“It’s unbelievable,” said Poinsettia Bowl Assistant Executive Director Mark Neville. “The field is so green and it looks great.”
Qualcomm Stadium, Wednesday night.
Photo by Troy HirschNeville also said he had walked on the playing surface and no puddles existed.
Quite a remarkable turn-around from just 14 hours earlier when city crews estimated that 20 inches of standing water flooded the field at Qualcomm Stadium. Using four pumps - two with six-inch hoses, one with an eight-inch hose and one with a four-inch hose - workers spent Wednesday night and Thursday morning pumping out an estimated 1.5 million gallons of water.
The flood was caused by heavy rains that started on Monday and flooded Mission Valley. The San Diego River was backed up, and since Qualcomm Stadium sits at just a little higher elevation, the football field could not drain without the assistance of the pumps.
As of 10 am Wednesday, Neville said Crews were still pumping water out of the stadium, but the field was completely clear.
Neville says that more than 51,000 tickets have been sold to the game, which would smash the previous Poinsettia Bowl attendance record of 39,120 set in 2007 when Navy played Utah. Neville also said the parking lot has drained much faster than expected, but there are still some spots under water, so he recommends fans arrive early or park off-site and take the trolley. The parking lot opens at 11 am and is expected to be full by 1 pm. Several parking spots are also taken up by hospitality tents for pre-game functions.
During their pre-game press conference on Wednesday morning at the Omni Hotel, neither SDSU head coach Brady Hoke, nor Navy head caoch Ken Niumatalolo sounded concerned about the expected muddy field conditions.
“It is what it is,” said Niumatalolo. “Football is football. We’ll go out and do what we do.”
“Our guys will have fun,” said Hoke.
When asked for their strategies, both coaches emphasized the running game. Navy (9-3), which runs the triple-option attack, ranks fifth in the NCAA FBS in rushing averaging nearly 289 yards per game.
SDSU (8-4) counters with a more balanced offense featuring Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year Ronnie Hillman, who gained 1,304 yards rushing this season. Aztecs junior quarterback Ryan Lindley has also thrown for 3,554 yards and 26 touchdowns. His main targets are two 1,000-yard receivers in seniors Demarco Sampson (1,175 yards, 8 TDs) and Vincent Brown (1,187-9).
This marks the eighth straight year that Navy has played in a bowl game, including its third Poinsettia Bowl appearance in six years. The Midshipmen beat Colorado State in the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl in 2005 and lost to Utah in 2007.
SDU has not played in a bowl game since 1998 (Las Vegas Bowl) and has not won a bowl game since 1969 when the Aztecs beat Boston University in the Pasadena Bowl.
Qualcomm Stadium, Wednesday night.Photo by Troy Hirsch
Quite a remarkable turn-around from just 14 hours earlier when city crews estimated that 20 inches of standing water flooded the field at Qualcomm Stadium. Using four pumps - two with six-inch hoses, one with an eight-inch hose and one with a four-inch hose - workers spent Wednesday night and Thursday morning pumping out an estimated 1.5 million gallons of water.
The flood was caused by heavy rains that started on Monday and flooded Mission Valley. The San Diego River was backed up, and since Qualcomm Stadium sits at just a little higher elevation, the football field could not drain without the assistance of the pumps.
As of 10 am Wednesday, Neville said Crews were still pumping water out of the stadium, but the field was completely clear.
Neville says that more than 51,000 tickets have been sold to the game, which would smash the previous Poinsettia Bowl attendance record of 39,120 set in 2007 when Navy played Utah. Neville also said the parking lot has drained much faster than expected, but there are still some spots under water, so he recommends fans arrive early or park off-site and take the trolley. The parking lot opens at 11 am and is expected to be full by 1 pm. Several parking spots are also taken up by hospitality tents for pre-game functions.
During their pre-game press conference on Wednesday morning at the Omni Hotel, neither SDSU head coach Brady Hoke, nor Navy head caoch Ken Niumatalolo sounded concerned about the expected muddy field conditions.
“It is what it is,” said Niumatalolo. “Football is football. We’ll go out and do what we do.”
“Our guys will have fun,” said Hoke.
When asked for their strategies, both coaches emphasized the running game. Navy (9-3), which runs the triple-option attack, ranks fifth in the NCAA FBS in rushing averaging nearly 289 yards per game.
SDSU (8-4) counters with a more balanced offense featuring Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year Ronnie Hillman, who gained 1,304 yards rushing this season. Aztecs junior quarterback Ryan Lindley has also thrown for 3,554 yards and 26 touchdowns. His main targets are two 1,000-yard receivers in seniors Demarco Sampson (1,175 yards, 8 TDs) and Vincent Brown (1,187-9).
This marks the eighth straight year that Navy has played in a bowl game, including its third Poinsettia Bowl appearance in six years. The Midshipmen beat Colorado State in the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl in 2005 and lost to Utah in 2007.
SDU has not played in a bowl game since 1998 (Las Vegas Bowl) and has not won a bowl game since 1969 when the Aztecs beat Boston University in the Pasadena Bowl.
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