Week 9, 2017

Hey All,

Happy Halloween to all and I hope the candy rolls in for all of you tonight.  Here's the treat of another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Dr. Z, Paul Zimmerman.

Summaries

USC 48- Arizona State 17: The Trojans came to Tempe and stuck a pitchfork in the Sun Devils.  The Trojans that turned in that embarrassing effort last week at Notre Dame were nowhere to be seen at ASU.  Last Saturday's Trojans built up a 31-3 lead in the first 29 minutes of the first half due to three TD passes from QB San Darnold, a 67-yard TD run form RB Ronald Jones II and a 51-yard field goal from PK Chase McGrath. The last minute of the half was an adventure that led to a Hail Mary TD being handed to the Sun Devils by a USC secondary that didn't knock down the pass and a Pac 12 replay crew that decided that no clear angle was good enough for them to overturn the call on the field of incomplete. The Trojans and Sun Devils were brought out of the locker room for the PAT.  ASU then took the second half kickoff and drove 75-yards in 11 plays to cut USC's lead to 31-17 on a one-yard TD plunge by QB Manny Wilkins. The Trojans then dashed ASU's comeback hopes when Jones busted a 64-yard TD run through the tired Sun Devils defense.  While the USC offense was having a fine game, the defense played pretty well too.  SC registered six sacks with DE Uchenna Nwosu and DT Rasheem Green getting three each. The defense also scored the final points of the night when DB Ykili Ross picked off a pass and took it back 37 yards to paydirt. For USC, Sam Darnold completed 19 of 35 passes for 266 yards and three TDs.  His favorite target was emerging star wideout Tyler Vaughns who grabbed six passes for 126 yards and two scores.  Jones led SC's rushing attack with 216 yards on  18 carries and those two long TD runs.  For ASU, Wilkins threw for 259 yards and a TD when he wasn't trying to run away from USC's pass rush.
Telling Stat: They couldn't move the chains;  One of the big keys to USC's victory was holding Arizona State to just 1 of 12 one third down conversions.

Washington 44- UCLA 23: The bRuins went to Seattle and played tough for about 20 minutes, then the Huskies proceeded to blowout their visitors.  The Huskies took advantage of UCLA's pourous rush defense.  The Dawgs rushed for 333 yards on the day with RBs Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman doing the damage. Gaskin rushed for 159 yards on 27 carries and a TD while Coleman rushed for 94 yards on 14 carries with three TDs.  It was a light day for UW QB Jake Browning who put up very Stanford-like stats.  He completed eight of 11 tosses for 98 yards. As for UCLA, QB Josh Rosen was battered for almost a full three quarters by the Dawgs defense before exiting the game with an injury to his non-throwing hand. WR Darren Andrews was UCLA's top offense player with eight receptions for 73 yards and a TD.  The UW defense held UCLA to just 232 total yards and just 3 of 14 on third downs.
Telling Stat: 58/12;  When you are facing the worst rushing defense in the league why throw?  Washington ran the ball 58 times and passed just 12 times to literally run UCLA out of Husky Stadium. 

Stanford 15- Oregon State 14: In another one of those wacky weekday encounters, the Beavers almost took out the Cardinal.  Stanford entered the game without Bryce Love and their offense suffered. The Cardinal were held to 81 yards rushing with RB Cameron Scarlett showing that he was no Bryce Love, gaining only 72 yards on 17 carries.  Oregon State didn't fare much better, but did manage to put up two TDs on a 3-yard run by QB Darrell Garretson and an 18-yard run by RB Thomas Tyner. Those TDs paced OSU to a 14-9 lead as the fourth period started.  With 2:30 left, it looked like the Beavers had the upset well in hand and were running out the clock.  Then, OSU RB Ryan Nall was nailed in the backfield by SU NT Harrison Phillips.  Phillips forced Ball to fumble and then recovered the ball on OSU's 40-yard line. Nine plays and a pair of PI calls on OSU in the end zone later, Stanford went ahead 15-14 with :20 left. QB Keller Chryst hit WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside with the game-winning TD pass.
Telling Stat: -2 = L;  Oregon State won this game everywhere but the scoreboard. They finished -2 in the turnover department and that cost them the game.

Oregon 41- Utah 20: The Utes had to have known that Oregon was still pretty much a one-dimensional team. Down two QBs for the third straight week, the Ducks relied heavily on the run and an opportunistic defense to hand the Utes their fourth straight conference loss and snap their own three-game skid.  UO turned a 10-3 second quarter lead into a 17-3 lead when CB Ugochukwu Amadi scooped up a Utah fumble and raced 47 yard to the end zone.  Utah climbed back into the game, down 17-6 in the third quarter when QB Tyler Huntley's pass on 4th and 1 was tipped, but fell into the hands of RT Darrin Paulo who was laying flat on back in the end zone for a TD. Oregon then scored the next 17 points to put the game away. The Ducks ran all over the Utes with RB Royce Freeman gaining 139 yards on 20 carries and Tony Brooks-James gaining 105 yards on six carries and a TD.  Meanwhile, Utah's Huntley threw for 293 yards and a pair of scores in the loss.
Telling Stat: 347-91;  Oregon won this game the way many games have been won for a long time, they ran the ball and stopped the run. The Ducks rushed for 347 yards and held the Utes to 91 yards to win the game.

Colorado 44- California 28: Last week at Washington State Buffs QB Steven Montez was benched in a 28-0 loss.  This week, Montez bounced back in a big way at home. Montez torched the Cal secondary completing 20 of 26 passes for 347 yards and three TDs. Montez also ran for a TD too.  Colorado needed all of Montez's heroics and a little more to hold off the Golden Bears. With 2:34 left and the Bears trailing 37-21, Bowers threw a pass into the end zone on 1st and 10 at the Cal 11-yard line.  That pass was picked off nine yards deep in the end zone by CB Nick Fisher who didn't take a knee.  He elected to bring the ball out.  Luckily for him, it was a good decision.  Fisher took the ball all the way back for the game-sealing touchdown. Officially, it goes down as a 100-yard return due to NCAA rules, but it covered 109 yards. Aside from that one horrible pick, Bowers finished the day with 359 yards passing and three TDs.  Bowers two favorite targets were WRs Jordan Veasy and Kanawai Noa. They each hauled in seven passes for a total of 219 yards and three scores. Oh, and CU RB Phillip Lindsay had a good day too. He ran for 161 yards on 33 carries.
Telling Stat: 5 for 6; Colorado started this game with a punt, then scored on their next five drives to end the first half to establish a lead that they would never relinquish en route to a victory. 

Arizona 58- Washington State 37: The Khalil Tate show entertained and thrilled the folks at Arizona Stadium and the 11 people who who have Pac 12-Arizona for the fourth straight week.  Tate rushed for 158 yards and a TD and threw for 275 yards and two more scores to lead the Wildcats to the win.  While the Wildcats offense was having its' way with the Wazzu speed defense, the Cougar tallied plenty of yards, but not enough points.  WSU QB Luke Falk was pulled by HC Mike Leach late in the first half with the Cougars down, 20-7. In came backup QB Tyler Hilinski who would have an incredible/awful night.  The incredible was that he threw for 509 yards and a pair of scores in relief.  He did bring the Cougs back to take the lead at 27-23 midway through the third period.  The awful was that he threw four interceptions.  Two of those were turned into TDs by the Wildcats who put away the Cougars in the fourth quarter.  When it was over, the stats showed this was a sloppy shootout. The teams combined for 1,231 yards of offense, 45 first downs and seven turnovers.
Telling Stat: 13 is lucky for UofA;  Arizona put up 58 points despite only making 13 first downs in the game.  The Wildcats picked yards by the bucketful, averaging 11.47 yards per play in this wild one in Tucson.

Observations

...0-4/4-0;  Utah went winless for October while Arizona went undefeated for the month.

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that Josh Rosen was held out of the end of the bRuins loss at Washington to protect his career as a hand model.

...No views for you;  The Pac 12 Network and CBS don't have a content sharing agreement.  Does anybody think it is wise to limit your league's exposure when you have a weak, lousy network like the Pac 12 Network?  Way to go, Larry Scott.

...Another loss to the Gators;  Florida firing their HC is just another thing that Florida has beaten Tennessee at this year.

...Love is one;  Even with missing the Cardinal's game at Oregon State, RB Bryce Love is till the nation's rushing leader with 1387 yards.  That's 19 yard ahead of SDSU's Rashaad Penny.

...Not really national;  Folks are saying this is the week, the nation will see UofA QB Khalil Tate play on a national stage at USC this week.  With the game starting at 10:45 on the East Coast, I don't think many will see him play even when the clocks will fall back in the fourth quarter.

...He might go home again; Current UCF HC and former Husker National Champion QB Scott Frost is at the top of most folks at Nebraska's list to replace Mike Riley at the end of this season.  However, it may not be easy to get Frost back.  Here's a great article on Frost in the Omaha World Herald.
A big maybe

...Ummm Duh;  NCAA President Mark Emmert announced that the public is losing confidence in the NCAA and the governing of college athletics.  Hey Mark, that happened many years ago.

...Penn-ciled out;  Penn State does a great job blowing big leads in big games.

...Sound loss; The renovation of Sun Devil Stadium has made it a much quieter yard.

...A little chippy;  Tensions were pretty high at the start of the Tennessee-Kentucky game where the teams had a confrontation after the opening kickoff and several skirmishes followed in the first quarter. This led the referees to issue personal foul penalties to every member of each team.  Yes, everyone was penalized.  You can see this here...He flagged 'em all!

...Larry strikes again;  This Friday will mark the sixth time in the last two seasons that a Pac 12 team will play back-to-back road games with the second game being on a Friday.  The previous five times, that team has lost the Friday game. UCLA will play at Utah on Friday.

...On, Brave old Army team; For the first time in forever, the Black Knights of the Hudson received a vote in the AP Poll.  Army became one of the teams known as Other Receiving Votes when Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun ranked the Cadets at #24.

...Not Husker-like; Nebraska ranks 13th in the Big Ten in rushing offense.

...Lion letdown;  I touted them all year and Columbia let me down, they fell at Yale, 23-6 and will most likely not win the Ivy League this year.  It is still one of the best years in a long time for Columbia football. Got Lions!

...The coveted 2 slot;  The biggest fight in the Big XII won't be over who finishes first, it will be over who finishes second.  Remember, the league has no divisions and the top two teams will play in the conference title game.

Pac 12 Overreactions

Arizona State will lose two more games.
Arizona will go as far as Khalil Tate can take them.
California won't win another road game.
Stanford isn't that tough.
UCLA will be glad when the Rosen era is over.
USC without turnovers is a dangerous team.
Wazzu is Sun Bowl bound.
Washington still won't win at Stanford.
Oregon State will go 1-8 in Pac 12 play.
Oregon will lose to Oregon State.
Utah is LasVegas Bowl bound.
Colorado is Foster Farms Bowl bound.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

This week's winner are the Ohio State Buckeyes.  The Buckeyes have a classic look with their Scarlet  jerseys and silver pants at home,  which makes this uniform so bad.  What really makes this so bad for me are the red buckeye decals on the helmets.  They look like a rash.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Washington, D.C.- RB Pedro Garcia raced into the end zone from seven yards out to give the Catholic University of America Cardinals a 10-7 win over the Norwich University Cadets in a New England Men's & Women's Athletic Conference game. CUA managed to win this game despite going a combined 0 for 12 on third and fourth down conversions.

Blowout Game of the Week: Grand Junction, CO- This week's game comes from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in Division II.  It was homecoming for the Colorado-Mesa Mavericks and they did not disappoint the home crowd with a 77-14 thumping of the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys.  The Mavericks ran and passed over, around and through the NMHU defense to build up a 63-0 halftime lead. QB Eystin Salum completed nine of 12 passes for 299 yards and four TDs in one half's worth of work. His backfield mate, RB David Tann rushed for 167 yards and three TDs on 14 carries. Oh, and while the Mavericks didn't attempt a field goal, they made all 11 of their PAT attempts.

C.W. Post Press: Pleasantville, NY- The Pioneers picked up their third straight win with a 41-14 pasting of the Pace University Setters.  The Pioneers overcame a 7-6 second quarter deficit thanks to the combo of QB Yianni Gavalas and RB Malik Pierre.  Pierre accounted for Post's first four scores as he had a pair of one-yard TD runs and TD receptions of 14 and eight yards.  Pierre finished the day with only 133 all-purpose yards, but he was sure able to find the end zone.  Gavalas threw four TD passes total in the game and completed 25 of 34 passes for 327 yards. The Post defense held Pace to 175 total yards with just 46 of those yards coming through the air.  Next week will be Senior Day for the Pioneers and they will host Merrimack College.

Georgetown Football News: Worcester, MA- The Hoyas and Holy Cross took turns scoring in this game.  GU scored in the first and third periods, while Holy Cross tallied points in the second and fourth periods.  Holy Cross made the most of their periods and sent the Hoyas down to defeat, 24-10. Despite being held to zero yards rushing, the Hoyas hung tough in this one, trailing just 13-10 at the start of the fourth quarter.  However, Holy Cross wouldn't let the Hoyas get any closer.  Crusader PK Jackson McClarty connected on a 24-yard field goal and QB Peter Pujais worked his way into the end zone form a yard out to put the game out of reach.  GU QB Gunther Johnson threw for 181 yards and a TD in the loss.  Up next for the 1-7 Hoyas is Homecoming v. the Leopards of Lafayette.

Razorback Report:  It looked like another horrible loss for the Hogs as they fell behind 31-7 to Ole Miss in the second quarter.  The Arkansas defense then woke ups and forced two turnovers which were turned into touchdown by the offense and suddenly the Hogs were back in this game, trailing 31-21 at the half. The Razorbacks did pull within three points of the Rebels early in the third period, but seemed doomed to defeat down 37-28 and having just thrown an interception with a little over six minutes left.  Ole Miss then opened the door to their defeat.  A poor mesh on the RPO led to a fumble that Arkansas took back for a TD and suddenly it was a 37-35 game. Ole Miss was then forced to punt on their ensuing possession. The Razorbacks then went on a 12 play drive that covered 62 yards. It was capped off by a 34-yard field goal from PK Connor Limpert with :04 left and Arkansas walked out of Oxford with a 38-37 win.  Uo next for the Hogs is a home date with Coastal Carolina.

This Week's Three Notes About Arizona Fall League baseball...

Old Scottsdale Stadium looked just about the same as the last time I'd seen the place in 1994.

Low key is the rule in the AZ fall league. Free parking, eight dollar GA tickets and a single open concession stand serve to enforce this rule. 

There is may not be a quieter place than left field in a mostly empty ballpark. For the the kids in the league who are supposed to be the next wave of Major Leaguers, it shows how far a leap it still is to The Show.

Until next week folks, remember that running the ball well still wins most ballgames.

-The Commissioner

Week 8, 2017

Hey All,

It's time to take your minds off the heat and rehash this past football weekend with another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We really miss you, Marv Goux.

Summaries

Notre Dame 49- USC 14: The Trojans rolled into South Bend to take on an inspired, physical, disciplined, and prepared Irish squad.  The Trojans played uninspired, soft, undisciplined, and unprepared football.  The score above is the direct result of all that.  The stats bear this out as SC was run over by the Irish.  RB Josh Adams gained 191 yards on just 14 carries with three TDs. One of his scores was an 84-yard dash straight up the middle through the hapless Trojans. ND QB Brandon Wimbush ran for 106 yards and two TDs.  He also threw for two TDs as well. USC QB Sam Darnold completed 20 of 28 passes for 229 yards an a pair of touchdowns.  Most of Sam's numbers were compiled well after the game was decided.
Telling Stat: Rushing 301;  ND put on a masters level class in rushing the football, outgaining USC by 301 yards (377-76) to literally run away with this game. 

Washington State 28- Colorado 0:  The mercury dipped to the low 40s with wind and driving rain up in the Palouse for this conference tilt. The Cougars bounced back from their debacle in Berkeley last week and shutout the hapless Buffaloes.  The WSU Air Raid offense had some trouble in the conditions, so the Cougars did the unthinkable; they ran the ball.  They gained 194 yards on 35 carries as a team.  RB Jamal Morrow gained 73 yards on 11 carries with a TD to be the Cougars leading ground gainer.  Luke Falk wasn't great in the rain, but he didn't need to be.  He completed 17 of 34 passes for 197 yards and three TDs.  As for the Buffaloes, RB Philip Lindsay gained 98 yards on 29 carries, but never made any huge plays. Colorado's passing game was rendered nearly non-existent by the WSU defense and the conditions. Three CU QBs combined to complete 13 of 34 tosses for a paltry 94 yards.  CU's offense converted only 1 of 17 third downs in the loss.
Telling Stat: 1 of 15;  Colorado had 15 drives in this game and they only penetrated deeper than the Wazzu 40-yard line once in those 15 drives.  That's not good.

Arizona State 30- Utah 10:  The Sun Devils showed no let up after their upset of Washington last week. They went to Salt Lake City and dismantled the Utes on a crisp, clear day.  Utah hoped their offense would become more explosive with the return of QB Tyler Huntley.  Huntley's arm was strong, but his aim was off.  He completed only 19 of 35 passes for 155 yards, zero TDs and four interceptions. His final interception was returned for the game-clinching TD. Utah' s defense started strong, but wore down as the game went on.  They held ASU to field goals on their first three scoring drives, but those field goal drives turned into touchdown drives as they wore down.  ASU didn't light up the stat sheet, gaining just 345 total yards, but they kept the chains moving, and the points piling up.  RB's DeMario Richard and Kalen Ballage combined to carry the ball 32 times for 168 yards and a TD.  ASU stuffed the Utes ground attack  holding RB Zack Moss to 49 yards on 12 carries.
Telling Stat: They just kept grinding;  ASU converted on 8 of 16 third downs and held the ball for 36:19 to slowly wear down Utah and leave Salt Lake City with a big win.

UCLA 31- Oregon 14: This game played out as expected. Oregon could run the ball, but had no passing attack. UCLA could do both and came away with the win at the Rose Bowl.  The bRuins jumped out to a 14-0 lead on a four-yard run by RB Soso Jamabo and a 31-yard TD pass from QB Josh Rosen to wideout Christian Pabico.  UCLA'a run defense is suspect, so it's no surprise that Oregon was able to get back into the game.  UO QB Braxton Burmeister crossed the double stripe from seven yards and four yards out to send the teams to the intermission tied at 14-14.  However, UCLA stifled the one-dimensional Ducks for the final half.  A field goal by PK J.J. Molson, (yes, Molson as in Molson brewing), an acrobatic 22-yard run by RB Bob Olorunfunmi and a a one-yard TD toss from Rosen to RB Darren Andrews finished off the scoring and the Ducks.  For the Quacks, RB Royce Freeman ran for 160 yards on 29 carries in the loss. For UCLA Rosen completed 21 of 36 passes for 266 yards and two scores, while the tandem of Olorunfunmi and Jamabo combined for 142 yards on 28 carries and two TDs.
Telling Stat: They can't fly;  For the second straight game, Oregon has failed to gain over 100 yards passing.  Being one dimensional has taken the Ducks from contenders to pretenders in the Pac 12 North.

Arizona 45- California 44 2OT: UofA hit the ground running at Cal and built up a 21-7 halftime lead with three rushing TDs. The scoring runs were a 30-yard jaunt by RB J.J. Taylor, a 76-yarder from QB Khalil Tate and a 13-yard run by RB Zach Green. Cal's offense got up off the deck in the third quarter behind an 8-yard TD pass and a 4-yard TD run by QB Ross Bowers. Trailing 28-21, Cal tied the game with an 18-yard TD run from RB Patrick Laird.  The teams traded field goals in the final 5 minutes and the game headed to overtime.  Both defense were pretty gassed at this point.  They traded TDs in the first OT.  They traded TDs again in the second OT, but the Golden Bears eschewed a PAT to send the game to a third OT.  Bowers' two-point conversion pass fell incomplete and the Wildcats escaped with the win.  Khalil Tate ran for 137 yards and a TD and threw for 166 yards and two more TDs to lead UofA'a offense.  For Cal, the combo of Bowers and Laird did most of their damage.  Bowers competed 29 of 49 passes for 301 yards, two TDs and two picks. Laird gained 130 yards on 28 carries and scored twice.
Telling Stat: One bad call;  Cal was home and had momentum in overtime.  Cal's coaching staff cost this team a real shot at the win with the decision to go for two in the second OT.

Observations

...35 twice;  Only two times in the last 50 years has USC lost a game by 35 or more points.  Clay Helton has been at the helm for both of those losses.

...Cyclone Warning!;  Iowa State is 5-2 and ranked for the first time since 2005.

...A different looking sky;  Another couple of wins and Northern Arizona could be the Big Sky champs.

...LA heat; When USC travels to Tempe to take on Arizona State this week, the Trojans will face cooler weather. With the current heat wave, it's about 5+ degrees hotter in L.A than Tempe. Wow.

...Not a great pair;  The Pac 12 South and Big Ten West are the two worst divisions in the power five conferences.

...A sleepover and a miss; Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh made waves with a sleepover last year at PK recruit Quinn Nordin's house.  That sleepover helped convince Nordin to switch his commitment from Penn Sate to Michigan.  Nordin missed a PAT against Penn State last week.

...Southern snoozing;  Alabama has made the SEC race look about as exciting as waiting for a new set of tires to be put on your car.

...Birds of a position group; Michigan CB Lavert Hill and Tennessee CB Rashaan Gaulden both flipped the digital salute to opposing fans in their blowout losses last weekend.  I know I've flipped my share of birds over the years under far less stressful conditions. I wonder why this hasn't happened more often.

...Just a thought;  Why did the Big Ten put Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State all in the same division?

...LA Heat- Part II;  Tuesday's game one of the World Series in Los Angeles will be the hottest temperature ever recorded for the opening game of a World Series. It is forecast to be 96 degrees at first pitch.  That would break the record of 94 degrees to start game one of the 2001 series at Arizona'a Chase Field.  Yes, the roof was open for that game.

...Wow; I know not a soul thought that one of the big games this week would be TCU at Iowa State.

...A kid adrift;  Why isn't there a QB coach on the sideline to talk to Sam Darnold after each series?  QB Coaches are just about always there for their position group.  Why isn't there one at SC?

...And then there were three; Baylor, UTEP, and Georgia Southern are the only winless teams left in the FBS.

...Outscoring to win;  Arizona will be in shootouts for the rest of the year.

...Two legs up on the defense;  UCLA RB Bob Olorunfunmi's  22-yard TD run late in the third quarter against Oregon ended with quite the acrobatic twist.  Shoulders up!

...Farm-stand;  The last best hope for anybody to knock Notre Dame out of the college football playoff is Stanford.  A win by the Cardinal over the Irish would knock ND out of it all.

...A rapid downhill slide;  In two weeks, San Diego State has gone from the inside track to grab a spot in a New Year's Six bowl from the group of five to second place in the West Division of the MWC.  Fresno State whipped the Aztecs, 27-3 last week. Oh, and by the way, Fresno State is 4-0 in MWC play.

...Still roaring; Columbia held off a late charge by Dartmouth and moved to 3-0 in Ivy League play.  The Blue Lions will travel to Yale this week.  The winner will have the inside track to the Ivy League crown.

...The kid is good;  UofA QB Khalil Tate has been named the Pac 12 Offensive Player of the week for the third consecutive week.


...The Pirate Speaks;  WSU did beat Colorado 28-0, but Mike Leach's rant on his squad is great in the post game presser.
Soft Cougars

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that USC will be replacing their defensive front seven with TSA agents because the agents would at least stop opposing offenses momentarily to check their IDs and pat them down on the way to the end zone.

...Bowling on the Hudson;  Immediately after beating Temple, 31-28 in OT last Saturday, Army became the first team to accept a bowl bid this season. The Black Knights will be playing in the 2017 Lockheed-Martin Armed Forces Bowl.  Check out this link to see how excited the Cadets are.
On, Brave Old Army Team

...#2;  Georgia Southern HC Tyson Summers became the second FBS HC to be fired this season.  Summers was only in his second year at the school, but a 5-13 record was too much for the GSU admin to take.

...21 for 44;  Kansas was held to 21 total yards in their 43-0 loss at TCU last weekend. The 21 yards are the fewest that any FBS team has gained in the last 20 years and the lowest total yards in Big 12 history. Couple that with the fact that the loss tied the NCAA record for road losses, KU has lost 44 consecutive road games.  The Jayhawks have actually lost 47 straight away from home, but those other three losses were at neutral sites. Kansas will break the consecutive road loss record at Texas in three weeks.

Special Section: A short Season- The demise of Occidental College Football

The announcement from Occidental that they have cancelled the remaining games on their 2017 schedule wasn't a shocker to those around the program.   They started the season with 47 players and were down to 30 due to injuries. The squad was down to just six total lineman on both sides of the ball. I see how they just couldn't go on.   For those not familiar, the Tigers are a part of the fabric of Los Angeles.  In the early days, the Tigers squared off against SC and UCLA... and won.  Jack Kemp played QB for the Tigers, the elder Jim Mora played there and so did I.  I only spent one year there.  It was the wrong school for me, but as always the gridiron was my home.  I was a freshman OL when we had 18 OL on the squad.  I was called an "oft-used reserve", (AKA Benchwarmer) in an article in my old home town paper 30 years ago. However, I did play a little and did experience a rivalry game.  I was part of the FG block unit that wiped out a fake field goal attempt to preserve a 6-0 win over Whittier College. We took back the rivalry trophy known as "The Shoes" and celebrated that night.   It's kind of sad to think that trophy is just gonna collect dust somewhere and may never be played for again.  What really makes it feel even worse is that Whittier has the trophy.
LA Times
Oxy Official Statement

Pac 12 overreactions

USC is soft.
UCLA will ruin someone's season.
Cal's coaches will lose them two more games.
Utah has packed it in.
Colorado will lose the rest of their games.
Oregon won't make a bowl.
Oregon State will finish 1-8 in conference play.
ASU is on the rise.
Arizona doesn't have the defense to beat ASU.
Washington won't go to the playoff if they win the Pac 12.
Wazzu can't beat Washington or Stanford.
Stanford just keeps getting stronger.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

This week's winner is Arkansas for wearing an all-grey uniform that obscured the helmet logo so much that i can't tell if it's the Hogs or Arkansas State on the field.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: New Concord, OH- The Polar Bears of Ohio Northern turned a blocked PAT into a 7-6 win over the Muskingum Fighting Muskies.  Muskingum scored first on a 10-yard TD pass from QB Brody Hahn to WR Cameron Near.  However, DL Jaymar Hines blocked the point after attempt and the Muskies held a slim 6-0 lead.  In the third period ONU tallied the game winner when RB Christian Williams hit paydirt form two yards out. PK Chase Watson hit the PAT and the ONU defense held on for the win.  Williams led all rushers with 168 yards on 38 carries.

Blowout Game of the Week: St Paul. MN- The Tommies of St. Thomas (MN) smashed the Pipers of Hamline College, 84-0.  The Tommies ran up 669 yards of total offense and everyone saw playing time.  Only one player scored more than one TD for the Tommies.  The STU defense held Hamilne to -1 rushing yards, 71 total yards, and five first downs.

C.W. Post Press: Springfield, MA- The Pioneers played a dominating first half,  then put up a stronger second half to beat the American International College Yellow Jackets, 70-21.  Yinani Gavalas was accurate to say the least.  He connected on 14 of 16 passes for 184 yards and four TDs. RB Malik Pierre only carried the ball eight times, but he gained 139 yards and scored three TDs.  AIC QB Kwame Jarvis threw for 336 yards and three TDs, but most of those stats were compiled after the game was well in hand.  Up next for the Pioneers is a trip to Pleasantville, NY to take on the Pace University Setters.

Georgetown Football News: Washington, D.C.- It was a tight game instead of a blowout, but the result was similar for the Hoyas who remain winless in Patriot League play after a 17-9 loss to Fordham. The Hoyas trailed at the half, 8-6 thanks to having a PAT blocked and returned for two points. The Hoyas did get a 27- yard field goal to take the lead in the third quarter, but Fordham got a 10-yard TD pass from QB Luke Medlock to WR Austin Long in the same period and a 31-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to come away with the win.  Up next for the Hoyas is a trip to Worcester, MA to face the Holy Cross Crusaders.

Razorback Report: The Hogs hosted the Auburn Tigers who took all their LSU frustration out on their hosts.  Auburn used a 28-point third period to turn a 17-6 affair into a rout.  RB Kmaryn Pettway rushed for 93 yards and three TDs while his QB Jarrett Stidham threw for 218 yards.  Arkansas was outgained by the Tigers 629-334. The Hogs will travel to Oxford to play Ole Miss next week.  There's no word yet on the asking price for Arkansas HC Bret Bielema's home.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

The Wind & Sea in Dana Point Harbor is a beautiful place on Sunday morning.

It's hard think about fall colors and pumpkins when it is 100+ degrees outside.

However, it is very easy to think about Halloween candy when it is 100+ degrees outside.

Until next week folks, remember that teams take on the personality of their head coach.

-The Commissioner

Week 7, 2017

Hey All,

It's time for another edition of that the column that makes Tuesdays feel like Saturdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still, miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 28- Utah 27: It was a tale of two halves at the Coliseum.  USC handed an inspired looking Utah squad three turnovers and the Utes turned those into 14 points and a 21-7 halftime advantage.  USC couldn't run the ball, stop the run and was being manhandled by the Utes. Then, the second half happened.  After forcing a Utah punt start the third quarter, QB Sam Darnold led USC on a 16-play 98 yard drive to cut their deficit to just seven points when Darnold found TE Tyler Petite for their second scoring hookup of the day.  As the USC got defensive stops, the Utah defense got gassed.  USC's run game really started to open up with RB Ronald Jones II ripping off runs of 15 and 16 yards at the start of what would be an 11-play, 88-yard drive that was capped off by another Darnold TD pass to tie the game.  This one was to TE Josh Falo. With 8:31 left to play, USC set off on another long drive.  This one covered 93 yards in 11 plays.  Darnold used his legs to keep this drive going. On 3rd and 10 from his own seven, Darnold tucked the ball and ran 14 yards for a first down.  After a nine-yard completion to WR Deontay Burnett, USC then ran over the gassed Utes.  Jones ran for 15 yards, then for seven yards.  RB Vavae Malepeai broke through for 26 yards, then added a nine yard dash.  Jones then came back in after an incomplete pass and finished off the game-winning drive in style with an 11-yard rumble through the Utes that ended with a somersault into the end zone.  Utah got the ball back with 4:54 left and put together their only good drive of the second half.  They scored with :42 left on a one-yard run by QB Troy Williams. The Utes then eschewed OT and went for two.  Williams was forced to scramble on the play and was tripped up short of the end zone by Safety Ajene Harris.  USC recovered the ensuing onside kick and escaped with the comeback win.  Darnold finished the game competing 27 of 50 passes for 358 yards and three TDs.  Jones gained 111 yards on 17 carries and a TD. For Utah, RB Zack Moss had good day.  He carried the ball 20 times for 141 yards.  Williams threw for 262 yards and a TD and also caught a TD on a QB throwback from his WR Demari Simpkins.
Telling Stat: 0/1;  With all the emotions of the comeback and all the two-point play hoopla, the forgotten stat is that Utah PK Matt Gay missed a 33-yard FG attempt in the first quarter and that was the difference in the game. 

Stanford 49- Oregon 7: A flock of flightless Ducks got worked over by the Cardinal in a game that kicked off at 8 PM in Palo Alto.  Cardinal RB Bryce Love turned in another stellar game, gaining 147 yards on 17 carries with a pair of TDs, while his QB Keller Chryst had one of his better nights.  He completed 15 of 21 passes for 181 yards and three TDs. QB Braxton Burmeister got the start again for Oregon and fellow QB Taylor Alie also got some playing time under center, but it was clear that the Ducks had no faith in either QB.  Burmeister competed only three of eight passes for 23 yards with two interceptions while Alie completed two of five passes for 10 yards.  Stanford quickly picked up on Oregon's one dimension offense and shut them down for the night after allowing one early score. RB Royce Freeman gained 143 yards on 18 carries in the loss for Oregon.
Telling Stat: 34/33;  Stanford gained 34 yards on their first pass of the game, Oregon gained 33 passing yards total in this laugher on The Farm. 

Arizona State 13- Washington 7: The ASU defense has made headlines basically for all the wrong reasons over the last couple of years, so not many folks expected that defense to rise up and meet the challenge presented by the Huskies. The Huskies did come as the #5 team in the land. They were 6-0, but their 6-0 was about as soft as my favorite pillow.  Throw in the fact that the Purple Gang hadn't won in Tempe since 2001 and the prospect of an upset was in the air.  ASU's defense made good headlines, while the offense did just enough to win the game.  ASU took a 7-0 lead on their first drive of the game.  Their first drive covered 63 yards in 16 plays and was capped off by a 1-yard TD run by RB Kalen Ballage. ASU would take a 13-0 lead into the half with a pair of field goals by PK Brandon Ruiz that covered 52 and 25 yards. In the second half, the UW defense shutout the Sun Devils, while the offense did put together a a few drives.  Two of those drives stalled inside the ASU 10-yard line where PK Van Soderberg missed field goal attempts of 27 and 21 yards. With 5:32 to play, UW QB Jake Browning crossed the double stripe from a yard out to cut the deficit to 13-7.  Washington would never see the ball again.  ASU ran out the final 5:32 on an 11-play drove that covered 52 yards.  The key play of the drive came on 4th and 3 at the UW 37.  QB Manny Wilkins found wideout Ceejhay French-Love for a 30-yard gain.  Three kneel downs later and ASU had pulled off the upset. Wilkins finished the game with a rather pedestrian 245 yards through the air, but Browning was held to just 139 yards passing by the ASU defense. That same defense also held UW RB Myles Gaskin to just 67 yards rushing.
Telling Stat: They couldn't move the chains;  ASU held UW to just 3 of 14 on third down conversions  to neutralize the vaunted Husky offense.

Colorado 36- Oregon State 33:  A pair of squads desperate for a win met in Corvallis last Saturday.  Colorado's quest to repeat as South Division Champions came to an abrupt halt with three straight losses to open Pac 12 play while Oregon State was playing their first game without their former, now controversial, HC Gary Andersen who basically threw all his assistant coaches under the bus as he left town a week or so ago.  The game ended up being a good one.  The Beavers under interim HC Cory Hall came out and played like a real Pac 12 team.  Thanks to a pair of TD runs by RB Ryan Nall and four field goals by PK Jordan Choukhair, the Beavers held a 26-21 lead as the fourth quarter started. With 8:53 left, CU QB Steven Montez and WR Bryce Bobo hooked up twice.  First for a nine-yard TD and then for the two-point conversion  to give the Buffs a 29-26 lead. The Beavers then did what that they hadn't done all year.  They showed some heart.  They drove 84 yards in 10 plays and retook the lead on a four-yard TD jaunt by Nall. However, that left CU with the ball and 4:22 to play. Montez led the Buffs on a nine-play, 82 yard drive to win the game.  Montez found Bobo one more time.  this one was from 13 yards out to give CU the lead.  OSU did have a shot to send this game to OT, but Choukhair's 52-yard FG attempt failed and Colorado walked out of Corvallis with the win. Montez ended up with 168 yards and a pair of scores.  Bobo finished the day with nine receptions for 126 yards, two TDs and he threw for a score too.  CU also had a big day from RB Philip Lindsay who carried the ball 28 times for 185 yards and a pair of scores.  As for the Beavers, Nall had a big day, rushing for 172 yards and three TDs on 24 carries while QB Darrell Garretson completed 20 of 37 passes for 289 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: Definition of a moral victory;  Oregon State finally looked like a real team for the first time this year.  They ran up 569 yards of offense, made 30 first downs, held the ball for 35:40 and still lost. 

Arizona 47- UCLA 30: Arizona QB Khalil Tate proved that last week wasn't a fluke by rushing for 230 yards to lead the Wildcats to victory over the bRuins.  Tate also completed 9 of 13 passes for 148 yards and another score.  Oh, and don't forget about RB Nick Wilson who ran for 135 yards on 22 carries and a pair of scores of his own.  Meanwhile, the UofA defense did a number on UCLA QB Josh Rosen. They intercepted him, hit him and hurrred him all game long.  They also sacked him five times with DE Kylan Wilborn recording four of those sacks. Rosen finished the game with 20 completions in 34 attempts, no TDs and three interceptions. Even with as bad as they played, UCLA still only trailed 40-30 heading into the final period.  However, the bRuins hopes of a comeback were dashed when Wilson crossed the double stripe with 12:25 to play.  The Wildcat defense then shutout UCLA the rest of the way.
Telling Stat: About 9 minutes; Almost like Stanford did, Arizona used a strong rushing attack to control the clock, the bRuins and the game.  The Wildcats held a nearly nine minute T.O.P. edge when the final gun sounded. 

California 37- Washington State 3: Life on the road in the Pac 12 can be tough and Wazzu learned that lesson in spades against an inspired bunch of Golden Bears.  Almost everything that could go wrong, went wrong for the Cougars.  The Cougars ran the opening kickoff back for a TD only to have it negated on a holding call and things went down hill from there. The Cal defense played most of the game in the Wazzu backfield. They sacked WSU QB Luke Falk nine times, picked him off five times and forced him to fumble once which was returned for the game's final touchdown. The Cougars lone offensive highlight was a 52-yard field goal by PK Erik Powell.  As for the Golden Bears, the offense had its' problems too, but did go into the intermission with a 17-3 lead thanks to a TD catch by TE Kyle Wells on the final play of the first half.  The Bears only held a 20-3 lead at the end of the third quarter, but it must have looked 50 points to the Cougars.  QB Ross Bowers led the Cal attack, completing 21 of 38 aerials for 259 yards an a TD.  His backfield mate, RB Vic Enwere toted the rock 22 times for 102 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat;  High failure rate in Berkeley;  WSU ran 74 offensive plays in this game, 28 of those plays ended in either a turnover, sack, or tackle for loss by the Cal defense in this unexpected rout.

Observations

...This just in; Missouri stinks.  The Tigers are 1-6, their only win is over an FCS school and they are giving up an average of 42 points per game. They actually are a bigger dumpster fire than Tennessee.

...Seven and done;  Charlotte, UTEP, and San Jose State have the dubious honor of losing their seventh game of the season and thereby become the first three schools to become bowl-ineligible this year.

...Jimmy Jones would be proud;  The 2017 USC Trojans are another incarnation of the Cardiac Kids.

...Quietly making noise;  Virginia is 5-1.  The Wahoos still have the teeth of their schedule ahead of them, but for HC Bronco Mendenhall to have his squad on their way to bowl eligibility is pretty darn amazing.

...A powder blue sieve;  UCLA has given up 1,005 rushing yards in their three Pac 12 games.  That's an average of 335 yards per game. Ouch.

...Program on the brink;  For the second time this season, Occidental College was forced to cancel a football game due to a roster that's been depleted by injuries.  Last weekend would have been Oxy's homecoming game v LaVerne.  The official statement from the school seems to lead one  to believe that the future of the program is in doubt. Paper Tigers

...List of obvious needs; Michigan needs a QB, USC needs a Punt Returner and Tennessee fans need several truckloads of Jack Daniels.

...A bit of solace for Razorback fans; Hey, at least it's deer season.

...Didn't see that coming;  If anybody thought that Fresno State would be in first place right now in the West Division on the MWC, you're a liar.

...Doesn't mean much here;  There's a big ESPN headline about how Michigan was flagged 16 times against Indiana last week. Big Deal. That's just an average Saturday in the Pac 12. Thanks, Larry Scott.

...An Ivy Showdown;  A pair of undefeateds will take the field this week as Dartmouth hosts Columbia.  The winner will have the inside track to the league crown. Dartmouth hasn't been the outright Ivy champs since 1996 and Columbia has never won the outright title.

...Gone to the (under)dogs;  Five of the six underdogs covered in the Pac 12 this past week.

...Easy call;  Barring injury, Brian Dawkins won't ever see another snap at QB for Arizona.

...Pretty accurate; Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury-News reeled off this one-liner about Wazzu's offense in their loss to Cal, "For Three hours in Berkeley, the Air Raid was worse than the air quality."

...As Oxford turns;  Ole Miss and former HC Houston Nutt have reached a settlement in the lawsuit that also happened to end HC Hugh Freeze's tenure for the Rebels.  Here's the details.  They Couldn't Crack This Nutt

...A good call; I don't thinks there's a whole lot of folks who will quibble with Utah HC Kyle Whittingham's decision to go for two at the end of the USC-Utah game.

...Just a rumor;  There's no truth to the rumor that UCLA HC Jim Mora took a bus home from Tucson instead of the team plane due to Kiffin-aphobia.

...No sense of direction;  You have to see this bit of bad announcing to believe it. Thanks goes to The Sporting News for this video.  It's Good? Really?

...Memo to Utah LB Sunia Tauteoli;  The Coliseum grounds crew would like you to come pick your jock up. It's still lying where Sam Darnold faked you out of it last week.

...So long Pullman; Bill Moos bolted from the Wazzu AD job to become Nebraska's new AD this past Saturday.  Moos left for the Big Red due to friction with the current WSU president which stems from spending money the Cougs don't have because of the Pac 12 TV contract that has been underwhelming in terms of revenue to say the least. Moos was big backer of the TV deal.

...6-0 and under the radar;  How can TCU garner no attention for being 6-0?  It seems that when OU lost to Iowa State, the Big XII ceased to exist.

Pac 12 Overreactions

Cal wil win one more Pac 12 game.
Colorado is Sun Bowl Bound.
Stanford will beat Washington by 21 points.
Oregon State will finish 1-8 in Pac 12 play.
Arizona is the flavor of the month.
USC's turnovers will cost them at least one more game.
Jim Mora is done at UCLA.
ASU is jealous that Arizona is the flavor of the month.
Utah still doesn't have the depth to win the Pac 12.
Oregon will go 2-7 in Pac 12 play.
Washington's cupcake non conference slate will haunt them every year.
Wazzu's O-line will be replaced by turnstiles if they keep throwing lookout blocks.

Ugly uniform of the Week

Florida won this award before the game was even played.  This Alligator/Swamp Creature/BadPlaystation look is just horrendous.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: De Pere, WI- This week's game comes from the Midwest Conference in Division III where the St. Norbert College Green Knights defeated the University of Chicago Maroons, 10-0.  A 20-yard field goal by PK Spenser Thompson-Meyers in the first quarter and a 24-yard TD pass from QB Jack Becker to RB Sean Ferraro in the second quarter accounted for all the scoring.  The Green Knights were a stingy lot defensively allowing Chicago to gain only 131 total yards on the the afternoon.

Best Game Nobody Saw: Pittsford, NY-  Oh, it was a barn-burner in D-III's Empire 8 Conference!  The St. John Fisher Cardinals got a 10-yard TD run by RB James Chambers in the fifth overtime to defeat the Utica College Pioneers, 39-36.  With 5:43 left in regulation play, the Pioneers came back from an 18-9 deficit to force overtime.  The Pioneers had been held on fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line two plays earlier when SJFU RB Cam Cleveland was nailed for a safety. Then, with :40 left QB Vinny Aloi hit WR David Brunson with an 11-yard TD pass to tie the game.  During the third OT, an unusual thing happened.  PAT kicks aren't allowed from the third overtime on, but evidently drop kicks are legal.  Utica missed the drop kick, but it was a bold thing to try. It was pretty unusual to read "Vinny Aloi drop-kick failed" in the scoring summary.

Blowout of the Week: Indianapolis, IN- The D-II ranks are the providers of this week's blowout.  The Indianapolis University Greyhounds wiped out the Quincy University Hawks, 55-0 in Great Lakes Valley Conference action. The Greyhounds did their damage on the ground rushing for 415 yards.  Their top rusher was RB Al Mckeller who gained 143 yards on 11 carries with three TDs.  The IndyU defense held Quincy to just 142 total yards and three of 14 on third down conversions.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY- The Post Pioneers came out of their bye week and whipped the Southern Connecticut State Owls, 52-35. Post QB Yianni Gavalas completed 19 of 31 passes for 375 yards and three TDs, while RB Malik Pierre had one of his best days as a Pioneer.  Pierre gained 169 yards on 28 carries with two TDs.  Post is now 3-3 on the season and will travel to American International College next week.

Georgetown Football News: Bethlehem, PA- Hoya QB Gunther Johnson threw for two TDs and ran for three more, but it wasn't enough as GU fell to Lehigh, 54-35.  The Hoyas defense got sliced and diced, Lehigh tallied 628 yards of offense in this rout.  QB Brad Mayes completed 31 of 40 passes for 384 yards and four scores. Up next for Georgetown is home date with Vince Lombardi's Alma Mater, Fordham.

Razorback Report: Alabama worked over the Razorbacks in Tuscaloosa, 41-9.  That is all,

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

90-plus degree temperatures in mid-October are a little much for around here.

Tater Tots still rock.

Never underestimate the value of a good ottoman.

Until next time folks, remember that it is great knowing that your team can come form behind.

-The Commissioner

Week 6, 2017

Hey All,

It's time for the column that makes Tuesdays feel like Saturdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Mal Florence.

USC 38- Oregon State 10: The Trojans offense came out and put up a quick 14 points on the Beavers looking like they had put the inconsistency that had plagued them in recent weeks behind them. Then, the offense reverted to their inconsistent selves.  Turnovers, missed blocks, and dropped balls handed the Beavers many opportunities to take control of the game.  However, USC's defense and the Beavers blatant ineptitude made sure that USC would not fall to the Pac 12's cellar dwellers.  On the bright side for USC, a ton of players saw playing time including backup QB Matt Fink who calmly took the ball on an option in the fourth quarter and raced by everyone for a 51 yard TD.  Also, for USC, the injury list for the Trojans was a small one for the first time all season. When it was over, USC QB Sam Darnold completed 23 of 35 passes for 316 yards and three TDs. He also threw an interception and fumbled once. RB Ronald Jones led all rushers with 79 yards and a TD on 12 carries.  OSU QB Darrell Garretson thew for 197 yards in the loss for the Beavers.
Telling Stat: They held them out; The USC defense blocked a field goal, forced another missed field goal, held for downs once and forced a Beaver fumble all in the red zone to cover a multitude of sins by the USC offense.

Washington State 33- Oregon 10: The Cougars came in with an experienced senior QB in Luke Falk, while the Ducks had to rely on true freshman QB Braxton Burmeister.  Burmeister was forced into action because the Ducks lost both of their top two QBs due to injury last week v. Cal.  The experience won out despite some inspired play by the UO defense.  Falk did senior level work, moving the Cougars towards points on seven different drives while Burmeister just could not make the plays to keep drives alive.  Falk threw for 282 yards, three TDs and no interceptions while Burmeister was held to just 145 yards passing, one TD and was picked off twice. WSU PK Erik Powell had a great night for the Cougs. He was perfect on four field goal attempts, including a career long 52-yarder in the Eugene rain.
Telling Stat; Threes are just fine:  With an inexperienced signal caller on the other side, Wazzu's ability to grind out drives was the difference in the game. Each of WSU's four field goals made impacts like touchdowns. 

Washington 38- California 7: The Golden Bears came out with a game plan to stop Husky wideout Dante Pettis. Cal did hold Pettis to just 48 yards receiving, however they didn't contain RB Myles Gaskin, TE Hunter Bryant or QB Jake Browining.  Browning completed 27 of 40 passes for 215 yards and a pair of scores.  Bryant caught nine of those passes for 121 yards and a TD.  Gaskin carried the ball 24 times for 91 yards and two TDs.  Those all added up to UW's 31-0 lead in the third quarter.  Meanwhile, the Husky defense had an easy time with the Cal offense.  They crashed through the Bear O-line with ease dumping Cal QBs eight times for sacks.  Those sacks and a more than stingy rush defense held Cal to -40 rushing yards and 93 yards of total offense.
Telling Stat: 9+2+1=12=0; Cal had 12 possessions in the game.  They punted nine times, fumbled twice, and were held for downs once.  The Husky defense pitched a shutout.  Cal's only points came on a fumble that was returned for a TD after UW already held a 31-0 lead. 

Stanford 23- Utah 20: The Cardinal went to Utah and played a very solid game for 56+ minutes.  Then, they made two bonehead plays in the final 3+ minutes to almost give away the game to the Utes.  Stanford held a 16-10 lead with 12:02 to play.  The Utah defense had stuffed the box all night and had controlled RB Bryce Love to this point.  The Utes defense finally broke down and Love sliced past the line and raced 68 yards to paydirt to give the Cardinal a 23-13 lead.  Utah's offense moved through fits and starts all night.  QB Troy Williams flat out didn't see some open receivers and then was inaccurate on many easy throws that either became incompletions or turnovers. However Stanford helped him out Utah with 3:35 to go.  In a span of four plays, the Cardinal committed two targeting fouls.  LB Peter Kalambayi and NT Harrison Phillips were both ejected and Utah suddenly had the ball near midfield.  Three completions later, Utah trailed only 23-20 thanks to an 18-yard TD toss from Williams to WR Darren Carrington II with :44 left.  Utah then tried an onside kick which after scramble was recovered by the Cardinal to end the game.  Williams finished the night with 238 yards passing, a TD and two interceptions for the Utes.  Bryce Love ended up with 20 carries for 152 yards and a TD in game where he looked to have been "contained" for the most part by the Utes.
Telling Stat: -3=L;  Utah played Stanford well enough to win, but the Utes were -3 in the turnover department and that was the difference in the game.

Arizona 45- Colorado 42: On the opening drive of the game, UofA QB Brandon Dawkins was knocked out of the contest when he was hit late out of bounds by the Colorado defense.  That late it turned out to be one of the costliest late hits in a long time.  In Dawkins stead came in current backup QB and former starting QB Khalil Tate.  Tate ran around, over, and through the Buffalo defense for 327 yards rushing and four TDs on just 14 carries. Tate's 327 yards rushing set a new FBS record for yards rushing in a game by a QB.  Tate also completed 11 of 12 passes for 142 yards and a TD too.  UofA needed every bit of Tate's heroics as the Wildcat defense had its' own troubles.  The Wildcat defense didn't really stop CU QB Steven Montez or RB Philip Lindsay.  Montez competed 19 of 32 passes for 251 yards and three TDs, while Lindsay lugged the leather 41 times for 281 yards and three TDs of his own.  The two squads combined for 1,118 yards of offense, 54 first downs and converted 22 of 28 third down conversions.
Telling Stat: 5:04 to Tucson;  Colorado scored a TD to close within three points of Arizona with 5:04 left to play. The Buffaloes never recored another snap on offense.  Arizona ran out the clock with a 10 play drive that covered 56 yards. 

Observations

...Great and yet unseen;  Stanford's Bryce Love might be the second Stanford RB in three years to lose a shot at the Heisman due to the Pac 12's horrendous TV contract.  Thanks, Larry Scott.

...Wheels turning in Corvallis; OSU HC Gary Andersen has resigned.  He was just 7-23 in 2 1/2 seasons at the helm. Andersen leaving midway through the season was unexpected.  Andersen waiving the remainder his contract was too..  He left a few million on the table saying in a statement that "Coaching is not about the almighty dollar."  This intrepid reporter is among the skeptics that don't buy that statement.  I'm thinking that Andersen waived the deal so he could coach anywhere next year without any legal entanglements.  I think he has the BYU job in mind.  It would be a return to The Beehive State for Andersen as he was the HC at Utah State a few years back.

...A quiet yard;  With over 12 minutes left and a 10-point deficit, the lack of confidence of the crowd in Utah's ability to come back on Stanford could be felt through the TV.

...Recipe for boredom;  Mix an inconsistent USC offense with an inept opponent in Oregon State then  bake the Coliseum at 97 degrees for three hours.

...The hero they knew;  Iowa State former starting QB and current starting MLB Joel Lanning was simply everywhere for the Cyclones in their 38-31 upset of Oklahoma.  He played 57 snaps on defense where he made eight tackles, sacked the QB once and recovered a fumble.  On offense he completed two of three passes for 25 yards and ran the ball nine times for 35 yards. He also was in on eight plays on special teams.  He swept over OU like a Cyclone.

...Arrogance is a four letter network;  UW HC Chris Petersen's complaints about late start times were heard by the folks at ESPN and they didn't waste words slamming Petersen for his comments.  From this article article from 247 Sports, ESPN's view is that the Pac 12 is just lucky that they show their games.  Piling On

...The hero they didn't know; With Iowa State's starting QB out for "undisclosed medical issues", fifth year senior Kyle Kempt calmly led the Cyclones to an upset of the Oklahoma.  Kempt came from nowhere to be an unlikely hero.  His college career started at Oregon State under Mike Riley, but when Riley left for Nebraska, he was informed that his drop back style wasn't needed by incoming HC Gary Andersen (insert irony here).  He left OSU and transferred to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas where he never played. He then reached out to the man who had once recruited him, ISU HC Matt Campbell and asked to walk on. Campbell welcomed him and the rest is now history.

...A hurting consensus;  The consensus of our tailgate group is that there are far more season ending injuries around college football this year than in the past few seasons.

...Wheels turning in Corvallis- Part II; With Gary Andersen gone and OSU with money in the bank, I think the Beavers will take a shot at bringing Mike Riley back after he's fired at Nebraska.

...Broken bottles, police cars, and poor officiating;  This week's Oklahoma-Texas game will feature two first-year HCs on the field.  The last time that happened in this rivalry was 70 years ago and oh what a game it was.  It was a wild one to say the least.  Y'all need to read this!

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that the Boulder police issued a missing persons report on the Colorado and Arizona defenses that both vanished shortly after kickoff on Saturday.

...Quietly making noise;  Army is 4-2.  The Black Knights of the Hudson may make a bowl this year.

...Cranking up that dial;  Bret Beilema's hot seat has been turned up to inferno level at Arkansas after the Hogs were embarrassed at South Carolina this week.

...And then there were five; Baylor, Charlotte, UTEP, UMass, and Georgia Southern are the only winless teams left in the FBS.

...Better ask mom;  Utah has suffered through some bad snaps on their special teams unit the last few weeks.  However, if HC Kyle Whittingham wants to change long snappers he may have to get permission from his wife.  Utah's long snapper is Whttingham's son Alex.

...The unspoken of tradition;  After Jim Harbaugh spoke up about bad accommodations for visiting teams, this article popped up on ESPN.  There are a couple classic quotes by WSU HC Mike Leach which make it worth the read.  Dumps

Special Section: Seven Fun Facts About Western  Michigan's 71-68, 7 OT win over Buffalo

1. It was the highest scoring FBS game ever. The 139 total points eclipsed the mark of 137 total points when Pitt beat Syracuse 76-61. Oh, and the Pitt-Syracuse game never went to overtime.

2. There have only been three other 7 OT games in FBS history with Arkansas winning two of those games.  In 2001 The Hogs beat Ole Miss, 58-56. Then in 2003, they beat Kentucky, 71-63.

3. The losing QB put up crazy numbers.  Buffalo's Drew Anderson completed 35 of 61 passes for 597 yards and seven TDs. Three of his receivers had over 100 yards receiving in the game.

4. Buffalo covered the spread; Buffalo came into the game as seven point underdogs. Also, in case you were wondering,  the Over/Under for the game was 51 points.

5. The two teams combined to run 186 offensive plays for 1,328 total yards. They also combined for 63 first downs and converted on 20 of 38 third downs.

6. Oddball stat; There were 22 scoring plays in this game, which is one more scoring play than actual offensive plays ran by Stanford in the second half v Utah last Saturday.

7. There was one really happy sister. She rushed the field!

Pac 12 Overreactions

Cal's only other win this year will be over OSU.
Colorado won't make a bowl.
USC will lose at least two more games without a change at OC.
Utah's special teams will cost them a game.
Washington won't be challenged until they play at Stanford.
Stanford is boring.
Wazzu is getting the breaks they just don't normally get and can win the Pac 12 North.
Oregon State will go 0-9 in Pac 12 play.
Arizona will go 3-6 in Pac 12 play.
Oregon may hold open tryouts at QB this week.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Who says you can't go home again? We proudly return to the school that is the inspiration for this part of the blog, Oregon.  Their all-yellow ensemble v. Wazzu easily out-uglies all others.  Way to go, Quacks!

Departments

Low Score game of the Week: Shawnee, OK- The Henderson State Reddies stopped a two-point conversion attempt with :10 left to hold off the Oklahoma Baptist Bison, 14-13.  HSU moved to 3-3 on the season, but extended their road winning streak to 29 games which is a record for D-II football. HSU's scoring came on a pair of short TD runs by RB Andrew Black.  Black only gained 16 yards on five carries, but he made those carries count. His backfield mate, Blake Faulk gained 146 yards on 13 carries.

Blowout of the Week: Burnaby, BC-  Well, here's another blowout featuring Simon Fraser University.  They are the NCAA's only Canadian team and maybe they should switch back to the 110 yard game.  The Wolves of Western Oregon whipped SFU, 82-21.  QB Nick Duckworth completed 14 of 23 passes for 294 yards and six TDs to lead the WOU attack.  Simon Fraser has given up an average of 74 points per game in conference play.  They are members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference which only has five football members.  Each school plays each other twice in conference play. That means that SFU is likely facing four more similar losses.

C.W. Post Press: The Pioneers had a bye this past Saturday and will host Assumption College for Homecoming this week.

Georgetown Football News: Princeton, NJ- The Hoyas came out strong and took a quick, 10-0 lead on Princeton.  The Tigers then scored the next 50 points to take a 50-10 lead midway through the third quarter.  GU mounted a mild comeback, but ended up on the wrong end of a 50-30 final score. GU QB Gunther Johnson ran for 24 yards and one TD while also passing for 146 yards in the losing effort. For Princeton, QB Chad Kanoff completed 25 of 29 passes for 313 yards and four TDs.  Up next for the Hoyas will be their Patriot League opener at Lehigh.

Razorback Report:  The Hogs went to South Carolina and were embarrassed by the Gamecocks, 48-22.  South Carolina scored three defensive TDs to put away the Hogs.  Two TDs came on interception returns and the third came on a fumble return. Throw in three TD passes form SoCar's Jake Bentley and the rout was complete. Up next for the Hogs is a trip to Alabama to face the Crimson Tide.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

AA Batteries are the under appreciated pillar of society.

Fire ash and fog are a bad combination.

The Cutco spreader is the essential kitchen tool.

Until next time folks, remember that a good defense can hide a multitude of offensive sins.

-The Commissioner

Week 5, 2017

Hey All,

Here's the column  you love on a day when we all need a little distraction, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Carol Merrill.

Summaries

Washington State 30- USC 27: Funny what happens when a lesser talented, but well prepared team takes on a more talented, but poorly prepared team.  Washington State played inspired football to take down the Trojans in Pullman.  WSU QB Luke Falk stayed calm in the face of a strong USC pass rush to hit 34 of 51 passes for 340 yards and a pair of TDs to lead the Cougar attack.  Meanwhile, USC didn't have much of an offensive attack as injuries to three starting OL plus questionable and predictable play calling hurt the Trojans.  USC's ineffective offense ran just 58 plays in the game to Wazzu's 81.  USC's defense played well, but wore down as the game went on. They were on the field for over 35 minutes.  When USC wore down, it was hard to watch WSU complete the same pass route four or five times in a row. The WSU defense had an easy day, holding USC to 327 yards and just 2 of 11 on third downs.
Telling Stat: 2;  Wazzu now holds a two-game winning streak over USC.  That's embarrassing.

Oregon 45- California 24: Oregon used a 21-point fourth quarter to defeat the Golden Bears, which is remarkable considering what shape the Quacks were in by that point of the game.  In the first half, the Ducks lost QB Justin Herbert, RB Royce Freeman and WR Dillon Mitchell all to injury.  Top that off with losing backup QB Taylor Alie in the fourth quarter and you can wonder how Oregon won this game at all.  The Ducks did it with a deep bench and a strong defense when it mattered.  UO RBs Kani Benoit and Tony Brooks-James picked up the slack for the injured Freeman as they combined to rush for 214 yards on 34 carries and score three TDs.  They took the pressure off Alie who just had to manage the offense.  Alie finished with only 41 yard passing, but he kept things winnable for the Ducks.  Cal QB Ross Bowers had a fine game, competing 23 of 41 passes for 255 yards, three TDs and no interceptions.
Telling Stat: D over O;  For once Oregon won a game with their defense.  They held Cal to just 28 yards rushing for the game and in a see-saw fourth quarter forced a fumble and held for downs twice to ensure a victory. 

Stanford 34- Arizona State 24:  Two words: Bryce Love.  The Stanford RB literally had a day for the record books.  He lugged the leather 25 times for 301 yards and three TDs.  His efforts were the main reason the Cardinal edged the visiting Sun Devils.  His 301 yards were also the most ever gained in a single game in Stanford history.  His three TD runs weren't exactly short plunges either.  His TD jaunts covered 61, 43, and 59 yards. however, his best run all day came when he picked up three yards on a 3rd-and-2 at the ASU 25-yard line with only a couple minutes left.  That first down pick up led to a 22-yard field goal by PK Jet Toner to extend their lead 10 pints and essentially put the game away.  As for ASU, they did their best to stay with a the Cardinal.  The Sun Devils fell behind 14-3 to start, but did close the gap to seven points at several points in the game, but couldn't make the one or two plays they needed to in order to win.  RB Demario Richard rushed for 80 yard and a pair of scores while QB Manny Wilkins threw for 181 yards for the Maroon and Gold.
Telling Stat:  301;  Stanford RB Bryce Love's 301 yards rushing is the only stat you need to know from this game.

Washington 42- Oregon State 7: The Huskies usually start fast and bury lesser opponents quickly.  For some reason that didn't happen here.  Sure, the Dawgs defense had OSU bottled up from the start, but the offense just wasn't clicking.  So, some eyebrows did raise around the country when the Huskies held a slim, 7-0 lead at the half. Then, Washington remembered who they are and who Oregon State is and blew the doors off the Beavers in the second half.  QB Jake Browning completed 26 of 34 passes for 293 yards and three TDs.  All three of Browning's TDs were caught by WR Dante Pettis who hauled in 12 receptions total for 105 yards.  RB Myles Gaskin had another good afternoon, gaining 113 yards on 15 carries and scoring one TD.   The Beavers didn't have any real offense to speak of, but RB Thomas Tyner did gain 54 yards in nine carries and score OSU's only TD.  Oh and yes, this is the same Thomas Tyner who left Oregon with a medical retirement a year or so ago.  He decided he wanted to make a comeback and The Beavers allowed him to join their squad.
Telling Stat: Never in doubt;  Washington's defense made sure that their offense's slow start was nothing to worry about.  UW held Oregon State to 184 total yards, eight first downs, and an abysmal 2 of 13 on third downs in this late arriving laugher in Corvallis. 

UCLA 27- Colorado 23:  The loser of this one would all but be eliminated from the Pac 12 South race.  With that in mind, the bRuins ran a little more, threw a little less, played strong defense in the red zone and got a little help from a huge blunder from Buffs HC Mike MacIntyre to pull off the tight win at the Rose Bowl.  The bRuins only ran for 95 yards, but they did run the ball 35 times and passed it only 45, which took the pressure off QB Josh Rosen to make every play.  Rosen also benefited from a truly weak pass rush from Colorado to complete 28 of 45 passes for 372 yards and a TD. Colorado helped the bRuins cause just before the half when they attempted a fake field goal instead taking the easy points. The UCLA defense played better than last week when they got rolled at Stanford.  However, they picked up another targeting call and had a couple of cheap shots pointed out by the announce team. Where they did shine was in the red zone where they held CU to field goals instead of allowing TDs.  That was the big difference in the game.  For the Buffs, QB Steven Montez threw for 243 yards with a TD and ran for 108 yards in the loss.
Telling Stat: 18/13=L;  Colorado scored only 13 points in 18 plays in the red zone to lose this close one in Pasadena.

Observations

...Memo to Clay Helton;  If you don't hit, block and tackle in practice, you won't be good at it in a game.

...When you know it's bad;  Here's a play that symbolizes Tennessee's lackluster efforts v. Georgia.
Butt Snap Fumble

...Memo to Mike MacIntyre;  Never, ever, ever, run a play where your kicker has to run for a first down.

...Purple on my mind;  Anybody taking TCU seriously yet in the Big XII?  I'm talking to you, Oklahoma.

...Roar, Lions Roar!;  Al Bagnoli had coached Penn for 23 years, amassing nine Ivy League titles along the way.  He retired from football as an Ivy League legend in 2015.  Bagnoli's retirement lasted 13 weeks.  He took the HC job at Columbia and in three seasons has turned a perennial loser into an Ivy League contender.  His Lions are currently undefeated after taking down Princeton, 28- 24 on the road.  Way to go, Al.

...Unlikely help;  I've never expected any empathy at all for USC from any NorCal scribe, so I was a bit stunned to say the least when my wife showed me this story on Pac 12 scheduling from the San Jose Mercury News.  It's an interesting read. Thanks, Larry Scott

...Definiton of Embarrassment;  LSU paid 945,000 dollars to lose to Troy. I would have lost to LSU for the bargain price of 500k.

...Quietly making noise;  Notre Dame is steadily improving each week and their one-point loss to Georgia is looking pretty good right now.

...A good thought; It's not all bad Trojan fans. You could be Tennessee fans.

...Irrelevancy resides in Provo;  BYU is 1-4, has an offense that needs a GPS to find the end zone, can't really stop anybody on defense and has a HC that is on the hot seat... and nobody cares.

...Aztec rising; The timing is just perfect for SDSU to open up at 5-0. The city of San Diego needs this team right now.

...An unlucky stat;  USC has scored only 13 points all season in the third quarter.

...The Price is right... again;  UTEP's AD and HC Sean Kugler "mutually agreed" that Kugler would resign Sunday after the Miners latest loss moved them to 0-5 on the season.  So, who was hired as the interim HC?  Mike Price.  Yes, that Mike Price.  The man with a penchant for strip club spending is back in the west Texas town of El Paso.

...Memo to USC OC Tee Martin;  Tight Ends are eligible receivers and you are allowed to throw to your running backs out of the backfield too.

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that there will be protests when Tennessee HC Butch Jones is fired. However, I have heard there are many parties planned.

...A longer stay than expected; The wheels have seemed to come off quickly for LSU HC Ed Orgeron.  However, don't expect him to be shown the door soon.  According to CBS scribe Tom Fornelli, Coach O's buyout figure for this year is 12 million dollars. Next year it drops to just a mere 8.5 million.
Big Green for Coach O

...A grand September;  Stanford's Bryce Love cracked the 1,000 yards rushing mark for the season and it wasn't even October, yet.  He'd really gets some publicity if he played in league with a decent TV deal.

...A pretty flat six-pack; UMass is 0-6 before October. That has to be an FBS record.

...An obvious truth; It truly looks like its' Alabama's world and the rest of the SEC is just living in it.

...Memo to Jim Mora; Teams will pick up a targeting call here and there during the season, but to pick up one per game and have your team called out for other cheap shots on national TV points to lack of discipline or a willful disregard to teach the game properly.

...He made his last deal;  Legendary game show host Monty Hall passed away last week at 96.  Who could forget his iconic game show, Let's Make a Deal?  In honor of Monty, here's a link to the cheesiest, goofiest, and least played song from Jimmy Buffett.  Rest in peace, Monty. Door Number Three

Pac 12 Overreactions

Arizona State will ruin somebody's season.
California won't win another game this year.
Oregon can't win consistently without Justin Herbert.
Oregon State will go 0-9 in Pac 12 play.
Stanford will win the North.
Colorado has no pass rush.
UCLA will lose a player to targeting in every game.
USC will lose three more games without a change at OC.
Washington State will finally play a road game.
Washington will lose at Stanford.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

This week's winner is the Tennessee Volunteers.  Volunteer Orange is an iconic color.  Making it an accent color in these prison-issue gray togs is just awful.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Dudley, MA- We head to the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference of Division III where the Dean College Bulldogs beat the Nicholls College Bison, 10-3.  After a scoreless first half, Dean RB Noah Taiese plunged over from a yard out to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead in the third quarter.  PK Hank Lechthaler added a 22-yard FG early in the fourth period to put Dena up 10-0.  Dean's defense did the rest, holding for downs three times to secure the win.

Blowout Game of the Week: Eagle Rock, CA- Let's take a trip to the SCIAC, California's only D-III league for this week's game.  The Occidental College Tigers, who cancelled their previous game due to a diminished roster, put together enough players to be whipped by the Redlands Bulldogs, 72-13. The Redlands QB duo of Levi Plante and Nathan Ramirez were too much for Oxy to handle.  Plante threw for 186 yards and two TDs while Ramirez ran for 92 yards and three scores. For Oxy, WR Ian Bonde hauled in two TD passes well after the game had been decided.

Best Game Nobody Saw this Week: Edmond, OK-  Leon Lett just can't catch a break. The Bronchos of Central Oklahoma scored two TDs and two, two-point conversions in the final 3:06 to pull off a 53-52, come-from-behind win over the Emporia State Hornets.  UCO WR Josh Crockett is the hero as he was the one who crossed the goal line on that final two-point play. The two teams combined for nearly 1,100 yards of offense with the QBs responsible for most of those stats.  UCO's Chas Stallard completed 32 of 49 passes for six TDs, while ESU's Braxton Marstall Competed 27 of 42 passes for 429 yards and five TDs in defeat. These two teams play in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association in Division II.

Georgetown Football News:  Washington D.C.-  The Hoyas took on the Harvard Crimson at the stadium named after former Harvard alum and footballer, Robert Kennedy.  Kennedy would be proud of how his old squad handled the Hoyas at RFK Stadium.  Harvard whipped Georgetown , 41-2. The Crimson scored easily and often on the Hoyas.  They built up a 31-2 halftime advantage and then cruised through the second half to victory.  Crimson RB Charlie booker scored a pair of first half TDs to lead the offensive attack.  Harvard also scored on a 91-yard punt return and a 23-yard interception return on the hapless Hoyas.  GU's only score came on a fumble by the Crimson that became a safety for GU.  Up next for the Hoyas is the third and final leg of their Ivy League swing with a trip to New Jersey to take on the Princeton Tigers.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY- Things are getting worse for the Pioneers.  They were worked over at home by the Assumption Greyhounds, 54-20.  The Greyhounds got four field goals from PK Cole Tracy, a pair of TDs on a 73-yard pass from QB Marc Monks to WR Sam Blake and punt return TD from Vincent Conneta to take a 33-0 halftime lead.  Post showed some offense in the second half, but the teams just ended up trading scores. QB Yianni Gavalas throws for 208 yards and three TDs for Post.  However, most of those yards came well after the game had been decided. Assumption RB Dylan Oxsen ran through the Pioneers for 144 yards on 25 carries.  In all, the Greyhounds ran 262 yards on the Pioneers.  Up next for Post is home date with Southern Connecticut State University.

Razorback Report: The Hogs had an easy time with New Mexico State, beating the Aggies, 42-24 to end a two-game losing streak.  QB Anthony Allen passed for a season high 264 yards and three TDs in the victory.  Up next for the Hogs is a trip to South Carolina to to take on the Gamecocks.

This Week's Three Notes About Studio City

If you need a dive bar to watch NFL games in Studio City, I know one.  

Studio City Humor;  One of the wifi networks that popped up on my phone there was named, Router?IHardlyKnowHer.

I knew I had to be in Studio City when two guys were discussing their script meeting with NBC in the men's room at the dive bar.

Until Next Week Folks, remember that you have a pretty good life if you have time to worry about your football team.

-The Commissioner