"It'll be great to be in that stadium and play a ball game," Interim Fresno State Football head coach Tim Skipper said.
The 6-5 bowl-eligible Bulldogs are gearing up for their regular-season finale against a 4-7 UCLA team at the Rose Bowl - a piece of football paradise in Pasadena.
"It gives us another opportunity in a great atmosphere, a great stadium, to show what Bulldog football is all about," Skipper said.
Despite entering as nearly 10-point underdogs, the current roster doesn't see it that way.
"I don't think so. I don't think we feel like underdogs playing them, no matter what. I feel like it's a huge rivalry game, to be honest," senior wide receiver Mac Dalena said.
Fresno State has won the last four matchups dating back to 2003, with its last loss coming in 2000 when former first-overall pick David Carr was at quarterback.
"Our boys never gave up, and I'm proud of the O-line and the wide receivers. They kept fighting," Carr said.
"Our football team never quit. That was a very good UCLA team, and we just came up short," former Fresno State Football head coach Pat Hill said.
That game also featured both current head coaches. Interim Bulldogs coach Tim Skipper was starting at linebacker for Fresno State, while UCLA's first-year head coach, DeShaun Foster, starred at running back for the Bruins.
"DeShaun was a very good player. Big guy. You had to get low on his legs to tackle him. If you went high, he'd run you over. And he was fast - a special, gifted athlete," Skipper said.
"I vividly remember him running for a 49-yard touchdown against us - that really was the difference in the game," Fresno State football defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said.
After a 17-9 win over the Bruins in the 2003 Silicon Valley Bowl, Fresno State secured its first-ever victory over UCLA, starting a stretch of regular-season wins.
"In 2008, when we got here, I was like, 'Oh yeah, this is like a home game. Look at all this red right here.'"
That year, former Bulldogs running back and first-round pick Ryan Mathews ran for 166 yards and a touchdown in a 36-31 win.
"It was great to see our kids go down and celebrate with the fans. It was great," Hill said.
A decade later, the Bulldogs returned to the Rose Bowl under Jeff Tedford's leadership.
"We go into games thinking we have a chance to win every game, no matter who we play," Tedford said.
Bulldogs quarterback and Dinuba native Marcus McMaryion tied a program record with four rushing touchdowns en route to a 38-14 victory - their largest margin of victory over UCLA.
"Amazing. It felt like a home game. Looking up and seeing all that red in the crowd - I mean, I can't thank the Red Wave enough," McMaryion said.
Then came the stunner in 2021.
Down four with under a minute to go, Jake Haener's last-minute heroics ended with a game-winning touchdown pass to Parlier native Jalen Cropper with just 14 seconds remaining.
"What just happened?! That was insane!" Haener said.
RELATED: Fresno State shocks #13 UCLA with late touchdown, winning 40-37
The Bulldogs knocked off No. 13 UCLA 40-37.
"He's the clutchest ever! Hall of Fame!" former Bulldog and current Rams running back Ronnie Rivers said.
"You talk about having a mindset of just fighting and playing until the very end," former Fresno State Football head coach Kalen DeBoer said."
"I love this team. I love the Valley. Oh my God," Haener said.
Bulldog Breakdown: Highlights of Fresno State v UCLA game
Current Bulldogs, like defensive captain Devo Bridges, still remember the energy of that night.
"Seeing the whole red section - the Red Wave right there - it was electric," Bridges recalled. "After the game, we ran over and celebrated with them. We feel that energy for sure."
Whether UCLA is ranked or not, representing the Green V inside the Rose Bowl remains a point of pride.
"We're going to go out there, play Bulldog football, represent the Valley, and fight. Swing. Do everything we can to get a victory," Skipper said.
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