State College , Pennsylvania ( CNN ) -- This was n't how Penn State football coach Bill O'Brien hoped things would start . He rushed off the field in disappointment after his Nittany Lions lost 24-14 to Ohio University . But judging by the scene around him , you would n't have known it . As the two teams knelt in prayer at the end of the game , many of the more than 97,000 faithful fans in attendance proudly sang the school 's alma mater . Forging a new meaning for the rally cry 'We Are ... Penn State ' In the student section at one end zone , students , many of whom had camped out for first-row seats since Wednesday night , stood shoulder to shoulder with their arms around each other as they belted out the words . `` For the glory of old State , for her founders strong and great , for the future that we wait , raise the song , raise the song . '' One woman wiped tears from her eyes , smearing the blue paint that covered her face . `` I 'm not crying because we lost , '' freshman Kelly Jordan said . `` I mean , I was really hoping we could show everyone that they were wrong about us . But how can you not be proud of what happened here today ? This is who we are -- united . I 'm proud of what those guys did on the field . They had a tall mountain to climb , but just could n't get all the way there . '' Penn State scandal : Where things stand . The team had the full support of alumni from near and far and the boisterous cheers from the student section . They led into the third quarter and gassed out , losing 24-14 . It was a disappointing outcome for the team , though there were many things stacked against them from the start . In the wake of the child sex abuse scandal that rocked campus and saw former coach Jerry Sandusky convicted of abusing 10 boys over 15 years , the football program was rocked . NCAA sanctions that included a post-season ban led to many of their key starters transferring . Legendary coach Joe Paterno was fired , and the team had to rebuild from scratch . When the hero falls off the pedestal . And in the third quarter it showed . Costly errors , missed tackles and fumbled passes got the best of them . But O'Brien put the blame entirely on himself , falling on the sword in a press conference after the game . `` I think we all got ta coach better and that starts with me , '' he told a packed room of reporters . `` I got ta coach a lot better . '' While he may be right and there are still kinks to work out , the scoreboard at the end of the game told only part of the story . Complete coverage of Penn State . Fans had turned out in the thousands more than four hours before kickoff to show the new coach they supported him . `` It means more than anything . It means so much to be a part of this rebuilding process , '' freshman Avi Kallmeyer said as he prepared to take his seat in the first row of the student section . `` We 're still here , and we 're not going anywhere . '' Many held up signs proclaiming 'We Stand With You '' as blue buses pulled up with the players and coaches . It 's a longtime tradition at Penn State . The crowds roared for nearly five minutes , long after the players had already entered the tunnel into the stadium . The game was the culmination of a long week of pep rallies of sorts -- both official and unofficial . On Friday night the school held its Football Eve pep rally to get students and alums pumped about the new season . After nine months of clouds hanging over them they were ready to get the season -- and in many ways the healing -- started . They were thankful . They were excited . They knew that together they have something to prove to the world . And they were ready to take the first major step toward writing a new chapter for the storied football team . The same could be said about the crowd Saturday afternoon , even after losing to a team in a mid-major conference for the first time in a home opener since the 1960s . While there were looks of disappointment , the overall enthusiasm did not waver even ask the clock ticked down with Ohio in the lead . Chants of `` We Are Penn State ! '' and `` Bill O'Brien ! '' rocked the stadium . Penn State 's student section , known for being one of the most passionate in the nation , stood the entire game cheering the team on until the very last moment . That passion , and more importantly , the support was not lost on O'Brien . And although he appeared stoic during the press conference , he made sure to acknowledge how much it meant to him . `` I thought it was a great atmosphere , '' he said . `` I think it was a good crowd and just want them to keep coming and support the football team . And we really appreciate the support of the fans . '' As they exited the stadium , many of them said it was a good game and a good start for the team and pledged to be there for them as they seek to get stronger , become more cohesive and move toward even more important games . Shortly before the game Susan Lamey stood outside the stadium in glasses with the paws of the Nittany Lion on her face . She 's put them on for 18 seasons ' worth of home games , most of them victories that were vacated as part of NCAA sanctions against the school . None of that -- and nothing that follows -- will change that , she says . `` We 've been here for 50 years and it 's been a lot of changes , and we have been hurt by many , many things . But no matter what , we will always be here for this football team . And we will be here for Bill O'Brien -- win , lose or draw . We 're here for the long haul . '' That 's exactly the kind of support O'Brien hopes he can count on and may need as the team looks forward to a tougher schedule . And while there 's many uncertainties that lie ahead for him and the team , the fans in Happy Valley seem determined to help deliver all the support they can give .
Penn State loses season opener to Ohio University . Fans come from near and far to cheer on Penn State 's new coach and team . Score: 7