Saturday was the first time I have ever experienced a field-rush firsthand.
I've rushed the court once in high school after our basketball team won homecoming in triple overtime, but rushing with 40 other students isn't the same as rushing with 60,000 like they did last night at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Although I was covering the game and was standing on the Gallagher-Iba patio to watch the madness ensue before finding my way down to the field, I must say that it was as cool as I've always thought it to be.
That being said, my prayers and thoughts are with my fellow students who were injured during the process. This type of thing is about celebration, and it upsets me that last night was probably the best night in those students recent lives up until they were unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It's always been a dream of mine to be playing in a game that big and to have the crowd rush onto me like the student section, and eventually the entire stadium, did last night.
It was awesome. My hands were shaking, partly due to it being 35 degrees outside, but also because the adrenaline to blood ratio was about 2:1 in my veins.
So, without further delay, I present to you the 5 best field rushes in recent history, being the last 3-5 years.
Criteria: I'm basing these rankings off of a few things.
#1: How fast the field was filled and how heavy the stream of students was coming out of the stands
#2: How fast the goal posts came down, if they came down
#3: How much the field was filled overall.
Number 5: Texas A&M upsets #8 Nebraska -- 2010
I loved this one. A&M was on a historic run in 2010 to lock up a share of the Big 12 south division and made a huge statement against Nebraska. The cool thing about this field rush is that at Kyle Field, only 1/3 of the students are on the field level. The other 2/3 are either a deck or two up, so the initial rush is the lower level, then in the extended versions, there are two more huge rushes that hit from the next two decks. Great effort, but not good enough to get any higher than 5.
Number 4: Wisconsin upsets #1 Ohio State -- 2010
Ohio State had just received it's #1 ranking after a loss at the top the week before, but they had to go to Wisconsin to defend it. Then it all went sour. My favorite part? Listen to the PA Announcer. "Students, PLEASE stay back!" "Students, PLEASE get off the goal posts." Shutup and let the kids have some fun man.
Number 3: Iowa State upsets #2 Oklahoma State -- 2011
This one hurts, but I had to put it up. They filled the field quickly. Didn't go after goal posts though... Why?
Number 2: Oklahoma State over Oklahoma, wins first Big 12 Championship in school history -- 2011
Finally a win. After 8 long years the Pokes got the big Bedlam W. The students attacked the field, given the 8 foot wall they had to drop down to get to it, and took out BOTH of the goal posts. Awesome. Also, notice how the PA announcer keeps celebrating instead of yelling at the students. We're adults, okay!?
Another cool video that went up on the O'Colly website after I posted this of the field rush.
Number 1: Texas Tech upsets #1 Texas -- 2008
Nothing will ever beat this field rush. Ever. Mike Crabtree grabbed a comeback on the sideline, then slipped past a defender and tip toed into the endzone. Tech students rushed with 1 second left, so half of the stadium, which was at capacity, was already on the sidelines. All they had to do was run to midfield. The greatest field rush in the history of college football. Period.
See 8:05 if you don't want to watch the game highlights.
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