Nov. 13, 2004
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
By Nate Policar
ASU Sports Information
TEMPE, Ariz. - On a night that featured 13 seniors' final game at Sun Devil Stadium and the retirement of number 42 in honor of Pat Tillman, the Arizona State Sun Devils came into their match up against Washington State looking to make a statement in their home finale of 2004. In front of a national television audience, the Sun Devils soundly defeated the Cougars 45-28 to come away with their eighth victory of the season and complete an undefeated season at home, just the third time since 1986.
"It was a challenge. This was one of the hardest games of my career to keep focused. Everything involved, including my last game at Sun Devil Stadium, honoring an American hero like Pat Tillman and trying to get a win and stay undefeated at home. There were so many things," said senior quarterback Andrew Walter. "We came out to the field fired up. We wanted to do well, but we knew they were going to give up some big plays, especially because they try to heat us up with the blitz and so some of those we were able to protect and get the ball out that created big plays. We knew we had the capabilities to hit some big plays and the first few minutes of the game really helped us out."
Arizona State (8-2, 5-2) wasted no time in getting started as sophomore defensive end Kyle Caldwell picked off a pass from WSU's Alex Brink on the Cougar 30-yard line, helping to set up Walter's 28-yard touchdown pass to junior receiver Matt Miller. With just 2:19 gone in the first quarter, ASU led 7-0.
The Sun Devil defense forced the Cougars into a punt and took over on their own 35-yard line. After failing to convert on a third-and-one, redshirt freshman punter Chris MacDonald faked a punt on fourth down and connected with junior tight end Lee Burghgraef on a 34-yard reception. The conversion kept the drive alive and enabled Walter to find sophomore receiver Terry Richardson two plays later in the corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown, giving ASU a 14-0 advantage.
Regaining possession on another punt, ASU brought the ball across midfield with a 26-yard rush by junior Hakim Hill to set up an 11-yard pass from Walter to junior receiver Derek Hagan for the Devils' third touchdown of the first quarter.
"We came out on fire tonight. It all started with Andrew (Walter) hooking up with Matt Miller and then with Terry Richardson. Once Matt scored that first touchdown, we knew we were going to be on a roll," said Hagan. "We put up 21 points in the first quarter and then we slowed down a little bit, but we kept fighting."
However, the Cougars retaliated quickly following the kickoff as tailback Jerome Harris broke a 56-yard touchdown run through the ASU defensive line. Then, following a quick three-and-out by the Sun Devils, WSU's Michael Bumpus returned a punt from MacDonald 76 yards for a touchdown, capping a combined 35-point first quarter. Still leading 21-14, ASU took possession following the kickoff and Walter found Matt Miller for a 51-yard reception as the first quarter clock ran out.
Opening the second quarter near the WSU goal line, Hakim Hill carried the ball two yards across the goal line for the score, pushing ASU's lead to 28-14. Two plays after the kickoff, WSU tailback Allen Thompson fumbled the ball on the Cougar 25- yard line, and senior defensive lineman Jimmy Verdon recovered the ball for the Sun Devils. Sophomore kicker Jesse Ainsworth split the uprights with a 21-yard field goal to give the Sun Devils a 31-14 halftime lead.
Forcing a punt to open the second half, the Sun Devils took over at the 50-yard line following a 33-yard punt return by Richardson. Several plays later, Walter found Hakim Hill in the end zone on an 11-yard touchdown reception, extending the ASU lead to 38-14, as the teams traded punts for the remainder of the third quarter.
Walter opened the fourth quarter with a 47-yard completion to Hagan to bring ASU into WSU territory. Completing a 24-yard pass to Zach Miller, Walter quickly found Miller again for a five-yard touchdown pass, assuring victory with a 45-14 lead.
The Cougars continued to battle as Brink found receiver Jason Hill on a 41-yard touchdown reception with 7:06 remaining in the game. Then, following a Sun Devil three-and-out, Brink connected with Bumpus for a 23-yard gain before handing it off to tailback Chris Bruhn, who found the end zone on an eight-yard rush. Still trailing 45-28, it was too little too late for WSU as the Sun Devils ran out the remainder of the clock to seal the victory.
"This team is unique in many ways. This team has usually found a way to get it done. I'm very proud of our guys and they did some great things tonight," said ASU head coach Dirk Koetter. "Couple that with our 13 seniors playing their final game on Frank Kush Field. We really went out and dominated the game."