More cowbell? Wildcats simulate noise ahead of trip to Starkville
Sep 8, 2023, 6:45 AM
Mississippi State fans ring their cowbells before the college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Mississippi State Bulldogs on November 12, 2022, at Davis-Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
There are hostile environments in football, and then there are SEC stadiums.
The Arizona Wildcats will be expecting “more cowbell,” in the words of Christopher Walken, as they head to Starkville, Miss., to take on Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium.
To prepare for the noise, Arizona head football coach Jedd Fisch said the team this week would simulate the sound during practice this week.
“Know that the cowbells will be out and we’ll be ready for them the best we can,” said Fisch to reporters at his Monday press conference. “I think you have to be alert for it. The cowbells are not allowed to be ringing when you’re in formation. They’re only allowed to be ringing when you’re in the huddle or when you’re going between plays. … I know that they’re very disciplined on that as that’s a penalty.
“I know they’re going to be loud, I know they’re going to be something to be aware of. We’ll have some cowbells piped in this week. We’re going to look forward to the energy that an SEC game brings.”
Loud stadiums are nothing new, however, for the Wildcats. According to WSN, two of the loudest stadiums in Division I football are located in the Pac-12
- Husky Stadium, Washington, 133.6 decibels
- Memorial Stadium, Clemson, 132.8 dB
- Tiger Stadium, LSU, 130 dB
- Autzen Stadium, Oregon, 127 dB
- Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech, 126.2 dB
- Kyle Field, Texas A&M, 126 dB
- Neyland Stadium, Tennessee, 125.4
- Beaver Stadium, Penn State, 122 dB
- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida, 115 dB
- Michigan Stadium, Michigan, 110 dB
It’s a different kind of heat
The noise won’t be the only non-Bulldog adversary on Saturday. The temperature in Starkville is supposed to reach 86 degrees with 63% humidity, according to the Weather Channel.
“I think we practice in the heat enough that our guys can handle — yes, it’s a different heat,” Fisch said. “I think an 85-degree day with humidity or a 105-degree day with no humidity are probably pretty comparable. I’d put our guys’ conditioning up against anybody’s.”
The daily high in Tucson was below 100 degrees only six times in August, according to AccuWeather.
Arizona will take on Mississippi State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. MST.
