I know where I was when Robb Akey decided to Go For Two. I know where I was when he told me to watch the second half because I was gonna love it.

I was at my best friend’s house in Kent. At the time it was just a game in the background. I wasn’t invested until late in the fourth quarter when it started to get hella cray.

At the time I knew of Idaho, I’d been talked to about going to Idaho but I didn’t think I would end up at Idaho. I’m a Husky fan, and all I thought was ‘huh, we beat that team. They made a bowl game?’

Shawn O’Neal showed up in my community college newsroom about a year prior to that to pitch The Argonaut and the University of Idaho to me. I was sitting there playing PS2 decked out in UW gear. With my ADHD sometimes I am occupied with something else when I’m having a conversation, but if I’m interested then I’m still listening. He walked out of there thinking he’d never hear from me ever again.

But I was listening. I just had another ambitions at the time. I was going to be a Husky. I was looking at Missouri. Or I was going to go overseas. I didn’t manage my ADHD well enough to get an academic resume for any of those schools.

Then I watched the H Bowl and my interest was piqued again. Over the next few months when schools started to fall off the table for me I started to take a serious look at Idaho again. Eventually I visited Moscow in December of 2010, almost a year after Going For Two. Then it was a done deal. Set. This is exactly where I wanted to be.

This probably would’ve happened without Enderle’s dying-seconds touchdown pass to Max Komar, but it didn’t hurt to put Idaho back in the front of my mind.

Where were you guys at? I asked over a plethora of social media mediums and this is what your response was.

Facebook:

Kelcie Mosley: “I was very cold and wet. And very disappointed until the last ten seconds.”

Sean Michael Foster: “I was in my Grandpa’s converted shed in Las Vegas, wearing shorts.”

Meredith Metsker: “It was SO cold. After freezing our butts off during the UI vs. BSU game in November, the band ordered long black and yellow parkas to wear over our uniforms while we were in the stands. We also got these nerdy looking hoodless sweatshirts that had the band logo on them. Perfect for band kids haha. We even had thicker, white gloves to wear that day. Despite all that preparation, I was still frozen by the end of the game. But I completely forgot about that when we set up for that 2-point conversion. And then, unbelievably, we won!! The band must have played the fight song at least three times. Probably more. And I’ll never forget Coach Akey saying into the microphone, ‘I’ve never seen this blue turf look so good!’”

“I remember our director at the time, Torrey Lawrence, saying that the last time Idaho had gone to a bowl game had been his first year as director. Now he’s the director of the entire School of Music. I also remember that we played our Michael Jackson show for halftime. The day before the game, the band was out practicing on the blue turf in our parkas. There’s a picture somewhere on the interwebs of me walking like a zombie in that stupid parka haha. And this was before I got smart and started using plastic trumpet mouthpieces for marching band, so my lips kept freezing to my metal mouthpiece! And it was hard to keep us all in tune. We kept drifting flat because of the cold. #bandproblems”

Spencer Farrin: “I was at the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl. It was the most fun game I’ve ever watched as a Vandal. I didn’t cheer once. Didn’t make a sound all game. When Idaho lined up for the game-winning 2-point conversion, I was standing by Bowling Green’s assistant SID. Preston Davis caught it and I smiled. When the clock hit zero on the kickoff, I turned to the BGSU SID and he said, “Well, congrats man” and I said, “That was a hell of a game. Good luck.” And then we both grabbed our many bags of gear and ran down to the media area. He went straight to the interview room and I dumped my stuff in the doorway and ran onto the field just in time to see Robb Akey raise the trophy. Then I ran back into the interview room to finish my recap, create the photo album, update stats, and prepare for postgame interviews.”

Dallas Charles Hammer: “Easily the best day/night of my life as a Vandal student. My dad got us six tickets, seven rows up on the BGSU side. It was supposed to be my maternal grandparents, my parents, my brother, and myself. A few days before Christmas, both of those grandparents were each diagnosed with a form of cancer. We originally thought we would sell the tickets and not go, but the grandparents refused to let us do that. Obviously, the whole family was in a pretty tough state emotionally over those holidays, making the first Idaho bowl game I could really remember mean a whole lot more to a 17-year-old freshman who had no idea how to cope with that kind of news.

I remember thinking Idaho had it in the bag all game long until Freddie Barnes scored early in the fourth quarter to tie it up. After that, I was terrified they would choke it away; Max Komar had dropped a few balls that night and I thought he would let the game slip through his hands if Idaho needed a score to win it late. Fast forward to :32 seconds left, and I was telling my Dad that even though they had lost, I had a great time. First play after the kickoff, Enderle rolled out and hit Davis with a bomb on the far sideline. Okay, great. They’re gonna get close to the end zone before breaking my heart.

Incomplete pass. There’s 8 seconds left on the clock. Great. One play left, it’s going to go to Komar, He’s going to drop it. Sports suck. Except he did’t drop it. Redemption. I can still picture that weird slide across the goal-line into that atrocious orange end-zone as he caught the ball. I have never screamed so vigorously in my life. Akey sends the offense back out for two points and the win, and Bowling Green takes the longest time-out in the history of sports. I was on the verge of tears standing right in the midst of the entirety of the BGSU coaches’ families.

As much as I remember the Komar touchdown, I don’t really remember Davis catching the 2-pt conversion. I remember Farquhar’s ensuing kickoff to the ONE YARD LINE (greatest kick in Idaho history) more than I remember the conversion. I remember that he was WIDE open in the back of the end-zone, but that’s about it. I was in utter disbelief that they had found a way to win that game. I just watched my school win one of the best bowl games of all time.”

From Idaho Scout message board:

User alle9219:
“I was working in FL and my now wife was flying out on Christmas break to visit me, arriving late at late after the game. I DVR’ed the game and watched it live, speeding off to the airport to pick her up after I saw the end. She asked if we won and I just said it was an amazing game. We watched it when we got home up until the first play of the final drive when the DVR cut off. She wasn’t too happy about that lol! It took me a while to live that one down.”
User Tay83843:
“I was there with seats on the 50 yd line and behind the Bowling Green bench. I have never seen so many Vandal fans at a game. Unbelievable game that I thought would change the Idaho football program. Little did I know that our Coach had no direction and we would be worse off than when he inherited the program. I think Freddie Barnes caught 3 more TD’s as I wrote this. Our defense was ok, but not great. We won a lot of close games that year. We never blew out anyone and couldn’t beat the top teams in the Conference. Boise State handled us with Reader at QB, and Kaepernick with his pistol posse blew us out in Reno. Reader was also the QB against Fresno State, and Ryan Matthews ran over us. Then Robert Turbin had a big day against us on Senior Day that had both Reader and Enderle playing. Akey’s first loss against the Utah State and the point where the Aggies ascended and we started our descent.”
User DTDvandal4:
“My family had all been Cougs or Vandals. I had just barely started religiously following vandals the 2008 season. However, I was committed to going to WSU. My dad a Vandal Alum got us tickets to the game in sky center from our bronco neighbor. I was excited as it would be my 4th in person vandal game of season. We tailgated with my dad’s old fraternity buddies and had a blast. I remeber knowing they werent going to lose. Even after Freddy Barnes scored, my dad wanted to leave to beat traffic. I made him stay and boy do neither of us regret it. Once Preston Davis caught the 2 point ball I was so excited. I remeber only one thing I could think of at that moment, how I wanted to be a Vandal, so I switched my commitment from WSU to Idaho and have never regretted it. 8 Months Later I was in Gods Country. The 2009 game is why I am a Vandal and a Vandal is who I am!”
User 808vandal:
“I flew in from Hawaii for the game and went with a friend who lives in Nampa. At the time I believe he was a season ticket holder for bjc. I remember two bjc fans who had purchased Bowling Green gear and were cheering like crazy for every thing BG did good. They said they just hated Idaho and it’s fans. They were noticeable quite on idaho’s last drive and score, and quietly (and quickly) left after Idaho’s last TD.”
vandallarry33:
“I was at a resort in Scottsdale setting up for my wedding which was the following day. Myself, brothers, and a couple of my best men (Vandals) were huddled at the tiny resort bar watching it all unfold. We got some funny looks but it was awesome. Being there with my bros and best friends made it all the more epic. The good luck continued with an awesome wedding the following New Year Evening. Epic weekend that will never be forgotten by any who attended.”
Vandal83:
“Great game. Great times! A buddy and I actually had sideline passes for the game! Here we are with Vandal great Joel Thomas who was coaching at Washington and had come for the game. Funny story, after the two point conversion to go ahead I was so delerious that I started to rush the field not realizing we still had to kickoff to Bowling Green. One of our own lineman who was also celebrating knocked me flat to the turf where I saw police taking down another misguided fan in the end zone. Glad I did not have to celebrate that night in the Ada county jail! Here’s to another Vandal victory and staying undefeated in bowl games!”
BAVANDAL:
“Gernika, Vizcaya (Basque Country) Spain
We streamed it over the internet at my sisters house +8 hours ahead of mountain time. A bunch of Idahoans watching late into the night in a foreign country.”
whridaho:
“At the game of course. Stormed the field and remember standing next to Greenwood. He was a giant sized receiver. But Iupati and Matt Cleveland still made him look normal sized.”
ozzie69:
“At the game and enjoyed that ending as much as any of the nail biters. After the game went for a few beverages with Randy Hall and Joel Thomas and wives of course. Great weekend!”
VandalJosh:
“I was stuck in NY state. It was just after deployment and the Army wouldn’t approve leave until February, so I watched it at home with some diehard Oregon fans. It was the only game I was able to watch that season.”

Twitter:

Josh Starkey: “I was there (been to both HumBowls). I remember being stunned after BG scored the go-ahead TD with 32 secs … then the Hail Mary to Preston davis. Loved going for two. And remember Max Komar dropping everything but the 2pt.”