Undefeated.

Penn State football clung to a win against USC on Saturday, just hanging on for a 33-30 win. The game may have been more than 2,500 miles from State College, but there were plenty of Penn Staters in attendance.

We had boots on the ground at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Here’s what we saw in and around Saturday’s game.

Writer’s Note: Before we dive in, it’s important to note that I’m a lifelong USC fan. I wore my Penn State Tank Smith jersey on Saturday, but this was the first time in my life that I’ve rooted against the Trojans. Take that as you will.

Beaver Stadium Of The West

To the surprise of few Penn State fans, there was a lot of white in the Coliseum on Saturday. Penn State fans had their own corner of the stadium, which they filled out decently, but there were specks of white all around.

Some folks were saying that Penn State fans comprised 50% of the stadium — that’s just not true. A sound check could tell you that much. USC fans were loud when they wanted to be. Still, it’s no stretch to say that Penn State fans took up at least 30% of the seats. And when the Penn Staters rallied, they got pretty loud themselves.

USC Doesn’t Know What A Sell-Out Is

Well ahead of Saturday’s matchup, USC announced the Coliseum would host a sell-out game against Penn State. This was a big deal for the home side — the Coliseum rarely sells out. People in Los Angeles just have better things to do than go to a college football game.

However, the stadium was far from full. Entire sections were nearly empty. While the bottom third of the stadium ~ probably ~ filled all its seats, everything past that had some decently empty space. That’s all without counting that USC uses several sections to honor its Heisman Trophy winners (yes, all eight of them), which eliminates about four sections.

The Coliseum used to be able to seat more than 100,000. Today, it holds just over 70,000. An eye test of Saturday’s game suggested there were around 50,000-60,000 fans in the building.

Big Ten Weather Is…Hot

The running joke of Big Ten expansion was true, folks. Big Ten weather includes warm, sunny days in mid-October.

Penn State avoided the worst of the Los Angeles heat, which happened with a few 100º days the week prior. Instead, the Nittany Lions ended up with a high of 82º, clear skies, and little wind. For the fans without sunblock on, it made for a long day.

Penn State Requested Silence, Apparently

We’ve complained online about Penn State’s audio system getting old and repetitive, so it’s only fair we do the same to another program.

Every time Penn State’s offense was gearing up for a big play, the in-stadium DJ would inform the crowd Penn State had requested its silence, and they should respond accordingly. While this was cool for a few times, it got old really quickly in the fourth quarter.

Maybe they should hire some of our staffers to get more creative.

What Happened To The Tailgates?

I had a blast tailgating with some USC friends pregame, even if it didn’t match Penn State’s vibe. USC fans, since they lack cow pastures to hang out at, tailgate on campus. It’s a difficult setup that doesn’t lend itself to a good tailgate scene, but the Trojan fans try to make do.

What was most shocking for me was that postgame, every single tailgate had been packed up. The lawn outside the library I tailgated at was devoid of any party scene, as was the rest of campus. Apparently, USC doesn’t let fans tailgate once the game starts.

It’s a tough way for fans to celebrate gameday, especially at a school with as much pride in its football program as USC.

USC Fans A Mixed Bag

I want to lead by saying this — most USC fans I interacted with were perfectly nice people. Postgame, an older fan in front of me shook my hands and wished me well with my senior year of college. His kindness wasn’t consistent across the board, though.

As fans meandered away from the stadium, a few USC fans reminded each other not to make trouble with Penn State fans. There was a classic “Joe Knew!” shout. A few fans, who I assumed were students, told me I was wearing a “pussy jersey” as I walked around campus. I certainly didn’t feel safe as I walked from the Coliseum back to campus with vocally frustrated USC fans all around me.

Again, these were isolated incidents. Still, it was a strange feeling after spending four years watching Penn State football and being reminded about “Happy Valley Hospitality” at every game.