Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, all in one whirlwind weekend

December might not be the best time of year to visit this part of the country

SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NEBRASKA

I was told it would be cold in the upper midwest this time of year.

Colder easily than the coldest it has ever been in my beloved hometown of Davis, California, where an occasional frost on the pumpkins is considered a rare photo op.

For this intriguing mid-December trip with 100 or so UC Davis football players, coaches and support staff, we landed Thursday night in Iowa, bussed to our hotel in Nebraska and will be playing football in South Dakota come Saturday afternoon.

We've already crossed the Mighty Missouri more times than Lewis and Clark.

Sadly, I have run out of eligibility and will not be playing in the game, but I will be reporting on it, blow by blow, as it unfolds.

Trent Tompkins boards the Aggie charter in Sacramento

Ernesto Nava is greeted by the Iowa cold

Markeece Alexander deplanes onto ice and snow

Normally, a college football team will leave midday on Friday for a Saturday afternoon game. But UC Davis is in finals week and, believe it or not, this school still thinks the student-athlete model is a good one.