Karstetter catches on

PULLMAN – Jared Karstetter has never had a thrill like it – on the football field. “It was just a great experience, the play just kind of unfolded like that, and I’m happy it happened,” the Washington State freshman said after hauling in Kevin Lopina’s 48-yard pass with 24 seconds left in regulation to set up Nico Grasu’s Apple Cup-tying 28-yard field goal as time ran out Saturday.

From there, WSU went on to win the 101st meeting with Washington 16-13 in double overtime before 32,211 at Martin Stadium.

The wide receiver is no stranger to championship moments, after having helped Ferris High to back-to-back state titles – in basketball.

“It’s the highlight of my football career, for sure,” he said. “It was a great play and I’ll always remember it.”

So will the Cougars’ faithful, even more so because it came from the unlikeliest of sources.

Karstetter started the season opener against Oklahoma State when sophomore Jeshua Anderson was hurt. He didn’t make a catch, missed a few blocks and had an inopportune penalty.

When Anderson returned, Karstetter went to the sidelines.

Where he sat, getting time here and there and catching three passes, including one for 10 yards to end last week’s 31-0 loss to Arizona State.

But he learned.

“I’ve gained a little confidence and experience throughout the year,” he said. “I’m just used to the speed of the game a little bit.”

When Anderson went out late in the second quarter with a chest contusion – X-rays were negative, but he was in sweats during the second half – Karstetter was ready.

But Lopina didn’t throw a ball his way until the game was on the line.

When WSU got the ball back for the last time at its 20 with 56 seconds left, Lopina first went to Devin Frischknecht for 9 yards, Daniel Blackledge for an incompletion and Brandon Gibson for 5 yards.

Finally, it was Karstetter’s turn.

Lopina faked an out to Blackledge and cornerback Quinton Richardson “squatted,” football-speak for a defensive back jumping the up receiver. Karstetter got between Richardson and safety Tripper Johnson and Lopina, given enough time, hit him in stride.

“I was really surprised, I thought it would be more of a jump-ball situation,” Karstetter said.

It wasn’t. But he wasn’t clear enough to score his first college touchdown, either.

“I was thinking of going and scoring, but he was kind for right there on me,” Karstetter said of Richardson, who made the game-saving tackle.

But the pass, coupled with a 7-yard reception Karstetter gathered in on the next play, was enough to get into Grasu’s field-goal range.

Giles, Mattingly step up

For a WSU defense that came in giving up an average of 460 yards and 48.5 points per game, the 323 and 13 were season bests against Pac-10 schools.

It came with the help of a couple of players who hadn’t been on the field much – though last year they were key components of the WSU defense.

Corner Devin Giles replaced Markus Dawes in the second half and came up with three tackles and broke up a third-down pass, though an offsides penalty negated the latter play.

Giles started every game last season but, after missing spring practice getting his academics squared away, has played few minutes this year.

“Devin has had a good two weeks of practice,” co-defensive coordinator Chris Ball said. “He deserved the reps. I wasn’t fazed one bit to get him in there.”

The other surprise was junior Andy Mattingly, who returned to his old position at linebacker after missing two weeks with an ankle injury. While Mattingly was out, WSU changed defenses, going with three down linemen and making his presence unneeded up front.

Playing about half the time, Mattingly had four tackles, helped on one for loss and, in the second OT, dove to knock away a Ronnie Fouch third-down pass headed for Devin Aguilar and a first down. Ryan Perkins missed as UW settled for a 37-yard attempt and the door was open.

Painful defeat

Washington had absorbed 10 straight losses, but losing an Apple Cup it seemingly had in hand set a new standard for disappointment.

“This is definitely the hardest it’s been ever,” senior tight end Michael Gottlieb said. “With about 2 or 3 minutes to go, I started to get a little choked up. I thought we had it. After everything we’ve been through, how tough the season was, it was just feeling like we were finally going to get one.”

Back to back

The Huskies easily rushed for a season-high 224 yards with an oddly implemented 1-2 punch.

Washington opened the game with seldom-used Willie Griffin in the backfield. Griffin, who had just 13 attempts on the season, ran for 86 yards in the first half and UW’s lone touchdown. He picked up 16 yards on Washington’s first possession of the third quarter before being replaced by Terrance Dailey, who has been bothered recently by a hip injury.

Dailey gained 89 yards on 20 attempts.

Fourth to first

WSU punter Reid Forrest provided a spark with a gutsy decision on fourth-and-18 at the Cougars’ 30 late in the second quarter. WSU opted for a rugby punt in which Forrest rolls right before booting the ball, but this time he saw no UW gunner in the area. He took off and picked up 28 yards, the Cougars’ fourth-longest run of the season.

“I had to go 33 yards to get a first down,” said Forrest, who was a quarterback at Ephrata High. “You don’t call that.”

The play worked because UW sold out trying to block the kick.

“We went after it, and that’s the risk you take,” UW coach Tyrone Willingham said. “They came off the edge and we got very lucky there. Our defense did a nice job for us.”

WSU moved to the Husky 41 but eventually was forced to punt.