Saturday, November 7, 2026
The weather gods were with us today providing us with a BEAUTIFUL day for American football!
Yes indeed, it was College
Game Day in Seattle
Isn't that the Huskies starting Left Guard, John Mills, who we met yesterday in the Huskies football dining room?
Yes it is.
Just the fifth meeting all-time
between these two fine institutions
of higher learning
Penn State has won all four of the previous meetings.
We had to get up early today in order to help our hosts, the Johnsons, get ready for another edition of their there famed pre-game tailgate.
I borrowed one of their vehicles in order to make a contribution to their "food bank."
Seattle's top-rated donut emporium
How would they stack up against our #1 ranked Rolling Pin Donuts back home in Camarillo?
For starters, the local octopus
was enthralled by them
I brought home . . .
. . . a dozen of their finest sinkers
I tasted the Apple Fritter, seen at the top left of this box. It was good but not quite up to Rolling Pin's high standards in my opinion.
That being said, their Pumpkin Spice Cream was an excellent Fall alternative.
This week's Donut War standings have been upgraded to #1 Rolling Pin, #2 Top Pot and #3 Randy's.
Feel free to taste for yourself and debate.
As usual, upon returning to the Johnson's home, I found people on the Johnson's back yard watching the boats go down the Montlake Cut.
Small two-man shells and . . .
. . . large passenger boats too
With Jon and Lee Kadletz
Jon was my roommate in college and a friend of Laurie's since their elementary school days.
I was honored to be a groomsman at their wedding over 50 years ago.
Just the beginning of the treats
that people brought to be shared
We opted to leave the Johnson's home a tad early as Julien really needed to take in Washington's great tailgate and, more importantly, unique sailgate scene.
On our walk to Husky Stadium
we saw this killer mushroom
Is this one edible?
LET THE TAILGATING BEGIN!
Julien continued to be amazed to see
Penn State people in their colors
mixing peacefully with the Husky fans
This was something that he says one would never see at a typical big soccer game in Europe.
Husky Pride!
Julien loved this Husky themed bus
We eventually found the sailgate area
To my knowledge, only the University of Tennessee has a similar sailgate experience at their stadium located along the Tennessee River.
We entered the sailgate area only to find . . .
. . . Part II of Husky Pride!
You can't be too young to catch a serious dose of Husky Fever.
Our view of Husky Stadium
from the sailgate docks
It was finally time to enter the stadium and find our seats, Game Time was fast approaching.
Penn State Nittany Lions
4 Wins - 4 Losses
1 Win - 4 Losses in BIG-10 play
at
Washington Huskies
5 Wins - 3 Losses
2 Wins - 3 Losses in BIG-10 play
Today's goal sounded simple
The view from our seats today
Julien was properly attired for
the game thanks to Mark Johnson
There is our man John Mills again
and a Team Captain to boot!
Huskies spell out by the magnificent
UW Marching Band
"The Greatest Setting in College Football"
Homecoming Alumni Lettermen
forming a tunnel to . . .
. . . welcome the DAWGS on to the field!
The early going was competitive
Both teams were feeling each other out
End of the First Quarter
Penn State - 7
Washington - 3
The Second Quarter was all Nittany Lions
Still, we were having lots of fun
Left to Right: Mark Johnson, George Contreras, Julien Urgenti and Susie Johnson
Halftime Score
Penn State - 28
Washington - 6
The combination of Penn State's explosive plays, poor Husky tackling and a non-existent UW passing attack was a recipe for concern.
The Huskies came out strong after the
intermission to make it interesting
End of the Third Quarter
Penn State - 28
Washington - 17
The comeback continued but
our Huskies would fall just short
Final Score
Penn State (5-4, 2-4 BIG-10) - 28
Washington (5-4, 2-4 BIG-10) - 25
Being a Husky fan would be frustrating if it wasn't for the fun of seeing fellow UW suffering cronies on days like this.
Spotted on the Johnson's street
as we walked back home
It all worked out positively for us in terms of the weather as a heavy dose of rain and wind with possble water spouts were predicted to hit us in the evening.
At about 9:30 p.m., we did suffer a blackout, a cosmic message to call it a night for some badly needed sleep.
In news from home . . .
Last night's H.S. Playoff scores
involving Ventura County area teams
Only eight area teams made it to their respective division quarterfinals.
All in al, it was truly another GREAT day for all of us!
On Sunday we will continue Julien's American Football Mania Weekend with one more game, the NFL's NFC West game between the Arizona Cardinals (3-5) and Seattle Seahawks (4-4).
I think that Julien is having an overall wondrous experience, I know that I am.
