First look

Time: 6 p.m. Saturday. TV: None

The records: WSU, 6-4, 4-3 Pac-10; Arizona State, 5-4, 2-4 Pac-10.

Last week: WSU lost 27-17 to Arizona at home; Arizona State lost 44-10 at Oregon State.

Last time: The Cougars made one final run at infamy last season with a seventh consecutive Pac-10 loss on a chilly November evening against Arizona State. The Sun Devils prevailed 27-24, with WSU making one of its more improbable gaffes in a season filled with them. The Cougars kicked the tying field goal in the fourth quarter, but opted to accept a defensive penalty and a fourth-and-1 situation, on which Jerome Harrison lost yardage running to the short side of the field. That score held for the rest of the game, and the Sun Devils escaped Pullman with a victory.

The line: WSU by 1

What it means for WSU: The Cougars need a win in a big way after suffering a letdown loss to Arizona. From a bowl standpoint, it’s looking more and more like seven wins may be necessary for the team to qualify. And from an emotional standpoint, WSU could really use a boost following last week’s embarrassing home loss. This game will be on someone else’s turf, and that might be a good thing for the Cougars, who have won their last four Pac-10 road games. A fifth win this week would largely redeem last week’s loss and put the Cougars back in the hunt for an upper-echelon conference finish.

What it means for Arizona State: Still one win shy of bowl eligibility, the Sun Devils would love to get their sixth victory before playing UCLA and Arizona down the stretch. It’s been a difficult year for Arizona State, from a preseason quarterback controversy to an early season swoon in conference play. But getting to a bowl game might redeem things, and also take some of the heat off head coach Dirk Koetter, who’s probably under the microscope as much as any Pac-10 coach right now.

Key matchup: WSU offensive line vs. ASU defensive line

With big problems at wide receiver because of injuries, the Cougars absolutely must develop a better running game to defeat the Sun Devils and get win No. 7 of the season. That means the offensive line will have to do a better job of opening holes, especially between the tackles, where the Cougars have found little room to run in recent weeks. The Sun Devils defensive front hasn’t been great, allowing more than 139 rushing yards a game. Something along those lines or better would do wonders for WSU.

Injury update: WSU is in bad shape once again, although this time at a new position. Wide receivers Jason Hill and Michael Bumpus, though still technically listed as possibly available, are almost certainly out this week with high ankle sprains. Running backs Derrell Hutsona (ankle sprain) and DeMaundray Woolridge (shoulder stinger) are at best questionable, and defensive tackle Ropati Pitoitua will probably miss another week with a knee sprain. Arizona State is similarly injury-plagued, with 40 players hurt in some capacity. Cornerback Rudy Burgess (ankle), wide receiver Terry Richardson (knee) and linebacker Robert James (concussion) are all questionable at this point, and if Burgess is healthy he may end up moving back to wideout because of a season-ending knee injury to Nate Kimbrough.

Glenn Kasses