Fresno State Football

What dense fog? Red Wave takes the trip to Southern California for the bowl game

Not even the fog slowed down the Red Wave.

Many took the trip from the central San Joaquin Valley to Southern California Saturday morning — albeit mostly in dense fog — but made it in time for the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl matchup between Fresno State and Washington State.

“About to put the smash on Washington State today,” Robert Perez said while tailgating. “It’s our team and squad. Gotta show support all the time, even in LA.”

“Let’s go, bring it home,” Paul Avila Jr. yelled out.

Other fans made the trip to Southern California on Friday.

They were there for the spectacle of a bowl game in the $5 billion SoFi Stadium that’s home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

And they were there to see if the Bulldogs could pull off a ninth straight victory for the biggest season turnaround in college football history after starting 1-4.This will be the last game for Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener and others. Jalen Moreno-Cropper and Jordan Mims took a second to tweet about their final game as a Bulldog.

Fresno State is a 5.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel.

Cecilia Perez, left, holds a huge Fresno State Bulldogs banner with her father Robert Perez to the right as the Red Wave arrives at SoFi Stadium for the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl against Washington State Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 in Inglewood.
Cecilia Perez, left, holds a huge Fresno State Bulldogs banner with her father Robert Perez to the right as the Red Wave arrives at SoFi Stadium for the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl against Washington State Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 in Inglewood. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
Paul Avila Jr. of Fresno tailgates in the SoFi Stadium parking lot as the Red Wave arrives for the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl against Washington State Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 in Inglewood.
Paul Avila Jr. of Fresno tailgates in the SoFi Stadium parking lot as the Red Wave arrives for the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl against Washington State Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022 in Inglewood. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com

This story was originally published December 17, 2022 at 11:50 AM.

Anthony Galaviz
The Fresno Bee
Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology. Support my work with a digital subscription
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