The late-morning sun was just starting its slow, steady climb over the old stadium.
A crowd that might not have filled Pauley Pavilion, much less the Rose Bowl, scattered in search of protection from the unrelenting glare.
Some fans found slivers of shade near the top of the bowl thanks to trees lining the outer rim of the stadium. Others clustered in seats underneath the Terry Donahue Pavilion, their own shadowy oasis.
Mercifully, there wasn’t much competition for choice spots.
Attendance, the scarlet “A” of the UCLA football program under coach Chip Kelly, continued a historic plunge Saturday during the Bruins’ season opener.