Week 15, 2014

Hey All,

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

Summaries

Pac 12 Championship Game
Oregon 51- Arizona 13: The Ducks punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff by punching out the Wildcats at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.  While the UO defense shutdown UofA from the start, it took a while for the Duck offense to get rolling. Once they did get rolling, the game was over by halftime.  UO QB Marcus Mariota took firm possession of the Heisman trophy by completing 25 of 38 passes for 313 yards and two TDs to go with 33 yards rushing and 3 more scores.  The Ducks would finish with 627 yards of offense, 31 first downs and a T.O.P of 38:55.  The Wildcats were stuffed by the Duck defense all night long.  The Ducks forced more 3-and-outs, (7), than completions allowed by UofA QB Anu Solomon, (6). In fact, 96 of the Arizona's 224 total yards gained came early in the fourth quarter after Oregon had built up a 44-7 lead.
Telling Stat: Not even that close;  Arizona only broke double digits scoring in this game when backup QB Jerrard Randle rushed 25 yards for a TD on the game's final play.  That run by Randle was the Wildcats longest run from scrimmage on the entire game.

Big Ten Championship Game
Ohio State 59- Wisconsin 0: With their third string QB making his first start ever, the Buckeyes entered the Big Ten title game as underdogs.  The supposedly outmanned Buckeyes hit the field and eviscerated the Badgers.  That 3rd string QB Cardale Jones completed 12 of 17 for 257 yards and three TDs. As for the OSU rushing attack, RB Ezekiel Elliot gashed the Badger defense for 220 yards rushing and a pair of TDs on just 20 carries.  While all that offense was going on, the Buckeye defense made sure Wisconsin's offense did go anywhere.  They effectively ended the Heisman Campaign of Badger RB Melvin Gordon, holding him to just 76 yards on 26 carries.
Telling Stat: Anatomy of a shutout; On Wisconsin's 15 drives, the Buckeye defense forced eight punts, four turnovers, held for downs once and had the clock run out in each half in this total wipeout of the Badgers

ACC Championship Game
Florida State 37- Georgia Tech 35: This was a great back and forth title game with Seminoles starting slow yet again, then playing just well enough to escape with a win.  The Yellow Jackets started the game with their option game hitting on all cylinders. Their first three drives all went for TDs and covered 71, 75 and 75 yards.  The Seminoles seemed to be just a step behind most of the game, trailing 28-23 as the fourth quarter got underway.  Then the FSU defense kept the Jackets off the scoreboard for three straight series.  That stretch allowed their offense to take control of the game.  In the end, Georgia Tech did score to again to come within two points of the Noles, but FSU recovered the ensuing onside kick and the ACC title was theirs again. FSU QB Jameis Winston completed 21 of 30 passes for 309 yards and three TDs, while Georgia Tech RB Synjin Davis rushed for 67 yards and three TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 1 punt, 1 downs, and 1 pick; The Florida State defense forced a Georgia Tech punt, held for downs and picked off a pass on three drives that spanned the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter.  During that span the FSU offense three field goal to take control of the game.  

SEC Championship Game
Alabama 42- Missouri 13: The Crimson Tide reserved their place in the College Football Playoff by taming the Tigers of Mizzou.  The Tigers couldn't stop the Bama rushing attack.  RBs Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon combined for 34 carries, 188 yards and four TDs on the afternoon. Throw in 262 yards passing and another two scores from QB Blake Sims and the rout was on.  The Bama defense held Mizzou to just 41 yards rushing, but QB Maty Mauk did throw for 272 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: Sealing the deal; Bama outscored Missouri, 21-0 in the fourth quarter to bring home another SEC title to Tuscaloosa.

Self-inflicted wounds; or how the Big XII became their own worst enemy

1. They didn't play a conference championship game:  I'm a traditionalist as much as anybody, but not having a championship game, no matter how weird that would look after a full round-robin league schedule, hurt the league.  Even though the league has less than 12 teams, they could have applied for a waiver to play a title game.

2. Declaring Co-Champions of Baylor and TCU: Why should the CFP Committee pick one of your teams if you can't?  Not declaring an outright league champion hurt the league.

3.  The commissioner and member schools saw these potential problems and did nothing to help themselves.

Observations

...128th;  That's what Baylor's non-confernce strength of schedule was this season.  128th of 128 teams in the FBS.  That's dead last. To put that in perspective, Baylor's non-conference schedule was worse than anybody's non-conference slate in the SEC. That weak slate cost Baylor the CFP.

...False hope;  If the CFP Committee was going to knock TCU down for losing to Baylor, why did they rank them higher all season and vault TCU into the #3 slot last week?

...Quietly leaving the stage;  Alabama-Birmingham is dropping football and they won't get a chance at a farewell game.  They were not offered a bowl bid despite being bowl eligible. So long, Blazers.

...Stay classy San Diego;  The city down south pulled off a dream matchup for the Poinsettia Bowl.  The pairing of San Diego State and Navy is the best combination of city and teams in a bowl this year.

...And then there were none; There are no winless teams this year in the FBS!  The SMU Mustangs went on the road to Connecticut and beat the Huskies, 27-20.  RB Prescott Line scampered in from 12 yards out for the winning score with just 9:22 to play.

...A requiem for the SWC;  Arkansas v. Texas in the Texas bowl is just a great matchup.  Visions of Frank Broyles and Darrell Royal are dancing in my head.

...Haven't mentioned them in awhile;  They were once a staple of this column, so it is good to see that the UTEP Miners have gotten to a bowl game.

...One game left;  There's one game left in the FBS regular season, and the tradition that comes with it is second to none. Yes folks, it is Army-Navy week.  If all the tradition that from this game doesn't get you into watching it, maybe this will.  It is interesting to watch at a game with a live cannon battery in each end zone.

...Follow the Sun;  Once again, the Sun Bowl is the only bowl game not on ESPN or ABC.  This game is on CBS.

...That's Enough, SEC honks;  While he was at USC, Lane Kiffin was vilified by folks in SEC-land on a daily basis, now to that he's Nick Saban's lap dog, he has been washed in magic waters and is incredible.  The hypocrisy is just unbearable.  It reached a new low, when CBS's Verne Lundquist tried to write revisionist history about Kiffin while kissing his butt throughout the game.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Bowling Green wins for this all-orange ensemble.  All-orange doesn't look good on anyone from CalTrans workers to prisoners to Clemson.

Gut reactions to the Pac 12 Bowl slate (or as I call it, the way to laugh at the Commissioner's poor prognostications)

Las Vegas Bowl: Utah v. Colorado State- CSU HC Jim McElwain promptly let the Rama to a 10-2 regular season then took the Florida job. That leaves interim HC Dave Baldwin at the helm.  Will CSU be up for this game?  As for Utah, they are thrilled to be back in a bowl for the first time in three seasons.  This game is Utah's to lose.

Sun Bowl: ASU v. Duke- The SunDevils had the inside track to a Pac 12 title shot, then that was lost on a chilly night in Corvallis.  ASU hasn't really recovered from that loss, but still has a potent offense. Duke has risen to be an ACC contender, but do they have enough offense to keep up with the Sun Devil attack?  I think ASU wins this one, but it'll be a little closer than everyone thinks.

Holiday Bowl: Nebraska v. USC- Who else can I pick but the Trojans?  Seriously though,  The Trojans come in on a high after crushing Notre Dame.  The Huskers come in angry with an interim HC after seeing Bo Pellini got fired after a 9-win season.  Oh, and their new HC Mike Riley only has a ton of experience with USC.  I think he may give the Huskers all his knowledge on this one.  This should be a very good game.

Foster Farms Bowl: Maryland v. Stanford- Maryland has tried to adopt a tough guy attitude in their inaugural season in the Big Ten.  I think Stanford shows them what tough is with their power running game.  I'll take the Cardinal.

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State v. Arizona- The Wildcats didn't really get a big reward for getting their butts kicked in the Pac 12 title game.  Yes, they got a big bowl, but they are now the big bad power conference team that underdog Boise State is trying to take down.  Everyone who doesn't live in Tucson will be rooting for the Broncos.  I like Boise in an upset.

Alamo Bowl: Kansas State v. UCLA- The bRuins don't travel well and will no crowd support in a game that is basically a Big XII home game help a UCLA squad that doesn't have a great bowl history anyway?  I think not. K-State gets the win.

Ticket City: Washington v. Oklahoma State-  Neither of these squads has been great this year, but Okie State seems to have a little better grasp on how to win, while Washington still has to learn under Chris Petersen.  I'll take the Cowboys in this one.

Rose Bowl: Florida State v. Oregon- Everybody will talk about this being a Mariota v. Winston matchup.  Don't believe it.  This game is trench warfare.  Can Oregon's O-line handle FSU's D-line?  Can FSU's O-line handle an underrated but very good Oregon defensive front? Being a Pac12 guy who can't stand FSU, I'll take the Ducks.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

The IlluminOcean light display in Dana Point Harbor is well worth the drive.

Sense memory;  Cigar smoke smells makes me feel like I'm sitting in an old ballpark.

I've spent more time at Trader Joe's this year than the baseball card shop.

A Final Note

The end of another football regular season is at hand and so is this column for 2014.  No matter how many amazing things happen during the season, it's who you experience the games with that make the season great. I now thank my extended football family, that now stretches from Italy to New Zealand,  for making another season great.  Without you all, the sharing of my love for this game with the funny bouncing ball would not occur. So, until next season remember that teams come and go, it's our love of the game that lasts.

-The Commissioner

Week 14, 2014

Hey All,

It's Tuesday and that means another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  This column will give you something to read while eating some of those Thanksgiving leftovers.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 49- Notre Dame 14: The Trojans bounced back well from their loss to UCLA to pound the Fighting Irish and return the Shillelagh to Heritage Hall.  USC QB Cody Kessler had a day for the ages, completing 32 of 40 passes for 372 yards and six TDs.  Those six TD passes are the most ever thrown against Notre Dame in a single game.  Five different Trojans caught those six TD passes with WR Nelson Agholor hauling in a total of 12 passes for 120 yards and one of those six TDs.  WR George Farmer caught four passes for 85 yards and two TDs.  In all, nine different Trojans caught passes in this rout.  While Kessler was working his magic the USC defense was working over the Irish.  The Trojans camped out in the ND backfield for a full four quarters, causing two turnovers and nailing whoever was playing QB.  ND QB Malik Zaire completed 9 of 20 passes for 170 yards and ran for a score in relief of ellow QB Everett Golson who was benched in the second quarter.
Telling Stat; 35 is fine for cruising;  The Trojans won by 35 points and racked up 35 first downs in the game.  Those 35 first downs are the most ever given up by Notre Dame in game.   

Arizona 42- Arizona State 35: The Territorial Cup seemed to be the only thing at stake at the start of this game.  Then, as UCLA's defeat at the hands of Stanford became a reality, the Pac 12 South title became available too. The two squads stood deadlocked at 21-21 at the half.  Then, UofA came out and dominated the third quarter putting another 14 points on the board to lead, 35-21.  ASU HC Todd Graham then replaced QB Taylor Kelly late in the period with backup Mike Bercovici to try and spark the ASU offense which had gone dormant.  Bercovici did spark the Sun Devils leading them to two fourth quarter scores, but his last drive came up short as his pass on fourth down from the UoA 40 fell incomplete.  UofA QB Anu Solomon was hobbling a bit on that injured ankle of his, but managed to complete 15 of 21 passes for 208 yards and two TDs.  However, the big star of the game was Wildcat RB Nick Wilson who lugged the leather 24 times for 178 yards and three TDs.  On the ASU side of things, Kelly And Bercovici finished with nearly identical numbers.  Kelly completed 13 of 22 passes for 144 yards and two TDs.  Bercovici completed 14 of 22 passes for 123 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: Three of a kind;  Three big plays paved the way for Arizona's victory. A 25-yard Fumble return for a TD, A 69-yard TD pass and a 72-yard TD run flipped this game in the Cats favor.

Washington 31- Washington State 13: Thanks to scheduling genius of Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott, the Apple Cup was a 7:30 start in Pullman, with a game time temperature of 19 degrees. The Huskies mushed through the cold, while the Cougars looked to never adjust to it which led to UW keeping the Apple Cup for another year. UW RB Dwayne Washington made the m most of his 16 carries by rushing for 135 yards and two TDs while teammate QB Cyler Miles completed 25 of 39 tosses for 249 yards and two scores.  The Dawgs held a 24-0 lead after three quarters then coasted to the finish.  Wazzu QB Luke Falk passed for 355 yards and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: 3 downs and out;  On their first three drives of the game, WSU turned the ball over on downs in the Washington end of the field.  The Cougs never recovered from those missed opportunities.

BYU 42- California 35: In the other non-conference game being played this past weekend the Golden Bears fell short against the Cougars and also fell short in their quest to be bowl eligible. The hapless Bear secondary gave up 433 yards and 5 TDs to BYU QB Christian Stewart.  His two favorite targets were WRs Mitchell Juergens and Jordan Leslie both had over 100 yards receiving and two TDs.  On the Cal side of things QB Jared Goff threw for 393 yards and four TDs.  His big target was WR Kenny Lawler who hauled in ten aerials for 138 yards and three scores.  Cal RB Daniel Lasco led all rushers with 130 yards on 26 carries. The Bears did have one final chance to send this game to overtime, but Goff's toss to Lawler fell incomplete on 4th and goal from the BYU 14.
Telling Stat: When they needed it;  BYU put together four good downs of defense when it mattered at the end of the game and escaped Strawberry Canyon with a win.

Stanford 31- UCLA 10:  After forcing a Stanford punt on their first drive, UCLA looked like they picked up where they left off vs. USC as they marched down the field 64 yards in a five play drive that culminated with a 15-yard TD pass from QB Brett Hundley to WR Thomas Duarte. Trailing now, 7-0, Stanford calmly got off the deck and throttled the bRuins for the final 56:18 of the game.  The bRuin defense had no answer for the Stanford power rushing attack.  While building up a 21-3 halftime lead, the Cardinal held the ball for 21:40 of the first half.  Meanwhile, the Stanford defense hit Hundley early and often, with LB James Vaughters and the rest of the Stanford front seven spending most of the game in the UCLA backfield.  They were there so much, that they forced Hundley out of the game with hand injury midway through the fourth quarter.  While Hundley spent the game running for his life, SU QB Kevin Hogan was well protected, efficient and brilliant.  He completed 16 of 19 tosses on the day for 234 yards and a pair of TDs.  The Cardinal RB Tandem of Remound Wright and Christian McCaffrey combined for 128 yards rushing on 26 carries and two TDs to aid the winning effort. RB Paul Perkins had a 116 yards in the loss for UCLA.
Telling Stat: One and done;  After going 64 yards for a TD on their opening drive, the UCLA offense managed to gain just 198 yards and score just three points on their final nine drives of the contest. 

Oregon 47- Oregon State 19:  This year's edition of the The Civil War looked more like a civil walkover with the Ducks skinning the Beavers on their way to the Pac 12 title game. Duck QB Marcus Mariota had a great game as usual.  He completed 19 of 25 passes for 367 yards and four TDs and ran the ball 10 times for 39 yards and a two TDs.  The Webfoots jump out to a 30-3 halftime lead and cruised the rest of the way.  RB Storm Woods was the lone bright spot for the Beavers with 128 yards rushing on 22 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat; There is no D in Beavers; Oregon scored on 8 of 11 possessions in this game and you could actually say they scored on 9 of 11 drives if you count the safety they gave up to OSU on their final drive. 

Utah 38- Colorado 34: With 10:00 left to play in the fourth quarter, Utah DB Dominique Hatfield picked off an errant screen pas by CU QB Sefo Liufau and raced 20 yards to the end zone for the game-winning score.  Utah has now won three of the four games in this newest "rivalry" game of the Pac 12.  The Buffs did come tantalizingly close to their first Pac 12 win since beating California a year ago. Liufau finished the game with 317 yards passing, one TD and that one huge interception.  WR Nelson Spruce grabbed five balls for 91 yards and a score to aid the Buffs cause.  As for Utah, QB Travis Wilson completed 25 of 37 tosses for 311 yards and three TDs. RB Deonte Booker had another good day, rushing for 95 yards on 25 carries and a TD of his own.
Telling Stat: Challenge passed;  Utah HC Kyle Whittingham challenged his defense in the fourth quarter after they had given up five straight scoring drives to the Buffaloes.  The defense answered that challenge by forcing three punts, picking off a pass for the winning score and holding CU to 39 yards over the final 10 minutes of the game.


Tough Turkey 21- Cranberry Crushers 14: The Tough Turkeys broke a five-year losing skid to the Cranberry Crushers when The Commissioner hauled in the game winning TD pass with :25 seconds to play.  Each of the Turkeys hauled in a a TD pass in the victory.  Maureen Lenker opened the scoring for the birds with an early TD grab. Then after falling behind 14-7 in the second half, Dr. Phyllisann Maguire hauled in the game-tying score on a beautiful pass from Maureen.  Maguire would go on to win rookie-of-the-year honors for her play into contest.  As for the Crushers, Margaret Lenker, Luci Ursich and newcomer Jerick Beasley played a great game and came close to forcing overtime, but Margaret was stopped just short of the Turkeys end zone as time ran out.
Telling Stat: Second half birds;  The Turkeys outscored the Crushers in the second half for the first time in five years.

Observations

...Not the 4-for-4 they were looking for; Colorado has won just four Pac 12 games in their four seasons in the league. The four victims are Arizona and Utah back in 2011, Wazzu in 2012, and Cal in 2013. The Buffs finished the Pac 12 season at 0-9 this year.

...This one could be great;  I'm usually not a fa of rematches in college football, but the Arizona-Oregon rematch in the Pac 12 title game could be epic.

...Congrats, eh;  Congratulations to the Calgary Stampeders who defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to claim the Grey Cup over the weekend.  Former SMU QB Bo Levi Mitchell led the Stamps to victory in the 102nd Grey Cup game. Somewhere June Jones is smiling.

...On the down low;  UCLA RB Paul Perkins rushed for the most irrelevant 116 yards I've seen in a game in a few years.

...Cougar Yin and Yang; Wazzu has attempted 771 passes, the most in the FBS, this season while Army has thrown the ball just 98 times, the least in the FBS.

...The multi-million dollar ankle;  OSU QB J.T. Barrett's broken ankle may cost the Buckeyes a spot in the CFB Playoff and all that money that comes with it.

...It'll happen soon; Waiting for the day that ESPN's talking heads try to tell us that an eight loss SEC teams is better than an body else's conference champion.

...Fun viewing; As soon as UCLA's loss to Stanford hit 0:00, I immediately switch over to the ASU-UofA game and enjoyed watching the crowd reaction in Tucson. That reaction came from the fans and not the players because UofA HC Rich Rodriguez did not want the UCLA-Stanford score posted in the stadium.  He wanted his players to concentrate on the game at hand.  However, as the UCLA score went final, you could see the ripple of delight hit the stands thanks to smart phones.

...A beautiful sight indeed;  There is something so wonderful about seeing the Shillelagh bathed in late fall Southern California sunshine.

...Paint that stiffarm statue green;  Marcus Mariota should be the first non-Trojan to win the Heisman in the Pac 12 since Jim Plunkett at Stanford in 1971.

...Scenario shift;  A couple of weeks ago it was mentioned in this column that Minnesota could win the Big Ten and suffer the irony of not making it to the Rose Bowl due to the college football playoff.  That same scenario could now happen to Arizona.

...Not breaking news;  Word is that Georgia Tech's top wideout is injured and won't be available to play against Florida State in the ACC title game.  Does it matter? The Yellow Jackets take to the air about 15 times a game and complete only about eight of those tosses.

...The century mark;  By managing to put nine points on the board in their loss to Houston, SMU finally topped 100 points scored for the season. 

...Only a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that Michigan fans tried to have HC Brady Hoke deported to Canada.  There is also no truth to the rumor that Canada refused to accept him.

...Lobos can run;  Yes, they finished just 4-8 this year, but New Mexico can sure run the ball.  They rank fourth in rushing yards in the FBS averaging 310 yards a game with QB Lamar Jordan rushing for 1,083 yards and RB Teriyon Gibson rushing for 809 yards this season.

...Cougar Yin and Yang Part II; Air Force has run the ball 732 times this season, the most in the FBS,  while Wazzu has run the ball just 273 times, the least in the FBS.

...Tis the season to lose jobs;  HCs and assistants will be fired all across the land in the next few weeks.  The coaching carousel is starting to spin.

...Death of a program;  By not being able to make ends meet, UAB will be dropping football.  No official announcement has been made, but "inside sources" say it should come soon.

Going Bowling

With one week left to play in a couple leagues plus championship games being played this coming weekend we have a very clear view of the bowl picture from an eligibility standpoint. The Power Five Conferences ,(ACC, Big XII, Big 10, Pac 12 and SEC), have 47 bowl eligible teams now with a possibility of 48 if Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma this week.  Three of the four FBS independents are bowl eligible and 30 schools from the other conferences are bowl eligible.  That number could grow to 32 if Fresno State and Temple win.  So, that means there are 80 and could be as many as 83 bowl eligible teams right now for the 76 available bowl slots.  So between four and seven schools will left home for the holidays.

Ugly Uniform Combination of the Week: Oregon and Oregon State win for this awful combination of colors on the field.

Good Uniform Color Combination of the Week: I just love this clean, good looking pair of uniforms in the UNLV-Nevada Game

Departments

Blowout of the Week: Alliance, OH- In a second round game of the D-III playoffs, The Mount Union Purple Raiders crushed the Washington & Jefferson Presidents, 67-0.  After holding a slim 7-0 lead after one quarter of play, the Raiders put up 38 points in the second quarter.  Up 45-0, Mt Union emptied the benches in the second half.  Raider QB Kevin Burke completed 30 of 41 passes for 402 yards and six TDs in one half's worth of work.  The Mt. Union defense stonewalled the Presidents all game allowing only three drives to cross the 50 yard line.

Close Game of the Week: Wheaton, IL-  In another D-III second round playoff game, the John Carroll University Blue Streaks beat the Wheaton College Thunder, 14-12.  The Blue Streaks held a 14-12 lead through three quarters thanks to a 1-yard run by RB Tommy Michals and 22-yard TD pass from QB Mark Myers to WR Zach Strippy.  Both teams pitched a shutout in the fourth period.  The difference in this game was that JCU blocked Wheaton's first PAT attempt, then stuffed their two-point conversion attempt on their second TD.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave had bye this past weekend and will host Temple in their season finale this week.

Horned Frog Headlines: TCU moved within a step of making it into the college football playoff with a 48-10 drubbing of the Texas Longhorns.  The Frogs took advantage of gifts being handed out by Texas.  The Longhorns turned the ball over six times, with QB Tyrone Swoopes being responsible for four of those by himself.  TCU QB Trevone Boykin threw for two scores and ran for another to lead the Frogs attack. Up next for the Frogs is a home date with the Iowa State Cyclones.

Razorback Report: After two huge SEC wins at home, could the Hogs derail the SEC East title plans of the Missouri Tigers? No, they couldn't, but they almost did.  The Hogs had a 14-6 lead going into the fourth quarter, but gave up 15 unanswered points to fall to the Tigers, 21-14.  QB Brandon Allen threw for 133 yards and two TDs in the loss.  Up next for the Hogs is the wait to see where they will play in a bowl game.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Electric trains are always cool at Christmas time.

There's nothing as good as Thanksgiving leftovers.

Old decks of cards from casinos are pretty neat.

Until next time, remember that hitting a running QB doesn't make him run so well,

-The Commissioner

Week 13, 2014

Hey All,

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

Summaries

UCLA 38- USC 20: One team in this game had heart, drive, and a good gameplan. The other team was USC.  Despite an early pick six, the Trojans really weren't in the game from that point on. With a poor defensive scheme that left their safeties in bad positions, USC gave up 326 passing yards to UCLA QB Brett Hundley. Hundley also ran for a score too. The USC defense was stuffed all night by the bRuin defense. USC QB Cody Kessler was sacked six times and RB Buck Allen was held to just 60 yards on the evening although he did score a late TD.  Allen was outdone on the field by his counterpart UCLA's Paul Perkins.  Perkins racked up 93 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Telling Stat: No O at USC;  the Trojans only managed to gain 276 yards in the game with 93 of those coming after UCLA had built up a 38-14 lead.

Stanford 38- California 17: Both teams came into this game at 5-5.  Stanford's 5-5 was disappointment filled, while Cal's 5-5 was a big step up from the previous few seasons. Cal had the momentum and they were at home. So naturally, Stanford whipped 'em. Stanford's Remound Wright was the Cardinal's battering ram as his steady 92 yards rushing and four TDs did in the Golden Bears.  The Bears didn't help the situation much as their offense kept turning the ball over. The Golden Bear QB Tandem of Jared Goff and Luke Rubenzer combined to complete 21 of 40 passes for 182 yards, a TD and four big interceptions.  For the Cardinal, QB Kevin Hogan turned in a steady effort completing 15 of 20 passes for 214 yards.
Telling Stat: 5+16= a big loss in The Big Game; five turnovers and 12 penalties in a otherwise statistically even game spelled doom for the Golden Bears.  

Arizona State 52- Washington State 31: The Sun Devils hangover from their upset at the hands of Oregon State last week lasted exactly 38:36.  For it was at the 6:24 mark of the third quarter that ASU RB D.J. Foster scored on a one-yard run to lift the Sun Devils to a 28-24 lead over WSU.  ASU would go on to out score the Cougs 31-7 in the second half to claim the harder-than-it-looked blowout victory.  Foster would lead all backs with 96 yards rushing on 15 carries and three TDs, while backfield partner QB Taylor Kelly threw for 232 yards and four TDs.  As for the Cougars, Wazzu freshman QB Luke Falk completed 45 of 74 passes for 601 yards, three TDs and four interceptions.
Telling Stat: Short fields; WSU set up ASU for this second half blowout with turnovers deep in their own territory.  ASU's four fourth quarter scoring drives only went 40, 18, 38, and 30 yards.

Arizona 42- Utah 10: Despite losing QB Anu Solomon midway through the game, the Wildcats still managed to scalp the Utes in Salt Lake City. RB Nick Wilson carried the load offensively for the Wildcats with 218 yards rushing on 20 carries and three TDs.  The Wildcat defense also had a big day forcing four Utah turnovers and returning two of them for scores. This game was still in doubt as the Wildcats held a 21-10 lead going into the last period. However, the UofA defense put the clamps on Utah to ensure the win.  For the Utes, QB Travis Wilson completed 16 of 29 143 yards and a TD to go with two interceptions.
Telling Stat: Shutting the door;  The Arizona defense forced two turnovers, two punts and had the clock run out on Utah's five fourth quarter possessions to seal the win.

Oregon 44- Colorado 10: The Ducks came out and broke a good sweat in a beatdown of the Buffaloes. Like many other teams, the boys form Boulder had no clue as how to stop Duck QB Marcus Mariota. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 323 yards and three TDs while rushing for 73 yards on eight carries and another TD.  Oh, and Duck RB Royce Freeman lugged the leather 17 times for 105 yards and two TDs also.  The hapless CU offense was led by QB Jordan Gehrke who completed a 9 of 18 passes for a whopping 64 yards.
Telling Stat: There was some D in the O; The Oregon Defense held Colorado to an average drive length of 4 plays for 3.5 yards.

Washington 37- Oregon State 17: The Beavers couldn't build off their upset of ASU last week falling to the Dawgs in Seattle. UW QB Cyler Miles set the tone for the Dawgs when he started the scoring with a 54-yard TD pass to WR Jayden Mickens early in the opening quarter.  After extending their lead to 14-0 on a 68 yard TD run by RB Dwayne Washington, UW relied on the foot of PK Cameron Van Winkle.  After his third field goal Washington led 23-7 midway thought he third quarter.  The Beavers did make the game close when QB Sean Mannion hit WR Jordan Villamin with an 11-yard TD pass at the end of the third quarter.  They then failed on the two-point conversion and Washington closed out the game with a 36-yard TD run by Jayden Mickens and a 68-yard TD reception by TE Darrell Daniels. Cyler Miles finished the day for 253 yards and two TDs . Sean Mannion finished the day for the Beavers with 314 yards passing and two TDs.
Telling Stat: They made them one dimensional; Washington held Oregon State to 47 yards rushing which allowed their defense to just sit back and defend the pass.

Louisville 31- Notre Dame 28: ND did not bounce back from their loss to Northwestern.  They rallied back from a 14-0 first quarter deficit to be in position to send this game to overtime, down by three with :51 left.  However PK Kyle Brindza missed from 32 yards out and Louisville walked out of South Bend with a win.  Cardinal QB Reggie Bonnafon completed only 8 of 21 passes for 180 yards, but did throw for a TD.  His RB, Brandon Radcliff toted the rock 17 times for 136 yards and a TD.  For the Irish, QB Everett Golson threw for 236 yards and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat; When they needed it;  Louisville's defense stuffed a running play for one yard, registered a sack and forced an incompletion when Notre Dame looked as if they were going to pull this game out.

Observations

...His reign was a short one; Melvin Gordon's reign as the NCAA FBS single-game rushing record holder lasted just seven days until it was broken over the past weekend by Oklahoma freshman RB Samaje Perine. The previous record holder, LaDanian Tomlinson held the record for 16 years.

...Worst commissioner ever;  The Pac 12's Larry Scott is a total idiot.  Larry's biggest accomplishment is bringing in Colorado and Utah to the league, which really isn't an accomplishment at all.  He has many failures, but the biggest one is what a joke the Pac 12 network is.  Not only is it not on DirecTv after two years of talks, it doesn't even broadcast in hi-def.  Go back to the WTA Larry!

...Welcome back to the party;  Does anybody realize that Arkansas is bowl eligible?

...Not a word; I don't hear a lot of Domers whining about that offensive pass interference call at Florida State much anymore.

...Enough; The scheduling of FCS schools by FBS schools has to stop. It's just a waste of a game.

...A bit overlooked; Oregon State WR Jordan Villamin is really good player that doesn't get enough publicity.

...Trophies and bragging rights; Here's to the Territorial Cup, the Shillelagh, the Apple Cup, the Land Grant Trophy, Paul Bunyan's Axe, the Old Oaken Bucket, the Fremont Cannon and all those other trophies that help make the last game of the college football regular season special.

...A 1200 number;  This week's USC-Notre Dame game will be game #1200 in Trojan history. Glad to see it is against the Fighting Irish.

...Bowen for the Birds; Look for Clint Bowen to have the interim tag removed from his name as the HC of Kansas.  He's done as well as can be expected in this situation.  Bowen also has all the background to be KU's version of OSU's Mike Reilly.  He grew up in Lawrence, played for Lawrence High school and was a DB at KU. The guy is one of the few with the background and passion to lead the Jayhawks.

...40 years;  It was that long ago as the sun had set in Los Angeles that these words were uttered by the legendary Tom Kelly, "Would you believe that the score here at the Coliseum is USC 55- Notre Dame 24?"

...Worst officials ever...again;  The Pac 12 replay crew working the Cal-Stanford game overturned three consecutive plays in which Cal scored a touchdown. The league admitted they were right on the first call, but blew the other two. The Bears settled for a field goal instead of the TD which they had already scored at least twice.  SMH.

...North Carolina TAGheels; After spray painting their Victory Bell Carolina Blue after beating Duke, the Tarheel players just kept spray painting all over the visitor's locker room at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium. UNC is paying for all the damages.  Maybe the players on the Tarheels that take those classes that don't exist could help with the clean up.

...A big sigh of relief for the the folks on Expo and Fig; UCLA QB Brett Hundley has indicated that he's not returning next year for the bRuins.

...Wazzu Wondering;  With new freshman QB Luke Falk coming in and immediately lighting up the stat sheet after Connor Halliday went down due to injury, are the QBs at Wazzu that good or is the system they play in the reason why they are so good? Hmmmmm.

...There is no truth to the rumor;  It is just a rumor that ESPN College Gameday will be renamed SEC Gameday, move to the SEC network and only attend SEC games.

Going Bowling

The picture as to how many teams will be available for the 76 bowl slots this season came into much clearer focus over the weekend.  Here's the break down of the 73 teams that are currently bowl eligible by conference...

ACC: 9
Big XII: 6
Big Ten: 9
Pac 12: 8
SEC: 11
FBS Independents: 2
American: 5
C-USA: 6
MAC: 5
Mountain West: 6
Sun Belt: 6

That leaves 3 slots left over.  There are currently 18 teams on the bubble.  So, there will be a few teams left home this season despite having the requisite six wins.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Western Kentucky wins for this ensemble with way to much going on in the design. Sad thing it isn't even a bad Nike or UA design. this one belongs to Russell Athletic.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: In the first FBS game to into OT scoreless since 2005, Wake Forest knocked off Virginia Tech, 6-3 in 2 OT.  Wake PK Mike Weaver went from goat to hero in this game. He missed three field goals in regulation, then made field goals of 49 and 38 yards in OT to win the game for the Deamon Deacons.   There were 18 punts in this contest filled with little offense.

Blowout of the Week: Thibodaux, LA- The Nicholls State Colonels went down the field and drew first blood with a 40-yard field goal by PK Francisco Condado to take a 3-0 lead over the SE Louisiana Lions.  Then the Colonels proceeded to give up the next 62 points. Lions QB Jordan Barnett threw for 193 yards and a pair of scores in a little over one half's worth of work.  As a team, the Lions ran 633 yards in their come-from-behind blowout.

Razorback Report: The Razorbacks built on their shutout of LSU by turning in another dominant preformance,  blanking the Ole Miss Rebels, 30-0.  The Hog defense forced six turnovers including a 100 yard interception return for a TD by CB Rohan Gaines.  As for the Arkansas offense, RB Alex Collins ran for 79 yards on 23 carries and a TD.  Up next for Arkansas is a trip Missouri to take on the Tigers.

Horned Frog Headlines: The Frogs were off last weekend and will travel to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns on Thanksgiving.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave went to East Carolina and were worked over by the Pirates, 34-6.  Tulane QB Tanner Lee Threw for 301 yards and an interception while ECU QB Threw for 358 yards and a TD.  Carden also ran for a score. Up next for Tulane is a road trip to take on the Temple Owls.

C.W. Post Press: Ettrick, VA- Going into halftime, the Pioneers held a 17-14 lead over the Virginia State Trojans.  Would Post pull off the road upset and advance to the second round of the Division II Playoffs? No, VSU shutout Post the second half 14-0 to claim a 28-17 win. The Trojans got a pair of 1-yard TD runs by RB Kavon Bellamy who ran the ball 29 times for 145 yards to go with those two TDs. In his final game as a Pioneer, QB Steve Laurino completed 29 of 58 passes for 260 yards and a TD.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

I like an electric train running around the Christmas Tree.

My wedding was four months ago today. Seems like it was yesterday.

I've bought two, three-liter wine bottles this week.

Until next week folks remember that rivalry games make seasons.

-The Commissioner

Week 12, 2014

Hey All,

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

Summaries

USC 38- California 30: The Trojans came out like they have all year and built up a good lead, only to have to hold on for dear life at the end.  The Trojans held a 31-9 halftime advantage thanks to  Three TD passes from QB Cody Kessler, a TD run by RB Justin Davis and a Field Goal by PK Andre Heidari. Then, the second half happened.  The USC offense dropped off thanks to low production and three penalties that wiped TDs off the board, while the defense got gassed as usual.  That lead to Cal outscoring USC 21-7 in the final two quarters.  USC recovered an onside kick with 1:36 to preserve the win.  Kessler would finish by completing 31 of 42 passes for 371 yards and four TDs, while WR Nelson Agholor hauled in 16 of those passes for 216 yards and two TDs.  As for the Golden Bears, QB Jared Goff completed 29 of 47 passes for 279 yards and three TDs.
Telling Stat: 11; The win for USC marked their 11th straight over the California.

Oregon State 35- Arizona State 27: You can count me in as one of the handful of fans that stayed up to watch the end of this huge upset in frigid Corvalis. By halftime, it looked like ASU had escaped the cold and a feisty bunch of Beavers.  ASU had fallen behind early 14-3, but seemed to have taken control of the game going on a 17-0 run which was capped off by a 36-yard fumble return by LB Antonio Longino to take a 24-14 lead into the break.  However, the temperature and the ASU offense got really cold in the second half while the Beavers heated up.  ASU was precariously holding onto a 27-21 lead to start the final period when OSU QB Sean Mannion hooked up with WR Jordan Villamin for a 67-yard TD pass and a 28-27 lead.  From that point on, OSU completely controlled the game. OSU had the momentum and just physically took it to the Sun Devils.  OSU LB Michael Doctor sealed the win when he intercepted a Taylor Kelly pass and took it back 35 yards for a TD.
Telling Stat: Six frigid minutes; With 8:52 to play, OSU went on a 10 play, 54-yad drive that chewed up exactly six minutes.  Yes, the drive killed the clock, but it also kept that ASU offense on the sideline to get colder and colder as the temperature dipped into the low 20s. 

Utah 20- Stanford 17 2OT: Well, this game was a total yawner until overtime.  Stanford scored first on a 3-yard TD pass from QB Kevin Hogan to FB Lee Ward early in the first quarter.  Then, Utah answered with a 2-yard run by QB Travis Wilson with 6:02 left in the second quarter.  That was all the scoring until overtime.  Yes, the game went to OT an 7-7.  The teams then traded TDs in the first overtime as Utah's Wilson hit WR Kaelin Clay with a 25-yard strike for the Utes, only to have it answered with a 14-yard TD pass form SU's Hogan to TE Austin Hooper.  In the second OT, the Utah defense stiffened, pushing the Cardinal back to where PK Jordan Williamson had to and then did connect on a 51-yard field goal.  Utah got their chance to end this game and they did when Wilson found WR Kenneth Scott for the game-winning TD from 3 yards out.  Wilson was efficient for the Utes in the win competing 21 of 28 passes for 177 yards and two TDs.  Hogan threw for only 104 yards and two TDs in the loss for the Cardinal.
Telling Stat: All D until OT; This was a defense dominated game if there ever was one.  There were 17 punts, and each team only had one drive of 10 plays or more.  

Arizona 27- Washington 26:  UofA PK Casey Skowron had a game for the Wildcats that kickers only dream of.  Not only did the kid scamper 18 yards to paydirt on a successfully run fake field goal attempt, he nailed the game winner from 47 yards out to lift the Wildcats to victory over the Dawgs. Washington had this one won.  They just had to run the final 1:30 off the clock after picking up a huge first down when RB Deontae Cooper fumbled.  UofA recovered and then drove into position for the winning score. RB Nick Wilson led the offensive attack for the Wildcats, rushing for 104 yards on 30 carries and  pair of TDs.  As for UW, RB Dwayne Washington lugged the leather 19 times for 148 yards in the loss.
Telling Stat: The D kept them in it;  Arizona's defense kept the Wildcats in this one in the fourth quarter forcing two Washington punts and creating the turnover that put their offense into position to win the game.

Northwestern 43- Notre Dame 40 OT: The Fighting Irish have been one of those teams that has played to the level of their competition this year. Navy and other teams have had chances to upset the Irish when they were double digit favorites. Northwestern broke through and made the ND pay for this style of play.  Down 40-29 with 10:34 to play, the Wildcats scored 11 points to force OT.  The big hero for the Wildcats was PK Jack Mitchell who hit a 45-yard field goal to send the game to force OT then hit a 41-yard field goal to win the game in OT. For Northwestern, QB Trevor Siemian threw for 284 yards and a TD while RB Justin Jackson ran for 149 yards and a a TD.  As for ND, QB Everett Golson only threw one interception as he threw for 287 yards and three TDs.
Telling Stat: The D in ND was silent;  In the last 10:34 of regulation plus OT, the Notre Dame defense gave up 154 yards and 17 points to Northwestern in this stunning defeat.

Observations

...They were available; Marnatha Baptist canceled their game with Kentucky Wesleyan College last week.  For the second time this year Maranatha did not play a game due to too many injuries. So, what did Kentucky Wesleyan do?  They found another game for this coming week.  Ohio Midwestern College agreed to a game this week after their game with Alfred State last weekend was cancelled because the officiating crew never showed up.  Let me say that again, the officials never showed up.  So, Kentucky Wesleyan will host Ohio Midwestern this coming week.

...Exasperation; Just reading across the ESPN crawl that Penn State is bowl eligible is galling.

...The cost of winning;  Arkansas was fined $25,000 by the SEC for not keeping control of their field after beating LSU last week.  The SEC doesn't like it when fans storm the field after a big win. I'm shocked at this. I didn't know the SEC observed any rules ever.

...The right choice;  RF Giancarlo Stanton just signed a 13-year, 325 million dollar deal with the Miami Marlins.  I remember how disappointed I was when he made the choice to play baseball over football.  Back when he was just Mike Stanton and a senior LB at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, he had committed to play for USC.  I guess he made the right call.

...Just a rumor;  There's is no truth to the rumor that "The Boot" rivalry trophy from the  LSU-Arkansas game was seen in several bars in Fayetteville after the Hogs 17-0 win.

...Returns accepted; A few weeks back, the Nebraska coaching staff gave their defensive players the right to wear their vaunted Black Shirts for practice because they were playing so well.  Ummm, another color will most likely be hanging in those lockers this week.

...A staggering number; Just how staggering is Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon's 408 yards rushing v. Nebraska?  Pretty staggering, he out rushed every other Big Ten team on Saturday.  He also rushed for 68 times more yards than Maryland did v. Michigan State.  The Terps rushed for a whole six yards vs. the Spartans.

...Simple Pac 12 South math;  USC needs to beat UCLA and an ASU loss to win the division, UCLA needs to beat USC and Stanford to win the division.

...Bo Must Go!; That's the thinking many Husker fans have nowadays.  I think it is a forgone conclusion that Nebraska will fire Bo Pellini at season's end.

...Wigs on the Green; there were at least seven instances of helmets coming off players heads during the USC-CAL game. Crazy.

...This just in; Indiana sucks.  Yup, they alway suck in football, but this year is a new low for Hoosier football.  Not, only are they 0-6 in the Big Ten, but they are already 0-2 v. conference newbies Maryland and Rutgers.

...Northern Blues;  It's possible that Oregon could be the only Pac 12 North team with a winning record at the end of the season.

...Worth watching;  The stunned looks on the faces of ND HC Brian Kelly and ASU HC Todd Graham as their teams were being upset by decided underdogs was priceless.  Graham's deer-in-the-headlights look as the Oregon State defense was teeing off on his offense was especially satisfying to see.

Going Bowling

Heading into this coming weekend, there are 61 bowl eligible teams for the 76 available bowl slots with 29 other teams on the bubble for bowl eligibility. It looks like there may be enough teams to fill the slots this year after all.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: These Yellow jerseys and helmets from Minnesota take the prize.

Ugly, Ugly Helmet of the Week: Miami wins for this just horrible metallic orange disaster.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Ewing, NJ- Rowan University RB Wilther Marcelin scored on TD runs of 16 and 4 yards to lift the Rowan Profs to a 14-6 win over the College of New Jersey Lions.  The win handed Rowan a share of the New Jersey Athletic Conference crown.  Marcelin was a workehorse in the win, carrying the ball 41 times for 225 yards on the day.

Blowout of the Week:  Sam Houston State crushed Houston Baptist, 76-0. The Kats raced out to 35-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back.  The Kats as a team rushed for a school record 601 yards. That broke the school record by 100 yards. Houston Baptist has now given up 70 or more point four times this season.

C.W. Post Press: Springfield, MA- The Pioneers trailed 23-17 with 5:50 to play in the third quarter of their Northeast 10 title match with American International College. From that point on, Post dominated the game scoring 35 unanswered points to claim a 52-17 victory and the Northeast 10 crown!  Post QB Steve Laurino was brilliant again, completing 30 of 57 passes for 413 yards and five TDs.  He also ran for another score.  The win vaulted Post into the Division II Playoffs.  The Pioneers will travel to Petersburg, VA where they will take on the Virginia State Trojans in an opening round game.  The Pioneers are true underdogs here being the sixth seeded team in a six seed Super Regional.  A win would earn Post a trip to #2 seed Bloomsburg.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave were beaten down at home by the Memphis Tigers, 38-7.  The Green Wave helped facilitate the beatdown by committing five turnovers.  Tulane QB Tanner Lee threw three interceptions on the day and no TDs.  Two of his interceptions were returned for TDs.  Up next for the Green Wave is a trip to East Carolina.

Razorback Report; The Hogs SEC nightmare is over.  Arkansas snapped its' 17-game SEC losing streak in grand fashion by blanking LSU, 17-0.  The Hogs physically dominated the Tigers from start to finish in this one, allowing the Bayou Bengals only 123 total yards of offense.  Meanwhile, Arkansas RBs Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins each crossed the double stripe en route to the win.  Up next for the Hogs is a home date with Ole Miss.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Thanks all those who informed me of just how much wood is in a cord of wood.

I learned all about snap presses this week.

There's a sewing machine in my house.

Until next week folks, remember that running the ball and stopping the run is still the key to winning games.

-The Commissioner

Week 11, 2014

Hey All,

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

Summaries

Arizona State 55- Notre Dame 31: Have you ever been to a baseball game that looked to be a great matchup on paper and then one of the starting pitchers just self-destructs and the game is lost early?  Well, that happened here as ND QB Everett Golson self-destructed for the Irish, but unlike baseball, ND didn't have a reliever to go to.  Golson turned then ball over five times which led to 35 ASU points.  He couldn't handle the ASU pass rush and the Sun Devils rode those turnovers to a 34-3 halftime advantage.  Then, thanks to a great blocking adjustment by ND and ASU's way too conservative play-calling, ND dug themselves out that hole and trailed by just three points with just 6:37 to play.  Then, the Sun Devils woke up and put together a 5-play, 75 yard drive to push their lead back out to 10 points.  What followed next was Golson's last interception.  It was a tipped pass that CB Lloyd Carrington took back 58 yards to the house.  That TD sealed the game for ASU and killed off ND's playoff hopes in the process.
Telling Stat: Too much bad to go with all that good; ND QB Everett Golson killed his team with four interceptions and a fumble.  However, he also threw for 446 yards and pair of TDs.  

Washington State 39- Oregon State 32: Wazzu QB Luke Falk got his first start for the Cougars a week after replacing teammate QB Connor Halliday whose ankle was broken by the USC defense.  Falk ran with his first start completing 31 of 41 aerials for 419 yards and five TDs.  Falk led the Cougs on drives of 70 and 52 yards to give them a 39-25 lead midway through the fourth quarter.  OSU QB Sean Mannion then led his squad on a 11-play, 75 yard drive that was topped off by an 11-yard TD run by RB Terron Ward.  The Beavers looked like they held the Wazzu on third down with a little over a minute to play, but OSU CB Larry Scott was flagged with a personal foul.  The penalty handed the Cougs a first down and the win.  Mannion threw for 419 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 1-0;  that's the stat that matters to the true Freshman Luke falk who is undefeated as the starting QB at Wazzu.

Oregon 51- Utah 27: The Ducks looked to be on the ropes twice in this one, only to put together two impressive scoring runs to put the Utes away and claim the Pac 12 North title.  With the Ducks down 7-0 in the first quarter, Utah WR Kaelin Clay, found himself on the good end of what everyone thought was a 78-yard TD pass from QB Travis Wilson.  Unfortunately for Clay, he started his celebration a bit early. He let go of the ball at the one-yard line.  While the Utes were celebrating the apparent TD, UO LB Joe Walker saw the referee had thrown his bean bag onto the field.  That's the way a ref marks the spot of a fumble.  Walker knew that and went for the ball. After a brief scrum he came up with the ball and raced 100 yards for game-tying score.  The Utah home crowd was stunned.  So were the Utes.  UO raced out to 24-10 halftime lead.  However, Utah got off the deck and climbed back into this game.  In fact, with a little over eight minutes left, the Utes trailed 30-27 and were lining up for a game-tying field goal attempt from PK Andy Phillips.  Phillips' 48-yrd attempt doinked off the right upright and the Utes never recovered.  Oregon then went on one of their patented blink-and-you-miss-it scoring runs and the final score look like a Duck blowout.  UO QB Marcus Mariota kept his Heisman hopes alive throwing for 239 yards and three scores, while running for 114 yards and another TD.  As for the Utes, QB Travis Wilson completed 18 of 28 passes for 297 yards, a pair of TDs and a pair of interceptions.
Telling Stat: Fumble 24, Doink 21; The Ducks seized on Utah's two big mistakes and ran with them.  Well, they actually ran and passed with them.  After Utah WR Kaelin Clay fumbled, the Ducks went on a 24-0 run, after the Doink by PK Andy Phillips, the Quack Attack went on a 21-0 run to seal the game.  

Arizona 38- Colorado 20: Colorado actually led this game after three quarters, 24-20 but a strong fourth quarter by UofA QB Anu Solomon made up for an abysmal performance last week v. UCLA and brought home a win for the Wildcats.  Solomon completed 21 of 38 passes for 211 yards and four TDs.  He also racked up 105 yards rushing on 13 carries.  The UofA defense got into the act too.  They didn't really shutdown Colorado. but did manage to return a fumble for a TD.  For the Buffaloes, QB Sefo Liufau completed 24 of 33 passes for 252 yards and a TD.  CU WR Shay Fields led all receivers on the night with 94 yards on five catches and a TD.
Telling Stat: 14-0; UofA blanked Colorado 14-0 in the fourth quarter to won the game.  UofA QB Anu Solomon threw two TD passes while the Wildcat defense forced two CU punts, picked off a pass and held for downs to help claim victory.

UCLA 44- Washington 20: A lot of attention was paid to UCLA HC Jim Mora heading into this game as it was a homecoming for him to his old stomping grounds in Seattle.  Everyone left the game talking about bRuins QB Brett Hundley.  Hundley had a showcase kind of game, throwing for 302 yards and a pair of TDs. He also ran for a pair of scores and set the UCLA career passing touchdown
record in the process.  The bRuins jumped on the Dawgs quickly jumping out to an early 14-3 lead, then UCLA extended that to a 31-10 advantage by halftime.  The second half saw both teams trade scores with UCLA firmly in command of the game. The match of dual threat QBs didn't turn into much of one as UW QB Cyler Miles threw for only 155 yards with no TDs and an interception.
Telling Stat: Too little, too late; 2/3 of Washington's offensive output came in garbage time after UCLA built up a 38-13 lead and started to look ahead to their annual showdown with USC.

Observations

...A different game; Came across this tidbit in the paper the other day.  Back in 1925, Boston University and Brown played a football game that didn't use a clock.  The experiment was called a "scripted game."  Each quarter consisted of 40 plays. That broke down to 20 offensive plays per team, per quarter.  Brown won this experimental game, 42-6.

...Only a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that ASU students were seen wearing new t-shirts this week that said, "I intercepted an Everett Golson pass, didn't You?"

...Embrace it, don't chase it;  Why does the USC administration try so hard to make sure nobody has any fun on campus when a game is on a Thursday?  Every other school with a Thursday game treats it like a Saturday and just adds a day to the academic calendar to make up for it.  They approved this deal that includes Thursday night games, they need to roll with it.

...A big win, now a big loss;  Remember when UCLA's crushing of ASU was a resume builder for the bRuins?  Now, it's a resume detractor for the Sun Devils.

...All by himself; To say that ND QB Everett Golson is a tunrover machine is an understatement.  Golson has lost the leather via fumble or interception 17 times this year.  His personal turnover total is higher than the team turnover total of 74 FBS squads.

...Not even a blip on the radar;  Miami has dropped so far off the college football map, you'd think they entered the FBI witness protection program.

...Par for this year's course;  Every USC opponent in the Pac 12 South has more time to prepare to face USC than the Trojans do for their opponent.  It breaks down to USC's Pac 12 South foes having 34 extra prep days over the course of the season. Wow.

...Tied with Mr. Schematic Advantage;  Kansas knocked off Iowa State for their first Big XII win in almost two seasons.  Interim HC Clint bowen picked up his first Big XII win in just his fifth game as HC.  That ties him in Big XII wins with Charlie Weis.  It took Weis 28 games to acquire one Big XII win.

...Kid with a gun; in just two games with significant playing time, Wazzu QB Luke Falk has completed 69.5% of his passes for 817 yards and seven TDs.

...Best line of the weekend;  It was uttered by my sister as we tuned in for a look at the Michigan-Northwesrtern game.  It was scoreless in the third quarter.  She said, "This game is so boring. It's like watching the World Cup."

...Unbeaten and uncared for;  Marshall is 9-0 and nobody cares.

...On Brave old Army team;  The Cadets beat the UCOnn Huskies, 35-21 at the new Yankee Stadium.   Just seems like a classic thing hearing about Army playing at Yankee Stadium.  Oh, by the way, USC played Army once at Yankee Stadium.  It was 1951 and SC won, 28-6.  Some guy named Vince Lombardi was Army's backfield coach.

...The shootout nobody saw;  Boise State survived a barn-burner, escaping with a 60-49 win over New Mexico.  The game featured 1,285 yards off offense, 52 first downs and 15 TDs.  However, New Mexico had the best stat.  The Lobos rushed for 505 yards on the Broncos. Wow.

...Opposite directions;  ASU WR Jalen Strong's one-handed TD grab v. ND and Utah WR Kaelin Clay's fumble at the goal line and return 99 yards for an Oregon TD show the true ecstasy and agony of college football.

...Cruel irony; Minnesota  has a legitimate shot at winning the Big Ten title.  The Gophers are the Big Ten team with the longest Rose Bowl drought, not having been since beating UCLA, 21-3 in 1962.  However, this year the Rose Bowl is a National Semi-Final game in the new College Football Playoff. So, even if they win the Big Ten, there will be no roses for the Gophers.

...And then there was still one;  SMU is still the only winless team in the FBS.

...Attack of the underdogs; How screwed up would the bowl season be if Minnesota won the Big Ten, Duke won the ACC and Missouri won the SEC?

Going Bowling

As of this week, 57 FBS squads are bowl eligible.  That's 19 teams shy of the 76 needed to fill this year's bowls.  Several teams will become bowl-eligible soon, but as of this week it is funny to see that Duke is bowl eligible and Stanford, Michigan, Texas and Florida are not.

Cool Uniform of the Week: Army gets the nod for a cool alternate uniform with their all-black and camo look.  This is the USMA, they are the Black Knights of the Hudson.  Camo is also something they wear at the academy. So, if anybody is allowed this uniform combo it is Army.  They also made it look really good.

Good Helmet of the Week:  I usually hate it when teams don't wear their school colors, but ASU's Desert Fuel uniforms look pretty good. The nod to the state's copper mining industry came off well.  The white helmet with the copper pitchfork and facemask rocked.

Departments

Close Game of the Week: Amherst, MA- Amherst College makes it in this column a second straight week with their 17-9 win over Williams. This game didn't make the column because of Amherst QB Max Lippe's two TD passes or that this game was the first one played at night in this rivalry. It made the column because of the rivalry itself.  It's the fourth most played game in NCAA history.  This was the two teams 129th meeting. The rivalry is called The Biggest Little Game in America.

Blowout of the Week: Northfield, MN- The Tommies of St. Thomas (MN) crushed the Carleton College Ravens, 83-7.  St. Thomas QB John Gould completed 12 of 14 passes for 176 yards and three TDs in one half's worth of work.  Meanwhile, the Tommies rushed for 356 yards as a team while holding the Ravens just nine first downs and a little over 100 yards gained for the game.

C.W. Post Press: QB Steve Laurino brought the Pioneers back from a 31-21 fourth quarter deficit to beat the Bentley College Falcons, 34-31.  Laurino had another huge day accounting for all five Pioneeer TDs. He completed 38 of 48 passes for 363 yards and three TDs and ran the ball for 97 yards and two more scores.  The win puts Post in the Northeast 10 Championship Game.  Post will travel to Springfield, MA to take on the American International College Eagles.  The winner will claim the conference crown and a spot in the D-II playoffs.

Razorback Report:  The Hogs had a much needed bye week and will host LSU this coming Saturday.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave took a trip to Houston and came away with a 31-24 win.  QB Tanner Lee hit on 24 of 35 passes for 237 hards and three TDs.  The Green Wave took control of this game in the second half, forcing several turnovers and stuffing the Houston offense.  The Green Wave allowed a late score, which made this game look closer than it really was.

Horned Frog Headines:  The Horned Frogs stayed in contention for the Big XII title with a huge 41-20 spanking of the Kansas State Wildcats. QB Trevone Boykin threw for one score, but it was his legs that beat K-State.  Boykin ran the ball 17 tines for 123 yards and three TDs. Up next for the Frogs is a trip to the Sunflower state to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

I actually enjoyed first discussions about Holiday plans that took place over the weekend.

I don't really know how much wood is in a cord of wood and I'm not really motivated to find out.

I've come to the conclusion that Halloween candy is meant to bridge the gap between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Until next week folks, remember that you can't celebrate until you've crossed the goal line.

-The Commissioner

Week 10, 2014

Hey All,

It's time for the column that makes Tuesdays a little bit better, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Mal Florence.

Summaries

USC 44- Washington State 17: Just how would USC respond after last week's devastating loss to Utah?  Just fine.  Especially if you break your opposing  QB's leg in the first quarter.  USC QB Cody Kesller threw for 400 yards and five TDs, with WR JuJu Smith hauling in three of those TD tosses. Nelson Agholor returned a punt for a 65 yards TD and caught 8 passes for 220 yards and a TD too. Agholor's punt return TD was the fourth in his career at SC, which made him the Trojans all-time leader in punt return touchdowns.  Meanwhile, the Trojan defense did force three Wazzu turnovers in addition to the broken leg and managed to keep the Cougars off the scoreboard for most of the second half after they had closed to within striking distance of USC early in the third quarter.  USC RB Buck Allen had yet another 100-yard rushing game, his sixth straight.  Allen leads the Pac 12 in rushing. WSU QB Luke Falk threw for 346 yards and two TDs in relief of injured QB Connor Halliday.
Telling Stat: This game was was over when...;  When the USC defense broke WSU QB Connor Halliday's leg in the first quarter.  Sorry folks, that's the cold hard fact.

Arizona State 19- Utah 16 -OT: This battle for the top slot in Pac 12 South was not seen by most of the nation due to its' 8:00 PM kickoff time, but as one of the few who did see it, I can tell you it was a really good game.  ASU owned the stat sheet, but found themselves on the wrong side of a 16-13 deficit as Utah's defense and rushing game kept the Utes ahead.  Utah RB Devatae Booker was the Utes offense toting the rock 37 times for 146 yards and his team's lone TD.  For ASU, it was QB Taylor Kelly's 205 yards passing and one TD that kept them in the game.  However, this game came down to the kickers.  After sending the game to OT with a 30-yard file goal, ASU PK Zane Gonzlaez watched Utah PK Andy Phillips miss not once, but twice in the lone overtime period.  On Phillips' first attempt from 35- yards out, he missed wide right, but time-out had been called by Utah because the play clock had almost hit zero.  Then, on the second attempt, Phillips overcorrected  and missed wide left.  Gonzlaez then got his shot and hit from 36 yards put to give ASU the win.
Telling Stat: It's when you miss a kick that matters.  ASU and Utah's K both missed kicks in this game.  However, ASU's PK missed in the second quarter, Utah's PK missed in OT and that, my friends, was the difference in the game.

California 44- Oregon State 21: The Beavers fell behind early in this one, then rallied to take a 31-27 lead late, only to see the Golden Bears go on an 18-0 run to finish the game and get out of Corvalis with a win.  The Bears offense, which lives and dies by the pass, beat OSU with the run.  RB Daniel Lasco rushed for 188 yards on 30 carries and three TDs.  As a team, Cal racked up 269 yards rushing on the Beavers.  Not to be forgotten on this night is OSU QB Sean Mannion's record setting effort.  Mannion passed USC's Matt Barkley to be the Pac 12's career passing yardage leader.  Mannion completed 30 of 45 passes for 320 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: 3 out of 4 = W; The Golden Bears played well for the first half, took the third quarter off, then owned the fourth quarter to claim victory.

UCLA 17- Arizona 7: The bRuins new ugly uniforms matched their nasty attitude as they wanted to erase their near embarrassment at Colorado last week.  Coupled with that nasty attitude was an Arizona QB who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn which led to a 17-7 bRuin victory.  Neither offense did much all night as Arizona took a 7-3 lead into halftime behind a 14-yard TD pass from QB Anu Solomon to WR Cayleb Jones.  UCLA took over the game in the third quarter with a methodical march and a lightning strike.  The methodical march was a 12 play, 58 yard drive that culminated with RB Paul Perkins scampering in from five yards out to put the his squad ahead.  Then, a little over a minute later, the lighting strike occurred when UCLA QB Brett Hundley found WR Jordan Payton wide open for a 70-yard touchdown. UofA's anemic offense tried respond after that TD, but could never capitalize on those opportunities.
Telling Stat: Not his night;  Despite throwing for a TD pass on his team's opening drive, UofA QB Anu Solomon played like a freshman, hitting on only 18 of 48 passes.  Many of his throws missed wide open receivers.

Washington 38- Colorado 23: The Huskies turned the ball over three times, converted on only 2 of 11 third down attempts and had the ball 10 minutes less than CU, but escaped Boulder with a win thanks to special teams and defense.  Up just 24-23 late in the third quarter, UW DB Travis Feeney picked off a Sefo Liufau pass and took it back 30 yards for a TD. Then, early in the fourth period, PR Dane Pettis raced 87 yards for a TD on a punt return to seal the win for the Dawgs.  UW's offensive standout was Shaq Thompson who played RB this week and gained 174 yards on 15 carries with a TD.  As for the hapless Buffs, QB Sefo Liufau completed 36 of 53 passes for 314 yards and a pair of scores.
Telling Stat: They finished strong;  The Washington defense forced three punts, two fumbles, picked off a pass and held for downs once on Colorado's final seven drives to hand their struggling offense the win.

Oregon 45- Stanford 16: This matchup has been one of the marquee games in the Pac 10/Pac 12 over the last few seasons.  Styles make fights, and Stanford's power v. Oregon's speed was one always worth finding DVR space for.  Ummm, Not this year. Oregon showed just how ordinary Stanford has become by trouncing the Trees up in Eugene.  The Cardinal had no answer for UO QB Marcus Mariota who completed 19 of 30 passes for 258 yards and two TDs to go with 85 yards rushing on nine carries and two more TDs.  Stanford QB threw for 237 yards in a losing effort.
Telling Stat: beat in all phases;  Oregon whipped Stanford from beginning to end. The Ducks owned the scoreboard and the stat sheet. They even had over 100 yards more rushing than the Cardinal.

Notre Dame 49- Navy 39: ND QB Everett Golson shined, but as a whole the Fighting Irish looked far from a playoff team in their shootout with the Midshipmen.  Golson had the night of his life, completing 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards and three TDs.  He also ran for 33 yards and three more scores.  However, the Irish defense gave up 454 yard to Navy with 336 of those coming on the ground. In the loss, Navy RB Noah Copeland ran for 138 yards and QB Keenan Reynolds threw for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Telling Stat: Too close;  ND didn't put this game away until the 1:27 mark of the fourth quarter.  That really impressed the playoff committee.

Observations

...No class, no excuse;  The decision of the Maryland team captains not to shake the hands of the Penn State captains was a classless gesture.  I think team captains need to be held to higher standard and so does the Big Ten.  From their statement on the matter, "For many, many decades the intercollegiate pregame handshake has been in place to reflect a spirit of good will and utmost appreciation for your, opponent, the game, and the institutions that sponsor your sport. Selection as a team captain is an honor that carries with it a greater responsibility to act in a manner consistent with those principles."

...Running down hill;  Wyoming freshman RB Brian Hill almost single-handedly dismantled Fresno State last Saturday.  He had 387 yards from scrimmage and two TDs on just 26 touches.  He ran the ball 23 times for 281 yards and had three receptions for 106 yards.  Hill's two TDs came on runs of 32 and 66 yards.  Ragtime Cowboy Joe is happy indeed.

...Quietly making noise;  Colorado State is 8-1 this season with a shot to get to the Mountain West title game.

...You can't spell suck without K-U;  Kansas got smashed by Baylor, 60-14.  It was another loss in a dismal Jayhawk football season.  Now, with former HC Chalie Weis still fired, does KU send people memos informing them that Kansas has a schematic disadvantage? Hmmmmm

...Lots of laundry again; The flag-happy refs of the Pac 12 had another big day.  There was a full slate of six conference games with 78 penalties accepted for 714 total penalty yards in those six games.  That's an average of 13 penalties accepted for 119 yards per game. Wow.

...Eight is not great;  Really folks, the ASU-Utah game's 8:00 PM kickoff was nuts.  Way to go Pac 12 schedule makers! The only way for less people to have seen the game would have been to show it on the Pac 12 Network in exciting standard def.

...Slow, plodding, and can't come from behind;  Those have been the knocks on the Stanford offense over the last few seasons, however antiquated now seems to apply.

...Gameday fail; College Gameday is going to be in East Lansing this week for the  OSU- Michigan State game this week.  I think they should be in Fort Worth for the TCU- Kansas State game.  Then again, I see the Gameday Crew's reasoning. It may be their only chance to attend a semi-relevant Big Ten game this season,

...Not impressed; Sorry Irish fans, you shouldn't be struggling in the fourth quarter with Navy if you want to be taken seriously. Remember Irish faithful, you were in a close game with a school that has height and weight restrictions for military service.

...A little love for Lee;  Corso that is.  The former Louisville and Indiana HC and College Gameday mainstay did his 250th headgear selection last Saturday.  He donned the TCU Super Frog head and TCU won the game.  Corso is 179-71 in headgear selections. That's a winning percentage anybody would love. Oh, and by the way, Corso is 16-0 when picking USC to win.

...No love for the Tigers;  Funny, how with Georgia's inexplicable loss to Florida, that nobody is talking about how Missouri is once again the top team in the SEC East.

...Hoosiers don't tackle; Newcomers Rutgers and Maryland have better Big Ten records than Indiana. Here's a tip Indiana fans.  Watch that copy of Hoosiers that you downloaded and pray for Bobby Knight to return to Indiana basketball.

...Random football movie line of the week:  "Reno Hightower was the greatest quarterback in the history of Kern County."- Jack Dundee

Going Bowling

It's time to start talking about bowls and bowl eligibility.  There are 39 bowl games this year.  Two teams will play in the two games because of the playoff, so that means that there will be 76 teams going to bowls this season in the FBS. Currently there are 45 bowl-eligible teams.  The SEC leads with eight bowl-eligible teams, the American Athletic Conference is worst with one bowl-eligible team.  The American, MAC, and Sun Belt conferences have more teams eliminated from bowl eligibility than are bowl-eligible.  It will be interesting to see if all 76 post season slots can be filled this season without an NCAA waiver.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Could there be any other choice than the UCLA bRuins?  Their "L.A. Steel" uniforms didn't look like like steel.  They looked like what you' have to wear in jail if your were caught stealing.  Oh, the illegible gold numbers and their West Hollywood Gold cleats provided the finishing touches to this award-winning ensemble.

Bad Helmet of the Week: Maryland has several variations of the Maryland state flag on several different sets of helmets.  Well, Texas Tech got into the state flag theme last week v. Texas with helmets that resembled the Texas state flag.  The problem is that they added a Texas text logo to the flag.  Just a bad idea and an ugly helmet for a team whose colors are red and black.

Yes, that is the same helmet.  It took two photos to show both sides.  YUK.

Departrments

Close Game of the Week: Hartford, CT- QB Max Lippe hit WR Jackson McGonagle with a 20-yard TD pass with just 6:43 to play to lift Amherst College to a 7-6 victory over the Trinity College Bantams.  This was a defensive battle for supremacy of the New England Small College Athletic Conference.  The teams combined for only 21 first down and were a woeful 7 of 33 on third down conversions. Also, Amherst wins for the unofficial title of worst mascot of this week. The MAherst mascot is Lord Jeffrey Amherst.  Yes, that's pretty new england upper-crusty lame.

Blowout of the Week: Commerce, TX- Down in the Lone Star conference, the Texas A&M Commerce Lions put a Texas-sized beating on the McMurray University War Hawks, 91-13.  The lions had plenty of short fields to play on in this game as Mcm array pun ted poorly and managed to turn the ball over several times. Before taking the second half off, QB Tyrik Rollison completed 7 of 10 passes for 203 yards and three TDs.

C.W. Post Press: New Haven, CT- The Pioneers fell behind on an early field goal to the Southern Connecticut State Owls, but then took control of the game the rest of the way earning a 28-3 win.  Qb Steve Laurino hit on 21 of 36 passes for 281 yards and three TDs to go with one TD rushing to account for all four Post TDs on the afternoon.  Up next for Post is a home game with Bentley University.  The Pioneers sit in second place in the Northeast-10 standings and a win would mean a spot in the Northeast-10 title game and a possible rematch with American International College. The winner of that game would most likely move on to the Division-II playoffs.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave took a trip to Cincinnati last Friday and were whipped by the Bearcats, 38-14.  The one and only Munchie Legaux led the Bearcat offensive with 211 yards passing with three TDs.  As for Tulane, QB Tanner Lee got the start this week and threw for 205 yards and a TD on the night.  Up next for the Green Wave is a trip to Houston.

Razorback Report: It was another floes, heart-breaking loss for the Hogs as they came within an eye-lash of upsetting the number one team in the land,  Mississippi State.  The Hogs nada 10-0 lead but just couldn't hold on as the Bulldogs scored the last 17 points of the game.  with 13:21 left in the fourth period, MSU Q Dak Prescott hit WR Fred Ross with a 69-yard TD strike.  Hogs RB Alex Collins was a bright spot for the Hogs finishing with 93 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Up next for the Hogs is a much needed bye week.

Horned Frog Headlines: The Horned Frogs came back from deficits of 13-0, 27-14 and 30-21 to defeat West Virginia on a last-second field goal by PK Jaden Oberkrom. The TCU defense forced five  turnovers to help their offense overcome their worst outing of the season. TCU QB Trevone Boykin finished with 166 yards passing, 49 yards rushing and both a passing and a rushing TD. Up next for the Frogs is a Big XII showdown with Kansas State for the top spot in the conference.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

I don't like hard-wired smoke detectors.

Went to Target on Halloween, the Halloween section was already mostly torn down and Christmas stuff was on the shelves. Yuk.

I never seem to get that extra hour of sleep I think I'm going to get when we all "Fall Back" to standard time.

Until next week folks, remember that you are allowed to ask for a free kick after a fair catch.

-The Commissioner

Week 9, 2014

Hey All,

Here's the column that makes Tuesdays fun, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you,  Jim Murray.

Summaries

Utah 24- USC 21: A bonehead play, a lack of execution at key times, a big blown call, and a worn down defense led to USC dropping a tight one in Salt Lake City.  The loss effectively eliminated the Trojans from Pac 12 title contention.  The bonehead play was USC WR Darreus Rogers dropping, then not going after a backwards pass which DB Davion Orphey returned for the game's opening score.  The lack of execution came on the Trojans last two offensive plays where QB Cody Kessler short-armed an easy pass that would have led to USC being able to run out the clock. Then again on the ensuing play when WR Nelson Agholor didn't mange to stay in bounds with nobody around him on the ensuing fourth down attempt.  The blown call was the officials blowing dead an obvious catch and fumble that was returned for a 100-yard score by USC's Adoree Jackson.  Instead, USC was just given the ball on their own 20 yard line.  The worn down defense was USC's usual fourth quarter collapse, where DC Justin Wilcox gets scared, has the defense sit back and let's the opponent drive down the field unhindered to score the winning points.
Telling Stat: The if game: If Darreus Rogers actually catches the first pass, USC walks out of Utah with a win.

Arizona State 24- Washington 10: The boys from the Valley of the Sun survived a night of cold, wind, and hard rain to come away with a win in Seattle.  This game was also a tale of two QBs.  UW QB Cyler Miles did not play because he did not pass medical protocol this week after being knocked from the prior week's game vs. Oregon with a concussion. ASU got QB Taylor Kelly back after being out four weeks with a foot injury. Kelly had a decent day, completing 14 of 25 passes for 180 yards and two TDs.  As for UW, Miles' replacement Troy Williams did not fare so well completing 18 of 26 passes for 139 yards and two huge interceptions.  The last one, with :52 left was returned 61 yards for the game-clinching TD by ASU DB Armand Perry.  One other big note form this game was that UW LB Shaq Thompson was moved to RB for this game and had 98 yards on 21 carries.  However, the Dawgs offense was pretty inept. UW's only TD came off a 61-yard interception return by LB John Timu late in the third quarter.
Telling Stat: Kelly in the Clutch;  ASU QB Taylor Kelly accounted for 48 of the Sun Devils' 75 yards on their late fourth quarter winning drive.  He ran once for 12 yards and completed all three of his passes for 36 yards, including a seven yard strike for the go-ahead touchdown.

Stanford 38- Oregon State 14: The Cardinal bounced back after their loss to ASU with a beat down of the Beavers on The Farm. The Cardinal defense turned the Beavers into a one dimensional team by holding them to 12 yards rushing.  OSU QB Sean Mannion completed 14 of 30 passes for only 122 yards and no TDs. Mannion took several big hits from the Cardinal defense.  As for Stanford, QB Kevin Hogan had an up and down day.  He threw two early interceptions, but got off the deck and completed 18 of 28 passes for 277 yards and a pair of TDs.  He also ran for a TD too.  It seems everyone got into the act for SU as WR Ty Montgomery returned a punt 50 yards for a score and LB Patrick Skov even got to tote the rock.  He scored on a one-yard plunge in the third quarter.
Telling Stat: Choked out by the Cardinal;  After giving up an early TD, the Stanford defense throttled the Oregon State offense forcing seven punts, holding for downs twice and having the half run out once in the next 10 Beaver possessions.

Arizona 59- Washington State 37: There was a big cat fight up in the Palouse with the Wildcats easily smacking down the Cougars in a game that was not nearly as close as it seemed.  With 8:56 left in the second quarter UofA held a 31-0 lead thanks to an 81-yard punt return for a TD by WR Devonte' Neal, a Casey Skowron 31-yard field goal, and three TD passes for QB Anu Solomon.  Solomon would go on to throw a couple more TD passes as he finished the game by completing 26 of 38 tosses for 294 yards and five TDs.  UofA built up a 52-16 lead through three quarters, then watched Wazzu stack up the points in garbage time.  Wazzu QB Connor Halliday almost threw his arm off again, completing 56 of 79 passes for 489 yards, four TDs and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: A defensive first;  In this game of big numbers, the Arizona defense had the biggest ones. They held Wazzu scoreless on their first five possessions forcing four punts and an interception. That allowed the UofA offense to build up a huge early lead that the Cougars couldn't come back from.

UCLA 40- Colorado 37- 2OT: The bRuins went up to Boulder and looked to pick up an easy win over the Buffaloes.  For a good portion of the game, it look just like that as UCLA built up a 17-0 early lead and parlayed that into a 31-14 lead through three quarters of play. Then, the bRuins just seemed to take their foot off the gas.  The Buffs took advantage of that lull and scored 17 straight points to force a very unexpected overtime. UCLA managed to escape with a win in the second overtime when QB Brett Hundley scampered eight yards to paydirt to end the game.  Hundley finished the day with 200 yards passing, 110 yards rushing and a pair of TDs.  His backfield mate RB Paul Perkins ran the ball 19 times for 180 yards and a pair of scores.  The most impressive of those scores was 92-yard jaunt for the bRuins first score of the day.  As for the Buffs, QB Sefu Liufau threw for 246 yards and two TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: They danced with the girl that brung 'em;  To borrow the old Keith Jackson line, UCLA picked up the win in this game when they turned Brett Hundley loose in the second OT.  He accounted for all 25 yards on the final drive, including the 8-yard TD run to win it.

Oregon 59- California 41: The Ducks took on the Golden Bears at Levis Stadium and toyed for the boys from Berkeley for awhile before turning most of the second half into garbage time in this rout.  UO QB Marcus Mariota had another great night, completing 18 of 30 passes for 326 yards and five TDs.  UO RB Royce Freeman had a great day too. he rushed the ball 22 times for 112 yards and two TDs of his own. Despite being pulled from the game at times, Cal QB Jared Goff completed 32 of 52 passes for 360 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: 24-0, 21-0; Just at the moment when most fans thought that Califronia had a shot at upsetting the Ducks, they went on one of their patented quick scoring runs.  UO's 24-0 run in the first half and their 21-0 run in the second half left no doubt as to who the big boys in the Pac 12 North still are.

Observations

...More bang for your buck;  What's the difference between a Stanford game and a Wazzu game? The answer is 58 plays.  Stanford and OSU ran a total of 138 plays last week , while Arizona and Washington State ran 196 total plays.  That total includes all plays from scrimmage, kickoffs and punts.

...Still not the sharpest tools in the shed; USC's football IQ wasn't great to begin with and seems to be dropping with each game.

...Hoopin' it up at TCU;  The Horned Frogs football squad up 82 points on Texas Tech.  The TCU basketball team has scored only 82 points once in the last two seasons.

...One is the loneliest number; SMU is the only FBS team without a victory.  Oh, and things don't look good for the Mustangs getting a win either.  SMU has been shutout twice and they have lost their seven games by an average of 41 points.  Not too early for basketball season in Dallas.

...Enjoy the Citrus Bowl; It has become increasingly clear this year that the Big Ten looks like the conference that won't get a team in the playoff.

...Open roads; After Oregon had turned their game with California into a rout at Levi's Stadium, longtime Cal announcer Joe Starkey quipped, "A lot of folks worried about traffic getting into Santa Clara for the game tonight, but they won't have to worry about traffic on the way home."

...Carolina Blue BS;  The current academic fraud case being investigated by the NCAA at North Carolina is now said to involve over 1,500 athletes in various sports over the past 18 years or so.  You can imagine how disingenuous it looked as former UNC football HCs and now ABC-ESPN employees Mack Brown and Butch Davis proclaimed no knowledge of such improprieties on ESPN2 on Saturday.  Every HC knows where easy classes are in their respective schools.  What a joke.

...That Mora-look;  The look on UCLA HC Jim Mora's face as their game with Colorado went to overtime was priceless. It was a look of, "WTF? we're going to OT with f#%@k&^G Colorado?!"

...At FSU I can see this happening, but Army?;  The United States Military Academy self-reported to the NCAA that they treated recruits to a dinner with female cadets, cheerleaders, alcohol and booster payments.  This story really isn't that big of a deal nowadays, but who reported this story is. It was reported by The Gazette of Colorado Springs.  Hmmmmm.

...#1 meet #1;  After South Carolina's Hail Mary fell short in a 42-35 loss to Auburn, SEC officials say that Aubrun should have been called for a penalty on the play and the Gamecocks should have had another Hail Mary shot.  It seems Auburn had two players wearing #1 on defense for the final play.  DT Montaviuos Adams and WR D'haquille Williams were both wearing #1 on the play.  Williams was inserted into the game as a defender for this one play as the Tigers Hail Mary defense package.  Two players cannot be wearing the same number on the field at the same time for a team.  Auburn should have been penalized five yards and South Carolina given one additional snap.

...Rolling in the perks of the Tide; Alabama HC Nick Saban's 3.1 million dollar home was paid off for him last January by the Crimson Tide Foundation, which is the big booster group at Alabama.  They also pay his property taxes as well. In a related story it has been discovered that most USC fans are willing to take up a collection to send HC Steve Sarkisian and DC Justin Wilcox on a bus out of town.

...Just gotta love a big man with skills;  Arkansas guard, Sebastian Tretola threw a six-yard TD pass in the Hogs whipping of Alabama-Birmingham over the weekend.  The 6'5'' 350 lb. Tretola has lived out the fantasy all lineman young and old have.  I don't know how many times, in my meager athletic career, I told my coach that I can tote and throw the rock.  Oh, and they never let me kick an extra point either.

...They ran out of pyro;  There's one funny consequence of TCU scoring 82 points last weekend.  Ummm they used up their fireworks supply for the rest of the season.  TCU celebrates scores with fireworks. The school ran out of them after TCU scored 75 points.  They have to order more to get through the rest of the year.

...Feeling the Big Green; Dartmouth has the inside tack to the Ivy League crown. If they get by Harvard this week, the should wear the crown at season's end.

Who got the Memo?

Utah asked all their fans to wear black for their "Blackout" game vs. USC. Obviously, one guy didn't get the memo.

The funny thing is that one other guy must have gotten the memo.

Yes folks, that's USC HC Steve Sarkisian in all black. Insert expletive here.

Uniform of the Week-That-Looked-Good-But-Wasn't-Anywhere-Near-Their-Team-Colors: Illinois came out in all-grey "ghost" uniforms v. Minnesota, This intrepid reporter was told that the "ghost" uniforms were in homage of Illinois great Red Grange, the Galloping Ghost.  There's even a 77 on the helmets for Grange's old jersey number.  The thing is Grange wore Orange and Blue and made it famous.  The Orange and Blue was such a big hit in the 1920s that some team named Da Bears adopted the Orange and Blue as their color scheme.

Departments

Close game of the Week: Hillsboro, KS- We look to the NAIA ranks as the McPherson College Bulldogs pulled out a tough, 15-14 road win over the Tabor College Blue Jays. The Bulldogs trailed 14-3 in the fourth quarter when their offense woke up.  RB Kelly Cordova cut the deficit to six points with a 2-yard TD run.  Then on the ensuing possession, Bulldog CB Ashton Spears picked off a pass at the Tabpr 40-yard line with 5:30 to play.  Three minutes later, Cordova hit paydirt again from two yards out and McPherson walked away with the win.

Blowout of the Week:  Coulmbia, KY- Well, it looks like TCU did score the most points in the FBS this week, but an NAIA team scored more. The Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders crushed the Bellhaven Blazers, 91-14.  The Blue Raiders intercepted six Blazer passes and forced one fumble in which three of those turnovers were returned for TDs.  QBs Brandon Creasp and Dylan Beasley threw for three TDs a piece in this laugher.

C.W. Post Press: QB Kevin Arduro capped off a 14 play, 65 yard drive with a 1-yard TD plunge with just :29 left to lift the American International College Yellow Jackets to a 27-24 win over the C.W. Post Pioneers.  In the loss, QB Steve Laurino threw for 353 yards and one TD.  That TD looked to be the game-winning tally with 3:51 to play, but AIC had other ideas. UP next for Post is  a trip to New Haven Connecticut to take on Southern Connecticut State.  Commissioner's note here: As in injured player, I stood on the sideline while his Chico State Wildcats whipped SCSU back in 1989.

Horned Frog Headlines:  TCU sent Texas Tech back to Lubbock with a devastating 82-27 defeat.  This game was an Old fashioned butt-kicking as the Frogs beat the Red Raiders every almost every way possible.  TCU QB Trevone Boykin threw for 433 yards and seven TDs on the day.  Everyone saw the field in this one as TCU ran through four QBs along with all the walk-ons seeing time in this one. Up next for the Frogs is a trip to West Virginia for a tilt between two of the top teams in the Big XII.

Razorback Report: The Hogs took a break from being the SEC West doormat and whiped up on the UAB Blazers, 45-17.  The only thing you need to know about this game is that the big man threw a TD pass!  Up next for the Hogs is a trip to #1 Mississippi State.

Tulane Times: The Green Wave had a bye this past weekend and will host Cincinnati this week.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

Ebay strikes again.  Picked up the thermos for my old NFL lunchbox last week.

It's amazing the conversations you can get into with people over what width of pen tip they prefer to use.

Modern Family has been really funny this year.

Until next week folks, remember that there is no such thing as a "lateral" in the rule books.  A pass is either forwards or backwards.

-The Commissioner