THE CANADIAN PRESS

REGINA -- Some have painted green faces, others have watermelons on their heads and most are pretty rowdy - they are, after all, Saskatchewan Roughriders fans.

On Sunday, 30,945 fans will pack into Mosaic Stadium to watch their beloved team take on the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL's West Division final (TSN, 4 p.m. ET) and the 'Riders know that's a definite home-field advantage.

"We feed off that, we feed off that emotion, we feed off that excitement," said veteran Eddie Davis.

"I mean any time the crowd gets loud, we go out there and make a big play, you just keep wanting to make more and more big plays to keep the crowd alive."

Davis has been with the 'Riders for nine years and has the most playoff experience on the team. The defensive back has been in 16 post-season match-ups in his 15 years in the league and has two Grey Cup rings ('98 with Calgary, '07 with Saskatchewan).

He has one word to describe the atmosphere in Mosaic Stadium for people who have never seen it firsthand - "crazy."

"These fans go crazy. You're going to see a bunch of streakers out here, you're going to see people probably throwing stuff at the other team on the other sideline," said Davis.

"They're going to be loud the whole game and it's just going to be an electric atmosphere."

Roughrider fans have good reason to be excited.

It's the first time Saskatchewan has clinched the West Division regular-season title since 1976. Hosting a West final for the first time in more than three decades has made fans a little rabid.

"They've been hungry to get this game here and for us play in it here for the first time in 33 years, it means everything to them," said cornerback Omarr Morgan.

The Riders averaged 30,717 fans in the regular season and the energy they bring helps the team stay motivated, Morgan added.

"When you make nice plays and you make a great hit, they're just up and you can kind of feel the stadium rock," said Morgan. "Just having them out there, giving the other team hell over there, and having the players from the other team talk to you after the game about how rowdy our fans are, that's just great motivation for me.

"My biggest challenge ... I mean, with the fans here and having this game here for the first time in 33 years and the opportunity that presents itself, is probably not to get too emotional," he added.

The opportunity Morgan refers to is the chance to play in the Grey Cup.

The winner of Sunday's contest between Saskatchewan and Calgary will play either the B.C. Lions or the Montreal Alouettes for the championship Nov. 29.

Roughriders head coach Ken Miller knows that his players will "feed" off the crowd's energy. But at the same time, Miller wants the team to keep their cool.

"I constantly remind them to be calm and confident. We want to go into the game with that attitude," said Miller.

"Sometimes I use an analysis of a surgeon, you don't want a surgeon operating on you who is out of breath and panting, you want one who is calm and cool and collected. That's the demeanour that we really want to have as we approach a football game."

With all the electricity in the air in Regina on Sunday afternoon, that might be a tall order.