YOU NEVER HEAR OR READ

[Orleanian In Exile]

Well, today I took my little five year old and my 82 year old mother to a Jacksonville St. game in Pelham, AL —the first live football game I've been to in a little over twenty years and the first one in an outdoor stadium since Cub Scouts, the first ever game my son's ever been to, and as it turns out, the first big game my mum's ever been to in her life. Perfect weather; sunny and not a cloud in the sky (in fact, I got just a bit broiled in spots), and in a stadium that's still being expanded (work on the new south-side grandstand and skyboxes is still underway, which is why Jax St. have only four home dates at Paul Snow) and for us we sure got lucky in the pick of game to see for such an event: the Gamecocks just crushed UT-Martin 52-7. It started with the Skyhawks first possession to start the game and an intercepted pass run in for a TD. Second one as well —Jax St. were up 14-0 within the first six minutes of the game. UT-Martin get called on a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a fourth down punt which gave Jax St. an automatic first down which gets turned into a third TD. By halftime, the Gamecocks were up 28-0. They come roaring out in the second half with the same steam: on their first down from the kickoff reception, Ryan Perriloux completes for a 52 yd TD pass. The Skyhawks one and only score came in the second half of the third quarter and that got responded to with two more TDs before the Gamecocks were through with them. UT-Martin just got stomped on today. But what a first-time experience of live football for my mum and son!