It was a perfect day in Eugene Oregon for a football game. The sun was out and the temperature was in the high 60's. Autzen Stadium was full with 59,000 fans and the Oregon Ducks beat UCLA 30 to 20. My wife an I left Medford about 7:30 am for the trip to Eugene on I-5. On the way up we listened to my MP 3 player (a Zen) with a selection of hits popular when I was in college. Lots of Simon and Garfunkel,The Mama's and the Papa's, The Beatles etc. When we got to Cottage Grove we could pick up the pregame show on radio station KUGN with Jerry Allen voice of the Ducks. We parked on the campus side of the Willamette River and took the foot bridge over the river and through to woods to Autzen in all it's glory. We checked out some of the tail gate party's and then had lunch in the Mo. Center. My wife doesn't like crowds so she watched the game at the Mo Center on TV and I watched from my seat in section 13. The Ducks led the entire game but as an old Duck fan I learned a long time ago no lead is ever enough for my Ducks. They beat UCLA 30 to 20 and every one was happy except for a few UCLA fans. It's interesting how expectations have changed. UCLA used to beat the Ducks with regularity. As late as 1990 the Duck fans tore down the goal posts after beating UCLA in a come from behind victory because it was soooo rare. After the game I met up with my wife and we took the path through the woods and across the foot bridge back to our car. The path was one long snake of yellow and green. We then drove to Rolling Rapids Pizza Parlor (formerly Pietro's many years ago) for a pizza and watched part of the USC vs Arizona State game on TV and then headed down I-5 and over 4 passes to Medford. We got home about 8:30 PM. Our cat Gabby was happy to see us. A perfect fall day with fall foliage and all is right with the world. While I was watching the game I was thinking of my first game at Autzen Stadium in 1967 (also Autzen Stadiums first game) and of the 39 years I have been going to games there. Regardless of the wins and losses my trips and the people I have shared the trips and games with are a tapestry of my life. Go Ducks!
