Most people who are serious about sports will tell you that there is no such thing as a moral victory on the field. It can make a nice bedtime story to pacify disappointed fans, but if, in the end, Mighty Casey strikes out to end the game, you can’t exactly walk away feeling anything more than disappointed.

Mario Cristobal, FIU’s head coach, would probably agree with this sentiment, having written off the suggestion that anything short of a notch in the win column counts as a victory, so it wouldn’t be right to classify what went down on the field during the inaugural game at FIU’s new on campus stadium as a moral victory.

But, as the clock struck zero, with about half of the 16,000 gone, there was something different about the atmosphere amongst those fans from the end of a typical FIU game.

As the team made its way towards the band, students stayed in the stands to show their appreciation for the valiant effort the team put out on the field, hanging tough for 60 minutes despite being 28-point underdogs against the 12th-ranked South Florida Bulls.

There may not be such a thing as a moral victory on the field, but judging by the stands packed with students on the east end zone underneath the scoreboard, and the actual masses of people taking advantage of game day to take part in the tailgating tradition of college football, you can have a moral victory in the minds of the fan base. 

Pre-Game

For the first 6 years of FIU football, game day was nothing more than another day for the vast majority of the student body. With the notable exception of the first ever home game and the two UM vs. FIU games, apathy couldn’t even describe the way most students looked at the team.

But on this day, there was a palpable buzz on campus. Normally a ghost town on a weekend afternoon, there were actual lines at the merchandise area of the bookstore and seemingly everyone inside of the Fresh Foods cafeteria was sporting FIU paraphernalia.

As strange as that might seem, the greater shock may have been looking out on the fields by the housing buildings in Tamiami Park and seeing a vast expanse of cars and fans, sporting blue, gold, and even some green as Golden Panthers and Bulls reveled in the atmosphere of a legitimate college football game day. 

Inside the gates

While a few hundred students were held up just prior to game time at the student entrance, it didn’t spoil anyone’s mood. Just after kickoff, fans were filed in and weren’t discouraged the slight bit. Once again, it was a sight to behold, as FIU students who normally don’t care one way or the other about their team, were jumping up and down, dancing and chanting in the student section, braving an unforgiving sun that was right in their faces for most of the game. 

A somber mood 

During the third quarter, the stands were rocking more than ever before and the team was rolling, until the tragic neck injury to USF linebacker, Bruce Mompremier.

While most of those in attendance were respectable and concerned, a small faction of the crowd took it upon themselves to make an embarrassingly obscene and uncalled for chant toward Mompremier as he lay motionless on the field. This chant was easily distinguishable on the ESPN national broadcast, and it is a dark stain on an otherwise proud day for the school.

Great success

Overall, there are only a few who could have left the gates of the stadium having felt unhappy with their experience.

Perhaps this is buying too much into Athletic Director Pete Garcia’s big talk over the past year, but Saturday truly represented a new era for FIU football. This was, short of a massive upset (which almost happened anyways), the best possible outcome for the Athletics Department, as the team played proud, hard and showed the fan base there is a reason to keep coming back.

Saturday’s game was a victory that won’t show up in a box score. It will instead lead to a renewed interest in the program and a new sense of pride for many students. Garcia can definitely put this one in the win column for the University.

What was your game day experience? Tell us in the comments.