LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Although the University of Hawai'i's direct ticket sales are down from its last game here, the Warriors say they are still hopeful of having their fans account for nearly half of the crowd Saturday against Nevada-Las Vegas.

"We still hope for about 50 percent (of the fans)," UH athletic director Jim Donovan said.

UH said it has directly sold about 3,000 tickets, returning several thousand more to UNLV. Boyd Gaming Corp., the game's sponsor, said it has sold nearly all its 2,000-ticket allotment, though a few packages remain.

UH said it distributed 6,900 tickets for the Warriors' last game here in 2007, including the Boyd allotment. That game drew 38,125, approximately 15,000 of whom were Hawai'i fans on the Mainland or traveled here from the 50th state. UH's 2003 visit here drew 34,287, approximately 12,000 of whom were estimated to be UH fans.

Donovan cited the economic downturn for the drop.

UNLV said it does not yet have an estimate for Saturday's attendance at 39,100-seat Sam Boyd Stadium.

UNLV listed a crowd of 25,967 for last Saturday's game with Oregon State, including a sizeable OSU contingent.

Four of UNLV's Top 20 all-time home crowds have been for games with UH.

"Hotel occupancy has been running strong at our downtown properties already, thanks to continued visitation by our Hawaiian customers throughout the year, but this game will give us a nice boost this weekend," said David Strow, director, corporate communications for Boyd Gaming Corp., which operates nine properties in the Las Vegas area and leads the Hawai'i market.

"It's (the UH-UNLV series) been a tremendously popular event in years past, attracting both regulars and newcomers from Hawai'i to our downtown Las Vegas properties," Strow said. "Package sales are down a bit from the 2007 game, but are still running strong."

CROWD CONTROL ON TAP

In a move aimed at heading off the violence that has erupted in the stands during UH's last two visits to Sam Boyd Stadium, UNLV said it is "planning to cut off beer sales one quarter early for this game."

Traditionally, UNLV said it has ceased beer sales after the third quarter but will end them following halftime.

In addition, a UNLV spokesman said "more security officers and ushers will be on hand" but wasn't sure of the exact staffing numbers at this point.

Police responded to more than a dozen fight calls, ejected more than 10 people, arrested three people and handed out numerous citations at the 2003 game.

COUGARS HURTING

Washington State committed so many turnovers in its 38-20 loss to Hawai'i Saturday that even Cougars' head coach Paul Wulff admitted he didn't know how many his team made.

"I didn't even realize it when I was talking with everybody," Wulff told the Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman-Review Sunday. "I thought we had six turnovers. We had seven."

There were three interceptions and four fumbles. Wulff said WSU also had 21 missed tackles,

Adding injury to insult, the Cougars might have lost as many as four starters to injuries in the game.