NCSU vs UNC-Ch Football Tailgating Party (v2009)

We just got back from the Thanksgiving Weekend Tailgating Party hosted by my Uncle Mike (Mike Clark) for the annual in-state throwdown between the NCSU Wolfpack and the UNC-Ch Tarheels. The catered event featured attendance by the whole Clark Clan and made for a very good time. Thanks to Uncle Mike for laying out the green for another year.

We got to the party tent early and the kids spent a fair amount of time bouncing from tent to ten in the Fan Zone looking for all the free stuff. I am not sure what they came away with, but they all were sporting tote bags full of swag before we ate.

As expected, Chuck showed up draped in Carolina Blue, but the sea of red from the parking lot served to minimize the offensive attire.

Dawa and David brought little Hunter to the party and it was the first time that Tracy and I had a chance to see him. Tracy grabbed him as soon as she saw him and just gobbled him up. He was very well behaved and seemed engaged the whole time.

Ché and Natalie also made the event, despite Natalie's proximity to her due date and it was a little hard to believe how much Elle has grown since I last saw here.

The game proved to be worth the hype. It was in-state rivalry weekend all around the nation and State had their work cut out for them. The Carolina Tarheels were ranked #24 in the polls and State had a single victory in the ACC all year. Despite the fact that the Wolfpack entered the game with two consecutive victories over the Tarheels, things looked grim. Things went according to plan and the Tarheels went into halftime with a 24-14 lead. Tracy and the girls went back to the Party Tent to hang out, but I stayed in the stands with Dad and Chuck and was there for the big comeback in the second half. The Wolfpack ground out the second half and walked away with the 28-27 victory.

I took pictures and you can see the album via the attached link.


2009 NCSU Tailgate