Bruins v. Aztecs

The last time I saw San Diego State University play UCLA was at the Honda Center. 

Way back in 2012.

San Diego smoked them and the crowd was beyond jubilant. 

So was I. Jamaal Franklin popped for 28 points, 21 in the second half.

But that was then and this is now and that was basketball and last night was football and the Aztecs got their asses kicked. 

We can go toe to toe with round ball but not with the pigskin. Not even close.

I went to the game with my friend Mick and his son Tim and buddy Mike. 

Great guys. 

I had never visited Snapdragon Stadium before.

Now I am a San Diego native who received my Construction Project Management credential while attending SDSU. 

Both my mom and dad were Bruin graduates and my dad played flanker there during the Bob Waterfield era. 

My mom also attended State. 

So my loyalties are somewhat mixed but last night I was rooting for the Aztecs. 

But the truth is that I like their basketball team a lot better than the football team.

Especially last night's team.

I'm not a big college football honk and think that the last Aztec football game I saw in person was way back in the Whip Walton era, late seventies. 

Just not my thing.

And I loved Rocky Long but don't particularly care for their current coach Brady Hoke, who ran out on the team the first time he was coach. After last night I wish that he would run out again.

They were dreadful. It was like watching the Lombardi Packers facing a J.V. high school team. 

Total domination and Chip Kelly did these quick counts and never took his foot off the pedal.

It was plainly embarrassing.

The Bruins have a huge and incredible defensive line and the Aztecs could not run inside. 

Couple that with a converted safety southpaw at quarterback with an inaccurate arm and it made for a really long night.

They were pitiful.

There was a large contingent of Bruin fans that came down in their dashing blue gear. Generally well behaved but I heard some patronizing and sneering comments towards the Aztecs  and our town typical of Angelenos.

Good luck flying across the country for half your games next year, UCLA.

Regarding the Stadium itself I have several thoughts. 

As an ex builder and architecture student I marvel at how quickly it was built and also how boring and plebeian the design is. 

All right angles and straight lines, not a curved design element in site.

A big rectangular hexagon perched on top of the lower deck. 

To go to all that trouble and financial expenditure and come up with this sort of spartan design is sad. It would have cost no more to create something beautiful. Just takes a little vision. This is an onion, an unforced error in my book.

The other thing was that we were in the second row of our upper section and there were kids right in front of us leaning over a wire wall that was about twelve inches tall. I spent a lot of the game worrying that they were going to tumble over. Seriously. It is going to happen, to a kid or a drunk person, no question.

The young coed girls seem to come more scantily clad than at the basketball games. No complaints here.

Other than that not much to say. Good ventilation and trolley access. No wifi signal. Navy jet flyover was cool. Good bratwurst. Bad electronics that garbled the referee's penalty calls.

Which were numerous and all favored the Bruins.

Can't wait for basketball season.