Week 14, 2013

Hey All,

It must be Tuesday.  That means the final edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard for 2013.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

UCLA 35- USC 14: The final game in the USC career of HC Ed Orgeron didn't end well for him or the Trojans.  USC wasn't in this game from the get-go as the bRuins controlled the game from start to finish. The Trojans had no answer for UCLA QB Brett Hundley.  Hundley did well with his arm, completing 18 of 27 tosses for 208 yards, but he was better with his legs.  He ran the ball 13 times for 80 yards and two TDs.  The USC defense could not keep him in the pocket on critical third downs and never fully stopped the bRuin offense. As for USC, RB Buck Allen gained 123 yards rushing on 20 carries with a TD, but his big fumble killed off USC's final chances for a comeback. USC QB Cody Kessler threw for 174 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: One pair beat a full house; Brett Hundley's legs beat USC and quieted a full house of Trojan fans at the Coliseum. 

Oregon 36- Oregon State 35: The Beavers strong bid to claim victory in the 117th edition of the Civil War rivalry died in the final seconds at Autzen Stadium.  The Ducks had to come from behind in this one as they trailed 35-30 with just 1:38 to play. UO QB Marcus Mariota led the Ducks on an 83-yard, nine play drive in 1:09 to snatch victory out of the hands of defeat. Mariota finished the game with 285 yards passing and three TDs. For the Beavers, QB Sean Mannion torched the Ducks for for 347 yards passing and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: 83 yards in 1:09;  UO's game-winning drive showed exactly why the Oregon offense is so devastating.

Washington 27- Washington State 17: Little did anyone know that this would be UW HC Steve Sarkisian's last game roaming the sidelines in purple and gold as the Dawgs claimed the Apple Cup.  RB Bishop Sankey was the man again for the Dawgs, toting the rock 34 times for 200 yards and a TD.  QB Keith Price had a solid game completing 15 of 20 passes for 181 yards and a TD. Price also ran 23 yards and a TD as well. For the Cougars, QB Connor Halliday hit on 32 of 59 passes for 282 yards and a pair of TDs.
Telling Stat: 3rd was best; Washington took control of the game in the third quarter.  They blanked the Cougars 17-0, scoring on all three of their drives in the period and outgaining Wazzu 190 yards to 63.

Utah 24- Colorado 17: These game between two newly thrown together Pac 12 "rivals" looked like a yawner at first, but then turned into an exciting finish.  The Utes built a 21-0 halftime lead behind two TD runs of 6 yards and one yard by RB Kelvin York and a TD 16-yard pass from  QB Andy Schultz to TE Jake Murphy.  The boys form Boulder kept fighting though and with 2:30 left cut the Utah lead to just seven points when QR Nelson Spruce hauled in a 14-yard TD pass from QB Sefo Liufau.  The Buffs couldn't recover the onside kick, but managed to force a Utah punt.  However, the Buffs did literally throw away their one last chance to send the game to overtime when Liufau's first down pass was intercepted by DE Trevor Reilly.  Three kneel downs latter and Utah escaped with the victory.
Telling Stat:  The defense set the tone; Utah's defense shut down CU in the first half allowing zero points, just four first downs and an average drive length of 4 plays and 11 yards.  That allowed the Ute offense to put the Buffaloes in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

Arizona State 58- Arizona 21: The Sun Devils dismantled the Wildcats to claim the Territorial Cup and more importantly, home field for the Pac 12 Championship Game.  QB Taylor Kelly and the two-headed RB tandem of D.J. Foster and De'Marieya Nelson were too much for the Wildcat defense to handle.  Kelly threw for 274 yards and a pair of scores. Foster ran for 124 yards and two TDs, while Nelson ran for 35 yards and a pair of TDs of his own.  UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey was bloodied but not bowed in defeat,  rushing for 157 yards on 32 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: Can't leave the ball  on the carpet;  UofA lost the turnover battle, 4-1 and this game became a blowout because of it.

Stanford 27- Notre Dame 20:  The Cardinal didn't let down in their final game before the Pac 12 Championship Game and knocked off the Irish on The Farm.  It was a typical Stanford win as they controlled the line of scrimmage. SU also ran the ball well with RB Tyler Gaffney running for 189 yards on 33 carries and a TD and got another solid game form QB Kevin Hogan who completed 12 of 18 passes for 158 yards and a TD. For the Irish, QB Tommy Rees threw for 199 yards and a pair of score, but also threw two big interceptions to kill off his team's chances.
Telling Stat: Defenses ruled the fourth quarter;  The SU and ND defenses combine to allow just three points, 86 total yards and force three turnovers in the final period.

Cranberry Crushers- Tough Turkeys- PPD:  The great backyard football game of the past few seasons was postponed this year because The Commissioner had to attend a second Thanksgiving dinner this year.  It was the Commissioner's fiancé's Thanksgiving.  Yes folks, there's going to be a Mrs. Commissioner.  For those that haven't passed out yet, there's a lot of column left to read. Enjoy.

Observations

…A life lesson enacted on a grand stage; An old Chinese proverb warns us all, "Be careful for what you wish for, you just might get it."  How does Alabama HC Nick Saban feel after fighting to get that one second back on the clock last Saturday?

…It's in high gear; The ESPN-SEC PR machine that is.  All week long be ready to hear how a one-losss SEC team is better than an undefeated team from any other league. Sorry, good ole boys. You built this system, now you have to live with it.

…Michigan-Ohio State WTF moment #1; How could Michigan HC Brady Hoke decide to go for two v. Ohio State?  The game was at home and all the momentum was on his team's side.  Just kick the PAT and go to overtime.

…And for the final time this year, they just didn't get the memo;  Kansas State didn't get the memo that Kansas had the schematic advantage over them.  How else could you explain KSU's 31-10 whipping of the Jayhawks?  Oh, Charlie Weis, I will miss you when you're gone.

…Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor tat the NCAA made USC hire Steve Sarkisian as part of their sanctions.

…Stiffarm Statue blues;  Haven't seen a year with so few viable Heisman Trophy candidates in years. Somehow, Rashaan Salaam's name comes to mind here.

…Michigan- Ohio State WTF moment #2;  THeee OSU HC Urban Meyer won't suspend any of his three players that were ejected for taking part in the big brawl that occurred in Ann Arbor.  Boy, that's sure some good old midwestern values of accountability and discipline on display there, Urbie.

…From my intrepid field reporter up north; "Hey, great news. Sarkisian can beat the Cougs.  You're safe again."

…Running to immortality; Auburn CB Chris Davis went form ordinary ballplayer to Immortal Auburn Football God in a little over 108 yards.

…Feeling Blue Devilish;  with their 27-25 win over arch-rival North Carolina, the Duke Blue Devils are now 10-2 and will face Florida State in the ACC title game.  Somewhere, Wallace Wade is smiling.

…Now not so much; Remember when the Texas-Baylor game this week looked like it would be a really big contest?  Oh well…

…Overlooked;  How come Missouri HC Gary Pinkel isn't getting much publicity?  All the guy did was take a Tiger team that was added to the SEC to be treated as an also ran and got them to the SEC title game this season.  Just sayin'...

Ugly Uniforms of the Week: Oregon and Oregon State are runaway winners this week.

This combination of uniforms disabled televisions all across the nation.  Wow.


Bowl Math- The Third Installment

Just about everyone in the FBS has wrapped up their regular seasons and championship games in the major conferences are at hand.  Let's look a who will go bowling.

Currently there are 46 BCS conference teams and 3 independent schools that are bowl eligible.  Throw in 28 schools from the Non-BCS conferences and that means that there are 77 teams available for the 70 bowl slots.

Now, the number of bowl eligible teams could increase by two because Rutgers and SMU still have a game each to play. If they both win, that means 79 teams will be bowl eligible and nine teams will not get to put their bowling shoes on.


Here's the bowl eligible team tally by conference:

BCS Leagues     Independents    Non BCS Leagues
AAC:4                          3                C-USA: 8
ACC: 11                                         MAC: 7
PAC 12: 9                                      MWC: 7
SEC: 9                                           Sun Belt: 6
Big 10: 7
Big XII: 6

So, what seven or possibly even nine teams will be left home for the holidays? It's usually the teams that are at the bottom of the list for being bowl eligible in their respective leagues.  Conferences only have so many guaranteed tie-ins to bowl games and after that it becomes a mad scramble for available slots.  However, this year all the tie-ins in the respective league are already filled and there are only so many at-large berths left.  So, teams like Pitt in the ACC or Wazzu in the Pac 12 could find themselves out in the cold.  Also, the cold economics of the bowls comes into play. Bowls are a a business.  Bowls mean hotel rooms and dining dollars to the cities that host them.  So, teams that don't travel well will be left home.

Special Section: The Hiring of Steve Sarkisian

Well, it didn't take long after  the end of the regular season for Pat Haden and co. at USC to find their next head coach.  Problem is, nobody wants him except for the AD.  I, sure as heck,  don't want him either.  After all the stories about how Pat Haden was going to make a "big name" hire.  He didn't.  He settled for guy who is not a step up, but a guy who is a lateral move at best.

Five Things that bother me most about Sark being hired

1. The exhaustive search that was to analyze all the possible candidates from around the country settled on another former assistant to Pete Carroll. Hmmmm

2. Lane Kiffin won more Pac 12 games in a single season at SC than Sark ever did in a single season at UW.

3. Sark likes to call his own plays too.  Denny's menu 2.0 on the way.

4.  Its' another failure by the PR department at USC.  This feels similar to the outrage Laker fans felt when Mike D'Antoni was hired.  Fans forget D'Antoni replaced Mike Brown.  They feel he's the idiot they got instead of what could have been with Phil Jackson.  Trojan fans don't feel Sark is replacing Lane Kiffin. They feel Sark is replacing what could have been with Coach O.

5. Sark's defenses have been abysmal at UW.  Remember when the Huskies were embarrassed at the Alamo Bowl in 2011?  They lost 67-56 and gave up 777 yards of offense. Wow.

Departments

Blowout of the Week: Belton, TX- In the second round of the Divison II playoffs, the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusader whipped the Rowan Profs, 59-8.  QB Zach Anderson completed 12 of 18 passes for 168 yards and three TDs to go with 121 yards rushing on 13 carries to lead the Crusader attack. The Crusader defense held Rowan to just 209 total yards and 10 first downs on the day.

Close Game of the Week: Shepherdstown, WV- In the second round of the Division III playoffs, Shepherd University RB Allen Cross scampered 29 yards to paydirt with 4:06 to play in the third quarter to lift his squad to a 7-0 victory over Winston-Salem State.  Cross did bear the load for Shepherd with 247 all-purpose yards and the game-winning TD.

Razorback Report: The Hogs had a shot to end their dismal season on a high note, but fell just short in a 31-27 loss to LSU.  The Hogs did have everything going their way nursing a 27-24 lead and having knocked out LSU QB Zach Mettenberger.  Then, the Hog defense let backup QB Anthony Jennings drive down the field for the winning score. Arkansas QB Brandon Allen threw for 178 yards and 2 TDs in the loss.  Arkansas finishes the year at 3-9 overall, 0-8 in SEC play.

Horned Frog Headlines:  TCU hung tough, but in the end they didn't have enough to topple Baylor, losing 41-38. Frog QB Casey Pachall threw for 267 yards and 3 TDs with three costly interceptions. The Frogs finish their season at 4-8 overall, 2-7 in the Big XII.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave fell to the Rice Owls, 17-13.  The Rice offense struggled to pull out the win, but their defense held Tulane to just 123 total yards and six first downs. Tulane QB Nick Montana completed 14 of 31 passes for 97 yards and a TD in the loss.

C.W. Post Press: The Pioneers finished the season at 5-6 and did not make the D-II playoffs.


This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

There's nothing in the world like Thanksgiving dinner at my mother's house.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time for Christmas music.

75 degrees at my house on December 1st makes me thankful for my Southern California life.

And Now a Note of Thanks

Another season of this blog is over and it's time to give my thanks to all of my friends that take the time to read this little blog each week.  These notes are built on the fellowship of my football family. The shared experience of this great game makes these notes go.  We all love this game with the funny bouncing ball.  I'm thankful to have the friends and family that love the game as much as I do.

Until next season,

Peace, happiness, and Fight On!

-The Commissioner

Week 13, 2013

Hey All,

It must be Tuesday and that means another fine edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Joe Jares.

Summaries

USC 47- Colorado 29: The Trojans survived a sluggish start and the cold of Boulder to come away with a workmanlike win over the Buffaloes.  It was another good day for RB Buck Allen who carried the ball 21 times for 145 yards and 3TDs. It was also a pretty good day for FB Soma Vainuku who blocked a punt for safety and finished off the scoring for the night by rumbling 52 yards to paydirt.  The USC defense basically put any thought of Colorado having a chance in this game through three quarters.  Then, the subs came in and gave up a couple of TDs while getting valuable playing experience.
Telling Stat: Buck Allen > Colorado;  Buck Allen rushed for 145 yards, Colorado as team rushed for just 124. 

Arizona 42- Oregon 16: It was Senior Day in Tucson and boy do these Wildcat seniors have something to remember after plucking the Ducks.  Arizona came out sharp on offense and mean on defense.  UofA QB B.J. Denker completed an impressive 19 of 22 passes for 178 yards and two TDs, but the heart of the offense was RB Ka'Deem Carey.  All he did behind his O-line that physically dominated the Duck defense was tote the rock 48 times for 206 yards and four TDs. Yes folks, 48 times.  That's three games worth of carries for most backs nowadays.  Meanwhile, the UofA defense smacked the Ducks around too.  They played physical and anybody who touched the ball got hit by the Wildcats.  That hitting helped force three big turnovers to tip the scales in UofA's favor.
Telling Stat; You can't stop yourself.  Oregon turned the ball over three times and failed on fourth and goal once to open the door for the Wildcats to seize the victory.

Washington 69- Oregon State 27: The Dawgs literally ran over the Beavers in Corvalis. As a team, Washington rushed the ball 58 times for 530 yards on the hapless Beavers. That's a nifty 9.7 yards per carry average for the game.  In fact. three UW RBs  eclipsed the 100 yard mark with Bishop Sankey tallying 179 yards and 3 TDs on 23 carries to lead the group. Deontae Cooper, and Dwayne Washington rounded out the trio by rushing for 166 and 141 yards with two TDs a piece. As for the Beavers, Nothing really went right all night until this game was well into garbage time.
Telling Stat: Ending with a bang; UW had put this game away with a 48-0 lead after three quarters.  However, the fourth quarter belonged to the subs.  The subs had a shootout putting up 48 total points and about 400 yards of offense in the final stanza. 

Stanford 63- California 13: Hogan to Montgomery  was the combo that beat the Golden Bears on The Farm.  SU QB Kevin Hogan threw for five TDs with four of those going to WR Ty Montgomery. Montgomery also ran for a TD too.  When it was over, Stanford would be crowned Pac 12 North Champs after Oregon's collapse and Cal would finish the season winless in the Pac 12. For the Bears, QBs Jeff Goff and ash Kline combined to throw for 309 yards and one TD.
Telling Stat: Cardinal air; The usually ground minded Cardinal beat the Bears passing.  SU threw for 417 yards and ran for 186 in their rout of the boys from Berkley.

Washington State 49- Utah 37: The Cougars started strong, then finished strong to put away the Utes and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2006.  It was the Cougar defense that set the tone early returning two interceptions for TDs in a two-minute span of the first quarter.  Those pick-sixes along with a 5-yard TD pass from QB Connor Halliday to WR Dom Williams gave the Cougs a quick 21-0 lead. The Utes didn't roll over and die after getting down, they hung in there.  QB Andy Schulz did manage to throw for three TD passes on the day to go with RB Kelvin York's 2 TDs.  In fact, the Utes were within just six points of Wazzu, down 43-37 with 12:28 to play. Then at the 4:42 mark, Wazzu put the game away when Halliday found Williams again.  This time it was a 71-yard TD to send Wazzu Bowling. Halliday finished the game hitting on 39 of 62 passes for 488 yards and four TDs. Williams finished with five receptions for 154 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: 2x6=W;  Wazzu's two interception returns for touchdowns were the difference in the game.

Arizona State 38- UCLA 33: For the first thirty minutes it looked like the Sun Devils might hang 70 on the bRuins.  The Sun Devils made UCLA look very weak while building up a 35-13 halftime advantage behind their quick strike offense and opportunistic defense. Then the bRuins made a game of it, by scoring on their first two drives of the third quarter to cut ASU's lead to 35-27.  ASU then got a 28-yard field goal to go up 38-27 to start the final period.  The bRuins did make it real tight when QB Brett Bundley hit WR Shaquelle Evans with a 27-yard scoring strike to cut ASU's lead to 38-33.  However, that would be as close as the bRuins would get.  ASU survived to win the game and the Pac 12 South title.  For ASU, QB Taylor Kelly hit on 20 of 27 aerials for 225 yards and a TD, while rushing for 99 yards and another score. UCLA was led by Hundley who threw for 253 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: 2 big flags, 2 misses and a sack: UCLA still had a good shot to win this game at the end, but on their final drive they got called for holding on two consecutive plays, misfired on two straight passes, then took a sack to set up their final gasp on a 4th and 35.  ASU just played prevent and held on that 4th down easily to claim the win.

Notre Dame 23- BYU 13: Touchdown Jesus beat Joseph Smith in the cold and snow in South Bend. ND achieved true balance in this game as they threw for 235 yards and rushed for 235 yards.  QB Tommy Rees connected on 15 of 28 passes for those 235 passing yards and one TD on the day.  However, the big star in the game was ND PK Kyle Brindza. He kicked three field goals, including a 51-yarder with 6:53 left to seal the win. As for BYU, QB Taysom Hill threw for 168 yards and aTD in the loss.
Telling Stat: I got nothing. Seriously, this game was a yawner with no true telling stat.  

Observations

…Bragging rights;  It is rivalry week!  it's time to play the games that have names like the Civil War and the Iron Bowl.  Trophies like the Old Oaken Bucket and the Territorial cup are at stake.  Big rivalries with old fashioned hatred are here too.  Nobody knows football hatred like the Ohio State-Michigan, USC-UCLA, or Clemson-South Carolina.  Feel that excitement and energy folks, the games you tell stories about to your grandkids occur this week.  Feel that energy and revel in it.  It is the best week of the football year.  Damn, I gave myself goosebumps.

...The fallacy of transitivity; Here are two instances that prove that the transitive theory does not work well in college football.  Washington State beat USC who beat Utah who beat Stanford.  So theoretically, Wazzu > Stanford.  Ummm, no. Stanford beat Wazzu this year, 55-17.  It doesn't even work when flipped around a bit. USC beat Utah who beat Stanford who beat Wazzu.  Therefore, USC > Wazzu.  Nope, Wazzu beat USC, 10-7.  Hmmmm.

…And then there were four; Connecticut beat Temple Saturday, so that leaves just four winless teams in the FBS.  The four left are Miami (OH), Hawaii, Georgia State, and Southern Mississippi who is riding a 23-game losing streak.  The Eagles haven't won since beating Nevada in the 2011 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

…DumbAnthonyThomas; The Oregon all-purpose back was quoted this past week as saying, "It's not a big deal at all…We already won a Rose Bowl, so I feel like it's whatever." He won't have to worry about such mundane things as getting to play in "The Grandaddy of Them All" anymore this season after Arizona crushed the Ducks over the weekend.  DAT's stupidity should serve as an object lesson for everyone here;  do not evoke the wrath of the Rose Bowl Gods. Your team will pay.

…Maybe the best four-loss team in the nation;  Iowa is 7-4 this season and will got to decent second-tier bowl game.  There's no real shame in their four losses though.  The Hawkeyes have lost to Northern Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin.  The combined record of those opponents is 41-3.

…Just made their Christmas card list;  If Stanford doesn't send at least a christmas card to Arizona as a thank you for the Wildcats handing them the Pac 12 North title, the Cardinal should all get lumps of coal in their stockings.

…Could be fun;  I think a Baylor-Oregon Alamo Bowl would be a pretty good game to watch.

…Cheer cheer for Old Nassau;  The Princeton Tigers are the Ivy League Champs!  They stumbled into the title by losing over the weekend, but the team whose helmets inspired the Michigan wing are on top once again.

…Enjoying their pain;  Who among us out there, didn't enjoy a big belly laugh when FCS school Georgia Southern beat Florida?  I  sure did.  The true humiliation is that Florida gave up 429 yards rushing to a team that doesn't pass the ball.  GSU went 0-3 passing in the game. Wow.

…A big battle on Tobacco Road;  Duke can claim a spot in the ACC Title game with a win at North Carolina this week.  It's got to be the most meaningful game played between these two schools that doesn't involve a 94x50 piece of wood and some guy with a K in his name in a long time.

Great Photo Break

Great to watch Georgia Southern celebrate after beating Florida and…

That is one cool looking eagle!


It's time for this year's second edition of Bowl Math!

35 Bowls = 70 slots, let's see who will go bowling.

There are 46 bowl eligible teams in six BCS conferences and independents with four teams still on the bubble.

There are 22 bowl eligible teams with seven teams on the bubble in the Non-BCS conferences.

That means it's possible to have 79 bowl eligible teams for the 70 slots in two weeks.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Oregon gets the nod yet again.

This uniform is dull and devoid of any color, which reflected just the way Oregon played on Saturday. 

Departments

Blowouts of the Week: Well, the ACC sure took the cake this week with their lineup of cupcakes this past week.  The worst of these cupcake games involved Florida State and North Carolina who both hung an 80 on the board.  UNC crushed FBS newbie Old Dominion, while Florida State smashed perennial FBS doormat, Idaho.

Close Game of the Week: Baldwin City, KS- In the first round of the NAIA playoffs, the Baker University Wildcats got an 18-yard field goal from WR-PK Clarence Clark on the final play of the game to defeat the Sterling College Warriors.  Clark was the main man for Baker as he also hauled in an 89-yard TD pass for his squad's only other points in the game.

Razorback Report: The Hogs lost their seventh straight game and now remain winless in the SEC after dropping a 24-17 overtime decision to Mississippi State.  Three turnovers did not help the Hogs cause in this one,  but QB Brandon Allen threw for 114 yards in the loss.  Up next for the Hogs is their season finally at LSU on Friday.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave improved to 7-4 on the season with a 45-3 rout of UTEP. Green Wave QB Nick Montana threw for 171 yards and three TDs in the last ever game to be played by Tulane at the Superdome. The Green Wave will move into a new on campus facility in 2014. Up next for the Green Wave is a trip to Rice.

Horned Frog Headlines: The Horned Frogs had this past weekend off and will host Baylor this Saturday.

C.W. Post Press: The Pioneers finished the season at 5-6 and did not make the D-II playoffs.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

Cinepolis in Laguna Niguel has ruined me for all other movie theaters.

Whether you call 'em Buckeyes, Duckeyes, or Buffalo Chips, this great chocolate/peanut butter concoction is always great.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Until next week folks, remember it doesn't pay to evoke the wrath of the Rose Bowl Gods.

-The Commissioner

Week 12, 2013

Hey All,

It's Tuesday and that means another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Mal Florence.

Summaries

USC 20- Stanford 17: The Cardinal came to the Coliseum as the #4 team in the nation.  They left as the #2 team in the Pac 12 North.  The Trojans played tough, physical football and beat the Cardinal at their own game.  Stanford RB Tyler Gaffney had another great game, rushing for 158 yards on 24 carries and found the end zone twice. However, SU QB Kevin Hogan did not.  He hit on 14 of 25 passes for 127 yards, 0 TDs and two huge interceptions.  The first interception came with game tied at 17-17 and the Cardinal facing a 3rd and goal at the USC 10-yard line. Hogan's pass was intercepted by USC Safety Dion Bailey who jumped the route and made a great play.  Hogan's second interception came with a little over three minutes to play and the Cardinal facing a 2nd and 3 at their own 40-yard line.  Hogan was heavily pressured and let go an ill-advised pass that was batted around and then intercepted by USC Safety Su'a Cravens.  That pick set up USC's game-winning drive that featured a great fourth down conversion pass from QB Cody Kessler to WR Marqise Lee. Then the Trojans got the game-winning 47-yard field goal from PK Andre Heidari.   When the clock 0:00 after The Trojans stopped Stanford's last gasp, the Coliseum erupted with the fans rushing the field. What a sight it was.
Telling Stat: Truly Special Teams;  The USC special teams blocked a Stanford field goal attempt, got a 47-yard game-winning field goal, and held the nation's leading kick returner, SU's Ty Montgomery in check all night.

Washington State 24- Arizona 17: UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey racked up yet another 100 yard game by rushing for 132 yards and a TD on 26 carries, but it wasn't enough as Wazzu got the upset in Tucson. The Cougar defense had been torched lately, giving up 162 points in their three previous games.  However, they stepped up and kept the Wildcats in check on Saturday. As for the Wazzu offense, QB Connor Halliday completed 39 of 53 passes for 319 yards and 2 TDs.  The Wildacts did have one last shot to send the game to overtime, but QB B.J. Denker's fourth down pass from the Wazzu 13-yard line fell incomplete.
Telling Stat: They bent, but didn't break; The Wazzu defense gave up 142 yards in the fourth quarter v. UofA, but forced a punt, got a missed field goal and held for downs to hold on for the victory.

Oregon 44- Utah 21: The Ducks hangover from their loss to Stanford lasted 34:51 v. the Utes.  At the 10:09 mark of the third quarter the quacks looked sluggish, having just given up a TD to have their lead cut to just 17-14 over the Utes.  UO KR De'Anthony Thomas gave his squad a wake up call by taking the ensuing kickoff back 86 yards for a TD.  Then, as they say, the rout was on.  The Ducks went on to score 27 straight points to put away the Utes.  QB Marcus Mariota led the quack attack with 288 yards through the air and three TDs while playing on an injured knee.  QB Adam Schultz threw for 181 yards and a TD in the loss for Utah.
Telling Stat: 27/12;  In just over 12 minutes, the Ducks went on a 27-0 run to put this game firmly in the win column.

Colorado 41- California 24: Something had to give. someone had to finally get a Pac 12 win and the home team got it last Saturday. The Buffaloes had lost 14 straight conference games coming into the this contest, but QB Sefo Liufau turned in his best effort of the season. He completed 23 of 36 passes for 364 yards and three TDs to lead CU to victory.  The Golden Bears still had a chance to get back in this game down 34-17 with 6:15 to play, but their onside kick was returned 46 yards for a TD by CU's Nelson Spruce.  Cal QB Jeff Goff threw for 173 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: There is no D in Berkeley; Through 11 games Cal has given up an average of 44 points per game. 

UCLA 41- Washington 31: The legend of Myles Jack continues to grow in bRuinland as the LB/RB scored four more TDs in UCLA's win over the Dawgs. The other big story in this game was the injury to UW QB Keith Price.  He injured his throwing shoulder just before the half.  Price did not answer the bell for the second half and the Dawgs couldn't muster enough offense to mount a serious threat.  bRuin QB Brett Hundley threw for 159 yards and two TDs on the night, while his counterpart, Price threw for 181 yards and one TD in one half worth of work.
Telling Stat: 2=14; Washington turned the ball over twice in the first three minutes.  That led to 14 quick points for the bRuins which put the Dawgs in a hole that they never could climb out of. 

Arizona State 30- Oregon State 17: A strong first half by the Sun Devils propelled them to the victory over the Beavers in Tempe. A pair of TD runs from RB Marion Grice went with a TD jaunt by RB D.J. Foster gave ASU to a 20-3 halftime lead.  The Beavers fought back a bit when QB Sean Mannion hit WR Caleb Smith with a 6-yard scoring strike to cut ASU's lead to 20-10 to start the fourth quarter.  The Sun Devils then put the game out of reach with a 18-yard field goal by PK Zane Gonzalez and a 23-yard pick-six by DB Robert Nelson.  Grice carried the ASU offense rushing for 118 and those two TDs.  As for OSU, QB Sean Mannion threw for 320 yards and two scores, but he also threw four costly interceptions.
Telling Stat: The D did it; The ASU defense set the tone in this game holding OSU to just three points, while forcing three punts and two turnovers in the first half. 

 Observations

...A princely sum of yards; Heidelberg University's mascot is the Student Prince. Heidelberg has a football player on campus too.  RB Cartel Brooks set a new NCAA all-division single game rushing record by toting the rock 38 times for 465 yards to lead The 'Berg to a 42-14 win over Baldwin Wallace. Way to go, kid.

…Two wins away; Duke is two wins away from going 10-2 and meeting Florida State in the ACC title game.  If the Blue Devils end up shocking the world and making a BCS bowl, it would be their first trip to a major bowl since beating Arkansas, 7-6 in the 1961 Cotton Bowl.

…13 Iron Trojans; USC used just 13 total players on defense in their upset of Stanford last week.

…Quietly making noise; Colorado State is a win away from being bowl-eligible. That's pretty good for a team that's gone 13-35 over the last four seasons.

…And then there were five; There are still five winless teams in the FBS.  They are Connecticut, Southern Mississippi, Miami (OH), Hawaii, and Georgia State.

…This air-raid is gonna last awhile; Wazzu HC Mike Leach was given a contract extension through the 2018 season on Monday.

…They got the memo; West Virginia must have actually got the memo that Kansas had the schematic advantage over them.  The Jayhawks stopped their 27-game conference losing streak with a 31-19 win over the Mountaineers. That wins shows that every so often even a blind squirrel can find an acorn.

…Ahhh, The exuberance of youth;  As the final seconds were counting down in Duke's 48-30 pasting of Miami, the Blue Devil student section started chanting, "We want 'Bama!"

…From our field office in Gridley, CA; One of The Commissioner's field reporters had this comment after Kansas students tore down the goalposts and threw into the lake near campus after KU finally won last Saturday, "The lake should now be called Lake Schematic."

…Their menu options have changed; Stanford went from the Rose or Fiesta Bowl to the Alamo or Holliday Bowl in a little over three hours last Saturday.

…0 for the FBS;  Cal is 1-10 this season and the Golden Bears only win is a 37-30 decision over FCS foe Portland State.  The Golden Bears have not beaten an FBS foe since last October 13th when they beat Wazzu, 31-17.

…From our field office in Arlington, TX; One of The Commissioner's field reporters in attendance at the Baylor-Texas Tech game texted about how the stadium erupted when USC's upset of Stanford was announced over the PA.  These are some fun times going on with the Bears nowadays.

…The Whiner speaks; With Thee Ohio State looking at being hosed by the BCS computer this season, Buckeye HC Urban Meyer is whining about how the BCS is a "flawed" system.  Funny, he never said much when he was coaching at Florida. Hmmmmmm.

...Well said, Ted; ESPN Pac 12 blogger Ted Miller said this in his article about Coach O that came out on Monday, "At this point, however, Orgeron is not only getting his guys to run though those brick walls, he's also getting them to hit the wall in the right spot and use good technique while doing so."

Sad Photo Break 
You know Your team has lost the fan base when…

You don't have enough students show up to do a decent card stunt.  Yes, they have given up at Illinois.

It's time for this year's first edition of Bowl Math!

There are 35 bowl games for the 2013 football season.  That means 70 teams will go bowling. Here's the list of bowl eilgible teams as of this week.

There are 42 teams bowl-eligible in the BCS conferences, here's the breakdown:

AAC- 4 (UCF, Louisville, Cincinnati, Houston)
ACC- 8 (Florida State, Clemson, BC, Maryland, Duke, Ga. Tech, Va. Tech, Miami)
Big XII- 6 (Baylor, Okie St. Texas, OU, Kansas State, Texas Tech)
Big 10- 7 (Michigan St., Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio St., Wisconsin)
Pac 12-8 (Oregon, Stanford, Oregon St., Washington, ASU, USC, UCLA, Arizona)
SEC 9- (Missouri, South Carolina, Georgia, Vandy, Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole MIss, LSU)

There are three FBS independent teams that are bowl eligible:

Notre Dame, Navy, BYU

There are 20 bowl eligible teams from the Non-BCS conferences:
Conference USA- 6 (East Carolina, Marshall, MTSU, North Texas, Rice, Tulane)
MAC- 6 (Bowling Green, Buffalo, Ohio, Northern Illinois, Ball St., Toledo)
Mountain West- 4 (Fresno St., SDSU, Boise, Utah St.)
Sun Belt- 4 (Louisiana- Lafayette, Arkansas St., Texas St., Western Kentucky)

That means there are a total of 65 teams eligible to fill the 70 available slots.  HOWEVER,
There are teams 18 teams on the bowl eligibility bubble.  That means there could be a bunch of bowl eligible teams that won't get a bowl bid this season.

Ugly Uniform of The Week

This week's winner is our old friends, the Oregon Ducks.

This olive colored uniform is just horrible. Period.

Departments

Close Game of the Week: San Antonio, TX- With 4:40 to go in the third quarter, Angelo State QB Kyle Washington teamed up with WR Quinn Reels for an 85-yard TD strike.  That would be all the Rams would need for a 7-0 win over the Incarnate Word Cardinals.

Blowout of the Week: Livingston, AL- The West Alabama Tigers racked up 13 TDs in a 91-28 rout of the Central State Marauders.  The Tigers rushed for 444 yards on 41 carries.  That's a nifty 10.8 yards per carry.  Gotta give credit to West Albama's PK for going 13 for 13 on PATs.

Razorback Report: The Hogs were off this past week. They will host Mississippi State on Saturday.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave took this last week off.  They will host UTEP this coming Saturday.

Horned Frog Headlines: The Frogs fell on a last-second, 41-yard field goal by PK Jack Cantele to Kansas State, 33-31. QB Casey Pachall threw for 248 yards and one TD in the loss. Up next for the Frogs is a bye, then they'll host the Baylor Bears on November 30th to finish the season.

C.W. Post Press: The Pioneers finished the 2013 season by whipping the Pace Setters, 62-28.  Post QB Matt Brennan completed 16 of 27 passes for 222 yards and 4 TDs playing in place of the injured Steve Laurino. The Pioneers finish the season at 5-6 and will not be going to the Division II playoffs.

This Week's Three Notes about Nothing

Butterscotch brownies rock.

Pacific Standard Time sucks.

I still miss the old Prudential College Scoreboard.

Until next time folks, remember that Our 75 was better than their 85.
-The Commissioner

Week 11, 2013

Hey All,

It's time for the column you love on Tuesdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Herb Caen.

Summaries

USC 62- California 28: It was a beautiful, classic fall day up in Strawberry Canyon and the Trojans went on a Golden Bear hunt.  Trojan WR Nelson Agholor got things started for USC by returning a punt by Cal's Cole Leininger 75 yards to the house just 1:55 left into the first quarter.  Throw in a 12-yard TD reception from RB Silas Redd and a 43-yard jaunt to paydirt by RB Buck Allen and the Trojans led 21-0 after one quarter of play.  USC never looked back, building a 41-14 halftime lead and 55-14 lead deep in the third quarter before emptying the benches for an extended stretch of garbage time. Agholor finished the day with two punt returns for TDs, while Allen tallied 135 yards rushing and 2 TDs to go with 57 yards receiving and another score.  USC QB Cody Kessler went 14 of 17 on the day for 170 yards and 2 TDs to also help lead the Trojan charge.  As for the Bears, true freshman sensation, QB Jeff Goff complered 34 of 48 passes for 255 yards and 3 TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Dialing long distance; the Trojans nine TDs on the day came on plays covering a total of 414 yards, that's a nifty 46 yards per scoring play.

Stanford 26- Oregon 20: For 50 minutes, the Cardinal manhandled the Ducks. Then, they held on for dear life for the final 10 minutes to get the win. Stanford built up a 26-0 lead through tough defense and the running of RB Tyler Gaffney.  Gaffney toted the rock 45 times for 157 yards and one TD. PK Jordan Williamson wasn't too bad either, he hit on four of five field goal attempts. However, that fifth one was blocked and returned 65 yards for a TD by UO DB Rodney Hardrick.  Then, the Ducks recovered the onside kick and the ballgame got real exciting.  UO QB Marcus Mariota drove his squad down the field and threw a TD pass to WR Pharaoh Brown to cut the Stanford lead to just 26-20 with 2:12 to play.  With the once jubilant Stanford Stadium crowd now on edge, the Cardinal recovered the ensuing onside kick and were able to run out the clock to escape with the victory.  
Telling Stat: They controlled the line of scrimmage and the game; Stanford dominated the line of scrimmage on Oregon. They held the ball for 42:32 by rushing 66 times for 274 yards and converting 14 of 21 third downs in the contest.

Washington 59- Colorado 7: The Huskies took a season's worth frustration out on the hapless Buffaloes. UW QB Keith Price had a great night, completing 22 of 29 aerials for 312 yards and two TDs, while also running for 29 yards and another two scores. RB Bishop Sankey was his usual strong self, toting the rock 23 times for 143 yards and a TD. Colorado QB Sefo Liufau threw for 160 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat:  49 for 45; After leaving the first quarter with a 10-7 lead, the Huskies blanked the boys from Boulder, 49-0 over the last 45:00 to secure an easy win.

Arizona State 20- Utah 19: For three quarters it looked like Utah would pull off their second big home upset of the year as they held a 19-7 lead over the Fighting Sparkies. Then, the wheels fell off and the Sun Devils dominated the fourth quarter to get a big road win.  ASU QB Taylor Kelly had a miserable day throwing for just 144 yards, But he did run for a TD and throw for the game-winning score with just 2:37 to play when he hooked up with WR Richard Smith from 14 yards out. Meanwhile, the ASU defense stepped it up in the fourth quarter allowing only 26 yards, forcing three punts and picking off two passes to secure the victory.  For the Utes, QB Tyler Wilson only threw for 121 yards, but did throw for his squad's only two TDs on the day.
Telling Stat: When they needed it; While the ASU defense dominated, the ASU offense gained 176 of their 293 total yards and scored 14 of their 20 points in the final stanza.

UCLA 31- Arizona 26:  So, the bRuins take LB Myles Jack and try him out on offense too. All the kid does is rush for 120 yards on six carries and a TD while also racking up eight tackles and recovering UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey's fumble in the UCLA end zone to preserve the win.  Not a bad night for a freshman.  Not a bad night for the bRuins as a whole as they came away with their first win in Tucson since 2003.  bRuin QB Brett Hundley was sharp, completing 18 of 25 passes for 227 yards and two TDs, while running for 56 yards and another score. As for UofA, Carey ran for 149 yards on 28 carries in the loss.
Telling Stat: 1 big mistake; UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey's fumble on the goal line cost the Wildcats the upset.

Pittsburgh 28- Notre Dame 21: It looked like the Fighting Irish were on their way to another one of their close victories this year, but the Panthers had other ideas.  Pitt shutout ND in the fourth quarter, while tallying the game-winning score on a 1-yard run by RB James Connor with 9:36 to play. The loss seriously damaged any hopes of ND landing a BCS bid.  ND QB Tommy Rees threw for 318 yards and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: 3; three losses doesn't get you a BCS berth.

Observations

...?????; What was Lane Kiffin's reason for keeping Buck Allen in his doghouse?  CLK should have been fired for that bit of stupidity alone.

...The blueprint still works: The way to beat Oregon was shown yet again by Stanford. Finesse teams hate getting hit. Stanford hits hard, very hard.

...Golden Roses; Minnesota is 8-2, with the upside being that two more wins puts the Golden Gophers in the Big Ten Championship Game.  Downside is that those two games are against Wisconsin and Michigan State.

...Obviously not Tommy's brother; Stanford has a wide receiver named Jeff Trojan.

...Get that kid a leather helmet; UCLA RB Myles Jack deserves one after playing both ways at RB and LB to lead the bRuins to their win at UofA.

...Another memo not read;  I think it's time that maybe Charlie Weis starts sending text messages instead of memos.  Okie State sure didn't get the message on how KU had the schematic advantage.  The Cowboys whipped the Jayhawks, 42-6. Old Chuckles shouldn't worry though.  After all, basketball season has started at KU.

...And then there were five; There are still five winless teams in the FBS.  They are Connecticut, Southern  Mississippi, Hawaii, Georgia State, and Miami (OH).  Southern Miss is riding a 21-game losing streak.

...First the winged helmet, now this;  Princeton has a great thing going this season with their three QB Offense.  The Tigers lineup in the spread with three QBs in the formation.  One in the shotgun set, and the other two split on opposite sides of the formation.  All three can run and throw the ball on any given  play.  The Tiger offense has been giving their Ivy League opponents fits this season.

...A tale told by an idiot;  Thee Ohio State WR Evan Spencer said of Florida State and Alabama that Thee OSU "would wipe the field with both of them."  Really, dude?  I guess there is no drug testing at Thee OSU.

...Thinking ahead;  I would really, really like the Baylor-Texas game on December 7th to be for all the marbles in the Big XII.

...Too much testosterone; In their early warmups, the Texas O-line and D-line decided to show how tough they were in the 30 degree temperature at West Virginia by going shirtless.  That's nuts.  I just would have proclaimed myself tough on the inside and left it at that.

...Pretty bad in Gatorland; Florida dropped a 34-17 decision at home to Vanderbilt last weekend.  The Gators haven't lost to Vandy at home since 1945.

...8 maybe 10;  Currently 8 Pac 12 teams are bowl-eligible. That number could increase to 10 if Wazzu and Utah each win two of their final three games.

...Something's got to give; Cal plays at Colorado this week.  Somebody is gonna get their first Pac 12 win.

...Quietly making noise; Duke is 7-2.  The Blue Devils are going bowling.  Wow.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

This week's winner is Nevada for taking a good concept and blowing it.

The grey uniform is a good fit for Nevada as it is one of their school colors.  This one is ugly because they didn't pull it off right. Wearing their blue helmets and using full blue stripes down the pants would have made this a really good uniform.

Departments

Close Game of the Week:  Kirksville, MO- The Pumas of St. Jospeh's (IN) got a pair of fourth quarter field goals to defeat the Truman State Tigers, 6-3.  This was a defensive battle where the teams combined to convert only 11 of 36 third downs and turned the ball over six times.  

Blowout of the Week: Cleveland, MS- The Delta State Statesmen dismantled the Concordia College Clippers, 77-0.  The Statesmen picked up chunks of yards at will in this one, facing only five third downs in the game while racking up 11 TDs.  The DSU defense held the Clippers to just 142 yards of offense and seven first downs in the rout.

Razorback Report: It was another loss for the Hogs as they had no answer for Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace.  Wallace torched the Hogs for 416 yards passing and three TDs.  In the loss, QB Brandon Allen threw for 193 yards and two TDs. Up next for the Hogs is a home game with Mississippi State.

Horned Frog Headlines:  With just :38 left, QB Trevone Boykin crossed the double stripe from one-yard out and the Horned Frogs came away with a 21-17 win over Iowa State. Boykin only rushed for 29 yards in the game, but scored all three TCU TDs. Up next for the Frogs is a trip to Kansas State.  

Tulane Times: The Green Wave's chances of getting to the C-USA title game took a big hit when they were upset, 10-7 by the UTSA Roadrunners over the weekend.  RB Orelans Darkwa rushed for 103 yards and a TD on 20 carries for Tulane in defeat.  With the game tied at 7-7, the Roadrunners went on a 10 play, 63-yard drive that culminated with PK Sean Ianno hitting from 34-yards out for the victory.  up next for Tulane is a home date with UTEP.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY- No correct assumptions were made by the Pioneers as they lost to Assumption College, 37-27.  Post Qb Steve Laurino threw for 164 yards and three TDs in the loss. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

The 17 mile drive on the Monterrey Peninsula and having lunch at Pebble Beach is flat out awesome.

Harris Ranch rocks.

Memorial Stadium at Cal on a perfect fall day, is one of the best venues in all of college football.

Until next week folks, remember that special teams can truly be special.

The Commissioner

Week 10, 2013

Hey All,

It's Tuesday!  Time for the column you all love, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 31- Oregon State 14: The Trojans hadn't won up in Corvalis since the "fog game" of 2004.  So, you can imagine all Trojan fans surprise and glee when USC held 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Then, the Beavers came roaring back in the second quarter on the strength of a 27-yard TD pass form QB Sean Mannion to WR Brandin Cooks and a 41-yard pick-six from CB Ryan Murphy. It looked like USC, as it has in the last couple of seasons, would collapse and OSU would take the game.  However, the Trojans put together an answering drive of 10 plays, 75 yards that was capped off by an 18-yard TD run by RB Buck Allen to go up 21-14 at the half.  The second half was all USC as the Trojan offense chipped in 10 more points and the defense shutout the Beavers the rest of the way to get the win. For USC, it was the Buck Allen and Silas Redd show as the pair of RBs rushed for 133 and 140 yards respectively with Allen scoring three TDs.  USC QB Cody Kessler completed 17 of 21 passes for 247 yards and a 75-yard TD strike to Marqise Lee to aid the wining cause. As for the Beavers, QB Sean Mannion Threw for 377 yards, a TD and three interceptions.
Telling Stat: 0 for 3= W; The Trojan defense held the Beavers scoreless on their three trips inside the Red Zone to ensure the win. 

Arizona State 55- Washington State 21: It was a Thursday night up in the Palouse, the Wazzu crowd was roaring and upset thoughts filled the air. Then the game kicked off and ASU skinned the Cougars. Sun Devils QB Taylor Kelly did a Marcus Mariota impression lighting up the Wazzu defense.  He threw for 275 yards and five scores, while running for 66 yards and two more scores. ASU RB Marion Grice chipped in with 125 yards total yards form scrimmage as well. On the Wazzu side of things, QB Connor Halliday completed 29 of 54 passes for 300 yards and a pair of TDs.
Telling Stat: 1st round KO; ASU rolled up 149 yards of offense and 21 points, while holding Wazzu to 53 yards and 0 points to take control of this game after one quarter of play. 

Arizona 33- California 28: It was a tight one in Strawberry Canyon, but the Wildcats managed to hold on for the win over the Golden Bears. UofA QB B.J. Denker threw for 261 yards and one TD, but he really hurt the Bears with his legs.  Denker only rushed for 44 yards, but racked up TD runs of 9,1, and 14 yards to stymie the Cal defense. Cal couldn't stop RB Ka'Deem Carey either, who rushed for 152 yards on 32 carries.  Meanwhile, Cal QB Jeff Goff was his now expected blend of great numbers and bad mistakes. Goff completed 34 of 56 aerials for 289 yards and four TDs.  He also threw two costly interceptions.  WR Kenny Lawler was Goff's favorite target, catching six passes for 72 yards and three TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Waiting to exhale until 1:35; The Wildcats didn't get to breathe easy in this one until Ka'Deem Carey broke off a 17-yard run with 1:35 to play to seal the win.

UCLA 45- Colorado 23: After getting worked over by Stanford and Oregon the last two weeks, UCLA welcomed Colorado came to Pasadena the help the bRuins get back in the win column. It wasn't easy though, as UCLA held just a 21-13 lead at the half, then managed to pull away in the third quarter to ensure the win. bRuin QB Brett Hundley completed 19 of 24 tosses for 273 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 72 yards and two more TDs. For CU, QB Sefo Liufau threw for 247 yards and one TD to lead the Buffs offensive attack.
Telling Stat: 14-0. After grinding to a 21-13 halftime lead, the bRuins put away the hapless Buffaloes by dominating the third quarter, outscoring CU 14-0. 

Notre Dame 38- Navy 34: The Irish had trouble with the pesky Midshipmen all day.  The Middies ran the ball 70 times for 331 yards and 4 TDs on the Irish.  However, the Navy defense couldn't stop ND either. ND QB Tommy Rees tallied 242 yards through the air and two TDs, while RB Tarean Folston toted the rock 18 times for 140 yards and one TD on the cold grey afternoon in South Bend. However, it wasn't until ND stopped WR Shawn Lynch on fourth down for no gain with 2:39 left to put this game firmly in the win column for the Irish.
Telling Stat: Yards in chunks;  Notre Dame faced only five third down conversions all game long and averaged 9.03 yards per play v. Navy. 

Observations

...Necessary evils;  It's widely becoming the belief amongst Trojan fans that the embarrassing losses to Wazzu and ASU were necessary things.

...Dullsville; This past weekend of college football was one of the dullest in recent memory. Only one real big national matchup and not many big conference games.  It was really dull if you're a Pac 12 fan. There were only four Pac 12 games this week and two of them were played before Saturday.

...A donnybrook on The Farm; Yes, for some dumb reason it's being played on Thursday night, but who isn't stoked about the Oregon-Stanford game this week?  I've had it circled on my calendar for about a year.

...A twit on twitter; Former Miami Hurricane player and radio personality Dan Sileo posted a bounty on Florida State DT Timmy Jernigan.  Sileo posted a picture of Jernigan and offered a $1,000 to anyone who "takes this kid out." Needles to say Sileo was fired by his radio station WMEN 640-AM.  Sileo said he is shocked by the backlash over the incident.  What an idiot.

...And then there were four; There are four winless teams left in the FBS. They are Southern Mississippi, Miami (OH), Hawaii, Georgia State.  Southern Mississippi is riding a 20-game losing streak.

...We're with stupid;  The Pac 12 extended commissioner Larry Scott's contract through the 2017-18 academic year. By then, Scott may have his goal realized of every Pac 12 game being played at 7:30 PM with no games being played on Saturday.

...Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing; That sums up Ohio State's season.  The Buckeyes are undefeated and the national opinion of the Big Ten is so low that nobody cares outside of Columbus.

...A really Big 10;  With three weeks left in season, Minnesota has a chance at 10 wins.  It's a slim chance. but if the Golden Gophers pull it off, it would be the first 10 win season for the Gophers since 2003 and the second double-digit win season in school history.

...The gift that keeps on giving; Texas worked over Kansas last week, 35-13.  Poor Charlie Weis. Yeah right. Feel free to insert your own joke about schematic advantage. I'm really gonna miss Chuckles when he gets fired.

...Quietly making noise; Fresno State is 8-0 with a three game lead in their division of the Mountain West Conference.

...Just an idea;  Wouldn't an Oregon-Baylor game be the closes thing to a real-life version of NCAA Football on Playstation?

 Ugly Uniform of The Week

Oregon State is this week's winner for this all-orange ensemble they wore v. USC last Friday.

Call 'em pumpkins, CalTrans uniforms or prison jumpsuits, these things are U-G-L-Y. This picture is hurting my eyes right now, yuk.

Departments

Close Game of The Week: Pittsburgh, PA- Well, The Washington University (MO) Bears make this department with a second straight close victory.  The Bears got a 45-yard field goal from PK Alex Hallwachs with eight seconds left to eek out a 9-7 win over the Carnegie Mellon Tartans.  Hallwachs kick made up for the PAT he missed in the first quarter or else this game may have gone to OT at 7-7.  the announced attendance that witnessed Hallwachs big kick was just 572 fans.

Blowout of the Week: Belton, TX- The Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders swatted the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets, 80-0.  Nine different Crusaders combined to rush the ball 51 times for 323 yards and 5 TDs on the day, while QBs Zach anderson and Brian Gallagher combined for four TDs in the rout.  The Crusader defense got in the act too.  They scored two defensive touchdowns and held the Yellow Jackets to just 144 total yards and seven first downs.

Razorback Report: Another week, another loss for the Razorbacks.  This tine it was a 35-17 loss to Auburn. The Razorback defense had no answer for Auburn RB Tre Mason.  Mason racked up 168 yards rushing on 32 carries and found the endzone four times.  Hog QB Brandon Allen threw for 112 yards and a TD in the loss. Up next for the Hogs is a trip to Ole Miss.

Horned Frog Headlines:  West Virginia came to Ft. Worth and escaped with a 27-24 OT win over the Frogs.  This see-saw affair saw the Frogs hold a 17-3 lead, then find themselves down 27-17 with 7:11 to play.  The Hogs then got a 3-yard TD pass from QB Casey Pachall to WR David Porter to cut the deficit to three points.  The Hogs then  got the ball back and sent the game to overtime when PK Jaden Oberkrom nailed a 45-yard FG with :19 left.  In overtime, the Hogs went in reverse.  A six yard loss, a omne-yard pass, and a 15-yard penalty all led to Oberkrom trying a 62-yard field goal.  He missed and West Virginia moved the ball down to the TCU 17, where PK Josh Lamberet nailed a 34-yarder =to hand the Mountaineers the victory. Up next for the Frogs is a trip to Iowa State.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave couldn't withstand a big fourth quarter form Florida Atlantic and fell 34-17 to pick up their first C-USA loss of the season.  It was a miserable day on offense for Tulane as they racked up only 167 total yards. QB Nick Montana had an awful game, completing just seven of 22 passes for 71 yards and three interceptions. Up next for the Green Wave is a trip to UTSA.

C.W. Post Press: Manchester, NH- The Pioneers came away with a thrilling 41-40 victory over Saint Anselm.  Post surged ahead for good when QB Steve Laurino hit TE Sean Binckes with a 10-yard TD strike with just 24 seconds left.  Binckes had a career game nine passes for 99 yards and four TDs. Laurino had a great as well, throwing for 429 yards and those four TDs. Up next for the Pioneers is a home game with Assumption College.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

Just not a fan of falling back to Pacific Standard Time.

The Lafayette Park Hotel is an awesome place.

Harris Ranch breakfasts rock.

Until next week folks, remember that you always remember the games played in November.

-The Commissioner

Week 9, 2013

Hey All,

It is Tuesday, and that means another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 19- Utah 3: Some games are masterpieces that stand the test of time.  This game was ugly, it was an Elvis on black velvet that gets sold at the swap meet.  However, the depleted Trojans got a great effort from their defense to smother the Utes at the Coliseum.  The Trojan defense forced four turnovers, and held the Utes to just 201 total yards on the day.  The star of the game was USC PK Andre Heidari, who hit four of five field goals to lift the Trojans to victory.
Telling Stat: 4+4= W; USC forced four Ute turnovers and kicked four field goals to get the win.

Stanford 20- Oregon State 12: This was a defensive struggle of a game as the Cardinal did what they do best.  They hung on for a win with their rushing game and defense.  It was the Tyler Gaffney show for Stanford as he racked 145 yards on 22 carries and all three Stanford scores.  As for OSU, QB Sean Mannion threw for 271 yards and one TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: Passing on threes;  Oregon State passed on three field goal opportunities to go for it on fourth down.  They failed all three times.  

Arizona 44- Colorado 20: The Wildcats ran over around and through Buffaloes up in Boulder.  UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey was great again for the 'Cats running for 119 yards on 23 carries and scoring 4 TDs.  However, QB B.J. Denker had a big day too.  Denker threw for 265 yards and a score, but he also ran for 192 yards on just 15 carries.  As for Colorado, Sefu Liufau threw for 212 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: They ran 'em over; Most of UofA 's 670 total yards in this game came on the ground.  The Wildcats ran for 405 yards on 50 attempts.  That's a nifty 8.1 yards per rush.

Washington 41- California 17: After having their heads handed to them in the last two weeks by Oregon and Arizona State, the Huskies beat up the Golden Bears to get back in the win column. UW QB Keith Price had a big night, completing 20 of 32 aerials for 376 yards and a pair of TDs, while RB Bishop Sankey had a huge game. He lugged the leather 27 times for 241 yards and  2 TDs.  That's a cool 8.9 yards per carry for those scoring at home. As for the Bears it was another week of big yards and no points as QB Jeff Goff threw for 336 yards and one TD.
Telling Stat: A lot in garbage time; 212 of Cal's 483 total yards and 10 of Cal's 17 points came after the Huskies had emptied the benches, up 38-7, late in the third quarter.

Oregon 42- UCLA 14:  For three quarters, the bRuins hung with the Ducks.  UCLA had kept the Ducks off balance for most of the day and trailed just 21-14 entering the fourth quarter.  Three fourth quarter TDs later, the Ducks looked every bit like the #2 team in the land and UCLA looked bewildered.  UO RB Byron Marshall proved to be a nightmare for the bRuins by rushing for 133 yards on 19 carries and hitting paydirt three times.  Meanhwile, the Duck defense kept UCLA in check by holding UCLA QB Brett Hundley to just 64 yards passing with one TD and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: One and done;  The Duck defense allowed 101 yards and one TD to UCLA in the first quarter.  The Quacks then held UCLA in check the rest of the way, allowing only 172 more yards and one more TD.

Notre Dame 45- Air Force 10: ND QB Tommy Rees came back from a neck injury to lead the Fighting Irish to a blowout of the Falcons.  Rees had a career day, completing 17 of 22 passes for 284 yards and 5 TDs. As for the flyboys form Colorado Springs, The Falcon offense was held in check by the ND defense. USAFA ran for 290 on the ND, but couldn't get anything going through the air, racking up a measly 49 yards passing.
Telling Stat: It was the defense; The ND defense created three turnovers, held for downs twice and forced four three-and-outs to make sure this game was never in doubt.

Observations

...Maybe they should use a courier;  Kansas should just think about sending special couriers to deliver the message to their opponents that they have the schematic advantage.  Because it was quite clear that Baylor did not receive the memo as they crushed KU, 59-14 last Saturday.

...Relax, Francis!;  Alabama HC Nick Saban ripped student organizations which resulted in having their block seating in the student section revoked for the Crimson Tide's next home game because a good number of the students left during their 45-10 blowout of Tennessee. Seriously, doesn't Nick have better things to worry about?

...That'll kill that east coast audience;  The Cal-Washington game didn't start until 8 PM last Saturday. Is the Pac 12 determined to make sure nobody watches the games?

...They used all they had;  How depleted was USC's roster against Utah?  The Trojans fielded 48 scholarship players, walk-ons filled the depth chart at TE, and WR, and used an injured player for half the game. Safety Dion Bailey, who started the game in street clothes due to an injury a week earlier,  went in at halftime, suited up and played the whole second half. Wow.

...Big number in little D-III; A shoutout goes to Western Connecticut RB Octavias McKoy who broke the NCAA all-divsion single-game rushing record with 455 yards on 43 carries in his school's 55-35 win over Worcester State. Somebody get that kid a whirlpool, a masseuse, and a case of Gatorade.

...Maybe they got the memo;  It's widely known that the Pac 12 is a flag-happy conference.  There was a lot of dialogue and outrage over how many flags are thrown in the league on the national level.  Somebody must have listened at Pac 12 headquarters.  Penalties were down this past weekend.  Two weeks ago, on average, there were 12 penalties called for 109 yards in each Pac 12 game.  This past Saturday there were 8 penalties called for 84 yards on average.  Hmmmmm.

...That's an off day I'd sign my team up for; The talking heads on ESPN said how Oregon had an off day v. UCLA.  I'll take off days that feature 555 yards of offense and 42 points anytime.  

...And then there were five; There are five winless teams left in the FBS.  They are Georgia State, Southern Mississppi, Hawaii, Connecticut, and Miami (OH).

...A surprise;  When USC lined up in the inverted wishbone formation on Saturday, I was stunned. That was the team's first new formation in years.

Quietly making noise;  Rice and Tulane are both 6-2 and 4-0 in C-USA play.

...Loud noises;  Cal's offense makes a lot of noise yardage-wise. They just don't score, and in a football game, that's a problem.

...He was seven feet tall on Saturday;  After three plus seasons as a walk-on on the scout team at Rice, little Jayson Carter got his big chance. Carter, who suffers from a genetic disorder that hinders his growth, is the smallest player in the FBS at 4-foot-9, 135 pounds.  Late in the fourth quarter of Rice's 45-7 rout of UTEP, Carter was sent in.  He took the handoff and nosed over right tackle for a 1-yard gain.  To me, Jason Carter is a giant.  Way to go, kid.

...A thriller in the ancient eight; In the  I'll have a splash more tea before heading to the yacht club conference, there was an actual heart-stopping thriller of a game played. Princeton beat Harvard 51-48 in triple overtime. Princeton QB Quinn Epperly hit WR Roman Wilson from six yards out for the game-winning score. The Tigers now are in the driver's seat for the Ivy League crown.

Ugly Uniform of The Week

Well, an old friend, the Maryland Terrapins are back to claim the title!  Check out this all red ensemble with the state flag helmet, sleeves and terrapin shell under layer.  The weird team name strip on the leg doesn't help either.

Departments

Crazy Game of the Week: Abilene, TX: In a game that featured 1,401 combined total yards of offense, the West Texas A&M Buffs beat the McMurray University Chaps, 90-57. Yes, 90-57.  The game featured 172 offensive plays, 68 first downs, 20 touchdowns, and 2 field goals. WTAMU QB Gabe Rodriguez threw for 344 yards and 5 TDs, while McMurray QB Dustin Vaughan threw for 452 yards and 6 TDs.  This game was a statisticians nightmare.

Close Game of the Week: St. Paul, MN: The Washington (MO) Bears got a 15-yard run by RB Cody Ratterman wit just 4:55 to play and escaped with a 7-0 win over the Macalester College Fighting Scots.

Razorback Report: The Hogs had last week off and will host Auburn this Saturday.

Tulane Times: QB Devon Powell threw a pair of TD passes and the Green Wave got a hard fought 14-7 win over Tulsa. The win keeps the Green Wave atop the C-USA West standings. Up next for Tulane is a trip to Florida Atlantic.

Horned Frog Headlines: In a game that featured a delay of 3 hours, 6 minutes, the Texas Longhorns wiped out the Frogs, 30-7. Casey Pachall, threw for 139 yards and an interceptions in his return at QB for the Frogs. Up next for the Frogs is a date withWest Virginia.

C.W. Post Press: Easton, MA- The Pioneers dropped another one. This time it was a 38-28 loss to the Stonehill Skyhawks. Post QB Steve Laurino completed 36 of 60 passes for 404 yards and 2 TDs in the loss.Up next for Post is a trip to Saint Anslem College.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

The country gravy at our tailgate breakfast last Saturday was so good, it should be classified as a controlled substance.

Breakfast is always great at Pacific Diner.

Cake pops rock.

Until next week folks, remember that defenses do win championships. I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween!!!!!

-The Commissioner

Week 8, 2013

Hey All,

It's another beautiful fall Tuesday morning and that means another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

Notre Dame 14- USC 10: If you told me that the Trojan defense was going hold ND to 14 total points, keep the Irish scoreless in the second half and knock out their QB midway through the game, I'd be very confident that USC would win the game going away. Well, an incredibly poor Trojan O-line, a flag happy Pac 12 officiating crew and an awful night from PK Andre Heidari left the Trojans with a loss in South Bend.  The second half started with USC down 14-10. However, the poor SC offense and the Non-existent ND offense led to a scoreless second half that was nearly unwatchable.  The stars in this snoozer were USC RB Silas Redd who ran for 112 yards and his team's lone TD and ND QB Tommy Rees who threw for 166 yards and two TDs before being knocked out of the game early in the third quarter with a neck injury.
Telling Stat: No third downs= no offense; The two teams combined to convert just 6 of 27 third downs in the game and neither team converted a third down in the fourth quarter.

Oregon State 49- California 17: The Beavers went into Strawberry Canyon and caged the Golden Bears.  OSU QB Sean Mannion was great yet again, completing 35 of 45 passes for 481 yards and 4 TDs. Mannion's favorite target was WR Brandin Cooks who hauled in 13 balls for 232 yards and a TD. Cal Frosh sensation Jeff Goff wasn't very sensational in this one, throwing for just 220 yards and an interception on the evening. OSU RB Terron Ward had the best night of all the rushers by going for 36 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: It was an air war; 787 of the 936 total yards gained by both teams came via the pass.

Colorado 43- Charleston Southern 10:  Sounds like an SEC game with the CSU Buccaneers involved, but no it was a Buffalo program poaching on an FCS program for a feel-good win. For CU, QB Sefo Liufau made his first career start and had a decent day.  He completed 14 of 20 passes for 198 yards and a score while managing the offense well.  Liufau's teammate Michael Adkins II had a big day, rushing for 137 yards on just 13 carries and four TDs.  The Buffalo defense got to feel good about themselves, holding the Bucs to 196 yards of total offense and just 11 first downs on the day.
Telling Stat: it was over in 2:25; In a 2:25 stretch of the second quarter, Colorado scored two TDs to go up 22-3 on CSU and never looked back.

Arizona State 53- Washington 24: What once looked as a promising season for the Huskies went down in flames as they were forked by the Sun Devils down in Tempe.  ASU ran all over the Dawgs.  RB Marion Grice rushed 21 times for 158 yards and two TDs and QB Taylor Kelly ran for 84 yards and a pair of scores to go with 271 yards passing along with two more TDs through the air. Meanwhile, the ASU defense just shutdown UW.  They held the Huskies to 212 total yards and negative five yards rushing on the day.  QB Keith Price did throw for 217 yards and two TDs in the losing effort for the UW.
Telling Stat: 18 minutes of hell; After falling behind 7-0 to start the game, the Sun Devils scored 29 straight points over the last 18:01 of the first half to end this one early.

Stanford 24- UCLA 10: The bRuins and Cardinal have played some tight ones lately with the Cardinal always coming out on top and this one was no different.  Coming off their upset at Utah,  Stanford got back to playing their brand of football.  That brand means using a tough defense and a balanced offense to grind down their opponents.  With the game tied, 3-3 in the third quarter, the Cardinal put together two strong scoring drives that were topped off with WR Kodi Whitfield making an incredible catch for a TD on a 30-yard pass from QB Kevin Hogan and RB Tyler Gaffney crossing the double stripe from 1-yard out to take control of the game.  The bRuins did make it a tight game when WR Shaq Evans hauled in a three-yard TD pass from QB Brett Hundley. The Cardinal then held just a seven point lead up 17-10 with one quarter to play.  Stanford controlled both sides of the ball the rest of way capping off the scoring with another TD run by Tyler Gaffney with just 1:42  to play.  Gaffney was the workhorse for the Cardinal today lugging the leather 36 times for 171 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat:  Not in this second half;  UCLA had dominated their opponents in the second half this season until this game.  Stanford dominated this second half, holding the bRuins to just 10 points while forcing two punts, and picking off two passes along the way.  

Arizona 35- Utah 24: The Utes had no trouble holding the Stanford running game in check last week.  They didn't stop the Wildcats rushing attack this week.  It was the Ka'Deem Carey show as the UofA RB gashed the Utah defense for 236 yards on 40 carries and the game-sealing TD with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats were in control of this game, up 20-7 to start the third quarter and had knocked out Ute QB Tyler Wilson early in the game. However, Utah mounted a comeback behind the arm of backup QB Adam Schultz who threw for 142 yards and a TD in relief of Wilson. The Utes scored two TDs to go back on top, 21-20 to start the fourth quarter, but never really threatened again.
Telling Stat: He could have had 300; UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey had a 66-yard TD run called back early in the game or he would have finished 302 yards rushing on 41 carries.  Hmmm.

Oregon 62- Washington State 38:  The Ducks rolled over the Cougars to stay undefeated on the season and further QB Marcus Mariota's Heisman campaign. Mariota had another ho-hum day, completing 23 of 32 passes for 327 yards and two TDs while running for 67 yards and a another TD.  Duck RB Byron Marshall also had a great day amassing 192 yards on 21 carries and three TDs.  However all the attention in this game shifted to Wazzu QB Connor Halliday who put up this Playstation-style stat line. Halliday completed 58 of 89 passes for 557 yards, four TDs and four interceptions. Well, this goes down as just another crazy game in the Pac 12.
Telling Stat: Why they threw so much;  Wazzu can't run the ball, that's why.  The Cougars were out rushed in this game, 383 yards to 2.  Yup, 383 to 2.

Observations

...This just in;  The police in South Bend are still pursuing a missing persons case.  It seems that many Trojan fans called into the police reporting that the USC offensive line disappeared from Notre Dame Stadium midway through the first quarter last week.

...Can't call him that anymore;  Back in the mid 1970's, Wazzu QB Jack Thompson was called "The Throwin' Samoan."  After Cougar QB Connor Halliday attempted 89 passes last week, Thompson's nickname just doesn't seem to fit anymore.

...Feeling suckered;  Yup, I drank the Kool-Aid.  I actually thought Clemson was that good.

...Quietly making west coast noise;  Yes, they were embarrassed by FCS power Eastern Washington, but Oregon State is 6-0 since then and tied with Oregon atop the Pac 12 North standings.

...Missing the lead dog;  Former Washington HC Don James died on Sunday at the age of 80.  James took a Husky program that was on the ropes and built it into a power.  I always had respect for his teams.  They were always tough and ready to play. From players Slick Tom Flick to Warren Moon to Spider Gaines to Jacque Robinson to Mark Brunnell, the Dawgs were always strong under his leadership.  R.I.P. Lead Dog.

...ESPN stupidity on display;  ESPN headlines reads, "The biggest threat to the SEC's BCS title streak is the SEC"  Gee, didn't know that.  Hint:  that happens in all the leagues right now. It's called conference play.  It's been around awhile.

...25 minutes, 36 seconds;  That's how long Oklahoma's hangover form losing to Texas last week lasted, before they took the lead and then slogged their way to a 34-19 win over Kansas.  The sad thing about that is for awhile there, KU HC Charlie Weis actually thought that OU got the memo about schematic advantage.  Sorry, Charlie.

...BCScrewed; Oregon got seriously hosed in the first BCS rankings. That stuff usually happens to the Pac 12, but maybe even more so now that most Pac 12 games are played after most of the country has gone to bed for the night.

...A moot point;  The Oregon-Stanford game most people have been looking forward to all year will lose some luster if the Cardinal lose this week at Oregon State.  I think that the Beavers have a great shot at the upset.

...Scratch 'em off the list; With Louisville losing to Central Florida last Thursday, there are no reasons left to watch an AAC game.

...And then there were six; There are six winless teams left in the BCS. They are Georgia State, Miami (OH), Western Michigan, Hawaii, New Mexico State and Southern Mississippi.  Southern Mississippi was crushed by East Carolina last week to extend their losing streak to 18 games.

...Not feeling South Beach; The Miami sanctions, or lack of sanctions rather, show just how bad the NCAA needs to be destroyed.

...Just how much he threw;  Here's a stat to put Wazzu QB Connor Halliday's 89 pass attempt night in perspective.  There were six other games this past week featuring Pac 12 teams.  None of those games featured as many total pass attempts combined between the two schools as Halliday threw by himself.  The closest to Halliday was when Oregon State and and Cal combined to chuck the rock 81 times in their game.


Ugly Uniform of the Week

Oregon's pink helmets were too easy to pick on, so this week's winner is Wyoming

This all gold ensemble for the brown and gold clad Cowboys is just awful.  These guys look like running penalty flags.


Special Section: My take on what's wrong with the USC offensive line

1. Poor fundamentals: This unit isn't well coached.  The lack of good fundamentals is especially easy to see in pass protection. O-linemen need to set up in a balanced stance for pass protection.  Meaning, that their feet are wide enough apart and their weight his evenly distributed over those feet. This group continually sets up with poor feet and with their weight too far forward.  That makes them easy to get thrown to side or their shoulders turned to give the defensive line a straight shot at the quarterback.

2. The O-line is in poor condition.  You can't use scholarship limits as an excuse to why these guys aren't in good enough shape.  Usually your starting five up front play every snap and should function as one unit with five moving parts. An O-line should get stronger as the game goes on. The O-line always has an advantage because...

A. They know where the play is going

B. They only have one job to do on each play

C. The more they are on the field, the more tired the defense should get

3.  The O-line got no help. Meaning that if the line is having a bad time, the play calling should have tried to negate this fact by throwing quick, three step drop passes like quick slants, skinny posts, and quick flips out of the backfield.  Also, the receivers never got much separation form the ND defenders in their pass routes which led to Cody Kessler holding the ball longer in the pocket. The longer a QB holds on to the ball, the longer the line has to block and breakdowns occur. 

So, add these three things up and you get an O-line that got flagged a lot because of the confluence of these three factors.  An out of shape line with poor fundamentals, that has too block too long ends up getting sloppy and committing bad penalties.

Departments

Blowout of the Week: Owensboro, KY: The Quincy University Hawks hit the road and skinned the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers, 80-26. The Hawks set a Great Lakes Valley Conference record with their 80 points scored and 707 yards of total offense. Six different RBs piled up 445 rushing yards on the day with RB Sterling Ross running for just 77 yards, however he found the endzone four times.

Not So Close Game of the Week: Jackson State 1, Grambling 0.  That is the official score of the game Grambling forfeited last week due to player revolt last week.  There are plenty of articles out their on the situation and the horrible conditions under which the team was playing which included improperly washed uniforms that led to Staph infections on the team.  Needless to say that's a mess down there.  Eddie Robinson must be rolling over in his grave at the state of the program.

Razorback Report: The Hogs took a trip to Alabama and got rolled by the Crimson Tide, 52-0.  That is all.

Horned Frog Headines: TCU went into Stillwater and came out with a 24-10 loss to the Okie State Cowboys. This was a sloppy game featuring 8 turnovers and 18 penalties between the two squads.  The TCU offense never really got untracked as they behind 17-0 at the half and never recovered. QB Trevon Boykin did throw for 188 yards and run for 46, but his three interceptions hurt the Frogs greatly.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave was off last week.  They will host Tulsa this week.

C.W. Post Press: Brokville, NY: It was homecoming at C.W. Post and the Pioneers did not disappoint the home folks, as they crushed the Pace Setters, 58-0.  Post QB Steve Laurino completed 12 of 19 passes for 177 yards and four TDs to lead the way for his squad.  Post is now 3-4 on the season and will play at Stonehill College this week.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

The miniature golf course on Catalina rocks.

There's nothing worse than having your DirecTV go out on a fall Saturday.

A Milky Way is still a pretty cool candy bar.

Until next week folks, remember that if you don't have an offensive line, you ain't got nothin'.
-The Commissioner