Cougars pass on running
TEMPE, Ariz. — Washington State University has lost five of its last six games, but that one win was notable for one major reason.
The Cougars often ran the ball.
That victory came a week ago at UCLA, and it was expected that the Cougars would do more of the same against Arizona State on Saturday night.
Jerome Harrison, who ran for 247 yards against the Bruins, had 118 on 19 carries against the Sun Devils. His numbers were impressive but certainly not gaudy, largely because of WSU’s early deficit.
“We fell behind. That caused us to pass the ball more and get away from the run,” Harrison said. “The way our offensive line has been playing, the run has been working well. But when you fall behind, you’ve got to pass the ball. That’s part of the game.”
The running back eclipsed 100 yards on his first carry of the second half, mostly because of a 56-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. But after hitting the century mark, there was little Harrison could do with his team well behind. As a team, the Cougars had 35 rushes for 141 yards.
“It’s kind of tough to pound the ball on the ground like Nebraska when you’re down 25, 30 points,” WSU left tackle Calvin Armstrong said. “We need to throw to get back in the game. We just didn’t have it. We got our butts whipped.”
Bumpus adds to his returns
In a game largely void of Cougars highlights, freshman Michael Bumpus provided one with a 76-yard punt return for touchdown in the first quarter.
Earlier this season, Bumpus took a punt 52 yards for a score against Oregon.
Bumpus caught the punt along the right sideline, as he did against Oregon. But instead of dancing along the edge of the field, he cut it back all the way to the left side, breaking free and high-stepping away from punter Chris MacDonald to score and cut ASU’s lead to 21-14.
“I got the ball, and I made the first guy miss,” Bumpus said. “I was kind of disappointed the kicker caught me. I knew it was the kicker, so I knew he didn’t want to really tackle me. I just waited for him to go at my feet, and I anticipated it so I could get a little hop out of it. I thought it was a whole different game after that. We had momentum on out side, but unfortunately, we couldn’t carry it over for the rest of the game.”
Before his return for a score, Bumpus muffed a punt for his fifth fumble in the last three weeks. That, he said, made the score a little sweeter.
“My teammates calmed me down, and I felt like I could take one back,” Bumpus said.
Bumpus wasn’t the only wide receiver to make a play of note. Sophomore Jason Hill had nine catches for 132 yards, including his 11th touchdown reception.
That score ties him with three others for the school record, and he’ll have a chance next week to claim the mark.
“He plays to the end,” Bumpus said, reflecting on Hill’s fourth-quarter, 41-yard grab. “We were down by like 30 points, and he was still playing hard.”
Sun Devils honor Tillman
The Sun Devils retired the No. 42 jersey of Pat Tillman in a halftime ceremony. Tillman, who left the NFL to join the military, was killed in action in Afghanistan earlier this year. His is the fifth jersey retired by Arizona State.
Before the game, four Apache helicopters flew over Sun Devil Stadium in a missing man formation.
Tillman’s family was on the field for the ceremony, surrounded by a number of former teammates at Arizona State, where he played from 1994-97.
WSU assistant coach Robin Pflugrad, who was an assistant at ASU during Tillman’s college career, also came on the field for part of the ceremony, greeting several former players.
“It’s such an honor for our players and coaches to wear the same uniform that he once wore,” ASU head coach Dirk Koetter said. “After the game, the Tillman family was in the locker room and we presented them with a game ball. It was just a small gesture on our part. I’m just so honored for our small part in paying tribute to a true American hero.”
Notes
The attendance at Sun Devil Stadium was announced as 60,319. … The game’s final touchdown came on an 8-yard run by WSU tailback Chris Bruhn. The score was the first of the senior’s career. … Cougars cornerback Alex Teems re-aggravated his neck injury with a stinger in the second quarter and spent the rest of the game on the sidelines. … Teems was joined on the sidelines by safety Jeremy Bohannon, who sprained an ankle in the first half and was in street clothes for the third and fourth quarters. … Wide receiver Greg Prator also re-injured an ankle he originally sprained at Oregon State.