The Press-Enterprise describes the “mellow” scene at UCLA’s big pregame rally:

UCLA held its annual Beat ‘SC Bonfire on Thursday night, and the talk was surprisingly mellow on the eve of a showdown with the Bruins’ cross-town rival.

In front of a crowd of several thousand at Wilson Plaza, the event, which began with a parade, featured significantly less trash-talking than in previous years.

As if the prospect of another Trojan beatdown weren’t enough to turn the crowd somber, poor weather conditions prevented their annual bonfire from taking place:

After the players finished talking, the bonfire was not started. A stream of confetti shot out the middle of the set-up, while disappointed fans were told a fire was not permitted because of a red flag fire warning on the unseasonably cool Westwood evening.

UCLA doesn’t show much fire at rally [The Press-Enterprise]
No Spark at Bruin Bonfire [USC FanHouse]