It's time for the column you know you're waiting to read on Tuesdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.
We still miss you, Tom Kelly.
Summaries
USC 45- Notre Dame 27: The Adoree Jackson show took center stage in the rain soaked Coliseum to lead the Trojans past the Fighting Irish. Jackson finished the game with 291 all-purpose yards. He scored on a 52-yard pass reception, a 55-yard punt return and a 97-yard kickoff return. His scores were sorely needed as the Trojan offense sputtered at times due to the rain and a pride-filled ND defense. Lost in the performance of Jackson was SC RB Ronald Jones III gashing the Irish for 134 yards on 16 carries and topping the 1,000 yard mark for the season. USC QB Sam Darnold had an "off" game, but still completed 19 of 29 passes for 205 yards and two TDs. For Notre Dame, RB Josh Adams had a huge day, rushing for 180 yards on 17 carries, which included a 74-yarder where he just rumbled through the center of the USC defense. QB DeShone Kizer was rushed and battered by the USC defense all day, but still managed to throw for 220 yards, a pair of TDs, and one huge interception that USC's Ajene Harris took back for a TD just before the half to give the Trojans some much needed breathing room.
Telling Stat: 14 in :17= Control; USC was nursing a 10-7 lead late the first half when over a span of 17 seconds they got a 55-yard punt return TD by Adoree Jackson and a 33-yard interception return for a TD by DB Ajene Harris to boost USC to a 24-7 halftime lead and control of the game.
Washington 45- Washington State 17: Pullman was rocking as the battle for the Apple Cup also happened to be the battle for the Pac 12 North. The home crowd envisioned their Cougars moving on to the Pac 12 title game. The visiting Huskies dashed those hopes quickly when they moved out to a 28-3 first quarter lead and then cruised the rest of the way to victory. UW QB Jake Browning threw three TD passes in that first period. RB Myles Gaskin ran for UW's other first quarter score and the rout was on. Without his security blanket, WR River Cracraft, WSU QB Luke Falk looked lost for most of the game. Falk was held well below his season averages completing 33 of 50 passes for 269 yards, a TD and three Interceptions. WSU's reliable rushing attack was taken out of the mix as the Cougars were in such a deep early hole, they had to throw almost every down. Browning finished the game completing 21 of 29 tosses for 292 yards and those three TDs for the Dawgs.
Telling Stat: Running Dawgs; Washington once again started fast en route to a win. UW outscored WSU 28-3 with a 244-65 yardage edge, while forcing a turnover, and a pair of punts in the first quarter.
Arizona 56- Arizona 35: The Wildcats came into this contest with a 2-9 record and playing for pride. ASU was playing for bowl eligibility. On this night pride won. The Wildcats ran over, around through, and in between ASU defenders en route to 511 rushing yards and a rivalry victory. Despite UofA's ground prowess, ASU managed to keep it close trailing just 35-28 midway through the third quarter. The Wildcats managed to pull away from then on, outscoring ASU 21-7 over the final 20 minutes to claim the victory and the Territorial Cup. Three Wildcats rushed for over 100 yards on the game. QB Brandon Dawkins rushed 12 times for 184 yards and two TDs. RB Samajie Grant rushed for 176 yardson 19 carries and three TDs, while his backfield mate RB Zach Green rand for 126 yards on 14 carries and two scores. For ASU, QB Manny Wilkins threw for 372 yards and three TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Wildcats running wild; Arizona averaged 10.6 yards per carry as a team in this game. UofA backs broke off individual runs of 52, 56, 63, 68, and 71 yards on the hapless ASU defense.
California 36- UCLA 10: In the cold and wet of Berkeley, the Golden Bears kept some faint bowl hopes alive with the arm of QB Davis Webb and the leg of PK Matt Anderson. Webb threw for 301 yard and a pair of TDs while Anderson connected on five field goals to lift the Bears. However their best TD came when 330 pound FB Mailk Jackson "leapt" over from the one-yard line to put Cal up 19-7 midway through the third quarter. While Cal's offense was kicking their way to a win, UCLA's offense was non-existent once again with the bRuins rushing for just 84 yards and gaining 260 total. Cal held ULCA to just 11 first downs and 3 of 13 on third down. UCLA QB Mike Fafaul threw for 176 yards a TD and an interception in his last game as a bRuin.
Telling Stat: Just playing keep away; Cal held the ball for 15:28 of the last 18:10 of the game to end UCLA's season.
Oregon State 34- Oregon 24: In rainy Corvallis, Beaver RB Ryan Nall rushed for four TDs to lead OSU to their first win over Oregon since 2007. Nall finished with 155 yards to go with those four TDs and OSU ran for 310 yards as a team on the Quacks. Oregon QB Justin Herbert threw for 180 yards and a TD in the loss. The Beavers owned the fourth quarter, shutting out UO 13-0 to claim the win.
Telling Stat: The drop that started the celebration; With :56 left, UO WR Jeremy Mundt dropped a fourth down pass in the end zone. That drop sealed the win for the Beavers and started the celebration in Corvallis.
Stanford 41- Rice 17: The Cardinal finished off their regular season by running all over one of the worst defenses in the FBS. RB Christian McCaffrey toted the rock 30 times for 204 yards and a TD. His backup RB Bryce Love rushed for 111 yards on seven carries with a TD against the punchless Rice defense. QB Keller Chryst efficiently managed the SU offense completing 11 of 16 passes for 154 yards and a pair of TDs. The Cardinal defense held the Owls in check all night allowing just 124 yards passing and 291 total yards. RB Jowan Davis rushed for 49 yards and both of Rice's TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Defensive shutdown; While the Stanford offense was running up 266 yards and a 20-0 lead through the first quarter and a half, their defense was busy holding Rice to just 37 yards, forcing five punts and allowing just one first down.
Observations
...Do they matter? If Ohio State gets into the College Football Playoff, we will know that conference titles don't mean a thing. Wait, they don't mean a thing in the Big Ten and SEC. Does anybody think an ACC, Big XII, or Pac 12 team with Ohio State's resume would get a shot to get into the playoff?
...Pushed from the nest; HC Charlie Partridge was fired after gong 9-27 in three years at Florida Atlantic. Don't be surprised to see him land on a big staff with his defensive knowledge.
...Feeling that special; Trojan fans all are happy that Clay Helton was able to hire back John Baxter as his special teams coach this year.
...Happy thought; Oregon is the sole owner of last place in the Pac 12 North.
...Big brother having fun; Okie State HC Mike Gundy joked that his WR Dede Westbrook has overcome the coaching of his position coach to become a great receiver. Mike Gundy's younger brother Cale is the Oklahoma WR coach.
...Back burner title game; With all the hubbub about Ohio State and Michigan, it seems the actual Big Ten title game featuring Wisconsin and Penn State is being ignored.
...Sorry Irish; That rain wasn't holy water that fell on the Coliseum, it was coolant for the red hot Trojans.
...You know the Arizona State defense is heaving a bad game when; Miss Arizona makes the best tackle of the night on an Arizona ball carrier. Unexpected Tackler
...The nature of the beast; No matter if it was a 4, 8, or a 16 team playoff, there will always be those saying that not enough teams are in the college football playoff. In hoops every year we hear about how some poor team got left out and there are 68 teams in The Big Dance.
...Older than statehood; The Territorial Cup Trophy that is battled for by Arizona and Arizona State each year has been around since 1899 when the Grand Canyon state was still a U.S. Territory. That's why it's called the Territorial Cup. The trophy predates Arizona statehood by 13 years.
...There is an O in C-USA; The average score of the six C-USA conference games this week was 51-25.
...What a way to go out; With a win this week, Idaho will go 8-4. Yes, Idaho. The team that is dropping back down to the FCS level next year. The school that has been a non conference whipping buoy of the Pac 12 for years will go bowling this year.
...That 70s week; For the first weeks since the NCAA has made distinctions between major and non major colleges for football, three teams scored 75+ points. Navy beat SMU 75-31, Middle Tennessee State beat Florida Atlantic 77-56 and Pitt beat Syracuse 77-61. Wow.
...Two more gone; San Jose State fired HC Ron Caragher Sunday and Nevada fired Brian Polian. With the firing earlier this year of Fresno's Tim DeRuyter, that means a full 25% of the Mountain West Conference has fired their HCs.
...Some thoughts for those in Westwood to ponder ; Your "Chosen One" QB may never play again, your HC has a worse record than Karl Dorrell with a 15 million dollar buyout, you are just 12-13 over the last two seasons, you haven't been to a Rose Bowl since last century and USC is on the rise again. It may be time to dig up Sam Gilbert and start paying for basketball players again.
...Paging John Cooper; Florida HC Jim McElwain is the first SEC HC to take his team to the SEC title game in his first two years. However that ain't good enough in Gainesville. Losing twice to FSU and being blown out by Bama last year has him on the hot seat with Gator fans.
...Stumbling champs; Wyoming and SDSU got smacked on their way to the Mountain West title game. Wyoming gave up a school record 568 yards rushing in a 53-35 loss at New Mexico while SDSU got torched through the air by Colorado State in a 63-31 home loss. So, the Cowboys will Face the Aztecs next with both teams having lost two of their last three games.
...The Buffs unsung hero; Yes, HC Mike MacIntyre will get all the coach of the year honors in the Pac 12 and maybe nationally, but the best move he made was hiring former USF HC Jim Leavitt as his DC last year.
...You may not stay as HC if; Your school's overlord and benefactor attends someone else's rivalry game. Oregon Dark Lord of the Athletic Sith Phil Knight attend the Ohio State-Michigan game rather than the Oregon-Oregon State game this past weekend. Now, HC Mark Helfrich has a meeting with Phil Knight puppet AKA Oregon AD Rob Mullens to "discuss his future" this week. So long, Mark.
...He gone; Charlie Strong was ushered out of the Texas job by TCU this week. Tom Herman is now officially in. If there's anybody who doesn't think that Herman basically had the job from October on, I have some oceanfront property in Arizona for sale.
...Crying a River in Pullman; Losing WR River Cracraft for the season three weeks ago has devastated Wazzu.
...Possession matters; Rivalry trophies are great when your team has them.
...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that Tucson police were called over to campus to investigate the disappearance of ASU's defense shortly after kickoff last week.
...After Herman; Now that Tom Herman has been snapped up, the new HC flavor of the Month is P.J. Fleck of Western Michigan. Don't be surprised if he's on the Oregon sideline next year.
...Note to Jim Harbaugh; I don't remember Bo Schembechler whining about the refs much.
...Pac 12 agenda?; Colorado did not get a single penalty called against them v. Utah. Hmmmmm.
...He Gone II; Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey looks to be headed to the NFL.
...A standing "O"vation; Trojan fans are thrilled that Ed Orgeron go the LSU job. He was beloved at USC. I was lucky enough to talk to him a few times and hang out with him at a couple of USC fantasy camps. His energy is infectious and his upbeat manner always left me laughing. Go get 'em, coach O.
...Bad hit; ACC referee Ron Cherry is not happy that ND is an associate member of the league after he got leveled by USC LB Michael Hutchings at the end of a play last Saturday. Leveled
A Northern Champion
QB Henry Burris tossed an 18-yard TD pass to WR Ernest Jackson in overtime to lift the Ottawa Redblacks to a 39-33 overtime win over the Calgary Stampeders in the 104th Grey Cup. That's not bad a for a team that came into the CFL in 2014. Way to go, eh?
Canadian Football Trivia Tidbit
The Canadian championship trophy is called the Grey Cup because it was original commissioned in 1899 by Canada's governor general Lord Earl Grey. He originally wanted it to be a hockey trophy, but some guy name Stanley stole the thunder on that one. So, he sent the cup to the football players. Oh, and Lord Earl Grey is the same Earl Grey as in Earl Grey tea.
Great Trojan Photo of the Week
It's a pretty cool thing for Trojan fans to see their most exciting player Adoree Jackson with both rivalry trophies in hand.
Going Bowling
There are currently 75 bowl eligible teams for the 82 available spots. That means that seven sub .500 teams will go bowling according to my math. ESPN says there are 80 slots, I say 82 counting that there are 41 bowls this year not including the National Title game. The Sun Belt still has a bubble teams in Louisiana Lafayette and South Alabama who could still reach bowl eligibility when they play this week. So, that's 77 teams at best that will be bowl eligible. Here's the list of the current group of 5-7 teams...
Power 5: Texas, Texas Tech, Cal, ASU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State
Non Power 5: SMU, North Texas, Akron, Northern Illinois, Nevada.
The fact that I'm writing about this still confirms the fact that there way too many bowl games.
Ugly Uniform of the Week
This Week BYU takes home the honors for this all-black ensemble. One, the colors don't go together and two, BYU just can never ever look tough in any uniform.
Departments
C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY- The great ride that was the 2016 season came to an end for the Pioneers as they lost 40-21 to the Shepherd University Rams in the second round of the Division II playoffs. The game stood deadlocked at 7-7 after one quarter, then the Rams took control of the game in the second quarter behind three TD passes from QB Jeff Ziemba. Throw in a couple of missed PATs and Shepherd led 26-7 at the break. Post got back into the gam in the third quarter when they marched 96 yards in seven plays to cut Shepherd's lead to 26-14. RB David White did the honors with a 5-yard TD run. After trading scores, the Pioneers still trailed 33-21 in the fourth period when Ziemba threw his fourth TD pass of the Day to WR Billy Brown. That would be the game sealing TD for the Rams. Zambia finished the day committing 25 of 35 passes for 375 yards and four scores. In the loss, Post QB Jeff Kidd completed 25 of 43 passes for 288 yards and a TD. Shepherd now advances to the D-II semifinals where they will face California of Pennsylvania. Post finishes the year at 12-1. That's the best record in school history and the Pioneers hosted two playoff games for the first time ever too. The Pioneers had a great year, they just came up a little short.
Razorback Report: Arknasas held a 24-7 lead at the half at Missouri, but couldn't hold on as the Tigers shutout the Hogs 21-0 for a 28-24 comeback win. RB Rawleigh Williams III had another good day, rushing for 117 yards and a TD on 25 carries while QB Anthony Allen threw for 348 yards, a TD and two interceptions. The last of which essentially ended the Razorbacks hopes of winning the game came on fourth and goal at the Mizzou 5-yard line. Arkansas finishes the year at 7-5 and will wait for their bowl bid this week.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Moana is a really fun movie.
Thanksgiving leftovers are the best leftovers.
Toy trains around a Christmas Tree are always cool.
Until next time remember that a great special teams unit is indeed special.
-The Commissioner
