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…
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
