Painful defeat: 5 Cats injured before 71-yard punt return turns tide for ASU (2005)
TEMPE - Darrell Brooks was sobbing and Mike Bell was hobbling as they shuffled their way, heads drooping, through a tattered collection of tape, turf and tear drops to the Arizona locker room.
The fifth-year seniors, arm in arm, were leaving yet another playing field with that same hollow feeling, but this one hurt the most, literally and figuratively.
Bell, who at one point appeared to be on his way to a career day, was one of five injured Wildcats unavailable at crunch time Friday as rival Arizona State escaped with a 23-20 come-from-behind victory before 67,635 at Sun Devil Stadium.
Jesse Ainsworth's 20-yard field goal with nine seconds left spoiled Arizona's hopes for a second consecutive win in the series' 79th episode.
"Obviously, I was very disappointed in the final score, but very pleased with the overall effort and execution of our team for the majority of the game," UA coach Mike Stoops said.
The back-breaker was Terry Richardson's 71-yard punt return for a touchdown with just under eight minutes to play as the Devils rallied from a 20-5 third-quarter deficit.
It was the one of a handful of key plays down the stretch for the Devils, including knockout punches to quarterback Willie Tuitama, Bell and tight end Brad Wood.
Playing without two other offensive skill players, Arizona (3-8, 2-6 Pac-10) was out-gained 114-69 in total yardage in the final 15 minutes, most of which came during ASU's 77-yard game-winning march.
The bowl-bound Sun Devils (6-5, 4-4) got the ball at their own 20, and used 12 balls to patiently move the ball downfield.
Quarterback Rudy Carpenter converted a 6-yard pass to Richardson to the Arizona 41 and tailback Rudy Burgess churned for 11 yards to the Wildcat 17 to move the chains on critical third downs.
"We knew what was coming," UA defensive coordinator Mark Stoops said. "They made the plays when they needed to."
ASU battered a UA defense ranked 99th nationally against the run for gains of 6, 5, 2, 11 and 16 yards on the ground to position itself for the winning field goal.
"I know a lot of people counted us out at halftime," said ASU coach Dirk Koetter, who improved to 3-2 against Arizona.
Without Mike Thomas at receiver, the Wildcats built their lead behind Bell.
Bell, a fifth-year senior, had 100 yards rushing by halftime, taking up the slack for an offense limited by halfback Gilbert Harris' sore groin and Thomas' broken hand.
Thomas, the team's leading receiver as a true freshman, logged only a handful of snaps in the first half while Harris had not practiced in 10 days.
Bell came out of the game after taking a helmet to his right thigh from cornerback Josh Golden on the fourth play of the second half. He left the field for good early in the fourth quarter.
"After the second hit, the pain shot up to my leg to my hip," said Bell, who finished his career fourth on the school's rushing list. "It was over."
Added Mike Stoops: "He was on his way to a great day."
Instead, the Cats turned to third-stringer Chris Henry.
Henry bolted 20 yards after Bell left the field the first time, and would have scored if not for stepping out of bounds at the ASU 40.
Arizona came up empty on the drive after holder Ryan Eidson bobbled a snap that aborted a 52-yard field goal try.
It was just the beginning of the Cats' second-half woes.
On the next series, Harris got behind the defense but dropped Tuitama's high-arching toss at the ASU 15-yard line.
"That was a big play in the game, and it hurt us," Harris said.
Nick Folk came on for a 37-yard field goal that gave the Cats a 20-5 lead with 8:01 remaining in the third.
That's when ASU got its running game going, driving 80 yards for a 7-yard scoring run by Burgess, who led the Devils with 83 yards on 15 carries.
Two series later, Tuitama tried the same pass over the middle to Harris, but defensive tackle DeWayne Hollyfield intercepted at the ASU 27 to turn away another scoring opportunity.
"I rushed getting the pass off, and then I got hit," Tuitama said, almost whispering to avoid triggering pain in his battered rib cage.
Zach Catanese, coming free on a safety blitz, drove Tuitama into the ground, injuring the freshman quarterback's right arm and ribs. X-rays were negative, but Tuitama was unable to raise his right arm, giving way to sophomore Richard Kovalcheck.
Tuitama ended the day 15 of 21 for 149 yards, including a 7-yard TD pass in the second quarter to tight end Travis Bell, who replaced Wood.
Kovalcheck, who lost his job to Tuitama at midseason, came on, but the Cats went three-and-out, leading to Richardson's stunning return.
"It was kinda cavin' in on us," UA linebacker Spencer Larsen said. "We needed a big play late, and couldn't get it."
On Arizona's next series, Kovalcheck moved the team to midfield with a key third-down throw to Syndric Steptoe that gained 21 yards.
"I knew what was going on. I was prepared," Kovalcheck said. "I was taking mental snaps on the sideline."
But Henry could gain only a yard, and Kovalcheck misfired on his next two passes, setting up ASU's game-winning drive.
"We never accept losing, ever, but I'm not displeased over our play at all," added Stoops, who upset No. 18 ASU 34-27 last season in his first season at the UA. "We're 100 times better than we were at this time last year."
Charles Durrenberger
