Hundreds of Cougar fans gathered west of LaVell Edwards stadium for festivities before the football game versus Arkansas on Oct. 15.
The event featured food trucks, face painting, caricature drawings, a tribute to LaVell Edwards and free blue cotton candy. A live band played music on a stage and people took pictures in various photo spots.
A line of BYU students wrapped around the street as they waited to enter the stadium. August Jacobs, a student waiting in line, said he arrived at 9:00 a.m. to get in line, even though kickoff time wasn’t until 1:15 p.m.
“It would be really nice if they had like a big cart on the road that had some nice free food,” BYU student Drew Zarbock said of the line.
The BYU student section, also known as the ROC, ranked number one for Best Student Sections on a college sports Instagram account after the rowdy students helped clinch the double overtime Baylor football game on Sept. 10.
“I feel like the ROC makes a huge impact on games,” BYU student Andrew Mill said. Every time we get super loud, the other teams falls apart. They have false starts and it’s just awesome to see. People hate playing at BYU.”
At 11:15 a.m. Cougar Canyon concluded as the football team walked down the length of the street to greet fans. Head football coach Kalani Sitake followed the players as they waved and signed autographs amid cheers.
Mills said Homecoming week certainly helped with getting students to the game. “BYU did a good job this week with all the activities that they were planning and putting on,” he said. “It definitely got more students involved with participating and getting excited and hyped for the game.”
