This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Some Utah fans flew into Michigan. But why do it the easy way?
If you're going to tailgate at one of the best gameday atmospheres in the nation, Donnie Beck reasoned, you might as well bring your own truck.
Beck, a Salt Lake City resident, hit the road early this week with a few friends, spent a few nights in Ann Arbor and was up early on the University of Michigan golf course, parked with thousands of cars and camped next to tens of thousands of fans sporting Maize and Blue.
Deep in enemy territory, Beck said it was just what he had been looking for.
"You gotta come up to see your team play live in the biggest college football stadium in the country," he said. "We've been planning this trip for a year and half. It's a really cool experience."
For every Michigan home game, the rolling green hills of the links are temporarily filled in by a sea of blue. For $40 bucks per vehicle, fans can park and set up grills, TVs, speakers or whatever their tailgating experience requires.
Drake Doherty grew up in a Michigan family, and went to a lot of games at the Big House. But after going to school at the U., he hasn't shied away from wearing Utah red ever since.
He and his old roommates gathered from various corners of the country for a reunion, where they peaceably grilled and lounged with Wolverines fans. Aside from some good-natured trash talking from his family, Doherty said, there hadn't been much conflict.
The biggest insult from strangers was someone who shouted, "Hey, where's your sister wives?"
"It's actually gone pretty well," he said. "When you're not their big rival, they're pretty nice to you."
That was the experience of Joe Larsen, a Salt Lake City resident who flew into Detroit and rented a car to come out to the game. He attended a few Crimson Club and alumni events in town, but came away most impressed by the charm of the Michigan natives.
"We like to think we're nice in Utah, but then you get out to the Midwest," he said. "They'll buy you food, buy you a drink. They'll thank you for coming all the way out."
Not everyone came too far: Jax Milano, a Utah native, has worked for Ford for 10 years, and was glad to see his hometown team play in his new home state.
Just like in his day-to-day life, Milano planned on sitting in a crowded Michigan section. That's the way he likes it.
"We won't have huge numbers of fans compared to Michigan," he said, "but we'll be a noticeable ripple."
Twitter: @kylegoon