The smell of propane and grilling steaks, the roar of the Penn State fight song and raucous, beer-induced behavior can only mean one thing.

Penn State football fans are tailgating.

But near these particular throngs of revelers, the familiar scenery of Mt. Nittany and Beaver Stadium is nowhere in sight.

Thousands of Nittany Lions supporters, driving anything from a motor home to a blue bus, poured into the parking lots that surround Giants Stadium Sunday for the Kickoff Classic.

For many fans, it was just another weekend during football season. No matter where Penn State plays, they will be present.

"We'd only miss a game for a funeral," Brian Heckert of Harrisburg said.

Heckert, his sister Nicole and about 15 of their high school friends have season tickets at Beaver Stadium, but they can tailgate anywhere. They and a caravan of vehicles surrounded a miniature campsite that includes lawn chairs, grills, pounds of tortilla chips and a small beer wagon.

After all, it wouldn't be a tailgate without beer. And the Heckerts and their friends are experts when it comes to one of the biggest Penn State football traditions.

"We had 230 beers for this game," Nicole said. "There's 10 of us."

"But we have water and iced tea, too," Brian added.

In contrast with her reverence for Penn State, Nicole reveals that she is a 1991 graduate of Pittsburgh, a statement that is met by chorus of jeers from her fellow tailgaters. But to prove her allegiance, she dons a Penn State hat and salutes when the fight song is played.

Once inside a stadium, Nicole and her best friend, Stacy Herman, sit together at every game — even though Stacy is recently married.

"We have a pact, that even when we're married, we're still going to sit together," Nicole said. "But the best part of this whole story is that we all went to high school together."

Just as the Nicole and her friends stand out in a crowded parking lot, the Karinch family is hard to miss.

Mounted on the roof of their 37-foot motor home is a yellow flag with a blue letter K in the center. Below that is a Penn State flag.

"Everyone knows where the yellow flag is," John Karinch said. "That's our signal."

The atmosphere was slightly less wild than the Heckert camp, but the basic tailgate staples are present. John's brother, Ralph, grills steaks in a blue apron with the words "Something's cooking at Penn State."

Other family members mill around the site, sipping their staple beverage, Yuengling Lager.

John owns the motor home, which transports and entertains friends and family. That includes the patriarch and 1942 Penn State grad, Steve. He has passed the Nittany Lions tradition to his children and grandchildren, including seven who have graduated Penn State.

Steve owns 34 season tickets at Beaver Stadium and has held tickets since 1939, except during World War II when he served as a paratrooper.

The family attends every home game and usually one on the road each year. If Steve has his way, that tradition won't end soon.

"I'm only 81, so I'd like to see another seven or eight years," Steve said.

"They'll probably bury him up there at Beaver Stadium," Ralph added.

The Karinch motor home is one of the more conspicuous party sites, but the family keeps a low profile.

On the other hand, the Hummel clan has a smaller RV, but an obvious presence.

A faded blue banner hangs on one side of the vehicle with the Penn State logo, the family's name embroidered on the left side and national championship years — 1982 and 1986 — on the right. At the side entrance, a plastic Joe Paterno doll his tied to the door handle.

The owner of the RV, Les Hummel and his wife, Shirley, pride themselves on being easily recognized fans. Shirley wears a curly, blue wig to every game. She's appeared in the 1986 yearbook and the 1994 Rose Bowl pep rally video — in the wig, of course.

Shirley and Les, their son Dale, daughter Rachel and family friends Bill and Janet Turner comprise the visible contingent. Janet and Rachel put blue glitter on themselves and pom-poms in their hair.

Even at home games, the Hummels are easily spotted.

At Beaver Stadium, they sit in the top row of the WB section and hang a Penn State tarp. The Hummels and others in the section have been sitting there and declaring their loyalty for the past 23 years.

"In our section, we know each other's e-mail addresses and phone numbers," Les said.

Before home games, they tailgate in the parking lot of the Shields Building and enjoy socializing and talking about the upcoming game with fellow tailgaters.

"My dad lives for this," Dale said.

And judging by the hordes of cars, motor homes and die-hard fans at Giants Stadium, he's not the only one.