Alcala 1972

There were cheerleaders and songleaders, fire-jugglers and mascots. The warm evening air, softly suspended in the light-beams, nestled in the bowl like mist. Thirty minutes before game-time a low, throbbing ground-swell of a sound dispelled the quiet. By kickoff the dull throb had grown in pitch and intensity to fantastical heights. The screaming wall of sound seemed to have a te xture and substance all its own. It was a shame all that hysteria couldn't help the Toreros more in the first half. Down 22-0, the Toreros seemed possessed with new-found zeal inthe second half, ripping off huge chunks of yardage repeatedly. They closed to 22-13. The sound explosions from the stands doubled, tripled, quadrupled as the Toreros gained momentum. But all good things must eventually end. The Toreros did not win. UC Riverside added another touchdown on the final play of the game to confirm the victory. Final score: 29-13. For a while, though, the incredible spirit had seemed almost like magic. Afterwards the softness of the night returned, the lights blinked out one-by-one, and many students smiled on their way home. 19