Hey all,
It must be Tuesday, here's yet another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
Arizona 39-USC 36: Let's see here. USC QB Matt Barkley throws for 493 yards and 3 TDs while WR Marqise Lee had 469 all purpose yards that included setting the Pac 12 record with 345 yards receiving on 16 receptions, but the Trojans still managed to lose to Arizona. So, just how can that happen? Well, 5 turnovers and 13 penalties for 117 yards had a big hand in losing along with a HC who tried to take the air out of the ball with over 11 minutes left in the third quarter. Then add in an Arizona offense that's just good enough to be dangerous and that's how that happens. For the Wildcats, QB Matt Scott lit up the Trojan secondary for 369 yards and three TDs. He also ran for 100 yards and another score. Scott's favorite target was WR Austin Hill who had 10 receptions for 259 yards.
Telling Stat: No defense here; USC and Arizona combined for 58 first downs and 1,206 yards of total offense in this shootout in the desert.
Oregon 70- Colorado 14: The Buffaloes were truly slaughtered in this laugher in Eugene. The Ducks scored TDs on all seven of their first half possessions. Now throw in a an incredible punt return by De'Anthony Thomas to go with it and you see why it was 56-0 Ducks at the intermission. The second half was just a formality as Colorado got a couple of garbage time scores in the third quarter. UO QB Marcus Mariota threw for 2 scores and ran for another, while RB Kenjon Barner gained 104 yards on nine carries and 2 TDs of his own. As for the Buffaloes, RB Christian Powell ran for 121 yards and a pair of TDs.
Telling Stat: Pure speed; Oregon's average scoring drive v. Colorado lasted 2:09 and covered 62 yards.
Utah 49- California 27: Everything came together for the Utes in their drubbing of the Golden Bears. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Utah. KR Reggie Dunn set a Utah school record with two 100-yard kickoff returns. The Utah offense fed off the great special teams play as RB John White IV gashed the Bear defense for 105 yards on 22 carries and two TDs. Cal never recovered from Utah's fast start and found themselves trailing 28-6 at the half and 42-13 at the end of three quarters. The Cal offense outgained the Utes 441 yards to 344, but Utah forced three big turnovers to keep control of the contest.
Telling Stat: Stat padding; Both TDs and 143 of Cal QB Zach Maynard's 288 yards passing came after Utah had taken total control of the game, up 49-13.
UCLA 45- Arizona State 43- There was shootout in Tempe this week too as the bRuins came up with a big game-winning drive to knock off the Sun Devils. UCLA PK Ka'imi Fairbairn sent one through the uprights as time expired to give UCLA the victory just 1:33 after ASU RB D.J. Foster scored on a 7-yard TD pass from QB Taylor Kelly to put ASU back out in front. bRuin QB Brett Hundley threw for 274 yards and four TDs while RB Jonathan Franklin looked like his early season self ruhsing for 164 yards on 24 carries and a pair of TDs. ASU QB Taylor Kelly threw for 315v yards and four TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: One-two punch; QB Brett Hundley and RB Jonathan Franklin accounted for 438 of UCLA's 486 total yards in this big win for the bRuins.
Stanford 24- Washington State 17: Stop me if you've heard this one before. The Cardinal won a tight game with their defense. The Cardinal defense sacked Wazzu QB Jeff Tuel 10 times and S Ed Reynolds returned a Tuel pass 25 yards for a TD to provide SU with their margin of victory. The Stanford offense was in a word, stagnant. QB Josh Nunes completed only seven of 15 passes for 136 yards and a TD, while the Cardinal running game managed to gain only 120 yards total for the night. For Wazzu, Tuel was the offense throwing for 401 yards and 2 TDs. The Cougars finished with -16 yards rushing as no rusher finished with positive yards.
Telling Stat: No O on the farm; Stanford's ball control offense didn't control the ball as Wazzu's all-passing offense had more yards, first downs and held the ball seven minutes longer than the Cardinal.
Washington 20- Oregon State 17: The Huskies didn't do much on offense, but it was enough to beat the Beavers. The UW defense shutout OSU in the first half, while the offense built a 10-0 halftime lead behind a 45-yard field goal from PK Travis Coons and a 1-yard TD run from RB Bishop Sankey. OSU did fight back in the third quarter when QB Sean Mannion, (remember when we were all told he was out for the season?), hooked up with WR Brandin Cooks for a 54-yard TD to cut UW's lead to 10-7. Then, the Beavers tied up the game at 10-10 when PK Trevor Romaine connected from 29 yards out. The fourth quarter saw the Huskies retake the lead after picking off Mannion for the fourth time. The drive after that fourth pick was capped off by Sankey's second 1-yard TD run. Down 17-10, OSU HC Mike Riley went to backup QB Cody Vaz who led his squad on a seven play, 76- yard TD drive to tie the game a t 17-17. The tying score came when Vaz found TE Connor Hamlet for a 29-yard TD. UW QB Keith Price then showed how cool and calm he could be by leading the Dawgs down the field for the winning drive. Coons came back on to put UW on top to stay, sending one over the cross bar from 30 yards away.
Telling stat: A bad four; OSU QB Sean Mannion's four interceptions were the difference in the game.
Notre Dame 30- Oklahoma 13: Notre Dame came into a freezing Norman and beat up the Sooners. OU HC Bob Stoops saw his squad choke in yet another big game. ND did what they've done all season. They played strong defense and used a balanced offense to wear down the Sooners. ND QB Everett Golson completed 13 of 25 passes for 117 yards and ran for 64 yards and a TD to lead the Irish attack. Meanwhile, RBs Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood each rushed for 74 yards and a TD for ND. The ND defense bent, but didn't break allowing only one Sooner drive to reach paydirt.
Telling Stat: Nowhere to run; Notre Dame held Oklahoma to 15 yards rushing in the contest.
Observations
...Note to Lane Kiffin; You are allowed to spike the ball to kill the clock.
...Not a good quartet; Four Maryland QBs have suffered season-ending injuries. That means most likely that converted LB Shawn Petty or TE Brian McMahon will start for the Terps this week v. Georgia Tech. Oh, and if your were wondering, one QB broke his foot and the other three suffered ACL tears.
...And there were two; Massachusetts and Southern Mississippi are the only two winless teams left in the BCS.
...Up in smoke; It looks like the Honey Badger won't be making that heart-warmimg comeback LSU HC Les Miles wanted after being arrested for marijuana possession last Friday.
...Pasadena redux; It's looking more and more like Nebraska will represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl.
...A sign of the apocalypse for a program; Colorado ranks 124th in points allowed per game with 46. That's dead last in the FBS.
...If a buckeye tree fell in the forest; Theee OSU is undefeated and nobody cares.
...Just a suggestion; I think Colorado needs to ask the Pac 12 if they can get a running clock for their last four games.
...Slouching towards Columbus; Chokelahoma HC Bob Stoops is the 2000s reincarnation of former Theee OSU HC John Cooper.
...Something's gotta give; Baylor and Kansas play this week. Both are winless in Big 12 play.
...They could be champions; Champions of C-USA that is. SMU travels to UCF this week and hosts Tulsa on November 24th. Winning those two games could put the Ponies in the C-USA title game.
...Maybe it's the refs; Out of 124 FBS teams, four Pac 12 teams are in the top six for most yards penalized per game. They are #1-USC 84.63, #2-UCLA 79.88, #4 Oregon State 77.57 and #5- California 75.56. Oh, and USC is the only team that averages 10 or more penalties per game.
...Scary stat; Oregon scored 56 points in the first half v. Colorado last week. The Oregon defense has given up on 56 points in the first half all season.
...Yeah, sure; I don't think anyone believes that if Notre Dame runs the table, that they wouldn't jump an undefeated Kansas State to get in the BCS National Championship game.
...Great line; Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman about Texas Longhorn players rejoicing after barely beating Kansas to became bowl eligible, "If I were a player, I couldn't face Tommy Nobis and say that with a straight face."
And now, this week's Three notes about nothing
Can they paint buildings any other color than tan in Arizona? That's just taking being redundant to the extreme.
1/2 pound peanut butter cups rock.
I love the marine layer.
Until next week folks, remember that trying to take the air out of the ball with 11:38 to go in the third quarter usually gets you beat.
-The Commissioner
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Week 8
Hey All,
It must be Tuesday. It's time for Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
USC 50- Colorado 6: The Trojans set a couple records during their Buffalo hunt at the Coliseum. USC QB Matt Barkley completed 19 of 20 passes for 298 yards and six TDs on this day where he broke the Pac 12 career record for TD passes held by former USC QB Matt Leinart. It's interesting to note that on the very same play, WR Robert Woods broke the USC career record for receptions. As for the game itself, USC jumped out to an early 19-0 lead over the outclassed Buffaloes and never looked back in this rout. The Trojan defense forced six CU turnovers and snuffed out any serious scoring threats.
Telling Stat: Yards in chunks; USC faced only six third down conversion attempts all game. Three of those came in the fourth quarter after the game was well in hand.
Stanford 21- California 3: It was the 115th Big Game and the first one ever played in October. The deciding factor in this game was the ability to run the ball. Stanford did, and won. Cardinal RB Stepfan Taylor toted the rock 38 times for 189 yards and a TD as the major part of his team's 252 total rushing yards. Cal's offense wasn't so productive. The Golden Bears managed to gain a total of three yards on the ground. Cal QB Zach Maynard threw for 219 yards, but couldn't get the Golden Bears offense untracked. Meanwhile, SU QB Josh Nunes hit on 16 of 31 passes for 214 yards and a TD to compliment the Cardinal's strong running game.
Telling Stat: Nowhere to run; California racked up more penalties (5), than rushing yards (3), in this game that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicates.
Oregon 43- Arizona State 21: It was over early in Tempe as a raucous Sun Devil Stadium was put to sleep by Oregon's high-powered offense. After turning the ball over and falling behind 7-0 to start the game, The Ducks scored 43 points in a little over 17 minutes to dispel any notions of a an ASU upset. Duck RB Kenjon Barner amassed 143 yards rushing on just 16 carries and with three TDs, while his QB, Marcus Mariota, ran for 135yards and TD to go with 46 passing yards and another score. ASU managed to put up a pair of cosmetic fourth quarter scores long after Oregon emptied their benches.
Telling Stat: The D in the O; While the Oregon offense was lighting up the scoreboard during their 43 point run, the Duck defense held ASU to 90 total yards and three first downs.
Arizona 52- Washington 17: The always tough-at-home Huskies reverted to their road selves in this laugher at Tucson. The Wildcats scored 24 straight points after falling behind 3-0 to put this game away quickly. UofA QB Matt Scott completed 14 of 22 passes for 256 yards and 4 TDs, while RB Ka'Deem Carey gashed the Huskies for 172 yards rushing on 29 carries and a TD of his own. Also helping the Wildcat cause was WR Austin Hill who caught only two passes on the day, but both were for TDs. As for the Huskies, QB Keith Price completed 29 of 52 passes for 256 yards and one TD. UW RB Bishop Sankey had 87 yards rushing and one TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: A big five; Arizona took control of this game early by scoring on their first five possessions.
Oregon State 21- Utah 7: The Beavers looked sluggish against a Utah squad determined to upset them in Corvalis. However, a late fourth quarter penalty opened the door for OSU to put the game away. The game stood 14-7 Beavers with under 10 minutes to play when Utah CB Brian Blechen stopped OSU WR Kevin Cummings short of a first down, making a solid open field tackle. However, a late flag came in and Blechen was given a 15-yard penalty for helmet-to-helmet contact. The somewhat questionable call set OSU up with a first down on the Utah 26-yard line. Two plays later, Beaver RB Storm Woods knifed into the end zone from two yards out to put the game out of reach. Woods was the go-to-guy in this one, scoring all three Beaver TDs on short bursts of 1, 3, and 2 yards. As for the Utes, QB Travis Wilson threw for 172 yards and his team 's lone score.
Telling Stat: One long one; OSU's penalty-aided, game-sealing drive covered 67 yards. OSU's other 12 drives covered a total of 160 yards combined.
Notre Dame 17-BYU 14: The Fighting Irish almost got caught looking ahead to Oklahoma, but managed to pull out the a late win in South Bend. ND's running was what kept them in the game as the Irish piled up 270 yards on the ground against the Cougars. RBs Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood both rushed for over 100 yards to keep the chains moving for the ND offense. Still, they trailed 14-10 until the 12:52 mark of the fourth quarter when another RB, George Arkinson III crossed the double stripe from 2 yards out to put his team ahead to stay. The solid ND defense held BYU in check, shutting out the Cougars in the second half to secure the win. BYU QB Riley Nelson threw for 177 yards and 2 TDs in a losing effort.
Telling Stat: Grounded; Notre Dame kept to the ground in this one, only attempting 17 pases in the contest.
Observations
...They didn't know; Oklahoma crushed Kansas, 52-7. I guess Oklahoma wasn't informed of how Jayhawk HC Charlie Weis had the schematic advantage over them.
...Lets's check in on those WNBA playoffs; The ESPN crew at the Oregon-Arizona State game learned last week just how hard it is to call a game where garbage time starts with 11:33 left in the second quarter.
...Not a shock; Out of 120 FBS schools, Navy and Air Force are 1-2 in fewest yards penalized per game with both schools hovering around the 25 yards mark.
...Don't cry for me, West Virginia; You were told in this column last week that teams need defenses too.
...Beating the Christmas rush; Idaho fired HC Robb Akey last Sunday after his Vandals squad got humiliated by Louisiana Tech, 70-28. Idaho is off to a 1-7 start. Akey went 20-50 in his tenure in Moscow.
...They need more lightbulbs; Oregon just might blow out their scoreboard when they host Colorado this week.
...A good feeling; It hasn't been written in this blog for a long time, but USC's win over Colorado makes the Trojans bowl-eligible.
...And then there were two; With Eastern Michigan's 48-38 win over Army, only Southern Mississippi and Massachusetts remain winless in the FBS.
...A last hurrah; This is the WAC's last season as a football conference. The last WAC football champion will most likely be decided when Utah State travels to Louisiana Tech on 10/17. I will miss the WAC. The old WAC that is. The old WAC where 62-55 games were being played long before anyone ran an up-tempo offense. That was a fun league.
...A postseason that doesn't involve Coach K; By coming back to beat North Carolina, 33-30, the Duke Blue Devils are bowl-eligible. Duke hasn't been to a bowl since the 1994 season. Duke hasn't won a bowl game since they beat Arkansas in the 1961 Cotton Bowl, 7-6.
...Sins of Cam's father; Auburn is 1-6 and coming off a 17-14 loss to Vanderbilt. Auburn HC Gene Chizik must be wondering if there are any more Newtons for sale.
...Ancient eight news; Princeton scored 29 points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 39-34 win over Harvard. The win snapped Harvard's 14-game winning streak. The Tigers now have the inside track to the Ivy League title. Three cheers for old Nassau.
...Just the big boys; This looks like the first season in recent memory that a BCS-buster school from a Non-Automatic Qualifier Conference won't be in the mix for a BCS bowl. That'll teach Boise State not to lose to a Big Ten school.
...Buffaloed; Colorado wanted to use their game against USC in Los Angeles to showcase their program for recruiting purposes. Well, a lot kids should feel like they can play for CU now.
...Innocent wonder; Sitting in my seat at the Coliseum last week, I saw a little boy of about five or six emerge from old Tunnel 19 holding his mother's hand. He said, "Mom! what a big stadium! What a great stadium!" I know exactly how he feels.
And now, Three Notes About Nothing
I thought I'd be pretty stoked that my friend's team made it to the World Series, but I'm really just mad at my team instead.
I wish the city would actually repave all the lanes on a given street after they tear it up.
The weather here has just been weird lately. I'm tired of my air-conditioner and my heater coming on each day.
Until next week folks, remember that the new touchback rule only applies to kickoffs
-The Commissioner
It must be Tuesday. It's time for Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
USC 50- Colorado 6: The Trojans set a couple records during their Buffalo hunt at the Coliseum. USC QB Matt Barkley completed 19 of 20 passes for 298 yards and six TDs on this day where he broke the Pac 12 career record for TD passes held by former USC QB Matt Leinart. It's interesting to note that on the very same play, WR Robert Woods broke the USC career record for receptions. As for the game itself, USC jumped out to an early 19-0 lead over the outclassed Buffaloes and never looked back in this rout. The Trojan defense forced six CU turnovers and snuffed out any serious scoring threats.
Telling Stat: Yards in chunks; USC faced only six third down conversion attempts all game. Three of those came in the fourth quarter after the game was well in hand.
Stanford 21- California 3: It was the 115th Big Game and the first one ever played in October. The deciding factor in this game was the ability to run the ball. Stanford did, and won. Cardinal RB Stepfan Taylor toted the rock 38 times for 189 yards and a TD as the major part of his team's 252 total rushing yards. Cal's offense wasn't so productive. The Golden Bears managed to gain a total of three yards on the ground. Cal QB Zach Maynard threw for 219 yards, but couldn't get the Golden Bears offense untracked. Meanwhile, SU QB Josh Nunes hit on 16 of 31 passes for 214 yards and a TD to compliment the Cardinal's strong running game.
Telling Stat: Nowhere to run; California racked up more penalties (5), than rushing yards (3), in this game that wasn't nearly as close as the score indicates.
Oregon 43- Arizona State 21: It was over early in Tempe as a raucous Sun Devil Stadium was put to sleep by Oregon's high-powered offense. After turning the ball over and falling behind 7-0 to start the game, The Ducks scored 43 points in a little over 17 minutes to dispel any notions of a an ASU upset. Duck RB Kenjon Barner amassed 143 yards rushing on just 16 carries and with three TDs, while his QB, Marcus Mariota, ran for 135yards and TD to go with 46 passing yards and another score. ASU managed to put up a pair of cosmetic fourth quarter scores long after Oregon emptied their benches.
Telling Stat: The D in the O; While the Oregon offense was lighting up the scoreboard during their 43 point run, the Duck defense held ASU to 90 total yards and three first downs.
Arizona 52- Washington 17: The always tough-at-home Huskies reverted to their road selves in this laugher at Tucson. The Wildcats scored 24 straight points after falling behind 3-0 to put this game away quickly. UofA QB Matt Scott completed 14 of 22 passes for 256 yards and 4 TDs, while RB Ka'Deem Carey gashed the Huskies for 172 yards rushing on 29 carries and a TD of his own. Also helping the Wildcat cause was WR Austin Hill who caught only two passes on the day, but both were for TDs. As for the Huskies, QB Keith Price completed 29 of 52 passes for 256 yards and one TD. UW RB Bishop Sankey had 87 yards rushing and one TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: A big five; Arizona took control of this game early by scoring on their first five possessions.
Oregon State 21- Utah 7: The Beavers looked sluggish against a Utah squad determined to upset them in Corvalis. However, a late fourth quarter penalty opened the door for OSU to put the game away. The game stood 14-7 Beavers with under 10 minutes to play when Utah CB Brian Blechen stopped OSU WR Kevin Cummings short of a first down, making a solid open field tackle. However, a late flag came in and Blechen was given a 15-yard penalty for helmet-to-helmet contact. The somewhat questionable call set OSU up with a first down on the Utah 26-yard line. Two plays later, Beaver RB Storm Woods knifed into the end zone from two yards out to put the game out of reach. Woods was the go-to-guy in this one, scoring all three Beaver TDs on short bursts of 1, 3, and 2 yards. As for the Utes, QB Travis Wilson threw for 172 yards and his team 's lone score.
Telling Stat: One long one; OSU's penalty-aided, game-sealing drive covered 67 yards. OSU's other 12 drives covered a total of 160 yards combined.
Notre Dame 17-BYU 14: The Fighting Irish almost got caught looking ahead to Oklahoma, but managed to pull out the a late win in South Bend. ND's running was what kept them in the game as the Irish piled up 270 yards on the ground against the Cougars. RBs Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood both rushed for over 100 yards to keep the chains moving for the ND offense. Still, they trailed 14-10 until the 12:52 mark of the fourth quarter when another RB, George Arkinson III crossed the double stripe from 2 yards out to put his team ahead to stay. The solid ND defense held BYU in check, shutting out the Cougars in the second half to secure the win. BYU QB Riley Nelson threw for 177 yards and 2 TDs in a losing effort.
Telling Stat: Grounded; Notre Dame kept to the ground in this one, only attempting 17 pases in the contest.
Observations
...They didn't know; Oklahoma crushed Kansas, 52-7. I guess Oklahoma wasn't informed of how Jayhawk HC Charlie Weis had the schematic advantage over them.
...Lets's check in on those WNBA playoffs; The ESPN crew at the Oregon-Arizona State game learned last week just how hard it is to call a game where garbage time starts with 11:33 left in the second quarter.
...Not a shock; Out of 120 FBS schools, Navy and Air Force are 1-2 in fewest yards penalized per game with both schools hovering around the 25 yards mark.
...Don't cry for me, West Virginia; You were told in this column last week that teams need defenses too.
...Beating the Christmas rush; Idaho fired HC Robb Akey last Sunday after his Vandals squad got humiliated by Louisiana Tech, 70-28. Idaho is off to a 1-7 start. Akey went 20-50 in his tenure in Moscow.
...They need more lightbulbs; Oregon just might blow out their scoreboard when they host Colorado this week.
...A good feeling; It hasn't been written in this blog for a long time, but USC's win over Colorado makes the Trojans bowl-eligible.
...And then there were two; With Eastern Michigan's 48-38 win over Army, only Southern Mississippi and Massachusetts remain winless in the FBS.
...A last hurrah; This is the WAC's last season as a football conference. The last WAC football champion will most likely be decided when Utah State travels to Louisiana Tech on 10/17. I will miss the WAC. The old WAC that is. The old WAC where 62-55 games were being played long before anyone ran an up-tempo offense. That was a fun league.
...A postseason that doesn't involve Coach K; By coming back to beat North Carolina, 33-30, the Duke Blue Devils are bowl-eligible. Duke hasn't been to a bowl since the 1994 season. Duke hasn't won a bowl game since they beat Arkansas in the 1961 Cotton Bowl, 7-6.
...Sins of Cam's father; Auburn is 1-6 and coming off a 17-14 loss to Vanderbilt. Auburn HC Gene Chizik must be wondering if there are any more Newtons for sale.
...Ancient eight news; Princeton scored 29 points in the fourth quarter to pull out a 39-34 win over Harvard. The win snapped Harvard's 14-game winning streak. The Tigers now have the inside track to the Ivy League title. Three cheers for old Nassau.
...Just the big boys; This looks like the first season in recent memory that a BCS-buster school from a Non-Automatic Qualifier Conference won't be in the mix for a BCS bowl. That'll teach Boise State not to lose to a Big Ten school.
...Buffaloed; Colorado wanted to use their game against USC in Los Angeles to showcase their program for recruiting purposes. Well, a lot kids should feel like they can play for CU now.
...Innocent wonder; Sitting in my seat at the Coliseum last week, I saw a little boy of about five or six emerge from old Tunnel 19 holding his mother's hand. He said, "Mom! what a big stadium! What a great stadium!" I know exactly how he feels.
And now, Three Notes About Nothing
I thought I'd be pretty stoked that my friend's team made it to the World Series, but I'm really just mad at my team instead.
I wish the city would actually repave all the lanes on a given street after they tear it up.
The weather here has just been weird lately. I'm tired of my air-conditioner and my heater coming on each day.
Until next week folks, remember that the new touchback rule only applies to kickoffs
-The Commissioner
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Week 7
Hey All,
It's time for the column you all enjoy, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
USC 24- Washington 14: The offense showed up for the first two quarters and the defense showed up for the whole game as the Trojans came away with a win in Seattle. USC raced out to a 24-7 halftime lead behind an 11-yard TD jaunt by RB Silas Redd, an 18-yard TD pass from QB Matt Barkley to TE Xavier Grimble, a 23-yard field goal by PK Andre Heidari and a big special teams score. CB Anthony Brown blocked a punt and returned it 21 yards for a TD. Then, the offense went cold, not putting up a single second half point. The defense then made the lead stand up by allowing the Huskies only one scoring drive in the final 30 minutes. The offensive star of the day for USC was RB Silas Redd who ran for 155 yards and one TD on 26 carries. As for the Dawgs, QB Keith Price threw for 198 yards and a pair of scores.
Telling Stat: The defense did it; The USC defense forced turnovers on three of UW's last four possessions to secure the win for the Trojans.
California 31- Washington State 17: The pitch and catch game between QB Zach Maynard and WR Keenan Allen along with the running of RB C.J. Anderson lifted the Golden Bears to their eighth straight win over the Cougars. Maynard hooked up with Allen 11 times for 166 yards including a 69-yard TD connection in the first quarter. Anderson ran for 112 yards and crossed the double stripe twice with his last one putting the game out of reach with 10:27 to play. Wazzu did put up 420 yards of offense on the Bears, but couldn't convert in the red zone.
Telling Stat: Two man air show; The Maynard-to-Allen connection accounted for 166 of Cal's 189 total passing yards in the contest.
ASU 51- Colorado 17: The Sun Devil offense overwhelmed the hapless Buffalo defense last Thursday night in Boulder. ASU QB Taylor Kelly completed 20 of 28 passes for 308 yards and 5 TDs on the night. His favorite target was RB Marion Grice who caught three of those TD tosses. The Sun Devils also ran the ball well too with RB Cameron Marshall leading all rushers with 98 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. The ASU defense held CU to just 75 yards rushing and 255 total yards. They also shutout Colorado in the second half.
Telling Stat: They stuck a fork in 'em; ASU choked off Colorado's offense in the second half, allowing only 84 yards. 34 of those yards coming on the game's final drive.
UCLA 21-Utah 14: An efficient effort from QB Brett Hundley and a solid showing form the bRuin defense carried the day at the Rose Bowl. Hundley completed 15 of 21 aerials for 183 yards and one TD while running for 68 yards and another score. bRuin RB Johnathan Franklin ran for 79 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown when he scampered across the goal line from 3 yards out with 6:04 left in the third quarter. The UCLA defense kept Utah bottled up all game allowing only one late score. As for the Utes, QB Travis Wilson threw for 220 yards in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: He was the offense; QB Brett Hundley accounted for 251 of UCLA's 354 total yards v. Utah.
Oregon State 42- BYU 24: Beaver QB Cody Vaz looked like he was the starter all along in his squad's big win at Provo. Vaz started in place of Sean Mansion who was lost for the year with a knee injury last week. All Vaz did was complete 20 of 32 passes for 332 yards and three TDs in front of the hostile BYU crowd. The Beavers won this game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cougars 21-3. For the Cougars, QB Riley Nelson completed 28 of 51 tosses for 305 yards and one TD. He also threw three interceptions with one being returned 49 yards for the game-sealing score by OSU CB Jordan Poyer with a little over five minutes to play.
Telling Stat: Tough at the end; The OSU defense forced two turnovers on BYU's last two drives to win the game.
Notre Dame 20- Stanford 13 OT: This game was defensive struggle in which the officials had a hand in the result. Stanford was holding a 13-10 lead as the Irish faced a 3rd-and-four from the Cardinal 28-yard line. QB Tommy Rees' pass fell incomplete and it looked like ND would have to try a 45-yard field goal in the wind and rain to try and tie the game. However, at the end of the play, Stanford was called for one of the cheapest pass interference penalties in recent memory. The penalty kept ND's drive alive and the Irish would send the game to overtime when PK Kyle Brindza split the uprights from 22 yards out to tie the game with :20 left. Then in OT, ND got a 7-yard TD pass from QB Tommy Rees to WR TJ Jones to take a 20-13 lead. Stanford blew their shot to tie the game in their half of the overtime when RB Stepfan Taylor was given the ball four straight times and couldn't crack the endzone from one-yard out. On the last of those plays, it did look like Taylor had crossed the goal line on second effort, but the Pac 12 officiating crew blew the play dead, ruling that his forward motion had stopped. In this defensive slugfest of a game, ND's front seven shined with LB Manti Te'o doing his best to shut down the Cardinal offense all by himself.
Telling Stat: No paydirt; The Notre Dame defense didn't allow a touchdown. Stanford's only touchdown came via a fumble recovery in the Irish end zone by LB Chase Thomas.
Observations
...Not what they thought; I bet for Utah this wasn't what they thought life would be like in the Pac 12.
...It could happen; after beating Hawaii last weekend, New Mexico has a great chance to make a bowl this year. That would make Bob Davie's first season as HC of the Lobos a great success.
...Something different; Notre Dame is a different team this year because they have eliminated big mistakes. They haven't made many drastic game-changing errors this season.
...And then there were three; Southern Miss, Massachusetts, and Eastern Michigan are the only winless teams left in the FBS.
...Only 5th; Wisconsin's 467 yards rushing v. Purdue was only the fifth best rushing yardage day in Badger history. The top mark was set in 1974 when the boys from Madison ran for 551 yards in a 52-7 win over Northwestern.
...A big assumption and a BCS question; Assuming Oregon State runs the table, they won't be able to play a 12 game regular schedule because instead of making up a game v. Nicholls State, they'll be playing in the Pac 12 title game. So, would that one less game played hurt them in the computers? Hmmmmmmm.
...Substance, not flash; There wasn't a lot of flashy offense on display in the Pac 12 last weekend, but there was some great fundamental football and defense.
...Winning in a vacuum; Three Big East teams are undefeated. Rutgers, Cincinnati and Louisville all have spotless records and no publicity.
...Done in by their own; It's sad how Stanford got jobbed by the refs at Notre Dame.. It's even worse knowing that the officiating crew was from the Pac 12.
...A familiar look; Ever notice how Texas HC Mack Brown is always fixing his hair after using his headset on the sideline? It reminds me of former USC HC Larry Smith. The way he keeps getting his butt kicked in rivalry games reminds me a lot of old Larry too.
...It ain't Vandy; Everyone picks on Vanderbilt for being the doormat of the SEC. Yeah. Vandy isn't great, but Kentucky has been as bad, if not worse than the Commodores for a good decade.
...A rare big one; This Thursday's ASU-Oregon game might just be a really good Thursday night game.
...Note to West Virginia; Teams do need defenses.
...Not early enough; Arkansas AD Jeff Long told the Touchdown Club in Little Rock that he wants a new HC in place by December. Razorback fans would like to have a new HC now.
...They won't be the only ones to suffer; The Cal-Stanford game is the first of several times that Pac 12 rivalry games will find a mid-October home. The next time someone will face their conference rival in October will be in the 2015 season. The infighting over who will be stuck with it will be intense.
Thinking of Beano Cook (1931-2012)
Beano truly loved the game of college football. He loved it with all his heart and with no excuses. It was his game. It's what made him tick. He knew the game inside and out. It was his love of the history of the game that made me like Beano. He was one of those links to the past that we are all the worse for now that he's gone. He was the link to the era of sleeper cars, heavy wool uniforms, and when the Ivy League and service academies still won national titles and produced Heisman Trophy winners. He lived for Saturdays in Autumn. I kind of know what that's like. I just can't believe he didn't make it through the season. Who'll tell him who ends up number 1? I'm sure he'll get the message somehow. Good bye, Beano.
Three Notes About Nothing...
...The Drunkin' Pumpkin will be the new great seasonal drink.
...The SNL spoof soap The Californians is really funny.
...The baseball playoffs aren't as exciting when your team didn't make it to the playoffs.
Until next week folks,
remember that the for the Cover 2 defense to work well, the front four have to get pressure on the quarterback.
-The Comissioner
It's time for the column you all enjoy, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
USC 24- Washington 14: The offense showed up for the first two quarters and the defense showed up for the whole game as the Trojans came away with a win in Seattle. USC raced out to a 24-7 halftime lead behind an 11-yard TD jaunt by RB Silas Redd, an 18-yard TD pass from QB Matt Barkley to TE Xavier Grimble, a 23-yard field goal by PK Andre Heidari and a big special teams score. CB Anthony Brown blocked a punt and returned it 21 yards for a TD. Then, the offense went cold, not putting up a single second half point. The defense then made the lead stand up by allowing the Huskies only one scoring drive in the final 30 minutes. The offensive star of the day for USC was RB Silas Redd who ran for 155 yards and one TD on 26 carries. As for the Dawgs, QB Keith Price threw for 198 yards and a pair of scores.
Telling Stat: The defense did it; The USC defense forced turnovers on three of UW's last four possessions to secure the win for the Trojans.
California 31- Washington State 17: The pitch and catch game between QB Zach Maynard and WR Keenan Allen along with the running of RB C.J. Anderson lifted the Golden Bears to their eighth straight win over the Cougars. Maynard hooked up with Allen 11 times for 166 yards including a 69-yard TD connection in the first quarter. Anderson ran for 112 yards and crossed the double stripe twice with his last one putting the game out of reach with 10:27 to play. Wazzu did put up 420 yards of offense on the Bears, but couldn't convert in the red zone.
Telling Stat: Two man air show; The Maynard-to-Allen connection accounted for 166 of Cal's 189 total passing yards in the contest.
ASU 51- Colorado 17: The Sun Devil offense overwhelmed the hapless Buffalo defense last Thursday night in Boulder. ASU QB Taylor Kelly completed 20 of 28 passes for 308 yards and 5 TDs on the night. His favorite target was RB Marion Grice who caught three of those TD tosses. The Sun Devils also ran the ball well too with RB Cameron Marshall leading all rushers with 98 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. The ASU defense held CU to just 75 yards rushing and 255 total yards. They also shutout Colorado in the second half.
Telling Stat: They stuck a fork in 'em; ASU choked off Colorado's offense in the second half, allowing only 84 yards. 34 of those yards coming on the game's final drive.
UCLA 21-Utah 14: An efficient effort from QB Brett Hundley and a solid showing form the bRuin defense carried the day at the Rose Bowl. Hundley completed 15 of 21 aerials for 183 yards and one TD while running for 68 yards and another score. bRuin RB Johnathan Franklin ran for 79 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown when he scampered across the goal line from 3 yards out with 6:04 left in the third quarter. The UCLA defense kept Utah bottled up all game allowing only one late score. As for the Utes, QB Travis Wilson threw for 220 yards in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: He was the offense; QB Brett Hundley accounted for 251 of UCLA's 354 total yards v. Utah.
Oregon State 42- BYU 24: Beaver QB Cody Vaz looked like he was the starter all along in his squad's big win at Provo. Vaz started in place of Sean Mansion who was lost for the year with a knee injury last week. All Vaz did was complete 20 of 32 passes for 332 yards and three TDs in front of the hostile BYU crowd. The Beavers won this game in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cougars 21-3. For the Cougars, QB Riley Nelson completed 28 of 51 tosses for 305 yards and one TD. He also threw three interceptions with one being returned 49 yards for the game-sealing score by OSU CB Jordan Poyer with a little over five minutes to play.
Telling Stat: Tough at the end; The OSU defense forced two turnovers on BYU's last two drives to win the game.
Notre Dame 20- Stanford 13 OT: This game was defensive struggle in which the officials had a hand in the result. Stanford was holding a 13-10 lead as the Irish faced a 3rd-and-four from the Cardinal 28-yard line. QB Tommy Rees' pass fell incomplete and it looked like ND would have to try a 45-yard field goal in the wind and rain to try and tie the game. However, at the end of the play, Stanford was called for one of the cheapest pass interference penalties in recent memory. The penalty kept ND's drive alive and the Irish would send the game to overtime when PK Kyle Brindza split the uprights from 22 yards out to tie the game with :20 left. Then in OT, ND got a 7-yard TD pass from QB Tommy Rees to WR TJ Jones to take a 20-13 lead. Stanford blew their shot to tie the game in their half of the overtime when RB Stepfan Taylor was given the ball four straight times and couldn't crack the endzone from one-yard out. On the last of those plays, it did look like Taylor had crossed the goal line on second effort, but the Pac 12 officiating crew blew the play dead, ruling that his forward motion had stopped. In this defensive slugfest of a game, ND's front seven shined with LB Manti Te'o doing his best to shut down the Cardinal offense all by himself.
Telling Stat: No paydirt; The Notre Dame defense didn't allow a touchdown. Stanford's only touchdown came via a fumble recovery in the Irish end zone by LB Chase Thomas.
Observations
...Not what they thought; I bet for Utah this wasn't what they thought life would be like in the Pac 12.
...It could happen; after beating Hawaii last weekend, New Mexico has a great chance to make a bowl this year. That would make Bob Davie's first season as HC of the Lobos a great success.
...Something different; Notre Dame is a different team this year because they have eliminated big mistakes. They haven't made many drastic game-changing errors this season.
...And then there were three; Southern Miss, Massachusetts, and Eastern Michigan are the only winless teams left in the FBS.
...Only 5th; Wisconsin's 467 yards rushing v. Purdue was only the fifth best rushing yardage day in Badger history. The top mark was set in 1974 when the boys from Madison ran for 551 yards in a 52-7 win over Northwestern.
...A big assumption and a BCS question; Assuming Oregon State runs the table, they won't be able to play a 12 game regular schedule because instead of making up a game v. Nicholls State, they'll be playing in the Pac 12 title game. So, would that one less game played hurt them in the computers? Hmmmmmmm.
...Substance, not flash; There wasn't a lot of flashy offense on display in the Pac 12 last weekend, but there was some great fundamental football and defense.
...Winning in a vacuum; Three Big East teams are undefeated. Rutgers, Cincinnati and Louisville all have spotless records and no publicity.
...Done in by their own; It's sad how Stanford got jobbed by the refs at Notre Dame.. It's even worse knowing that the officiating crew was from the Pac 12.
...A familiar look; Ever notice how Texas HC Mack Brown is always fixing his hair after using his headset on the sideline? It reminds me of former USC HC Larry Smith. The way he keeps getting his butt kicked in rivalry games reminds me a lot of old Larry too.
...It ain't Vandy; Everyone picks on Vanderbilt for being the doormat of the SEC. Yeah. Vandy isn't great, but Kentucky has been as bad, if not worse than the Commodores for a good decade.
...A rare big one; This Thursday's ASU-Oregon game might just be a really good Thursday night game.
...Note to West Virginia; Teams do need defenses.
...Not early enough; Arkansas AD Jeff Long told the Touchdown Club in Little Rock that he wants a new HC in place by December. Razorback fans would like to have a new HC now.
...They won't be the only ones to suffer; The Cal-Stanford game is the first of several times that Pac 12 rivalry games will find a mid-October home. The next time someone will face their conference rival in October will be in the 2015 season. The infighting over who will be stuck with it will be intense.
Thinking of Beano Cook (1931-2012)
Beano truly loved the game of college football. He loved it with all his heart and with no excuses. It was his game. It's what made him tick. He knew the game inside and out. It was his love of the history of the game that made me like Beano. He was one of those links to the past that we are all the worse for now that he's gone. He was the link to the era of sleeper cars, heavy wool uniforms, and when the Ivy League and service academies still won national titles and produced Heisman Trophy winners. He lived for Saturdays in Autumn. I kind of know what that's like. I just can't believe he didn't make it through the season. Who'll tell him who ends up number 1? I'm sure he'll get the message somehow. Good bye, Beano.
Three Notes About Nothing...
...The Drunkin' Pumpkin will be the new great seasonal drink.
...The SNL spoof soap The Californians is really funny.
...The baseball playoffs aren't as exciting when your team didn't make it to the playoffs.
Until next week folks,
remember that the for the Cover 2 defense to work well, the front four have to get pressure on the quarterback.
-The Comissioner
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Week 6
Hey all,
Here's the column that makes Tuesdays great, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
USC 38- Utah 28: Three minutes into the game, the Trojans found themselves in a 14-0, self-inflicted hole. USC fumbled twice in their first five offensive plays. The Utes turned those miscues into scores and an upset seemd to be brewing in Salt Lake City. USC then then got off the deck and dominated the last 57 minutes of the game. As sloppy as they were, (14 penalties), the Trojans did manage to put 38 points on the board while shutting down the Ute offense. USC QB Matt Barkley completed 23 of 30 passes for 303 yards and 3 TDs. Included in those TD tosses was an 83-yard connection with WR Marqise Lee that gave the Trojans a 31-21 lead early in the fourth period. Lee would finish the game with 12 receptions for 192 yards and that big TD catch. The Trojans then put the game away when CB Nickell Robey picked off an errant toss by Ute QB Jon Hays and took it back 38 yards for a TD. As for the Utes, QB Jon Hays completed 19 of 32 passes for 160 yards and two TDs. The Trojan defense held Utah's star RB John White to just 68 yards rushing for the game.
Telling Stat: No threat; The USC defense held Utah to 48 yards and 2 first downs in the second half
before allowing a late TD drive in garbage time.
Oregon 52 Washington 14: The Ducks made it look easy against the Huskies. The Ducks led 21-0 after the first quarter, 35-7 at the half, and then coasted through the second half in this rout. Duck QB Marcus Mariota completed 15 of 24 passes for 198 yards and 4 TDs to lead the Webfoot attack. The Huskies just couldn't handle Oregon's up tempo offense. The Duck defense forced five UW turnovers to help the cause. One of those turnovers was a 43-yard interception return for a TD by CB Avery Patterson. As for the Dawgs, RB Bishop Sankey ran for 104 yards and a pair of TDs.
Telling Stat: Didin't matter; Over half of UW's total offense and points came after Oregon had put this game away.
California 43- UCLA 17: The Golden Bears stand as kings of the UC system with a big win over the bRuins. Cal QB Zach Maynard looked like Aaron Rodgers in shredding the UCLA defense. He completed 25 of 30 passes for 295 yards and four TDs. C.J. Anderson led the Cal ground attack by rushing for 151 yards on 21 carries and a TD of his own. The Bear defense looked pretty good too. They forced six UCLA turnovers and rushed and smacked around QB Brett Hundley all night. Hundley did throw for 253 yards and two TDs, but he also threw four costly interceptions.
Telling Stat: 6+12= L; Six turnovers and 12 penalties added up to a big loss for the bRuins.
Oregon State 19- Washington State 6: It wasn't pretty, but the Beavers played well enough to grind out an ugly win over the Cougars up in Corvalis. CB Jordan Poyer led the tough Beaver defense with three interceptions as he and teammates limited Wazzu's Air-raid Offense to 227 total yards and a pair of field goals from PK Andrew Furney. The OSU offense wasn't stellar, but they did enough to win. QB Sean Mannion overcame three interceptions to lead the Beavers on two second half TD drives. He capped off the first drive with a 12-yard scoring toss toWR Markus Wheaton. Then later, he handed off to RB Tyler Anderson who plunged over from 1-yard out to ice the game with 4:27 to play. Not a lot of bright spots for Wazzu in this one, but QB Jeff Tuel did throw complete 11 of 17 passes for 126 yards in relief of QB Connor Halliday who was ineffective through most of the first half.
Telling Stat: Chains=Scores; Six of OSU's nine third-down conversions came on their four scoring drives.
Stanford 54- Arizona 48 OT: This was easily the best game in the Pac 12. The two traded hard hits, big, plays and the lead all afternoon. UofA looked like it had pulled away from Stanford with two quick TDs in the fourth quarter to take a 48-34 lead with 9:13 to play. Then, the Cardinal made their comeback. Cardinal QB Josh Nunes took it in from 1-yard out to cut the Wildcats' lead to 48-41, with 6:34 left. After forcing UoA to punt, the Cardinal went on the game-tying drive. Nunes led his team down the field again converting two third-and-longs and one fourth down. Then, with 1st and goal at the Wildcat 3-yard line, Nunes called his own number and ran in for the tying score. The Cardinal defense came up huge in the overtime period picking off QB Matt Scott's third down pass. Two plays later, SU RB Stepfan Taylor then galloped 21-yards for the winning score. Taylor finished the game with 142 yards rushing and two TDs. Nunes was the star for Stanford throwing for 362 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for 33 yards and three more scores. UofA QB Matt Scott completed 45 of 69 passes for 491 yards and 3 TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Hanging in there; The Stanford defense did just enough to get a win despite being on the field for 103 plays.
Notre Dame 41- Miami 3: The much-maligned Hurricane defense didn't do anything to shake off their bad reputation as Notre Dame ran over, around, and through them at Soldier Field. The Irish rushed for 376 yards on Miami. RBs George Atkinson III and Cierre Wood each eclipsed the 100 yard mark and combined to score three TDs. QB Everett Golson had a decent day passing for 186 yards and running for 51 more. Things weren't so good for Miami as they just couldn't get out of their own way, making a ton of mental errors and committing costly penalties.
Telling Stat: They stayed on the field; The Notre Dame offense played a great ball control game, holding the rock for almost 40:00 of T.O.P. in the contest.
Observations
...Feelin' The King; some games are masterpieces. USC's, sloppy, penalty infested win over Utah was an Elvis on black velvet.
...A box of rocks; OSU third-string QB Cardale Jones showed us that English 101 is definitely one of the classes he's missing at Theee OSU with this quote, "Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain't come to play SCHOOL classes are POINTLESS."
...Not a good number; The Arizona defense is giving up an average of 44 points per game in Pac 12 play.
...A mile high in Columbia; WR Dorial Green-Beckham and two other Missouri teammates were arrested for smoking pot near the football stadium. Epic fail.
...Now, not so much; As Nebraska keeps dropping games, UCLA's win over the Cornhuskers looks less and less impressive.
...Half the way there; Navy's big 28-21 OT win at Air Force puts them in line to to win the Commander-In-Chief's trophy.
...Still not #1; You would think by running 103 plays v. Stanford last week, Arizona would be the FBS leader in plays per game. They are #2. UofA runs 90.5 plays per game. Marshall is #1 running 92 plays per game.
...Not this century; UCLA hasn't won at California since 1998.
...An Indie weekend; All four independent schools in the FBS won this weekend.
...And then there were four; There are four winless teams left in the FBS. They are Southern Miss, Tulane, Eastern Michigan, and UMass
...Under the Radar; There are three teams currently bowl eligible. The first two are Oregon and South Carolina. The third is Ohio. Huh? Yup, the Ohio Bobcats from the MAC are 6-0 with their signature win being over Penn State.
...Another black eye; The Big Ten has just had a rough year. This doesn't help. The two teams atop the standings in the Leaders division are Ohio State and Penn State. They are both ineligible.
...Bad coincidence; QBs Taysom Hill of BYU and Sean Mannion of OSU are both out for the year after having season-ending knee surgery for injuries sustained while leading their respective teams to victory last weekend. Oddly enough, the Beavers travel to Provo this week to take on the Cougars.
...This just in; West Virginia QB Geno Smith is pretty good.
...A good push; Notre Dame's offensive line is looking better than it has in years.
...The NCAA limit for maximum amount of pages in a football media guide is 208 pages. Why is that the magic number? Why not 167 or 311 or 87? What makes 208 so special?
Now, Three Notes About Nothing
...I don't find anything fun about "Fun-Sized" candy bars.
...Playoff baseball games during the day are pure Americana.
...I think I should have my own bobblehead night.
Until next week folks, remember that a basic tenet of being a holder for placekicks is to always spin the laces away from the kicker.
-The Commissioner
Here's the column that makes Tuesdays great, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
USC 38- Utah 28: Three minutes into the game, the Trojans found themselves in a 14-0, self-inflicted hole. USC fumbled twice in their first five offensive plays. The Utes turned those miscues into scores and an upset seemd to be brewing in Salt Lake City. USC then then got off the deck and dominated the last 57 minutes of the game. As sloppy as they were, (14 penalties), the Trojans did manage to put 38 points on the board while shutting down the Ute offense. USC QB Matt Barkley completed 23 of 30 passes for 303 yards and 3 TDs. Included in those TD tosses was an 83-yard connection with WR Marqise Lee that gave the Trojans a 31-21 lead early in the fourth period. Lee would finish the game with 12 receptions for 192 yards and that big TD catch. The Trojans then put the game away when CB Nickell Robey picked off an errant toss by Ute QB Jon Hays and took it back 38 yards for a TD. As for the Utes, QB Jon Hays completed 19 of 32 passes for 160 yards and two TDs. The Trojan defense held Utah's star RB John White to just 68 yards rushing for the game.
Telling Stat: No threat; The USC defense held Utah to 48 yards and 2 first downs in the second half
before allowing a late TD drive in garbage time.
Oregon 52 Washington 14: The Ducks made it look easy against the Huskies. The Ducks led 21-0 after the first quarter, 35-7 at the half, and then coasted through the second half in this rout. Duck QB Marcus Mariota completed 15 of 24 passes for 198 yards and 4 TDs to lead the Webfoot attack. The Huskies just couldn't handle Oregon's up tempo offense. The Duck defense forced five UW turnovers to help the cause. One of those turnovers was a 43-yard interception return for a TD by CB Avery Patterson. As for the Dawgs, RB Bishop Sankey ran for 104 yards and a pair of TDs.
Telling Stat: Didin't matter; Over half of UW's total offense and points came after Oregon had put this game away.
California 43- UCLA 17: The Golden Bears stand as kings of the UC system with a big win over the bRuins. Cal QB Zach Maynard looked like Aaron Rodgers in shredding the UCLA defense. He completed 25 of 30 passes for 295 yards and four TDs. C.J. Anderson led the Cal ground attack by rushing for 151 yards on 21 carries and a TD of his own. The Bear defense looked pretty good too. They forced six UCLA turnovers and rushed and smacked around QB Brett Hundley all night. Hundley did throw for 253 yards and two TDs, but he also threw four costly interceptions.
Telling Stat: 6+12= L; Six turnovers and 12 penalties added up to a big loss for the bRuins.
Oregon State 19- Washington State 6: It wasn't pretty, but the Beavers played well enough to grind out an ugly win over the Cougars up in Corvalis. CB Jordan Poyer led the tough Beaver defense with three interceptions as he and teammates limited Wazzu's Air-raid Offense to 227 total yards and a pair of field goals from PK Andrew Furney. The OSU offense wasn't stellar, but they did enough to win. QB Sean Mannion overcame three interceptions to lead the Beavers on two second half TD drives. He capped off the first drive with a 12-yard scoring toss toWR Markus Wheaton. Then later, he handed off to RB Tyler Anderson who plunged over from 1-yard out to ice the game with 4:27 to play. Not a lot of bright spots for Wazzu in this one, but QB Jeff Tuel did throw complete 11 of 17 passes for 126 yards in relief of QB Connor Halliday who was ineffective through most of the first half.
Telling Stat: Chains=Scores; Six of OSU's nine third-down conversions came on their four scoring drives.
Stanford 54- Arizona 48 OT: This was easily the best game in the Pac 12. The two traded hard hits, big, plays and the lead all afternoon. UofA looked like it had pulled away from Stanford with two quick TDs in the fourth quarter to take a 48-34 lead with 9:13 to play. Then, the Cardinal made their comeback. Cardinal QB Josh Nunes took it in from 1-yard out to cut the Wildcats' lead to 48-41, with 6:34 left. After forcing UoA to punt, the Cardinal went on the game-tying drive. Nunes led his team down the field again converting two third-and-longs and one fourth down. Then, with 1st and goal at the Wildcat 3-yard line, Nunes called his own number and ran in for the tying score. The Cardinal defense came up huge in the overtime period picking off QB Matt Scott's third down pass. Two plays later, SU RB Stepfan Taylor then galloped 21-yards for the winning score. Taylor finished the game with 142 yards rushing and two TDs. Nunes was the star for Stanford throwing for 362 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for 33 yards and three more scores. UofA QB Matt Scott completed 45 of 69 passes for 491 yards and 3 TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Hanging in there; The Stanford defense did just enough to get a win despite being on the field for 103 plays.
Notre Dame 41- Miami 3: The much-maligned Hurricane defense didn't do anything to shake off their bad reputation as Notre Dame ran over, around, and through them at Soldier Field. The Irish rushed for 376 yards on Miami. RBs George Atkinson III and Cierre Wood each eclipsed the 100 yard mark and combined to score three TDs. QB Everett Golson had a decent day passing for 186 yards and running for 51 more. Things weren't so good for Miami as they just couldn't get out of their own way, making a ton of mental errors and committing costly penalties.
Telling Stat: They stayed on the field; The Notre Dame offense played a great ball control game, holding the rock for almost 40:00 of T.O.P. in the contest.
Observations
...Feelin' The King; some games are masterpieces. USC's, sloppy, penalty infested win over Utah was an Elvis on black velvet.
...A box of rocks; OSU third-string QB Cardale Jones showed us that English 101 is definitely one of the classes he's missing at Theee OSU with this quote, "Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain't come to play SCHOOL classes are POINTLESS."
...Not a good number; The Arizona defense is giving up an average of 44 points per game in Pac 12 play.
...A mile high in Columbia; WR Dorial Green-Beckham and two other Missouri teammates were arrested for smoking pot near the football stadium. Epic fail.
...Now, not so much; As Nebraska keeps dropping games, UCLA's win over the Cornhuskers looks less and less impressive.
...Half the way there; Navy's big 28-21 OT win at Air Force puts them in line to to win the Commander-In-Chief's trophy.
...Still not #1; You would think by running 103 plays v. Stanford last week, Arizona would be the FBS leader in plays per game. They are #2. UofA runs 90.5 plays per game. Marshall is #1 running 92 plays per game.
...Not this century; UCLA hasn't won at California since 1998.
...An Indie weekend; All four independent schools in the FBS won this weekend.
...And then there were four; There are four winless teams left in the FBS. They are Southern Miss, Tulane, Eastern Michigan, and UMass
...Under the Radar; There are three teams currently bowl eligible. The first two are Oregon and South Carolina. The third is Ohio. Huh? Yup, the Ohio Bobcats from the MAC are 6-0 with their signature win being over Penn State.
...Another black eye; The Big Ten has just had a rough year. This doesn't help. The two teams atop the standings in the Leaders division are Ohio State and Penn State. They are both ineligible.
...Bad coincidence; QBs Taysom Hill of BYU and Sean Mannion of OSU are both out for the year after having season-ending knee surgery for injuries sustained while leading their respective teams to victory last weekend. Oddly enough, the Beavers travel to Provo this week to take on the Cougars.
...This just in; West Virginia QB Geno Smith is pretty good.
...A good push; Notre Dame's offensive line is looking better than it has in years.
...The NCAA limit for maximum amount of pages in a football media guide is 208 pages. Why is that the magic number? Why not 167 or 311 or 87? What makes 208 so special?
Now, Three Notes About Nothing
...I don't find anything fun about "Fun-Sized" candy bars.
...Playoff baseball games during the day are pure Americana.
...I think I should have my own bobblehead night.
Until next week folks, remember that a basic tenet of being a holder for placekicks is to always spin the laces away from the kicker.
-The Commissioner
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Week 5
Hey All,
Here's another edition of the column that gets you through Tuesdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
Washington 17- Stanford 13: This game had the makings of a defense lovers dream as the 8th-ranked Cardinal led, 6-3 after a first half that featured three field goals, 11 punts and eight three-and-outs by both squads. However, the second half would feature just enough offense to make this one worth watching. The third quarter saw both teams trade TDs. Stanford LB Trent Murphy picked off an errant aerial by UW QB Keith Price and took it 40 yards to paydirt to put the Cardinal up, 13-3. The Huskies answered that score when RB Bishop Sankey broke off a 61-yard TD jaunt to cut Stanford's lead to just 13-10 on the last play of the period. Washington's game winning score came with 4:53 to left to play when Price hooked up with WR Kasen Williams for a 35-yard TD pass. The Husky defense then kept the Stanford offense in check the rest of the way to complete the upset. The real star of this game was the Husky defense which held Stanford's potent rushing attack to just 65 yards on the night. UW RB Bishop Sankey sliced up the Cardinal defense to the tune of 144 yards on 20 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: The Dawgs had bite; The Husky defense forced seven three-and-outs and didn't allow a single Stanford drive to last longer than nine plays.
Arizona State 27- California 17: The QB position was the tipping point in this game for the Golden Bears. They couldn't protect theirs while not being able to get to ASU's enough in this win for the Sun Devils. ASU QB Taylor Kelly completed 26 of 45 passes for 292 yards and three TDs . His third TD pass, a 22-yard strike to WR Kevin Ozier put the game out of reach with 6:17 left. Cal QB Zach Maynard didn't complete many passes when he wasn't being hurried, hit, and sacked by the ASU defense. Maynard completed just 9 of 28 tosses for 126 yards and a TD. The offensive star for the Golden Bears was RB Isi Sofele who gained 105 yards rushing on 15 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: Couldn't cross the street; Cal's offense crossed the 50 just three times in their 15 drives in a game that looked closer than it really was.
Oregon 51- Washington State 26: When this game went to the half, Wazzu had played a really great first half and trailed the second ranked Ducks, 23-19. Upset talk was going around the nation. Then, the third quarter happened. Two scoring drives capped by TD runs from De'Anthony Thomas (4 yards) and Kenjon Barner (10 Yards) were sandwiched around a 34-yard interception return for a TD by CB Avery Patterson and this game was over. The Cougars couldn't stop Barner all night. He finished the game with 195 yards rushing on 20 carries and 3 TDs. He also scored a fourth TD on a 30-yard pass from QB Marcus Mariota. For the Cougars, QB Connor Halliday connected on 33 of 60 passes for 348 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Telling Stat: 10 minutes, 33 seconds; That's how long it took Oregon to take this game from a four point lead to a 25 point lead in the third quarter.
UCLA 42- Colorado 14: After a big come-from-behind win last week, the Buffaloes were dragged back to cold reality by the bRuins. UCLA QB Brett Hundley threw for 281 yards and two TDs and ran for two more to lead the bRuin attack. The bRuin defense shutdown the CU offense, holding them to one score until the backups allowed a late TD when the game was already decided. CU QB Jordan Webb threw for 184 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Static Chains; Colorado converted only two of 15 third down conversions in this yawner.
Oregon State 38- Arizona 35: Thanks to the Pac 12 network not too many people saw an exciting game that the Beavers won with a little late heroics. The late offensive heroics came from QB Sean Mannion. He hit TE Connor Hamlett with a nine-yard TD pass to go ahead with 1:09 left. As for the late defensive heroics, Beaver CB Rashaad Reynolds picked off UofA QB Matt Scott's fourth down pass with :47 left to preserve the win for OSU. Mannion lit up the Wildcat defense for 433 yards through the air and three TDs, while RB Storm Woods ran for 161 yards and a TD on the ground for the Beavers. On the Wildcats side of things, Scott threw for 403 yards and 3 TDs and RB Ka'Deem Carey ran for 115 yards and 2 TDs on only 17 carries versus the stout OSU run defense.
Telling Stat: A big one; Connor Hamlett's game-winning TD catch was his only reception of the game.
Observations
...Won't enjoy it much; California has a newly renovated Memorial Stadium. Odds are Golden Bear HC Jeff Tedford will only see it for one season.
...Big Hurt; Former Arkansas HC Bob Petrino's infamous motorcycle accident can count the entire state of Arkansas as victims of the wreck.
..Big Heart; As Hawaii was getting smashed by BYU, 47-0, Warrior LB T.J. Taimatuia played with great heart and fire all the way to the bitter end. The kid truly has a warrior's heart.
...Purple Hearts; If there was such a thing as a purple heart for football players, I'd give one to the whole Idaho team. I really hope the two checks the Idaho athletic department got for getting their team beaten up at LSU (63-14), and North Carolina (66-0) were worth it.
...Park Ball; It was great to watch the Park Ball game that broke out at West Virginia last weekend. With WVU up over Baylor, 70-63 in the fourth quarter, I expected one of the players to say, "Hey, I gotta get home for dinner. Next touchdown wins."
...A stocked shelf; With ASU moving to 4-1, it's clear there was some talent left behind by Dennis Erickson's staff.
...0 for the big O; Rich Rodriguez isn't just 0-2 in league play, he's now 0 for the state of Oregon.
...Elementally speaking; I see Nitrogen beat Tungsten last week, 30-28. Oh, wait those are those new Nebraska and Wisconsin uniforms.
...A Stony Brook state of mind; I'm starting to really dig the Stony Brook Seawolves. The FCS school from New York is 4-1 on the season and just upset Army, 23-3. These guys are good. Heck, they had a second quarter lead on Syracuse before losing, 28-17 to the Orange.
...A vast conspiracy; It looks like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour are conspiring to destroy football uniforms across America.
...Playstation numbers; The totals from the Baylor-West Virginia game are staggering. 133 total points, 1,507 total yards of offense, 69 first downs, and 23 out of 31 third downs converted. Oh, and there were three punts.
...A-1 and a 2; After seven three-and-outs in their loss at Washington, it's clear the Cardinal were using the Lawrence Welk offense. You know, 1-2-3-kick, 1-2-3-kick.
...Ahead of schedule; It usually takes the Bowl Season for the Big Ten to look this bad. Seriously, the Big East is having a better year.
...And then there were eight; There are eight winless teams left in the FBS. They are Army, Memphis, Southern Miss, UAB, Tulane, Massachusetts, Eastern Michigan, and Idaho.
...Crazy stat; WVU QB Geno Smith had 51 pass attempts last week v. Baylor. Army QB Trent Steelman has attempted 24 passes all season.
Three Notes About Nothing
...Big Red; By being both a USC fan and an Angels fan, I sure do have a lot of red shirts to wash.
...Not seeing it; Not having the PAC 12 network on DirecTv is really starting to make me angry.
...There's no way it should be over 100 degrees in Los Angeles on October 2nd.
Until next week folks, remember that most screen passes are thrown into the boundary because defenses usually over-rotate to cover the wide side of the field.
-The Commissioner
Here's another edition of the column that gets you through Tuesdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
Washington 17- Stanford 13: This game had the makings of a defense lovers dream as the 8th-ranked Cardinal led, 6-3 after a first half that featured three field goals, 11 punts and eight three-and-outs by both squads. However, the second half would feature just enough offense to make this one worth watching. The third quarter saw both teams trade TDs. Stanford LB Trent Murphy picked off an errant aerial by UW QB Keith Price and took it 40 yards to paydirt to put the Cardinal up, 13-3. The Huskies answered that score when RB Bishop Sankey broke off a 61-yard TD jaunt to cut Stanford's lead to just 13-10 on the last play of the period. Washington's game winning score came with 4:53 to left to play when Price hooked up with WR Kasen Williams for a 35-yard TD pass. The Husky defense then kept the Stanford offense in check the rest of the way to complete the upset. The real star of this game was the Husky defense which held Stanford's potent rushing attack to just 65 yards on the night. UW RB Bishop Sankey sliced up the Cardinal defense to the tune of 144 yards on 20 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: The Dawgs had bite; The Husky defense forced seven three-and-outs and didn't allow a single Stanford drive to last longer than nine plays.
Arizona State 27- California 17: The QB position was the tipping point in this game for the Golden Bears. They couldn't protect theirs while not being able to get to ASU's enough in this win for the Sun Devils. ASU QB Taylor Kelly completed 26 of 45 passes for 292 yards and three TDs . His third TD pass, a 22-yard strike to WR Kevin Ozier put the game out of reach with 6:17 left. Cal QB Zach Maynard didn't complete many passes when he wasn't being hurried, hit, and sacked by the ASU defense. Maynard completed just 9 of 28 tosses for 126 yards and a TD. The offensive star for the Golden Bears was RB Isi Sofele who gained 105 yards rushing on 15 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: Couldn't cross the street; Cal's offense crossed the 50 just three times in their 15 drives in a game that looked closer than it really was.
Oregon 51- Washington State 26: When this game went to the half, Wazzu had played a really great first half and trailed the second ranked Ducks, 23-19. Upset talk was going around the nation. Then, the third quarter happened. Two scoring drives capped by TD runs from De'Anthony Thomas (4 yards) and Kenjon Barner (10 Yards) were sandwiched around a 34-yard interception return for a TD by CB Avery Patterson and this game was over. The Cougars couldn't stop Barner all night. He finished the game with 195 yards rushing on 20 carries and 3 TDs. He also scored a fourth TD on a 30-yard pass from QB Marcus Mariota. For the Cougars, QB Connor Halliday connected on 33 of 60 passes for 348 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Telling Stat: 10 minutes, 33 seconds; That's how long it took Oregon to take this game from a four point lead to a 25 point lead in the third quarter.
UCLA 42- Colorado 14: After a big come-from-behind win last week, the Buffaloes were dragged back to cold reality by the bRuins. UCLA QB Brett Hundley threw for 281 yards and two TDs and ran for two more to lead the bRuin attack. The bRuin defense shutdown the CU offense, holding them to one score until the backups allowed a late TD when the game was already decided. CU QB Jordan Webb threw for 184 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Static Chains; Colorado converted only two of 15 third down conversions in this yawner.
Oregon State 38- Arizona 35: Thanks to the Pac 12 network not too many people saw an exciting game that the Beavers won with a little late heroics. The late offensive heroics came from QB Sean Mannion. He hit TE Connor Hamlett with a nine-yard TD pass to go ahead with 1:09 left. As for the late defensive heroics, Beaver CB Rashaad Reynolds picked off UofA QB Matt Scott's fourth down pass with :47 left to preserve the win for OSU. Mannion lit up the Wildcat defense for 433 yards through the air and three TDs, while RB Storm Woods ran for 161 yards and a TD on the ground for the Beavers. On the Wildcats side of things, Scott threw for 403 yards and 3 TDs and RB Ka'Deem Carey ran for 115 yards and 2 TDs on only 17 carries versus the stout OSU run defense.
Telling Stat: A big one; Connor Hamlett's game-winning TD catch was his only reception of the game.
Observations
...Won't enjoy it much; California has a newly renovated Memorial Stadium. Odds are Golden Bear HC Jeff Tedford will only see it for one season.
...Big Hurt; Former Arkansas HC Bob Petrino's infamous motorcycle accident can count the entire state of Arkansas as victims of the wreck.
..Big Heart; As Hawaii was getting smashed by BYU, 47-0, Warrior LB T.J. Taimatuia played with great heart and fire all the way to the bitter end. The kid truly has a warrior's heart.
...Purple Hearts; If there was such a thing as a purple heart for football players, I'd give one to the whole Idaho team. I really hope the two checks the Idaho athletic department got for getting their team beaten up at LSU (63-14), and North Carolina (66-0) were worth it.
...Park Ball; It was great to watch the Park Ball game that broke out at West Virginia last weekend. With WVU up over Baylor, 70-63 in the fourth quarter, I expected one of the players to say, "Hey, I gotta get home for dinner. Next touchdown wins."
...A stocked shelf; With ASU moving to 4-1, it's clear there was some talent left behind by Dennis Erickson's staff.
...0 for the big O; Rich Rodriguez isn't just 0-2 in league play, he's now 0 for the state of Oregon.
...Elementally speaking; I see Nitrogen beat Tungsten last week, 30-28. Oh, wait those are those new Nebraska and Wisconsin uniforms.
...A Stony Brook state of mind; I'm starting to really dig the Stony Brook Seawolves. The FCS school from New York is 4-1 on the season and just upset Army, 23-3. These guys are good. Heck, they had a second quarter lead on Syracuse before losing, 28-17 to the Orange.
...A vast conspiracy; It looks like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour are conspiring to destroy football uniforms across America.
...Playstation numbers; The totals from the Baylor-West Virginia game are staggering. 133 total points, 1,507 total yards of offense, 69 first downs, and 23 out of 31 third downs converted. Oh, and there were three punts.
...A-1 and a 2; After seven three-and-outs in their loss at Washington, it's clear the Cardinal were using the Lawrence Welk offense. You know, 1-2-3-kick, 1-2-3-kick.
...Ahead of schedule; It usually takes the Bowl Season for the Big Ten to look this bad. Seriously, the Big East is having a better year.
...And then there were eight; There are eight winless teams left in the FBS. They are Army, Memphis, Southern Miss, UAB, Tulane, Massachusetts, Eastern Michigan, and Idaho.
...Crazy stat; WVU QB Geno Smith had 51 pass attempts last week v. Baylor. Army QB Trent Steelman has attempted 24 passes all season.
Three Notes About Nothing
...Big Red; By being both a USC fan and an Angels fan, I sure do have a lot of red shirts to wash.
...Not seeing it; Not having the PAC 12 network on DirecTv is really starting to make me angry.
...There's no way it should be over 100 degrees in Los Angeles on October 2nd.
Until next week folks, remember that most screen passes are thrown into the boundary because defenses usually over-rotate to cover the wide side of the field.
-The Commissioner
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