Football camps are in full swing, lots of kids are out shopping for school supplies and the days keep getting a bit shorter. The days shorten in that ancient way that something inside tells us that the coming of fall is inevitable. So, here's some late summer reading that will help that transition to autumn, Notes On a Pac 12 Scorecard. We will always miss you, Uncle Mel.
The Pacific 12 Conference
Conference Members
North Division- California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington, Washington State
South Division- Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, USC, UCLA, Utah
Five Big Out of Conference Games
Note: The USC-Notre Dame is purposely left off this list because most of the folks who read this blog don't need any reminder of its' importance year in and year out. Also, some games have been written about in the prior two weeks of this blog.
9/2- Western Michigan at USC: The Broncos have lost HC PJ Fleck who bolted for Minnesota. However, this is still a team that went 13-1 last year and narrowly lost to Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl. USC cannot take this game lightly. If the Trojans do so, the Broncos are just good enough to cause a major upset. One more thing to remember is that linebacker Cam Smith will not see the field until the 3rd quarter due his ejection in the second half of the Rose Bowl.
9/9- Boise State at Washington State: Recent losses to Portland State, Eastern Washington, and Nevada have folks wondering if the Cougs will lay yet another egg early in the year. This year's Wazzu squad is a good one with QB Luke Falk returning along with 15 other starters. Meanwhile, BSU only returns a handful of starters but did defeat the Cougs last year, 31-28 in Boise.
9/16 Arizona State at Texas Tech: This game is borderline for this list, but who can forget last year's 68-55 scoreboard breaker won by the Sun Devils in Tempe? The teams also have mirror image problems at the skill positions. ASU is four deep at QB, but lost three of their top four WRs to graduation. The Red Raiders are deep at wide receiver, but don't have an experienced signal caller. However, neither returns a stellar defense, so another high scoring affair could easily occur.
9/16- Stanford at SDSU: This game is made important because of the Cardinal's possible road weariness. On 8/26, SU takes on Rice in Melbourne, AU. They then have a bye then travel to USC on 9/9. All those miles with no home games make the Cardinal an upset candidate at SDSU. All SDSU has done the last few years is become a power in the Mountain West Conference. We will see if nearly 16,000 miles of travel and facing the Trojans the week prior will have an effect the Cardinal.
9/16- UCLA at Memphis: This shapes up as a trap game for the bRuins. Memphis is a favorite to win the AAC West Divison and returns a potent offense. The Tigers gave UCLA all they could handle in a 42-35 loss at the Rose Bowl in '14. The Tigers also return nine starters of offense including QB Riley Ferguson who threw for almost 4,000 yards and 32 TDs last year. This game is also a week before the bRuins travel to Stanford and just for giggles it is an 11 AM kickoff in Memphis. That translates to 9 AM for the west coast. If UCLA doesn't enter this game fully awake, they could find themselves having to climb out of an early hole.
Top Five Conference Games
11/4- Oregon at Washington: Last year the Huskies poured a dozen years worth of Duckin' frustration into their 70-21 road victory. This year the Ducks have to travel to Seattle to take on the North Division favorite in their own back yard. The folks around Eugene say that Taggart's disciplinarian style has already got the Ducks in a far better place than they were last year. UO also has a wealth of talent coming back including RB Royce Freeman, but QB Justin Herbert is no Marcus Mariota. Heck, he's not even Vernon Adams. UW QB Jake Browning may keep the Duck defense guessing, but RB Myles Gaskin will be the key to victory. If the Dawgs run, the Ducks will fall.
11/11- USC at Colorado: Last year, the Trojans were -3 in the turnover department and still managed to walk out of the Coliseum with a 21-17 win. The Buffaloes are angry about that and probably still a little miffed about USC getting the Rose Bowl nod when Washington went to the College Football Playoff. USC will have to hold onto the ball and adjusts well to the altitude in order to beat the Buffs.
11/10- Washington at Stanford: The Huskies walloped the Cardinal, 44-6 last year while also derailing RB Christian McCaffrey's Heisman hopes in the process. This year, the Dawgs have to travel to Palo Alto for a Friday night tilt. If UW does to Stanford's rushing game what it did last year, then the Dawgs will whip the Cardinal. If not, then Stanford could be the North champ with just Cal left on their conference slate.
10/7- Washington State at Oregon: Wazzu has won two in a row over the Ducks and who could forget their epic Oregon Trail twitter post after the Cougs OT in 2015? This game could feature a lot of hard, physical play. The Cougs would love to make it three in a row and the Ducks want revenge. I hope the game lives up to expectations.
11/18- UCLA at USC: Once again this may be a game where city bragging rights and a title could be on the line. Many folks would love to see a Rosen-Darnold matchup. That could be as epic as the Marinovich-Maddox Showdown in 1990.
Observations
...Saa-Lute!; Strip joint owner and Mississippi State fan Jerry Westlund is not fond of former Ole Miss HC Hugh Freeze. This past Saturday, Westlund held a Salute to Hugh Freeze at The Pony, his Starkville strip club.
...Needing a leg; Placekicking woes have been the biggest worry at USC so far. That's tough to hear with one PK booted from the squad.
...Salt Lake balance; In Utah's camp, HC Kyle Whittingham is pleased with how even the practices are between the offense and the defense with no real one-sided affairs.
...Pfeisty in the Palouse; Aside form the usual worries about depth at Wazzu, a couple of fights in practice have raised the energy level. HC Mike Leach said he doesn't mind the fights as long as "they don't take too long. They better get about their business quick or I'll just take 'em to the other field and roll 'em."
...Not a snap; Oregon's main concern in camp is with the C-QB exchange. The first team seems to be fine, but the second string is having a hard time getting the ball snapped. This problem brings flashbacks to the program from their woes that helped TCU make that epic comeback in the 2015 Alamo Bowl.
...Bama B's in the West; Alabama transfer QB Blake Barnett has been cleared to play immediately at ASU. Couple him along with Cooper Bateman at Utah and you could have two Bama transfers starting at QB this year in the Pac 12.
...Tough Double; UCLA plays at Utah on 10/28 then hits the road on short rest for a Friday night affair at Washington on 11/3.
...Friday Night Lights; Arizona will travel to UTEP and then host Utah on back-to-back Fridays, 9/15 and 9/22.
...On target; The current news out of Boulder is that they are happy with how much improved QB Steven Montez has been so far. His accuracy is drawing praise form the staff.
...September in the Palouse; Wazzu opens up with five straight home games to start the season.
...4 out 5 ain't bad; Washington plays four of their final five games at home, but the one road game is a Friday night trip to Stanford on 11/10.
...That's so weak; Colorado gets the award for the single weakest opponent on a Pac 12 schedule. Yes, some Big Sky teams appear on some schedules in the league, but Sun Belt doormat Texas State is the weakest team. The Bobcats are coming off 2016 campaign where they went 2-10 and gave up an average of 41 points per game.
...Happy Cardinal; Word from Stanford's fall camp is just how happy HC David Shaw is with QB Keller Chryst's progress recovering form surgery following his knee injury in the Sun Bowl. Chryst has hit camp with full mobility, but it remains to be seen if Shaw will let Chryst use his mobility in games.
...Doesn't happen much; USC is ASU's Homecoming opponent. I don't know the last time USC was anybody's homecoming date.
...A QB and youth; The early talk in Tuscon is how Brandon Dawkins has really taken ownership of the QB job and how the Wildcats may play several freshman on defense this year.
...One in, one out; Former Idaho QB Jake Luton, by way of Ventura JC, was named the starter at Oregon State a week or so ago. Six days after that fact hit the media, backup QB Marcus McMaryion declared he was leaving OSU. McMaryion has an upside with his talent and the fact that he is a junior who has already graduated. He can play right away anywhere with two years of eligibility remaining.
...That's really, really weak; Arizona gets my nod for weakest non conference slate with home games against Northern Arizona and Houston and a trip to UTEP.
...Rumblin', stumblin', bumblin'; The skinny from Cal's first day of full pads was how South Carolina transfer and starter for now, Brandon Mcilwain, spent most of the practice tripping over his own feet, but still managing to complete several tough passes for TDs.
...Blind Freeze; Do you remember Michael Oher's somewhat clueless high school HC in The Blind Side? That coach was based on Oher's real life high school HC. That HC was Hugh Freeze.
...Need five; UCLA has a lot of returning starters on their O-line, but the buzz from Westwood is that finding the right combo of starters is proving difficult.
...By the time they get to Tempe; The Sun Devils have broken from their traditional start at Camp Tontozona and will practice in Tempe the rest of the way. The Sun Devils had a scrimmage last Saturday that was almost cancelled due to rain. Yes folks, it's monsoon season in the Valley of the Sun.
...Rosen faced bRuins; I'm sure UCLA folks aren't thrilled with QB Josh Rosen declaring that football and school don't mix, but he does make an interesting point or two in this article from ESPN.
QB Speaks Up
...Huskies feeling the heat; Not much to report from Washington other than that the Dawgs are having to learn how to battle the northwest heat wave and the ubiquitous early camp story that the defense is ahead of the offense.
Special Section
Me. Uncle Mel, and the USFL.
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| Uncle Mel in his playing days! |
I was a 14-year old in the summer of 1983. I was with my mother on a trip to Arkansas. I didn't want to be there. Period. I was mad at the world. My anger stemmed from missing the playoffs at my little league. My mother planned the trip for just after my regular season ended. After, all I had never played on a winning team, so the dates for the trip seemed right. So, of course I was on a winner that year. I was looking forward to winning a title and celebrating on the field with my teammates when we won it all. That wasn't going to happen. I was told that I was going to Arkansas no matter what. My reaction to this hard fact of life was as bad as you can imagine. Everyone knows I'm not a roll-with-the-punches type of person to say the least and I was far far less of one at fourteen. (When you stop laughing, please read on)
In Arkansas, I was a city kid in the country. I didn't fit in and had almost nobody my age around close to hang out with. What I did have was TV and the USFL. I listened to Keith Jackson tell me about the new league that was 3/4 of the way through their season. Uncle Mel, was the only one who talked about the league with me. He and I wondered if the league would last and what players we liked. I obviously rooted for the LA Express. Uncle Mel liked the Michigan Panthers because they had a WR from Arkansas named Derek Holloway. Uncle Mel and I drank sodas and talked football a lot on that trip. He took the time to do it. He chose to spend his time with me. The USFL Championship Game rolled around and Uncle Mel cleared the way for us to watch the game together. The Philadelphia Stars were playing the Michigan Panthers. So, being a typical teenager, I rooted for the Stars. Michigan went on to win the game, 24-22. Holloway caught only three passes, but two were for TDs. Uncle Mel had fun teasing me on my team selection and we had a great time. I just loved being around him. Those couple of hours we spent together were the highlight of my trip. He got me through that summer. The years would blur on by, but we had our moments together. I can't think of many moments when I didn't have fun with him. We even laughed the one time he tried to teach me to water ski and I couldn't even manage to keep the skis on my feet. Oh, and the stop for pancakes in Mt Ida is now an oft-told hilarious tale . I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I can't help but think of my Uncle without smiling, and I don't think that will ever change. I'm a much better person for having had him in my life. RIP Uncle Mel.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Why can't lettuce taste like chocolate?
A warm summer day with a cool breeze on a lazy Sunday is priceless.
Part of me thinks I should have had that memorial service for my old TV.
Until next week folks, remember that if your offense is ahead of your defense when camps starts, you don't have a defense.
-The Commissioner
