Ute fans did their part.
The crowd in Thursday’s TCU game blanked Rice-Eccles Stadium black from end to end. Not only did the student body have a good turnout, but the entire stadium only had a few spots of red in it. The reaction from the blackout also seemed to be very positive. Fans both young and old enjoyed showing off their black outfits at the game and getting loud and passionate.
The MUSS seemed to have the most fun of everyone from the “Blackout.” Practically every student was covered in black from head to toe.
“It’s all we talked about this week,” said James Thatcher, a sophomore in political science.
And once the game got under way, all of that build up excitement was unleashed.
“It was crazy in there,” said Pete Saltas, a sophomore majoring in business. “People were just excited all over the place.”
Jason Quinn, a junior studying finance, had the similar thoughts. “It’s the best atmosphere there’s ever been.”
The MUSS has always held a strong reputation in its school, but this event brought the best out of them.
“The blackout really helped our school realize what team spirit is,” said Sterling Graham, a junior in environmental studies.
None of the students seemed to have any complaints with how the event was publicized, either. Most MUSS members said they were aware of this event once the season began.
The students can thank the players for putting this event together, as they petitioned long and hard and eventually took their request to the school’s athletic director, Chris Hill.
Hill gave the players all the credit for tonight’s atmosphere.
“It was great,” Hill said. “The players really wanted to do this. They were the ones who put this together.”
The alumni section also had a fun time at the game. Usually, when a university holds a special event at a game, it’s the students who get the most involved. The regular season ticket holders were glad to be involved this time around.
“I like the idea of them incorporating all of the students and everyone else together,” said Bryan Case, a U alumnus.
The alumni contingence, however, weren’t as quick at receiving the news as the students were.
“We heard about (the “Blackout”) the last game,” said 2004 graduate Ali Lanza. “I had to look up what the blackout was, and that’s when I learned to put on our black garb.”
While the news may have gotten out late to the alumni, the stadium managed to have a great turnout.
In the end, the Blackout effort was rewarded as Utah pulled out yet another incredible victory at the last second, making Rice-Eccles Stadium as loud as it has ever been. The “Blackout” atmosphere also helped Thursday become the second-highest attended U football game in school history, as 45,666 made their way to watch Utah keeps its Bowl Championship Series hopes alive.
Ute fans celebrated president-elect Barack Obama?s election win with a cardboard cutout of the soon-to-be 44th president of the United States.