TUCSON, AZ. – At 2:30 p.m. MST on Dec. 27, thousands of Miami University fans, parents and alumni gathered at the University of Arizona Casino Del Sol Stadium to witness the RedHawks fall to the California State University, Fresno, Bulldogs in their second Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl game appearance. Last year, the RedHawks defeated the Colorado State University Rams 47-13 at the Arizona Bowl, held in Tucson, Arizona. This year, the RedHawks faced a new opponent but failed to rise to the challenge. The game ended with a 18-3 loss for Miami.
Taking place three days after Christmas, last year’s bowl game drew a crowd of roughly 40,000 to Tucson, including a mix of Miami and Colorado State fans. This year, many of the returning players, band members, Shakerettes and cheerleaders took to the field again, with one or both of their parents in the stands supporting them.
Though, for redshirt senior safety Silas Walters, his support system was on the field with him.
His mother, Jenny, said she has been taking photos for the RedHawks since Silas joined the team as a walk-on in 2022. This year’s Arizona Bowl marked the last time she would watch her son wearing the Red and White from the sidelines.
“It's been an amazing experience, and I have no regrets,” Jenny said. “We’ve met some amazing people and made connections and friends, people we'll never forget.”
Jenny has been supporting Silas from the sidelines since kindergarten, and she described photography as her trade. Although she mainly takes photos at home games, she has shown up to cheer on the RedHawks at away games, as well.
Redshirt senior safety Silas Walters' mom, Jenny, stands on the sidelines of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl game, taking photos for the RedHawks.
“He said [after the game], ‘That was a tough one,’ and then, ‘I love you,’” Jenny said, tearing up. “And then he goes, ‘Did you have fun?’ I said, ‘I did. I didn't want it to end.’ But you know, you have to move on, and then the next come behind and do great things, too. That’s how life goes”
Jenny described the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl as the “best bowl game out there,” and said she appreciated both times she was able to attend and support her son and the RedHawks.
Livvy Bertrand, the mother of a RedHawk sousaphone player, said there was one thing she was looking forward to most coming to Tucson: watching her son, Nathan, perform in the marching band.
Being from Rochester, New York, Livvy said she had only been to two games to support her son before traveling to Tucson, including a home game at Yager Stadium in Oxford. When the RedHawks were invited back to the Arizona Bowl, she jumped at the chance to travel 2,263 miles.
“I love football, and I’m excited to watch my son, of course,” Bertrand said at the pep rally held on Dec. 26.
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Bertrand is not the only parent to travel thousands of miles in support of their child. Michael and Natasha Beasley, parents of redshirt freshman defensive back Koy Beasley, said they traveled from Cincinnati to watch the RedHawks take on the Bulldogs.
In the regular season, the only game the Beasleys did not attend was the matchup on Nov. 19, when the RedHawks visited UB Stadium in New York to defeat the University at Buffalo Bulls.
“Seeing [Koy] become a starter and get a lot of playing time as a redshirt freshman has been a wonderful experience,” Michael said.
The Shakerettes traveled alongside the football team to Tucson to cheer on the RedHawks. Katie Cooper, a senior member of the team, came with a cheer squad of her own: her parents, Tanya and Doug Cooper.
The Coopers said they have yet to miss a RedHawks football game that their daughter was performing at, and the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl was no exception. They’ve traveled to the Mid-American Conference Championship game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on Dec. 6, Orlando, Florida, for the Cure Bowl on Dec. 16, 2023, and last year’s Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl game on Dec. 28.
“We rarely miss an opportunity to see her dance, so this has been great,” Tanya said. “Miami is awesome to be able to take the [Shakerettes] and the band to all these events.”
During the game, the Coopers sat in the section directly behind the Shakerettes. Tanya, a two-time attendee of the bowl game, said that despite the loss, the atmosphere is what made the game so fun.
“It's electric, and I think the fan base is great,” Tanya said. “We have a lot of Miami people here, which is wonderful to see.”
@OliviaPatel555
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