MEMPHIS, Tenn. – – The Tiger Book Store was swarmed with people today. They were buying hats, shirts, and flags to get ready for U of M’s first football game of the season tomorrow. It’s a home matchup against Mercer.
“I mean you got to get a new shirt every year. You know that,” Alum Mark West says.
This is his first year attending the game as an alum.
“It’s chills. It’s chills immediately, and then I’m sure, this time, the stadium is going to be full. I’m expecting an Ole Miss type turnout. I’m expecting the stadium to be full, but instead of red and blue, I’m expecting all blue this time,” he says.
Alum Dianne Dixon says there’s nothing like that first game.
“It is exciting. You’re thinking about all the things you’re going to do that day,” she says, “All the friends you’re going to see and I’ve already run into some here that I hope to see tomorrow.”
Central Barbeque is swamped with orders for tailgaters and ready for the huge crowds expected before the 6 pm kick off. Manager Anthony Coffee says business will be booming.
“The line will probably get down to the street for a while, maybe even wrap around the corner, especially since it’s the first game of the season. It will be a lot of excitement around that,” he says.
The Tigers went 10-3 last season with a heartbreaking loss in the Liberty Bowl to Iowa State. West and Dixon say this year will be even better.
“You always got to look up. You always got to look up going into it. I think we got a good year coming,” West says.
“We’re going to be great. It’s new. It’s fresh. You know, anything is possible today,” Dixon says.
The Tigers are heavy favorites in tomorrow’s game.
