Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson) was featured on the September 16, 1991 cover of Sports Illustrated (two weeks before this episode aired). The cover reads "The Best Coach You've Never Heard Of: Minnesota State Coach Hayden Fox". Tennis star Jimmy Connors appeared on the cover of the real September 16, 1991 Sports Illustrated.
Minnesota State won the 1991 season opener 31-13. The opponent is not referenced.
Minnesota State was ranked #18 in the 1991 preseason poll.
The 1991 season marks Hayden Fox's ninth as Minnesota State head coach. This indicates that his first season as coach was 1983.
Luther Van Dam (Jerry Van Dyke) references the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx, an urban legend that claims entities which appear on the cover of the magazine will be subsequently jinxed. He cites the historic end of Oklahoma's record 47-game winning streak. The November 18, 1957 SI cover featured the headline "Why Oklahoma is Unbeatable." In their next game, #1 Oklahoma lost to #2 Notre Dame 7-0 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.