A sea of Bruin blue filled Wilson Plaza tonight as thousands of UCLA students, staff, faculty, alumni and Bruin supporters came together to support the UCLA football team at the annual Beat ‘SC rally and bonfire.

“This is my fourth time and each year it gets bigger and better, with more people, more energy and more excitement,” head football coach Jim Mora told the festive crowd. “This team right here is a remarkable group of young men. They truly are.”

The much-anticipated match-up between the Bruins and the Trojans takes place on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Kick-off is at 12:30 p.m. The Bruins are currently ranked No. 23 nationally, while the Trojans are unranked.

A win for the Bruins on Saturday would mark the fourth time in as many years that the team has defeated the crosstown rivals. The game will also determine the Pac-12 South Division Championship. The winner will go on to play North Division champion Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Dec. 5.

Tonight’s rally and bonfire was hosted by UCLA alumna India Carney, whose vocal prowess captivated audiences on NBC’s “The Voice” earlier this year. Carney, who also performed, placed No. 5 in the televised singing competition just prior to graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in music in spring 2015.

The audience was also treated to performances by student groups Bruin Harmony, FASTco, NSU Modern, Samahang Modern, Signature A Cappella and Yukai Daiko. The UCLA spirit squad and marching band were also on hand to help revelers turn up the energy. In addition, the latest “8-Clap Heard around the World” video was unveiled.

UCLA alumnus Will Forte also dropped in for a surprise visit. Forte, who graduated from UCLA with a degree in history in 1993, was a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” from 2002 to 2010 and later starred in the Academy Award-nominated film “Nebraska.”  Forte created and currently stars in the post-apocalyptic television sitcom “The Last Man on Earth.”

“Some of my greatest memories in my life happened on this campus, and I just hope everyone really cherishes the time you get to spend here if you’re a student,” Forte said. “Soak it in because you’re part of the greatest university in the world.”

Prior to the event, students participated in a “Get the Red Out” blood drive and a t-shirt exchange, swapping their red articles of clothing for commemorative “Beat ‘SC” t-shirts.