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.
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
