Cougars fans paint town crimson, gray

Oops. Must have made a wrong turn somewhere. At least that's what you would have thought hanging around downtown's southern corridor yesterday.

The area around Seahawks Stadium resembled Pullman, with Washington State crimson and gray flowing off the highway, onto the streets and into the stadium for the game against Nevada.

Encased in an early, dense fog, fans of the No. 12 Cougars started tailgating at 9 a.m. for the noon game. They filled the parking lot outside the stadium and grilled burgers and hotdogs while drinking beers or soda in what later became 70-degree sunshine.

Alumnus Todd Stroschein of Tacoma had 40 people around his camper. Well, it was actually neighbor Curtis Reel's camper, who was the only one dressed in Oregon colors.

"I'm the only one who could afford a camper. I don't have any DWI's," Reel said jokingly.

Inside the Exhibition Center was a massive pregame party where the Washington State band played a shortened version of the fight song and recruits mingled with alumni.

"This is incredible," said alumnus Terry Smith, who was standing a level above and looking down on the sea of crimson. "I haven't seen this many Cougar fans in one place since the Rose Bowl. I walked in and was like, 'Wow!' "

A crowd of 63,588 attended the game at the 67,000-seat stadium.

"This is awesome," WSU freshman Melanie Humphrey said between cheers.

Most in the stadium were WSU alumni or students at the school. Many fans, who came from the Seattle area, appreciated a break from driving 300 miles to see their team play at Martin Stadium. There are 42,522 WSU alumni west of the Cascades and 33,168 in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, according to the university.

It's the first time in 26 years the Cougars have had a "home" game in Western Washington and the first time the school played in front such a large crowd.

The 63,588 in attendance nearly doubled the crowd that can fit in 37,600-seat Martin Stadium. It also exceeded the number that watched the Cougars play in their final two home games last season.

But while the experience was enjoyable and exciting for Washington State fans, most don't want a game in Seattle to be an annual event. The school likes the idea of playing in the stadium every other year, however.

"This is great once a year, but Pullman is still a better place to watch a football game," said alumnus Mike Miller of Kent.