Clinton, South Carolina, Thursday, February 15, 2018, 12:54 p.m.

I’m watching the Independence Bowl of December 21, 1985, on YouTube.

Why, you ask?

Rickey Foggie, who will be inducted next month into the Laurens County Athletic Hall of Fame, was the game’s MVP. He quarterbacked Minnesota to a 20-13 victory over Clemson. I’m waiting on him to call me. We talked briefly, but he was at work and said he’d get back in touch with me in about an hour.

The Golden Gophers just took a 3-0 lead on Chip Lohmiller’s field goal. Among the Tiger standouts are freshman quarterback Rodney Williams, defensive tackle Michael Dean Perry, cornerback Delton Hall and wide receiver Terrance Roulhac.

Clemson is in its first bowl game in four years as a result of coming off NCAA probation. Danny Ford is stalking the sideline. On the other is John Gutekunst, who has just replaced Lou Holtz, who left Minneapolis 17 days ago to become head coach at Notre Dame.

Howard David is the play-by-play man. Bob Casciola, a former head coach at Connecticut and Princeton, is the analyst. Tim Brando is back in the studio. The game is syndicated on the Mizlou Network. I remember watching it live.

Waylon Jennings is singing songs for Stroh’s beer (“Now you’re talking good times, Stroh’s is spoken here”) on commercials. Raymond Burr is selling Independent Life insurance.

The referees are split between the SEC and the PAC-10. The Minnesota fans aren’t overjoyed with Holtz leaving. A big sign in the stands asks, “Lou Who?”

Brando ruins the video for me by reporting that Georgia Southern has just defeated Furman, 44-42, for the Division I-AA national championship. I’ve got a cold, and commercials for Robitussin and Florida Gold orange juice, plus Paladin trauma from long ago, have me thinking about a trip to the store.

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