Week 4, 2105

Hey All,

After a triumphant return from the Valley of the Sun, it's time again for the column that makes your Tuesday better than usual, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Dave Diles.

Summaries

USC 42- Arizona State 14:  While Arizona's self destruction was being seen by all on the vision boards at Sun Devil Stadium, it became clear that ASU would have the hold up the honor of the cactus state v. the Trojans.  However, ASU took their turn to self destruct as USC built up a 35-0 halftime lead and then turned the second half into a glorified scrimmage.  It was another five TD game for USC QB Cody Kessler who connected on 19 of 33 aerials for 375 yards and five scores.  Oh, and WR/CB Adoree Jackson was Mr. All-Everything for the Trojans again hauling in three passes for 131 yards and one TD while playing tough defense.  The Trojans turned this game into a rout by extending a 21-0 lead to a 35-0 lead at the half in a span of 22 seconds.  First, DB Chris Hawkins scooped up a Sun Devil fumble and raced 94 yards with it to the house to put SC up 28-0.  Then on the ensuing kickoff, ASU KR Gump Hayes, made a pure bonehead play by hesitating then finally deciding to take the kick out from deep in his own end zone.  He was slammed by USC's LB Quinton Powell.  The ball popped out and FB Soma Vainuku recovered the ball on the ASU 4-yard line.  Three plays later, Kessler hit WR Juju Smith-Schuster for a TD and a 35-0 lead going into halftime.  ASU RB Demario Richard rushed for 131 yards and two TDs on 14 carries in the loss.
Telling Stat: 5 for 35;  USC's defense forced three turnovers and two missed field goals which the offense turned into a 35-0 lead and an easy win.

California 30- Washington 24: With all the attention usually focused on QB Jared Goff, the Cal defense doesn't get much attention and rightfully so.  The Cal defense has been pretty poor in recent years.  However, the defense rose up an asserted itself last Saturday.  They forced five turnovers to lead the Bears to a win.  In addition to the turnovers they held UW to just 259 total yards on the day.  Meanwhile the Cal offense held the ball for almost 40 minutes with Goff throwing for 342 yards and two TDs.  The Huskies hung tough in this game and had a chance to pull it out with just under three minutes to play, but QB Jake Browning's third down pass was intercepted by Cal CB Damairay Drew and the game belonged to the Golden Bears.
Telling Stat: 2 out of 3= W;  Cal's defense forced two Washington turnovers in their last three possessions to bring home a win.

Utah 62- Oregon 20: Utah QB Travis Wilson came back from a shoulder sprain suffered against Utah State two weeks ago and led the Utes attack in an epic beatdown of the Quacks in Eugene.  He completed 18 of 30 passes for 227 yards and four TDs.  Wilson also worked the Ducks over on the ground too.  He ran for 100 yards on 6 carries and a score.  While Wilson and the offense had their fun, the Utah defense had its' way with Ducks as well.  UO QB Vernon Adams, Jr. only completed two of seven passes before being lifted for a broken finger and "bad decisions" by HC Mark Helfrich.  Backup Jeff Lockie didn't do much better completeing 10 of 20 passes for 139 yards and a pair of interceptions.  The loss was the worst one suffered by the Ducks at home since 1977 when Washington whipped the Webfoots, 54-0.
Telling Stat: 35 in 20 = Silence;  Up 27-13 at the intermission, Utah came out and scored 35 points in the next 20 minutes to turn the normally raucous Autzen Stadium into a library.  Which is a place many an Oregon player has never seen.

Colorado 48- Nicholls State 0:  The Buffaloes were the only home team to win in the Pac 12 this week when they routed the Colonels. There was a stampede in Boulder as the Buffs rushed for 357 yards.  RBs Philip Lindasy and Donovan Lee toted the rock well.  Lindsay rushed the ball 17 times for 113 yards and two TDs.  Lee, the pride of Chaminade High, gained 110 yards on 10 carries and a score.  Buffs QB Sefo Liufau threw for 227 yards and a TD.  For the Colonels, they only made eight first downs in the game and gained barely over 100 total yards.
Telling Stat: 1 catch= Happy Family;  CU QB Sefo Liufau threw a 35-yard TD pass in the second quarter of this game.  The receiver was CU HC Mike MacIntyre's son, Jay.  It was his first collegiate reception.

UCLA 56- Arizona 30: It was billed as the big game of the week in the Pac 12.  Heck, even ESPN's Gameday crew traveled to Tucson, which was their first trip to a Pac 12 school that wasn't USC or Oregon.  The fans showed for the show.  There was even an interview with UofA HC Rich Rodriguez with his daughter, a UofA cheerleader by his side.  Then, to top it off, Lee Corso donned the head of Wilbur the Wildcat, picking the Cats to win the game.  The only thing left was to actually play the game.  Well, that's when things went off the rails for Arizona.  The bRuins offense shined, while the Arizona offense self-destructed and their defense ran for the hills in this game that was not as close as the final score indicated.  UofA did take a quick 7-0 lead, but followed that up with three turnovers in their next six possessions which UCLA took full advantage of to build up a 42-14 halftime advantage.  Once again, the bRuins running game was stellar with RBs Paul Perkins and Soso Jamabo shredding the Wildcats for a combined 181 yards on 30 carries and four TDs.  Meanwhile, bRuin QB and Lady Byng Trophy Winner, Josh Rosen bounced back from his poor effort v. BYU by completing 19 of 28 tosses for 284 yards and two scores.  As for the stumbling, bumbling Wildcats, they did rush for 353 yards and two TDs, but got such inept QB play from Anu Solomon and Jerrard Randall that they could could never really get back into this game.
Telling Stat:  1>3;  UCLA QB Josh Rosen played twice as well as Arizona's three QBs used in this game.  Rosen completed 19 of 28 passes for 284 yards and two TDs while the Wildcats trio completed 10 of 28 passes for 115 yards and two TDs with an interception.

Stanford 42- Oregon State 24: The big talk this week was whether Stanford QB Kevin Hogan would take the field in Corvalis.  Hogan did take the field, but so did RB Christian McCaffrey and the Stanford offensive line.  The line paved the way for a career day for McCaffrey.  He rushed the ball 30 times for a career best 206 yards.  He didn't cross the double stripe, but RB Barry Sanders, Jr. did.  He scored two TDs.  Hogan completed 9 of 14 pass for 164 yards and a pair of scores.  OSU QB Seth Collins did throw for 275 yards and a pair of TDs, but it wasn't enough as the Cardinal shutdown the Beavers rushing game, allowing only 111 yards on the ground.  Oregon State did play the Cardinal tough, but never had the ball enough and made some key mistakes to ever have a real chance to grab the lead.
Telling Stat: Running to daylight;  Stanford played keep away again, rushing for 368 yards and gaining a 10 minute edge in T.O.P which paved the way to victory.

Notre Dame 62: Massachusetts 27: With six minutes left in the second quarter, the Minutemen trailed ND just 21-20.  ND looked sluggish and UMass was thinking upset.  Then, Notre Dame woke up, realized they were Notre Dame and went on a 41-0 run to provide the rout we all expected.  RB C.J. Prosise led the Irish ground attack, rushing for 149 yards on 15 carries and two scores.  As for ND's passing game, DeShine Kizer completed 15 of 22 passes for 207 yards, two TDs and an interception.  The ND defense completely stymied the Umass offense after they woke as well, but did allow Minuteman RB Marquis Young to rush for 103 yards and a TD, but 83 of those yards and his TD came on the last play of the first quarter.
Telling Stat: 28 under 7;  Notre Dame turned this close game into a rout by scoirng 28  points in a 6:59 span that covered the end of the second and beginning of the third quarter to send everyone to the bars early in South Bend.

Observations

...Thighs, hips, and buns of steel; With all the plays that are called at the line of scrimmage nowadays, I'd be really angry about the amount of time spent in my stance every game if I was an O-lineman.

...And then there were six;  There are six winless teams left in the FBS.  They are Kansas, UTSA, North Texas, Massachusetts, Wyoming and New Mexico State.

This just in; Utah is for real.

...A reason for undefeated;  The Northwestern defense leads the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage.  The Wildcats have allowed only 11 conversions in 59 attempts.  Thats a very very cool 18.6 percent.  Simply put, they get off the field so their offense can.

...On, Brave old Army team;  The Black Knights of the Hudson are 7 1/2 point favorites at Penn State.  I can't remember the last time Army was a road favorite.

...Nothing left;  After playing road games at Nebraska and UCLA with a home game with Boise State sandwiched in-between, it was easy to see that BYU had no gas in the tank to take on Michigan.  The Wolverines played well, but the Cougars were clearly gassed.

...California Road Warriors;  All four California teams won on the road this week in the Pac 12.  Add in Utah's plucking of the Ducks and all five road teams won conference games this week.

...It was that bad;  Utah did everything to Oregon except flatten the tires on Phil Knight's car on the way out of Eugene.

....Never thought that would happen;  This week's Cal-Utah game is a matchup of undefeated teams. Hmmmmmmm.

...A Hot Seat that burns bright orange;  After his team blew both a 17-3 lead v. Oklahoma three weeks ago and a 20-7 lead at Florida last week,  Tennesee HC Butch Davis is definitely on the hottest of hot seats.

...Shades of the Orange Bowl;  ASU KR Gump Hayes' epically poor kick return v. USC reminded most Trojan fans of the poor decision to return a punt by OU PR Mark Bradley in the 2004 Orange Bowl.

...Knowing the way in San Jose;  San Jose State RB Tyler Ervin ranks second in the nation with 641 yards rushing on 95 carries and nine TDs.  It just might be worth watching what he'll do against Auburn's subpar defense this week.

...Can't be fooled;  No matter how much I want to believe Clemson can beat ND this week, they will just choke like usual.

...Just another rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that Washington State was a 3 point underdog to themselves on their bye week.

...Quietly making noise;  Indiana is 4-0. The Hoosiers have outscored their opponents, 51-0 in the third quarter this season. IU hasn't stated a season 4-0 since 1990.

...In and Out;  Oregon dropped out of the AP poll for the first time since 2009 while Cal jumped back in for the first time since 2009.

...Jayhawks don't fly;  With their 27-13 loss at the dumpster fire known as Rutgers, Kansas has lost 31 straight road games.  That's the longest road losing streak since the FBS (D-I) and FCS (D-IAA) split in 1978.

...Sad but true;  Oregon has a lousy defense and ugly uniforms, so basically they are now Maryland.

...Trending Up and Down;  UP: Michigan's narrow loss at Utah in week one. DOWN:Michigan State's narrow win over Oregon in week two.

...Cardiac Kids;  TCU won't win the Big XII with this many games coming down to the wire.

...Wait a minute; I think Utah just scored again.

Undere the Radar Highlight of the Week:  Watch East Carolina QB James Summers throw aside a Virginia Tech defender and race to pay dirt in ECU's 35-28 win over the Hokies.  I could only get the video in a highlight package, so please fast forward to the 55 second mark.

ECU Highlights


Most Cultural Uniform of the Week: The San Diego State Aztecs have truly embraced the culture of their nickname this year in their uniforms.  The Aztecs have incorporated the Aztec calendar into their uniforms.  Pretty crazy.

Departments

Blowout Game of the Week:  Salisbury, MD- The Salisbury Sea Gulls racked up 537 yards rushing, completed just two pass in five attempts and smashed the Southern Virginia Knights, 91-7.  Aaron Moore led the Salisbury attack rushing for 104 yards on a scant four carries and scored three TDs.  14 different players rushed the ball for the Sea Gulls.  The Salisbury defense was pretty good too.  They held the Knights to 1t players rushed the ball for the Sea Gulls.  The Salisbury defense was pretty good too.  They held the Knights to 126 total yards and six first downs.

Low Score Game of the Week: Dillon, MT-  The Carroll College Fighting Saints held off the Montana Western Bulldogs, 10-9.  QB Mac Roche hit WR Connor Fohn with a 35-yard TD pass in the third quarter to give CC a lead they would not relinquish.  Lost in the loss for Montana Western was a 29 carry, 191 yard rushing performance by RB Sam Rutherford.  Roche finished the game with 176 yards passing and that one TD for the Fighting Saints.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY- With 1:10 left in the fourth quarter, Post held a 37-20 lead on the Stonehill Skyhawks.  Skyhawk QB Matt Foltz then threw three TD passes in the final 1:10 including a 41-yard Hail Mary to WR Cory White on the final play to lift Stonehill to a 40-37 win.  Foltz truly was outstanding as he completed 30 of 46 passes for 421 yards and six TDs.  Post RB Mailk Pierre had a huge game too, rushing for 238 and 3TDs on 33 carries.  Pierre's 238 yards were the most by any Post RB since 2005.  The Pioneers fall to 3-1 overall, and 1-1 in Northeast 10 play.  Up next for Post is a trip to Springfield, MA and a game with the American International College Eagles.


This Week's Three Notes About Nothing

There's nothing like an ocean breeze.

I miss my truck.

I really really miss my truck.

Until next week folks, remember that when all the hype is over, you still have to play the game.
-The Commissioner

Week 3, 2015

Hey All,

It's time for that column that let's you waste time at work on Tuesdays, Notes on a Pac 12 scorecard.  We still miss you, Bill Flemming.

Summaries

Stanford 41- USC 31: Well folks, where do we begin with describing this debacle at the Coliseum?  It begins and ends with the Stanford O-line.  The experienced Cardinal O-line pushed USC's defensive front seven around like blocking sleds all night long.  One reason is that the line is very good.  Two is that USC's lack of imagination in a defensive game plan helped the line be that much better.  The Trojans didn't stunt along the line all night, nor did it adjust when the Cardinal went into their numerous jumbo packages.  The result is that after USC, pulled ahead 28-24 early in the second half, the Cardinal held the ball for almost 22 minutes of the second half and ground out the win in typical Stanford fashion. SU RB Christian McCaffrey did the heavy lifting in the offense rushing for 115 yards on 21 carries and catching three passes for 37 yards, while his teammate RB Remound Wright scored three TDs on 11 carries with 41 yards gained on the ground.  Even though he played on just one leg basically in the second half, Cardinal QB Kevin Hogan threw for 279 yards and a pair of scores.  USC's Cody Kessler threw for 272 yards and three TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: They played keep away;  Stanford held the ball for nearly 40 minutes and kept the Trojan offense on the bench for most of the second half to bring home a win.

Washington 31- Utah State 17:  For the second week in a row, Utah State played a fine first half, then faltered in the second half to lose to a Pac 12 team.  The Huskies sported a 17-10 halftime advantage largely because of the skills of PK Tristan Vizcaino.  Already up 10-3, Vizcaino pushed the lead out to 17-3 for the Dawgs when he took the direct snap on what would be a 19-yard field goal attempt and raced around the right end for a TD.  The Aggies drew within seven of UW when RB David Moala crossed the goal line from one yard out just before halftime.  The third quarter and the game belonged to the Huskies.  QB Jake Browning found his receivers for two TDs that covered 33 and 3 yards to push the Huskies lead to 31-10. The Aggies defense finished off the scoring when Safety Jontrell Rocquemore took a UW fumble 97 yards to the house with 9:47 to play.  Browning finished the game completing 22 of 31 tosses for 368 yards and three TDs.  Utah State QB Chuckie Keeton hit on only 17 of 33 passes for 171 yards and a pair of interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: 0-0-0;  The Washington defense has shutout all three of their opponents this year in the second half.  Last Saturday they forced two turnovers and held for downs twice as part of their second half shutout of Utah State.

UCLA 24- BYU 23: With true freshman QB and 2015 Major League Baseball Roberto Clemente Award Winner, Josh Rosen stinking up the Rose Bowl last week, the bRuins relied on their running game to eek out a win over the Cougars.  UCLA trailed all game but kept chirping away at BYU with RB Paul Perkins.  Perkins gashed the Cougars for 219 yards on 26 carries, but his backup, Nate Starks answered the bell when Perkins was worn out late in the game.  He crossed the double stripe from three yards out with just 3:21 to play. The ensuing PAT was good and UCLA held their first lead of the night.  The bRuin defense held on the rest of the way, intercepting BYU QB Tanner Magnum in their own territory to kill the Cougars chances with :58 left.  Rosen would only complete 11 of 23 passes for 106 yards, a TD and three big interceptions on the night.  Lost in UCLA's fine rushing effort was BYU RB Adam Hine, who ground out 149 yards and 23 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: 3< 7;  UCLA's defense held BYU to field goals on their last two scoring drives of the game which gave their offense the chance it needed to comeback and win the game.

Colorado 27- Colorado State 24 OT:  A big defensive play in regulation and great special teams play in overtime gave the Buffaloes a win in this rivalry game with the boys from Fort Collins.  With he game tied at 17-17 midway through the fourth period, CU LB Kenneth Olugbode picked off CSU QB Nick Stevens and rumbled 60 yards to paydirt to give his squad a 24-17 lead.  Then after the game went to overtime at 24-24,  Buffs DB Cedric Thompson blocked CSU PK Wyatt Bryan's 27-yard field goal attempt.  On the ensuing possession, CU PK Diego Gonzalez nailed a 32-yarder to hand CU the win and the Centennial Cup.  CU's statistical standout was QB Sefo Liufau who threw for 220 yards and two TDs, while the CSU attack was led by RB Dalyn Dawkins who rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries and one TD.
Telling Stat: Turnovers kill;  Colorado State dominated in almost every phase of this game, but they lost the turnover battle, 2-0 which led to the Rams losing the game.

Washington State 31- Wyoming 17: Folks almost forgot what a home win looked like in Pullman, but the Cougars played a strong final three quarters to notch their first home victory in over a year at the expense of the Cowboys.  After falling behind, 14-7, the Cougars went on a 24-0 run the rest of the way.  QB Luke Falk had an average day for a WSU signal caller completing just 37 of 45 passes for 303 yards and two TDs.  He also tallied another score on a QB sneak.  The Cowboys piled up a bunch of yards in this game, but not many points with QB Cameron Coffman throwing for 296 yards with a  TD and RB Brian Hill toting the rock 20 times for 139 yards.
Telling Stat: 0 for 45;  The Wazzu defense stepped up and kept Wyoming off the board for the final three quarters to ensure a win.

Oregon 61- Georgia State 28: Oregon's defense played three quarters, while their offense played all four quarters in a romp over the Panthers.  UO QB Jeff Lockie made his first start as a Duck in place of the injured Vernon Adams, Jr. who has a broken finger on his throwing hand.  Locke filled in well, connecting on 23 of 321 throws for 228 yards and a pair of scores.  The Ducks rushed for 311 yards as a team with RB Royce Freeman gaining 101 of those yards on a mere 10 carries and crossing the double stripe once.  GSU WR Penny Hart hauled in nine balls for 128 yards to lead all receivers.
Not as close as it looked; Oregon's defense took the third quarter off allowing Georgia State to score 21 points before closing the door in the fourth quarter on the Panthers.  

Arizona State 34- New Mexico 10:  The Sun Devils looked a little shaky on offense, but were in control of this game from the start in this meeting of old Border Conference foes.  After a so-so first quarter, the Sun Devil offense found their rhythm.  ASU QB Mike Bercovici passed for 317 yards with three TDs and ran for another TD.  RB Demario Richard was a great dual threat rushing for 104 yards on 15 carries and hauling in four aerials for 151 yards and two TDs.  The ASU defense held the Lobos in check all night long allowing a moderate amount of total yards, (295) and keeping them off the scoreboard for the most part.
Telling Stat: A not so big 10; The ASU defense held New Mexico in check, giving up 10 points, which gave their offense the time to find their rhythm.

Utah 45- Fresno State 24:  With Starting QB Travis Wilson sidelined with a sprained shoulder he suffered the week before v. Utah State,  The Utes turned to their running game and special teams to whip the Bulldogs.  At the start of the fourth quarter, Utah held a 24-3 lead on an Andy Phillips 33- yard field goal, two TD runs by RB Devontae Booker and a 37-yard TD return on fumble by DE Stevie Tu'ikolovatu. Utah then got a 98-yard kickoff return by KR Cory Butler-Byrd and 77-yard punt return from PR Britain Covey to put this game away.  Fresno State scored a couple of garbage time TDs to make the score look closer than it was.   Booker finished the night with 156 yards on 31 carries and those two TDs.  Fresno QB Zack Greenlee threw for 144 yards and three TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Five ways to paydirt; Utah got TDs via rushing, passing, punt return, kickoff return, and a defensive return in this win.

Oregon State 35- San Jose State 21: Things didn't look so good for the Beavers at halftime, trailing 21-14 to the Spartans.  However SJSU's top QB, Kenny Potter, the pride of San Pedro High, had been knocked out of the game by the OSU defense.  With the SJSU offense now sputtering, the Beavers put up 21 second half points to grab the win.  True freshman QB Seth Collins had a good night.  He completed 13 of 25 aerials for 135 yards and a score in addition to carrying the ball 16 times for 114 yards and two more scores.  RB Storm Barrs-Woods carried the ball 17 times for 151 yards and a score of his own.  As for SJSU, Before being knocked out, Poter completed eight of nine passes for 72 yards, his backups combined to complete 12 of 24 passes for 77 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: 88+5= 2H 0; Oregon State's defense held SJSU to 88 total yards and gave up just five first downs in their second half shutout of the Spartans.  

Arizona 77- Northern Arizona 13: After a sluggish start and 7-6 lead after one quarter of play, the Wildcats exploded for 35 second quarter points to turn this game into a laugher in Tucson.  He played only a little past halftime, but QB Anu Solomon looked sharp, connecting on 25 of 35 tosses for 285 yards and four TDs.  Solomon also ran for a score as well.  RB Jerrard Randall rushed for 149 yards on just three carries and scored two TDs for the Cats.  His backfield mate, Nick Wilson piled up 143 yards rushing on 19 carries and also scored twice.  The Wildcats emptied the benches in the second half with everyone including the Tuba players earning their letter.
Telling Stat:  77/94;  The 77 points scored by UofA is the most scored by a Wildcat team ever in a game.  The old mark of 74 points was accomplished 94 years ago against the College of Mines and Metallurgy of the University of Texas.  That school would eventually become known as UTEP.   

California 45- Texas 44: At the start of the fourth quarter down in Austin,  The Golden Bears had a 45-24 lead and looked like they might hang 70 on the hapless 'Horns.  Then, Texas woke up.  QB Jerrod Heard led a comeback that put his squad a point away from a tie with 1:11 to play.  The PAT would tie the game and make overtime a possibility.  PK Nick Rose then dashed UT's comeback hopes when his kick sailed wide right.  Cal recovered the ensuing onside kick and knelt down twice to kill the clock and escape with the win.  In the loss, Heard had the game of his life.  He completed 20 of 31 passes for 364 yards and ran 24 times for 163 yards and three TDs.   His 527 total yards from scrimmage is a new Texas single-game record.  Cal's attack was balanced in this game with QB Jared Goff completing 27 of 37 tosses for 268 yards and 3TDs, while RBs Khalfani Muhammad and Vic Enwere combined for 217 yards on 26 carries and three scores.
Telling Stat: 3 out of 4 almost = loss;  After gaining 532 yards and putting 45 points on the board
through three quarters, The Cal offense took the fourth quarter off.  They only gained 16 total yards and were shutout in the final period.

Notre Dame 30- Georgia Tech 22:  It was a case of no QB, no RB, no problem for the Fighting Irish in their win over the Yellow Jackets.  The Irish never looked like they missed their starting QB and RB who have been lost for the season due to injury.  New starters, QB DeShone Kizer and RB C.J Prosise combined for 440 yards from scrimmage and four TDs.  The Irish built up a 30-7 lead before giving up a pair of garbage time TDs late in the fourth quarter.  RB Patrick Skov led the Georgia Tech   attack rushing for 66 yards and a one TD while catching passes for two more scores.
Telling Stat:  15 that came too little, too late :  ND dominated this game form the start, giving up 15 points in the final minute of play.

Observations

...Not very Direct;  Looks like the optimism over the Pac 12 Network finally being available on DirecTV is in vain.  This podcast sheds some good light on the situation.  My season tally after this weekend is 15 Pac 12 games I haven't been able to see due to this.  Thanks, Leisure Suit Larry Scott.

+No Deal

...You can't go home again;  Louisville is 0-3 this season under the tutelage of wannabe Harley-Davidson enthusiast Bob Petrino. While Cardinal fans are angry, the entire state of Arkansas is laughing.

...Can't make this up;  We all know Snoop Dogg's son quit the UCLA football team. Now he's trying his hand at designing men's underwear.  

...Thus just in; USC DC Justin Wilcox was over an hour and a half late to work today because he refused to listen to Waze and make an adjustment while halfway to the McKay Center.

...Runnin' Beavers;  Oregon State is running the ball out of the option so much that they may pile up more rushing yards than Stanford this year.  Somewhere, Jerry Pettibone is smiling.

...Big MACs;  The MAC conference has been pretty good in the last few years, but now they are playing well enough that none of the power five will schedule them soon.

...Not a felon;  Looks like UCLA CB Ishmael Adams won't be hit with felony charges for theft and assault stemming from his arrest a few weeks ago.  That reminds me of the old line in Dan Jenkins' book Rude Behavior when he wrote. "His running back was so fast he went from armed robbery to probation overnight."

...Might break the scoreboard; With each team having such poor defense, the USC- Cal final score this year could be 98-96 in triple OT.

...Makes me go hmmmm; In the coaching profession where everyone seems to end up working for everyone else and goodwill is maintained in the fraternity for the most part, Arkansas HC Brett Bielema has to be a real jerk.  Coaches seem to go out of their way to take shots at him.

...Gracing us with their presence; Those ancient eight teams of the Ivy League have begun play this past weekend.  

...Missing persons;  An APB was issued at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum shortly after 5:00 PM last Saturday.  USC's defensive line went missing shortly after kickoff v. Stanford.

...Note to Texas PK Nick Rose;  Son, you went form YouTube sensation to goat in one kick.

...The final 30;  Funny how it seems the teams that make halftime adjustments and dominate the second halves of games actually win a lot of games.  Be afraid Trojan fans, be very afraid.

....This just in; Auburn stinks.

...Costly victories;  Notre Dame lost their sixth starter for the season when Safety Drue Tranquill tore his ACL when celebrating a pass breakup v. Georgia Tech.  ND could be the only undefeated team to lose all 22 starters during the season.

...Lost in the shuffle;  While everyone was rightfully paying attention to Theee OSU's offensive woes in their narrow defeat of Northern Illinois, the Buckeyes also inducted 14 former new member into their Athletics Hall of Fame.  One of them was former HC Jim Tressel.  It was his first trip back to The Horseshoe since he and the school parted ways a few years ago. Hmmmm.

...Do not adjust your sets;  LSU, an SEC team, is actually playing a road non-conference game this week. So, if it looks like LSU is playing at Syracuse, it 's O.K.  They really are.

...Nike Ducks on film;  This video has been out for a week or two. It's great UO Nike propaganda.  Whether you're an Oregon fan or not, this video is pretty darn good.  It's long, but the last 1:50 is great to see all the former Oregon stars in the video.  Also, I think it is a challenge to all Trojans out there.  I think USC could do a better one!  Fight On!





Incredibly Obscure Football Trivia Question

USC DB Leon McQuay III has a family tie to the Grey Cup that has been a source of controversy since it occurred.  Can you name it?  Googling this answer is not only allowed, it's encouraged.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: It's time to pick on the Ducks again.  They keep trying to show me that Hi-Liter Yellow is a uniform color.  IT IS NOT!!!!!

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Miami Gardens, FL- After giving up 98 points in their first two games, the Bethune Cookman Wildcats surrendered just a field goal while making three fourth quarter stands to walk away with a 7-3 win over the Lane College Dragons.  RB Anthony Jordan rambled in from nine yards out for the Wildcats lone score late in the second quarter.

Blowout Game of the Week: Valparaiso, IN-  The Valparaiso Crusaders crushed the College of Faith Warriors, 86-0.  QB Jake Hutson, rushed for four TDs on just six carries and threw for two more scores in one half's worth of work.  As a team Valpo rushed for 333 yards and eight TDs.  Unfortunately for Valparaiso, none of the stats from this game will count as the College of Faith doesn't meet NCAA accreditation standards and is therefore a "Non-Countable" opponent.

C.W. Post Press: Manchester, NH- The Pioneers walked away from their Northeast 10 Conference opener with a come from behind, 24-21 victory over the St. Anselm Hawks.  The Pioneers built up a 17-7 lead, before watching it fall away when St. Anselm scored back-to-back TDs in the fourth period to take a 21-17 lead.  Then, QB Jeff "Comeback" Kidd led the Toasties on a 51-yard, 6 play drive that was capped off with a 23-yard TD pass from Kidd to WR Shane Hubbard.  Kidd finished the game competing 26 of 45 passes for 227 yards and 2 TDs.  The Hawks got a hug day from RB Elad Covaliu.  He gained 259 yards rushing on just 20 carries and scored two TDs.  Post is 3-0 for the first time since 2002.  Up next for the Pioneers is a home game with the Stonehill College Skyhawks.

Incredibly Obscure Football Trivia Answer

USC DB Leon McQuay's grandfather, the original Leon McQuay was an RB for the 1971 Toronto Argonauts.  In the Grey Cup that year, he fumbled deep in Calgary Stampeder territory with under two minutes to play and Toronto lost the Grey Cup, 14-11.  What made the fumble so controversial is that it was caused by the ground when McQuay hit the rain-soaked artificial turf.  The refs blew the call according to the film and CFL historians.  

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Nothing like taking your rental car to the gas pump and not knowing which side your gas tank is on.

The dog from down south, my dog through marriage, Trekker II, just spent the night in my house. How life has changed.

Fall beginning on September 23rd just seems a day late to me.

Until next week folks, remember that teams that make the better halftime adjustments win games.

-The Commissioner

Week 2, 2015

Hey All,

It's Tuesday and that means yet another edition of that column you can't do without, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Jim Murray.

Summaries

USC 59- Idaho 9: While some teams choked on their cupcakes this past weekend, USC downed their sweet treat in one bite as they destroyed the Vandals at the Coliseum.  In just about three quarters worth of work, USC QB Cody Kessler, with all day to throw, completed 26 of 31 passes for 410 yards and three TDs.  WR JuJu Smith-Schuster was Kessler's main target hauling in 10 passes for 192 yards and a pair of scores.  In all, 14 different receivers caught passes for the Trojans on the day.  As for the running game, nine different Trojans would carry the ball with RB Ronald Jones leading all rushers with 83 yards and a TD on just eight carries.  RB Justin Davis had two TDs on the ground to go with 74 yards on a scant five carries.  Meanwhile, the Trojan defense had the Idaho offense bottled up from the opening kickoff, forcing nine punts and a turnover on downs on 10 of Idaho's 12 drives in the contest.
Telling Stat:  At 'em early;  USC took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in seven plays to grab a quick 7-0 lead and never looked back in this laugher at the Coliseum.  

Utah 24- Utah State 14:  This was a hard-hitting affair that stood deadlocked at 14-14 at the half.  Ute QB Travis Wilson looked good, leading his team to two TDs before he was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with a left shoulder injury.  Meanwhile, Utah State QB Chuckie Keeton led the Aggies to a pair of scores and managed to stay in the game after taking a low shot to his knees.  With Wilson gone and Keeton limping, the question was which team would take control of the game in the second half.  The Utes answered that question with the strong running of RB Devontae Booker and an opportunistic defense to come away with the victory.  Booker toted the rock 31 times for 120 yards and a TD.  Wilson's replacement,  Kendal Thompson completed 8 of 10 passes for 56 yards to go with a rushing TD that put Utah ahead for good.  The Ute defense shut down the Aggies in the second half, not allowing a first down until the fourth quarter then coming up with two big turnovers to put this game squarely in the win column.
Telling Stat: Shutdown Six Pack;  The Utah defense forced three punts, recovered a fumble, intercepted pass and had the clock run out on Utah State's six second half drives to bring home the win over the Aggies.  

Washington 49- Sacramento State 0:  It was the Huskies home opener and they swatted the Hornets from the Big Sky Conference for their first win of 2015. True frosh QB Jake Browning connected on 17 of 24 passes for 326 yards and two TDs while RB Myles Gaskin gained 146 yards on 14 carries and scored three TDs to lead the Husky attack.  The UW defense shutout Sac State allowing the Hornets to gain just 212 total yards for the afternoon.  Hornet QB Daniel Kniffin threw for 181 yards in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 11/11;  Washington held to Sac State to 11 first downs and 11 yards rushing in this rout.

Colorado 48- Massachusetts 14: The Buffaloes stampeded their way over the Minutemen for an easy win in Boulder.  CU rushed the ball 59 times for 390 yards and five TDs.  RBs Michael Adams and Christian Powell both eclipsed the 100 yard mark.  QB Sefo Liufau had a an easy day too, completing 15 of 24 aerials for 168 yards and a TD.  He also ran for a score.  As for the Minutemen, QB Blake Frohnapfel threw for 225 yards and a TD in defeat.
Telling Stat: 34 in 26;  After Umass tied this game at 14 early in the second period, CU scored 34 points over the next 26 minutes of play to turn this game into a blowout.  

UCLA 37- UNLV 3: The week after true freshman bRuin QB Josh Rosen was given every award from the Heisman Trophy to the Nobel Peace Prize after his fine debut against Virginia, he looked like an ordinary kid v. UNLV.  However, UCLA's running game and defense were in midseason form to pave the way to a rout of the Rebels.  RB Paul Perkins rushed the ball 18 times for 151 yards and two TDs.  The bRuins led 17-0 at the half, then scored on four of their first five possessions of the second half to put this game out of reach.  UCLA emptied the benches in the fourth quarter and QB Jerry Neuheisel threw two interceptions in relief.  Rosen finished the game completing 22 of 42 passes for 223 yards, a TD and an interception.  UNLV RB Keith Whitley rushed for 73 yards on 12 carries in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: No passing zone; UCLA completely shut down UNLV's passing game, allowing the Rebels to complete only 6 of 23 passes for 56 yards and an interception that the bRuins returned for a TD. 

Washington State 37- Rutgers 34:  The Cougars have an offense built for shootouts and QB Kevin Falk shined in victory on Saturday.  Falk completed 47 of 66 passes for 478 yards and four TDs.  His last TD toss was an 8-yard strike to WR River Carcraft with just 13 seconds left to lift the Cougars to victory.  The Cougars held a 20-12 lead at the start of what would be a crazy fourth quarter where the lead would change hands four times as the teams combined to scored 39 points.  The Wazzu defense played well in this game, it was their special teams that put this game in doubt.  The Cougs allowed a 100 yard kickoff return and a 55-yard punt return for a TD in that crazy fourth quarter.  Outside of those returns the Scarlet Knights did put up over 400 yards of offense on the board with QB Chris Laviano completing 23 of 29 passes for 204 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: 2R+3D= Shootout;  Wazzu ended up in a shootout with an overmatched Rutgers squad by allowing two returns for TDs and having three drives stopped on downs deep in Scarlet Knights territory.

Michigan 35- Oregon State 7: The hero for the Michigan wore #4 just like the old man roaming the sidelines did when he wore the Maize and Blue in the 1980s.  #4 is RB De'Veon Smith and he lugged the leather 23 times for 126 yards and three TDs to lead the Wolverines to a win.  The win was the first for Jim Harbaugh as HC in Ann Arbor.  The game was a pretty even affair with the Beavers trailing, 10-7  late in the second period.  Facing a 4th and 3 at the UM 39-yard line, the Beavers elected to punt.  The snap sailed over the head of Punter Nick Porebski and kept rolling until it was recovered by the Wolverines at OSU's three-yard line.  Smith squirted into the end zone just before halftime and the Maize and Blue dominated the rest of the way.  OSU QB Seth Collins was bottled up by the UM defense completing only 9 of 16 passes for 79 yards and a TD to go with 28 rushing yards in the loss.
Telling Stat: 16 for 12;  Michigan's defense owned Oregon State's offense in the second half.  Not only did Wolverines shut them out, they allowed only 12 total yards on 16 plays in the final 30 minutes. 

Arizona 44- Nevada 20: The Wildcats hit the road for the first time this season and did what many of us have not done.  They walked out of Reno as winners.  The Wolfpack was a fired up bunch, taking after the volatile nature of their HC Brian Polian who would pick up not one, but two unsportsmanlike penalties in the game.  The Wildcats managed to run away from the Wolfpack behind their dynamic backfield duo of QB Anu Solomon and RB Nick Wilson.  Solomon hit on 24 of 33 passes for 264 yards and two TDs while Wilson gashed the Pack for 203 yards on 21 carries and three TDs.  The Cats defense stopped the Nevada offense cold while the UofA offense went on a 20-0 run to put the game away.  Nevada QB Tyler Stewart completed 18 of 32 passes for two TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Too little too late; Nevada's lone TD and 66 of their 104 second half yards came late in the fourth quarter, long after UofA had the victory well in hand.

Stanford 31- Central Florida 0: It took a flea-flicker, but with 4:23 left in the second quarter, Stanford scored their first TD of the season.  QB Kevin Hogan connected with WR Michael Rector to give the Cardinal a lead they wouldn't surrender.  They also won by throwing the ball.  Yes, Stanford threw the ball. Hogan completed 17 of 29 passes for 341 yards and three TDs.  RB Barry Sanders, Jr. tallied SU's other TD with a 20 yard run.  UCF managed to gain only 181 total yards on the night with their only TD coming in garbage time.  RB Taj McGowan rushed for 70 yards, while WR Tre'Quan Smith hauled in a pass for the Golden Knights only score.
Telling Stat: A long time to get off the schnide; After nearly a game and a half or a full 85:37 of game time, Stanford scored their first TD of 2015.

Arizona State 35- Cal Poly SLO 21:  After being whipped by Texas A&M last week, the Sun Devils didn't exactly bounce back well, having to rally to beat the Mustangs.  It looked like ASU would run away from Cal Poly after taking a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.  Then the Mustangs woke up and outscored ASU, 21-7 over the next two periods.  The game stood tied at 21-21 midway through the fourth quarter and it looked like the Sun Devils may just lose their first game in newly renovated Sun Devil Stadium. QB Mike Bercovici then threw two TDs in the last eight minutes and the the Sun Devils  came away with a much harder than expected win.  Bercovici finished the game with 283 yards passing and three TDs.  Cal Poly's option offense racked up 323 rushing yards with RB Joe Protheroe gaining 130 of those yards on 28 carries and a TD on the night.
Telling State: One big stop; The ASU defense got the stop they needed after ASU took the lead late in the game holding for downs to avoid the upset. 

California 35- San Diego State 7: The Aztecs came out on their first drive of the game and went right down the field, capping of an 8-play, 71- yard drive with a 29-yard TD pass from QB Maxwell Smith to WR Daniel Brunskill.  The Golden Bears then shut out SDSU the rest of the way while scoring 35 unanswered points along the way.  Cal QB Jared Goff had a ho-hum day completing 17 of 24 aerials for 321 yards and three TDs.  As for the Cal ground attack, RB Daniel Lasco gained 123 yards on 19 carries and a TD to lead all rushers.  The Aztec offense was led by Smith who threw for 136 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: They got defensive; After allowing an early TD, Cal's defense shutout SDSU for the final 55 minutes of the game, forcing nine punts and two turnovers on SDSU's final 11 drives.

Michigan State 31- Oregon 28: It was a tough game that the Spartans controlled the whole way to earn a big win over the Webfoots.  MSU's defense stopped the Ducks four times on fourth downs en route to a win where they held  UO to just 28 points. The Spartans gave up plenty of yards, but held firm on the goal line.  In the loss, Duck QB Vernon Adams completed 22 of 39 tosses for 309 yards, a TD and two Interceptions. MSU QB Connor Cook completed 20 of 32 passes for 192 yards and two TDs for the victorious Spartans.
Telling Stat: Couldn't move the chains;  Oregon racked up plenty of yards against MSU, but converted on only 4 of 13 third downs and 2 of 6 fourth downs which was the difference in the game.    

Notre Dame 34- Virginia 27:  The Fighting Irish won, but lost to the Cavaliers.  Redshirt freshman QB DeShone Kizer took over for injured QB Malik Zaire and led the Irish to an exciting come from behind win by throwing a 39-yard TD pass to WR Will Fuller.  Kizer hit on the two-point conversion too.  The Irish ended up losing starting QB Malik Zaire for the year with a broken ankle.  As for Virginia they bounced back well after getting smacked by UCLA last week,  Wahoo QB Matt Johns completed 26 of 38 passes for  289 yards and two TDs in defeat.
Telling Stat: Can't keep winning like this;  ND is 2-0 and has lost their top RB and starting QB in those two games.

Observations

...Strange email;  I received an email that was delivered to my inbox by mistake. It was addressed to the fans of Fresno State.  It was from former HC Pat Hill.  All it said was, "Miss me, yet? -Love Pat"

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that after Michigan's win over Oregon State went final, that one of the prop bets that became available in Las Vegas was whether or not Colorado will finish with more Pac 12 wins than the Wolverines.

...Trash talk in Evanston; Northwestern DE Ifeadi Odenigbo says he expects the Wildcats to shutout Duke as the two unlikely unbeatens meet this week at Wallace Wade Stadium. I thought the guys at the smart schools knew all about not giving the other team bulletin board material.  SMH.

...Cupcake Karma; Arkansas HC Bret Bielema made headlines when he said that Ohio State doesn't play anybody (Which is true, by the way), then his Razorback squad went out and promptly got worked over by Toledo of the mighty MAC Conference . I think Bret choked on his cupcake.

...Not too hot; Anybody else underwhelmed by ASU so far this season?

...Laughing at y'all;  It was so much fun to watch three SEC teams fall out of the top 25 this week.

...She's got leg;  And yes, she does know how to use it.  Kent State PK April Gross became the second woman to score in a college football game when she knocked through a PAT in the Golden Flashes 45-13 win over Delaware State.  Her kick snuck in over the crossbar as it veered right, but in the scorebook it looks like it went down the middle with plenty of distance to spare.  Way to go, April!

...3rd and 6th;  USC is third in the Pac 12 passing offense, gaining 388.5 yard per game through the air behind Washington State and Cal.  The three schools rank 4th, 5th, and 6th in nation in this category as well.

...A 0, not an O;  Oregon just needs to change their logo to a zero to show their historical worth in big games.

...Shot Down like a bird in flight;  Louisville went form ranked to irrelevant in just two weeks. They beat Clemson to the punch this year for most overrated team in the ACC.

...A Big (10) start;  The Big Ten is having a great year so far while the SEC is reeling and the Pac 12 is not impressing anybody.

...The over/under is 7:30;  That's my line on how much time it will take ND HC Brian Kelly to lose it in his squad's game this week v. Georgia Tech.  Throw in ND's injury woes to go with the fact Kelly's squads have trouble stopping the option. The Ramblin' Wreck may ramble a great deal in South Bend.

...Crazy prediction alert;  Indiana may finish with more Big Ten wins than Penn State this year.

...32 years/22 months; DeLoss Dodds was the AD at Texas for 32 years.  His successor Steve Patterson lasted just 22 months.  His "lack of a  personality" rubbed the big boosters the wrong way and his pure business attitude rubbed the regular fans the wrong way too.  He raised football ticket prices after a 6-7 season last year and installed a "loyalty program" that graded all fans, (even the big boosters), on a point system based on how much money they contributed.  The feelings against Patterson had become so bad that a plane flying a banner that read "Patterson Must Go!" flew around the football stadium during the Longhorns home opener v. Rice.  Bye-Bye Steve.

...He's in!;  Great to see that Jake Olson has been cleared by the NCAA and will suit up as a walk on long snapper for the Trojans!!!!  Fight On, kid fight on!!!!

...Byrd and The Bird in Knoxville;  After Oklahoma came from behind to beat Tennessee, 31-24, at Neyland Stadium, OU safety Hatari Byrd gave the Volunteer faithful the middle finger.  I'd give the kid a break on this one. Why? well, because this author did the same thing as a young man to an opposing fan base in high school.  I'm sure it felt as good to Byrd to give the digital salute as it did when I gave it way back when in the era when concussions were just "dings" and Nike was just a running shoe company.

...SMH; Folks, Hawaii got shutout by the Buckeyes, but this may be a clue to why.  Watch this Play where Hawaii's guards pull and run into each other. Please click on the link in gray below.

Hawaii Guards, SMH

Vegas has noticed;  Cal was a 9.5 point underdog to Texas two weeks ago. Now after a 2-0 start and the Longhorns underwhelming start, the Golden Bears are 7 point favorites on the road at Austin

Cool Uniform of the Week:

Gotta love the Hawaii Rainbow Warrior throwback form the 1980s.  They looked great against Ohio State this past weekend.

Departments

Blowout of the Week:  Oshkosh, WI- The Titans of Wisconsin- Oshkosh hosted D-III newbie Finlandia College and whipped them, 86-0.  The 86 points were the most ever scored in UWO history. 11 different Titans scored TDs in the game and everybody on the roster played.  QB Brett Kasper spearheaded the offense for the Titans completing six of nine passes for 187 yards and three TDs in limited playing time.

Close Score Game of the Week: Alpine, TX- Southwestern University made a second quarter TD hold up in a 7-6 victory over McMurry College.  In this old school, rushing-field position-defensive struggle, the key play of the game was provided by Southwestern DE Mason Ford.  He blocked the PAT after McMurry opened the scoring with a 17-yard interception return for a TD by CB Jacob Ferguson.  The teams combined to rush the ball 77 times in this tight contest.

C.W. Post Press:  While the Pioneers offense sputtered and turned the ball over five times, the defense held strong and was the difference in Post's 40-31 win over the Assumption College Greyhounds.  Post's defense held tough forcing six Greyhound field goals and returned two turnovers for TDs to keep their offense in the game. Post QB Jeff Kidd ran for a TD and threw for 280 yards and another TD and the Pioneers held a slim 33-31 lead late.  With just 11 seconds left, LB Wayne Harris put Post in the win column when he returned an interception 46 yards for a TD.  The Pioneers escaped with a win despite having a -10 minute differential in T.O.P.  and allowing assumption to convert on 10 of 20 third downs.  Up next for the 2-0 Pioneers is a trip to Manchester, NH and date with the Saint Anselm Hawks.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

What's with this 90% humidity garbage?  This is California, not Florida.

Found a hole in the wall pizza place that serves mammoth calzones.  A first for south Orange County.

Kettle Brand's Buffalo Bleu Potato Chips rock.

Until next time folks, remember that whichever team wins the turnover battle, usually wins the game.

-The Commissioner

Week 1, 2015

Hey All,

The time has rolled around once again for the column that makes your Tuesdays better, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

USC 55- Arkansas State 6:  The Trojans opened up their season with a sloppy rout of the Red Wolves.  The Trojans were especially sloppy on the offensive line where QB Cody Kessler was sacked four times in the first half which forced USC to run most of its' passing plays on rollouts the rest of the game.  The Trojans also lost All-Everything CB Adoree Jackson early in the game with a hip flexor strain, but didn 't need him in this rout.  Kessler completed 19 of 26 for 236 yards and four TDs to lead the Trojan aerial assault.  Tre Madden led the USC ground attack with 106 yards on 12 carries and a TD.  Speedy Arky State QB Fredi Knighten was limited by the Trojan defense to just 86 yards passing and was picked off twice in the loss.
Telling Stat: Couldn't tell the players without a scorecard; With 23 Trojans making their debut in this game, it was a pleasant site for USC fans to see the depth they've been missing for the last few years.     

Hawaii 28- Colorado 20:  Take a nightmare of a start, add in a great deal of sloppy play and top that with Pac 12 refs at the finish finding the worst time to have problems spotting the ball and what you get is an embarrassing loss for Colorado.  The nightmare start for the Buffs was going three and out then having their first punt of the year blocked which Hawaii turned into an early 8-0 lead.  The sloppy play was throughout the game where CU outgained the Warriors,  yet critical penalties, dropped balls and a poor O-line led to the loss.  While running for his life all night. CU QB Sefo Liufau completed 23 of 40 passes for 158 yards and an Interception.  His teammate, RB Michael Adkins II rushed for 90 yards on 22 carries and both the Buffs TDs.  As for Hawaii, it was QB Max Wittek, yes that Max Wittek, who completed 19 of 38 passes for 202 yards and three TDs.  His main target was WR Marcus Kemp who hauled in six passes for 116 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: A bad six pack; In their first six possessions, Colorado had a punt blocked, punted three times, threw an interception, and fumbled which put the Buffs in a hole that they never could dig out of.

Oregon State 26- Weber State 7:  The Beavers ground out a solid win for HC Gary Andersen in his debut on the OSU sideline. While it became clear early on that the OSU defense would easily keep the Wildcat offense in check, it wasn't so clear as to who would emerge as the Beavers starting QB from here on out.  True freshman Seth Collins stepped up and won the job over Marcus McMaryion.  Collins completed 10 of 18 tosses for 92 yards and a pair of scores, but his big numbers were in the running game where he carried the ball 17 times for 152 yards.  As a team, OSU lived up to the buzz that their new offense is a run first spread attack by rushing the ball 56 times for 281 yards on the day.   OSU's new offense did struggle at times which led to PK Garrett Owens connecting on all four of his field goal attempts with his longest coming from 45 yards out.  As for the Wildcats, their lone highlight of the day came when DB Josh Burton picked off an errant OSU toss and returned it eight yards for a TD.
Telling Stat: 0 for 14; The OSU defense didn't allow Weber State to convert a single third or fourth down in the game which gave their offense the platform to find their way in this win.    

California 73- Grambling 14: It was evident quite early that Cal was on their game v. the woeful Tigers of the FCS.  The Golden Bears got two TD passes from QB Jared Goff, a TD run by RB Daniel Lasco and returned a pair of interceptions for TDs to build up a 35-0 lead after 15 minutes of play.  Cal built up a 52-0 lead at the half and then emptied the benches in this glorified scrimmage at Strawberry Canyon. Goff completed 24 of 32 passes for 309 yards and 3 TDs in one half's worth of play.
Telling Stat: 3 feet= a laugher; You know it's a blowout when three different Cal kickers converted PATs in the game.

Texas A&M 38- Arizona State 17:  It was big Pac 12-SEC showcase game at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, and the SEC came out on top as ASU choked in another neutral site game.  The Sun Devils were beaten by a pair of players that played their high school ball in Scottsdale. Aggie QB Kyle Allen Threw an early TD and ran for the game sealing TD despite being benched for most of the third and fourth quarters.  Allen finished his truncated night with 198 yards passing and 2 TDs to go with his one rushing TD.  Meanwhile, one of Allen's prime targets was his old Scottsdale buddy WR Christian Kirk who grabbed six aerials for 106 yards and a TD.  The tough Aggie defense made sure that ASU's offense never got untracked.  ASU QB Mike Bercovici complete 25 of 41 tosses for 199 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 1 less, 1 more, 1/2 as long; It's easy to see that the TAMU defense had shutdown the ASU offense when you realize that TAMU's Kyle Allen threw for only one less yard than ASU's Mike Bercovici and scored one more TD in half the playing time.

Northwestern 16- Stanford 6:  If I told you that one of the teams in this game used a good power running game and combined that with a strong, stingy defense and good special teams to grind out a hard fought victory, you would think that I'm describing a typical Stanford victory.  No so fast, my friend! (Sorry, had to go Corso there.) Northwestern flipped the script on the Cardinal and manhandled them in Evanston.  NU Fr. QB Clayton Thorson was efficient if not flashy, completing 12 of 24 passes for 105 yards and rushing for 68 yards.  42 of those 68 yards came when he raced 42 yards for the game's only TD in the second quarter.  Justin Jackson  also kept the chains moving for the Wildcats by gaining 134 yards on 28 carries.  The Northwestern defense shut down Stanford's rushing attack, holding the Cardinal to just 85 yards.  SU QB Kevin Hogan didn't fare much better against NU.  He complete 20 of 35 passes for just 155 yards and the interception that killed his team's final drive.
Telling Stat: They did it up front;  Northwestern's O and D lines dominated in this game.  The Wildcats 140 yard edge in the rushing game is a testament to that fact.

Oregon 61- Eastern Washington 42: The big story all week was about QB Vernon Adams being named starter for the Ducks and having to face his old EWU squad in the season opener. Maybe the story should have been about Oregon's sieve of a defense that gave up 549 yards and 42 points to an FCS school. For the Ducks, Adams did a pretty decent Marcus Mariota impression throwing for 246 yards and two TDs while rushing for 94 yards.  RB Royce freeman was Ducks best running back gaining 180 yards on 21 carries and three TDs.  As for the EWU offense, QBs Jordan West and Reilly Hennessey combined to complete 37 of 55 aerials for 438 yards and 5 TDs.  The prime target of those aerials was WR Cooper Kupp who caught 15 balls for 246 yards and three TDs.  The UO faithful couldn't breathe easy until EWU's pooch kickoff was fair caught 2:35 to go.
Telling Stat: 246/94/2, 200/24/3;  The first set of numbers are QB Vernon Adams' yards passing, rushing and TDs in his first start for UO. The second set are Marcus Mariota's from his first start for the Ducks back in 2012. It was a good debut for Adams.

Portland State 24- Washington State 17: The Cougars were 31 point favorites coming into this contest with the Vikings from the Big Sky Conference of the FCS.  The game was played in a cold driving rain storm, but the Cougars seemed to work through the rain and build up a 10-0 halftime lead thanks to a 21-yard field goal by PK Erik Powell and a 24-yard TD pass from QB Luke Falk to WR Keith Harrington.  PSU came out in the second with a bend-almost-to-the-point-of-breaking-but-don't-break defense and an offense that fed off that defense.  After fighting back to tie the game at 10 behind a four yard TD run by RB Paris Penn  and 42-yard field goal by PK Jonathan Gonzales, the Vikings defense came up with a huge stop.  They swatted away Wazzu's fourth down pass on their own 27-yard line. Momentum had shifted PSU's way.  After trading TDs, The Vikings went ahead for good on a 1-yard TD run by RB Steven Long, to lead 24-17 with just over two minutes to play. Wazzu's last drive died when PSU's Peyton Bender intercepted QB Alana Sibley's pass deep in Viking territory.
Telling Stat: All but the big one;  WSU beat PSU in every phase of this game except the scoreboard.

UCLA 34- Virginia 16:  True Frosh QB Josh Rosen's debut couldn't have gone any better for he and the rest of the bRuins as they whipped the Wahoos.  Rosen looked cool and calm as he completed 28 of 35 passes for 351 yards and three TDs . His performance paired well with a good game from the UCLA defense that allowed some yards, but held UVa to just 4 of 14 on third down conversions.  Myles Jack had another good game for the bRuins on defense as well as rushing for a TD to the aid the offense.  For The Wahoos, QB Matt Johns completed 21 of 35 tosses for 238 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: Not even that close; Viginia's lone TD came late in garbage time well after the bRuins had the game in hand.

Boise State 16- Washington 13: The big story line in this one was how would UW HC Chris Petersen's Huskies fare against the the school he built into a power before he took the job at UW. By halftime, the story turned into wondering if the Huskies could avoid a total humiliation by the Broncos.  At Halftime the Dawgs trailed 16-0 and hadn't shown any signs of life on offense. The UW defense got fired up and shutout the Broncos the rest of the way while the offense kept finding ways to keep drives alive and score.  True Frosh QB Jake Browning made up for a non-existent rushing game by leading the Dawgs to 13 unanswered  points. He then guided the team to a chance to send the game into overtime.  However, it wouldn't go to OT as PK Cameron Van Winkle's 46-yard field goal attempt slid wide right and the Dawgs lost.
Telling Stat: Second half shutdown; UW's defense held BSU to just 98 yards in the second half which allowed the Huskies offense a chance to comeback in the game.

Utah 24- Michigan 17: The M on his cap looked like Bo's.  His swagger on the sideline and his offensive and defensive schemes looked like what he used to forge a winner at Stanford. However, the talent level wasn't there and HC Jim Harbaugh's debut as HC of Michigan ended in defeat. The Wolverines did hang tough with the Utes, but turnovers and the one-two punch from Utah's backfield were the difference in this game.  Ute RB Devontae Booker gained 124 all-purpose yards and scored a TD while QB Travis Wilson, the pride of San Clemente High, completed 27 of 43 passes for 279 yards on the night.  Iowa transfer Jake Rudock didn't have a good night for the Maize and blue as he did throw for 279 yards and a pair of scores.  However, he threw three big interceptions, with the last one being returned 55 yards for a TD by DB Justin Thomas to seal the win for the Utes.
Telling Stat: A big, bad 3;  Even with Michigan's talent gap, this game was essentially an even contest, but UM's three turnovers handed the game to Utah. 

Arizona 42- UTSA 32: Last year, the Wildcats struggled with the Texas- San antonio Roadrunners and this year's game was no different.  However, UofA also lost All-American LB Scooby Wright early to a torn meniscus in his knee.  With Wright out, The Roadrunners picked apart the Wildcats secondary.  QB Blake Bogenschultz hit on 25 of 43 passes for 332 yards and a pair of TDs. he also ran for another score.  His top receiving target was WR David Morgan II who had nine catches for 109 yards and a score.  The UofA offense struggled a little less than the defense with QB Anu Solomon throwing for 229 yards and four TDs.  Wildcat fans didn't get a chance to celebrate this should-have-been-easy win until just over a minute left when the Bogenschultz's 4th down pass fell incomplete.
Telling Stat: When they needed it;  UofA's struggling offense put together a 12-play, 69 yard drive that took over five minutes off the clock late in the fourth quarter to preserve the win. 

Notre Dame 38- Texas 3: Fighting Irish QB Malik Zaire threw for 313 yards and three TDs to lead the Domers to a rout over a hapless Texas squad.  While Zaire and his offense were having their way with the Longhorns defense, the ND defense penned in the Longhorn offense.  Texas was held to 163 total yards with QB Tyrone Swoopes completing just 7 of 22 passes for just 93 yards.  Meanwhile, the UT ground game was worse with RB Johnathan Gray gaining 40 of the team's 60 rushing yards.  
Telling Stat: A total dome-ination; ND gained almost 400 more yards, held an almost 20 minute T.O.P. edge and made 22 more first downs than Texas in this rout.

Observations

...Embarrassed for the big uglies; The offensive line play in Pac 12 was pretty offensive this past weekend.  ASU, USC and Stanford's lines were especially poor.

...Yes, they went there; Is the big story about Okie State's unimpressive win over Central Michigan the fact that Cowboys looked pretty bad in the win or is it that Okie State actually played a road game at Central Michigan?

...The pressure is off in Boulder;  Looks like Colorado fans won't need to save any money for bowl game tickets after their opening loss at Hawaii.

...Blue and White flood gate;  Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg was sacked 10 times in the Nittany Lions embarrassing, 27-10 loss to Temple. The worst sack however was when Temple rushed only two players and dropped nine back in coverage.  Yes, he was sacked by a two man rush.

...This just in;  Wazzu's season ended on Saturday.  It's a bulletin because nobody really watched their loss to Portland State because it was on the Pac 12 Network.

...Hold that Heisman;  Let's just turn down the hype on UCLA QB Josh Rosen.  He's surrounded by 18 returning starters.

...It's the moral victory tour and it's coming to take you away;  Michigan and Washington had their tickets punched for the tour in week one.  Translation: it's gonna be a long year in Ann Arbor and Seattle.

...Six packs under wraps;  Anybody notice that?  One of the new NCAA rules for this year is that nobody can tuck their jersey under the pads, or cut them off short and play.

...Not Jim's kids; Funny how Stanford has slipped a couple of notches after the last of the kids recruited by Harbaugh have graduated.  Hmmmmm.

...No memo sent; with Charlie Weis gone as the HC at Kansas, South Dakota State didn't get any memo explaining the Jayhawks schematic advantage.  The uninformed Jackrabbits beat KU, 41-38.  Can a school drop football in the middle of a season?

...Adding insult to defeat; After watching their New Mexico State Aggies get pummeled 61-13 by Florida, members of the NMSU athletic department staff returned to their bus only to find it had been burglarized. Sigh.

...Young pups; Washington has the fewest number of returning starters in the Pac 12 with nine. Wow.

...Like Bo; In addition to wearing all-white road uniforms like in the early days of Michigan football under Bo Schembechler, HC Jim Harbaugh will also hand out award stickers to the Wolverines.

...38/71;  The first number is how many Trojans played in the Holiday Bowl last year.  The second number is how many played in USC's opener v. Arkansas State last week.  What difference a year and a few scholarships makes.

...Stay classy Salt Lake City;  After the powers that be in SLC got felony aggravated robbery charges dropped against Utah starting CB Dominique Hatfield, he was readmitted to the school and is now back on the team.  According to Utah HC Kyle Whittingham, Hatfield had suffered "enough punishment." Funny how "enough punishment" coincided with his Hatfield's backup being beaten like a drum by Michigan wideouts last week.

...Must be the first game;  you know it's the first game of the season for Ohio State because none of the helmets have Buckeyes on them.

...10/18/1941;  That was the date the last time Temple beat Penn State before their 27-10 win over the Nittany Lions last Saturday.   How long ago really was that game? Well, it was played 10 years before facemarks were allowed on helmets.

...Getting warm in Lincoln;  Is it too early to say that Nebraska HC Mike Riley is on the hot seat?

Special Section:  Targeting in Texas

Marble Falls, TX- In case you haven't heard, a referee was targeted and leveled by a pair of players from John Jay High School at end of that school's 15-9 loss to Marble Falls High School, The video here is pretty hard to watch.  This kind of thing can't happen in football on any level. My feelings run right along with Austin Football Officials Secretary Wayne Elliot who told the Associated Press, "The first thing we want is that those two kids never play football again."

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Louisville wins for this horrible ensemble. One, the huge Cardinal head on one side of the helmet is creepy.  Two, the Old English L on the other side of the helmet is just unreadable.  Three, the old English font used for the names on the back is plain ugly.  It looks like someone was having fun with the fonts on their new label maker.  Epic fail, Louisville, epic fail.

Departments

Blowout of the Week: Silver City, NM- The season opener was a grand one for the Western New Mexico Mustangs who trounced the Arizona Christian Firestorm, 70-14.  The Mustangs ran up 685 yards of offense and scored 10 TDs in the game.  The big offensive star for WNMU was QB Mitch Glasman who connected on 26 of 34 passes for 416 yards and six TDs.

Low Score Game of the Week:  Hillsboro, KS- Northwestern (IA) went on the road and kicked their way to a 9-7 victory over the Tabor College Blue Jays.  PK Justin Dittman booted three field goals covering 36, 20, and 19 yards in the first half to lift his team to victory.  This game was a battle of strong defenses or inept offenses as the two teams combined to convert on 2 of 29 third downs in the contest.

C.W. Post Press: East Stroudsburg, PA- When QB Steve Laurino and his big arm graduated from Post, the search was on for who would step into his shoes.  The Pioneers look to be just fine with Jr. QB Jeff Kidd stepping in those shoes. Kidd earned the nickname "Comeback Kidd" Saturday by throwing for two TDs in last 6:36 to lead the Pioneers to a 41-40 victory over East Stroudsburg. Kidd completed 29 of 45 passes for 381 yards and three TDs.  Post RB Malik Pierre gained 117 yards on just 11 carries with a TD of his own to lead all rushers.  Up next for the Pioneers is their home opener vs. the Assumption College Greyhounds.

This Week's Three Notes About Something

...It's good to be breathing.

...It's good to be walking.

...It's good to be writing.


Until next week folks, remember that a good offensive line is worth its' weight in gold.

-The Commissioner