Victorious homecoming
PULLMAN — Four years ago Carl Bonnell decided to leave Pullman to become a Washington Husky. And now, he has a win to validate that choice.
Bonnell, who signed a letter of intent with WSU, switched schools after grayshirting that fall. A starter this year after Isaiah Stanback’s injury, Saturday marked the junior’s first career Pac-10 win.
“It was kind of a special feeling to come out here where you watched a whole season, practiced and kind of saw yourself out here,” Bonnell said. “I was kind of comfortable coming back, watching the sunset last night. It was kind of an emotional weekend. It was good to end it like we did.”
Bonnell had been troubled by interceptions since taking over and did throw a pair of them against the Cougars, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
But the junior also threw for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns (one 64 yards, the other 69) that helped push the visiting Huskies to their first win since September.
“I came here so there were a lot of people focusing on me in this game,” he said. “But for the most part, it’s this team. We’ve struggled the last month-and-a-half and it seemed like there was really nothing to play for, but this week the team found a lot of pride and competed.”
Bumpus back
Cougar wide receiver Michael Bumpus defied the odds and played on Saturday night despite suffering a high ankle sprain two weeks earlier against Arizona.
Bumpus hadn’t practiced all week and was out of a boot for the first time on Monday. Even before the game, he didn’t participate in many warm-up drills with the team, spending time on the training table instead.
“Bumpus was barely walking at the beginning of the week,” team co-captain Mkristo Bruce said. “He was really barely walking.”
Even still, the junior caught five passes for 43 yards, and all five went for first downs.
“We were able to get into our base, three-wide receiver sets with a dangerous receiver in there,” quarterback Alex Brink said. “It was one of the gutsiest efforts I’ve ever seen from a kid. I tell you what, he comes into the week not knowing if he was going to play, not practicing or anything and you look in his eyes, and all he wants to do was play.”
When Bumpus wasn’t on the field, WSU used two tight ends with Cody Boyd and Jed Collins almost exclusively, although sometimes one or both of them would split out.
Three more than four
Washington State had spent the week talking about the possibility of playing its usual 4-3 defense with tackles Ropati Pitoitua, Feveae’i Ahmu and Aaron Johnson all returning from injuries this week.
But when the Husky offense trotted onto the field for the first time, WSU was still in the same 3-4 defense it had used exclusively in the last two weeks.
In fact, the Cougars didn’t use the 4-3 at all until midway through the fourth quarter, when Washington already had the 35 points it would need to win on the scoreboard.
“You know, I don’t know how long Ahmu and Ropati are going to be available to us coming into this game,” defensive coordinator Robb Akey said. “We had to spend more of our preparation time in the 3-4 package, and therefore you’ve got to give yourself the opportunity to win with what you’ve prepped.”
Pitoitua started at nose tackle in the 3-4, and all three of the team’s top tackles rotated in over the course of the game.
Not a perfect day
While things were going right for Husky offensive coordinator Tim Lappano the same couldn’t be said for Eastlake running back/free safety Taylor Lappano.
The Wolves happened to be playing Gonzaga Prep, the elder Lappano’s alma mater, in the State 4A playoffs earlier Saturday at Albi Stadium.
One might assume Tim Lappano might get a quick phone call or text message during the game or check his cell phone at halftime but he never turned it on.
He didn’t, but when asked if he knew how the game turned out, he said. “I have no idea what happened. What happened?”
When told Eastlake took a 20-0 lead into the fourth quarter but lost 21-20 he was stunned.
“No. They were up 20-0 and lost?” he said. “Oh, that’s too bad. I didn’t know. I haven’t gotten my cell phone out. That’s got to hurt.”
And for a moment the euphoria of the Husky win was forgotten.
Notes
The Cougars ran the ball better on Saturday than they had in recent weeks, and Dwight Tardy went over 100 yards for the second time this season. Derrell Hutsona, returning from an ankle sprain of his own, carried the ball twice for eight yards. DeMaundray Woolridge did not play. … Frampton came picked up five more tackles Saturday to give him an even 100 in this, his senior season. … The Cougars scored for the seventh time this season on drives of 90 yards or more, going 95 yards in the second quarter for the game’s first score. … WSU went with the throwback Cougar script helmet for the third straight Apple Cup, hoping to get the same result as they did in the previous two meetings. … WSU announced President V. Lane Rawlins as one of the graduating seniors before the game. Rawlins is stepping down in 2007. … Husky quarterback Isaiah Stanback accompanied his team on a road trip for the first time since his season-ending foot injury in mid-October. He joined his fellow captains at midfield for the coin toss. … Bruce picked up a first-quarter sack, ending a five-game drought for the senior. At one point, he led the nation with 10 sacks, but since getting that against Oregon State, Bruce hadn’t gotten to a quarterback since. … Bonnell averaged 19.4 yards per completion, and 10 yards per attempt against the Cougar defense. … Some of the Cougars’ bowl hopes may depend on how many tickets they are able to pre-sell, and that window closes Monday night at 11:59 p.m. on the school’s athletics Web site.