Defensive lineman Atonio Mafi pointed toward the throng of blue and smiled. Kicker J.J. Molson flapped his arms, urging everyone to sustain the decibel level. Tight end Caleb Wilson flung his white gloves to a fan perched above a railing.
The revelry continued in the locker room after the Bruins’ 37-7 victory over California on Saturday at California Memorial Stadium. Players sang the school’s fight song so heartily that it could be heard outside through thick doors.
It also felt overdue, the first victory of the Chip Kelly era coming after five consecutive losses to open the season.