Non-returnable

PULLMAN – Arizona’s Mike Thomas came into Saturday’s game at Martin Stadium as the Pac-10 conference’s third-best punt returner, averaging 13.4 yards every time he fielded the ball.

The Wildcats, as a team, led the conference with a 19.1 average, including an 87-yarder for a score by Marquis Hundley.

So how bad did Arizona gash the Cougar return team?

It didn’t.

On Reid Forrest’s four punts – three of which were of the rugby style reminiscent of last season – the Wildcats returned two for a minus-1 yard.

“I don’t know how many people realize he’s one of the best return guys in the Pac-10 if not the best,” WSU coach Paul Wulff said of Thomas. “We really neutralized him.”

Thomas also contributed to WSU’s final score when he tried to field a rolling punt, bobbled it and lost it when hit by Romeo Pellum. The ball disappeared in a group of players as Greg Trent pointed it was the Cougars ball.

Only it was still rolling.

Trent finally saw it, jumped on it and, seven plays later WSU scored.

Forrest’s rugby style punting – he runs a little to his right to allow the coverage team to get downfield – was only one special team change the Cougars made Saturday.

The most prominent one was at kicker.

Nico Grasu, 5 of 8 on field-goal attempts this season, was replaced by Wade Penner.

Grasu has had two field goals blocked, including one last week against Stanford.

“Wade Penner has worked hard all year and you know, he gets the ball up a little quicker,” Wulff said. “The block last week, part of it was it was a little low.”

Penner was perfect on his four extra points but didn’t attempt a field goal.

Chantz Staden set a WSU special teams record, albeit a dubious one. With seven kickoff returns Saturday, Staden moved past Victor Wood (1988) and Sammie Moore (2003) into first place on the single-season list with 40.

Staden has 905 yards in kickoff returns this season, nearly as many as the Cougars have rushing (938).

Defensive line hurting

Injuries have decimated WSU all season, but no group has been hit more in a short span than the defensive line.

Kevin Kooyman was knocked out of the Stanford game with a stinger and couldn’t go against UA. Andy Mattingly rolled his ankle in practice Tuesday and didn’t suit up.

So co-defensive coordinator Chris Ball came up with a new plan. The Cougars played a 3-3-5 alignment, using just three linemen up front, including usual starting defensive tackle A’i Ahmu at end. With Matt Mullennix at the other end and Toby Turpin in the middle, the trio played all 72 of Arizona’s offensive plays.

“They did a great job,” said safety Chima Nwachukwu, who also played every play as Alfonso Jackson was lost on the second series with a stinger. “We were short defensive linemen and coaches put in this scheme for us and told them they would just have to play the whole game.”

“It’s an impressive thing that we can have so many injuries and those guys playing as hard as they can,” said center Kenny Alfred. “All you have to do is watch Matt Mullennix. That guy just plays and plays and plays. And gives effort 100 percent of the time no matter what happens from the first snap to the last snap.”

Fifty-seven of those snaps resulted in running plays, as UA’s big (an average of 313 pounds per man) line pounded at the Cougar front for 317 yards on the ground.

Still, Wulff was satisfied with the effort.

“We don’t have a whole lot left on our team to play defensive line so those guys did a heck of a job,” Wulff said.

Officials take hits

The injury bug even caught the officiating crew.

Back judge John Freitas hurt a calf muscle early in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Then umpire Art Hines, officiating the final game of his career, was run over by Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Hines stayed down a while, but was able to get up and finish the game.

As he was coming off the field, Arizona coach Mike Stoops caught up with Hines and handed him the game ball, thanking him for his years as an official.

Trent-ing upward

It was a given playing a 3-4 alignment against the Wildcats that Washington State’s linebackers and secondary would be kept busy trying to stop the run – but Greg Trent has always been busy.

The senior middle linebacker from Keller, Texas, joined the busiest club Saturday, his 10 tackles making him the 10th Cougar to record 300 career stops. Some of the other names on that list: Anthony McClanahan and Gary Larsen, both first-team all-conference performers, and Lee Blakeney, who tops the all-time list with 524 tackles.

Notes

Turpin’s start was the first of his career. He played in place of senior Matt Eichelberger, out due to a coaching decision. Running back Logwone Mitz also made his first start. … Tight end Tony Thompson suffered a concussion and did not return. … The four rushing touchdowns were the most WSU has had in a game since 2006 against Idaho. … With the Cougars moving the ball, J.T. Levenseller didn’t see action until the fourth quarter. The freshman quarterback was 2-of-5 passing for 20 yards and one interception in the end zone. He also scrambled for 6 yards.