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Joel AndersonESPN
A day after several members of the University of Washington marching band were injured in a bus rollover, the Washington State band performed its rival’s fight song in a poignant pregame tribute.
The Cougar marching band played “Bow Down to Washington” in place of the Washington band, which decided to not attend Friday’s Apple Cup following the bus accident the previous night.
“Without @huskyband in attendance tonight, @WSUCMB played our fight song,” tweeted the UW athletics department. “Thank you for putting rivalry aside and showing your support.”
The Washington State band had been seen practicing the UW fight song earlier Friday, according to a tweet from an anchor from Seattle TV station KOMO. The band also tweeted its support of the UW band that morning, writing, “Wishing them safe travels back home and wherever bowl season takes them!”
Forty-seven of the 56 people on board the UW bus were taken to local hospitals for evaluation but, by Friday morning, only two remained under medical care for injuries that are “not believed to be life-threatening,” according to a statement from the school. The bus was one of six carrying band members and chaperones across Washington.
The accident happened outside the city of George, about 130 miles west of Spokane, where the band planned to stay before traveling to Pullman on Friday.
The 280-mile trip from Seattle to Spokane cuts through the Wenatchee National Forest and has some narrow stretches of highway, which turned slippery following a day of steady rain on Thanksgiving.
By kickoff Friday evening in Pullman, snow had started to fall and temperatures had dipped below 40 degrees.