Washington State’s 48-7 win over Duquesne gave the Cougars their first victory of the season, but one fan in Pullman ended up drawing plenty of attention for all the wrong reasons.
At Saturday’s home opener at newly rearranged Gesa Field, the university’s sideline setup had been flipped this year so the visiting team was positioned directly in front of the students. The crowd was in a celebratory mood, but a custom jersey worn by an unidentified male fan quickly became the most talked-about item in the building.
The crimson No. 18 jersey featured a nameplate that read “HOPE SHE’S”. Photos of the outfit spread quickly online after other spectators posted them, and the reaction was immediate and harsh.
Fans across college football blasted the look as creepy, tasteless, and completely out of place at a family-friendly game. Others said they were baffled that the design made it through any sort of retailer filter in the first place.
“The jersey is funny until you realize he’s wearing it at a school that would 100% throw hands over it. “Crimson crowd doesn’t play that,” one fan said.
“Crazy posture on the left, wild jersey in the middle, ungodly build on the right,” a second fan wrote.
“Might get his ass kicked on Dad’s Weekend if he’s wearing that sh-t,” a third fan said of the Washington State Cougars fan.
“Some guys like this be married with kids..” one final fan added.
While the jersey sparked the online backlash, the Cougars had plenty to feel good about on the field. First-year head coach Kirby Moore picked up his first career win as Washington State bounced back from a quiet opening half and put together 21 unanswered third-quarter points.
Caden Pinnick led the surge, throwing two touchdown passes and adding another score on the ground. By the end of the afternoon, the home crowd had plenty to celebrate beyond the viral moment in the stands.
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