To say the UL fans’ excitement surrounding the football program has been restored and rejuvenated since the hiring of head football coach Mark Hudspeth, would be an understatement.

For months, Cajuns fans have expressed how stoked they were about the football program and its overall direction following Hudspeth’s hiring, and for Saturday’s home opener against Nicholls State, they proved it at the stadiums turnstiles with an announced attendance of 28,741, the eighth-largest crowd in school history.

"I am not surprised at all by how many people are out here today for the game," 27-year-old Lafayette resident Dane Burleigh said. "Hudspeth has done a great job of getting the community involved with the program, so I’m not surprised. I’m not surprised because I know what UL means to this community."

The fans, who turned out in bunches and contributed to painting the town red with their display of support by wearing red jerseys and T-shirts, agreed with Burleigh that Saturday shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.

"This is looking really good," Lafayette resident and UL alumna Peggy Hanes said. "Coach Hudspeth has generated a lot of excitement and has given long-time fans and supporters of the university a sense of hope. Coach Hudspeth has given us all some optimism to believe we’re going to do it (be successful)."

Although there were a lot of tailgaters before the game, one of the biggest differences Saturday from years past is that the majority entered the game in time for the kickoff.

"There was already a lot of excitement with the hiring of coach Hudspeth, and then you combine that with the big win last week over Kent State, and this is what you get," Burleigh said. "We have a great atmosphere here, and every week this is how it should look."

Letty Lizana, a Slidell resident, who was in attendance to watch her son Scott play in the UL band, was in awe of what she witnessed from the fans.

"This is the first time I’ve been here for a football game," Lizana said, "and it is awesome. I’m completely amazed by how many people are out here in support of the team. I’m completely in shock by this atmosphere, because I had no idea it was this big. I didn’t expect to see so many people here, but it has been very enjoyable. I’m just amazed by this atmosphere."