Bulldog fans show they're loyal to the end
Joseph Vasquez / The Collegian
More than 20,000 Bulldog fans showed up at the Los Angeles Coliseum to support Fresno State against USC and made their presence known, sometimes cheering as loud as 70,000-plus Trojan fans. |
By Jenna Nielsen
The Collegian
Bulldog fans have a sense of pride.
A sense of belonging, like a strong sense of nationalism and loyalty to the state. Fresno State, that is.
Bulldog fans from near and far, old and young made their way to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to see their team play against USC Saturday night.
It seemed as if Fresno fans had taken over the southern half of California; from the valley all the way to USC territory, you couldn't drive five feet without seeing fans decked out in red, Fresno State Bulldog flags flailing from cars or decorated car windows painted with "Go Dogs, Beat USC!"
When I got to the stadium I almost had to make sure I wasn't at a home game. There was red and blue everywhere. Fresno State fans tailgated up and down streets surrounding The Coliseum. It was some time before I caught a glimpse of any cardinal and gold.
The sight of the stadium was something I had never experienced. 90,007 people was a sight to see. It was unlike Bulldog Stadium, that's for sure. And in that sea of Trojan fans was a group that could not only be seen, but heard.
If USC fans were booing when the Fresno State team entered the stadium, you wouldn't know it sitting in the Fresno State fan section.
Everyone was wearing red. Faces were painted, and pom poms and foam fingers were waving all over.
After Fresno State scored the first touchdown, fans went wild. They were so pumped. I have never heard a group of 20,000 fans scream and yell so loud for their team. Fans were confident, the team looked confident and it was a great place to be.
Fresno State was up at half time and you could almost see the confidence running through Fresno State fans' veins. We were playing the number one team in the nation and beating them. USC was not winning, and this was not turning out to be the blow-out USC fans were projecting to Fresno State fans at pre-game tailgates.
Even when USC was up 26-21 with 10:03 left in the third quarter, proud fans did not give up. Instead of resulting to trash-talking or whining (about the lack of penalties against USC or a few poor calls), their loyalty kept them positive. "Let's Go Dogs!" "Defense! Defense!"
You could tell they were proud of their team for playing such a good game against the No. 1 team in the nation. Proud that they were in USC's house holding their own. So proud that 20,000 Bulldog fans yelled louder than 70,000-plus Trojan fans.
Even after the disappointing and stressful loss, fans were a little down but still loyal, still proud and still confident. The Bulldogs played a great game against USC and gave them a challenge. A challenge not many might have predicted.
The loyalty of the Bulldog fan is a loyalty like no other.
After witnessing the pride and confidence of Fresno State fans at USC, I can truly relate to Jim Sweeney's frequently quoted phrase "Bulldog born, Bulldog bred, I'll be a Bulldog 'til the day I'm dead."
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