While the rain picked up, dampening the spirits of some fans and vendors outside of Camping World Stadium for the 2018 AutoZone Cure Bowl tailgate, Jordan Bloom and Sean Keating were in good spirits as they sipped their beers under a tent at about 10 am in their Tulane Green Wave apparel.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions this season,” said Bloom. The Tulane alumni drove over eight hours last night to see the Green Wave play in their first bowl game since 2013. Win or lose, they’re just happy to see the program on the rise.

“I really like [Head Coach Willie Fritz] and the system he’s running,” said Bloom. “[Quarterback Justin McMillian] misses some easy passes, but he’s doing really well in Fritz’s run-option-with-a-twist system.”

Donna Millington, a Louisiana fan who traveled here from Lafayette to watcher her Ragin’ Cajuns play, is also happy with the direction of the program.

“I was very surprised and happy with how our boys did this season,” said Ellington.

Fans weren’t the only ones milling about outside of the stadium before the game.

Multi-platinum selling artist Andy Grammer performed an hour set about two hours before kickoff, with a large emphasis on the performance being on the Cure Bowl’s financial contributions to breast cancer research.

When asked why she liked Andy Grammer, concert-goer Kristine Skibinski couldn’t help but gush. “I just love his positive disposition and his energy,” she said. “He can twist anything to be good.”

Vendors such as Crunchy Tech, selling gigantic iPhone’s meant for app developers, Orlando-based brewery Ten10, which gave free glasses of their IPA, Bud Light, which set up a huge mobile bar that covered patrons from the rain, attracted just about everybody at the tailgate.

The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1:37 pm. It will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and listening to locally on 96.9 FM.