Lehigh at UC Davis Tailgate Report 9/14/2019: Hip Hop Rivalries, Vegans At the Gates!, And More

Welcome back to the Lehigh Tailgate Report, a free public service from your pals over at Lehigh Football Nation.

The idea of the Lehigh Tailgate Report is to provide a fun report on what to expect at the game, or not at the game, for this week's upcoming game.

If you're planning to go to this game, it means one of three things: 1) you live in California, 2) you have way more disposable income than me, or most likely, 3) both.  Nonetheless, below I'll have some information on where the stadium is and where to tailgate.

If you can't make it to the game, it is available to watch or listen in a variety of ways.  Note that the kickoff of this game is at 10:00 PM EDT, or 7:00 PDT, so it's one of the latest kickoffs in all of Division I football. 

The local radio broadcast, which starts an hour before kickoff and sets the table for the game, can be caught on your AM dial on Fox Sports Radio AM 1230 or 1320. Matt Kerr, Matt Markus, and Steve Lomangino are on the call this Saturday.  If you're on the East Coast, that means 9:00 PM EDT.

Through internet radio, the pregame, game, and postgame can be streamed through TuneIn or just simply going to the LVFoxSports.com webpage.

The best part about this game is that the video stream will be available via a free service called Pluto.TV.  It is available from any web browser here, but where it really shines is if you have a Roku box (install and run the Pluto.TV app, and search for UC Davis) or Google Chromecast (on your phone, load up the Pluto.TV app and cast it to your 55 inch TV).

The LFN Approved way of catching the game is streaming the radio call of the game via Alexa, the internet or whatever, and broadcasting the video to your big-screen TV.  (That, of course, and keeping lots of LFN's "Drink of the Week" handy.)

Weather Report

If you find yourself going to the Lehigh/UC Davis game, be warned that it is going to be extremely hot.

Temps are supposed to hit a high of 97 (!) a few hours before gametime.

It's going to also be an extremely dry heat, with low humidity.

Knowing that, it's of great benefit that Lehigh is flying out to Davis on Thursday, to have more than 24 hours to adjust to a gametime temperature that could be 30-40 degrees higher, and much less humid, than the game at Villanova last week.

There have been some hot season openers at Murray Goodman before.  Thanks to tireless Steve Lomangino, he noted that the game that was probably the hottest modern game played by Lehigh was in 2014, when Lehigh hosted James Madison with a kickoff temperature of 86 degrees.

That game was played, however, in humid, sticky conditions, and a lightning strike that landed 8 miles from the stadium caused a half-hour delay to extend halftime.  Additionally, the game got hotter as the game went along.

How The Team Is Getting to UC Davis

The team is flying on Thursday from Newark to San Francisco.  (Hopefully there won't be too many delays.)

Once there, they will be staying fairly close to UC Davis, who hasn't opened yet for classes.

Friday and Saturday will be meetings, preparation, and runthroughs.

If you live in the area or are flying to watch the game, here's how to get there.  It is very convenient off of Interstate 80.

Google directions from your starting point to UC Davis Health Stadium.

From the Bay Area
• Travel east on Interstate 80 until reaching turnoff near UC Davis campus for Highway 113 (toward Woodland).
• Exit Hutchison Blvd. and stay right.
• Lot 56 and Lot 53 are accessible by turning right (it's the first right turn) at Health Sciences Drive.
• West Entry Parking Structure is accessible by going straight.

From Sacramento
• Travel west on Interstate 80 until reaching turnoff near UC Davis campus for Highway 113 (toward Woodland).
• Exit Hutchison Blvd. and stay right.
• Lot 56 and Lot 53 are accessible by turning right at Health Sciences Drive.
• West Entry Parking Structure is accessible by going straight.

Tailgating at UC Davis

Regrettably, there are no official plans to engage in any "East Coast/West Coast" rap battles in the UC Davis Tailgate area, which officially is at Aggie Tailgate Field.  It's probably just as well, though, because I am really out of practice with my Biggie lyrics.

If you are headed to UC Davis to tailgate, there are some rules you need to be keenly aware of.

First and foremost, all alcoholic beverages are prohibited unless you tailgate in one of UC Davis' three pre-defined tailgate areas.  You won't be able to bring open containers, glass bottles or cans into the stadium.

Second, only gas grills are allowed - no charcoal grills.  This isn't just an idle threat - with such dry conditions, charcoal and briquettes can be downright dangerous.

Third - no smoking.  No smoking is allowed on the UC Davis Campus.  Smoke your Lehigh victory cigars back at the hotel.

There is going to be a Lehigh Tailgate at Lot 56 (Spaces 5, 6, 7). The tailgate is sold out but it will be a friendly tailgate to meet up with other Lehigh folks far away from Bethlehem.  Additionally, there is the possibility of getting a bus from San Francisco to the game.  Click on the above link for details.

It's not a wonder why the Lehigh tailgate is sold out - not incredibly far away from the game is a piece of Lehigh.  The Nasdaq Entrepeneurial Center in downtown San Francisco is what I would call a "startup incubator", a place where "an environment uniquely suited to advance the entrepreneurial spirit and skill sets of students in any discipline."  The partnership between the Nasdaq Center was set up in 2016, and Lehigh athletics has been really looking forward to connecting to the Center and the Lehigh family on the west coast.

. @lehighnasdaq U up?
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For a Lehigh football game this Saturday?#BeatDavis #LehighUCDavisAfterDark

— Lehigh Football Nation (@LFN) September 12, 2019

LFN's Tailgate Grub of the Week

It may not seem like I do any research for these previews, but rest assured, I really do.  I was looking to be inspired by the West Coast or San Francisco when looking up what sort of tailgate grub we could come up with, so I did what any hard-core researcher might do - I looked at TripAdvisor for the most popular restaurant in Davis, California.

What came up was a place called Crepeville.  Admittedly, the place looks like it has great food - who doesn't like crepes or eggs benedict? - but it didn't have much else in the way of great tailgating ideas, especially after seeing how it's almost all breakfasts with a heaping number of vegan and grain-free options.

That got me thinking - what, exactly, would I do if I - shudder - were to do a vegan tailgate?  Quickly I abandonded the idea of doing a complete vegan tailgate, but I did think to myself - how would I set up a tailgate where at the very least a vegan could hang and eat something?

I got some help, and got a really good answer - butternut squash tacos:

I love brisket personally but i have a vegetarian daughter so i actually might do both! (as weird as that sounds) -- friend here at work did this recipe this weekend and loved it https://t.co/nmaYpTo74o -- if you're grilling, you can do the squash on the grill

— Jennifer W. Sheehan (@jenwsheehan) September 11, 2019

I really like the idea of these tacos and the ability to mix and match vegan, gluten-free, and NOT vegan and gluten-free all at the same tailgate. Check out the recipe link - you can make the slaw and the guacamole and keep them in an airtight container in your cooler, then fire up the grill and put beef, chicken, or pork on one side of the grill, and grill the butternut squash on the other.  Grill the flour or corn tortillas in the middle.  Everyone's happy!

LFN's Drink of the Week

Davis is right outside of Sacramento, but not far away from Davis is some of the best wine-making on the planet in the Napa Valley.

Though it's a bit commercial, one of my favorite Pinot Noirs over the years have been the one from Francis Ford Coppola Winery.  I mean, it's a night game, right?  And you're not all that far from the winery, right?  It's not out of the realm of possibility to get up in the morning, head to the winery, pick up a case of Coppola Director's Cut Pinot Noir, and be back at Davis when the lots open at 3, right?  (Just don't pair it with The Godfather III.)

As always, Drinks of the Week have a place in responsible tailgates, but only if you behave yourself, don't get behind the wheel while impaired (or worse), and are over 21. Please do that.