Opening day excitement: Trojans storm ‘sea of orange’

By Brian McNeill

Published: August 30, 2008

On the HooVision video screen Saturday at Scott Stadium, an animated University of Virginia Cavalier bested the University of Southern California’s Trojan in a sword fight.

For his finishing blow, the cartoon Cavman knocked out the Trojan with crane-style karate kick.

“That’s the only victory UVa’s going to see today,” predicted Mike Myers, who drove up from Lynchburg to cheer on USC during season opener.

Myers and thousands of other Trojan fans would not be disappointed. UVa went on to fall to third-ranked USC with a devastating 52-7 loss.

While UVa fans consoled themselves with the knowledge that in-state rival Virginia Tech lost in an upset to Eastern Carolina University earlier Saturday, most members of UVa’s “sea of orange” went home feeling a bit let down.

“With USC, it’s just a whole different level of football,” said John McLin, a systems engineering graduate student at UVa. “I feel pretty good that the rest of our season won’t be a blowout. We’ll hold our own.”

Some UVa fans found a silver lining in their team’s brutal loss. For example, said UVa supporter Russell Troy of Toronto, Cavaliers quarterback Peter Lalich had a few nice-looking plays.

“This was tough, but it wasn’t totally unexpected,” Troy said. “I think they’ll do OK in ACC.”

Saturday’s game drew a vast quantity of USC fans. They seemed to fill many more sections than is typical for a visiting team at Scott Stadium. Their cardinal-and-gold attire stood out among the UVa’s fans’ countless orange T-shirts.

“It’s the first game of the year, man, you’ve got to go,” said Mauro Fiore, a Los Angeles attorney and 1998 graduate of USC.

Fiore said he was not surprised that so many of his fellow Trojans traveled across the country to watch their team stomp on the Cavaliers.

“The typical USC alumni are guys with a lot of money,” he said. “A lot of them probably flew in on a [expletive] Leer jet.”

Charlottesville pulled out an unusual number of stops to make the visiting USC contingent feel welcome. The visiting football team stayed at the Doubletree Hotel Charl-ottesville, which spruced up its lobby with Trojan football helmets, USC-colored balloons, and asked many of its staff to wear Trojan T-shirts.

Plus, USC alumni rented out John Paul Jones Arena for a $65-a-person pep rally featuring the school’s marching band. It was the first time a visiting school held such an event at JPJ, said Jason Pedone, assistant general manager of the venue.

USC fans such as Steve Gatto of Orange County, Calif., said he and his friends were glad they made the cross-country trip to Charlottesville.

“We’re checking out the different scene here. The Corner. The Downtown Mall. We like it,” Gatto said.

“The Virginia ladies aren’t too bad, either,” added his former USC classmate, Chris Scott of Chicago.

Gatto, Scott and several other friends attend one USC away game once a year together.

Gatto said he was amused by UVa’s Cavalier mascot.

“You know that movie ‘V for Vendetta?’ I think the Cavalier kinda looks like the guy in that movie,” he said. “I went up to him and asked him if Natalie Portman was here, but he just ignored me.”

For the Capone family of Los Angeles, Saturday’s game was a long time coming. One of the family’s daughters, Rebecca Capone, graduated from USC in 2007. The other daughter, Jenny Capone, graduated from UVa in 2001 and went on to attend graduate school at USC.

“It’s a family rivalry,” Rebecca Capone said.

Jenny Capone’s husband also attended UVa. Their 2-month-old son wore both UVa and USC apparel.

“I’m a double fan,” Jenny Capone said. “I’m a Trojan and I’m a Hoo. I’m conflicted. But I’m leaning toward USC today so I’m not disappointed. Don’t tell my husband.”