Though no one in Husker nation will soon forget the infamous 1 second that cost us a trip to the Fiesta Bowl this year (and the opportunity for us to do a bowl game at home), we were happy that the alternative was the Holiday Bowl. Although Brian and I were together all but the first 2 months or so of college, he never came to a bowl game (looking back, we have no idea why we didn't remedy that during college). Given some of the "dark Callahan" years, there haven't really been any nearby Nebraska bowl games since we left college. So, we were excited at this opportunity for Brian to finally experience a bowl game and for us to have an "excuse" for a little San Diego getaway.
This bowl situation was even a little more fun we were matched up against the University of Arizona--a rematch of my first bowl game as a Husker (one that sadly, we came up 3 points short). Having been here since we graduated & both attending grad school there, we know many people who are big Wildcat fans. And, many of my students are Wildcat fans, or were at least quick to tell me how Nebraska didn't have a chance to win! Thus, the past few weeks have been filled with little jabs, a bit of trash-talking, and many mentions of our beloved Suh! :)
We then thought we were hallucinating when we said the stadium smelled like Runzas, but were so very excited when we found out where the smell was coming from! How fun to get to eat Runzas at a bowl game in San Diego! :) 
So, Monday night, after a week of family events & Christmas festivities, we set off with Grammy & Grampy for two days in San Diego. We had plans to attend some of the various bowl game events, but sadly found out over the weekend that the marching band would not be making the trip (that topic & the emails I sent to the "powers that be" at the University could be its own blog post, but I will save you from that. For those of you who didn't get the joy of hearing me rant about that or seeing the tears stream down my face (of which I blame part of on my crazy hormones because I cry REALLY easily right now) at the game as I watched the Lincoln Southeast Band take the field in place of who I should have been watching, I bet you can imagine my sentiments on that topic!)
So, on Tuesday we ventured over to the San Diego Zoo, which is always a fun place to be. Andrew was very excited to be at the zoo and it was fun for us as he made requests for which animals he would like to go see. One new favorite is the "big lizard"--better known as the Komodo Dragon. Different from when we saw one sleeping at the Phoenix Zoo, this guy was very much awake--and gave Andrew a little fright at first! But, he ended up being a highlight of the day!
We picked a great day to go to the zoo. There were lots of Husker fans and most of the animals were really active! We also ended up seeing more of the zoo than we normally do in the summer--I think everyone had a bit more energy! Andrew sure did--he wanted to walk everywhere until we put him in the stroller after lunch.
Here are a few of our favorites animal sightings:
Although Andrew missed a few of the "biggies" while he was taking a great nap in his stroller, he was able to get in a little petting zoo & ride time when he woke up. Plus, he got some new animals to play with that he has been enjoying immensely.
After a full day at the zoo, we headed over to Sea Port Village for dinner--another one of our favorite San Diego locations. Nothing beats a piping hot clam chowder bread bowl while watching the lights sparkle on the water! We walked around by the water a little to look at boats, ran in to many Husker fans--even found a Nebraska flag my dad bought, and of course, had to ride the "merry go round".
The next day, my sister flew in and we opted not to go to the parade sans band. Instead, we headed over to La Jolla, got some sandwiches & had a little picnic. Not only is the area beautiful, but one of the best for seeing some native wildlife. Andrew was SOooo excited to see the seals! And, there were certainly a lot of them enjoying a relaxing day at the beach. He also had a great time chasing the birds!
After our little morning excursion, it was finally "game time". With rain in the forecast & a chill in the air, we packed up all our Husker gear & headed for the trolley stop to take us to the "Q". The trolleys were full & the parking lot packed as we arrived. It was misting & everyone was full of anticipation! Apparently my dad's flag cape caught the eye of some, as his picture (with the rest of us scattered around him) appeared in the Husker fans in San Diego photo showcase on the Omaha World Herald site.
Our seats were great--especially because we were sheltered a bit from the rain. And, although Emily's seat was "exposed" to the elements, she was in a very fun section and sat just 4 rows behind Suh's family! We were there in plenty of time for all the pregame festivities, which were not the same at all without the band. But, Southeast did do a VERY good job considering the size of their band & their limited time to prepare. We were excited to see them form an "N" and play both "March of the Cornhusker" & "Hail Varsity".
The absence of the band and a man named "Suh" were definitely all the buzz amidst the people around us before the game started. We were all a little nervous, not wanting to see an outcome like the '98 Holiday Bowl. As the team entered the stadium, we couldn't help but be excited & anxious. The chants of "Suuuuuhhhhhhhh!" seemed louder than ever!
Then, the game started, and we scored in 75 seconds (even though we didn't start with the ball). And, then the game was over! We didn't want to get ahead of ourselves or get too confident too soon. But, it was clear by half-time that it would take a miracle for the Wildcats to get back into the game. That miracle never came--and we sealed the deal before the 3rd quarter was even over.
The rest of the game was actually rather boring, as Pelini wasn't about to "run up the score" on his Stoops friends. It only got exciting one last time at the end of the 4th, as we need a BIG stop to keep the giant goose-egg on the board. And, keep it we did!
Sweet revenge! :) And, a sweet Husker statement! As neutral Chargers fans commented around us, it was "total domination"--in every aspect of the game. Not only did we shut them out (a first in Nebraska bowl history, Big 12 bowl history, and Holiday Bowl history), but we held them to the fewest yards & the fewest first downs in Holiday Bowl history. Priceless! Some of the comments in the media have been priceless as well--one writer suggesting that the Wildcats wished Nebraska would have sent a high school football team instead of the high school band and another talking of Arizona's experience in the "Hell-iday" bowl! :)
We stayed around for the post-game ceremonies, where Bo proudly exclaimed the we are back!
And, if next year looks anything like this game, I'd say I whole-heartedly agree! :) All 30,000ish of us proud Husker fans then headed out (& waited for an hour to get on the trolley). But, it was all the more fun, as basically every Wildcat fan had left the stadium long before! :) With the exception of the band not being there, this bowl experience gets an very enthusiastic "thumbs up". And, I can't tell you how excited I am to proudly wear my Holiday Bowl Nebraska shirt to school on Monday to just rub it in a little more! ;)
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