Sun Devils shut out Washington State

Rudy Carpenter threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns as Arizona State defeated Washington State 31-0 on Saturday.

Carpenter, a senior, has 80 career touchdown passes, third in Pac-10 history.

The Sun Devils (4-6, 3-4 Pac-10) have won back-to-back games and kept their slim bowl hopes alive. Arizona State posted its first shutout since a 19-0 victory over top-ranked Nebraska on Sept. 21, 1996, a span of 152 games.

The Sun Devils snapped a six-game losing streak with a 39-19 victory over Washington last weekend. Then came the Cougars (1-10, 0-8), whose lone victory came against Portland State.

Washington State had a chance to take the lead against Arizona State, driving from its own 20 to ASU's 24 midway through the first quarter. Patrick Rooney missed a 41-yard field goal attempt, and Arizona State never trailed after Thomas Weber kicked a 21-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

The Sun Devils made it 10-0 on a 14-yard pass from Carpenter to Kerry Taylor late in the first half.

Early in the third quarter, Carpenter hit Kyle Williams for a 21-yard score to put the Sun Devils up 17-0.

Carpenter and Williams connected for a 51-yard score to make it 24-0 late in the third quarter.