Week 14, 2015

Hey All,

It's your final time this season to have your Tuesday made a little brighter by Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Ned Miller and Staff.

Summary

Pac 12 Championship Game
Stanford 41- USC 22: The Trojans had a puncher's chance to claim the Pac 12 title, but the Cardinal proved to be too strong for the Trojans and took that final step towards Pasadena. USC could not stop SU RB and potential Heisman winner Christian McCaffrey.  McCaffrey did everything in this game except sing the national anthem.  He rushed for 207 yards, caught passes for 155 yards, threw for 11 yards and piled up 149 return yards.  He also scored a rushing TD, a receiving TD and threw for a TD. The Trojan defense didn't have a clue how to stop him and it showed.  The Trojans fought hard and actually held a 16-13 lead in the third quarter then the roof fell and Stanford went on a 28-6 run to end the game. USC QB Cody kessler threw for 187 yards and a TD, while RBs Justin Davis and Ronald Jones II combined to gain 149 yards with a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: 462 isn't an area code;  It's the all-purpose yardage gained by Christian McCaffrey in the game. That stat tells it all.

Observations

...A matter of perspective;  If your team is on offense it's a rub route, if your team is on defense , it's a pick.

...Late games=no stiffarm statue;  The rotten Pac 12 TV deal that includes so many late games may have cost Stanford's Christian McCaffrey the Heisman.  Not even the whole west coast stayed up to see him play, much less anyone form the rest of the country.  Thanks, Leisure Suit Larry Scott.

...Out of place;  The Big XII not having a conference championship game in this era really does a disservice to the league.

...Houston has a problem;  The University of Houston's firing Contemporary Security Corporation after their "employees" beat several fans at the AAC Championship Game Saturday is way overdue.  The thugs from contemporary have done this crap for years without retribution.

...An extra xmas present; I am hoping that 5-7 Nebraska beats UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl.  That kind of bRuin embarrassment would be the gift that keeps on giving.

...Expected, unexpected;  I expected former SC HC and current alcoholic Steve Sarkisian to sue USC to get some money.  What I didn't expect was USC's blistering statement against Sark yesterday.  Usually the school, as big businesses do, doesn't comment on pending litigation.

...The 5-7s;  Minnesota, Nebraska, and San Jose State earned bowl bids at 5-7 because they were not enough bowl eligible teams to fill the 80 bowl slots this year.  There are way too many bowls.

...Golden Bear self-destruction;  The powers that be at California are thinking of passing a rule that all student athletes have to carry a 3.0 to play at Berkeley.  Wow, and as if Sonny Dykes needed another excuse to leave Strawberry Canyon.  SMH.

...Mountain West anger;  With 40 bowl games, how do two teams from the same conference end up in the same bowl?  Colorado State and Nevada from the MWC will face each other in the Arizona Bowl.  Oh, and the Arizona Bowl is the only bowl not nationally televised.  Heck, most of the state of Arizona won't get to see this game. Wow.

...Everything's Archie;  Ole Miss has finally made it back to the Sugar Bowl.  I don't want to say it's been a long time between Sugar Bowl berths for the Rebels, but it has.  The last time they were in the Sugar Bowl Archie Manning was the game's MVP.

..Another long drought ended;  Iowa has made it to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1991.  The Hawkeyes had Nick Bell, Haden Fry and stand up tight ends then.

...That'll teach him;  Georgia sure taught Mark Richt a lesson. After being fired as the UGa HC, he took the Miami job a day or so later.  Bye Bye Dawgs, Hello The U.

...Should have been more; I don't mean to sound arrogant, wait I do, I think 24 spots on the All-Century Team Football Team for the Pac 12 is actually a low number for USC.  The Trojans should of had 30 at least.

...Pac 10;  Pretty cool to see the Pac 12 get 10 teams in bowl games.

...El Paso Millinery ;  I'm really looking forward to Wazzu HC Mike Leach donning one of the ridiculous sombreros like Lane Kiffin had to wear at the Sun Bowl.  Can't wait for that picture because Lane rocked the look so well.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: No real contenders this week for the title.  Everyone looked pretty decent.  So here's a throwback shot from 2013 where UTEP went for the CalTrans look.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week:  Charleston, SC-  The Charleston Southern Buccaneers
scored 14 second quarter points and the defense made it stick for a 14-6 win over The Citadel in the second round of the FCS playoffs.  RB Mike Holloway was the offensive star for the Bucs, gaining 120 yards on 13 carries and scoring both TDs on runs of 32 and 41 yards.  The Bucs defense held the Citadel to only 267 total yards which is about half of their usual production.  In fact, the Bulldogs only had one drive longer than 10 plays in the entire game. Charleston Southern moves on to face #1 FCS seed Jacksonville State next week.

Close Score Game of the Week: Oshkosh, WI- The Warhawks of Wisconsin-Whitewater stopped a two-point conversion attempt and then made one final defensive stop to beat the Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titans, 31-29.  The win avenges the Warhawks only loss on the season and lets them move on to the D-III semi-finals where they will face Mount Union (OH).  RB Jordan Ratliffe gained 164 yards on 34 carries and scored two TDs to lead the Warhawks offense.  Whitewater held a 31-16 lead going into the final period and played just enough defense to win hold on for the win.

And now This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Trader joe's Bacon Cheddar Cheese is dangerously good.

I left my xmas doormat our all year and now it's in season again.  Cool.

How long does it take for personalized license plates to show up?  SMH.

And this year's final note...

Another year of this column has now come and gone.  It was another crazy one for my Trojans who seem to have a lot of those lately.  It was pretty crazy for me too.  As I was hanging upside down in my Sequoia on I-5 on August 31st, one of the goofy thoughts that raced through my mind after all the truly important ones did was that I'd have to tell my sister that she'd have to drive us all to the season opener on Saturday.  Yeah, I guess I'm a little off. I'm also very lucky. Lucky enough to be able to take this game with the funny bouncing ball seriously.  I'm also lucky enough to have a pretty great group of family and friends who love this game like I do.  It's the shared experience with my extended "Tailgate Family"  that makes every football season special. So, now I thank you all and wish everyone a happy holiday season, bowl season and a great 2016.

-The Commissioner

Week 13, 2015

Hey All,

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving that was filled with family, food, football, and fun.  Now here's your favorite column to read while eating one of those leftover turkey sandwiches, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 40- UCLA 21: The Trojans snapped a three-game losing streak to the bRuins and claimed the Pac 12 South Division title too as they manhandled the bRuins at the Coliseum.  The USC defense harried, harassed and hit UCLA QB and Walmart Greeter of the Month Josh Rosen.  They rattled the true freshman and he threw two interceptions and fumbled once which led directly to a USC score when DT Rasheem Green picked up that fumble and rumbled 31 yards to the end zone to put USC ahead for good at 26-21.  After that, the USC offense took over and abused the bRuins for the rest of the game.  USC extended their lead when WR Darreus Rogers made a great catch then stretched out over the goal line dragging a defender in the process to put his team up 33-21.  The Trojans finished off the scoring and UCLA with an 11-play drive that drained the clock and the bRuins's spirit.  USC QB Cody Kessler capped off the drive with a 7-yard TD pass to TE Tyler McNamara.  Kessler finished the day completing 15 of 26 passes for 175 yards and two scores.  The Trojans as a team ran for 235 yards with RB Justin Davis toting the rock 25 times for 130 yards. UCLA RB Paul Perkins ran for 95 yards and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: 12:24/13:04;  USC held the ball for 12:24 of the final 13:04 of the game with a dominating effort from their offensive line which abused UCLA's front seven all game long.

Oregon 52- Oregon State 42:  The Beavers looked completely out of the game, trailing 31-7 at the half in Eugene.  The Beavers got off the deck and mounted a furious second half rally, twice closing within three points of the Ducks before falling short as the clock ran out.  UO QB Vernon Adams, Jr. completed 28 of 38 passes for 366 yards and three TDs which included the game-Clinching TD pass to WR Bralon Anderson with just over four minutes left.  RB Royce Freeman had another great game for the Ducks, rushing the ball 27 times for 167 yards an a pair of scores. The Beavers were led by their rushing game with RB Ryan Nall rushing for 174 yards and a TD and QB Seth Collins rushing the ball nine times for 39 yards and three TDs.
Telling Stat: One Stop;  The Oregon defense made only one stop in the second half, but it was a big one.  They held for downs on their own 35 with 2:08 left to let the Ducks escape with a win.

California 48- Arizona State 46: While most of the country slept, a barn-burner was played in Berkeley. The Golden Bears came back to win this game after being down 27-10 to start the third quarter.  The fourth quarter featured five lead changes with the last one coming as time expired when Cal PK Matt Anderson booted a 26-yard field goal to win the game for Cal.  This game lit up the scoreboard and the stat sheet with the two teams combining for 56 first downs and 1,266 yards of total offense.  Cal QB Jered Goff put up Kevin Falk-like numbers, completing 30 of 51 passes for 542 yards and five TDs.  ASU's Mike Bercovici wasn't too bad in defeat, completing 27 of 43 passes for 395 yards and four TDs. Bercovici's top target was WR Devin Lucien who caught eight passes for 200 yards and three scores.  WR Bryce Treggs of Cal caught five passes for 147 yards and a score.
Telling Stat: 38-19;  Cal's 38-19 second half rally was made by their defense who held ASU to four field goals while Cal offense was busy scoring TDs.

Washington 45- Washington State 10: The Apple Cup is in the possession of the Huskies after they trounced a Kevin Falk-less Wazzu squad in Seattle.  With WSU QB Kevin Falk out due to a concussion suffered last week v. Colorado, backup Peyton Bender looked every bit the true freshman in his first start.  He had some flashes of brilliance.  He threw for 288 yards and TD, but also threw two interceptions that were returned for TDs by the Huskies.  The Huskies offense worked methodically against the Wazzu defense and built up a 17-3 halftime advantage.  However it was the Dawgs defense that turned this game into a rout. Two interceptions returns and a fumble return sealed the win for UW.  RB Myles Gaskin led the Huskies offense with 138 yards and two TDs on 32 carries.
Telling Stat: 21-7-7;  The Washington defense outscored the Washington and Washington State offenses in the second half to make sure the Apple Cup resides in Seattle.

Utah 20- Colorado 14:  In a driving snowstorm, the Utes held on for the win a week after being eliminated from the Pac 12 South race.  In the bad conditions, it was the Utes defense and ability to run the ball that won the game.  RB Joe Williams lugged the leather 34 times for 187 yards and a TD.    The Utah defense held the Buffaloes in check until they pulled with a score late in the game.  Then they forced a Colorado fumble with 2:28 to play to secure the victory.  WR Nelson Spruce once again turned out to be the bulk of the CU offense catching five passes for 111 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: +1;  Utah turned it over three times, but forced four, including one on CU's final drive to win the turnover battle and the game.

Stanford 38- Notre Dame 36:  It was Senior Night in Palo Alto and Senior QB Kevin Hogan led his team, on a game-wining drive that knocked the Fighting Irish out of the College Football Playoff.  This game was a see-saw affair with the lead changing hands seven times.  The Irish had their rushing game in high gear with RB Josh Adams gaining 168 yards on 18 carries with a score and QB DeShone Kizer gaining 128 yards on 16 carries and a TD of his own.  For the Cardinal it was the arm of Kevin Hogan that carried the day.  He completed 17 of 21 passes for 269 yards and four TDs. Hogan's favorite target was TE Devon Cajuste who hauled in five passes for 125 yards and a score. In the end it all came down to a 45-yard field goal attempt by SU PK Conrad Ukropina.  Ukropina nailed the kick and Stanford had the win.
Telling Stat: Another +1;  Notre Dame fumbled once deep in Stanford territory and that lost opportunity was the difference in the game.

Tough Turkeys 21- Cranberry Crushers 14 OT: It was another classic contest on the world's smallest field with some of the world's most inept athletes. The Turkeys were down 14-7 with under 30 seconds left when QB Jerick Beasley hit The Commissioner with the TD pass that tied the game.  Then again in overtime, Beasley struck again finding Maureen Lenker for the winning score. The Cranberry crushers played a great game. Robert Weissler, Luci Ursich, and Margaret Lenker played valiantly in defeat.
Telling Stat: The Tough Turkeys have won two games in a row for the first time in this series.

Trivia Time:  Who won the Grey Cup over the weekend?  (Don't Google it!)

Observations

...And there are two;  Kansas and Central Florida both finished the season at 0-12. The Jayhawks have now lost 15 straight games.

...Wasatch Blockers;  BYU leads the nation with 12 blocked kicks.

...A beautiful Sunday;  There' nothing like that Sunday after beating UCLA.  All is right with the world again.

...Aztec gold;  SDSU leads the nation in turnover margin at +20 this season.

...A possible double for the Air Force;  If Air Force beats SDSU this week, they'll win the Mountain West Conference title.  If Army beats Navy, Air Force will win the Commander-In -Chief's trophy.

...Quielty making noise;  Wyoming RB Brian Hill has had a great season.  Hill ranks seventh in the nation with 1631 yards rushing.  The six names ahead of him are Henry, Fournette, Freeman, Elliot, Cook and McCaffrey.  Way to go, kid.

...Don't need a scorecard;  It'll be easy to know who's who in the ACC Title game.  That Carolina Blue and Clemson Orange will be easy to recognize.

...Memo to the Choking One;  Hey Josh, even your own teammates said you got rattled by the USC defense.

...No O, few wins;  Boston College is the top of the NCAA rankings in almost every defensive category.  Imagine what they would have done if they had an offense.

...A Stiffarm Statue for Bama;  Bama's Derrick Henry has a stranglehold on the Heisman this year.  However, I think Stanford's Chirstian McCaffrey should get a trip to New York too.

...Memo to Utah;  You weren't brought into the league the win and claiming half a division title in which you were beaten by the team you're "tied" with is pathetic.

...Resumes all around; With the end of the regular season, many a college job is now open.

...This just in; UCLA still stinks.

...Memo to LSU;  Now that you've bungled your way through this Les Miles situation, I have two words for you: Frank Solich.  Go ask Nebraska how they've been since they fired him.

Special Section: Clay Helton loses the "Interim" Tag

I like Clay Helton.  I Like the way he motivates the kids and how they love playing for him.  However, is he the right guy for this big job?  Only time will tell.  I'll feel a lot better about him if he cleans house after the season and loses all of Sark's old drinking buddies.  A new DC, OL, RB, and Special Teams coach is what is needed.  Oh, and I would like to see Kennedy Polamalu brought back too.  Go get 'em, Clay!

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Syracuse continued to make Orange an ugly thing with these togs v. Boston College last week.  Ugh.

Trivia Answer:  The Edmonton Eskimos beat the Ottawa Redblacks, 26-20.

Going Bowling

There are 40 bowl games this year, accounting for the playoff that means 78 teams total will go bowling.  The problem with that is that there are not enough eligible teams.  The NCAA will be giving waivers to some 5-7 squads to go bowling.  There are currently 74 bowl eligible teams for the 78 slots.  That means four, 5-7 squads will go bowling.  If Georgia State and South Alabama both win this week, they'll be 6-6 and that would mean only two 5-7 teams will go to a bowl.  I think of the 5-7 teams out there that Illinois and Minnesota and Kentucky have the best shot at a bowl waiver. After that who really knows?  All I really know that this season proves that there are too many bowls.

Departments

Blowout Game of the Week: Alliance , OH-  It wouldn't be the Division III playoffs without a total rout by the Mount Union Purple Raiders. The Raiders worked over the Albright (PA) Lions, 66-7 to advance in the playoffs.  Mount Union RB Logan Nemeth ran over and around the Lions, racking up 185 yards rushing on 21 carries and three TDs.  QB Taurice Scott got into the act too.  He threw for 238 yards and two scores.  The Raiders defense held the Lions to -23 yards rushing and just 11 first downs.

Close Game of the Week: Slippery Rock, Pa- Assumption College made a furious fourth quarter comeback, but fell to Slippery Rock, 41-39.  Assumption was down 41-19 to start the final period, but  after a 1-yard TD run by RB James Ward and two TD passes from QB Marc Monks to Ashton Grant, Assumption stood just a two-point conversion away from sending the game into overtime.  However, Monks pass failed and Slippery Rock came way with the win.  Monks threw for 365 yards and two TDs in the loss.

...And This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

I love Thanksgiving dinner, but the Sunday night leftovers dinner is the best meal of the year.

I guess it's time for Christmas music.

Got a great parking space in front of my Mom's house on Thanksgiving.  It was a thanksgiving miracle.

Until next time, remember that teams that can run the ball win a lot of games.
-The Commissioner

Week 12, 2015

Hey All,

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

Summaries

Oregon 48- USC 28: The Ducks have been hitting on all cylinders as of late and USC ended up being another team to fall to the Ducks and a healthy Vernon Adams.  The Ducks QB extended plays with his mobility and that allowed him to torch the SC secondary.  Adams completed 20 of 25 passes for 407 yards and six TDs.  Yes, he had more TDs than incompletions. Despite all of Adams heroics, USC still had a shot to win this game when a 41-yard punt return for TD by CB/WR Adoree Jackson drew the Trojans within 10 points at 38-28 late in the third quarter.  However, the the fourth quarter ended up being all Ducks as they forced a USC turnover after a bad snap and converted that into a TD and added a field goal to seal the win.  USC QB Cody Kessler complete 30 of 41 tosses for 238 yards and two TDs, while RB Justin Davis ran for 141 yards on just 16 carries in the loss.
Telling Stat: 5/6;  When your QB has fewer incompletions than TD passes, that says it all.
USC-UO Highlights

Washington 52- Oregon State 7:  Last week, the Dawgs blew a 17-point lead and fell to ASU.  This week, they didn't let up and crushed the Beavers.  In fact, the Dawgs scored on their first six possessions on their way to building up a 45-0 halftime advantage.  UW QB Jake Browning tore apart the Beavers with four first half TD passes. Meanwhile, the Huskies defense forced two OSU turnovers and held the Beavers to just 3 of 12 on third down conversions and eight total first downs.  The second half was just a long scrimmage with OSU scoring their only points well after UW emptied the benches.
Telling Stat: 154 yards;  Oregon State gained more than half of their 255 total yards after Washington had built up a 45-0 halftime lead.
OSU-UW Highlights

UCLA 17- Utah 10: It was a grinder of a game in Salt Lake City, with UCLA making enough plays to beat the Utes and set up a South Division title matchup with USC next week.  The bRuins jumped on the Utes early behind a 28-yard TD pass to WR Thomas Duarte from California Hot Tub Salesman of the Year, QB Josh Rosen and a 33-yard field goal from PK Ka'imi Fairbairn.  Over the next two quarters, Utah cut that to a one point deficit behind three field goals by PK Andy Phillips that covered 39, 39, and 21 yards.  The bRuins found their offense again after that and drove 69 yards on 14 plays and went up 17-9 when RB Paul Perkins found the end zone from two yards out.  The Utes final chance to force overtime died when QB Travis Wilson fumbled on the UCLA 33 with 1:46 to play. For UCLA, Rosen completed 15 of 30 passes for 220 yards and a TD.  For Utah, RB Joe Williams, who filled in for the injured Devontae Booker gained 121 yards on 26 carries in the loss.
Telling Stat: Turnovers kill; Utah turned the ball over twice deep in UCLA territory and that cost the Utes the game.
UCLA-Utah Highlights

Arizona State 52- Arizona 37: When your season falls apart, a win over your rival makes you feel pretty good.  The Territorial Cup will reside in Tempe after the Sun Devils held off a stubborn Arizona squad.  ASU QB Mike Bercovici threw for 315 yards and a pair of TDs, but it was the ASU defense that shined late.  S Kareem Orr and DB Lloyd Carrington each picked off UofA QB Brandon Dawkins and returned each pick for a TD to extend ASU's lead from 38-30 to 52-30 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.  With Anu Solomon out due to injury, it was Brandon Dawkins who saw most of the action at QB when last week's hero Jerrard Randall was ineffective early.  Hawkins did throw for 305 yards and two TDs, and run for 778 and a another score, but his two interceptions were killers to the Wildcats.  The Sun Devils held UofA to just 109 yards rushing, while they ran for 250 yards mainly behind a pair 100 yards games from RBs Kalen Ballage and Demario Richard.
Telling Stat: 1:33;  All it took was 1:33 to watch a potential UofA comeback fall apart when Brandon Dawkins threw those two pick-sixes.
UofA-ASU Highlights

Stanford 35- California 22: The Golden Bears fought hard with HC Sonny Dykes giving an earful to the refs of almost every play, but they didn't have enough in the tank to topple the Cardinal and reclaim The Axe.  The Cardinal's All-Everything back, Christian McCaffrey rushed for 192 yards, had one reception for 49 yards and a TD and had 148 yards in kickoff returns with a 98-yard TD to spearhead his team's offense.  Stanford ran so well, that QB Kevin Hogan only threw a handful of passes, completing 7 of 12 tosses for 96 yards and a score.  Cal QB Jared Goff threw for 386 yards and a pair of TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 5; Not a better back right now in the Pac 12 than SU's #5, Christian McCaffrey.
Cal-SU Highlights

Washington State 27- Colorado 3: He came back from a near concussion last week, but Wazzu QB Kevin Falk couldn't avoid it this week as his head slammed onto the frozen turf in Pullman with 8:16 left to play in the third quarter.  All appearances are that Falk was knocked unconscious by the blow and was carted off the field after a seven minute delay.  Falk did wave his arms and gave the home crowd two thumbs up as he was wheeled off the field.  Before being hurt, Falk had completed 27 of 35 passes for 199 yards and a TD against a Buffalo team that was missing its' signal caller, Sefo Liufau who was lost for the year v. USC.  In Falk's stead, came backup Peyton Bender who completed 13 of 21 passes for 133 yards and a TD pass.  That pass put Wazzu up 24-3 early in the final period. As for the Buffaloes, QB Cade Apsay completed 26 of 40 passes for 238 in his first ever college start.  CU WR Nelson Spruce had another double-digit day catching 10 passes for 120 yards.
Telling Stat: 3 points;  While the offense ground along, the Wazzu defense held CU to 3 points, the fewest a Cougar defense had held an opponent to since 24-3 win over Oregon State in 1996.
CU-WSU Highlights

Notre Dame 19- Boston College 16:  It was a football game played at Fenway Park. ND's uniforms were ugly and BC's were 1984 throwbacks.  The game felt a little weird and ND sleepwalked their way to an ugly win over the Eagles.  ND turned the ball over five times, with QB DeShone Kizer throwing three interceptions to go with two TDs and 320 yards through the air.  The Irish built up a 19-3 lead despite all the gaffes and looked to be firmly in control with 10:35 to play.  Then, the Irish took their foot off there gas pedal and BC worked their way back into it, closing within three points on a 3-yard TD pass from QB Jeff Smith to TE Charlie Callinan with :54 left to play.  However, ND would recover the ensuing onside kick and escape Fenway with a win.
Telling Stat:  Turnovers almost killed;  ND got very lucky to be -4 in the turnover depart,went and come away with a win over BC.
BC-ND Highlights

Observations

...The mystery of Riley;  OSU HC Gary Andersen after this season has to wondering just how did Mike Riley manage to win about nine games a year in Corvallis?  Don't worry, Gary.  All the Nebraska fans are wondering the same thing.

...Feeling the WAC;  With New Mexico losing to Colorado State, the MWC title game is set.  In two weeks the Air Force Falcons will take on the SDSU Aztecs for the crown.

...Move over Barry;  With three more games this season, it seems to be a lock that Stanford's Christian McCaffrey will break Barry Sanders' all-purpose yards in a season record of 3,250 yards that was set back in 1988.

...The wrath of Rich;  I seriously have no idea how any QB could play for Rich Rodriguez.

...They call it a rivalry;  I know the schools are instate and conference rivals, but really how do call this a real rivalry when Oklahoma leads the series 84-18-7?

...Downward Duke;  Duke's hosing by the refs in their "loss" to Miami has gotten to the team.  The Blue Devils haven't won a game since.

...Buckeye Blowup;  HC Urban Meyer of Theee Ohio State apologizes for his players a lot, but none of them ever seem to get really disciplined for the dumb stuff they do.

...Snoozer;  Iowa football is boring.  They win, but man they put me to sleep.

...Small perfection;  Stanford's short yardage offense is just a pleasure to watch.

...A purple and gold parachute;  You know you're not like when big time booster will fork over 15 million to send you away.  LSU HC and maybe former LSU HC Les Miles is rumored to being bought out of his contract for 15 million dollars.  You know, I could screw up an FBS program for 3 million, it would be a bargain.

...And there are still two;  Kansas and Central Florida are still the only winless teams left in the FBS.

...Bo and Woody redux;  It's not really a Bo and Woody type match between Ohio State and Michigan, but I'm excited about it.  To watch Harbaugh and Meyer go after each other will be fun.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: It was a uniform ugly as sin for a Notre Dame team playing a Boston College team wearing classic throwbacks at Fenway Park.  Tradition must not mean much to the Irish.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Clinton, SC: They've been featured a few times on the wrong ends of the blowout games in this column, but the Presbyterian College Blue Hose pulled off a hard-fought, 14-6 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls.  RB Daniel Bridges kept the Blue Hose offense grinding with 134 yards rushing on 19 carries.  RB mate Daniel Wilson scored his forts TD of the season on a 7-yard scamper that gave PC a 14-3 lead early in the fourth period.  The Blue Hose only picked up seven first downs all day, but being +4 in the turnover stat kept them in command.

Blowout of the Week: Collegeville, MN-  The Johnnies of St. John's (MN) forced four big turnovers on defense and racked up almost 500 yards of offense on their 51-7 D-II Playoffs Opening Round win over the University of Dubuque Spartans.  QB Nick Martin had a fine game, completing 17 of 26 passes for 257 yards and four TDs to lead the Johnnies' attack.  Not to be lost in the offensive onslaught is RB Sam Sura. Sura gained 84 yards on 15 carries and those 84 yards were enough for Sura to become St. John's career rushing leader with 3,934 yards.  St John's will now face St.Thomas (MN) in next week's second round game, where Sura will have plenty of chances to extend his record.

...And now This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

Thanksgiving is just a great time of year, especially happy to be around for this one.

Looking forward to the Creed movie.

Can't believe the USPS is gonna deliver mail on Sundays through Christmas. 

Until next week folks, remember that the college football playoff started in week one.

-The Commissioner

Week 11, 2015

Hey All,

It's time for the column that let's you take a peek back at last Saturday, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you,  Mal Florence.

Summaries

USC 27- Colorado 24: It was Senior Night in Colorado and the Buffaloes came out ready for the Trojans.  The Buffaloes held a 17-6 lead over USC at the half and the fan were entertaining thoughts of an upset in Boulder.  Then, the second half happened.  In an 11 minute span covering parts of the third and fourth quarters, USC's offense scored three TDs while the defense forced a fumble and blocked a CU field goal attempt. The Trojans then held off a late rally by CU to hold on for the win.  It also helped that USC knocked out Buffalo QB Sefo Liufau for the rest of the season at the end of the first quarter.  However, his backup Cade Apsay had a good game, completing 18 of 23 passes for 128 yards and two TDs.  For USC, QB Cody Kessler completed 17 of 27 passes for 204 yards and three TDs.
Telling Stat; 2 for #52;  USC DT Delvon Simmons made the two big plays that turned this game around for USC when he forced a Colorado fumble to set up the Trojans second TD of the game. Then he blocked a Colorado field goal attempt on the very next drive to set up USC's third TD of the game.  
USC-CU Highlights

Arizona State 27- Washington 17: This game was the classic tale of two halves.  Washington built up a 17-3 lead over the first two quarters thanks to a 29-yard TD pass from QB Jake Browning, a 1-yard TD run by RB Myles Gaskin, and a 35-yard FG by PK Cameron Van Winkle.  ASU looked listless and lost.  Then, the Sun Devils came out in the second half on fire.  They forced four Huskies turnovers and scored 24 unanswered points to come away with the comeback win in Tempe.  QB Mike Bercovici  completed 22 of 34 passes for 253 yard and a TD for ASU, but it was RB Kalen Ballage that did the damage for the Sun Devils.  The 6-3, 230 pounder ran over and around the Huskies.  He scored on a 3-yard run to pull his squad within seven point in the third quarter, then finished off the game by breaking a few tackles on the way to a 48-yard TD with 5:59 left that firmly placed the game in the win column for ASU. Browning finished with 453 yards passing a TD and three huge interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat; A fantastic final four;  Arizona State forced four Washington turnovers on their final four drives of the game to set the stage for the Sun Devils comeback victory.
UW-ASU Highlights

Oregon 38- Stanford 36:  Oregon's speed came out on top of Stanford's power on The Farm. The Ducks not only upset the Cardinal, but killed their playoff chances as well.  The Ducks did have a hand in the win, but Stanford killed themselves with a pair of fumbles in the fourth quarter that came off two bad exchanges between SU QB Kevin Hogan and his center.  The lead see-sawed back and forth between the two teams in the first half. Then Oregon seemed to take control in the second half behind a 19-yard TD run by RB Royce Freeman, a 49-yard TD pass from QB Vernon Adams to WR Taj Griffin and a 31-yard FG by PK Adam Schneider which gave the Ducks a 38-30 lead with 1:03 to play.  The Cardinal then drove 49 yards in :53 seconds and scored a TD when Hogan hit TE Greg Taboada with a TD pass from 4 yards out.  However, Stanford's two-point conversion attempt to tie the game failed and the Ducks escaped with the upset.  Oregon's offense was led by Adams who completed 10 out of 12 passes for 205 yards and a pair of scores.  UO's three-headed RB monster of Freeman, Charles Nelson and Karl Benoit combined to gain 238 yards on 24 carries and score three TDs. For the losing Cardinal, Kevin Hogan threw for 304 yards and a pair of scores while RB Christian McCaffrey rushed for 147 yards on 33 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: +2;  Oregon won the turnover battle and the game v. Stanford.
UO-SU Highlights

Arizona 37- Utah 30 2 OT: Arizona had battled all game long and stood tied at 27-27 with the favored Utes.  However, things did not look so good for UofA after QB Anu Solomon was knocked out of the game with a concussion. There was just a little over nine minutes left to play in regulation.  when backup Jerrard Randal came into the game. He stumbled and bumbled his way through the final minutes, while the UofA defense kept the Utes off the scoreboard to force overtime.  In the first overtime, the teams traded field goals.  Then in the second overtime Randall completed his only pass of the game.  it was a 25-yard TD strike to WR Nate Phillips.  The Arizona defense then held on as they had the whole time Randall was in at QB. Utah's last chance at forcing a third OT period ended when DB Kenneth Scott picked off QB Travis Wilson's fourth down pass.  Randall finished the game with one of the worst stat lines in history for a winning QB.  He ran four times for minus three yards and completed just one pass in five attempts for a TD and interception.  Before he was injured, Solomon had completed 17 of 27 passes for 277 yards and two TDs. He also had rushed for 86 yards on 10 carries and a TD. Utah's top player was RB Devontae Booker who amassed 145 yards on 34 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: All it took was one;  UofA QB Jerrard Randall's one completion came at exactly the right time for Arizona to beat Utah.
Utah-UofA Highlights

Washington State 31- UCLA 27: The bRuins disrespected their guests by using their opponents side of the field in pregame warmups.  They also disrespected their opponents in the game with cheap shots and taunting.  In the end though, they had to respect the toughness and resilience of QB Kevin Falk who came back from having had his bell rung in the second quarter to throw a 21-yard TD pass to WR Gabe Marks with :03 left to lift Wazzu to victory over UCLA.  Falk took a lot of hits, but completed 38 of 53 passes for 331 yards and two TDs.  Gabe Marks was his favorite target, catching 12 passes for 92 yards and two TDs.  UCLA RB Paul Perkins 121 yards on 20 carries to lead the UCLA rushing attack.  bRuin QB and Haggen Supermarket Employee of the Month, Josh Rosen completed 33 of 57 passes for 340 yards. However, his biggest play came from his legs when he ran 37 yards for the TD that seemingly put UCLA ahead to stay with a little over a minute to play.
Telling Stat: 3s aren't 7s; UCLA kicked four field goals in this game. Two of those came after the bRuins had driven the ball inside Wazzu's 10-yard line.  Not converting those opportunities into touchdowns cost UCLA the game.
WSU-UCLA Highlights

California 54- Oregon State 24: The Golden Bears had a sluggish first quarter then kicked it into high gear to whip the Beavers and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2011. The Golden Bears set a single-game record by piling up 760 total yards on OSU.  Cal QB Jared Goff completed 26 of 37 passes for 453 yards and six TDs.  The Bears also ran for 307 yards with RBs Tre Watson and Vic Enwere combining to rush the ball 26 times for 199 yards and a TD.  The Beavers just did not have enough on both sides of the ball to compete with the Bears.  QB Nick Mitchell was knocked out of the game in the second half with a concussion after completing 14 of 28 passes for 161 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: 7 for 8 is great;  In a 25:25 span covering form the end of the first quarter through the middle of the third quarter Cal scored on 7 of 8 possessions to pull away from Oregon State and go bowling for the first time since 2011.  
OSU-Cal Highlights

Notre Dame 28- Wake Forest 7:  Making your possessions count is what gave ND a win that wasn't as dominant as one would think form looking at the score.  Wake held the ball for 11:36 longer than ND and had eight more first downs, but never got the big play when they needed it and fell to the Irish.  ND got two huge plays that let them get a lead they would never relinquish.  Up, 7-0 after 12-yard TD run by QB DeShone Kizer, ND went up 14-0 under a minute later when DB Andrew Trumbetti picked off a Wake pass and took it back 28 yards for a TD.  Then in the middle of the second quarter, when backed up in the shadow of their own goal, RB Josh Adams broke through the line and rambled 98 yards to put the Irish up 21-0.  Both teams traded TDs in what was nothing more than a televised scrimmage in the second half.  Adams led all rushers with 141 yards and that long TD run.  QB John Wolford passed for 219 yards and ran for the Deamon Deacons only score in the loss.
Telling Stat: 55 seconds;  Thats all it took for ND to go from a 7-0 to a 21-0 lead over Wake Forest and essentially end the ballgame.
Wake Forest- ND Highlights

Observations

...Brown all around;  Can't make this up. The toilets backed up and overflowed at Brown Stadium during Brown University's game last week v. Dartmouth. That's a lot of brown on and off the field.

...Whining with immunity;  Why is bRuin HC Jim Mora not getting more bad publicity for his meltdown at the end of his squad's last-second, gut-wrenching loss to Wazzu?  His screaming at the head official as he left the field and then subsequent whines to UCLA AD Dan Guerrero to have that ref fired on the spot should get some publicity.

...And there are still two;  Central Florida and Kansas are still the only two winless teams in the FBS. This is a recording.

...Bush league move;  UCLA came out and warmed up on Washington State's side of the field during pregame warmups.  They threw passes and continued to use Wazzu's side of the field during the pregame period. Even hated rivals give their opponents half the field to use as a matter of sportsmanship.  Just another low class move from Jim Mora and his bRuins, the low class leaders.

...Great player, lousy team;  Oregon State WR Jordan Villamin is easily the best player on his team and will be playing on Sundays.

...Yawn;  Ohio State is Undefeated and Uninteresting. Snore.

...Soft in the middle;  Even though they lost in overtime, it was impressive to watch Indiana run up the middle at will on Michigan in the fourth quarter.  

...Feeling Albuquerque; Bob Davie is alive and well and coaching in New Mexico.  Davie's Lobos upset Boise State at Boise Saturday and now have a shot to win the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference.  If the Lobos win their next two games over Colorado State and Air Force, they will play in the MWC title game.

...Head scratcher;  So, did anyone else notice that Missouri wore all-white uniforms for their game with BYU?

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that the commissioners of the ACC, Big Ten, SEC, and Big XII sent thank you notes to Arizona and Oregon after their upset wins on Saturday.

...The price of independence;  BYU is 7-3 and nobody cares.

...Larry's Late Night Lounge;  Just how ridiculous is the late Pac 12 start time of 7:45 PM?  Well, the Hawaii game in Honolulu v. Fresno State finished just 19 minutes later than the UCLA-Washignton State game.  Way to go, Leisure Suit Larry Scott. SMH

...Always worth a beer;  No matter what happens in the rest of Arizona career, Jerrard Randall will always get a free drink Tucson.

...Under the Bay area radar; San Jose State's Tyler Ervin is quietly having a great year.  He's rushed for 300 yards in one game,  263 yards in another and has rushed for 1,303 yards this season.

...Classic and cool;  With all the horrible uniforms out there, Oklahoma's road whites were a classy look v. Baylor.

...Hadows of Berkeley; The lighting at Cal for their game v. Oregon State was pretty poor to say the least.  I've seen better lighting at high school games.

...Memo to Fresno State fans;  You beat a hapless Hawaii team to stay out of the Mountian West Conference cellar.  Pat Hill can be reach at LOnesome 7-7, 2-0-3.

...Must be the system;  Cincinnati has had two different QBs throw for over 500 yards in game this season.

...Not much brotherly love;  Remember a few weeks ago when Temple hosted College Gameday and they were the flavor of the month?  Well, the Owls are now in a fight for survival to win their division of the AAC and nobody is talking about them.

...Four points;  North Carolina is a bad, four point loss to South Carolina away form being undefeated and in the playoff discussion. The Tar Heels are 9-1 and will face Clemson in the ACC title game.

...Maybe a cookie, not a creampuff; Arkansas State is undefeated in Sun Belt Conference play and is a pair of wins away from another SBC crown.

...A dilemma;  Six of the top 20 scoring defenses in the FBS are in the Big Ten.  Is that because the defenses are that good or are Big Ten offenses that poor? Hmmmm

...This just in; Auburn stinks.

...Fenway for football;  Notre Dame is playing Boston College at Fenway park this week.  What will be interesting in this games is watching both teams use the same sideline.  Baseball parks don't make good football fields.

...Just change the O for a Swoosh and get it over with; There was a special guest in the Oregon coaches box during the Stanford-Oregon game.  Phil Knight, AKA Mr. Nike, was in the coaches box and was wearing a headset listening to the play calls.  I don't know a coach in the land that would allow anybody besides his staff in the coaches box.   I guess when you make a deal with devil, you have to dance to his tune. Knight is on the bottom right, in the suit jacket sitting next to Oregon OC Scott Frost.

Special Section: Pac 12 Championship Game Scenarios

Pac 12 North
Stanford
Games Remaining: 11/21 California, 11/28 Notre Dame
Stanford is still in the driver's seat here.  If Stanford beats Cal this week, they clinch the Pac 12 North.

If Stanford loses to Cal, then they can still make it in if Oregon loses one of their final two games.  Stanford holds the head-to-head tie-breaker with WSU.

Oregon
Games Remaining: 11/21 USC, 11/27 Oregon State
Oregon wins the North if they win out, then get a Stanford loss to Cal and a WSU loss to either Colorado or Washington.

Washington State
Games Remaining: 11/21 Colorado, 11/27 @ Washington
The Cougars go to the title game if Stanford loses to Cal and Oregon loses one of their final two games.

A three way tie between these schools would send Oregon to the title game. The key to this is Oregon's intra-divisional record.  While Stanford and WSU would have two losses in the North, only one of Oregon's losses was in the North.  UO's other loss was to Utah.


Pac 12 South
USC
Games Remaining: 11/21 @ Oregon, 11/28 UCLA
USC controls it's own destiny.  If the Trojans win their final two games of the season, they are in.  They would hold the tiebreaker over Utah thanks to their victory over the Utes on 10/24.

USC can still get into the Pac 12 title game even if they lose to Oregon.  The Trojans would also need UCLA to win at Utah.  If that happens, then the winner of the USC-UCLA game would win the division.

If Utah loses their final two games, USC would still need a win over UCLA to go to the title game.

UCLA
Games Remaining: 11/21 @ Utah, 11/28 @USC
UCLA must win their final two games to go the title game.  A loss to either USC or Utah will eliminate the bRuins from contention.

Utah
Games Remaining: 11/21 UCLA, 11/28 Colorado
Utah needs to win their final two games and for USC to lose one game in order to win the Pac 12 South.

If USC loses both games, then Utah would still need a win over UCLA this week to claim the crown.

Ugly Uniform of the Week:  UCLA wins going away for their all-black and blue and gold outfit v. Wazzu. You couldn't really see what the decals were on the helmets and there was just some gaudy gold crap on the jerseys.  Hey bRuins, just leave the all-black uniforms to San Diego State.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Ithaca, NY- With 5:55 left the first quarter, PK Zach Mays booted a 35-yard field goal for the Cornell and that would be all the Big Red would need for a 3-0 win over the  Fighting Blue Lions of Columbia. Cornell only made 11 first downs and gained 193 total yards, but forced three Columbia turnovers to stay in control of the game.  Columbia looked like they had scored the go-ahead TD with 5:53 left to play, but an apparent 6-TD scamper by QB Anders Hill was wiped out by a holding call.  The Blue Lions then missed a 33-yard field goal attempt and Cornell took over at their own 20-yard line.  The Big Red ran out the clock with nine straight running plays. The win was Cornell's only victory of the season.  Oh, where have you gone, Ed Marinaro?

Blowout of the Week: Abilene, TX- The Hardin-Simmons Cowboys crushed the Louisiana College Wildcats, 82-21 to claim share of the Southwest Conference championship. The Cowboys built up a 61-7 halftime lead behind 292 yards passing and four TDs from QB Ryan Breton and a defense that allowed a 55-yard TD pass, but still managed to keep the Wildcats to under 100 total yards in the first half.  The second half was a glorified scrimmage with everyone in a uniform seeing the field for the Cowboys.

C.W. Post Press: Waltham, MA- Last week, the Pioneers lost a hear-breaker to the Bentley Falcons.  This week, the Pioneers did not let that happen in their rematch to end the season.  Post QB Jeff Kidd teamed up with WR Shane Hubbard for a pair of TD passes to lift the Pioneers to a 34-20 win over the Falcons.  The TD passes covered 8 and 92 yards for Kidd who completed 20 of 35 passes for 284 yards and those two TDs.  Meanwhile, the Pioneer defense shutout Bentley over the final 23:19 to secure the win.  The win gives C.W. Post a final record of 7-4 on the season.  C.W. Post did not make the Division II Playoffs.

...And Now This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

Putting up blinds is never as easy as it looks.

It's that time of year for foghorns to be heard through the night.

I still love puzzle books.

Until next week folks, remember that no games have been won in the first quarter, but many have been lost.

-The Commissioner

Week 10, 2015

Hey All,

It's time for another edition of the column that makes your Tuesday feel better than when you get  extra fries with your burger, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Tom Kelly.

Summaries

USC 38- Arizona 30: For a good portion of this game it looked like Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin had both comeback to the Trojan sideline.  Uninspired, sloppy play and a plethora of bubble screens helped put the Trojans in an early 14-0 hole.  The Wildcats played nothing like the team that had been humiliated by Washington a week ago.  However, CB John Plattenburg picked off UofA QB Anu Solomon on the SC six-yard line and returned it 22 yards.  The interception sparked USC to climb back into the game.  A 25-yard field goal by PK Alex Wood and a pair of TD passes from QB Cody Kessler to WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and RB Ronald Jones II covering 72 and five yards helped USC forge a 17-17 tie at the break.  However, Arizona seized the momentum in the third quarter when they took a 20-17 lead on PK Casey Skowron's 38-yard field goal.  Then, UofA HC Rich Rodriguez made one of the dumbest calls of the season when went for it on 4th and 2 at the 50.  The USC defense stuffed RB Orlando Bradofrd for no gain.  The Trojans took over the ball, the momentum and the game.  USC would outscore the Wildcats 21-10 down the stretch to win the game.  The most exciting of the three scores was when Jones took a handoff from Kessler and ran through a couple of UofA tacklers en route to a 75-yard TD run.  USC couldn't breathe easy in this one until Skowron's onside kick bounced harmlessly bounced out of bounds with 10 seconds left.  Jones set the Trojan freshman rushing record with 177 yards on 19  carries and a TD.  Kessler completed 22 of 36 passes for 243 yards and two TDs.  As for the Wildcats, Solomon had one of his best days of the season, completing 31 of 46 passes for 352 yard and three TDs to lead the Wildcat attack.
Telling Stat: Px2 helps SC;  John Plattenburg's interception of Anu Solomon in the second quarter and his TD saving tackle on UofA KR Tyler Johnson in the fourth quarter were instrumental in USC's win over Arizona.
UofA-USC Highlights

Washington State 38- Arizona State 24:  Both squads came into this game after suffering crushing defeats the prior week.  Wazzu seemed to be feeling the effects of their loss more as they fell behind early to the Sun Devils.  A pair of TD runs by RBs Demario Richard and Kalen Ballage put ASU up 14-0 going into the second quarter.  The Cougars managed to come within four points of ASU at halftime thanks to a blown call by the refs.  Wazzu failed to convert on 4th and 5 on the drive, but got an extra down because of an inadvertent whistle blown by the Head Linesman.  Cougar QB Kevin Falk turned that extra down into a touchdown when teamed up with WR Gabe Marks for an 11-yard scoring strike.  The teams traded TDs in the third quarter.  Then, the Cougars finished strong outscoring ASU, 21-3 in the fourth quarter to claim the win.  Falk threw for three TD passes in the final period including a 75-yard hookup with WR Dom Williams that sealed the victory with 4:00 left to play.  Falk finished the game completing 36 of 55 passes for 497 yards and five TD passes.  ASU QB Mike Bercovicci threw for 229 yards in the loss. while Richard finished the game with 111 yards rushing on 18 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat:  Power finish in the Palouse; Wazzu came through on both sides of the ball as they held ASU to just 63 yards while the offense exploded for three TDs and 238 yards in the first 11 minutes of the fourth quarter to put this game firmly in the win column.
ASU-WSU Highlights

Stanford 42- Colorado 10:  The Buffaloes have been playing tough this year and just fell short of ruining UCLA's season last week.  Many wondered if the Buffs could pull off the upset v. Stanford. They didn't come close.  The Cardinal defense corralled the CU offense while the offense steamrolled their way to the blowout win.  Stanford turned a 7-7 to start the second quarter into a 28-7 halftime lead behind two TD passes and a TD run  by QB Kevin Hogan. The second half was just a glorified scrimmage with the Cardinal crossing the double stripe two more times on a 47-yard TD run by RB Bryce Love and 28-yard TD pass from RB Christian McCaffrey to TE Austin Hooper.  McCaffrey had another big day rushing for 147 yards on 23 carries and passing for 28 yards and a TD to go with 58 yards on returns for an all-pupose total of 233 yards.  Meanwhile, Colorado never got untracked offensively.  RB Donovan Lee scored CU's only TD of the day on a 4-yard run in the first period.
Telling Stat: 75-1/156-11;  Colorado drove 75  yards on their first drive of the game and scored their only TD.  On their next 11 drives they gained only 156 yards and scored three points as they were manhandled by the Cardinal defense.
SU-CU Highlights

UCLA 41- Oregon State 0: After a scoreless first period, the bRuins hung 24 points on the board in the second quarter to send everyone to the exits early in Corvallis.  1985 Lomita Regional Science Fair runner-up and current bRuin QB Josh Rosen completed 22 of 33 passes for 333 yards and a pair of TDs.  UCLA's RB tandem of Paul Perkins and Soso Jamabo combined to rush for 179 yards on 32 carries and score two TDs.  The bRuin defense was also a big story in this game, registering UcLA's first shutout win since they beat Oregon, 16-0 in 2007.
Telling Stat: 6-5-1= Shutout;  The UCLA defense forced six punts, five turnovers, and held for downs once to shutout the Beavers.
UCLA-OSU Highlights

Oregon 44- California 28: Two things were evident in this game.  Cal football is falling apart and Oregon QB Vernon Adams is fully healthy and has the Ducks offense hitting on all cylinders.  A pair of Oregon turnovers kept this game form really getting out of hand as the Ducks ran up a school-record 777 yards of offense on the Bears.  Adams completed 17 of 29 passes for 300 yards and four TDs.  The Ducks also ran the ball well too piling up 477 rushing yards.  The Ducks almost had three 100 yards rushers in this game with Royce Freeman, Tony Brooks-James and Kani Benoit rushing for 180, 101, and 94 yards respectively. The Ducks built up a 31-10 halftime lead, then just traded scores with Cal in the second half.  Cal QB Jered Goff completed 18 of 41 passes for 329 yards and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: 1;  This win for the Ducks was their first Pac 12 home win of 2015.
Cal-UO Highlights

Utah 34- Washington 23:  All the pundits were touting this game as their upset special last week. So naturally, it didn't happen.  This game was a tightly contested one, but the Utes were able to hold off the Dawgs.  For the first time in a few games, Utah managed to force some turnovers.  LB Gionni Paul scooped up a fumble and returned it 54 yards for a TD and set up the Utes for another score with an interception later on in the game.  Utah's offense wasn't a model of consistency, but workhorse RB Devontae Booker pounded the UW defense with 150 yards on 34 carries and a TD.  Ute QB Travis Wilson only threw for 155 yards, but it was his 42 yards rushing and two TDs that really helped bring home the win.  UW true freshman QB Jake Browning completed 23 of 39 passes for 257 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: The D did it;  The defense sealed this win for Utes when DE Kylie Fitts sacked and forced QB Jake Browning to fumble. The fumble was recovered by DT Stevie Tu'ikolovatu with 2:52 to play.
Utah-UW Highlights

Notre Dame 42- Pittsburgh 30: With RB C.J. Prosise knocked out of the game with a possible concussion, QB DeShone Kizer picked up the slack and led the Fighting Irish to victory.  Kizer had a career day, completing 19 of 26 passes for 262 yards and five TDs.  Kizer's favorite target was WR Will Fuller who caught seven passes for 152 yards and three TDs.  RB Josh Adams also had a big day, rushing for 147 yards on 20 carries.  ND raced out to a 21-3 halftime lead and the Panthers couldn't overcome that deficit despite putting up 27 second half points.  QB Nathan Peterman completed 12 of 31 passes for 223 yards and a TD in the defeat.
Telling Stat: Too little, too late; Pitt's final 13 points came after ND had put the game away at 42-17 with 5:47 to play.
ND-Pitt Highlights

Observations

...Just a bad time;  7:30 and later starts for college football games may be great for TV, but they are crowd killers for the colleges.

...0 for the state;  Kansas and Kansas State are a combined 0-11 in Big XII play this year.

...More fallout in Champaign;  After firing HC Tim Beckman just before the first game of the season due player abuse allegations, Illinois has now fired AD Mike Thomas.  A typical, non-descriptive, description of why Thomas was fired was given out by Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson, "A change in leadership was needed in order to move forward."

...Poor discovery, dude;  Had to laugh at ESPN analyst and lawyer Rod Gilmore as he extolled the praises of Memphis as a possible playoff team while he was working in the late third quarter of the USC-UofA game.  Nobody told Rod that Memphis had already been beaten by Navy when he started gushing over them.

...Feeling you, bro;  There's an old guy who sits directly across the aisle from me at the USC games.  He sits there and rants and raves about the team. I laugh at the guy until I realize that he' saying a lot of the things I'm thinking.

...And there are still two;  Central Florida and Kansas are still the only two winless teams left in the FBS.

...Missouri compromise; For Tigers HC and known complete control freak, Gary Pinkel to support his players strike tells me how serious things had gotten in Columbia.  It also tells me that Pinkel saw which way the political wind was blowing and by throwing his support to the players, helped forced a resolution to the football side of this crisis.

...A double extension;  The USC-UofA game had both the first quarter and second quarter extended by one untimed down due to a defensive penalty.  I can't remember ever attending a game where that has happened.

...Question the Fresno State faithful;  How does 2-7 feel?  

...A tale of two conferences;  While the ACC suspended the entire on field and replay crews for their botching of the end of the Miami-Duke game, the Big Ten backed and praised their refs for the blown call at the end of the Michigan State- Nebraska game.  SMH.

...Cowboys don't kick;  Wyoming has made exactly one field goal this season.  Ouch.

...He stuck the pitchfork in 'em;  After all the verbal jabs back-and-forth between Wazzu and ASU this week over sign stealing, Wazzu HC Mike Leach got this last jab in after the Cougars beat the Sun Devils, 38-24.  " (In) The first half we stole a bunch of their signals, and those helped us a bunch in the second half."  Also, after the win. "I saw the sign" was played over the loudspeakers at Martin Stadium.

...They can get two;  The Arizona State defense leads the FBS with three safeties this season.

...ND is the Pac 12's Kryptonite;  If Stanford does not beat Notre Dame, the Pac 12 will be left out of the college football playoff.  If Stanford wins the Pac 12, yet loses to ND, they'll be out.  If Utah ends up beating Stanford for the Pac 12 title, they'll be skipped over because they got pounded by a USC team that got beat by ND.

...This just in; Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott still sucks.

...Flying under the radar;  Air Force is in the running to make the Mountain West Conference title game.  If they beat both Utah State and Boise State the Falcons will win the Mountain Divison of the MWC.

...Red Raiders riding high;  After upsetting Fordham, 31-29, the Colgate Red Raiders look to have the inside track to the Patriot League crown.

...It's got a name;  It seems that every crazy play in college football gets a name these days.  It's no surprise that the crazy lateral that kept Arkansas' hopes alive v. Ole Miss is being called the "Hog and Ladder."

...Berkeley Buh-Bye;  The rumors were there last year and they are stronger this year.  Don't be surprised if Cal HC Sonny Dykes resigns at the end of the season.  He almost left for the Houston job last year and wants to relocate back to the south.

...Leaping Leopards, Batman!; The La Verne Leopards of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference are a win away from claiming the league title and a possible D-III playoff bid.

...He just scores touchdowns;  Louisiana Tech RB Kenneth Dixon is just three TDs away from breaking the all-time career TD record of 83 held by Wisconsin's Montee Ball.

...Speed v. Power...again;  If UO's offense is truly back in form, the Oregon-Stanford game this week could be epic.

...Brett Bielema meet Dr. Freud; Here's the Brett Bielema video for those who haven't seen it. Enjoy.
He said it

Ugly Uniform of the Week: San Jose State wins for this penalty flag inspired ensemble v. BYU last Friday night.  It's just...well...it's just penalty flag yellow in massive amounts.  Yuk.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Amherst, NY- QB Dan Serignese hit WR Had Bryant with an 11-yard TD pass with 11:43 to go in the fourth quarter to lift the Buffalo State Bengals to a 7-3 win over the Ithaca Bombers.  Ithaca held a 3-0 lead up to that point thanks to a 23-yard field goal by PK Max Rottenecker.  Neither team did much to shown on the stat sheet, but RB Dale Stewart gained 109 yards on 19 carries for the Bengals.

Blowout of the Week: McMinnville, OR- Last week the Puget Sound Loggers were made it into the Departments section for their 6-2 win over Pacific Lutheran.  This week they return to the Departments section for being on the wrong end of a 72-3 beating by the Linfield College Wildcats.  Linfield rushed for 355 yards on the Loggers with RB Spencer Payne gaining most of those yards. Payne rushed the ball only 11 times, but gained 211 yards and scored three TDs on those 11 carries.  His longest run came midway through the first period when he raced 74 yards to paydirt. The Wildcats built up a 52-0 lead by halftime.  Everyone earned their letter for Linfield in this rout.

 C.W. Post Press: After taking a 28-27 lead over Bentley College with just :30 seconds left on a two-point conversion pass from QB Jason Kidd to WR James Higgins, the C.W. Post defense collapsed. Bentley drove nearly the length of the field in a little over :20 seconds.  Bentley PK Michael Baron came on and made a 31-yard field goal to beat the Pioneers, 30-28.  The last second collapse marred a great day by Kidd who threw for 422 yards and four TDs in the loss.  Post finishes the regular season with 6-4 record overall and a 5-4 conference mark.  Post does have one more game to play as part of the Northeast-10 Conference's Championship Weekend.  The real Northeast-10 title game wis between New Haven and Assumption.  However, the Pioneers will play a #5-#6 seed game at... Bentley.  Yes, the Pioneers get a chance to avenge this weekend's defeat and finish the season on a high note.

...And Now This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

Finally feels like fall around here and that is a good thing.

I like that California brought back black license plates.

Whatever happened to the Abba-Zabba bar?

Until next week folks, remember you just can't leave a game in the hands of the officials.

-The Commissioner

Week 9, 2015

Hey All,

The Commissioner is back from another victorious trip to Bezerkeley and has for your perusal another edition of Notes On a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Herb Caen.

Summaries

USC 27- California 21: The Trojans came to Berkeley looking for their first road win for interim HC Clay Helton and their 12th straight win over the Golden Bears.  They got that win thanks to their defense and a strong running game.  The USC defense held Cal to over a hundred yards under their season average and to their lowest scoring total of the season. The defense also found the end zone for the second week in a row. CB Adoree Jackson picked off Cal QB Jered Goff in the third quarter and returned the pick for 46 yards for a TD that staked USC to a 24-7 lead over the Bears.  Cal did comeback to close within six points of the Trojans latte, but USC ground out two big first downs on their final drive to garner the win. RB Tre Madden's great run where he bounced outside to gain 14 yards on third down converted the first, first down and then RB Justin Davis ground out a seven yard run on 3rd and 6 to allow USC to kill the clock and leave Memorial Stadium victorious.  The RB tandem of Jones and Madden combined to rush the ball 25 times for 142 yards and a pair of TDs.  QB Cody Kessler completed 18 of 22 passes for 186 yards for SC.  Cal QB Jered Goff threw for 272, two TDs and two interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: Turnovers still kill; In a game v. two evenly matched squads, USC's +3 turnover margin was the difference in the contest.
USC-CAL Highlights

Washington 49- Arizona 3:  The Huskies showed just how far their team has come this year under new HC Chris Petersen.  What was also evident is how far down the Wildcats have sunk this year under HC Rich Rodriguez.  The Huskies were sharp and focused in the cold Seattle rain as they allowed an opening field goal by UofA PK Casey Skowron then methodically built up a 21-3 half-time lead thanks to three short TD passes from true freshman QB Jake Browning.  Browning then accounted for two of the Dawgs three third quarter scores and UW had 42-3 lead through three quarters.  While, Browning was having all of his success, the Husky defense easily rendered the Wildcat offense inert.  UW forced four four UofA turnovers.  Two of those turnovers were interceptions of QB Anu Solomon who hadn't thrown an interception in over 200 attempts coming into the game.  Solomon was lifted for backup Jerrard Randall after throwing those two picks and completing only 18 of 31 passes for 160 yards.  Randall completed 7 of 11 throws for 43 yards and interception in what was just mop-up duty.  Browning finished the game completing 16 of 24 passes for 263 yards and four TDs to go with seven yards rushing and a TD on the ground.
Telling Stat: One and done;  Arizona drove 65 yards in 15 plays on their first drive which resulted in their only score of the game. After that drive, Washington's defense forced four turnovers, held for downs three times and forced five punts in the final 54:39 of the game.
UofA-UW Highlights

UCLA 35- Colorado 31: The bRuins, with the sun shining brightly in HC Jim Mora's eyes, built up a 21-6 halftime lead over the Buffaloes.  Then, he watched in horror as his sun-soaked bRuins blew that lead and had to come from behind to escape with a victory.  Despite holding the ball for more than 41 minutes, running 114 plays and racking up 554 yards of offense on the bRuins, CU couldn't keep them off the field when it mattered and gave up the game-winning TD with 8:28 to play when RB Soso Jamabo knifed in the end zone from two yards out.  Colorado's last chance for the upset came when the Buffs had a 2nd and 5 at 50 yard line. Liufau's pass was intercepted with :51 left.  Liufau completed 37 of 57 passes for 312 yards and two interceptions.  RB Patrick Carr led the Buffs rushing attack with 100 yards on 19 carries and a TD.  As for the bRuins, RB Paul Perkins seems to be back in fine form gaining 118 yards on 12 carries and scoring one TD.  QB Josh Rosen, who just earned a certificate from his Presidential Committee on Physical Fitness, completed 19 of 33 tosses for 262 yards and one TD.
Telling Stat:  22 point swing= loss;  Colorado came up eight points short when they settled for field goals twice in the red zone, then suffered a 14 point swing when they were poised for another score on the UCLA goal line only to turn the ball over and have the the bRuins take the it back 96 yards for a TD. Those lost opportunities lost Colorado the game.
CU-UCLA Highlights

Oregon 61- Arizona State 55 3OT: This game was a battle of long drives by ASU and big plays by Oregon.  Oh, and throw in a couple of bad calls, including the one that gave Oregon their winning score and you have what was a crazy game in Tempe.  This game never should have gotten to overtime, but QB Vernon Adams' desperation toss on fourth and goal from the eight was hauled in by WR Dwayne Stanford as he collided with teammate TE Johnny Mundt with :12 left in regulation. The teams traded TDs in the first two OT periods then Adams found WR Bralon Addison for a 20-yard TD to take a 61-55 lead, or did he?  Multiple replays showed Addison's right foot to be seemingly over the end line which would have been an incomplete pass.  However, the replay crew said that call stands and UO took the lead.  Then in ASU's final possession, QB Mike Bercovici's second down pass from the Oregon 3-yard line was intercepted in the end zone by CB Arrion Springs and UO walked away with the controversial win.  What wasn't controversial in this game was how much better Oregon is with Vernon Adams back at QB.  He threw for 315 yards and four TDs.  Adams ability to make something out of nothing makes Oregon such a better team than they were earlier in the year when he was injured. RB Royce Freeman benefitted from Adams return as well, rushing for 112 yards and two TDs on the night.  For ASU, Bercovici completed 32 of 53 passes for 398 yards and five TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Dialing long distance;  six of Oregon's eight TDs in this game came on plays of 20 yards or longer with three of them covering 60 or more yards.  
UO-ASU Highlights

Stanford 30- Washington State 28:  Good teams find ways to win. Not so good teams find a way to lose.  Both those sayings were proven in the Palouse late Saturday night.  Wazzu played a dominant first half and change, holding a 15-3 lead over the Cardinal after PK Erik Powell connected on his fifth field goal of the game early in the third quarter.  However, that was the problem with Wazzu's effort.  They drove into the Cardinal red zone several times only to come away with field goals .  That left the door open for Stanford and they managed to rumble through it thanks to the strong running QB Kevin Hogan.  Yes, lumbering Kevin Hogan.  He rushed for 112 yards and two TDs on 14 carries.  Hogan's rushing changed the game as the Cougars had bottled up the rest of the Stanford offense for the most part.  Was did fight back after the Cardinal took their first lead of the night when QB Kevin Falk led the Cougs on a 16 play, 81-yard drive to reclaim the lead at 28-27.  However, WSU came up a yard short on the two-point conversion and that left Stanford a chance at victory.  The Wazzu defense forced a punt from the Cardinal on the ensuing possession, but the Cougs handed the ball right back when Falk threw his second interception of the second half.  That pick by CB Quenton Meeks set up the Cardinal at the Wazzu 39-yard line.  Five plays later, PK Conrad Ukropina nailed the chip shot, 19-yard field goal to put Stanford on top for good.  The Cougs had one last shot to win, but Powell's 43-yard FG attempt sailed wide right as time ran out.  Kevin Falk threw for 354 yard, two TDs and two big interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: Don't blame the kicker;  Kevin Falk's two second half picks along with the Cougs inability to score in the red zone was what lost this game for Wazzu.
SU-WSU Highlights

Utah 27- Oregon State 12: The Utes looked like they were gonna run away and hide after taking a 14-0 lead on the Beavers after two possessions.  Then the Beavers defense stiffened, but the Beavers offense never got it going and fell to defeat in Salt Lake City.  That mainly occurred because starting QB Seth Collins injured his knee in practice on Thursday and stayed home in Corvallis.  Backup Nick Mitchell completed 19 of 35 passes for 204 yards and a TD which wasn't a bad night, but it didn't match up ti Utah's 1-2 punch of QB Travis Wilson and RB Devontae Booker.  The pair looked as good as they've looked all season with Wilson, the pride of San Clemente High School,   completing 14 of 17 passes for 198 yards and a TD to go with 56 yards rushing and another score.  Booker toted the rock 25 times for 121 yards and a TD.  The pair were the Utah as they were responsible for all of the Utes 372 total yards gained.
Teling Stat: No self-inflicted wounds;  Utah didn't allow any big plays on defense and didn't turn the ball over in this grind-it-out win over the Beavers.
OSU-Utah Highlights

Notre Dame 24- Temple 20:  Gameday came to Philadelphia.  The Temple students came out in force to support their surprisingly undefeated Owls.  Signs were made, the crowd cheered, and then Lee Corso picked Notre Dame.  The Irish made another fourth quarter comeback and downed the Owls at Lincoln Financial Field.  QB DeShone Kizer had an incredible game for the Irish.  He completed 23 of 36 passes for 299 yards and A TD.  He also ran for 143 yards on 17 carries and two TDs on the ground.  Down 20-17 with 4:45 to play, Kizer led ND on a six play, 75-yard drive that was capped off when Kizer hit WR William Fuller with a 17-yard scoring pass.  QB P.J. Walker passed for 188 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: Closer than it should have been;  ND outgunned Temple by almost two hundred yards, but turnovers and a poor their down conversion rate let the Owls come very close to pulling the upset.
ND-Temple Highlights

Observations

...'Nuf Ced;  Got tipped off to this pretty accurate assessment of Georgia HC Mark Richt that was posted by one of the many armchair coaches on the USC message board known as The Peristyle, "He is the Jeff Tedford of the SEC, nobody does less with more than Mark Richt."

...Next zebras up;  I keep hearing about how hard officiating is and how that the referees need a little compassion after butchering the end of the Miami-Duke game.  They don't.  A two-game suspension isn't enough in this case.  Fire them. Now.  There are thousands of qualified refs out there to take their place.

...12 for 12; USC has won 12 straight over Cal.  Funny that's the same number that Joe Roth wore.

...Early by a tad; Seems like the first College Football Playoff Committee Poll came out just a week too early this year.

...Screwing up my yard;  The new L.A. Coliseum renovation plans are underwhelming to say the least.  An overblown set of luxury boxes come in while seating capacity goes down to an unacceptable level and the Sundeck stays.  What a joke.

...Channelling a jerk;  ND HC Brian Kelly reminds me a lot of former ASU HC and total jerk, Frank Kush.

...Hoping for a little help;  Need to find a good cheese shop, so I can get bRuin HC Jim Mora the perfect Chrsitmas gift to go with all of his whines.

...And then there were two;  Central Florida and Kansas are the only two winless teams left in the FBS.  Odds are, they will finish the season that way.

...He bleeds Maroon;  Sad to see Jerry Kill have to step down from the Minnesota job due to health concerns stemming form his bouts with Epilepsy.  The guy lives to coach and always had his teams ready to play hard for a full 60 minutes.

...Marlins win, 8-5;  Trojan fans are not happy about having five head coaches in the last three seasons.  The Miami Marlins fans aren't so happy either.  New manager Don Mattingly will be their eighth skipper since 2010.

...Nothing good there;  ESPN's Paul Finebaum has a face made for radio.

...Quietly making (some) noise;  Uconn is 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the AAC.  if the Huskies finish at .500 it'll be an amazing year for this moribund program.

...Pac 12 blows it, again;  With all of the attention going to the absolute shafting of Duke by ACC officials, the Pac 12 had two more horrible calls that went under the radar.  One, Oregon's wining score v. ASU came after the replay boys failed to overturn the TD call of a receiver who was clearly out of bounds.  Two, the replay refs in the Wazzu-Stanford game failed to make the proper call when the Cougs stripped and recovered the ball from the Cardinal.  Both bad calls contributed to touchdowns that changed both games.

...Pass the barf bag;  Watching the ESPN pundits falling all over themselves to praise the selection committee for including one-loss Alabama in the top four of the first rankings was truly sickening.

...Aloha Norm;  Norm Chow got canned like a Dole Pineapple this week.  Norm has had a pretty stellar coaching career, but he couldn't make it work at Hawaii.  The program is teetering on the brink of existence financially and may not be around much longer.  That's pretty sad.

...Halloween humor in Huskerland;  A disgruntled Nebraska fan handed out some interesting treats on Halloween to show his disgust with the Cornhuskers current season.  Actually, it's the best the Huskers have looked in a bowl in years.

...The end of Beamer-Ball;  Frank Beamer is leaving Va Tech at season's end.  The man built an also ran program into a national contender.  That's a great legacy to leave behind.

...Note to Minnesota;  Just.  Kick.  The.  F#*&%^G.  Field.  Goal!

...Great in the air;  Once again, USC's best pass was thrown by Jalen Greene.

Good Throwback Uniform of the Week: Arizona State wins an award this week for their 1996 throwbacks.  I thought adding the camouflage leggings and TILLMAN to the back of each jersey was a little much, but the 1996 design is clean and crisp.  Also, I loved seeing Sparky make an appearance on the helmets again.

  

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Tacoma, WA-  WR Brennan Schon hauled in an 18-yard TD pass from QB Hans Fortune with 4:25 left in the game to lead the Puget Sound Loggers to a 6-2 win over the Pacific Lutheran Lutes. PLU picked up their only points when they recorded a team safety when Fortune fell in his own end zone late in the second quarter.  The 6-2 score was the lowest point total in this rivalry since a scoreless tie in 1962.

Blowout of the Week: Arkadelphia, AR- The Henderson State Reddies easily weathered the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm, 76-7.  HSU QB Dallas Hardison completed 10 of 13 passes for 166 yards and 3 TDs., while RB Ryan McDonald was incredibly productive gaining 10 yards on four carries and scoring three TDs on those four carries.  HSU scored in all 11 possessions in the game and emptied the benches after building up a 63-0 halftime advantage.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY-  The Pioneers built up a 49-24 lead after three quarters of play thanks to six TD passes from QB Jeff Kidd and then held on for dear life in the fourth quarter to escape with a 49-46 victory over Southern Connecticut State.  Kidd's six TD tosses were one shy of the school record held by Perry Klein.  Yes, that Perry Klein Cal fans.  However, it was RB David White who picked two key first downs in the final 3:35 to seal the victory for Post.  Kidd finished the day completing 19 of 27 passes for 282 yards and those six TDs.  Up next for Post is their final game of the regular season at Bentley University.

...And Now This Week's Five Notes About the Bay Area Road Trip

The New Honda Pilot held up like a champ.

The Chuckwagon Soup at Harris Ranch is perfect on a rainy day.

My San Francisco tolerance is three days.

My Berkeley tolerance is four quarters.

I have never had a bad time at Lefty O'Doul's and probably never will.

Until next week folks, don't let the refs take the game away from you,

-The Commissioner