Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Week 4

Hey All,

It must be Tuesday.  That means another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 27- California 9: It wasn't a thing of beauty, but USC ground out a victory over the Golden Bears thanks to a strong running game and an even stronger defensive effort.  Two Trojans RBs eclipsed the 100 yard mark as Silas Redd lugged the leather 21 times for 158 yards and a TD while Curtis McNeal carried the ball 10 times for 115 yards.  QB Matt Barkley threw for 192 yards and 2 TDs for the Trojans air attack.  The USC defense sacked CAL QB Zach Maynard nine times and held the Golden Bears to a meager 77 yards rushing and 250 yards of total offense.
Telling Stat: Three 3s and a pick;  USC's defense forced the Golden Bears to kick three field goals and intercepted a pass in CAL's four dives into the USC Red Zone.  

Colorado 35- Washington State 34: The Buffaloes came away with a big comeback win under hazy conditions in the Palouse.  The heavy haze over the field was because of smoke being blown over Martin Stadium due to wildfires in central Washington. The comeback was due mainly to CU QB Jordan Webb who led his squad back from a 31-14 fourth quarter deficit. Webb threw a 70-yard TD pass to TE Nick Kasa with 7:06 to go to start the comeback. Then on their next possession, Buffs RB Tony Jones broke off an 84-yard TD run and suddenly Colorado was within three points at 31-28.  Wazzu then moved down the field and settled for an Andrew Furney 42- yard field goal to extend the Cougars lead to 34-28 with 3:17 left.  CU's final drive started on their own 30-yard line.  Webb guided the Buffs to Wazzu's four-yard line where he scored on QB draw to tie the game with nine seconds left.  PK Will Oliver nailed the PAT to complete the comeback.  As for the Cougars, QB Connor Halliday completed 31 of 60 passes for 401 yards and four TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Road Buffs;  This was CU's second ever Pac 12 win.  Both have come on the road.

ASU 37- Utah 7: The Sun Devils put the Utes in an early hole, then cruised to an easy win in Tempe. ASU built a 21-0 lead in the first quarter behind a 1-yard TD jaunt by RB Cameron Marshall and two TDs passes by QB Taylor Kelly. The recipients of those passes were WR Rashad Ross and RB Marion Grice. Taylor would throw for one more score when he hooked up with Marshall for a 13-yard tally with 4:56 left in the second quarter. With ASU up 31-7, the second half turned into a glorified scrimmage. Taylor finished the game with 326 yards passing and 3 TDs. Meanwhile, the Utes could never get their offense going as they generated only 209 total yards for the night.
Telling Stat: They didn't even bend; The ASU defense held Utah to 10 first downs and just four of 14 on third down conversions.

Oregon State 27- UCLA 20: The Beavers picked a good time to finally play well on the road.  The OSU one-two punch of QB Sean Mannion and RB Storm Woods proved to be too much for the bRuin defense to handle. Mannion threw TD passes of 75 and 42 yards as part of his 379 yards on the day, while Woods rushed for 96 yards and TD of his own.  The Beaver defense had a big day as well limiting bRuin RB Jonathan Franklin to just 45 yards rushing and UCLA as a team to just 72 yards on the ground.  For UCLA, QB Brett Hundley threw for 372 yards and one TD.  He also ran for a score.
Telling Stat: They couldn't sustain; UCLA couldn't move the chains converting on only two of 15 third downs in the contest.

Oregon 49- Arizona 0: This game was supposed to be a battle of offensive juggernauts. It turned out that Arizona's offense was just plain offensive.  The Wildcats offense wasted three trips into the Red Zone in the first quarter alone by being stopped on downs twice and throwing an interception.  Then, in the second quarter The Wildcats missed one field goal attempt and had another blocked.  Even after this, UofA was only down 13-0 as the first half ended.  However, the second half would belong to the Ducks as they would grind out two scores to go up 28-0 at the end of the third quarter behind a 1-yard TD run by Colt Lyerla and a 55-yard TD pass from QB Marcus Mariota to WR BRain Addison.  UoA's offense completed their self destruction in the fourth quarter when QB Matt Scott threw two balls to wrong colored jersey and had them both returned for TDs.  The final one provided the final tally on the day for the Ducks.  Mariota finished the game completing 26 of 35 passes for 260 yards and 2 TDs, while Scott threw for 210 yards and 3 interceptions for the Wildcats.
Telling Stat: It was D for the Ducks; Oregon's defense forced five turnovers, held Arizona on two goal line stands, blocked a field goal attempt and scored two TDs in this rout. 

Notre Dame 13- Michigan 6: This game was a defensive battle and ND's defense won the day by shutting down the Wolverines high powered offense.  LB MAni Te'o led the effort by intercepting two passes and making tackles all over the field. As for the Wolverine defense, they gave up one TD, a 2-yard dash by QB Tommy Rees, but the UM offense just couldn't counter that score.  Rees came in to take over for ND in the second quarter when starter Everett Golson was pulled due to ineffectiveness. Rees would finish the game with 115 yards passing while running for the game's lone TD. Michigan QB Denard Robinson threw 138 yards and four big interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: 6=10; Notre Dame scored just 10 points off six Michigan turnovers.

Observations

...Dumb move; One of the worst coaching decisions in so far this year has to be when BYU HC Bronco Mendenhall opted to go for two v. Boise State. His defense had kept Boise's offense off the scoreboard for 56 minutes up to that point.  He took away his team's chance to get to overtime.

...Live by the pass, die by the pass; Wazzu proved once again that you can't win games by passing alone.

...Red faced;  The Big Ten has to be relieved that conference play is starting this week. Things were starting to get embarrassing.

...4 and no O; How Notre Dame is undefeated without an offense is mind boggling.

...And it begins; Florida State is now being called the real deal after beating Clemson.  Clemson collapses every year.  Soon, that win won't look so impressive for the Seminoles.

...And then there were eight;  There are eight winless team in the FBS.  They are Army, Tulane, UAB, Memphis, So Miss, Massaschusetts, Eastern Michigan, and Idaho.

...So much for the hype;  Arizona looked like a great team until they actually had to play a road game.

...Quietly making noise;  Don't look now, but Northwestern is 4-0.

...Big in Albuquerque;  The Lobos are the best team in New Mexico after beating New Mexico State, 27-14 last week.  For HC Bob Davie it's the first building block in changing the culture at UNM.

...Wow stat;  ASU QB Taylor Kelly leads the Pac 12 this year in completion percentage.  He's completed a remarkable 72.5 % of throws this year.

...The century mark;  USC's 27-9 win over California marked the 100th meeting between the two schools.

...Don't have it. Can't see it; The Pac 12's inability to get a deal with DirectTv is ruining my football season.

...It's old Southwest conference week; SMU takes on TCU and Arkansas plays Texas A&M.

...Redd smile; RB Silas Redd has to be the happiest transfer in America right now.

...No more Maize and Blue;  Notre Dame is canceling their series with Michigan due to their new ACC partnership.  I know all off us were looking forward to that big ND- Wake Forest matchup.

Until next week folks, remember that ugly wins are still wins.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Week 3

Hey All,

Here's your Tuesday dose of Notes on a Pac 12 scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

Stanford 21- USC 14: The Trojans went into Palo Alto and were physically manhandled by the Cardinal.  USC did hold a 14-7 halftime lead behind two 1-yard TD runs by RB Silas Redd, but the second half belonged to the Stanford defense.  The Cardnal's front seven dominated USC's offensive line, making life miserable for USC QB Matt Barkley. He was sacked four times while being pressured and hit many other times.  The degree to which the USC offensive line was beaten in this game cannot be understated.  The USC defense played well enough to win, but ran out of gas in the fourth quarter where Stanford's ball control offense took over.  Cardinal RB Stepfan Taylor carried the ball 27 times for 153 yards and a TD.  He also took a screen pass 23 yards for TD as well.  SU QB Josh Nunes managed the offense well, throwing for 215 yards and two scores.
Telling Stat: Shut down; Stanford didn't allow a third down conversion in the second half, (0/7).

Fresno State 69- Colorado 14: The nightmare known as the 2012 season continues for the Buffaloes.  The Bulldogs ran up 665 yards offense, including 288 yards on the ground. Fresno RB Robbie Rouse scored all four of his TDs in a first quarter, (two rushing, two receiving), that ended up being a 35-point period for the Bulldogs.  Fresno added three more scores to go up 55-7 at the half.  The second half was a glorified scrimmage, but Bulldog FS Phillip Thomas picked off two passes from CU QB Jordan Webb and returned them for TDs.  As for the Buffaloes offense, RB Josh Ford rushed for 61 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: Over early; Fresno State shredded the Colorado defense for 35 points and 329 yards of offense in the first quarter.

Oregon 63- Tennessee Tech 14: The Ducks coasted to an easy win in this one.  18 different Ducks got touches in the contest with QB Marcus Mariota completing 21 of 28 passes for 308 yards and four TDs, while Freshman RB Byron Marshall saw a lot of action racking up 13 carries for 125 yards to lead all rushers in the contest.  As for the Duck defense they limited the Golden Eagles to just 177 total yards and 12 first downs.
Telling Stat: T.O.P doesn't matter; Oregon ran up 63 points and 652 yards of offense despite having the ball for just 21:42.

Washington 52- Portland State 13: The Huskies bounced back from their loss at LSU with a beatdown of the Vikings from the Big Sky conference. The Huskies raced out a 45-0 halftime lead highlighted by Three TD passes from QB Keith Price, a 21-yard interception return for a TD by DB Marcus Peters and a 79-yard blocked field goal return for a TD by CB Tre Watson.  The Huskies second half was a snore fest with UW taking on one more TD for good measure. QB Kleran McDonagh threw for 178 yards and TD while also running for a TD for the Vikings in the loss.
Telling Stat:  Grounding it;  The usually pass-happy Huskies ran the ball 49 times in this laugher.

Washington State 35- UNLV 27: With Wazzu starting QB Jeff Tuel unable to start due to injury, backup Connor Halliday hit on 26 of 45 passes for 378 yards and 4 TDs to lead his squad to victory over the Rebels.  WR Marquess Wilson caught two of those TD passes, including a an 81-yard hook up that put Wazzu up 28-10 late in the third quarter.  UNLV made a game of it when QB Nick Sherry hit TE Jake Phillips with a 4-yard TD pass to trail 35-27 with just 1:44 left to play. UNLV didn't get the ensuing onside kick, but did manage to get the ball back for one last shot in Wazzu territory.  After getting a first down at the Cougars 42-yard line, Perry's last pass fell incomplete as time ran out.  UNLV fell to 0-3 on the season, losing all three games by a total of 14 points.
Telling stat: It was an air war.  The two teams combined to complete 59 of 94 passes for 729 yards and seven TDs.

Arizona 56- South Carolina State 0: The Wildcats remain undefeated on the season after easily whipping the Bulldogs from the FCS. The Wildcats racked up 43 first downs and 689 yards of offense on the hapless SCSU defense. UofA QB Matt Scott connected on 30 of 36 tosses for 288 yards and 3 TDs while running the ball 9 times for 61 yards and a TD as well.  The Wildcat defense did their job forcing six there-and-outs and otherwise bottling up what little offense there was from the Bulldogs.
Telling Stat: No threat; SCSU converted only two of 13 third downs in the game.

Ohio State 35- California 28: The Golden Bears went into Columbus and almost came away with a pretty big upset.  Theee OSU held a 20-7 lead going into the the third quarter, but the Cal defense shutdown the Buckeyes. Midway through the period Cal RB Brandon Bigelow broke off an 81-yard TD cut their deficit to just 20-16 as the fourth quarter started.  The two squads traded shots in the fourth quarter with Bigelow breaking off another big run, (a 59-yarder), to tie the game at 28-28 with 8:10 to play.  The Buckeyes managed to stave off defeat when a blown coverage assignment by the Golden Bears left WR Devin Smith wide open.  Theee OSU QB Braxton Miller found Smith, and 72 yards later, the Buckeyes were back on top to stay, 35-28.  Bigelow was the big star for Cal.  He rushed for 160 yards on only four carries with two TDs on the day.  As for the Buckeyes, Miller threw for 249 yards and 4 TDs.
Telling Stat: A bad trifecta; Cal PK Vince D'Amato missed three field goals in the Golden Bears seven point loss.

Missouri 24- Arizona State 20: The Tigers held off a late rally by ASU to come away with a bounceback win after dropping their game last week v. Georgia.  The Missouri defense shut down ASU's rushing game while forcing four turnovers to take pressure of their offense.  The Tiger offense was without QB James Franklin who missed the game due to injury. RS frosh QB Corbin Berkstresser did a good job managing the game by throwing for 198 yards and running for a TD. ASU QB Taylor Kelly threw for 178 yards and TD while RB Marion Grice continued be money in the red zone by scoring two fourth quarter TDs on short runs to give his squad a shot at victory.  ASU's comeback would fall short as Kelly's 3rd and 9 pass from the Mizzou 20 was intercepted by S Keronte Walker with just :38 left.
Telling Stat: Too little, too late: ASU gained 152 of their 296 total yards and scored 14 of their 20 points in their final four drives, but it wasn't enough to stave off defeat.

Utah 24- BYU 21: It took three final plays, but Utah did manage to beat BYU.  After the refs declared that there was one second left after BYU QB Riley Nelson's third down pass fell incomplete, the Cougars lined up for a game-tying 51-yard field goal attempt. The kick was blocked by Utah.  The ball was still live and the play continued as happy Ute fans stormed the field.  Because the fans stormed field while the play was still going, the refs penalized Utah 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Even though the game clock read 0:00, the game cannot end on a defensive penalty.  So, after the mark off by the refs, BYU would receive an untimed down.  This time from 36 yards out, BYU PK Riley Stephenson's kick clanked off the left upright and the celebration could begin in earnest in Salt Lake City. The Utah offense didn't do well in their first game without QB Jordan Wynn. It was the Utah defense that helped save the day with a 47-yard fumble return by DB Mo Lee for a TD and by keeping BYU's offense in check for most of the game.
Telling Stat: It wasn't pretty; Utah found a way to win despite racking up only 14 first downs, gaining just 245 total yards and being penalized 10 times for 112 yards in the contest.

UCLA 36- Houston 7: For the first time in three games, bRuin RB Jonathan Franklin didn't rush for over 200 yards.  He didn't need to.  UCLA QB Brett Hundley connected on 27 of 42 tosses for 320 yards and 2 TDs to lead the bRuins to an easy win over the Cougars.   UCLA's defense made life miserable for UH QB David Piland, picking him of five times and pressuring him many other times.  The bRuins led 30-0 after three quarters and gave up just a late TD by their second stringers. Franklin finished the game with 110 yards rushing on 25 carries.
Telling Stat: Nothing by the half; UCLA held Houston scoreless and allowed just 91 yards of offense in the first half of the contest.

Notre Dame 20- Michigan State 3: Defense led the way for the Fighting Irish as they got a big win over the Spartans. The ND defense held MSU RB Le'Veon Bell to just 77 yards on 19 carries, while pressuring QB Andrew Maxwell al game.  Maxwell did complete 23 of 45 passes for 187 yards, buyt never completed the big passes he needed to to win.  As for the ND offense, QB Everett Golson threw for one TD and ran for another to lead the Irish attack in this defensive battle.
Telling stat: They still won; Notre Dame managed to score 20 points despite converting only one of 14 third downs in the game.

Observations

...Only an idea;  There's no truth to the rumor that USC's offensive line will given eligible numbers to wear for the Cal game due to the fact they spent most of their time in their own backfield v. Stanford.

...Two C's, two D's and an F; Colorado isn't at the top of the Delta pledge class.  The Buffs 0-3 start means statistically that they are 104th in passing offense (182.6), 104th in rushing offense (107.0), 105th in points for (19.6), and 112th in points against (40.3) in the FBS.  There are currently 120 FBS teams that factor into those ratings.

...Seeing yellow; In Arizona's three home games, their opponents have been penalized an average of 11 times for 114 yards per game.  Hmmmmmm.

...Near disaster; I think security at Utah's Rice- Eccles Stadium will be a little tighter after the crowd almost cost the Utes a game.

...1,100 yards; that's my over/under for total yards in this week's Arizona-Oregon game. I'll take the over.

...And then there were 13;  Through three weeks, there are 13 winless teams in the FBS.  They are Army, Navy, UAB, Memphis, Southern Miss, Houston, Tulane, UMass, Eastern Michigan, UNLV, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho.

...Say it ain't so, Harvard;  The Crimson opened up their season with a 28-13 win over the University of San Diego, but it may be a lone bright spot on the season.  The school is now sorting out  a cheating scandal that could cost the squad a good number of players.  The basketball team has already lost its' co-captians from last year and the Crimson may lose most of the starters on the football team if current reports of widespread academic fraud are true.

...A friend with benefits;  Wow, talking about having it your way. ND won't become a member of the ACC for football, but if the Irish don't make it to a BCS bowl on their own, they get to jump into the bowl mix with the rest of the ACC's bowl contracts.  Wow.

...Dead conference playing; I really don't see the Big East being a football conference five years down the road.

...Okay, whatever you say;  When asked about this week's upcoming game with Colorado, Wazzu HC Mike Leach said, "I think we're similar teams from the standpoint of we don't quite have a tent over our circus right now."  Ummm, what?

...Crazy three; I can remember ever seeing teams trade turnovers on three straight plays and then on four straight possessions the way USC and Stanford did last Saturday.

...Something's gotta give; UCLA is 2nd in the nation in total offense at 622 yards per game.  They will face an Oregon State squad who is 5th in the nation in total defense at allowing just 207 yards per game.

...Not a good streak; for the fourth year in a row Arizona State has a lost a close non-conference road game against a BCS foe.

...Not a good start; I see Kansas is 1-2 so far this season with Charlie Weis at the helm.  Don't these other teams know that Kansas has the schematic advantage?

...A false start; don't let Texas Tech's 3-0 record fool you. The Red Raiders have beaten an FCS school (Northwestern St.),  a school new to the FBS (Texas State), and a hapless New Mexico squad.


The Commissioner's Super Duper Stone Cold 20 Star Lock of The Week

After BYU let me down by blowing three chances to get to overtime with Utah, here's this week's pick to even up the record.

Arizona + 23.5 @ Oregon

I think neither team stops the other real well in a shootout at Autzen Stadium.

Until next week folks, remember that you can't win when your center is being thrown into the backfield by the nose guard on every play.

-The Commissioner



Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Week 2

Hey All,

It's a Tuesday during football season, must be time for Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 42- Syracuse 29: The Trojans hit the road for a cross-country trip to take on Syracuse and came away with a disjointed looking win.  USC held a 14-3 lead at half then waited through an over an hour weather delay before taking the field for final 30 minutes. Syracuse came out a little more fired up and cut USC's lead to just 21-16 before USC put two quick scoring drives together that put the game firmly in the win column.  USC QB Matt Barkley tied his own USC record by throwing for all six of USC's TDs on the day while the receiver combo of Robert Woods and Marqise Lee combined for 169 yards receiving and five TDs.  LB Dion Bailey led USC's defensive effort with two interceptions and a ton of tackles. On the Syracuse side of things, QB Ryan Nassib threw for 322 yards and a pair of scores.
Telling Stat:  Saving it for the end; Both teams combined to score 35 points in the final quarter after scoring a total of just 37 for the first three quarters.

Oregon State 10- Wisconsin 7: It was the biggest nonconference game ever in Corvalis according to OSU HC Mike Riley and the Beaver defense played like it. The Beaver defense shutdown Wisconsin RB Montee Ball, holding him to just 61 yards on 15 carries for the afternoon. As for the OSU offense they did just enough to win the game. OSU was nursing a 3-0 third quarter lead when QB Sean Mannion hit WR Brandin Cooks with 20-yard TD pass to extend their lead to 10-0.  The Badgers crawled back into this game late when QB Danny O'Brien hit TE Jacob Pedersen with an 11-yard TD pass with just 1:31 to play.  The Badgers then attempted an onside kick which was initially ruled to be recovered by PK Kyle French.  However, upon further review the ball was awarded to OSU as French was ruled to have touched the ball before it went the necessary 10 yards.
Telling Stat: 6-3's; The Oregon State defense forced six there-and-outs in Wisconsin's 13 total possessions.

Sacramento State 30- Colorado 28: Instead of bouncing back from a bad loss to Colorado State, the Buffaloes went out and embarrassed the Pac 12 by losing at the gun to the Sacramento State Hornets. All looked good early on for CU when they held a 14-0 lead behind two Christian Powell TD runs halfway through the first quarter.  Then, the Hornets fought back behind to take a 24-21 halftime lead behind the arm of QB Garrett Safron who led his squad on four straight scoring drives.  Powell would put the Buffs ahead to start the fourth quarter with his third TD run of the game.  The rest of the game belonged to the Hornet defense. they kept CU off the board.  The hero for Sac State was PK Edgar Castaneda who nailed the game-winning field goal from 30 yards away as time ran out.  Powell ran for 147 yards and 3 TDs in the losing cause.
Telling Stat: Tough in the clutch;  Sac Sate QB Garrett Safron went 5 for 5 passing and rushed twice to account for 69 of the Hornets' 72 total yards on their game-winning drive.

LSU 41- Washington 3: Down in Baton Rouge, the Tigers feasted on the Huskies.  LSU gashed the Washington defense with their running game, gaining 242 yards on 52 carries.  RB Alfred Blue led all rushers with 101 yards on 14 carries and a TD. As for the passing game, QB Zach Mettenberg hit on 12 of 18 passes for 195 yards and a TD as the Tigers made the new-look Husky defense look like last year's edition.  The Huskies never got anything started offensively all night as they were held to 183 total yards with just 26 of those coming on the ground. U Dub QB Keith Price threw for 157 yards with an interception in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Not much when it mattered; 117 of Washington's 183 total yards came after LSU had a 27-3 lead and the game well in hand.

Stanford 50- Duke 13:  After looking pretty lethargic in their narrow win over San Jose State, the Cardinal came out in all-black uniforms and blew out Duke. Stanford's defense led the way in this one.  In the first half they forced Duke to punt on every possession. Then they forced four Blue Devil turnovers in the second half to put the game away.  As for their offense, QB Josh Nunes completed 16 of 30 throws for 275 yards and 3 TDs to lead the charge for the Cardinal.  RB Stepfan Taylor also chipped in with a TD run of his own. The capper of this game was provided early in the fourth quarter by S Kyle Olugbode who returned an errant Blue Devil aerial 71 yards for the game's final TD.
Telling Stat: All three phases; Stanford got TD's by their offense defense and special teams en route to victory over the Blue Devils.

Washington State 24- Eastern Washington 20: HC Mike Leach got a win in his home debut for Wazzu. QB Jeff Tuel threw for 171 yards and a pair of TD passes to WR Isiah Myers.  The Cougs scored all their points in the first half with PK Andrew Furney making a 60-yard field goal to give Wazzu a 24-14 lead at the half.  The Eagles had their chances to force overtime in this one, but the Cougar defense wouldn't let it happen. SMU transfer QB Kyle Padron led the EWU offense completing 26 of 54 tosses for 379 yards and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Wazzu's #2; Cougar PK Andrew Furney's 60-yard field goal is the second longest in Cougar history behind Jason Hanson's 62-yarder v. UNLV in 1991.

Arizona 59- Oklahoma State 38: Let's see here 1,137 combined yards of total offense and 97 total points equals a wild one in Tucson.  Wild isn't the word here.  Crazy is more like it as Okie State jumped out to a 14-0 lead only to fall behind 30-14  early in the third quarter.  The Cowboys then closed the gap to 30-28 before UofA dominated the fourth quarter to get the win.  UofA took full advantage of Okie State's mistakes.  Okie State turned the ball over four times and committed 15 penalties for 167 yards in the contest.  Wildcat QB Matt Scott threw for 320 yards and 2 TDs while RB Ka'Deem Carey ran for 126 yards and 3 TDs.  Cowboy QB Wes Lunt completed 37 of 60 passes for 436 yards, 4 TDs and 3 interceptions.
Telling Stat: Losing it; Four of Okie State's school record 15 penalties were personal fouls.

California 50- Southern Utah 31: This was a see-saw affair until the Golden Bears used a big fourth quarter to pull away with the win over the Thunderbirds from the Big Sky Conference.  Cal was up 27-17 with just under 11 minutes to play when CB Mark Anthony picked off SUU QB Brad Sorensen and raced 61 yards to the house to give Cal a 34-17 lead.  Cal got two other big plays to put the game away when WR Keenan Allen took a punt back 69 yards for a TD and RB Daniel Lasco broke off a 77-yard TD run with just 3:21 to play.  The Golden Bear offense ran up 518 yards of offense on the day with 289 of those coming on the ground. Meanwhile, Sorensen threw for 292 yards and 4 TDs for the Thunderbirds.
Telling Stat: Tougher than it had to be; Cal won despite being penalized 12 times for 106 yards.

Utah State 27- Utah 20 OT: The battle of the Beehive state went to the boys from Logan as they pulled off the upset.  The Aggies built an early 13-0 lead behind a blocked punt that was recovered in the end zone and a TD pass from QB Chuckie Keeton to WR Joe Hill. The Utes lost QB Jordan Wynn for the game with yet another shoulder injury but managed to tie the game at 13-13 in the third quarter when PK Coleman Petersen connected from 40 yards out.  The teams would trade TDs in the fourth quarter to go to overtime at 20-20.  After scoring a TD to open the OT period, the Aggies kept the Utes out of the end zone largely by way of an offensive pass interference penalty that nullified Utah's tying TD.  That left Utah with a 4th and goal from the 17.  Their next pass fell incomplete and the game belonged to the Aggies. Keeton threw for 216 yards and 2 TDs in the win, while Wynn's backup Jon Hays threw for 154 yards and a score for the Utes.
Telling Stat: Killing themselves;  Utah converted on only 2 of 17 third downs and committed 10 penalties for 87 yards in their loss to the Aggies.

Arizona State 45- Illinois 14: Illini QB Nathan Scheelhaase didn't play in this one due to an ankle injury, but it wouldn't have made much difference as ASU sliced and diced the Illinois defense in a romp at Tempe. ASU QB Taylor Kelley completed 18 of 24 aerials for 249 yards and a score, while his tag team partner at QB Michael Eubank completed all five of his passes for 69 yards and two scores.  Eubank also ran for a TD too.  The Sun Devil defense basically shut Illinois down form the get go.  The score could have been worse as ASU fumbled twice inside Illinois' 10-yard line.
Telling Stat: Not really stopped;  ASU faced only seven third downs while rolling up 510 yards of total offense in this laugher.

Oregon 42- Fresno State 25: The Bulldogs went into Eugene with a new HC, new offense and new defense, but came away with another moral victory for their trophy case.  The Ducks looked like they'd score 70 on the Bulldogs as they built a 35-6 halftime lead behind two TD runs a piece by RBs Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas to go along with a 22- yard TD pass from QB Marcus Mariota to TE Colt Lyerla.  It was a different story in the second half as Fresno State came out and disrupted UO's high octane offense, while the Bulldog offense cut the deficit to 35-19. The Ducks managed to put the game away though as Barner got his third TD of the day with 3:51 left to play. Barner finished the day with 201 yards rushing on 34 carries and 3 TDs. As for Fresno State, QB Derek Carr, (David's little brother) completed 29 of 47 tosses for 234 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: Too many 3s not enough 7s;  Fresno State just couldn't break through Oregon's defense settling for four field goals instead getting the touchdowns they needed to upset the Ducks.

UCLA 36- Nebraska 30: As with last week at Rice, the bRuins survived a roller coaster first half, then shut down their foe for the second half and came away with the win.  This time though, it was a big upset of the Cornhuskers.   Neither squad could really stop the other early on as the game stood tied at 24-24 at half.  Then, both teams stalled as the defenses took over.  The game stood tied at 27-27 when the bRuin DE Datone Jones sacked Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez for a safety that put UCLA ahead for good. The UCLA offensive combination of QB Bret Hundley and RB Jonathan Franklin accounted for 522 of the bRuins 653 total yards.  Hundley completed 21 of 33 passes for 305 yards and 4 TDs, while Franklin topped the 200 yard mark for the second straight week by rushing for 217 yards on 26 carries. 'Husker QB Taylor Martinez did rush for 112 yards and a TD, but he completed only 17 of 31 passes for 179 yards and an interception in the loss.
Telling Stat: Big Red sidelined: UCLA held the ball for 37:40 against Nebraska's vaunted blackshirt defense.

Notre Dame 20- Purdue 17: As the Fighting Irish fought jet lag after their trip to Ireland last week and a feisty Boilermaker squad, it was the guy who didn't make the trip that won the game.  With the score knotted at 17 with just 2:12 to play and QB Everett Golson injured an unable to grip a football, HC Brian Kelly turned to QB Tommy Rees to rescue the Irish.  The former ND starter at QB who was coming off suspension stepped in and calmly led his squad on the game-winning drive. The Irish went 55 yards in 12 plays to set up PK Kyle Brindza's 27-yard go ahead field goal.  This game looked like the Irish were well in control up 17-7 midway through the third quarter, but Purdue fought back and knotted the score at 17 when QB Caleb TerBush hit WR Antavian Edison with a 15 yard TD toss with 2:12 to play.
Telling Stat: They faded; Until that final 55 yard drive, Notre Dame's previous five possessions covered all of 40 yards.  

 Observations

...A stumbling start; Pitt is not it after dropping to 0-2 overall, 0-1 in the Big East.  It's bad to have your season fall apart right after Labor Day.

...Big in Pullman; Wazzu is now rulers of the roost in the Palouse after beating Eastern Washington who a week earlier beat Idaho.

...Not a fab five; Penn State kicker Sam Fickens miseed four field goals and an extra point in PSU's 17-16 loss to Virginia.  Oh, he's not their regular kicker.  The regular kicker transferred to Texas in July.

...Good Adjustments; UCLA has given up just six points in the second half so far this season.

...Bad Dawgs;  Washington's dismal showing at LSU hurt the Pac 12 far more than Utah and Colorado's embarrassments ever could.

...Blowing smoke; There's no way that Oregon's new pot patrol will catch any of their starters who use the Jamaican Weed of Wisdom.  However, backups should be very afraid.

...Didn't see it coming;  Okay, who thought the New York Jets would outscore USC last weekend?  I sure didn't.

...The brutal game; Utah QB Jordan Wynn has hung up his cleats.  Facing a fourth, yes fourth shoulder surgery after being knocked of Utah's loss to Utah State last week, Wynn has decided it's time to get on with life after football.

...They knew better;  After getting smacked around by ASU, it's easy to see why no Penn State players transferred to Illinois after the sanctions were handed down.

...Bad cupcake;  I guess whipping up on Savannah State didn't do much to help Oklahoma State get ready for Arizona last week.

...Crazy stat; Arizona is 2-0 despite giving up 994 yards offense in their two wins.

...Epic failure;  Whoever neglected to schedule a bye the week for Notre Dame after a seven time zone road game just blew it.

...Hit the road jack; After Wisconsin rushed for a dismal 35 yards last week, OL coach Mike Markuson was fired. I've heard fans call for a position coach's head from time-time, but man the Badgers actually listened to 'em.

...It's a Navy town;  I thought Army had no chance on the road against San Diego State.  The Aztecs 42-7 win over the Black Knights wasn't a surprise.

...Fun to watch; USC's young defensive line has been a pleasant surprise and will only get better as the season rolls along.

New Feature

The Commissioner is gonna try his hand at prognostication this season.  So, in honor of degenerate gamblers everywhere here's...

The Commissioner's Super Duper Stone Cold 20 Star Lock of The Week

BYU -4 v. Utah

This game is "The Holy War" where these two squads battle for bragging rights.  BYU is cruising so far this year with a big win already over a lower tier Pac 12 team in Wazzu. Couple that with Utah losing QB Jordan Wynn for the year and it adds up to a BYU victory.


Until next week folks remember that disrupting the timing of the spread offense is one of the keys to stopping it.

-The Commissioner






Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Week 1

Hey All,

It's that great time of year again. The season has kicked off in fine fashion. So, here's the column that makes Tuesdays a little better, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 49- Hawai'i 10: This one was over 14 seconds into the first quarter when WR Marqise Lee took a short hitch pass from QB Matt Barkley and raced 75 yards for The Trojans first TD of the day.  The Trojans looked a little ragged from time to time, but easily handled an overmatched bunch of Hawaii Warriors for the easy win.  Barkley finished the day by completing 23 of 38 passes for 372 yards and four TDs. Lee drew the biggest headlines of the day by making 10 receptions for 197 yards and a TD.  He also took a kickoff back 100 yards for a score to put USC up 42-7 early in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the Trojan defense forced four turnovers while shutting down the Warriors' offense.  LB Hayes Pullard led the Trojans defensive charge with a 27-yard interception return for a TD in the second quarter. Hawai'i QB Sean Schroeder threw for 208 yards and his team's lone touchdown in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: A big four;  USC's forced four tunrovers v. Hawai'i.  USC didn't have four forced turnovers until their fourth game in 2011. 

Oregon State 0- Nicholls State 0  PPD: Even though the game was scheduled to be played in Corvalis, this game was postponed due to Hurricane Isaac.  Nicholls State is located in Thibodaux, LA.  The heavy wind and rain caused a lot of damage and forced the campus to shut down for a few days. The administration didn't feel they could make it out to Oregon for the game.  No firm reschedule date has been given for the game.

Arizona State 63- Northern Arizona 6: The Todd Graham era started with a rout. The Sun Devils smashed the Lumberjacks from Flagstaff.  ASU RB Cameron Marshall crossed the double stripe twice to put his squad up 14-0 after one quarter of play.   Then, the ASU defense really took over forcing three NAU turnovers which led to 28 second quarter points and a 42-0 lead at the half.  Oh, and the ASU defense also managed to knock NAU's QB and top RB out of the game in that second quarter.  The Sun Devils then tacked on three more scores in the second half to complete the rout. ASU RB Marion Grice led all rushers with 107 yards on 14 carries and three TDs, while QB Taylor Kelly completed 15 of 19 passes for 247 yards and a TD in his first start for ASU.
Telling Stat: Two of Marion Grice's three TDs and almost all his rushing yards came as ASU tried to run out the clock against the hapless NAU defense.

BYU 30- Washington State 6: It was a new offense, a new attitude, and new head coach, but it was an old result for Wazzu as BYU proved to be a better bunch of Cougars.  QB Jeff Tuel hit on eight of his first nine passes in Wazzu's new Air-Raid Offense.  However, pass number 10 was picked off by BYU linebacker and USC Transfer Uona Kavienga.  After that, WSU never mounted another serious threat in the game.  Meanwhile, the other Cougars built up a 24-3 haftime lead behind the strong arm of QB Riley Nelson.  Nelson would finish the game completing 25 of 36 tosses for 285 yards and a pair of scores.  Meanwhile the BYU defense was pretty stingy. Wazzu only moved in to the red zone once all night. He was harried and rushed night, but Jeff Tuel did complete 30 of 45 passes for 229 in a losing cause.
Telling Stat: Long drivers; BYU held the ball for almost 36 minutes T.O.P. while running off scoring drives of 10, 10, 12, and 16 plays.

Utah 41- Northern Colorado 0: Utah QB Jordan Wynn threw an interception on the Utes first drive of the game, but then quickly recovered to complete 19 of 27 tosses for 200 yards and two TDs in this rout.  RB John White handled the rushing chores for Utah with 119 yards on 24 carries and a TD of his own.  The Utah defense also did its' job limiting the Golden Bears to just seven first downs and 114 total yards.
Telling Stat: No real threat; Northern Colorado's offense averaged a meager 2.2 yards per play in this yawner.  

UCLA 49- Rice 24: The bRuins started off the Jim Mora Jr. era with a roller coaster rout of Rice. the roller coster part was jumping out to a quick 19-0 lead, then nearly blowing the lead.  The rout part came in the second half when UCLA pulled away for the 25 point win.  Rice was unable to stop the bRuins rushing game.  RB Johnathan Franklin rushed for a 214 yards on only 15 carries with 3 TDs. Two of his TD romps covered 74 and 78 yards respectively. Oh, and new bRuins QB Brett Hundley had a pretty good game too.  He ran 72 yards for a TD in his first play as a bRuin.  He also threw for 202 yards and 2 TDs in the contest.
Telling Stat: Soft Rice; UCLA averaged 9.3 yards per play against the Owls.

Nevada 31-California 24: This game was supposed to be one where Cal football would enter a new era with a newly renovated and modernized stadium where the Golden Bears would dominate their foes.  The stadium looked great, but the football teams was well, same old Cal.  The Golden Bears were beaten for the second straight year by Nevada.  Wolfpack QB Cody Fajardo completed 25 of 32 passes for 230 yards while running for 97 yards on 21 carries and a TD.  His 49-yard TD run at the end of the first quarter put Cal in an early, 14-0 hole.  The Cal offense sputtered from the get-go as QB Zach Maynard was benched for the first quarter by HC Jeff Tedford for missing a tutoring session during the summer.  Maynard did manage to throw for 247 yards and a 2 TDs, but Cal's lack of a running game hurt them greatly.  Nevada had no problem running  the ball as RB Stepfon Jefferson lugged the leather 34 times for 145 yards and 3 TDs including the game-winner with just :36 left in the game.
Telling Stat: They couldn't keep it going; Cal only converted on 3 of 14 third downs in the contest.

Colorado State 22- Colorado 17: Bad losses keep happening to the Buffaloes.  All looked good when the boys from Boulder held a 14-3 lead over the Rams late in second quarter.  However, a muffed punt by PR D.D. Goodson led to a TD pass by CSU QB Garrett Grayson.  The Buffs never recovered from the error.  In fact, CSU built on the momentum gained from the turnover and outscored CU 13-3 in the second half to secure the win. For the Rams, Grayson was the offensive star completing 14 of 21 aerials for 173 yards and 2 TDs.  Kansas transfer QB Jordan Webb threw for 187 yards and 2 TDs in the losing effort for Colorado.
Telling Stat: Second half sputter; CSU held Colorado to just 91 total yards in the second half, with just 32 of those coming on the ground.

Washington 21- San Diego State 12: A little O and a lot of D got the Huskies through this opener.  The little O all came when the Dawgs raced out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter behind a 2-yard TD run by RB Bishop Sankey and an 8-yard TD pass from QB Keith Price to WR Kasen Williams.  The offensive then went into hibernation as the Husky defense took over.  Not only did the Husky defense hold SDSU in check all night, they provided the game-sealing score when LB Will Shamburger returned a fumble 47-yards for a TD in the third quarter.  The Husky defense wasn't completely stellar, they did give 199 yards on the ground and 327 total.  However, that is a far cry from the 453 yards per game they gave up last year. The aztecs didn't help their cause when they missed a pair of two-point conversions which left them two scores down in the fourth quarter.  They also eschewed a field goal attempt late in the game and were stopped on downs in the final stanza.  New SDSU QB and Oregon State transfer Ryan Katz threw for only 128 yards with 1 TD and an interception, while Keith Price led the Husky attack with 222 yards through the air and 1 TD of his own.
Telling Stat: The Defense won it; The Huskies won despite their offense only crossing the 50-yard line twice in the second half.

Arizona 24- Toledo 17 OT: New Arizona HC Rich Rodriguez's offense ran up 624 total yards on the Rockets, but three turnovers, two TDs called back on penalties and numerous other mistakes turned this game into a nail-biter.  Meanwhile, Toledo ran up 358 yards of offense on their own and managed to tie the game at 17-17 early in the fourth quarter on PK Jeremiah Detmer's 40-yard field goal. UofA's PK John Bonano had a bad night missing two short field goals of 24 and 25 yards, with the latter one coming at the end of regulation.  Wildcat QB Matt Scott came to the rescue though by hitting WR Terrence Miller with a 10-yard TD toss in OT.  The UofA defense then held Toledo on downs to escape with the victory.  Scott looked good in UofA's new offense with 387 yards passing and two TDs to go along 74 yards rushing.  RB Ka'Deem Carey showed a little flash running for 147 yards on 20 carries including a 73-yard TD run to lead the Wildcats ground attack.
Telling Stat: Tough D down the stretch; The Wildcat defense kept their offense from giving away the game by holding Toledo to 0 first downs and just 11 total yards in the fourth quarter and overtime. 

Stanford 20- San Jose State 17: Two drives into this one the Cardinal were up 14-0, had 131 yards of total offense and it looked like they would just roll along in 2012 not skipping a beat despite losing Andrew Luck to the NFL. Then reality set in, and the Cardinal found themselves fighting to avoid an embarrassing loss to their little brothers from San Jose.   The Spartan defense held new Cardinal QB Josh Nunes and the rest of the offense to just 149 yards and 6 points in the final 49:23 of the game. SJSU QB David Fales completed 24 of 35 tosses for 216 yards and a TD to give his team a shot at victory.  It didn't happen though as Fales was intercepted on the Spartans final drive to end their hopes of an upset.   Nunes comleted only 16 of 26 passes for 125 yards and one TD in his debut as Andrew Luck's replacement.
Telling Stat; They couldn't move the chains; Stanford's ball control offense converted on only 2 of 13 third downs in the contest.

Oregon 57- Arkansas State 34: Don't let anyone tell you this was ever a close game.  UO's new QB, Marcus Mariota looked great in his first start for the Ducks and completed 18 of 22 passes for 200 yards and 3 TDs in a little over a quarter.  He sat the rest of the game as the Ducks led 29-0 after the first quarter and 50-3 halfway through the second quarter before emptying their bench for the rest game.  Oh, and DeAnthony Thomas didn't look bad either.  He had three carries for 64 yards and a TD and four receptions for 55 yards and two more TDs. Everyone earned their letters for Oregon in this game.
Telling Stat: Early knockout; UO scored 29 points, had 218 yards of offense, and 10 first down after one quarter of play in this laugher.

Notre Dame 50- Navy 10: The Fighting Irish for the first time in a few years managed to dominate Navy's undersized defense.  With QB Tommy Rees and RB Cierre Wood both suspended for the game, ND's backups picked up the slack well.  RBs Theo Riddick and George Atkinson III combined for 206 yards rushing on 28 carries and four TDs.  That realy took the pressure off QB Everett Golston who didn't have to throw much. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 144 yards and a TD.  The ND defense forced four Navy turnovers while holding the Midshipmen's option offense to just 149 yards rushing for the day.
Telling Stat: Long Fields; Notre Dame's scoring drives covered 75,70, 80, 87, 49, 42, and 68 yards.

Observations

...Nowhere to be found;  Rumors are that there is an APB out in Houston for Rice's linebackers.  They disappeared right after kickoff vs. UCLA.

...A waste of time; Did Utah really have to schedule a game with a Northern Colorado team that went winless last year in the FCS?  An intrasquad scrimmage would have been more exciting.

...Pointless; Why was the crowd at BYU asked to create a white-out in the stands for their game with Wazzu?  I just thought that was a given at BYU.

...Way too true; ESPN's Heater Dinich wrote in her ACC Blog earlier this week that Maryland has such a lack of depth that they are a scholarship or two away from being an FCS team.  Well, after the Terps had to come from behind to beat William & Mary, 7-6,  I wholeheartedly agree.

...Just the beginning; Penn State's fans feel that things can't get much worse after losing to Ohio U. I hate to tell their fans it's gonna get much worse, but it will.

...Not the same game; How huge was Nevada's upset of Cal? Well, the last time the Wolfpack beat the Golden Bears in Berkeley was 1903.  That's three years before the forward pass became legal.

...The real deal; Yeah, it was just against Arkansas State, but new UO QB Marcus Mariota is scary good.

...Way too early; If it's possible to be on the hot seat after one game, Cal HC Jeff Tedford should be feeling the flames.

...This just in; The Big Ten has been rendered irrelevant for the 2012 season.  Thanks, Michigan.

...Weird stat; Baylor walloped SMU, 59-24 to start their post-RG III era off with a bang.  The crazy stat from the game is that SMU's Run-and-Shoot offense held the ball for almost 40 minutes.

...Ugly on multiple levels; Not only did it look ugly on the field, Michigan's new road uniforms were awful.  That much maize is really a bad look.

...A Red Rose Bowl; I believe the Rose Bowl will be 70% red when Nebraska visits UCLA this week.The other 30% will be 15% powder blue and 15% empty seats.

...He'll take it; It was a very sloppy showing, but UCLA HC Jim Mora, Jr. will easily take the W v. Rice.

...Not unsaid, but unseen; The most exciting end to a game was last Thursday night when Minnesota got a 27-24, triple overtime win at UNLV.  the game didn't finish until almost midnight on the west coast, so very few people saw it.  It also didn't help that the Golden Gophers were nursing a 3-0 lead late in the third quarter.

...An improvement;  It was just against SDSU, but Washington's ability to shut down the Aztecs in the second half bodes well for a Husky defense that still wakes up in a cold sweat after seeing RG III running and passing all over them in their nightmares.

...$4,571.43; That's the price per point scored that Okie State paid to Savannah State to come in and be the Cowboys' sacrificial FCS lamb last week. Okie State won, 84-0.

...Maryland-esque; Georgia Tech's beehive pattern uniforms have to go.  The helmet is bad enough, but they had to put that pattern on their numbers and side panels?

Until next week folks, remember that teams always make their biggest improvements from week one to week two of the season.

-The Commissioner