Football Mania in Reno

The game was hyped well in advance of the kickoff and fan interest was at a fever pitch. UN Reno's Wolfpack, ranked #19, were playing unbeaten, untied Boise State, their near neighbor to the north. No team has been able to play with Boise State and pundits made UNR a 14 point underdog, perhaps being generous with that figure. It was billed as the most important football game ever played in the State of Nevada. Heard on local radio talk shows recently, UNR's coach praised his players and the whole team for impressive results throughout the season. He stated without reservation, this is the best team he has ever put together. Starting with his quarterback, Krepenich, he lauded the work ethic of his players. He gracefully acknowledged the strengths of Boise St. and admitted the undefeated run of 24 games was impressive. But, his team was well prepared and had a game plan to counter the efforts of their northern rivals.
And so, with field temps near freezing, and a packed house, the Wolfpack began the game with high hopes. The local fans who attended and those who watched on TV were in for an emotional rollercoaster of a ride as the hands of Fate and Lady Luck passed from one shoulder to the next, creating euphoria and depression and despair, within moments of one another.
As in any hotly contested game, it's the unlikely event(s) that create the drama: the wrong way bounce of a ball, the slip and fall of a runner, the last second tip of a pass. In this game, filled with a surplus of such events, the fans could hardly hold their breathe much more. The final minutes lasted forever, and for UN Reno, just long enough. When the Wolves tied the score with a touchdown pass reception with barely a minute remaining, it appeared overtime was the next phase of the contest. However, Boise QB McKellon, launched a missile to the fleet-footed Titus what's his name that he caught on the 9-yd line. In came the kicker to ice the game and preserve the winstreak and keep Boise St. in the running for the BCS Nat Championship game. With a perfect position between the goalposts, he shanked his 26yd kick just right of the post.
Now, Reno had a prayer, another chance for a win.
In college ball, each team has a chance, starting at the opponents 25yd line. Boise got close and lined up for the field goal. The kicker returned with a shot at redemption. With another perfect lineup, he overcompensated for his earlier effort and shanked the ball wide left. The fans went wild.
Now the Wolfpack saw daylight at the end of this long and torturous path: get close enough for the kicker. Tony Hernandez came in and put the ball through the middle of the uprights. What a finish! A game for the millenium. Happiness bordering on delerium brought the fans to the field to embrace their gladiators who withstood the challenge and rose to the occasion. A win for Reno and its citizens. Finally, something to cheer about. Something to ward off the malaise of recession and economic uncertainty. Something to lift the spirits of locals worried about the future and their ability to survive. Now anything and everything is possible, again.
What a game.