Hey All,
As hurricanes hit and the summer comes to a very hot and wild end, take a little time to enjoy another edition of your favorite column, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Mal Florence.
Summaries
USC 42- Stanford 24: The Trojans hit the field last Saturday against Stanford with many doubts after their lackluster win over Western Michigan in an overheated Coliseum the week before. The Trojans left no doubt about how good they can be after their aggressive beatdown of the Cardinal. The Trojans dominated this game on both sides of the ball. USC's, young O-line repeatedly opened huge holes for the running game while protecting QB San Darnold well. Their efforts let USC's talent roll. RB Ronald Jones II toted the rock 23 times for 116 yards and two TDs. His tough inside running made RB Stephen Carr look even faster as he gained 119 yards on 11 carries and made one reception out of the backfield where his stutter-step left a poor Cardinal DB looking for his jock afterwards. Then, Sam Darnold played like Sam Darnold. He hit on his first 11 passes en route to competing 21 of 26 passes for 316 yards four TDs and two interceptions. On the defensive side of things, it seems the Trojan defensive line played most of the game in the Stanford backfield. DE/LB Uchenna Nwosu had periods of the game where he just couldn't be blocked. The Trojan defense swatted a few passes and nailed Stanford QB Keller Chryst at every opportunity. For the Cardinal, RB Bryce Love is a pretty good replacement for Christian McCaffrey. He ran for 160 yards on 17 carries with a chunk of those yards coming on a 75-yard TD run early in the contest. Chryst had a decent night throwing competing 15 of 28 passes for 172 yards and a pair of TDs, He didn't really have much time to throw the ball most of the game.
Telling Stat: They took the air out of the ball; With a 28-17 lead heading into the third quarter, USC killed the clock, holding the ball for 21:01 in the second half to snuff out any chance for a Stanford comeback.
Colorado 37- Texas State 3: It took the offense about 40 minuites to warm up, but the Buffalo defense held The Bobcats from San Marcos, TX in check from the get go in Boulder. CU's special teams started the scoring when WR Laviska Shenault picked up the fumble from fellow CU WR Isaiah Oliver on a punt return and raced 55 yards to the house for a TD. A 2-yard jaunt by QB Steven Montez gave CU a 14-0 lead at the break. The squads traded field goals to start the third period, then the Buffs offense woke up and scored the final 20 points of the game to finish off the Bobcats. RB Philip Lindsay rushed the ball 26 times for 87 yards and scored a TD to lead all runners. QB Steven Montez competed 19 of 31 passes for 299 yards and an interception for the Buffs. Texas State had no real offensive production to speak of.
Telling Stat: Wait for us; While the Colorado offense took the scenic route to 37 points, the Buffalo defense walloped the Bobcats. They allowed no drive longer than seven plays, forced two turnovers and held Texas State to 2-of-15 on third down conversions.
Oregon 42- Nebraska 35: It was all smiles in Eugene as the Ducks built up a 42-14 lead over The Cornshukers. The Ducks held a 389-186 yardage advantage and punted only once in the first 30 minutes. UO QB Justin Herbert had thrown three TD passes and RB Royce Freeman had two rushing TDs. The Ducks lead seemed so comfortable that Phil Knight even quit calling plays from his private box. Then, the second half happened. The Nebraska defense shut down the Quacks. They forced four punts, created two turnovers and helped cause a missed field goal. Meanwhile, the Huskers offense started to gel. Two third quarter TDs came when WR Stanley Morgan, Jr. hauled in two TD passes from QB Tanner Lee. Oregon nursed a tenuous 14-point lead until the Huskers drew within a score with 2:47 left. RB Mikale Wilbon slammed over the double stripe from two yards out. A rattled Duck squad then went 3-and-out. The Big Red had a first down at their own 43-yard line when Lee threw his fourth pick of the game. A grateful Duck squad ran out the clock and escaped with the win. Lee finished the game competing 19 of 41 aerials for 3TDs and four costly interceptions.
Telling Stat: 14-7; Oregon scored two TDs off turnovers to Nebraska's one and that was the difference in the game.
UCLA 56- Hawaii 23: After jumping out to a 2-0 start for the season with wins over such powers as UMass and Western Carolina, Hawaii jumped up in class to take on the bRuins at the Rose Bowl. UCLA dismantled the Warriors with ease. UCLA showed no signs of hangover after their comeback win over Texas A&M. bRuin QB Josh Rosen completed 22 of 25 tosses for 329 yards and five TDs on his way to the win. One of his favorite targets was WR Darren Andrews who caught three of Rosen's tosses for scores. WR Theo Howard caught a team high seven passes for 110 yards and a score of his own. Hawaii did pile up a bunch of yards and some points on UCLA, but most of that action occurred well after the game was out of reach. RB Diocemy Saint Juste gained 154 yards on 27 carries in the lopsided loss.
Telling Stat: 28:57; That was the amount of garbage time in this game after UCLA went up 42-7 on the Warriors to start the third quarter.
California 33- Weber State 20: The Golden Bears got a big win on the road at UNC last week. As the fourth quarter started at Memorial Stadium, it looks like they were about to incur an embarrassing home loss to the Wildcats from the Big Sky Conference. That's when Cal RB Patrick Laird took over the game. Laird carried the ball nine times in the final period for 115 yards and two TDs to put the game away for the boys from Berkeley. At the 9:37 mark of the 4th, Laird scored from a yard out to give Cal a 27-20 lead. He then iced the game with a 73-yard TD jaunt with 1:48 to play. Laird finished the game with 191 yards and three TDs on 12 carries. For Weber State, QB Stefan Cantwel threw for 431 yards and ran for 61 yards with a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: They bent, but didn't break; Twice in the fourth quarter Weber State put together long drives only to be held for downs by the Cal defense. The Wildcats were stopped on Cal's 13 and 5-yard lines on those two drives.
Washington 63- Montana 7: The Dawgs took on FCS power and Big Sky foe Montana and made them look like... well.. an FCS team. UW did what the did in a lot of games last year. The offense hit the ground running and wasn't stopped. They built-up a 21-7 lead in the first period on a 1-yard run by QB Jake Browning, a 4-yard TD run by RB Miles Gaskin and a 67-yard punt return for a TD by PR Dante Pettis. The offense then put 14 points per quarter the rest of the way for the easy win. Browning led the Dawgs offense by cooly competing 22 of 26 tosses for 259 yards and two scores. Eight different UW RBs combined to lug the leather 37 times for 213 yards and five TDs. The Husky defense limited the overmatched Grizzlies to 162 total yards.
Telling Stat: Not even that close; Montana's only score came on a pick six thrown by UW QB Jake Browning. The UW defense shutout Montana. They forced seven three-and-outs in the game and created turnovers on three other drives by the Grizzlies in this laugher.
Minnesota 48- Oregon State 14: After a stumbling, bumbling win over Buffalo to start their season, the Golden Gophers came to Corvallis and skinned the Beavers. Minnesota jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on a 67-yard TD pass from QB Conor Rhoda to wideout Tyler Johnson. The Beavers fumbled on their next two possessions and Minnesota turned those miscues into 10 more points behind a 2-yard run by RB Shannon Brooks and a 26-yard field goal by PK Emmit Carpenter. OSU got off the deck and closed the gap to 17-14 behind a 16-yard pass from QB Jake Luton to WR Jordan Villain and short TD burst from RB Trevorris Johnson. That three point deficit would be as close as OSU would get to the Gophers the rest of the way. The Gophers scored the final 31 points off the day to coast to victory. Minnesota RB Shannon Brooks led all rushers with 91 yards and three TDs on 17 carries. He was part of a Gopher rushing attack that ran the ball 58 times for 253 yards on the Beavers. UM ran so swell that QB Conor Rhoda only attempted eight passes, but he completed seven of those for 158 yard and a TD. Jake Luton finished the day with 16 completions in 28 attempts and a TD.
Telling Stat: Second half smackdown; Not only did Minnesota shutout Oregon State, 28-0 in the second half. The Gopher defense dominated. They only allowed one first down, and 35 total yards.
Utah 19- BYU 13: The Utes came to Provo for the latest edition of the Holy War and walked out with their seventh straight win over the Cougars. QB Tyler Huntley pretty much was the offense for the Utes. He accounted for 389 of Utah's 430 total yards. He completed 27 of 36 aerials for 300 yards, ran for 89 yards and scored Utah's only TD. The special teams and defense were stars for Utah too. PK Matt Gay hit on all four of his field goal attempts while the Utah defense was busy holding BYU to 233 total yards. Tyler Mangum led what could be called an offense for BYU with 170 yards passing, one TD and three interceptions.
Telling Stat: Not an elite eight; BYU RB Ula Tolutau's 1-yard TD run in the third quarter v Utah was the Cougars' first TD in eight quarters and only their third TD of the season.
Washington State 47- Boise State 44 3OT: At the 10:53 mark off the third quarter it looked like Wazzu had "Couged It" in another early season game. Boise held a 31-10 lead and WSU QB Kevin Falk was injured. So, what did Wazzu do? They just pulled off the second straight 30-plus point comeback in two weeks by a Pac 12 team. Backup QB Tyler Hilinski competed 25 of 33 passes for 240 yards and three TDs to pace the huge comeback bid. While Hilinski was doing his thing, the WSU defense shutdown the Broncos. In the final 23 minutes of regulation, Wazzu held BSU to 21 yards and scored on a pick six from LB Peyton Pelluer. The teams traded FGs and TDs in the first two overtimes, then the WSU defense held Boise to another FG to start the third extra frame. Hilinski went to work and hit RB Jamal Morrow who made a mad 22-yard dash which ended with him diving over the pylon for the game-winning TD.
Telling Stat: He outgunned 'em; Tyler Hilinski's 240 yards passing in under two quarters was three yards more than BSU's QBs threw for all game.
Houston 19- Arizona 16: After battling Hurricane Harvey last week, Houston went to Tucson and got their first win over a feisty young bunch of Wildcats. This game was a see-saw affair. Both teams traded field goals in the first quarter and TDs in the second quarter. UH took control of the game for good with their second TD of the period just before halftime on a 3-yard run by RB Dillon Braden. The Cougars only scoring of the second half came from their defense early in the third quarter when they forced a fumble by UofA QB Brandon Dawkins that was recovered by one of his OL in the end zone for a safety. Arizona's defense did their job by keeping UH off the scoreboard. The Wildcat offense just couldn't put enough plays together to win. The Wildcats did get two field goals to close the gap, but it wasn't enough. UofA's final two drives ended in an interception and a turnover on downs deep in their own territory. Houston QB and Texas A&M transfer Kyle Allen completed 25 of 32 passes for 225 yards, a TD and two interceptions. For the Wildcats, Dawkins completed 17 of 29 passes for 178 yards and ran for 26 yards on 13 carries in the losing effort. The win was the first as a HC for Houston's Major Applewhite.
Telling Stat: They set the table and nobody came; The Arizona defense shutout the Houston offense in there second half, holding the Cougars to just 118 yards and forcing two turnovers. UofA's anemic offense just couldn't seal the deal.
San Diego State 30- Arizona State 20: The Rashaad Penny Show featuring the Aztec defense took center stage in the Valley of the Sun. Penny got the scoring started for the night when he took a handoff on 3rd-and-6 from his own 5-yard line and raced 95 yards to paydirt. ASU then answered with an 85-yard drive to even the score at 7-7 when Penny struck again. He took the ensuing kickoff and went 99 yards to give SDSU the lead for good. Penny burned the Sun Devils again later in the third quarter when QB Christian Chapman found him for a 33-yard scoring strike. ASU finished the scoring with a TD that put them within striking distance with 8:34 to play, but defensive miscues, penalties and one of the worst hurry-up offenses ever run wiped out any hopes for a win. When the dust settled, Penny torched ASU for 353 all purpose yard and all three Aztec TDs. QB Manny Wilkins threw for 298 yard and two big interceptions to lead the ASU attack.
Telling Stat: 10 for the win; With their lead cut to 10 points with 8:34 to play, SDSU ripped off a 10 play, 45-yard drive that shaved 5:46 off the clock to ensure victory for the Aztecs.
Observations
...Home field disadvantage; Ohio State and Oklahoma have squared off against each other four times. The visitor is 4-0 in the series.
...A couple of other guys to add.; USC football writer Dan Weber wrote that somewhere John McKay is smiling after the way the Trojans ran over Stanford. I know John Robinson loved it and somewhere Howard Jones is smiling too.
...He was right; When WSU HC Mike Leach was asked as he ran off the field for halftime what he would have to do on defense to comeback against Boise State, he said, "Play offense."
...Taking it back; Many analysts with short memories keep saying this week how USC out-Stanforded Stanford. Wrong. USC took its' traditional identity back after too long an absence.
...Bold prediction; SDSU will make it to the Mountain West Championship Game again. The Aztecs are a good team in a bad West Division. All the other good teams in the league are in the Mountain Division.
...Sackless Beavers; Oregon State has failed to register a QB sack through three games this season.
...A sieve in the desert; ASU has given up 13 sacks in two games.
...All good now; I was on a team as a young mediocre player that gave up 10 sacks in one game. I now don't feel so bad after Auburn gave up 11 sacks v. Clemson.
...Dead last; There are 130 FBS teams this year. Through this point of the young season, the worst pass defense of those 130 teams is Theee Ohio State University. The Buckeyes are giving up 403 yards game through the air. Ouch.
...8, 8:30, 9; Those were the kickoff times of the Washington State, Arizona and ASU games this week. Thanks, Larry Scott.
...He just didn't want to be a Pirate; East Carolina DC Kenwick Thompson has been "re-assigned to a non-coaching role." Can't find fault with the move. The Pirates are 0-2 and have given up 1252 yards in their two losses.
...Laundry on the carpet; The Pac 12 refs are in midseason form. For the 11 games featuring Pac 12 teams over the weekend, there were 146 accepted penalties. That breaks down to a shade over 13 flags per game for 118 yards. Thanks, Larry Scott.
...They will come, dude; SDSU drew over 46K at Qualcom for their home opener two weeks ago and will easily draw over 50K for their upcoming tilt with Stanford after the Aztecs manhandled ASU last Saturday.
...Memo to North Carolina; Don't worry Tar Heel fans, Midnight Madness is only a couple of months away.
...Get your Power Five win here; With their 17-10 loss to UTSA, Baylor has handed two straight programs their first ever win v. a power five school.
...3rd and Yuma; How bad was ASU's offense v. SDSU last week? At one point in the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils faced a 3rd and 42 situation. Crazy thing is after an offsides call against SDSU, the Sun Devils converted with a 53-yard TD pass.
...This just in; Notre Dame HC Brian Kelly is a jerk. He's also a jerk that will be not coaching in South Bend much longer.
...One for my father; Slippery Rock won their season opener, defeating West Chester, 49-42.
...Not one for me; Occidental got spanked, 61-6 in their opener at Puget Sound.
...Never saw that before; I'll let the title of this video from the Mississippi State-Louisina Tech game speak for itself. How a team gets 3rd-and-goal from their own 7-yard line.
...Take it easy, Francis; OU's Baker Mayfield needs to quit channeling his inner Johnny Manziel.
...Memo to Baylor fans; Changing QBs won't help. You just stink.
...Hmmm; Imagine what Georgia might have done to ND if their starting QB had played.
...He was his own worst enemy. In an NFL note, Arizona Cardinals TE Jermaine Gresham had a TD reception called back on a holding penalty committed by...Jermaine Gresham. He held his defender on his release off the line at the snap of the ball.
He Wrote It
The San Francisco Chronicle's Bruce Jenkins wrote a fine final paragraph of his story on USC's win over Stanford, "And the band played on. Oh, did the USC band play on, unveiling the same tired riff every 18 seconds or so. It's not a bit tedious to Trojans' fans however, and on a night like this- recalling so many unstoppable USC performances of the past- even the slightest quibble seemed hollow." The Chronicle
Pac 12 Week 2 Overreactions
Rich Rodriguez will soon be fired at Arizona.
ASU QB Manny Wilkins won't make it through October.
Colorado is a very boring team.
Oregon will fold against a physical team.
Oregon State will go 0-9 in Pac 12 play.
USC can run the table.
UCLA can't run the ball.
Cal has started playing like Cal again. Take that any way you wish.
Stanford isn't that tough.
Washington will lose at Colorado.
Wazzu can win the Pac 12 North.
Ugly Uniform of the Week
There is a theme here. Wear all-yellow uniforms and win this award. This week's honoree is Appalachian State.
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Ellendale, ND- The Grinnell College Pioneers got a pair of TD runs by RB Carson Dunn and a safety to hold off the Trinity Bible College Lions, 15-6. Grinnell held Trinity to jut 44 yards rushing and 5 of 13 on third down conversions to grab the win.
Blowout Game of the Week: Golden, CO- in the home of Coors Beer, the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers whipped the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys, 70-0. The Orediggers ran up 673 yards of offense with 462 of those yards coming on the ground. RB Cameron Mayberry gained 189 yards and scored 3 TDs on a mere 11 carries. The Oredigger defense was pretty outstanding. They held NMHU to nine yards rushing, 181 total yards and 2 of 13 on third down conversions.
Georgetown Football News: Buies Creek, NC- The Hoyas got a 32-yard fumble from LB John Williamson with 1:27 to play to pull our a 16-10 win over the Fighting Camels of Campbell University. The Hoyas got the win despite being thoroughly outplayed the whole game. It is fitting the defense won this game, GU's offense totaled only eight first downs and held there ball foe only 25 minutes. Next up for the Hoyas wis a home date with the Marist Red Foxes.
Razorback Report: The Hogs showed little offense and their defense got worn down in a 28-7 loss to TCU that really wasn't as close as it looked. The Horned Frogs took the rushing game away from Arkansas, holding the Hogs to just 129 yards rushing. They also held the Razorbacks to just 4 of 14 on third downs. The Hogs inability to convert led to them only running 53 plays in the contest. Up next for the Hogs is date at Jerryworld with Texas A&M on 9/23.
This Week's Three Notes about Nothing...
Vernor's Ginger Ale is pretty good.
Nathan's Hot Dogs rock too.
Why are there nutrition facts on a bottle of water?
Until next time folks, remember that running the ball well wins most games.
-The Commissioner
