Forrest achieves WSU marks for punts, overall yardage

TEMPE, Ariz. – It was another big day for Reid Forrest. Maybe his biggest.

The senior punter from Ephrata High punted six times for 271 yards, a 45.2 average. Nothing unusual about that.

But his fifth punt – with 13 minutes, 16 seconds left in the third quarter – a high, driving boot that traveled 57 yards, gave him two Washington State University career records.

It was the 255th punt of his Cougars career, tying him with Kyle Basler atop the WSU list – a record he broke a quarter later. And the punt gave him 10,845 yards, passing Basler’s record of 10,794 yards that has stood since 2005.

“It’s something that, as a freshman, I thought I would never attain,” Forrest said after the Cougars’ 42-0 loss to Arizona State on Saturday at Sun Devils Stadium. “Looking at the numbers I had to go after. … I didn’t think as a freshman I would ever see the field.”

There is one record of Basler’s that Forrest will never take away. As the Cougars’ punter from 2002 to 2005, Basler appeared in two bowl games, including the 2003 Holiday Bowl.

Basler punted so well in that 28-20 win over Texas he was named most valuable defensive player.

“I would trade every stat, every record, for a bowl game,” said Forrest, who never played on a winning team in his five years. “Erase everything just to go to a bowl game. It would have been worth it.”

It’s that attitude that endears Forrest to coach Paul Wulff.

“In this rebuilding deal, he’s been one of the catalysts,” Wulff said. “He’s a strong-willed, do-it-right person all the time.”

Moos’ son injures knee

It was a sad day for WSU athletic director Bill Moos.

Not only did the Cougars get stomped into the turf, with 3:55 left to play his son, Bo, an Arizona State junior defensive tackle, was on that grass, unable to get up.

Though he didn’t record a tackle, the younger Moos had played quite a bit inside, helping the ASU defense limit Washington State to 8 yards rushing, the Cougars’ lowest total since being held to 7 here two years ago.

But caught in a scrum on one of the few times WSU got inside the red zone, Moos went down. After being helped off the field, his knee was examined. The verdict: a sprained medial collateral ligament. No surgery would be needed, but he will miss some time.

The Cougars sustained some injuries as well, with starters Myron Beck (left shoulder), James Montgomery (left quad bruise) and B.J. Guerra (shoulder stinger) joined by reserve Sekope Kaufusi on the sidelines at the end of the game.

There was no word on the extent of WSU’s injuries.

Two defensive backs, Anthony Carpenter and Aire Justin, both suffering from lingering concussions, and linebacker Mike Ledgerwood (hamstring), did not make the trip.

Ten minutes of nothing

Sometimes replay can avert embarrassment, sometimes it can’t. And sometimes both happens.

Such was the case in the third quarter.

With a first-and-10 at his 14-yard line, Jeff Tuel found Daniel Blackledge on a quick out in front of the WSU bench.

Blackledge seemed to catch the ball, take a step or two then fumble it forward. Safety Max Tabach scooped up the bouncing ball and headed toward the WSU goal line. But as he was hit, he fumbled and players from both teams jumped on the ball.

Arizona State defensive tackle Corey Adams came out of the pile with it, ran over and gave it to an official, but line judge Manuel Alonso pointed to the ground and ruled it WSU’s ball at the 18.

“Honestly don’t know what happened,”said Blackledge, who was closest to the play. “I don’t think I caught it. I don’t think I had it in.”

Referee Jack Wood talked with Alonso and announced the fumble had been recovered by ASU, then fumbled back and recovered by the Cougars. So it was first down.

But not for long.

The replay official rang in.

Wood ran down to talk with the booth. After 6 minutes he clicked on his microphone. The pass was incomplete. The whole play was moot.

But the replay wasn’t. After the ball was spotted – it was second-and-10 from the 14 – Wood had to check with upstairs again. The time was inaccurate.

All told, the play took nearly 10 minutes and nothing happened. It was 35-0 at the time.

Flags unfurled

Washington State came into the night leading the Pac-10 in fewest penalties, having been called for 44 for 395 yards, an average of 5.5 and 49.4 yards per game. Arizona State was the conference’s most penalized team, with 59 for 529 yards, a 75.6 yard average.

The final stats: WSU, eight penalties for 105 yards; ASU, five for 35.

“I think falling into the trap, getting frustrated, playing immature,” Wulff answered when asked what was behind the numbers.

The Cougars were called for three personal fouls – Kaufusi, Wade Jacobson and Zack Williams – plus two other major penalties – an illegal block on Jared Karstetter and pass interference against Tyree Toomer – that accounted for 75 of the yards.

“I can’t control what the official sees or what he calls,” said sophomore safety Toomer, who felt he had made a clean play on the ball and Mike Willie in the end zone at the end of the first half. “It’s their decision to make.”