(Reuters) – College football’s annual Sugar Bowl in New Orleans got underway on Thursday with heightened security, a moment of silence and chants of “USA”, one day after a truck attack killed at least 14 people less than a mile from the stadium.
A Notre Dame player carried an American flag as his team took the field to face Georgia at the Superdome in what was also the college football playoffs quarter-final, pushed back a day due to Wednesday’s attack.
Supporters of the Georgia Bulldogs held up a sign that said “Dawgs love and support NOLA,” the acronym for New Orleans, Louisiana.
Fans entering the stadium met an increased police presence and enhanced security checks, and chants of “USA, USA” could be heard after the pre-game singing of the national anthem at the 83,000-capacity stadium.
“I’m looking forward to it just so we can at least smile a little bit today,” Jerrold Sneed, the father of Notre Dame linebacker Jaylen Sneed, said before the game.
Prior to kickoff, U.S. President Joe Biden offered prayers for those killed and injured in the attack and thanked first responders. Biden said he was glad the game was back on and not surprised because “the spirit of New Orleans can never be kept down.”
The FBI has identified the suspect as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texan and Army veteran who had pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
The FBI said he drove a truck into a crowd of New Year’s Day revelers and was shot dead at the scene after firing at police.
Scores were injured in the attack including two police officers wounded by gunfire from the suspect.
Authorities say he acted alone.
New Orleans will also host the NFL’s Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in San Francisco; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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