University Challenge: St Andrews v Cardiff

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Glasgow no more. Strathclyde no more. Aberdeen no more. Dundee no more. Or not in the new series of University Challenge, anyway. Out of 19 universities in Scotland, only two, St Andrews and Edinburgh, are in this year’s competition. 

Scottish contestants punch above their weight on Mastermind, with two Glaswegian winners in recent years, but University Challenge is proving a quiz contest too far for home teams. Questions should be asked in the Scottish Parliament.

It’s a pity, because the St Andrews v Cardiff battle turned out to be one of the most thrilling of the series so far. 

St Andrews, founded 1413, last won the competition in 1982. Hoping to do better this year were: Diane Buffet-Mogel, from Princeton, New Jersey, studying classics and philosophy; George Capell, Broughton Hackett, Worcestershire, economics; Freddy Skerrett, captain, London, history; and Tom Rosas, Richmond, physics. 

Representing Cardiff, which traces its roots to the 19th century, were: Kyle Gilbert, from Worcester, reading history; Rosalie Tarsala, Arcadia, California, studying for a masters in data science; Conor Boyling, captain, Dartford, history and economics; and Henrik Holm, Manchester, studying physics. 

St Andrews were first on the scoreboard with a correct answer from Buffet-Mogel on The Count of Monte Cristo. 

Tarsala interrupted St Andrews’ run, putting 20 points on the clock for Cardiff with an answer on Indian cinema. Both sides were having trouble with the bonus questions until Cardiff’s Holm had a clean sweep on the subject of catastrophes. 

Cardiff was now ahead 80 to 40. Team captain Boyling, whose hair matched that of UK Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, picked up a starter on letters of the Greek alphabet, and it was St Andrews 40, Cardiff 100. 

Buffet-Mogel began the St Andrews fightback, with the team adding 20 points from questions about epistemology and one-act plays.

But then disaster struck St Andrews. A storm swept in from across the Atlantic and its name was soul music.  

Both teams had failed to identify Green Onions by Booker T. & The M.G.s. 

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Skerrett bounced back with an answer on the card game Mahjong, but this was followed by three bonus questions on Stax Records, the legendary record company based in Memphis, Tennessee. After a blast of each track, St Andrews had to name the artists. 

The first song was with Hold On, I’m Comin, by Sam & Dave. St Andrews thought it was Ike and Tina Turner. Quiz host Amol Rajan raised an eyebrow.

Next was Wilson Pickett, The Midnight Hour. St Andrews opted for “Marvin Gaye”. Rajan looked like he’d been punched in the face. 

Final question, and a chance for St Andrews to redeem themselves. The unmistakable voice of Otis Redding glided across the studio. Unmistakable, that is, unless you were St Andrews. 

The mics picked up the students' conversation.

“Oh, that’s erm, the blind guy.”

“Stevie Wonder?”

“No.”

“Ray Charles.”

They went with Ray Charles. The camera cut to a despairing Rajan putting his head on the desk. “What are you guys listening to? My goodness,” he said. 

Would this shameful ignorance of popular music be fatal for the third oldest university in the English-speaking world, the alma mater of William, Kate, and The Herald’s esteemed health correspondent Helen McCardle? 

St Andrews rallied, bringing the score to 150 each with just minutes to go. 

Capell (St Andrews) swooped on a question about invasive plant species but the answer was wrong, costing his team five points. The east coast team never recovered, with Cardiff pulling ahead for a final score of 200 to St Andrews’ 145.

Next week: Edinburgh take on Leeds.