Week 13

Hey All,

After multiple helpings of Thanksgiving turkey and some nice crispy tater tots at a new sport bar I visited this weekend, here comes another installment of the best college football column this side of Lomita, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

Stanford 38- Notre Dame 20: This game was a see-saw affair of squads built on power running and just enough passing.  ND held a 20-17 lead heading into the final period thanks to long TD passes from Brandon Wimbish covering 83 and 75 yards to go with the placekicking prowess of PK Justin Yoon. Stanford stayed in the game despite RB Bryce Love not being 100% thanks to the new found passing touch of QB K.J Costello who had thrown two TD passes to go with a 24-yard FG from PK Jet Toner.  Then the Irish self-destructed in the fourth quarter and the Cardinal ran away with the win. The Cardinal took the lead early in the final stanza when Costello finished off a 70-yard drive with a 19-yard TD pass to WR Kaden Smith.  On the first play of the ensuing possession ND's Wimbush was intercepted by OLB Curtis Robinson.  Three plays later, another TD pass by Costello gave Stanford a 31-20 lead.  ND then fumbled on the following kickoff.  Stanford cashed in with their final TD of the night on a 3-yard jaunt by RB Cameron Scarlett and this game was over.  The Cardinal would pick off ND one more time and then hold for downs once when the game was well in hand.  Costello finished the game with four TD passes. He Completed 14 of 22 passes for 176 yards.  "Limited" Bryce Love still toted the rock 20 times for 125 yards.  Wimbush threw for 249 yards, two scores and a couple of interceptions in the devastating loss.
Telling Stat: Gone in 4:50;  Notre Dame went from up 20-17 to down 38-20 with their playoff hopes destroyed in the first 4:50 of the fourth quarter.

Arizona State 42- Arizona 30:  The Wildcats came out in the first half and built up a 24-14 lead over the Sun Devils and the Territorial Cup looked to be staying in Tucson. The Wildcats offense had dominated with QB Khalil Tate at the controls.  Tate hadn't run much, but he passed well and his teammates ran even better to build the lead on scoring drives of 73, 50, and 75 yards to go with a 24-yard field goal by PK Josh Pollack. With 1:00 before the half, UofA had picked off an ASU pass by QB Manny Wilkins and looked poised to score again.  The drive stalled at the ASU 45-yard line and the Wildcats went for a Hail Mary attempt on the final play of the half.  It was a painful call to say the least.  Tate was hit and injured his non-throwing shoulder on the play.  He and UofA wouldn't be the same after that hit.  The Wildcats reverted to their sputtering selves with Brandon Dawkins back at QB and the Sun Devils took full advantage of it.  ASU came out and scored 21 points in the third period thanks to a blocked punt to set up one score and the Wildcat offense suddenly looking very ordinary without Tate.  Dawkins did break off a 50-yard TD run, to cut ASU's lead to 35-30, but they would get no closer as Wilkins would throw a TD pass with under five minutes left to seal the victory for ASU. Wilkins completed 11 of 17 passes for 163 yards and three TDs while teammate DeMario Richard gashed the Wildcats for 165 yards rushing on 22 carries and a pair of scores. Dawkins finished the game with just 62 yards passing, but did run for 71 yards and a score.  Also a standout for UofA was RB J.J. Taylor who ran for 74 yards on 12 carries with a TD.
Telling Stat: 14 point swing; Although reeling in the second half, UofA PR Shun Brown returned a punt for a 74-yard TD that would haven given the Wildcats the lead at 36-35.  However, it was called back on an illegal block in the back and ASU would then march down the field on their next possession and put the game away. 

Washington 41- Washington State 14: The Cougars came to Seattle with the Pac 12 North crown and a berth in the league's title game v. USC in their sights. All they had to do was beat the already eliminated Huskies to claim their prize.  The Cougars never showed up.  Washington took it to Wazzu from the opening kickoff to the final gun to claim their fifth straight Apple Cup win and end Wazzu's chance to win the Pac 12 North.  The Huskies large O-line pushed the undersized Cougars around all night, racking up 328 rushing yards. Myles Gaskin chalked up most of those yards, gaining 192 yards on 25 carries and crossing the double stripe four times.  Four was also a big number for the Dawgs defense who forced four turnovers while sacking WSU QB Luke Falk five times.  Those sacks led to Wazzu's -24 yards rushing for the night. The Dwwgs did this to Wazzu without the services of All-Everything WR/KR Dante Pettis who left the game early with a leg injury.  UW QB Jake Browning managed the game for UW, handing off a lot and completing 11 of 17 passes for 93 yards on the night. For WSU, Falk completed 37 of 55 tosses for 369 yard and a TD in the lopsided loss.
Telling Stat: An almost 51 minute egg;  The Washington defense kept the Cougars caged for the first 50:59 of this game until WSU broke through with meaningless TD to spoil the Huskies shutout with 9:01 to play.

Utah 34- Colorado 13: The Utes ran the Buffs over to stake claim to a .500 record, bowl bid and a win in this Pac 12-nouveau-pseudo-rivalry game.  Utah built up a 28-0 halftime advantage with the legs of RB Zach Moss and QB Troy Williams. They each ran for a two scores in the half. Utah's defense was also a big story in this game as they held Colorado just 79 yards in the first half and a paltry three first downs.  The CU offense did come alive a bit in the second half with two TD drives, but Utah managed to pick up  a couple of field goals while holding the ball for over 17 minutes in the final two quarters to seal the victory. When it was over, Moss had gained 196 yards on 26 carries to go with his two scoring runs while Williams Threw for 181 yards and ran for 26 yards to go with his two scoring jaunts. For the Buffs, QB Steven Montez threw for 195 yards and ran for 31 yards and a score while RB Phillip Lindsay rushed for 72 yards and a TD.
Teling Stat: They Dialed long distance;  Utah's four first half TD drives covered 73, 66, 88 and 74 yards.  

Oregon 69- Oregon State 10: The Ducks Whipped the Beavers on the scoreboard and in the record books was well at Autzen Stadium.  The Ducks scored the way people used to vote for Tammany Hall politicians; early and often. The Quack Attack built up a 17-7 lead after the first quarter then hung 35 more on the hapless men of Corvallis before the half to end the competitive portion of the evening.  As for the record books, UO RB Royce Freeman rushed for two TDs.  His second TD was the 60th rushing score of his career which made him the Pac 12's all-time leader in rushing TDs.  He broke the record held by one of my favorite RBs in league history, Oregon State's Ken Simonton. The Ducks emptied the benches in the second half and held a 62-10 lead going into the final stanza.  RB Kani Benoit scored the Quacks final points with 11:24 to play and the UO faithful left Autzen to watch the PK80 hoops tournament.  QB Justin Herbert completed 13 of 23 passes for 251 yards and three TDs while also running for 10 yards an a score.  Freeman gained 122 yards to go with his two scores. QB Darrel Garretson threw for 112 yards, A TD and two interceptions in the lopsided loss for the Beavers.
Telling Stat: 35/13/5:22= Rout;  Oregon turned a 17-7 lead into a 52-7 rout over the hapless Beavers by scoring 35 points on just 13 offensive plays in only 5:22 T.O.P. in the second quarter. 

UCLA 30- California 27: The two teams came in into this game needing a win to become bowl eligible and finish their regular season at 6-6.  Both teams came into this game after playing tough, but losing their rivalry games the week earlier. UCLA also came into the game without their HC who was fired the prior Sunday. Interim HC, Jed Fisch would lead the bRuins on the sidelines.  The squads came out and played this game like a pair of near .500 clubs.  They each looked good at times and bad at times, with UCLA having just enough good to pull out the home win. Oh and UCLA did it without QB Josh Rosen's services for a good portion of the game. The bRuins held a 17-9 lead heading into the third quarter, but Rosen came out of the locker room in street clothes. He was injured late in the second period.  In his stead came backup QB Devon Modster who competed 14 of 18 passes for 191 yards to lead the bRuin offense.  Modster and Rosen's best Target was WR Jordan Lesley who posted another big game, catching 12 passes for 227 yards and a TD. Lasley's most important catches game late in the game when he hauled in an 18-yard aerial to give UCLA a first down at their own 49 with 2:22 to go.  His last catch of the game set UCLA up with a first down at the Cal 28 with under a  minute to play and the score tied at 27-27.  Three plays later, PK J.J. Molson connected on a 37-yard field goal and the UCLA grabbed the win.  For Cal, QB Ross Bowers threw for 242 yards and a TD, while RB Patrick Laird ran through the bRUins for 178 yards rushing on 32 carries.
Telling Stat: He needed to be perfect; Cal PK Matt Anderson hit on four of five field goal attempts in the game.  IF he had hit all five, the Bears would have had a shot to beat UCLA in overtime.  

Cranberry Crushers 35- Tough Turkeys 35:  Cranberry Crusher QB Luci Ursich knifed over the left side form one yard out on a keeper with under 10 seconds left to force a tie game at Yube Ursich Field.  The teams were a little smaller this year with it being a 2-on-2 game, however, there were plenty of thrills. The squads fished the first half tied at 21-21 thanks to some great passing by Luci for the Crushers and her brother The Commissioner who QB'd the Turkeys.  The second half became a defensive struggle with turnovers and failed fourth down conversions becoming the order of the day.  Then, with the score tied at 28-28, The Commissioner found Maureen Lenker in the end zone for her fourth TD catch of the day to take a 35-28 lead.  Maureen also threw for a TD pass as well in the contest. Then, the Crushers moved in place for the tying score with under a minute left as Margaret Lenker caught three passes to move the ball into the red zone.  Margaret then laid a perfect block on The Commissioner on second and goal to spring Luci for the tying score.  The time ran out on the ensuing kickoff and a tie was the result. The teams had agreed to no overtime this year due to time constraints. Luci Ursich attained MVP honors for her clutch play this year.  The Commissioner is glad his passing performance wasn't graded by Pro Football Focus.
Telling Stat: The Tough Turkeys now have a three game unbeaten streak in the series.

Observations

...Pac 12- The Conference of home teams;  Only USC and Washington finished the season with winning road records at 3-2, While the Trojans, Huskies, Stanford, Wazzu, and UCLA all finished undefeated at home.   In fact, only the hapless Beavers of OSU had a losing home record this season.

...The 2K club;  SDSU RB Rashaad Penny topped the 2,000 yard mark this past weekend and RBs Bryce Love of Stanford and Johnathan Taylor of Wisconsin may join him before season's end.  Oh, and Taylor is just a freshman.

...Boatmen take title; Here's a big congratulations to the Toronto Argonauts who shutout the Calgary Stampeders 11-0 in the final period to take home the Grey Cup with a 27-24 victory in near whiteout conditions in Ottawa. Side note; Shania Twain put on a pretty great half time show.

...Don't let the door hit you on the way out;  The remainder of Oregon State's football staff was given orders on Monday to vacate the campus by Tuesday.

...Bye Bye Ty;  BYU fired OC Ty Detmer on Monday.  Wow. I guess that mean that HC Kalani Sitake gets to stay. SMH.

...A good man with a bad record;  Mike Riley wasn't a great fit for Nebraska and it showed over the course of his time in Lincoln.  Riley finished up with a 19-19 record in charge of the Big Red and went 4-8 this season which hastened his departure.

...Back at you, man;  Illinois DT Tito Odenbigo had just had enough of the game and the refs v. Northwestern when he decided to throw a penalty flag back at an official. Here's your flag back, man

...One and maybe done; It's hard for me to see Bama making the playoff if Wisconsin, Miami, Auburn and Oklahoma all win this week.

...Luke stays;  Interim Ole Miss HC Matt Luke had the interim tag removed from his title and was named the new HC in Oxford.  With the NCAA hammer looming over the Rebels' heads, you know they couldn't have gotten anybody else to take the job.  

...Head scratcher;  When this season started who would have thought that UofA HC Rich Rodriguez would still have a job instead of now former ASU HC Todd Graham?

...This just in; Illinois stinks.

...Great gift givers;  UCLA fired Jim Mora on his birthday and handed him a 12 million dollar buyout and then hired Chip Kelly on his birthday with a 23 million dollar deal.  Dude, they sure handout great birthday presents in Westwood.

...Lane's workhorse;  FAU RB Devin Singletary leads the nation with 27 TDs scored for 162 points this year.

...Fishy Buckeyes;  Not really buying Urban Meyer's story of how a photographer hurt his QB.  Hmmm.

...There will be four matchups pairing top ten teams in the AP Poll this week.  That hasn't happened since 1973.

...Big Red in disarray;  Nebraska had just two head coaches from 1962-1997.  They have now had six from 1998-2017.

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that the Washington State football team has a warrant out for their arrest from the King County DA for failure to show at Husky Stadium last Saturday.

...Mountain West triple fail; Ok, so the Mountain West conference moved their championship out of Las Vegas which is a fail to start, and doubled down on the fail by moving it to that garden spot, Boise. Why is that a now a triple fail?  Well, I'll tell you why.  It is because Fresno State beat Boise this last Saturday in Fresno to finish the regular season and will now face the Boise team that they just beat on Boise's home blue turf this Saturday for the league crown. SMH.

...And then there was one;  UTEP finished the season as the only winless team in the FBS. They finished at 0-12 with a 28-7 loss at Alabama-Birmingham last weekend.

...Lost in the shuffle;  Rice fired their HC.  Anybody notice? Didn't think so.

...Howitzers and footballs; I always love the Army-Navy game.  Something makes me think the Black Knights will make it two in a row over the Midshipmen. I attended one of these clashes in Philadelphia about 20 years ago and feel very proud to have crossed that game off my college football bucket list.

...Another Army-Navy tidbit;  These two academies lead the country in rushing yards per game.  This game may be done in under 2 hours.

...They quietly made noise;  In one of the feel good stories of the year, Alabama-Birmingham came back form having the program dropped a couple of years ago to go 8-4 in their first year back as a program. They lost a 46-43 heartbreaker to North Texas a few weeks back.  Had they won that game, the Blazers would be squaring off v. Lane Kiffin's FAU squad in the C-USA title tilt this week.

...Four of a kind;  Illinois, Kansas, Oregon State, and Tennessee all went winless in conference play this year.

...Memo to Trojan fans;  USC will weather the current bRuin storm of the excitement over the hiring of Chip Kelly.  As always USC will Fight On.

...California nightmare; Notre Dame has lost eight of their last 10 games in the Golden State.

...Social Media killed the Coaching Hire;  Tennessee seemed to hire then not hire former Rutgers HC and current TheeeOSU DC Gregs Schiano.  The Coaching Carousel has spun off its' axis.  Read about it here... Volunteer Revolt

...Sleepless in Pullman;  Grabbed this bit of frustration off the Wazzu message boards during their crushing loss in the Apple Cup.  The Pirate is a different dude and the fans know it.

Pac 12 Overreactions

ASU won't be sorry that they fired Todd Graham.
UofA worries that Khalil Tate's best games are behind him.
Colorado became the CU we all know and laugh at again this year.
Utah still can't understand why they don't win in the Pac 12.
Cal will lose most of their coaching staff to UCLA.
Stanford will keep David Shaw forever.
UCLA worries that they may have buyer's remorse with Chip Kelly.
A USC loss this week could start a massive decline in the program.
Oregon wonders if they are still in Phil Knight's will.
OSU still secretly pines for Mike Riley.
Washington wishes they could play five FCS teams per year.
Wazzu wonders if the Pirate will leave port soon.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Ohio State ran away from the Wolverines, but they can't run away from winning the award this week for these awful alternate uniforms.  Never wear an alternate uniform in your rivalry game!  I can't tell if this is Ohio State playing or UNLV with those slot machine looking cherries on the helmet.

Departments

Razorback Report:  The Hogs dropped their season finale 48-45 to Missouri when PK Tucker McCann booted a 19-yard field goal with five seconds left. The bigger and expected news was that the Bret Bielema was let go and his era at Arkansas is at an end.  No word yet on who will succeed him in Fayetteville.

FCS, D-II and D-III and NAIA Playoff Update 

The FCS playoffs have moved into the Second Round with the most notable matchups being  University of San Diego advancing to take on the mighty Bison of North Dakota State after the Torreros worked over Northern Arizona last weekend, 41-10.  Another western showdown has Southern Utah taking on Weber State.  Oh, and for my family, Central Arkansas will host Chip Kelly's old team, New Hampshire.

In the D-II ranks, it is quarterfinal time.  West Florida who just beat West Georgia will face another rest foe in West Alabama while Indiana (PA) will take on Northeast 10 Champion Assumption College.  The other half of the bracket features Ferris State taking on Harding while Texas A&M Commerce will play Minnesota State- Mankato.

Down in D-III it is quarterfinal time also.  The 800 lb gorilla of the division, Mount Union (OH) will face Frostburg State. Delaware Valley takes on Brockport while the other half of the bracket features Wisconsin-Oshkosh (B'Gosh!) v. Wartburg and Mary Hardin-Baylor v. St Thomas (MN)

It is semifinal week in the NAIA with Morningside (IA) playing Saint Francis (IN) and Southern Oregon traveling to take on Reinhardt College (GA).


This Week's Three Notes About Thanksgiving...

Seriously, it's a day of family, food and football.  Yeah, it is my favorite holiday by far.  I also think MLB Opening Day should be a national holiday too.

Thanksgiving leftovers are the best leftovers ever. period.

The food and football are great, but my family and friends are what makes Thanksgiving great.

Until next time folks, remember that winning the turnover battle determines mot games.

-The Commissioner

Week 12, 2017

Hey All,

It'a time for another edition of the column that lets you forget about all that Christmas shipping you have to do for awhile, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Mal Florence.

Summaries

USC 28- UCLA 23: The bRuins threw everything they had at a Trojan squad that played ummm like they've played all season. These Just-enough Trojans used a little guile, a little clutch play and a little grit to keep possession of the Victory Bell while frustrating the Trojan faithful everywhere. The Trojans opened the scoring with guile, running one of the best misdirection punt returns you will ever see.  Even the announcers got it wrong. Yeah, they did that  Then, the clutch play came by USC's defense for most of the game that despite some bad breakdowns in the secondary. They managed to force two bRuin turnovers and get just enough of the stops they needed at the right time to keep UCLA from forging ahead.  The grit was shown by the USC offense that responded with key drives to keep control of the scoreboard right when it looks like the game was going to swing the bRuins way.  The first of those key drives was when the Trojans turned a 21-17 lead into a 28-17 lead when they marched 90 yards in 10 plays and scored on a short TD burst buy RB Ronald Jones II.  The second key drive was when after recovering UCLA's onside kick, they ran the last 2:43 off the clock when Jones II converted on third and one.  For UCLA,  Josh Rosen just about shot the lights out.  He completed  32 of 52 passes for 421 yards and all three bRuin TDs. His favorite target was WR Jordan lastly who caught 10 aerials for 204 yards and three TDs. All three of his TD grabs came against much-maligned USC CB Jack Jones. For USC, QB Sam Darnold completed 17 of 28 passes for 264 yards and Jones II gained 122 yards rushing on 28 carries with two TDs. Darnold also ran for a score.
Telling Stat: All but the scoreboard; UCLA won just about every major stat category in the game, but not the scoreboard.

Oregon 48- Arizona 28: UofA QB Khalil Tate was who they came to see in Eugene. He was the man.  The flavor of the month who had run all over everyone he had faced in his six game stint as the starter for the Wildcats. What the delighted Duck faithful saw instead was the return of their injured QB Justin Herbert who shredded the weak Wildcat defense and a superior defensive effort of their own that rendered Tate an afterthought in the box score. The two traded scores in the first quarter and a half with UofA holding a 21-14 lead.  Then, Oregon went on a 34-7 run to finish off the game and the Wildcats. Herbert's passing was the perfect compliment to the Ducks rushing attack.  He completed 14 of 21 passes for 235 yards and a TD.  he also ran for 40 yards and a TD too.  RBs Royce Freeman and Tony Brooks-James both eclipsed the 100 yards mark with Brooks-James gaining 124 yards on 19 carries, and Freeman gaining 135 yards on 19 carries and four TDs.  The Quacks defense held Tate to 32 yards rushing and he completed 18 of 35 passes for 159 yards a TD and two interceptions in the loss.  The vaunted Arizona rushing attack was held to 171 yards.
Telling Stat: There is a D in Oregon; After giving top 21 points in the first 20 minutes, The Duck defense held UofA to just seven points over the last 40 minutes to set up their once again potent offense for the win.

Arizona State 40- Oregon State 24: The Sun Devils fared far better in the Beaver state than their Tuscon counterparts as they rode a huge first half to victory over the last place Beavers. ASU jumped out to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to two TD passes from QB Manny Wilkins that covered 23 yards and one yard and a safety when DE JoJo Wicker sacked OSU QB Darrell Garretson in the end zone. Tack on a a pair of TD runs that covered 17 yards and one yard form RB DeMario Richard and the Sun Devils held a 30-0 lead late in the second quarter.  The Beavers showed a little fight, but ASU had forged a 40-10 lead early in the fourth period before allowing OSU a couple of cosmetic scores in garbage time. Wilkins finished the game with 167 yards passing and a pair of TDs while Richard tallied 199 yards rushing on 17 carries and three TDs.  RB Kalen Ballage also cracked the 100 yard mark as the Sun Devils ran for 286 yards on the hapless Beavers.  Garretson threw for 269 yards and a pair of interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: Dammed 'em up;  ASU's defense forced five punts, recorded a safety and allowed one TD drive in the first half to set the stage for their beating of the hapless Beavers.

Stanford 17- Cal 14:  Both teams brought their defenses to the game, but the Golden Bears found out that having your defense and RB Bryce Love on one leg is a little bit better.   Love ran for 101 yards on 14 carries which included a 59-yard TD jaunt on a gimpy ankle to lift Stanford to a win that keeps their Pac 12 North title hopes alive.  Cal's defense took it to Stanford for most of the game, but couldn't stop the Cardinal when it mattered on their final drive. RB Cameron Scarlett played most of the fourth quarter in place of the injured Love. Scarlett carried the ball 11 times for 49 yards and four first downs that killed the final 7:25 to allow Stanford to escape with the win. QB K.J. Costello completed 17 of 26 passes for 185 yards to lead the Cardinal's passing attack. For Cal, RB Patrick Laird was a beast, lugging the leather 20 times for 153 yards and a TD.  QB Ross Bowers completed 20 of 29 passes for 182 yards and a huge interception for the Bears in the loss.
Telling Stat: Early miss= A lost chance at the W;  Cal took Stanford to the brink, but fell short due to the Cardinal's clutch rushing and Cal PK Matt Anderson's missing a 47-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter. 

Washington 33- Utah 30: The Utes owned this game for the first 58 minutes.  There was something obviously missing form the Dawgs for most of the game and you couldn't blame them when they found out early on that they had been eliminated form the Pac 12 North race.  Utah had an answer for everything and held for downs deep in their own territory, holding a 30-23 lead with 4:31 to play.  The Utes then ran a couple of minutes off the clock before punting the ball back with 2:03 left.  The Huskies took the ball and drove 61 yards for the game tying score in 57 seconds.  RB Myles Gaskin did the honors, slashing into the end zone from two-yards out. After the ensuing kickoff is where Utah choked away the game. The Utes didn't play for OT, they stopped the clock with a second down incompletion and failed to convert on third and two.  The Huskies called their final timeout and forced a punt.  UW put the ball in play from their own 28 and handed the ball off Gaskin.  His modest two yard gain would have killed the clock and sent it to OT, but Utah called time out!  On second down Browning dropped back and hit WR Dante Pettis for 18 yards to get near midfield.  Browning then hooked up with WR Andre Baccellia for a 31 yard gain to the Utah 21-yard line.  Two plays later PK Tristan Vizcaino nailed a 38-yarder and the Dawgs celebrated the comeback win.  Browning finished the game competing 26 of 35 passes for 354 yards and two TDs, while Gaskin finished the game with 52 yards on 17 carries and two TDs of his own. In the loss, Utah QB Tyler Huntley completed 19 of 27 passes for 293 yards and a pair of scores.  He also ran for one.
Telling Stat: 2x2 in 2=W;  UW's Jake Browning hooked up with Andre Baccellia for the two biggest plays of the game.  The first completion came on 4th and 10 and kept their game-tying TD drive alive.  The second one set up the game-winning field goal on their final possession. 

Observations

...A run on Duck tape;  After Oregon held UofA QB Khalil Tate to 32 yards rushing, the rest of the Pac 12 will have that defensive footage on their christmas lists.

...Ann Arbor angst;  There is rumbling around Michigan that Jim Harbaugh is starting to exceed his shelf-life at the Big House.

...Head scratcher;  Utah HC Kyle Whitingham has made some just really bad in-game decisions this year.

...A Cardinal Quandary;  With his ankle re-injured against Cal, does Stanford hold out RB Bryce Love for the ND game, hoping he can come back in the Pac 12 title game v. USC? Hmmmmmmm.

...Just a soph-o-more;  USC's Jack Jones has to be the most talked about Sophomore at USC in many years. Unfortunately, it's for all the wrong reasons.

...Credit the Dawgs;  Gotta give a big salute to UW for not tanking the rest of the game after finding out early on that they were eliminated from the Pac 12 North race in their game v. Utah.

...A query;  How does Dan Guerrero still have a job as the UCLA AD?  His wikipedia page says it all, "Many USC alumni and fans hold Guerrero in high regard for his ability to suppress the success of UCLA athletics." Scroll down to criticism

...Lost in Thanksgiving;  Feels very strange to not have my team playing this week.

...No Doaking around;  How did SDSU RB Rashaad Penny not get named as a Doak Walker Award finalist? All he's done is lead the nation with 1,824 yards rushing.  Oh, and he broke Marshall Faulk's single-game all-purpose yardage record, accounting for 429 total yards from scrimmage against Nevada last week.  SMH.

...Mayfield madness;  I think that OU QB Baker Mayfield has a problem channeling his inner Ryan Leaf.

...Didn't see that coming;  There can't be anybody out there who thought that BYU (3-9) would have a worse record than UMass (4-7). Nobody thought that UMass would beat BYU this year either, but they did, 16-10 this past Saturday.  Hmmmmm

...Don't cry for him;  Yes, UCLA did fire Jim Mora on his birthday.  Many folks are saying how cruel that was.  Yeah, right.  I'd take a 12 million dollar buyout for a birthday present anytime.

...Bulldog, bulldog, bow-wow-wow; Yale whipped Harvard, 24-3 to claim their first outright Ivy League title since 1980 and their first win at home over the Crimson this century.

...Duck-ing a CFL victory; In the CFL Western Semi-Final the Edmonton Eskimos were down seven points and facing a third and four at the Calgary 13-yard line with 1:56 to play, former UO Duck and Edmonton HC Jason Maas elected to kick a field goal.  Edmonton closed the gap to four points and their offense never saw the ball again.  So this gutless Duck cost Trojan C.J. Gable a shot at the Grey Cup. SMH.

...Quietly making noise;  While the rest fo the SEC made headlines for better or worse, Missouri has
become a bowl team at 6-5.

...Nine in;  The Pac 12 will have nine bowl-eligible teams this season.

A look at the Power Five Conference Races

ACC
Clemson will take on Miami in the ACC title game on 12/2

Big XII
Oklahoma will play either TCU or Iowa State in the league title game. If TCU beats Baylor this week, they are in.  A Baylor win and a win by Iowa State at Kansas State would put the Cyclones in the the title match.

Big Ten
Wisconsin will face Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

Pac 12
USC has won the South and will face a rematch with either Washington State or Stanford.  If WSU beats Washington this week, USC will face WSU.  A Cougar loss creates a USC-Stanford Pac 12 title game.

SEC
Georgia has won the east and will face the winner of the Auburn-Alabama game in the SEC title match.

A look at the Group of Five Conference Races

American Athletic Conference
Memphis will face the winner of the UCF-USF game in the AAC title tilt.

C-USA
Lane Kiffin's Florida Atlantic team will take on North Texas in the C-USA title game.

MAC
If Toledo wins this week they will win the MAC-West. If they lose and Northern Illinois wins this week, then NIU will win the MAC-West.  The Same scenario exists for the MAC-East.  If Akron wins, they are in.  If they lose and Ohio wins then the Bobcats will win the Mac-East.

Mountain West Conference
Boise State will play at Fresno State this week then face the Bulldogs the following week in the MWC championship game.  Really, do any of the starters take the field this week in the first game?
HHHHHHHmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Sun Belt
There is currently a four-way toe for first place in the league between Troy, Arkansas State, Georgia State and Appalachian State. There are two conference games left and a ton of scenarios between the four teams, the picture should be a lot clearer next week.

Pac 12 Overreactions

Colorado went skiing on their bye week.
Utah won't go to a bowl.
Oregon State will finish 0-9 in Pac 12 play.
Oregon will beat Oregon State because of Justin Herbert and the fact that OSU stinks.
Stanford will lose to ND.
Arizona wil beat ASU, 75-65.
ASU will fire Todd Graham after losing 75-65 to Arizona.
Cal will not make a bowl.
UCLA will barely beat Cal and go to a bowl that pays less than 1/20 of Jim Mora's buyout.
USC is the most frustrating 10-2 in America.
Washington will finish 10-2 and out of everything.
Wazzu will find a way to "Coug It" in Seattle.

Great Looking Rivalry photo of the Week

When the Trojans and bRuins hook up, great photos happen.

Cheesiest Uniform Addition of the Week

We've all heard about and seen Miami's turnover chain. It fits the Miami image and they have run with it. However, a very lame attempt to grab to Miami's thunder is going on in Oregon.  Yes, the Quacks have embarrassed themselves with a lame Home-Depot-do-it-yourself-verison of one. Well, because you know when I think of swagger and rap music ties, Oregon is who comes to mind. SMH!

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Valparaiso, IN- This one comes form the FCS ranks where the Crusaders from Valparaiso got a TD and a two-point conversion with 1:20 left to play to beat the the Dayton Flyers, 8-7.  This game stood scoreless for the first three quarters in wet and cold conditions before Dayton took a 7-0 lead on a 30-yard TD pass from QB Alex Jeske to WR Adam Trautman with 13:54 to play.  Valpo's game-wining drive came after a short punt and good return set up the Crusaders with a 1st and 10 at the Dayton 39-yard line.  Five plays later, RB Jarrett Morgan knifed in from a yard out to put the Crusaders within a point.  Valpo kept their offense on the field and Morgan took the ball out of the wildcat formation and found TE Ryan Clarke in the en zone for the two-point conversion and the win.  The win gave Valpo a winning season for the first time in 13 years.  Side note:  Dayton's lone score extended their national record streak to 465 games without being shutout.

Georgetown Football News: Washington, D.C.- Senior Day did not go well for the Hoyas as they were whipped 35-10 by Colgate.  The loss dropped the Blue and Gray to 1-10 on the season and 0-6 in Patriot League play.

Razorback Report: The Hogs fought hard, but fell 28-21 to Mississippi State. With AD Jeff Long being given the gate last week, it looks like the end of the Bret Bielema era will come soon in Fayetteville.

Baseball Living History Lost

Doerr turning a double play at Chicago's old Comiskey Park  in 1939

On November 13th, Bobby Doerr, the Hall of Fame second baseman on those powerful Red Sox teams of the 1940s passed away. He was one of "The Teammates" as David Halberstam called them in his great book.  He was one of the quartet of men who made up the core of those Red Sox squads that also included Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky.   All four were west coast kids. Doerr was born in LA and played in the Pacific Coast League for  Hollywood and then for San Diego where he met his future Red Sox teammate Williams.  Doerr was a 9-time All-Star for the Red Sox and team coaching fixture for many many years. His jersey #1 has been retired in Boston. Doerr was the oldest living major leaguer at the time of his death at age 99.  He was the last MLB player alive who played in the 1930s.  He played against Lou Gehrig and saw Ted Williams hit .406.  He was one of the the last living links to flannel uniforms, sleeper cars and that whole era where the radio was your window on the world and your local sports pages along with the Sporting News were kings. He was 99.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Pot Roast on a fall Sunday is pretty awesome.

Christmas decorations are prettier when they are marked 50% off.

I'd like to know exactly when Pumpkin Spice took over the world.

Until next week folks, have a great Thanksgiving full of food, family and football.

-The Commissioner

Week 11, 2017

Hey All,

It's time for another edition of the column that keeps your mind on the game, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Tom Kelly.

Summaries

USC 38- Colorado 24: USC's three act play v. Arizona was such a hit that they took the show on the road to Boulder.  USC built up a 27-0 lead thanks to a strong defensive effort and an offense that one day may score enough points to match their yardage totals. Just when SC fans began to relax during the third quarter, SC commenced with the second act of the show.  CB Jack Jones made a bad decision on a pass route and WR Juwann Winfree took the gift of the busted coverage and romped 79-yards into the end zone untouched.  Colorado followed that with a blocked punt on USC's ensuing possession.  The Buffs turned that into a 1-yard TD run by RB Phillip Lindsay and suddenly the Trojans were clinging to a 27-14 lead with over 20 minutes of game left to play.  Then, act three commenced began and USC built up a 38-17 lead with 12:42 left on a 22-yard TD run by Ronald Jones II and a two-point conversion pass from QB Sam Darnold to TE Erik Krommenhoek.  SC then gave up a 59-yard TD pass thanks to another busted coverage by Jones.  Then, despite some horrible clock management down the stretch USC pulled out the win thanks to CB Ajene Harris' second interception of the game and the Buffaloes not realizing that their presumed 1st and Goal at the SC 3-yard line was really fourth and inches.  The Trojans walked out of Folsom Field with the Pac 12 South Division Crown.  Darnold and Jones II were USC's offense with Darnold completing 21 of 34 passes for 329 yards and two TDs.  He also ran for a score as well.  Jones II had a great day, rushing for 142 yards on 25 carries and a TD.  Jones II moved into sixth place on USC's career rushing list with his 142 yards. He passed Mike Garrett, Reggie Bush and Lendale White on the list with his effort.  For Colorado, RB Phillip Lindsay was bottled up by the Trojan defense, gaining only 68 yards on 20 carries with a TD.  However, QB Steven Montez competed 27 of 49 passes for 376 yards and two TDs. The downside for Montez was that two of his passes were picked off by Ajene Harris and he took one of them back for a TD.
Telling Stat: 25-9 x 2; After the win, USC HC Clay Helton has the same record after 34 games, (25-9) as Pete Carroll did at USC in his first 34 games. 

Stanford 30- Washington 22: Stop me if You've heard this before.  See, the Pac 12 schedules a Friday Night game where one of their teams with a hope of making the College Football Playoff has to win a road game at a tough opponent's yard on short rest.  Washington suffered the league's Friday night curse and was worked over by the slow, plodding Stanford Cardinal on The Farm. Everything looked good for the Dawgs as they held a 14-7 lead with 11:37 left in second quarter.  Their running game was moving and their defense had held Stanford in check for the most part.  With 6:19 left in the period UW looked like they were going to take a commanding two TD lead.  The Dawgs went for a makeable 4th and 1 at the Cardinal 18-yard line. UW RB Myles Gaskin was stopped short.  The momentum had swung Stanford's way and the Dawgs would never get it back.  The Cardinal offense chipped away at their deficit, while the their defense bottled up the Huskies.  Stanford's time draining attack played a slow game of keep away with the Huskies.  Suddenly, there was only 8:48 left to play in the game and the Cardinal held a 30-14 lead.  Washington did manage to cut the deficit to just eight points with 4:22 left, but never got any closer. Running on basically one-ankle, SU RB Bryce Love lugged the leather 30 times for 166 yards and three TDs.  Even more importantly for SU, QB  K.J. Costello completed 16 of 27 tosses for 211 yards without an interception.  RB Myles Gaskin ran for 120 yards and three TDs on just 18 carries in the loss.
Telling Stat: They moved the chains; Stanford's slow, throttling style of offense only works if they convert third downs. Stanford did just that.  They converted 10 of 18 third downs with an average gain of 9.7 yards per conversion.  

Arizona 49- Oregon State 28: The bloodied, but not bowed Beavers showed up to Tuscon and had first row seats to another episode of "The Running of The Cats." The Wildcats ran up a big halftime lead by ummm... running. Four rushing TDs by four different Wildcats, RBs Nick Wilson, Zach Green, WR Tony Ellison and some QB named Khalil Tate all crossed the double stripe to give their squad a 28-0 halftime edge.   Tate, Green and now backup QB Brandon Dawkins would run for scores in the second half to complete UofA's seven rushing TD night.  When it was all over, Arizona torched Oregon State for 534 yards on the ground. Tate ran for 206 yards on 16 carries and two TDs. Wilson ran for 101 yards and a score on 10 carries and freshman RB J.J. Taylor ran for 129 yards on 10 carries. Lost in the all rushing yards was the fact that UofA's defense, which had given up more yards than the Italian army pitched a first half shutout.  That was a big deal, because they reverted to their usual selves in the second half and gave up 28 to the Beavers.  In the loss, OSU QB Darrell Garretson completed 16 of 28 passes for 209 yards and four TDs.
Telling Stat: Why throw?  Arizona didn't need to throw so they didn't. The Wildcats only attempted seven passes, but rushed the ball 55 times for 534 yards and seven TDs.  That's a cool 9.7 yards per carry for the non-math majors out there. 

UCLA 44- Arizona State 37: In game seen by dozens on the Pac 12 Network, UCLA bounced back form their debacle at Utah last week by outlasting the Sun Devils at the Rose Bowl.  bRuin QB Josh Rosen came back strong after missing the last game plus due to a concussion.  After a slow start, Rosen went on to complete 25 of 45 passes for 381 yards, a TD and an interception.  He also ran for a score as well. In addition to Rosen's comeback, UCLA rediscovered their rushing game.  The bRuins ran for 192 yards with RB Bob Olorunfunmi gaining 79 yards on 15 carries with a TD. This game was a see-saw affair with ASU fading down the stretch.  However, QB Manny Wilkins did throw for 290 yards, a TD and an interception. RB DeMario Richard had a good game, rushing for 125 yards on 21 carries and a TD of his own.
Telling Stat: 0= W;  UCLA's much maligned O-line didn't give up a single sack which gave Josh Rosen plenty of time to pick apart the ASU secondary and lift his squad to the win. 

Washington State 33- Utah 25: The Cougars were anxious to break out of their road funk dropping their last two contests away from home in unimpressive fashion.  Wazzu came out strong early and hung on for the win at the always tough to play in Rice-Eccles Stadium.   The Cougars jumped out to a 13-0 lead thanks to three Utah turnovers.  Utah would turn the ball over seven times in the game.  The Cougars then put just enough points on the board in the final three periods to walk out with a hard fought win. The Utah defense's strong play in the red zone kept this game a lot closer than it should have been. The Cougars didn't get a lot of TDs, but PK Eric Powell nailed four of five field goal attempts to keep his squad in command.  Despite the red zone troubles, WSU QB Luke Falk competed 40 of 69 passes for 311 yards, three TDs and two interceptions.   Utah QB Tyler Huntley threw for 305 yards with a TD and three interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: +4 +2 x 0= W; Wazzu was able to grind out the win thanks to being +4 in the turnover department and shutting out Utah in the first and third quarters.

Observations

...Giving myself a hand;  Washington found a way to lose at Stanford.

...The man still resonates;  During this season and especially the last few games an old Tom Kelly quote comes to mind.  "The Trojans just can't stand prosperity!"

...Butch cut;  Tennessee did what was expected all year and fired HC Butch Jones on Sunday.  I guess giving up 50 points to Missouri was the last straw.

...Just brutal;  Auburn did everything to Georgia short of getting Uga neutered at half time.

...Just a matter of time; As if there were any doubt that Mike Riley will be fired at Nebraska, new Huskers AD Bill Moos said after the Big Red's 54-21 loss to Minnesota, "It's not like I've got a coach to hire this afternoon at 3:30."  then followed that up with, "Mike Riley deserves to finish the 2017 season.  That's how I operate."

...They woke up the echoes;  Notre Dame did a great job waking up the echoes of...Gerry Faust.

...Friday Night Lows; Maybe with the loss of 16+ million by not making this year's CFP, the idiots in charge at the Pac 12 might stop scheduling Friday games.

...Pale in defeat;  After Miami smashed ND, I bet there weren't that many disappointed, angry, beaten, people without tans in Miami since SC whipped Oklahoma.

...The Caissons are still rolling; Army is 8-2.  Their 21-16 win over Duke gives the Black Knights an undefeated home season and their first eight win season since they went 10-2 in 1996.

...An average year;  It is theoretically possible for the Pac 12 to have six schools to finish with 6-6 records.

...The man's good;  San Jose Mercury News Pac 12 beat reporter Jon Wilner is moving into my pantheon of great sportswriters this year.  His latest on what he would do to fix the Pac 12 is another winner in my book.  The only thing I don't like is his suggestion that every Pac 12 school play an FCS school each year.  You can read it all here.  Pac 12 Fix

...Just call him the Dark Knight;  UofA QB Khalil Tate should be given the nickname of Batman.  Why? Well, because he does his daring deeds on the football field in the dark of night with nobody watching. Thanks, Larry Scott.

...An odd feeling;  With SC's game being played in daylight, it was weird realizing that there were more games to watch after the game was over.

...0/5;  Everyone this year has talked about SC not having a bye this season.  The great Dan Weber who covers SC football pointed out that five Pac 12 teams hadn't had a bye at all until this past weekend.  Thanks, Larry Scott.

...Road of tears;  Kansas' 42-27, loss at Texas Saturday set the FBS record for consecutive road losses with 45. The Jayhawks last road win was at UTEP on 9/12/2009.

...And there are still two;  UTEP and Georgia Southern are the only two winless teams left in the FBS.

...Quietly frustrating folks;  Lane Kiffin's Florida Atlantic squad is 7-3 overall, undefeated in C-USA play at 6-0 and stands a win away form the C-USA title game. Hmmmmm.

...The wild wild Mountain West;  There are still at least six different scenarios of who could make it to the MWC title game.  My favorite one has UNLV pulling off the miracle and wining the West Division.

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that BYU has hired a search firm to find just exactly at what point in time that they lost their relevance in college football.

...Tammy Wynette lives in Kansas; KU chancellor Douglas Girod sent out a message standing by his man, HC David Beaty after the Jayhawks dropped to 1-9 this past weekend.

Trojan CFL Spotlight

It's playoff time for the guys on the 110-yard field and a former Trojan is having a big impact.  One of the biggest CFL trades to happen in a few years occurred when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats traded former Trojan RB C.J. Gable to the Edmonton Eskimos a few weeks ago.  Gable has had quite a career up north and is a fan favorite in the league.  In the Western Semi-Fianl game last Sunday, he rushed for 107 yards and two TDs to go along with 37 yards receiving to help lead the Eskimos to a 39-32 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. This week,  Gable leads Edmonton into the Western Final game v. the Calgary Stampeders. Fight On, C.J.!

Closest Rivals in America

No, I'm not talking about USC-UCLA or even Houston-Rice, I'm going down to the D-II level in what's known as the Battle of the Ravine.  The rivals in this game are the Henderson State Reddies and the Ouachita Baptist Tigers. The two schools reside in Arkadelphia, Arkansas and are 0.2 miles apart. Yes, 0.2 miles apart.  In this year's rivalry tilt at Cliff Harris Stadium, the Tigers outlasted the Reddies, 49-42.  RB Drew Harris, (no relation to Cliff), accounted for all seven Ouchita TDs.  He ran four four and had receptions for the other three. The Tigers win gave them their third straight Great American Conference title.  The Tigers also snapped Henderson State's 31-game road wining streak.  Yes, even if it is only 0.2 miles away, it can still be a road game.

A look at the Power Five Conference Races

ACC
Clemson won the Atlantic Division and will face Miami, the Coastal champs in the ACC title game.

Big XII
It's complicated, but Oklahoma is atop the standings with the inside track to the title game.  The Sooners will most likely face TCU again in the title game.  However, there is a scenario where OU could face West Virginia in the last game of the regular season then play each other again one week later in the title match.

Big Ten
Wisconsin is the Big Ten West champ.
The Big Ten East is a bit more convoluted.  Ohio State has the inside track, but if Michigan beats both Wisconsin and Ohio State in the next two weeks, they will play the Badgers a second time in the Big Ten title game.  Penn State and Michigan State need the buckeyes to drop their last two games for a shot at the title, but the Buckeyes most likely won't lose to cellar dweller Illinois this week.

Pac 12
USC's win over Colorado clinched the South title.
The North is Wazzu's to lose.  A Washington State win at Washington on the 25th sets up a USC-WSU rematch.  A WSU loss, sets up a rematch of USC and Stanford.  This is assuming that Stanford beats Cal this week.  If Stanford falters and UW wins their final two games, the Trojans will face the
Huskies.

SEC
Georgia is the East champ. (quit laughing, Auburn)
The winner of the Iron Bowl in two weeks will face the Bulldogs in the SEC title game.

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC is the most frustrating 9-2 team in America.
Arizona will beat ASU by three TDs.
ASU needs to run the ball more.
Stanford still needs a QB more than they need Bryce Love.
Cal had a bye and nobody noticed.
Oregon's bye went unnoticed too.
Wazzu fans are cringing with nightmares of "Couging It" in Seattle.
Utah will not make a bowl.
Colorado will make a bowl.
Oregon State has been texting love notes to Mike Riley.
Washington is Cal's biggest fan this week.
UCLA has been seen leaving flowers on Chip Kelly's doorstep.

Cool Uniform of the Week

I'm not an alternate uniform guy or much on abandoning your school colors, but I have to say I do like what Colorado State did here. The Colorado flag is pretty cool state flag as far as state flags go.  The Colorado color combo and simplicity of the Colorado C makes this a good look.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Monmouth, IL- QB Hayden Nelson plunged over the goal line from a yard out to give the Monmouth (IL) Fighting Scots a 9-6 overtime victory over the the St. Norbert Green Knights.  St. Norbert opened the scoring with a 41-yard field goal from PK Sean Thompson-Meyers and Monmouth tied it in the fourth quarter with a 39-yard FG from PK Joey Biel.  In OT , the Green Knights went up 6-3 when Thompson-Meyers connected form 33 yards out. Thompson-Meyers could have ended the game on then last play in regulation, but his 50-yard attempt fell short. The win gives Monmouth a 9-1 record and most likely a D-III playoff berth.

Blowout Game of the Week: Northfield, MN- This week's winner has to be one of the biggest blowouts in the history of the column.  The St. Thomas (MN) Tommies staked their claim to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Association title with a 97-0 drubbing of St. Olaf College. The Tommies scored just about every way possible.  They returned two interceptions for TDs, had a punt return TD, ran and passed for TDs and did make one two-point conversion early in the game.  The Tommies emptied their bench after building up a 64-0 halftime lead.  16 different Tommies either carried the ball or caught a pass.  QB Jacques Parra threw for 295 yards and three TDs.  The St. Thomas defense held St Olaf to 71 total yards, forced 11 punts, picked off four passes, and held the Oles to just 3 of 17 on third downs in this "contest."

C.W. Post Press: Manchester, NH-  After a sluggish first quarter, the Pioneers turned a 3-0 lead over the Saint Anselm Hawks into 31-0 lead midway through the third quarter and a 45-7 victory to finish the season.  Post QB Yianni Gavalas competed 24 of 38 passes for 256 yards and 3 TDs.  RB Malik Pierre had a great day too.  He toted the rock 19 times for 168 yards and a TD.  The Pioneers finished the season at 8-2. Oh, and yes their season is finished.  The Pioneers finished second in the Northeast 10 Conference which in years past would give them berth in the NE-10 title game.  However, the conference stopped having a title game this season.  That means Assumption College, the NE -10 Champ will go to the D-II playoffs.  Assumption will play at California (PA) in the first round of the playoffs this coming week.

Georgetown Football News: Lewisburg, PA- Another day, another loss for the Hoyas in Patriot League play.  The Blue and Gray were shutout for the second consecutive week.  This time it was a 12-0 decision at the hand of the Bucknell Bison. The Bison's first score came midway through the second quarter when PK John Burdick made a 26-yard field goal to put his squad top 3-0.  Burdick connected agin in the third quarter to give the Bison a 6-0 lead.  Buicknell put the game away later in the period when QB John Chiarolanzio connected with WR Matt Ademolia for a 36-yard TD pass.  GU did stop the two-point try, but never could muster a scoring drive and suffered the shutout.  The Hoyas haven't scored any points for the last 120 minutes and 12 seconds of game play.  Up next for GU is their final game of the year.  It's Senior Day and the Hoyas will host the Red Raiders of Colgate.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Saute'd then grilled asparagus is really good. The asparagus is even better where paired with a good rib-eye.

Finally feels like fall here.

I can't believe it's time for making christmas lists.

Until next time folks, remember that wining ugly is way better than losing pretty.

-The Commissioner

Week 10, 2017

Hey All,

Fall is truly here. It's November and the clocks have turned back. Now we do too in a  look back at last weekend's action.  Here's another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Beano Cook.

Summaries

USC 49- Arizona 35: Yes, this game was four quarters long, but it felt like a play in three acts.  Act One: The Trojans come out and shut down suddenly All-Everything UofA QB Khalil Tate.  USC leaves some points on the field due to a failed fourth down conversion in which the referee rules that the Trojans missed converting it by a micron and a pick thrown by USC QB Sam Darnold in the UofA end zone. Despite those miscues, USC takes a 21-6 lead into the half to end the opening act. Act Two: It begins with USC extending their lead to 28-6 despite the refs taking their part from a supporting role to a lead one.  The Trojans are penalized and reviewed almost out of the building. The USC defense tires while Tate and the Wildcats find their stride.  Suddenly Tate cannot be stopped and he leads the Wildcats back to tie the score at 35-35 with 8:23 to play.  Act Three:  The Trojans who have faltered defensively and suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous officiating find their resolve and score two TDs and force two Arizona interceptions in the final minutes to win the game. The Trojans ran all over the Wildcats with a pair of backs eclipsing the 100 yard mark.  Ronald Jones II gained 194 yards on 27 carries with three TDs.  Aca'Cedric Ware gained 122 yards on 14 carries with a TD of his own. Darnold finished the game with 311 yards through the air and a pair of scores. For UofA, Tate was good again.  He carried the ball 26 times for 161 yards and a TD, He also passed for 146 yards and two scores.  He also threw two bad late interceptions.
Telling Stat: 179-12+2= 14-0=W;  After Arizona stormed back to tie the Trojans.  USC outgained the Wildcats 179 yards to 12 yards and picked off UofA twice.  The Trojans turned those yards into 14 points while using the interceptions to shutout the Wildcats in the final minutes to get the win. 

Arizona State 41- Colorado 30: The Sun Devils were staring down the barrel of a second straight home loss trailing 27-17 late in the third quarter.  Their offense had gone dormant in the period and CU looked to be getting stronger as the clock ticked down.  Then, the Sun Devils flipped the proverbial switch and put up 24 points over the final 17:23 to corral the Buffaloes.  ASU went heavily to their ground game to forge their comeback.  When it was over, ASU RB DeMario Richard toted the rock 25 times for 189 yards and a TD to lead an ASU rushing attack that amassed 381 yards. His backfield mate, QB Manny Wilkins ran for 95 yards on 15 carries and a TD to go with 202 yards and two TDs passing. As for the Buffaloes, QB Steven Montez complete 23 of 41 passes for 345 yards and a TD.  CU RB Phillip Lindsay was held to just 80 yards rushing, but did score two TDs.
Telling Stat: They ran out a win; In the final 17:23 of the game, ASU ran the ball on 22 of their final 25 offensive plays for 236 yards and three TDs to put away Colorado in the Valley of the Sun.

Washington  38- Oregon 3: On a cold and dreary night the Ducks were holding their own in Seattle. The game was knotted at 3-3 early in the second quarter and neither offense had shined.  Then, Dante struck.  UW WR Dante Pettis fielded an Oregon punt at the 12:04 mark of the second quarter and weaved his way to a 64-yard touchdown. His punt return TD was the ninth of his career which is a new NCAA record. It also sparked the Huskies to a 35-0 run over the second and third quarters which  buried the Quacks.  Pettis also caught a 47-yard TD toss from QB Jake Browning.  Browning finished the game with 11 completions in 19 attempts and two TDs.  RB Myles Gaskin had another good day for the Dawgs.  He gained 123 yards on a 17 carries with a TD.  UW's defense was tough yet again.  They allowed only 278 total yards, forced a pair of turnovers and rendered the Oregon offense inert for the final 3 1/2 quarters after surrendering an initial field goal.
Telling Stat: Anatomy of a 35-0 run;  While UW's offense as busy putting up 35 points on the Ducks in the second and third quarters, UW's defense held Oregon to no points and just 73 yards over eight drives during the same time span.

California 37- Oregon State 23: A feisty bunch of Beavers showed up to Memorial Stadium and gave the Golden Bears all they could handle.  However, Cal was able to keep the Beavers winless in the league with an outstanding effort from RB Patrick Laird and some slick throws from QB Ross Bowers. Laird lugged the leather 33 times for 214 yards with a TD while Bowers competed 24 of 30 passes for 259 yards and a pair of TDs to spearhead the offense.  The Beavers did stay within striking distance of Cal most of the game, but after closing the score to 37-23, the Beavers never saw the ball again.  Cal racked up three first downs in a final drive that ate the final 6:10 off the clock to ensure a victory.  For Oregon State, RB Thomas Tyler ran fro 41 yards and a TD while QB Darrell Garretson threw for 169 yards in the loss.  The Golden Bears are are a win away from being bowl eligible.
Telling Stat:  Truly special teams;  Cal didn't punt once in the game, allowed only 105 yards on five kickoff returns and PK Matt Anderson connected on all three of his field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder to help lift Cal to the win.

Utah 48- UCLA 17: The bRuins haven't been very good this year, but take away QB Josh Rosen, who didn't even get on the team plane because of an undisclosed concussion he received at Washington. Now couple that with the dreaded Pac 12 road double of a Friday night road game following a road game the week before and you have the ingredients for a rout.  It became a rout even though neither team looked like they wanted to win in the first half.  Wasted time outs, numerous mental errors, penalties, dropped passes and bad blocking led to a Utah 17-10 lead at the half.  Utah then made some half time adjustments and blew the doors off the bRuins in the third quarter.  Utes QB Tyler Huntley took advantage of a blown coverage and hit a streaking WR Troy McCormick for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the third quarter.  Utah then sandwiched two more TDs around a pair of 3-and-outs from their defense and suddenly they held a 38-10 lead with 7:13 left in the third period. The bRuins never recovered from Utah's scoring blitz and the final 22+ minutes of the game was garbage time.  Huntley finished the game with 15 completions on 22 attempts for 234 yards and four TDs.  Moss torched the bRuins for 153 yards rushing on 23 carries and a two TDs.  UCLA didn't give up another 300 yards rushing, but 272 yards is still pretty bad.  For UCLA, QB DeVon Modster completed eight passes for 103 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: 319/98;  Utah's halftime adjustments on both sides of the ball were pretty good.  They Utes outgained UCLA, 319 yards to 98 which led to a 31-7 bulge on the scoreboard for the final two quarters and a big win for the Utes. 

Washington State 24- Stanford 21: The Cougars finished off their home slate with a bang, coming from behind to down the Cardinal.  After being benched last week at Arizona, WSU QB Luke Falk shined against the Cardinal.  He completed 34 of 48 passes for 337 yards and three TDs. He led the Cougs on their 94-yard game-wining drive by completing six of seven passes for 83 yards, The last completion was an 11-yard strike to WR Jamire Calvin. Oh, and he did it in a snowstorm.  Falk also became the Pac 12 career leader in passing yards, surpassing Oregon State's Sean Mannion. The Cougar defense did ok too.  Stanford RB Bryce Love did manage to play, but his ankle and the Cougars rendered him ineffective.  He was held to 69 yards rushing and one score. He wasn't a big factor in the game.
Telling Stat: Quite an arm; WSU QB Luke Falk now holds the Pac 12 career records for passing yards, pass completions, pass attempts and total offense.  All he needs is three more TD passes to own that career stat too.

Observations

...He strikes again;  The game that everyone knew would have big implications for the Pac 12 North race coming into the season between Washington and Stanford is being played on Friday. I'm sure both squads really like having one day less to heal and prepare.  Thanks, Larry Scott.

...Things my wife says;  During the multiple delays in the SC game to review targeting calls, my wife posited the theory that the officials have made a big mess of enforcing this rule so that it can be changed/dropped in the offseason.  I think she has a point.

...Might be back on the sidelines; Rick Neuheisel has been mentioned in connection with the Oregon State coaching job and was in Knoxville on Monday talking with the Tennessee folks.

...Things my sister Luci says; The third quarter of the USC-Arizona game went so long that she said that USC's RB Ronald Jones "went form being Ronald Jones II to Ronald Jones III."

...Up the Wazzu;  So, I see Pullman still has legendarily poor security around their field. My field agent in Yuba City tagged this one #makemamaproud. PullmanPride

...The new Rutgers;  With their horrible 45-16 loss to Missouri, Florida has truly become the worst dumpster fire in the FBS for 2017.

...Upon further and even further review; There needs to be a total overhaul of Pac 12 officiating.  The USC-UofA game has to be used as a training film of how not to be an official.

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that UCLA is going to replace their defense with those little rubber bars that are used to separate groceries at the checkout stand because they are a more respected barrier.

...He ain't a saint;  Penn State HC James Franklin is being praised for chasing down one of his players to go and shake hands with Michigan State at the end of their last game.  Remember, this is the same guy who iced Georgia State's PK when he was up, 56-0.

...Obi-Badgers you're our only hope;  With the Big Ten East taking a dive on Saturday, Wisconsin is the league's last hope for a CFP spot.

...Ouch;  I think it'll take a little more than grapefruit and juicy fruit to wash away this Miami fan's night after she tried to slap one of the cops that was carrying her out of the VaTech-Miami game.
DownGoesFrazier

...Right where they want 'em;  Northwestern became the first FBS team to win three straight overtime games with their win over Nebraska last Saturday.

...What a week they had;  UW WR Dante Pettis set a new NCAA record by returning a punt for a TD for the ninth time in his career.  Dante's dad, Gary Pettis is the third base coach for the now World Champion Houston Astros.

...1K in 5;  UofA QB Khalil Tate broke the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season v. USC.  Tate is the only Pac 12 QB to ever rush for 1,000 yards.  He's done in just five games.

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

...The caissons rolled along;  Army hit the road and wiped out Air Force, 21-0.  The shutout snapped Air Force's streak of scoring in 306 straight games.  The Black Knights are 7-2 and hope to finish the regular season by singing last.

...The Lions didn't roar; With a loss to Harvard, Columbia dropped out of content for the Ivy League crown. I've hype the Blue Lions this year, but even with the losses, 6-2 is the best year for Columbia in a long time.

Looking at the Conference Races

Here's the skinny on the Power Five races as we hit November.

ACC
Atlantic:  A Clemson win over Florida State clinches the division.  A loss by the Tigers opens the door for North Carolina State to squeak through if they win their final three games v. BC, Wake Forest and North Carolina.

Coastal: The undefeated Miami Hurricanes would have to lose all three remaining games for Va Tech to have shot.  Virginia needs Miami to lose a game and also win at Miami on 11/18 to claim the division title.

Big XII
There are no divisions in the BIG XII, but what makes this race intriguing is that the top two teams will meet again in the league title game.  OU and TCU sit atop the league with league records 5-1 and face each other this week in Ft. Worth.  The winner has the inside track to the league title game.  The loser will find themselves in a three team tie for the second spot.

Big Ten
West: It is Wisconsin's world here.  If the Badgers don't collapse down the stretch they will go to the title game

East: Michigan State and Ohio State meet in Columbus this week with 5-1 league records.  If MSU wins all they have left is Maryland and Rutgers to get by in order to make the title game.  If the Buckeyes win, then they have the inside track.

Pac 12
South: A USC win v. either Colorado or UCLA in the next two weeks sends the Trojans to Santa Clara. Two Trojan losses would open the door for either ASU or Arizona.

North: A Washington win at Stanford this week would almost guarantee that the UW-WSU game would be for the division crown.  However, a Huskies loss at Stanford throws the race into a three team scramble between the Cardinal, Cougars and the Huskies.

Southeastern
East: Barring an incredible collapse by the Bulldogs, they will be the the division champs.

West: It's Alabama's world unless Auburn digs deep and creates total chaos in the SEC.  Auburn hosts Georgia this week.  If the Tigers beat the Bulldogs and then beats Alabama in three weeks, they will win the West Division and likely face Georgia again in the SEC title game.

Pac 12 Overreactions

Wazzu will win the Pac 12 North.
Arizona will finish 9-3.
Arizona State will lose 76-65 to Arizona.
Cal will lose to Stanford yet again.
Stanford needs a QB more than they need Bryce Love.
Washington will still find a way to lose at Stanford.
Oregon needs to quit letting Phil Knight call plays.
UCLA 2017 is really starting to resemble UCLA 2016.
USC is the most frustrating 8-2 team in America.
Oregon State needs Mike Riley.
Utah is Vegas Bowl bound.
Colorado is Motel-6 Bowl bound.


Ugly Head Coach and Athletic Director of the Week

Had to stay with my USC Trojans this week.  One, what is with this jacket Clay Helton is wearing? When has pink become a USC color?  Just awful.

Now, to top Helton's awful jacket we have AD Lynn Swann wearing this horrible pseudo-sweater-vest thing.  Someone might want to let Swann know that Bill Cosby-esque sweaters really aren't in right now.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Norfolk. VA-  It's not often that an FBS game makes it into this department, but the hapless Old Dominion Monarchs beat the even more hapless Charlotte 49ers, 6-0 on a pair of field goals by PK Nick Rice.  Rice connected form 40 yards out in the first quarter and 30 yards out in the third quarter to provide the only points of the game. ODU did dominate the key stats. They held the ball for almost 40 minutes, and held Charlotte to just eight first downs and a paltry 2 of 12 on third down conversions.

Blowout of the Week: Redlands, CA- This week's blowout comes from the SCIAC where the Redlands Bulldogs smashed the Whittier Poets, 76-7.  It was senior night and the Bulldogs and the seniors went out with a bang. The Bulldogs ran up almost 700 total yards of offense with QBs Levi Plante and Levi Martinez combining to complete 19 of 27 tosses for 274 yards and five TDs. Redlands held a 73-0 lead before Whittier tallied their lone score long after the benches were emptied.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY-  It was senior day at Post and the Pioneers sent their seniors out well with a 49-7 thumping of Merrimack College. Post jumped on Merrimack early and built up a 39-0 lead at the half.  QB Yianni Gavalas had himself a day.  He completed 26 of 43 passes for 363 yards and five TDs.  Up next for Post is a trip to Manchester, NH to take on Saint Anslem College in the final game of the regular season.  If Post wins at 1-8 Saint Anselm, they will have a rematch with Assumption college in the Northeast 10 title game.

Georgetown Football News: Washington, D.C.- It was not a happy homecoming for the Hoyas as they fell again in Patriot League play.  This time, it was a tough, 7-0 loss to the Leopards of Lafayette.  The game's lone score happened in the second quarter.  QB Sean O'Malley found WR Nick Pearson for an 11-yard TD connection.  Georgetown's last chance to tie the game failed when QB Gunther Johnson's fourth down pass fell incomplete with 2:10 to play.  This game truly was a tight, defensive struggle.  The teams combined to convert only 4 of 25 third downs on the day.  Up next for GU is a trip to Bucknell.

Razorback Report: The Hogs came back to beat Coastal Carolina, 39-38 at home on Saturday.  Judging from the lack of fans at the game, a comeback win over a team that just started playing FBS football, isn't much to write about.  Up next for Arkansas is a trip to LSU.


This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Lionel electric trains are still pretty cool.

My mother still makes a great chicken fired steak.

My sister Liza makes great salted caramels.


Until next time folks, remember that ugly wins are still wins.

-The Commissioner