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.
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
