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
