Nov. 13, 2004

Final Stats

By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. - Andrew Walter passed for 332 yards and five touchdowns in his final home game Saturday night and No. 20 Arizona State rolled past Washington State 45-28.

The senior from Grand Junction, Colo., completed 26 of 41 passes without an interception while breaking the school record for touchdown passes in a season with 30. Mike Pagel set the old mark of 29 in 1981.

Fifteen of Walter's TD passes came in his last three home games.

Walter, who holds the Pac-10 career record with 85 TD passes, threw for five touchdowns in a game for the fourth time. He had six against UCLA earlier this season.

Arizona State (8-2, 5-2 Pac-10) was unbeaten at home (6-0) for the first time since going 11-0 overall in the 1996 regular season.

With Oregon's loss to UCLA, the Sun Devils took sole possession of third place in the Pac-10.

Jerome Harrison rushed for 118 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown run, for Washington State (2-5, 4-6). Michael Bumpus had a 76-yard punt return for a score and Jason Hill caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from Alex Brink for the Cougars. Hill tied the WSU school record with 11 touchdown catches this season.

The loss eliminated the Cougars from bowl contention.

The university retired the late Pat Tillman's No. 42 jersey in an emotional halftime ceremony. Tillman, a star linebacker and honor student at Arizona State and part of that 1996 team, was killed in combat in Afghanistan in April.

Tillman's widow, Marie, and about 50 former teammates, including Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, took part in the ceremony.

Walter had touchdown passes of 28, 18 and 11 yards in the first 11 minutes of the game.

An interception and a fake punt helped Arizona State to its quick 21-0 lead.

Kyle Caldwell became the ninth ASU player with an interception this season, picking off Brink's pass at the Washington State 30. Two plays later, Walter threw 28 yards to Matt Miller 28 yards for the score.

On their next possession, the Sun Devils faked a punt on fourth-and-one at their 44. Punter Chris MacDonald threw to Lee Burghraef for 34 yards to the Washington State 22. Walter's 18-yard pass to Terry Richardson put ASU up 14-0.

Arizona State made it 21-0 on a seven-play, 76-yard drive, Walter throwing 11 yards to Derek Hagan for the score with 4:09 left in the first quarter.

Washington State scored twice in 1 minute, 36 seconds to cut the lead to 21-14.

Harrison burst over the middle on a second-and-inches play for a 56-yard TD run. After the Cougars' defense held, Bumpus' big punt return cut the lead to 21-14 with 1:07 still left in the first quarter.

Walter's 51-yard pass to Miller on the final play of the first quarter set up Hakim Hill's 2-yard TD run.

Walter threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hill in the third quarter. His five-yard scoring pass to Zach Miller with 12:38 to play put ASU up 45-14 and was Walter's final play of the night.