BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Technically speaking, Aaron Rugg is traveling for work.
A Seattle native and Husky fan, Rugg is taking in the scene as No. 13 Indiana’s bus pulls up in front of the Assembly Hall. It’s a cold Midwest morning — just 47 degrees despite the early morning sun shining brightly in a sky with no clouds. Plumes of steam and smoke waft from the endless rows of tents and tailgates as the smell of hot dogs fills the parking lots surrounding Memorial Stadium.
Rugg, a former member of the Husky Marching Band, watches as the Indiana Marching Hundred perform Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby.” He arrived Friday night in Indianapolis, then drove down early in the morning to watch Indiana play his beloved Washington. Rugg is expected in Boston for a conference next week, so he figured he’d be able to sneak in a UW football game since Indiana is “so far east.”
read more Indiana 31, Washington 17
About 800 feet away, the crowd from ESPN’s “College GameDay” is visible on Memorial Stadium’s south lawn.
“This is my two-day layover,” Rugg said with a laugh. “Work knows. They know I’m doing this.”
Rugg was one of a handful of Husky fans who made the trek to here to watch Washington play Indiana at Memorial Stadium. The Huskies lost 31-17 in front of a sold-out crowd of 53,082 fans, but Rugg, who said he tries to travel to at least one game per season, said he was enjoying the IU experience.
“They’re really passionate,” said Rugg, wearing a purple UW cap and a purple Homefield Apparel bomber jacket. “They’re excited to play us. When I think Midwest, I think passionate fan base, hospitable, kind in general. They’ve delivered.”
Nearby, John Komorita and Izzy Lyon are also enjoying the pregame festivities. They’re both originally from Indiana but have lived in Edmonds and gained an affinity for the Huskies. Lyon wears a UW jacket and candy-stripe IU-inspired leggings to represent her dual allegiances.
Like Rugg, they’ve paired the UW game with another event to make the travel a little more realistic for Komorita, who still lives in Washington. They saw the band Chicago in Nashville, Ind., earlier in the week before driving into Bloomington for Saturday’s game.
Closer to the “GameDay” set, fans donning Indiana’s crimson colors huddle around the outskirts of the crowd. One fan wears a costume dressed as a box of Marlboros while their friends are individual cigarettes — a reference to Indiana coach Curt Cignetti.
“GameDay” host Lee Corso, who coached the Hoosiers from 1973-82, walks through the crowd with a police escort wearing a crimson Indiana pullover, identical to the one he used to wear on the Hoosiers sidelines. The IU crowd serenades him with praise as he walks past.
In front of the east entrance of Memorial Stadium, David Hoff and his family, all wearing UW gear, wait to take a photograph with Hep’s Rock. Once a part of IU’s run out under coach Terry Hoeppner, it’s now located outside the stadium as an attraction for fans.
Hoff was born in Seattle. He now lives in Georgetown, Ky., about three hours away from Bloomington. As soon as he saw the schedule, he knew he was going to make the trip.
Hoff said UW’s move to the Big Ten has made them more accessible for his family, and he hopes to take them to at least one game a year going forward. He and his wife, Erin, are trying to get daughter Callie to become a college football fan. This is her first UW game, and Hoff is optimistic.
He also praised Indiana’s atmosphere, noting he felt it was better than some of the former Pac-12 schools he’d traveled to as a UW fan.
“It’s neat,” he said. “We’ve met a couple people who’ve been hospitable. Said welcome to Bloomington. Seems like everyone here is real nice.”
However, Hoff noted Saturday’s game was the most outnumbered he’d ever felt as a Seattle sports fan. An avid Seahawks supporter, Hoff said he’s used to being among the minority at stadiums when they travel away from the Pacific Northwest but noted he hadn’t seen many UW fans.
Hoff, Rugg, Komorita and Lyon all have slightly differing opinions on the Huskies this season. Rugg said he hopes coach Jedd Fisch can continue to recruit, keep giving young players experience and make a bowl game. Hoff said he misses former coach Kalen DeBoer. Komorita noted the Huskies have a tough road ahead, but Lyon thinks they’ll be up to the challenge.
“He’s got the tools,” she said, “to make it happen.”
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