The first home football game Sept. 13 boasted one of the largest turnouts for tailgating, but many Mustang football fans said they got even more excited for the Lone Star Conference Football Festival game at AT&T Stadium last Saturday night.
“The atmosphere, lights and big screen make a huge difference than being at home,” said athletic training sophomore Charles Frazier.
Nursing sophomore Lisa Nyirenda attended the game for the second time and said it’s more exciting being in the stands at the AT&T Stadium than in Memorial Stadium.
Although it’s more than 100 miles away, students said it’s worth the drive to Arlington to experience football in a professional stadium.
“The drive isn’t too bad,” math junior Larry Cribbs said. “It’s definitely a lot more expensive here though.”
Musical perspective
Members of the marching band said playing in AT&T Stadium is certainly different than playing at home, but it’s not always better.
“When you go to Cowboy’s Stadium there’s so many restrictions, you have to wait on stuff, you’re not 100 percent sure where you’re going at all times,” said Branson Spencer, music education junior.
Jacob Partida, music performance sophomore, said the band is also restricted in how much they can play from the stands.
“We don’t get to play as much in the stands. We’re told when we can and cannot,” Partida said. “It’s a little frustrating because even during a normal game we’ll get cut off. There, I just hate getting yelled at from someone else that’s not a director. The stadium will yell at them, then they’ll yell at us.”
But special education freshman Emily Allen said she enjoyed the experience despite the more veteran band members’ disapproval.
“It was fun for me because it was my first time to go,” Allen said. “I kept telling people, ‘I’m so excited,’ and everybody said, ‘Why?’ and I was like, ‘Because I’ve never marched there.’ ”
Team’s experience
The AT&T Stadium was a big change from the football team’s normal venue at Memorial Stadium.
“It’s always nice playing at Memorial Stadium,” said placekicker Brenden Grimley, junior in criminal justice. “But it is nice to be able to play there once a year. It’s a different experience being in a professional stadium.”
Long snapper Bobby Joe Nielson, freshman in political science, said playing in AT&T Stadium is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“It was an experience to remember. I appreciate the opportunity to play somewhere that’s so nice,” Nielson said.
Nielson said his favorite part was seeing himself on the famous 72-by-160 feet video board and sharing that excitement with his parents who caught a picture of him on it.
Hearb Whitehurst, defensive back and junior in kinesiology, said nerves got to him because it was his first time playing at the AT&T Stadium, but the large fan turnout helped alleviate the pressure.
“Being able to be with the team and have a lot of fans in the stands helped,” Whitehurst said. “It gave us a drive to play harder.”
Placekicker and business management junior, Andy Alkahazshvilly, said his jitters went away after the first quarter.
“We went to the field on Friday to check it out so we already had a feel of the stadium,” Alkahazshvilly said. “It was completely different filled with fans.”
While the players said they take every game seriously, it’s ultimately hard for them to not enjoy the perks of playing in Jerry Land.
“Some of the guys kept looking up at the jumbotron,” Alkahazshvilly said.