Redmond Wasn’T Missed Much

That tired old line about the all-around player - that he does everything for his teammates but bring them water?

J.R. Redmond brings them water.

At least he did on Saturday, when a recurring ankle injury limited the ways Arizona State’s do-everything threat could serve the Sun Devils in their 38-28 romp over Washington State.

The Pacific-10 leader in all-purpose yards - rushing, receiving and returns - played one series before pulling himself out of the game, after saying all week he’d be ready to go.

“He came off and said, ‘Coach, I don’t think I’m going to be able to help the team today,”’ said ASU coach Bruce Snyder.

But Gerald Green and Daveren Hightower could.

A walk-on who made the team in fall camp, Green rushed for 119 yards out of Redmond’s tailback slot. Hightower ran for one TD and caught a pass for another as the Sun Devils ran for 242 yards - the fourth consecutive game WSU has yielded more than 200 yards on the ground.

Even fullback Jeff Paulk, primarily a blocking back, got into the act - ripping off a 70-yard gain to set up Hightower’s first touchdown.

And Redmond? He took water out to the offense when the Sun Devils took timeout with 1:37 to play.

“I know this sounds corny, but he’s terrific to coach,” said Snyder. “He loves this football team - and if he’s going to hurt it, he’ll take himself out.”

It was Green’s opinion that the Cougs took themselves out of it when they saw Redmond couldn’t play.

“I heard some guys say, ‘Oh, yeah, we got J.R., he’s out now, he’s hurt,’ like they planned on that happening,” Green said. “I was telling myself, ‘That’s not the way to think.”’

But at halftime, the Sun Devils had just 84 yards rushing - less than half WSU’s total. It wasn’t until Paulk’s dash down the right sideline with safety Earl Riley in pursuit that the running game got a jump start.

“I should have made it all the way,” said Paulk, a Brunswickish 243-pounder. “It’s lack of experience.”

But you’re a senior.

“Yeah, but I’ve never had a 70-yard run before,” he said.

With backups like Green and Hightower, it’s easy to understand why the Sun Devils were so highly regarded before the season - and why they’ve been considered such a disappointment. Green was recruited by a number of schools out of Mesa Community College, but opted to walk on at Arizona State “because it just felt right.”

Hightower, meanwhile, had even more choices.

“We recruited him as a tailback,” Snyder said. “Texas A&M was recruiting him as a defensive back and Texas was recruiting him as a wide receiver. Now that I’ve watched him make some catches, that gives us another weapon.”