WSU Football | Cougars left blinded in desert

TEMPE, Ariz. — Washington State coach Bill Doba walked into the interview room and said, "I didn't see this coming to be honest with you."

Neither did a lot of folks.

WSU got thrashed 47-14 by Arizona State in a game that was a low-water mark for the suddenly struggling Cougars.

Quarterback Alex Brink said, "We still believe we are a good football team, but we flat-out got embarrassed today. We have to respond. Everybody has to look in the mirror and see what character we've got."

The drumroll of Cougars shortcomings was long:

• After entering the game as a 1 ½-point favorite, the Cougars wound up on the short end of the most lopsided results in the 33-game series with the Sun Devils.

• The Cougars were held to a season-low 192 yards of total offense that included a season-low total of 27 rushing.

• Arizona State scored on its first seven possessions and on nine of 11 total possessions in amassing 562 yards, the most allowed by the Cougars this season.

• ASU never had to punt. The Sun Devils went into punt formation once, then threw a complete pass to keep a field-goal drive alive in the second quarter.

It was the second consecutive defeat for the Cougars, who revived Arizona's season last week in Pullman.

The defeat keeps the Cougars (6-5, 4-4) in bowl limbo going into Apple Cup week.

"If we don't play any better than that, we don't deserve to go to a bowl," Doba said.

The Cougars could have clinched a berth in one of the six bowls with which the Pac-10 has contracts if they had won and if either Arizona or UCLA had lost. Instead, the Cougars lost, so it didn't matter that Arizona and UCLA pulled upsets.

ASU improved to 6-4, 3-4 and became bowl-eligible, but like the Cougars is not guaranteed a bowl.

Both teams were short-handed because of injuries but ASU obviously did a better job of adjusting. The Sun Devils were without eight starters and the Cougars were minus five, including top receivers Jason Hill and Michael Bumpus, both left home with high ankle sprains.

Late scratches for WSU were starting defensive tackle Ropati Pitoitua (knee), who had been expected to return against the Sun Devils, and backup running back DeMaundray Woolridge (shoulder).

Pitoitua and fellow defensive tackle Fevaea'i Ahmu (foot fracture) are expected back for the Apple Cup next Saturday in Pullman.

Wide receiver Chris Jordan, who reinjured his surgically repaired knee and left the game, is not expected to play. Senior linebacker Scott Davis didn't finish the game because of a wrist injury and X-rays were inconclusive. Defensive tackle Aaron Johnson suffered an elbow injury and didn't finish the game.

ASU redshirt sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter picked the Cougars defense apart, connecting on 15 of 24 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once.

"He sat back there and chose his receivers," said WSU defensive end Mkristo Bruce. "He had a lot of time. ... They have a lot of weapons and they used every one of them."

WSU's Brink completed 14 of 30 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns but also was intercepted twice.

At halftime, Arizona State led 30-7 and the only suspense was what the final score would be.

The Sun Devils scored on all six first-half possessions, topping what Oregon State did to them when the Beavers scored on their first five in Corvallis in a 44-10 rout seven days earlier.

The lone Cougars score in the first half came on Charles Dillon's first touchdown catch and the 9-yarder from Brink tied the score at 7-7 once the extra point was added.

The Cougars required some help to get that score, though, as ASU's Kyle Williams fumbled a punt and Eric Frampton recovered at the ASU 36.

The rest of the half belonged to ASU, and the Sun Devils had amassed 298 yards at halftime to the Cougars' 82.

Cougars defensive end Lance Broadus seemed pleased that the next opponent is Washington.

"We're going to take our aggression out on them," he said.

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com