. Wolf said he’s excited about the season and ready to cheer on the Tigers through it all – win, lose or tie.
“Expectation levels are still high even though they aren’t ranked as high,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how they play from the very beginning against a quality team like TCU.”
