Week 3 tailgate: This group gets attention

Gail Franklin

The unmistakable, warm scent of breakfast lured me to this week's tailgate of the week, and I wasn't disappointed.

Including the blueberry crepes with cream cheese filling and sausage gravy on biscuits, the tailgate coordinated by the Wilson and Miller families, which they dub the "Ultimate PSU Tailgate" was going strong at 9 a.m.

Sue and Ed Wilson, of Hudson, Ohio, met as students during the 1970s at Penn State. His fraternity brother, Dr. Kerry Miller, married Pat, and that's when their tailgating days began.

The two couples have had the same parking spot for 28 years, and the neighboring families have become part of one large tailgate. They even have a flashy Web site, www.ultimatepsutailgate. com, with recipes, the game-day menu, their history and photos of previous tailgates.

Sue Wilson, the head chef, begins work on the season's menu a year in advance and sends the list to the Millers in Allentown to coordinate. She also writes a game toast for each of the home games.

Saturday's fare included Bull's Blood, a bloody Mary mix.

Ed Wilson said his one of his favorite dishes to make is tequila lime chicken. They serve 300 to 400 people at a typical game at Beaver Stadium.

And, the crew is proud to have participated in The Food Network's Great American Tailgating Cook-Off in 2004 in New Orleans.

Tailgate coordinators: Sue and Ed Miller, of Ohio, and Dr. Kerry and Pat Miller, of Allentown, and Keith Miller, their Web master.

Tailgate attire: Aprons embroidered with the name of their tailgate.

Tailgate food: Beat the Bulls Breakfast Burritos filled with "shuffle back to Buffalo eggs" and you call the option play: cheese, sausage, bacon, scallions or GO STATE SALSA.

Favorite game: Fiesta Bowl vs. Miami in 1987 or last week's game vs. Notre Dame. "I walked in to the stadium, saw all the white and got chills," said Sue Wilson.

Why we're the best tailgate: "This is where the university sends people when they get a request from the media," Miller said. "I think it's a combination of things from our crazy themes to the number of people we serve."

Why we should win the contest: "We've represented the university well at national events."