Hey All,
It is now time for the yet another edition of the column that makes your Tuesdays better, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud
Summaries (Oh yes, there are summaries finally!)
USC 28- Arizona State 27- It was Pac 12 After Dawn as the Trojans took on the Sun Devils at 9:00 AM. The unusually early kickoff was accompanied by an unusually early November rainstorm and 20-30 MPH winds. The storm passed and the winds died down as the sun broke through to shine down on the empty Coliseum. The bright sunlight also shone down to expose a USC team that played without any real physicality on both sides of the ball. With there minutes to play, the Men of Troy trailed, 27-14 with little chance to make a comeback. Four turnovers and three failed fourth down conversions by the Trojan offense were the byproducts of the ASU defense that gave up a ton of yards, but shutdown SC in the red zone. USC did manage to get up off the deck and make a miracle comeback thanks to some lucky bounces. With 2:52 left, SC QB Kedon Slovis threw a 26-yard pass into the Sun Devil end zone that was tipped by WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and grabbed by WR Bru McCoy to cut ASU's lead to 27-21. SC then lined up for an onside kick. PK Parker Lewis' kick bounced perfectly and off an ASU player, It was recovered by McCoy. McCoy told reporters in the post game press conference that SC hadn't practiced and onside kick and told him to line up on the outside and go after the ball, (Insert eye roll here). Six plays later, Slovis threaded the needle to WR Drake London for a 21-yard TD strike to tie the game, Lewis' PAT gave SC a 28-27 lead. Then, the USC defense held the Sun Devils for downs and the miracle comeback was complete. ASU was shell shocked. They shut SC down for 56 minutes and lost. In the victory, Slovis completed 40 of 55 passes for 381 yard and two TDs. London grabbed eight of Slovis' passes for 125 yards and game-winning score. On the ASU stat chart, Daniels completed just 11 of 23 passes for 134 yards and a TD to go with 111 yards rushing. Frosh RB Deamonte Trayanum ran for 84 yards on 12 carries and two TDs.
Telling Stat: The No-Hands team; ASU lost their top receiver, Frank Darby early in the game and the inexperienced players that filled out the receiving corps dropped at least five balls and couldn't stretch the SC secondary. That led the USC hanging around long enough in the game to get a puncher's chance at the win.
Washington State 38- Oregon State 28: Corvalis, OR- Wazzu came into this game missing RB Max Borghi due to injury and as we would find out later, a whole host of others for unspecified reasons (cough, cough, COVID) They also hadn't had a lot of practice time at all under new HC Nick Rolovich yet still managed to pull out the win over the Beavers last Saturday. The Cougars built up a 28-7 midway through the third period thanks to a pair of TD throws from QB Jayden de Laura to WR Travell Harris, a five-yard TD scamper by de Laura and three-yard TD burst by RB Deon McIntosh. The Beavers then managed to mount a comeback over the final 18 minutes of the game. They even closed to within three points of the Cougars, trailing 31-28 with just 2:39 to play. However, their onside kick attempt failed and then on the very next play Harris went basically untouched through the Beaver defense 44 yards for the game clinching score. OSU did mount one final attempt at a comeback, but their field goal attempt that would have cut Wazzu's had to seven points with :27 left sailed wide. Wazzu took a knee to kill the clock and claim the victory on the next play. Jayden de Laura completed 18 of 33 passes for 227 yards with 2 TDs to go along with his one on the ground to lead the Cougs offense. OSU piled up some good stats in the loss. QB Tristan Gebbia completed 34 of 48 passes for 329 yards and score while RB Jermar Jefferson toted the rock 21 times for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
Telling Stat: They had a running game; In a fact not witnessed in some time in a Wazzu game, their rushing attack led the way to victory. The Cougars rushed for 229 yards, which kept the Beavers defense guessing most of the night.
Colorado 48- UCLA 42: Bolder, CO- Nobody knew what kind of team would take the field for the Buffaloes on Saturday night. Turns out the Buffs under new HC Karl Dorrell were an opportunistic one. They took advantage of just about every mistake made by a bRuins squad that gave the ball away like door prizes at little league banquet. The bRuins turned the ball over four times in the first half and the CU turned those gifts into a 35-14 halftime lead. Frosh RB Jarek Broussard slashed through Chip Kelly's defense for three first half TDs. QB Sam Noyer showed poise while running the CU offense. Noyer had played games on both side so the ball for CU, but had never played QB since high school. His legs and his arm kept UCLA off balance all night. The bRuins did make quite game of it n the second half, ripping off 14 straight points to trail 35-28 with 10:10 left in the third period. However, that would be as close as the bRuins would get. CU scored just enough down the stretch to keep the bRuins at bay while their defense picked up two huge fourth down stops. The game did come down to an onside kick, but UCLA couldn't pull off the recovery and the Buffs took a couple of knees to hand Karl Dorrell his first win at CU, which just happened to come against his alma mater and former employer. For the Buffaloes, Broussard carried the ball 31 times for 187 yards and three TDs to lead all rushers while Noyer hit on 20 of 31 passes for 257 yards and a TD. He also ran for 64 yards on 13 carries and another score. For the turnover happy bRuins, QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 20 of 40 passes for 303 yards with four TDs and an interception. He also ran for 109 yards on nine carries with a another TD
Telling Stat: -4 = L; UCLA's four turnovers cost them the game.
Oregon 35- Stanford 14: Eugene, OR- In the least competitive game on the Pac 12 slate, the Ducks ground out a win over the overmatched Cardinal. The Cardinal came into this game as double digit underdogs and their slim chances of upset were reduced to none when starting QB Davis Mills was held out of the game due to COVID contact tracing. Stanford did hang tough with the Quacks for a half. The game was tied at 7-7 until UO QB Tyler Shough put his squad ahead for good with a 5-yard TD pass to TE DJ Johnson. UO started the second half with two more TDs drives wrapped around one of Stanford PK Jet Toner's four missed field goals to give the Ducks a 28-7 lead. The fourth quarter saw the teams trade their final scores. Slough led the Ducks offense with 227 yards and a score through the air to go with 85 on the ground and another TD. Stanford RB Austin Jones was the offensive brought spot for the Cardinal, rushing for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Telling Stat: They did it the long way; Oregon's five TD drives covered 87, 96, 75. 80, and 83 yards.
Observations
...Hoosier state happiness; With the big wins by Notre Dame and Indiana on Saturday, Indiana, ND and Purdue are a combined 12-0.
...Schedule change; Utah's visit to UCLA was changed from this Friday night to Saturday to give Utah an extra day to possibly reach the 53 minimum players needed to play a game. Don't be surprised if this game is canceled. The state of Utah is a COVID hot mess right now.
...This just in; Penn State stinks. The 0-3 Nittany Lions have to be one of the slowest teams ever. Speed is just an old Keanu Reeves flick in Happy Valley this year.
...As the COVID turns; The SEC's COVID news this week is that Auburn and Mississippi State have been postponed due to positive tests in Starkville. Arkansas HC Sam Pittman has tested positive for the virus and Alabama-LSU may be also be postponed because of a wave of positive tests at LSU.
...Bears on the move; Cal is considering moving their practice and games to a new location to create a bubble so they can play games this season.
...Clash of the Titans; Undefeated Northwestern plays at undefeated Purdue this week. The winner has the inside track to the Big Ten West title.
...Self-icing fail; VaTEch's attempt to ice the PK from Liberty cost them the game and helped Liberty stay undefeated. The Hokies blocked and returned Liberty's game-wining field goal attempt for a TD only to have to have it called back because the Hokies called atimeout just before the snap. On the next try, the field goal was good and the Hokies had lost, 38-35. Ice-Ice-Loser
...Between Tuscaloosa and a hard place; Texas A&M is 5-1 with their only loss being a pasting by Bama and they already beat SEC East frontrunner Florida. The Aggies could win out, go 9-1 and sit home watching the SEC title game between the Gators and the Crimson Tide.
...Sparty can play; San Jose State hung in there for a win over SDSU and sits at 3-0 in the Mountain West.
...Out at 33; Colorado PK James Stefanou, the oldest player in college football at age 33, announced his retirement from the game. If he decides to comeback, I'm sure he'd fit right in as a redshirt freshman at BYU.
...Snyder paying off; New USC special teams coach Sean Snyder has improved the unit dramatically. The Trojans actually had 11 men on the field for every special teams play.
...You didn't call it; If you tell me you knew Liberty, Coastal Carolina and BYU would all be undefeated right now, you're lying.
...Not a good look; The crowd at Notre Dame stormed the field after their double OT win over Clemson last Saturday. The field filled with ND students and players caused a lot of concern of COVOD spreading in the crowd. The ND admin has now released a new set of protocols in the face of this potential super spreader event. ND didn't beat the spread?
...Something's gotta give; Winless Penn State takes on winless Nebraska this week.
...They need to be told; 8-0 BYU is great, but they aren't getting to the College Football Playoff. They're the rebound relationship of college football.
...Announcing its' presence with authority; Pac 12 after dark returns with a vengeance this week as three of the six scheduled Pac 12 games start at 7:30 PM or later.
...Just a rumor; UCLA RB Demetric Felton does not have a brother named DeEnglish Measure Felton.
...Memo to USC OC Graham Harrell; Running the read option only works if your QB actually can run the ball.
...Fun stat; With a 7-18 record, Chip Kelly is now just the second UCLA HC to have a record of 11 games under .500. The first was Henry Trotter back in 1922 who went 2-13-1. How far back was that really? Well, UCLA was still, known as the Southern Branch of the University of California then and was seven years away from their first game ever v. USC.
...Shocking realization; I bet nobody thought that Clay Helton would last longer at SC than Jim Harbaugh would at Michigan.
...Toner out of ink; I stole this headline from ESPN, but how else do you describe Stanford PK Jet Toner missing all four of his field goal attempts v. Oregon? O-fer
...Familiar feeling; It was another SC win that felt like a loss. Only Clay Helton can take the fun out of winning.
Pac 12 Overreactions
- USC is still sloppy enough to lose two games.
- Stanford will go 1-5.
- Oregon will win all their games with defense.
- UCLA will go 2-4.
- Utah may never play a game this year.
- Colorado will go 3-3.
- Cal will play their home games in Fresno.
- Oregon State will go winless.
- Wazzu will ruin somebody's year.
- ASU will lose two games by a total of 4 points.
- Arizona will play a game this year.
- Washington will play a game this year.
Ugly Uniform of the Week That Thankfully Wasn't Worn
Indiana had announced a a few weeks back that these horrendous Camouflage uniforms were going to be worn v. Michigan this past weekend as a part of their "Salute to Service."
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Boca Raton, Fl- Lower division schools from the FCS to the NAIA usually fill this space, but the easy winner of this week's award are the Florida Atlantic Owls. They scored late to down the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 10-6. The game started thirty minutes late due to a weather delay and neither offense seemed to emerge from the delay. The game stood scoreless at the half. The offenses did generate some yardage in the third quarter which led to to a pair of field goals and a 3-3 tie to enter the final period. WKU looked like they salted the game away when PK Brayden Narverson made his second field goal, a 49-yarder, with 8:09 left to play. The Owls then woke up on the ensuing possession. They drove 75 yards in 12 plays with the game's only TD coming on an 11-yard scramble by QB Javion Posey. The FAU defense then stopped the Hilltoppers on their final drive to secure the win.
Blowout Game of the Week: Hastings, NE- The Northwestern University (IA) Red Raiders were very rude guests as they broke the Hastings College Broncos, 62-10. QB Tyson Koomia completed 18 of 26 passes for 221 yards and three TDs to go along with 79 yards and another score on the ground in a little over two quarters worth of work. Nothing went right for Hastings as even when they stopped the Red Raiders once deep in their own territory, NU Punter Jaden Smith nailed a wind-aided 84-yard punt to flip the field.
Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- Something good is starting to build on the hill. The Razorbacks came back from a 13-0 deficit to defeat the Tennessee Volunteers. The Hogs trailed 13-0 at the half. They then came out and put up 24 big third quarter points. That was enough as the teams fought to a scoreless stalemate in the final period. QB Felipe Franks completed 13 of 24 passes with three TDs to lead the Hogs Offense. The Hogs defense held Tennessee to just 292 total yards with only 107 yards coming through the air. Arkansas is now 3-3 in the SEC West and they have a big trip to Gainesville this week to take on the Florida Gators.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Found a Fun Size Milk Duds pack in the breadbox on Sunday that was left over form Halloween. Score!
The rare November thunderstorm on Saturday led to a beautiful windswept Sunday. A walk around the neighborhood was chilly, fun, and full of fall colors from fallen leaves and the decorations on the nearby homes.
Even in this weird year, I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving.
Until next week folks, remember that being 1-0 doesn't mean you're good.
-The Commissioner
