Week 4, 2018

Hey All,

Happy Fall! Let's celebrate with another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 39- Washington State 36: A larger than expected number showed up for what was an unexpected shootout at the Coliseum.  A small percentage of the crowd were Wazzu faithful excited over their squad's 3-0 start while the rest of the crowd were disgruntled Trojan fans wondering if they were watching HC Clay Helton's last game on the SC sidelines.  Midway through the third period, the game had become what SC fans feared.  The Trojans had frittered away an early lead with bad play calling, poor o-line play, a non existent effort form their tight ends and a defense that couldn't produce a sack or a turnover against a sharp, well prepared Cougar squad.  Wazzu had just driven the length of the field and found paydirt on their first drive of the second half. Wazzu then blew the extra point.  The good snap sailed right through the hands of holder Trey Tinsley.  The blown PAT gave USC a small sliver of life down 30-17.  USC scored the next 14 points to take a 31-30 lead thanks to two TD passes by QB J.T. Daniels.  The first one was a hitch pass that WR Michael Pittman, Jr. turned into a 50-yard score and the second one was a perfect 30-yard fade pass dropped in over the shoulder of Daniels' high school buddy, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown.  Then, the USC defense was sliced and diced by Wazzu QB Gardner Minshew II. Seven quick plays later, the Cougars led 36-31on a scoring strike from Minshew to WR Easop Winston. Forced to chase points, WSU's two-point conversion failed.  Then, Wazzu's purposely short kickoff was returned 25 yards to the USC 44-yard line.  Five plays later, the Trojans led 37-36 on short TD blast by RB Vavae Malepeai. The trojans lead expanded to 39-36 when Daniels threaded the needle to WR Tyler Vaughns for the two-point conversion. After the teams traded punts, WSU embarked on a 53-yard rive that had victory written all over it.  WSU then got conservative and were stuffed on a pair of runs deep in SC territory.  On came PK Blake Mazza for 38-yard FG attempt to send the game to OT.  The attempt was blocked by USC DT Jay Tufele.  Basically, Wazzu's LG on the play fell down head first blocking air and Tufele rushed in and swatted the kick away. USC then, to this reporter's utter joy and surprise, went into a classic two TE, I-formatiion with a fullback and ran the clock out for the win. Daniels finished the game completing 17 passes in 26 attempts for 241 yards and three TDs, while Malepeai gained 78 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns.  Minshew torched the SC secondary for 344 yards and three TDs in the tough loss.
Telling Stat: 2 > Everything else= L;  WSU beat USC in every statistical category, but failed on two special teams plays and that was the difference in the game. 

Stanford 38- Oregon 31 OT: Gameday came to Eugene, tributes were made to the school where Animal House was filmed, many various gaudy shades of green and gold filled our TV screens and Lee Corso picked the Ducks to upset Stanford. It looked like Corso and this intrepid reporter were both right in our predictions of the Cardinal's demise as the Ducks held a 24-7 lead in the third quarter. Oregon loomed in position to bury Stanford when WR Jaylon Redd received a perfectly executed, smooth pitch on a fly sweep from QB Justin Herbert and rambled into the end zone for what would be a 31-7 Duck advantage. However, after review of the score, Redd had kicked the pylon on his way to pay dirt.  The pylon is out of bounds per rule and the ball had not yet crossed the plane of the goal when Redd kicked it.  Ok, No TD, no problem because UO still had a 1st and goal at the one-yard line.  No problem then became a big problem as the Ducks self destructed and opened the door for an epic Stanford comeback.  A monumentally poor snap on 3rd and goal led to a Stanford fumble return for a TD and suddenly the Cardinal were back in the game down 24-14.  SU fed off the momentum and outscored the Quacks, 21-7 in the second half, but still trailed 31-28 with 2:17 to play. UO had a1st and 10 at the 50. Stanford had one time out left.  All the Ducks had to do was fall on the ball three times then punt the ball deep with a few seconds left.  They didn't do that. Instead they ran the ball twice. On the second down carry, RB C.J. Verdell fumbled and Stanford had one last chance with :51 left in regulation.  Seven quick plays later, PK Jet Toner nailed a 32-yard field goal and the game headed to OT in front of the stunned throng at Autzen Stadium. Stanford had the ball first in OT and QB K.J. Costello hooked up with TE Colby Parkinson for a 23-yard acrobatic TD to give the Cardinal their first lead of the game. Then came Oregon's turn on offense and they gained one first down.  After that came four straight incompletions, or should we say four straight holding/interference calls not made by the ever vigilant Pac 12 refs and the game was over. Costello finished the game strong with 327 yards passing and three TDs. Justin Herbert threw for 346 yards and a TD in the stunning defeat.
Telling Stat: 2 in the 3rd= L;  Oregon's two turnovers in the third quarter opened the door for Stanford to make their improbable comeback against the Ducks.  You really can't blame the pylon for Oregon's choke job.  

Arizona 35- Oregon State 14:  With OSU's QB Jake Luton sitting out with an ankle injury and UofA QB Khalil Tate playing on a gimpy ankle, folks wondered who would step up for either side to provide offense on this rainy day in Corvallis.  The Arizona rushing attack led by RB's J.J. Taylor and Gary Brightwell stepped up and ran the Wildcats to victory.  Taylor ran for 284 yards on 27 carries and a pair of scores with his biggest run being a 62-yarder to put the game away with 5:26 to play. Brightwell carried the ball 13 times and cut through the Beavers for 113 yards and a TD of his own.  Throw in two TD passes fromTate and the Wildcats won their first conference game in the Kevin Sumlin era. QB Conor Blount completed 17 of 24 passes for 137 yards and both of OSU's TDs in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 51/442 for the win;  Arizona ran the Beavers out of the stadium, rushing for 442 yards on 51 attempts to grab the win.   

Washington 27- Arizona State 20: Both offenses hit the field running in this one up in Seattle. A game opening interception on a UW trick play set up ASU with a very short field and the Sun Devils took an early 7-0 lead on a 1-yard run by RB Eno Benjamin.  The Huskies tied the score up on the ensuing drive, going 80 yards in nine plays with QB Jake Browning finding WR Aaron Fuller for an 11-yard score.  An ASU field goal and a another Browning TD gave the Dogs a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and folks though a shootout may be at hand.  Well, ummm, no.  The defenses then asserted themselves.  Yards and points were hard to come by over the final three quarters.  The score stood at 20-13 in favor of the Huskies as the fourth quarter got under way. Washington then seemed to have broken free of the Sun Devils when Browning threw his third TD pass of the game. This one was a five -yarder to TE Cade Otton to put UW up 27-13.  ASU managed to make it close down the stretch when QB Manny Wilkins topped off a 55-yard scoring drive when he sliced into the end zone from one yard out with 2:54 left.  ASU still had all their timeouts, so the Dawgs would need to pick up a first down to run out the clock.  Thanks to friendly review off what was an incomplete pass on third down, UW wideout Andre Baccelia was given the catch for a first down.  The Dawgs then ran out the clock and ran off the field with a hard fought victory.  Browning grabbed the star nod by completing 15 of 22 passes for 202 yards and three scores, but the RB duo of Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed combined for 157 yards rushing on 31 carries to keep the UW offense moving. In the loss, ASU RB Eno Benjamin gained 104 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown, while Wilkins threw for only 104 yards but did run for 13 yards rushing and a score.
Telling Stat: Grounded;  The Washington defense stifled ASU's aerial attack, holding the Sun Devils to just 104 yards through the air.  They held top ASU WR N'Keal Harry to five receptions for a paltry 20 yards. 

Observations

...A real hands team;  Is the Stanford secondary good because they cover well or just because they haven't been flagged for about 20 obvious pass interference and holding calls this year?

...Parental supervision required; Oregon State may have upped Miami's turnover chain idea in a very dangerous way. The Beavers have a turnover chainsaw.  Yes, a chainsaw. Evidently it's a thing there.
Clear Cutting

...Not since Ike;  Duke and Kentucky both appear as ranked teams in the AP College Football Poll this week.  That hasn't happened since September 14, 1957.

 ...Martial arts from the Pirate;  Wazzu's offense reminds me of one of the basic principles of Judo where your own energy is used against you to win.

...Panic in the Palmetto State; QB Kelly Bryant who led Clemson to the College Football Playoff last season has been benched by HC Dabo Swinney. Freshman Trevor Lawrence will take his place in the Tigers lineup. Didn't see that coming

...Head scratcher;  The now 1-4 Colorado State Rams followed up their lone win for the season last week over Arkansas with a loss to FCS foe Illinois State from the Missouri Valley Conference this week. Wait, what? Yeah, it's true.

...Get the cowbells ready;  Mississippi State is gong to throw a huge wrench into the SEC West race.

...Quietly making noise;  With RBs from schools like Wisconsin and Navy near the top of the list, the current leading rusher in the NCAA is from pass-happy Memphis.  The Tigers Darrell Henderson has rushed for 709 yards on just 58 carries this year. Whoa.

...He doesn't gamble much anymore;  It is easy to see over the years that WSU HC Mike Leach seems to play not to lose rather than to win in tight games as his tenure lengthens in the Palouse.

...Ummm Duh;  Trojan fans know USC's defense hasn't generated many turnovers this year.  The Trojans are tied for 119th out of 129 FBS teams in that department.

...Catching up;  Back over Labor Day a flap ensued between ESPN Pac 12 play-by-play man Mark jones and UW HC Chris Petersen.  Jones is no fan of Petersen and he and the EPSN crew have let that be known in tweets and gestures.  Well, Jones won't be broadcasting any UW games for awhile.  Here's the story form the Seattle Times. So long, Mr. Jones

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that USC has asked for a special NCAA panel to come in and explain what exactly a safety is and does it really exist in this game called football.

...Otton of known;  Washington redshirt freshman TE Cade Otton is the nephew of former USC QB Brad Otton.  Oh, and Brad's father, Sid Otton recently retired as the winningest coach in Washington high school football history.

...A wind from the islands;  Hawaii is 4-1 with an outstanding shot to make a bowl game this year.

...Self inflicted tee;  I ran across this story after this column was published last week. Back on 9/15 when Colorado was busy blowing out FCS foe New Hampshire, Chip, CU's polyester mascot, couldn't figure out which way to point a t-shirt cannon. Taking one for the team

...The painful 8;  By dropping a 23-20 overtime decision at San Diego State this week, Eastern Michigan has now lost eight games decided by seven points or less since the start of the 2017 season.

...And then there were four;  It's a little early in the year to list the only winless teams left in the FBS, but it's a interesting one.  The four winless teams are Nebraska, San Jose State, UCLA and UTEP.

...Missing Larry;  Haven't seen my favorite stadium vendor Larry Culpepper in a Dr. Pepper commercial yet this year.  I miss the guy.

...Not so confident big red; You know its bad in Nebraska when reports are out that Huskers hope they can get a win v. Purdue this week.

...Monarchs Reign; While everyone talked up Washington State and Wake Forest all week, Old Dominion pulled off the upset of the year over VaTech.  Maybe ODU won't be known for just Nancy Lieberman anymore.

...As Knoxville Turns; In this episode of the ongoing Orange and White soap opera, Vols HC Jeremy Pruitt and LB Quart'e Sapp are in the middle of a controversy where Pruit says he sent Sapp to the locker room because he refused to go back in the game during Tennessee's annual beat down by Florida.  Sapp says that is wrong and tweeted so in his defense.  Here's the story from the Knoxville News.  HC said, LB said

...73 years ago; Nebraska is 0-3 for the first time since 1945 after being humiliated 56-3 at Michigan.  The last time the Huskers were 0-3, they were members of the Big Six Conference, a full 12 years before the conference would become the Big Eight.

...Tough going for Terps;  After spanking Minnesota, Maryland sits at 3-1 and 1-0 in conference play, however  the Terrapins hopes for a bowl remain slim as they have division games left with Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State and also draw a road trip to Iowa out of the Big Ten West.

...They paid for it;  Oklahoma's game with Army was only available to most of the country via pay-per-view.  The price was around 55 bucks. That means OU fans paid at least 55 bucks to be scared to death by Army. SMH.

...A respite;  I was glad ESPN came out to Oregon for Gameday last week.  The folks at the four letter network needed a rest so they can gather their strength to make sure that they can come back strong and suck up even harder to Urban Meyer and Nick Saban for the rest of the season.

...Lesser of two evils;  Is it possible that most of the country will be rooting for Penn State this week v. TheeeOSU? Hmmmmmmm.

...This just in; New Mexico State stinks.  The Aggies could finish September at 1-5.

Coaching Takes a Toll

Must be tough to be the HC at Big Ten bottom feeder Illinois.  Look what it has done to current HC Lovie Smith in just a little over two seasons.

2016

2018

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC will finish 7-5.
Wazzu still needs their running game more than they think.
ASU will ruin somebody's year.
Oregon needs to put the Victory Formation in their Phil Knight sponsored playbooks.
Washington wins despite Jake Browning.
Oregon State has the heart, but not the horses.
Stanford will get homered in South Bend.
Arizona will go 5-7.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Illinois wins for this awful all-orange ensemble they wore when hosting Penn State this past Friday.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Waynesburg, PA-  This week's game comes from the President's Athletic Conference in D-III where the Waynesburg University Yellow Jackets came from behind to beat the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes, 10-7.  The Yellow Jackets bookended the fourth quarter with a TD pass from QB Tyler Perone to WR Cole Booth with 13:22 to play and then got the game winning 20-yard field goal from PK Garrett Horne with :14 left.

Blowout Game of the Week: De Pere, WI- The blowout number again is 91.  The St. Norbert College Green Knights walloped the Grinnell College Pioneers, 91-0. Of the 13 TDs scored by the Green Knights, four were defensive scores. The Green Knights also held Grinnell to 49 total yards. St. Norbert rushed for 391 yards and six TDs with nine different ballcarriers getting touches. It was such a cakewalk for St. Norbert that their offense only faced four third downs all game.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY- The Bentley Falcons moved down the field on their first drive and took a 3-0 lead over Post with a 20-yard field goal from PK Grant Buchanan.  That field goal would be Bentley's lone score of the day.  Post grounded the Falcons the rest of the game and moved to 3-0 on the season with a 38-3 victory.  Pioneers RB Malik Pierre cracked the century mark on the ground with 107 yards rushing on 15 carries and a touchdown, while QB Chris Laviano completed 18 of 33 passes for 250 yards and two TDs.  The Post defense allowed a little over 300 total yards, but pitched a shutout, allowing only four of Bentley's 15 drives to cross midfield. Up next for the undefeated Pioneers is a a trip to North Andover, MA and a date with the Merrimack College Warriors.

Razorback Report: The Hogs entered SEC play this week and fell to Auburn, 34-3.  The Razorbacks didn't play horribly on defense, holding the Tigers to 225 total yards, but a 96-yard kickoff return for a TD and blocked punt turned the game into Auburn's favor.  QB Ty Storey threw for 141 yards and an interception in the loss for Arkansas.  Up next for the Hogs is a trip to Jerryworld to take on Texas A&M.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

The rush hour in San Pedro after family dinner on Sundays starts at 8 P.M. during the school year.

You know you don't care that much about gardening when some of your gardening tools sit in their packaging in your garage.

I never remember until it's upon us how much I like Autumn.

Until next time, remember it's always better to dodge the pylon than to kick it.
-The Commissioner

Week 3 2018

Hey All,

It's time for the column that makes your Tuesdays a little more fun, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Jim Murray.

Summaries

Texas 37- USC 14: So much to delve into here in this embarrassment in Austin.  First, there's the fact that SC jumped out to a 14-3 lead on the Longhorns and many of the home folks feared being blown out by the Trojans.  Then, there was the missed tackle by SC Safety Ajene Harris that let Texas back in the game and close their deficit to just 14-10. Then, there was the whole sequence at the end of the first half where:

1. USC didn't opt for the easy field goal up 14-13 on the road. They failed on 4th and goal thanks to a bad play call in which not all of the O-line knew the play and the TE whiffed on a key block.

2. The Trojan defense came in and stuffed Texas, recording a safety that everyone in the universe except for the Big XII officiating crew and replay crew failed to acknowledge.

3. USC still forced a punt from UT's end zone where they then roughed the punter and handed The Longhorns a first down. Note: USC eschewed great field position and went for the block while their punt returner fair caught the kick at the Texas 40-yard line. OUCH!

4. The USC defense forced another punt,  but the offense, with great field position, lost 16 yards due to inept play calling and poor OL play.

5. USC's  punter, the one we are told has a strong leg, tops off the horrible drive with a 13-yard punt which set up Texas for the go-ahead field goal on the final play of the half.

Funny, even after that epically poor end to the first half  the Trojans were still in the game!  However, USC made no adjustments as usual at the half, had their top defender ejected on a targeting call to start the second half, and then had a field goal attempt blocked and returned for a TD to put an end to any hopes of a win.
Telling Stat: Not fans of the Lone Star State;  USC is 0-3 in their last three visits to Texas and has been outscored 113-27 in those three embarrassing losses.

Oregon 35- San Jose State 22: San Jose State played maybe their most inspired football of the season, but the Ducks still managed to sweep aside their MWC foe with a less than overwhelming performance. Quack QB Justin Herbert threw for 309 yards and three TDs while RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio found the end zone on two short bursts to account for UO's other scores. QB Josh Love competed 15 of 31 passes for 238 yards and a TD in the defeat for SJSU.
Telling Stat: 3-0;  That's all that matters to Duck fans as they head into their matchup with Stanford next week.

Nevada 37- Oregon State 35: Nobody saw this crazy affair in the Biggest Little City in the World.  I say that because it only aired nationally on ESPN3 which has lower ratings than The Ocho. What everyone, including this intrepid reported, missed was OSU getting drilled and falling behind in the second quarter before switching QBs and mounting a great comeback that fell short at the end.  So, here's my summation of what I read so you can now read it. The comeback started after OSU starting QB Conor Blount was hit and fumbled. Nevada's Malik Reed scooped up the fumble and raced to paydirt to stake the Wolfpack to a 30-7 lead. Blount was then replaced by Jake Luton who hadn't played since receiving a concussion at the hands of Ohio State a couple of weeks ago.  All Luton did was lead the Beavers to four TD s and set the stage for what might have been a great comeback.  Beaver PK Jordan Choukair's 33-yard FG attempt sailed wide as time ran out and Reno got the win and OSU got the cover.  Nevada QB Ty Gangi was the man for Nevada.  He threw for 195 and two TDs.  He also ran for 61 yards, while his top RB Toa Taua ran for 81 yards and TD.  For the Beavers, Luton completed 23 of 35 aerials for 284 yards and a TD in his limited playing time. Beaver RB Jermar Jefferson played the whole game and gained a solid 106 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown.
Telling Stat: A tale of two kickers; Nevada PK Ramiz Ahmed made his only FG attempt of the game while OSU's Jordan Choukair didn't and that's the difference between wining and losing for OSU.

Washington 21- Utah 7: This game was billed as a battle of strong defenses. The defenses came to play.  They defenses hammered their offensive counterparts all night, forcing turnovers and creating scoring opportunities for their offenses.  It was a game that would be decided by who made the most mistakes and that team was Utah.  UW doubled Utah's scoring drives in the first half and took a 14-7 lead into the break on a pair of TD runs by RB Myles Gaskin and QB Jake Browning. The second half began with Utah holding UW to a quick 3-and-out.  The Utes then fumbled three plays later when WR Britain Covey was nailed by DB Travis Bartlett after a catch. The Dawgs recovered the fumble and marched 44 yards on the ensuing drive to take a 21-7 lead that they would never relinquish.  The key play on UW's drive was when Utah DT Leki Fotu roughed Browning and was then thrown out of the game on an iffy targeting call.  Leki was the second Ute ejected for targeting in the game.  The first was safety Marqise Blair was sent to the showers in the second quarter.  The Dawgs defense clamped down harder on Utah just teeing off on their receivers. All looked lost for Utah when their defense gave them another shot to get back into the game.  With 12:45 left in the fourth quarter, Browning got cute with the Utah pass rush and his throw away was intercepted by DT Pita Tonga who looked like he was gonna rumble to the end zone. Instead, Tonga lost control of the ball with nobody around him and fumbled it out of bounds at the UW 11-yard line.  The sputtering Ute offense couldn't generate any points and were held for downs. UW then gave Utah a final chance to get back not the game when a shanked punt gave Utah the ball on the Huskies own 28-yaard line.  However, the Husky defense shutdown the feeble Utah offense one final time to ensure victory. Gaskin was the big offensive star for UW as he lugged the leather 30 times for 143 yards and a touchdown, but really it was the Husky defense that won this game.
Telling Stat: 3+3+3 = W; After giving up a tying TD to Utah, the Washington defense forced three punts, three turnovers and held for downs three times over the final 45:21 to get a tough win in Salt Lake City. 

San Diego State 28- Arizona State 21: So, what happens when two teams that use the same defense, coached by roughly the same coaches meet?  You get a game that comes down to a replay call that benefits the team that committed the penalty. Huh?  Well, first ASU and SDSU run the same defense and ASU's Danny Gonzalez had been on SDSU HC Rocky Long's coaching staff as of last season.  Second, just follow this link and see how this game ended.  It's really all you need to know about this matchup.  Happy Targeting

Fresno State 38- UCLA 14: The Bulldogs took the short trip down I-5 to the Rose Bowl and worked over the bRuins in front of a crowd that looked a whole lot more red than blue.  Fresno State jumped out to an early 16-0 lead then cooled off but still had control of the game up 16-7 to start the third period.  Then, FSU PR KeeSean Johnson fumbled on a punt return. UCLA converted on the error and scored on a short TD run by Bolu Olorunfunmi to close within two points at 16-14.  Fresno State used the score as a wake up call on both sides of the ball.  The FSU defense forced a 3-and-Out and two turnovers which led to the offense going on a 22-0 run to put away the inept bRuins.  Bulldog QB Marcus McMaryion had a huge game despite being hampered by a back injury.  He completed 22 of 33 passes for 270 yards and a TD. He really killed UCLA with his nifty running, rushing for four TDs that were things of beauty to see on the goal line.
Telling Stat; A clock kill for the win;  Up 38-14 early in the fourth quarter, Fresno State went on a 12 play drive that only covered 46 yards, but chewed up 9:15 to eliminate any hopes, scant as they may have been, of a UCLA comeback.

Summaries: The FCS Edition

Arizona 62- Southern Utah 31: The Thunderbirds of SUU proved to be the tonic that the UofA offense needed in what would become a blowout in Tucson.  The Wildcats held a narrow 24-17 lead at halftime due mostly to a pair of TD passes by QB Khlil Tate and a 84-yard kickoff return by wideout J.J. Taylor. The second half began with the UofA offense picking up where it left off while the defense actually stiffened. The result was a 48-17 lead that would in turn lead to the Wildcats first win of the year. Tate finished the game hitting on 13 of 20 passes for 349 yards and five TDs.
Telling Stat: A pair of 0s;  The UofA defense put up goose eggs in the first and third quarters to help bring a win to the desert.

Stanford 30- UC Davis 10: No Bryce Love, no problem for Stanford as they bored to death another opponent up on The Farm.  Davis did come out with some fire and held a 3-0 lead over the Cardinal to start the second quarter.  Stanford QB K.J Costello threw two interceptions in the that first quarter, but wouldn't throw another as he led his squad on a 30-0 run to end any hopes of an Aggie upset.  Costello completed 17 of 30 aerials for 214 yards and two TDs.  WR J.J Arcega Whiteside hauled in both of those TD throws.
Telling Stat: Sparked by the D; The Stanford defense forced turnovers on three of UC Davis's first four drives of the second half to put their offense in position to win the game.

Colorado 45- New Hampshire 14: It was unseasonably hot with the temp being 90 degrees at kickoff in Boulder.  The Buffaloes were able to handle the heat, the Wildcats and the possibility of a letdown after their win at Nebraska last week with ease. CU took a 28-0 halftime advantage behind a 28-yard TD connection from QB Steven Montez to WR Laviska Shenault, Jr., a pair of short TD runs by RBs Travon McMiilian and Kyle Evans and a 14-yard fumble return for a score by LB Davion Taylor. CU Then basically ended the contest when McMillian rumbled 75 yards for a TD on their first drive of the second half. Meanwhile the Buffalo defense rendered the New Hampshire offense inert for most one the day, allowing a TD when the game was well out of hand.
Telling Stat: 7-7;  Colorado's defense scored as many points as they allowed in this laugher at Folsom Field. Note: UNH's other TD came off a pick six.

California 45- Idaho State 23:  Cal's offense got off to a slow start... again. Their defense did what it takes to win... again.  However, the Golden Bears didn't need to recover an onside kick this week in their win over the Bengals of the Big Sky Conference. Cal's offense did struggle, but QB Chase Garbers put up some good numbers.  He completed 20 of 25 passes for 224 yards and three TDs. He did split time with Brandon McIlwain who completed four of seven passes for 45 yards and a TD.  For Idaho State, RBs James Madison and Ty Flanagan combined for 113 yards and two TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: No chains, no gains;  Idaho State was held to just 2 of 14 on 3rd Down Conversions.

Washington State 59- Eastern Washington 24: The Cougars and Eagles locked up in shootout for the first three periods.  Wazzu held a 35-24 lead, but they had just been outscored in the third period and EWU looked to have a possible upset brewing. WSU's defense and special teams then calmed an uneasy home crowd by forcing a pair of turnovers that led to the Cougar offense putting up 24 fourth quarter points to put the game away.  QB Gardner Minshew completed 45 of 57 tosses for 470 yards and two TDs while RB James Williams ran for just 19 yards, but scored three TDs to lead the WSU attack.  WR Davontavean Martin had more catches than letters in his first name with 13 grabs for 149 yards and a score.  EWU QB Gage Gubrud posted a 231 yard, three TD, three interception game in the loss.
Telling Stat: Great mileage;  Wazzu scored on TD drives of 65, 68, 69, 98, 99 yards with only one of the drives last longer than eight plays. 

Observations

...An unwanted inheritance;  After Kentucky beat Florida on 9/8 to break their 31-game losing streak to the Gators, that left TCU as the new owners of the longest losing streak to a single opponent.  TCU has lost 24 straight to Texas A&M.  The pair haven't met since 2001, but the streak is alive.

...It's the system;  WSU grad transfer QB from East Carolina Gardner Minshew looks like he's been in in Pullman for years.

...Under the radar poor; With all eyes focused on TheeeOSU's clash with TCU, nobody noticed that the Big Ten dropped games to BYU, Kansas, Temple, Troy, South Florida, Missouri and Akron. That ain't a good look for the midwesterners.

...Dino is the man;  It looks like a whole lot of fun to play for Syracuse HC Dino Babers.

...Daddy ain'y happy; Evidently, UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson's father is no fan of Chip Kelly. Not Impressed

...Memo to SDSU; I don't think you're going to get any home-and-home series deals anymore from the Pac 12.

...If a coach falls in the forest, is he missed?; So far, I haven't heard Oregon fans complaining about the loss of Willie Taggart to Florida State.

...Six for a big man;  6-6, 330 lb Temple DT Freddie Booth-Lloyd rumbled for a one-yard TD plunge v. Maryland. Check it out.  A Big Plunge

...A long overdue W; The Texas Wesleyan Rams picked up their first win in 77 years,  drubbing the Texas College Steers, 36-7.  TxWes as they are known dropped the program as the U.S. entered WWII back in 1941 and only revived the program last year.  Welcome back, Rams.  

...Breakup the Jayhawks!; Kansas is rolling after their second straight win.  KU emptied a whole can of whoopass out on Rutgers.

...He said it;  Nevada HC Jay Norvell said this about how stressful their win over Oregon State was for his staff, "For the coaches, it was like four hours of root canal."

...They did fall down;  Evidently, UCLA thinks that when they're losing is a fine time to play ring-around-the-rosie on the sidelines.  Circle Jacks

...Memo to Clay Helton;  When you start being compared to Paul Hackett that isn't a good thing.

...A bit of payback;  If the the Fresno State game is any indication, several old foes fo Chip Kelly are going to enjoy hammering the bRuins this year.

...An unwanted inheritance part II x 2;  Indiana stands behind TCU with losses to a single opponent.  However, Indiana has two active streaks with 22 straight losses to both Ohio State and Michigan.

...Bulldogs with bite;  I saw more fire, drive, and good play calling on Fresno State's first two drives v. UCLA than USC has shown on offense all year. SMH.

...Worse than a vote of confidence; When your HC reads a prepared statement to start off his Monday press conference things aren't good. Check out Florida State HC Willie Taggart's prepared plea here: He needs your support

The Safety

USC did record  safety v. Texas and was denied the score by incompetent officiating.  According to NCAA rules, the ball has to be completely over the goal line at the moment the runner is down to avoid a safety...

Hmmmm, knees down, elbow down, ball not over goal line, looks like a safety to me. SMH.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

UC Davis wins for this all-gray ensemble.  Wear all-gray, play all gray like you're not even there.

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC will go 6-6.
UCLA will go 0-12.
Utah wants an offense that their defense can be proud of.
Colorado's confidence is their best asset.
ASU will not get blown out this season.
Arizona might not get an FBS win.
Cal needs to pick a QB... this is a recording.
Stanford will lose at Oregon.
Oregon will lose to Washington.
Oregon State is playing better than anyone thought.
UW has the defense to make it through the Pac 12 undefeated.
Wazzu needs their running game more than anyone thinks.

Departments

Back From the Dead Game of the Week: Eagle Rock, CA- The Occidental Tigers fell to the Willamette Bearcats 25-6 at Jack Kemp Stadium.  The score doesn't really matter.  What matters here is that Oxy played their first D-III football game since cancelling the remainder of their season last year due to not enough players to run the program.  The program looked headed for scrap heap when a group of football alumni rushed in to save the team. So, yeah they didn't look so good.  They only gained seven rushing yards and gave up a safety, however the fact that they played at all is what counts.  Go Tigers!

Crazy Game of the Week: Davidson, NC- The FCS Davidson Wildcats hosted D-III Guilford College and a track meet broke out.  The Wildcats beat Guilford, 91-61.  Yes, 91-61. Offense ruled the day with the teams combining for 1,005 total yards and 22 TDs.  The Davidsion RB combo of Wesley Dugger and Coy Williams combined for 358 yards rushing on 26 carries and 5 TDs.  With all the offense, Davidson needs to worry about their defense.  Ummmm they are an FCS team and gave up 61 to a D-III squad.  Hmmmmmmmm.

C.W. Post Press: North Easton, MA- The Pioneers improved to 2-0 on the young season with a 27-7 win over the Stonehill Skyhawks. Once again, Post struggled in the first half, but held a 6-0 lead at the intermission on a 11-yard TD pass from QB Chris Laviano to RB Malik Pierre. The Pioneer defense continued to hold the Skyhawks in a holding pattern while Laviano got it going in the second half.  He threw two more TD passes and also ran for a TD to account for four total TDs and gained 334 yards of total offense.  Stonehill RB Sam Lehman tallied his team's only score on a five-yard run midway through the final period. The Pioneers return home next week to host the Bentley University Falcons.

Razorback Report: The Hogs were walloped 44-17 by the North Texas Mean Green.  The Razorbacks afternoon can be summed up by watching this one play... Snookered

This Week's Three Notes About Austin...

Jalapeño cheddar sausage is a food group in Texas.

Even the firemen have a smoker working at the fire station.

Rainey Street, 6th Street, and Guadalupe Street are all pretty neat places to be. 

Until next time folks, remember that a shanked punt is as bad as a turnover.

-The Commissioner

Week 2 2018

Hey All,

After a fun, but not victorious trip to NorCal, it's time to look at the week that was around the league with another edition of Notes On a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Mal Florence.

Summaries

Stanford 17- USC 3: The Trojans traveled to Palo Alto with everything they needed to beat Stanford except for two things.  They didn't bring an offensive line and competent play calling. That's what cost the Trojans the game.  Yes, True Freshman QB JT Daniels was in over his head in his first true road game, however, it was the Trojans lack of an offensive line that really did in USC.  Many times to Trojan OL whiffed on blocks and didn't pick up simple blitzes and stunts which killed almost every SC drive.  The poor OL showing overshadowed a fine effort by the USC defense. Even with all their offensive woes, USC only trailed the Cardinal, 7-0 late in the second quarter. Thats when USC HC Clay Helton decided to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Stanford 40-yard line. USC's  O-line whiffed on their blocks, Daniels fumbled and the Cardinal had a first and 10 at their own 49. Five plays later the Cardinal led 14-0 after a TD pass from QB K.J. Costello to TE Colby Parkinson.  The two TD deficit proved insurmountable for the Trojans.  Meanwhile, Stanford did what they usually do in these kind of games; they executed their offense and defense better than their opponent and picked up the win.  Stanford RB Bryce Love, grinded on the USC defense for 136 yards and a TD on 22 carries and Costello competed 16 of 27 passes for 183 and a TD . PK Chase McGrath provided USC's only true highlight his 35-yard field goal in the third period.
Telling Stat: They didn't sniff the red zone;  The Stanford defense held USC's inept offense out of the red zone for most of the night.  USC only drove into the Cardinal red zone twice in 12 drives, never penetrating deeper than the 12-yard line. 

California 21- BYU 18: The Golden Bears held off a late charge by their opponent for the second straight week in a game that provided only one big surprise.  Evidently, starting QB Ross Bowers is now third string. He didn't see the field while Chase Garbers and Brandon McIlwain split the QB duties.  Garbers saw the majority of the playing time and completed 18 of 28 passes for 176 yards, 2 TDs and an interception, while McIlwain completed only five of seven tosses for 38 yards, but he did rush the ball 16 times for 74 yards and a score.  The Cal offense also gave away a score.  RB Derrick Clark grabbed a pass out of the backfield and fumbled when he was hit.  BYU LB Dayan Ghanwoloku picked up the lost leather and raced 36 yards to paydirt to keep the Cougars in the game.   The Cal defense had a great game, they didn't allow a BYU offensive TD until :51 left in the contest. That score did allow BYU to cut down their deficit to just three points.  Cal's hands team then recovered the ensuing onside kick for the second straight week to preserve the win.
Telling Stat: A tough 79; Cal's defense gave up only 79 total yards to BYU in the second half and 73 of those came on their final drive.  

Arizona State 16- Michigan State 13: Let's talk heat, a very late start time for the Big Ten and a motivated, tough bunch of Sun Devils.  First, it was still over 100 degrees in Tempe for the 7:15 PM start which was 10:15 Spartan time.  However, Michigan State seemed to have a handle on this game and the conditions when they took what seemed to be a commanding 13-3 lead into the final period thanks to pair of field goals by PK Matt Coghlin and 31-yard TD pass from QB Brian Lewerke to WR Cody White.  Then, the Sun Devils took over the fourth quarter.  It starts with a 24-yard field goal by PK Brandon Ruiz to cut the deficit to seven.  Then, after trading a few punts back and forth, ASU drove for the game tying score with he aid of a questionable PI call.  The tying score came on a 27-yard TD pass form QB Manny Wilkins to WR N'Keal Harry. The Sun Devils then forced another MSU punt and mounted one final drive.  The tired Spartan defense couldn't hold and ASU drove down to the MSU 10-yard line. After a couple of kneel downs to center the ball, Ruiz came on and nailed a 28-yarder to hand ASU the upset.
Telling Stat: They owned the final period;  ASU's defense shutout Michigan State in the fourth quarter while their offense completed scoring drives of 70, 65, and 69 yards to pull of the upset in the desert.

Oklahoma 49- UCLA 21: After last week's poor showing at the Rose Bowl, a scant few held out hope for the bRuins pulling off an upset or maybe just even looking decent as they headed to Norman this week.  The bRuins did show some resolve early on by talking a 7-0 lead on a three-yard jaunt by RB Bolu Olorunfunmi and some competent defense, but then OU woke up, scored the final 35 points of the half to end this one early.  QB Kyler Murray, who is the property of the Oakland A's, completed 19 of 33 passes for three scores and ran for 679 yards and two more scores to lead the Sooner attack. As for UCLA, they did put a couple of cosmetic TDs after the game had already been decided.
Telling Stat: 42-0;  After UCLA jumped out a 7-0 lead on the Sooners, they then scored the next 42 points while piling up 350 yards in the process to put the game away.

Utah 17- Northern Illinois 6: On this road trip for the boys from Salt Lake, It is clear that Utah has a good defense and not so good offense and special teams.  It was the Utes defense that kept the team from suffering an embarrassing upset at the hands of the Huskies from the MAC. Utah trailed 3-0 to NIU with 12:43 left in the third quarter, when their offense finally put a scoring drive together. The Utes traveled 76 yards in nine plays on a drive that was capped off by a 1-yard TD run by RB Zack Moss.   The teams traded field goals down the stretch which left Utah holding a 10-6 lead with just under three minutes to play.  The Utah defense then sealed an uneasy victory when LB Chase Hansen picked off NIU QB Marcus Childers and returned it for a 37-yard pick six. Utah escapes with a win and a lot of questions to answer. With not much offensively to speak of, Utah's defense did their job holding NIU to just 228 total yards in the contest.
Telling Stat: 10-7 offense;  Utah's defense scored almost as much as their offense in this much tougher than it should have been game for the Utes.

Houston 45- Arizona 18:  Former Houston HC and current UofA HC Kevin Sumlin had a homecoming of sorts at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Houston.  Sumlin had indeed come home to UH, but he and the Wildcats were treated as trespassers by the Cougars.  By the time the game had hit the 12:09 mark of the third quarter, Houston had built up a 38-0 lead which made the record setting heat and humidity feel even worse for Sumlin and company. UH QB D'Eriq King carved up the UofA defense.  He threw for 246 yards and four TDs while running for 31 yards and two more scores. Mean while Arizona QB Khalil Tate puled up 341 yard passing with no TDs and two interceptions.  he did score a TD on a two-yard run well after the game had been decided.
Telling Stat: They can't stop 'em; Going back to last week, in their last six quarters of play, the Arizona defense has given up 781 yards and 66 points.

Oregon State 48- Southern Utah 25: The Beavers showed some offense in their lopsided loss to Theee OSU last week.  This week, the Beavers found more offense and a win over the Thunderbirds from the Big Sky Conference in the FCS. Most of that offense came from freshman RB Jermar Jefferson who ran over, around and through the SUU defense. Jefferson toted the rock 22 times for 238 yards and four TDs.  Oregon State got some solid QB play too.  QB Conor Blount connected on 15 of 22 aerials for 226 yards and TD.  However, the OSU defense did show some holes. They gave up 488 yards of offense to Southern Utah and allowed a lot of long drives.  The Beavers did eventually hold on those drives forcing field goals.
Telling Stat: Putting on the freshman 238;  RB Jermar Jefferson's 238 yards rushing was the third-highest single-game rushing total in Oregon State history. 

Colorado 33- Nebraska 28: The Cornhuskers didn't play in week one due to a weather cancellation and it showed early on against the Buffs.  NU fumbled on their first two drives and CU turned those miscues into an early 14-0 lead. The Huskers then fought back to take the lead into halftime behind a pair of TD runs by QB Blake Martinez and third TD run by RB Devine Ozigbo.  The teams traded scores in the third period and NU held a 28-27 lead as the fourth quarter started.  Then defense and poor special teams took the stage for most of the final period.  Nebraska missed a field goal and Colorado missed two while both teams were held on downs once.  The tipping point in this game came with 2:23 to play when NU's Martinez was injured on a play that seemed routine, but has been turned in for review by the Big Ten for what appears to be a Colorado defender twisting Martinez's leg in the pile.  The Cornhusker's drive then stalled and CU drove for the winning TD when QB Steven Montez found the Pac 12's new breakout star receiver, Laviska Shenault, Jr. for a 40-yard score. The Buffaloes held for downs one more time and claimed the win. Before he was injured, Martinez had a great day for the Big Red.  He completed 15 of 20 passes for 187 yards, a TD and an interception while also running for 117 yards and a two TDs on 15 carries. In the victory, CU's Montez comported 33 of 50 passes for 351 yards and three TDs with Shenault, Jr. being his favorite target.  He caught 10 passes for 177 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: They dug a hole;  There wouldn't be any controversy over the end of this game had Nebraska not handed Colorado 14 points of turnovers to begin the game. 

Washington 45- North Dakota 3: The Huskies hangover from their narrow loss to Auburn last week lasted about three quarters.  Sure, the UW defense had held the FCS team formerly known as the Fighting Sioux in check, limiting them to a field goal, but the UW offense lacked cohesion. Then, the offense woke up and turned a 24-3 lackluster affair into the easy-looking win most expected with 21 fourth quarter points. Browning led the first of the three final period scoring drives to put the Dawgs up 31-3 before turning the offense over to backup QB Jake Haener who threw for a TD while RB Kamari Pleasant scored UW's final TD on a 23-yard camper.  The Huskies did finish with 632 yards of offense and 45 points in a game where they looked off at times.
Telling Stat: A long distance fourth;  Washington scored on a drives of 88. 73. and 83 yards to put an exclamation mark on their first win of the year.

Oregon 62- Portland State 14: The Fightin' Ducks of Oregon handed out an appearance check and a whipping to their FCS neighbors from the Big Sky conference.  Duck QB Justin Herbert sliced and diced the Vikings defense, completing 20 of 26 passes for 250 yards and four scores before retiring to the bench midway through the third quarter with his team up 42-7.  RBs Tony Brooks-James and C.J. Vardel both eclipsed the 100-yard mark with the pair totaling three TDs.  QB Jalani Eason threw for 11 yards and both of PSU's TD's in the lopsided loss.
Telling Stat: They didn't gain ground; Portland State was held to just 66 yards on 40 carries by the Oregon defense for a not-so-nifty- 1.6 yards per carry average.

Washington State 34- San Jose State 0: One QB was remembered while one hit the field for the Cougars and got the victory on Saturday. The QB remembered was Ryan Hilinski who took his own life last spring.  WSU players wore decals with his No. 3 on their helmers and his parents raised the Cougar flag in pre game.  Gardner Minshew was the QB who led the Cougars to a sluggish shutout of the overmatched Spartans.  Three TD passes from Minshew and a field goal by PK Blake Mazza staked Wazzu to a 24-0 halftime lead.  Then , the Cougars offense went MIA for the almost the whole second half, while their defense kept the Spartans safely off the scoreboard.  Minshew completed 34 of 51 passes for 414 yards, three TDs and two interceptions.  There were no highlights to mention for SJSU.
Telling Stat: 55/1;  SJSU ran just 55 offensive plays in the game and just one play in Wazzu territory in this yawner in the Palouse.

Observations

...He wasn't impressed; Wazzu HC Mike Leach wasn't thrilled with his team's running game in the second half of their 31-0 win over hapless San Jose State. To quote The Pirate, "We were soft. We could get a fast seventh grader and hit the hole as hard as we did."

...1 > 46; With a 31-7 win over Central Michigan, Kansas snapped their 46-game road losing streak.  They were just three games shy of breaking Idaho State's record for road ineptitude with 48 losses. In two weeks. the Jayhawks can go for two in a row at Baylor.

...Ummm Awkward;  So, how awkward is it when Kevin Sumlin pulled QB Khalil Tate and the backup that came in to mop up at the end of UofA's embarrassing loss to Houston is the son of the guy who was fired before you got the job?  Yes folks, UofA's backup QB is prior UofA HC Rich Rodriguez's son, Rhett.

...So not painful;  I see that much ballyhooed "suspension" of Urban Meyer has really hurt the Buckeyes.

...He wrote it;  San Jose Mercury News Pac 12 writer extraordinaire, Jon Wilner had this to say about Arizona in his latest edition of his Pac 12 power rankings, "Didn't think I'd have to type this sentence this fall, but circumstances have changed, so here goes: The Red and Blue (basketball) scrimmage is on Oct. 14th."

...This just in; North Carolina stinks.  The now 0-2 Tar Heels dropped an embarrassing 41-19 decision to American Athletic Conference bottom feeder East Carolina last Saturday.

...A wide selection;  I know it must be football season when my reading list expands to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Reading Eagle and the Austin Statesman.

...Costly wins; Both Oklahoma and Minnesota each lost their top RB for the year due to knee injuries in their wins on Saturday.

...A little giddy in Corvallis;  Ken Goe of the Oregonian is positive about the Oregon State's chances to win a few game in the Pac 12 this year.  Its a fun read for a program trying to get out of the cellar.
Better Beavers

...Jimbo might be OK; yeah, Texas A&M lost, but it looks like there might be a bright future ahead for the Aggies.

...Missing voices; I miss Pat Summerall on NFL Sundays telling me to prepare for fall and then later on winter by heading to my local True Value Hardware store. Yeah, I linked a commercial

...Sign of an FSU apocalypse;  Florida State gave up 475 yards and four TDs to FCS foe Samford and their QB Devlin Hodges.  This week the 'Noles head to Syracuse where all they've done is score over 100 points and average over 400 yards a game through the air.

...Four and maybe done; There's a theory being floated near Westwood that with the new redshirt rule, UCLA may play frosh QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson just two more games, then redshirt him and chalk 2018 up as a lost cause of a season. Hmmmmm.

...Didn't think so;  If anyone tells you they thought Herm Edwards was a better Pac 12 hire than Kevin Sumlin this offseason, they're lying.

...Pitt ain't it; Being shutout, 44-0 over the final three quarters against Penn State kind of takes the rivalry out for this game.

...The Fayetteville Effect;  The Razorbacks decbacle at Colorado State will makes sure that no SEC team will play a western road game for the next 20 years.

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that the Duke seniors were promised internships at Goldman-Sachs after beating Northwestern.

...Not fans of Chubby Checker;  USC's offensive line can't pick up simple twist stunts. They probably can't dance either.

...Feeling the O, again;  I'm really hoping LSU wipes out Auburn this week.

...Quiet in West Lafayette;  After an offseason of hype following their first bowl win in forever, Purdue is now 0-2 after dropping a particularly ugly, 20-19 decision to Eastern Michigan. Ouch.

...Before Pearl Harbor; USC's pitiful three point effort against Stanford was the Trojans lowest point total against The Farm since they suffered a 13-0 shutout to the, as they were known then, Stanford Indians way back on November 8, 1941.

Pac 12 Overreactions

Arizona will go 0-12.
USC, Utah and Cal should put out want ads to search for an offensive identity.
Washington needs a healthy dose of Starbucks to wake up the team.
Wazzu will go 7-5.
Oregon fans just want to know when their scrimmages end and the season begins.
Oregon State will go 4-8.
UCLA will tank the season for Chip.
Colorado isn't as good as they think they are.
Stanford will bore the rest of their schedule to death.
ASU can win the Pac 12 South.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

This week's winner is the Fighting Illini of Illinois.  One, because their uniforms look pretty much exactly like Syracuse's uniforms and two, has anybody there heard of using a neutral color to break up the harsh blue and orange?  I guess not.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Wilberforce, OH- This week's game comes form the realm of the historically black colleges where the Central State (OH) Marauders held on for a 7-0 victory over the Clark-Atlanta Panthers.  This game was played in driving rain on a muddy field. Neither team found footing on the muddy track and the game stood scoreless in the third waiter when Clark-Atlanta failed on a fourth down attempt from their own 34-yard line.  Two plays later, Central State RB Jerry Lanier scored from four yards out for the only points of the game. The Marauder held off CAU the rest of the way for their first home win since 2015.

Blowout game of the Week: Reading, PA- The Albright Lions played host to the #2 ranked team in D-III, the Mary-Hardin Baylor Crusaders. The Cru, as they are known, crushed the Lions, 91-7.  RB Markeith Miller had himself a day.  He rushed for only 97 yards on 21 carries, but he scored six touchdowns. Everyone played in this one as MHBU built up a 71-0 third quarter lead before Albright notched their only score.

C.W. Post Press- Brookville, NY- The Pioneers of C.W. Post held a scant 3-0 lead over the American International College Yellow Jackets at the half of their season opener.  The Pioneers then put a 30-spot on the board in the second half to walk away with a 33-8 victory. Post RB Malik Pierre lead the tPioneers ground game with 64 yards rushing on 15 carries and a TD.  QB Chris Laviano rushed for 63 yards and passed for 156 and a TD.  RB Samad Davila rushed for 106 yards on 26 carries in the loss for AIC.  Up next for the 1-0 Pioneers is a their first road trip of the year to take on the Skyhawks of Stonehill College in North Easton, MA.

Razorback Report- Fort Collins, CO- The Razorbacks made a rare western road trip and fell to Colorado State in the Rockies.  The Hogs held a 27-9 lead over the Rams before falling apart down the stretch. The Rams tallied the game-winner when RB Izzy Matthews crossed the double stripe with eight seconds left.  Hogs RB Devwah Whaley rushed for 165 yards on 26 and score in the loss.  up next for the Hogs is a home date with North Texas.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

The Farmer Boy Restaurant on State St. in Santa Barbara is a great road trip breakfast stop.

If you get a chance, take the time to visit the Steinbeck Center in Salinas.

The highway 152 cutoff from Gilroy to I-5 is a great little drive.

Until next week folks, remember that if you don't have an offensive line, you don't have a chance.
-The Commissioner

Week 1 2018

Hey All,

As summer wanes and beach days turn into tailgates, we know the start of fall is here. That means football season and time for yet another edition of the column that makes your Tuesdays better, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 43- UNLV 21: USC eventually pulled away from the Rebels in a game that was a mixed bag of results for Trojan fans to mull over. The Trojans resembled the ongoing renovation of the Coliseum; looking good in is some places and truly ugly in others.  True freshman QB J.T. Daniels was among the good looking things as he overcame a shaky start to throw for 282 yards and a touchdown.  His favorite target was another true freshman and his teammate at Mater Dei High School last year, Amon-Ra St. Brown. He caught seven passes for 98 yards and a TD. One of the bad things for USC was their failure to finish off drives.  However another good thing was PK Chase McGrath, also of Mater Dei, who calmly nailed five field goals when the offense stalled. USC's rushing game was choppy, but RB Aca'Cedric Ware did gain 100 yards on 10 carries and a TD. As for the defense, USC was a mixed bag there too.  The D-line was porous allowing UNLV to rush for 300 yards, but they also recorded five sacks. The linebacker play was good with the new slimmed down, Cam Smith flying all over the field. The secondary played well also as they didn't pick up a single pass interference call and broke up a few passes.  For the visitors, UNLV's Lexington Thomas had a fine day rushing for 136 yards on 14 carries which included a 71-yard touchdown jaunt in the loss.  Yes, it was a win for the Trojans, but all could see that much needs to fixed before the squad heads to Stanford next week.
Telling Stat: 4//228/24 for the win;  USC took a slim 19-14 lead into the fourth quarter but put the game away with four drives that covered 228 yards and produced 24 points.

Auburn 21- Washington 16: It wasn't pretty, but Auburn mounted a strong drive when they needed it to walk out of Atlanta with a huge win over the Huskies. It was Auburn's third straight game in Atlanta and it was their first win in those three trips. Early on, The Tigers held a 9-0 lead and it looked like they might blow the Dawgs out of the building.  However, UW hung in there and trailed just 15-13 at the half thanks to TD pass from Jake Browning to WR Quinten Pounds and a pair of Peyton Henry Field goals.  The second half featured good defense and inept offense.  The teams traded missed field goals and UW fumbled on the Auburn three to kill another scoring chance.  The Dawgs finally grabbed the lead when Henry kicked his third field goal of the game, a 30-yarder with 14:06 to play.  Auburn then stepped up two drives later and marched 76 yards in 10 plays to go ahead for good when RB JaTravious Whitlow bowled over a Husky defender during a 10-yard rumble into the end zone. The Dawgs couldn't recover and Browning was sacked on fourth down near midfield to snuff out his squad's last chance.  Much Maligned Auburn QB, Jarrett Stidham threw for 273 yards and a TD, while Jake Browning amassed 296 yards through the air with a TD and an interception.
Telling Stat: A spirited 76;  Auburn's offense dug down deep in the final minutes and ripped off the game-winning, 10-play, 76-yard touchdown drive.  Up until that point, they had been held to 60 yards total in the second half.

Stanford 31- San Diego State 10:  Last year, the Aztecs upset the Cardinal with a strong showing form Rocky Long's patented 3-3-5 defense that shut down RB Bryce Love.  This year, Long's defense shut down Love again. They just couldn't stop Stanford WR JJ. Arcega-Whiteside.  When Stanford finally decided to throw late in the first half, the combo of QB K.J. Costello and Whiteside became almost unstoppable for the rest of the game.  They hooked up six times for 226 yards and three touchdowns.  Throw in another scoring pass to TE Cody Parkinson and Costello finished the game with 332 yards passing and four TDs against just one interception. Stanford's defense wasn't too bad either. After surrendering an early TD, they only allowed a field goal over the last three plus quarters.  Aztec RB Juwan Washington toted the rock 24 times for 158 yards in the loss.
Telling Stat: The D gave them time; The Stanford defense held SDSU in check for the final 47:18 of the game which allowed their offense to figure out that the forward pass was still a legal means to advance the ball and score points.  

Oregon 58- Bowling Green 24: After having a first quarter nearly as ugly as their uniforms, Oregon woke up and walloped the Falcons. Down 10-0 early, the Quack Attack erupted for 37 straight points to end the competitive portion of the game.  QB Justin Herbert had a pretty good game completing 10 of 21 aerials for 281 yards and five TDs.  He also ran for a score and threw two interceptions. The Ducks defense forced three turnovers to set ups their offense with some short fields and scored a TD too on a 38-yard pick six from safety Ugochukwu Amadi. BGSU's final scores came well after the game was decided.
Telling Stat: Looks like old times;  The Ducks 37 point barrage in the first half took a total of only 8:57.

California 24- North Carolina 17: The Golden Bears grabbed a season opening win up at Strawberry Canyon where their defense shined for three plus quarters and their offense looked like an everything bagel. Cal played three QBs with different packages and started working on making 5-11, 290 FB Malik McMorris a cult figure for the season.  McMorris is listed at fullback, but he played FB, DE, and TE in the game making blocks, catching a pass and making stops on defense. QB Ross Bowers started and split time with Chase Garbers and Brandon McIlwain.  With all the fits and starts with the QBs Cal only tallied 279 total yards, while their defense did enough to hold off the Tar Heels.   In fact the Golden Bears held a 24-3 lead going into the fourth quarter thanks to their defense which forced four UNC turnovers, one of those being a 38-yard pick six from LB Cameron Goode to give Cal a 14-0 lead in the second quarter.  UNC managed to sputter on offense using just one QB as Nathan Elliot completed only 15 of 35 passes with a TD and four interceptions. However, UNC still had a chance to tie the game late. They recovered an onside kick with a little over a minute to play, but it was overturned on a review due to an early block by the kicking team before the ball traveled 10 yards. RB Patrick Laird was the one consistent thing for the Cal offense rushing for 95 yards and a TD on 29 carries.
Telling Stat: +4 + a review =W; Cal being plus four in turnovers coupled with the overturned call on what was a successful onside kick gave Cal a strange looking win.

Washington State 41- Wyoming 19: This game should have seen Tyler Hilinski take the field for Wazzu.  Instead, the Cougars and all of college football were rocked with the news of Hilinski's suicide last spring. Now, nobody really knew who would take Hilinski's place under such rough circumstances.  Into the void stepped Gardner Minshew, a graduate transfer from East Carolina. He calmly completed 38 of 57 passes for 319 yards and three TDs to lead the Cougars to a 41-19 victory at Wyoming.  Minshew handled the altitude, all 7,220 feet of it, and a somewhat tough Cowboys defense. The Cougars held a scant 20-19 lead heading into the fourth period.  Folks thought the Cougars would wear down in last period due to the altitude, but it was Wyoming who was worn down. Wazzu finished the game with 21 unanswered points.  Minshew spread the ball around with four receivers having four or more receptions.  RB James Williams snagged the most passes. He caught 10 of them for 53 yards and a TD.  Williams also ran for 82 yards and another score.  Wyoming RB Nico Evans rushed for 89 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Wazzu Weardown;  WSU ran off 78 offensive plays to Wyoming's 59.  Those 19 extra plays took their toll on the Cowboys despite the fact that play in that elevation just about every day.

Ohio State 77- Oregon State 31: The whole saga of Urban Meyer faded from the scene as toe met leather in Columbus. The Beavers did show they could score, but their defense showed they couldn't stop anyone in this rout. Buckeye QB Dwayne Haskins tore apart the Beavers by completing 22 of 30 passes for 313 yards and five TDs in three quarters worth of work.  RB Mike Weber also got into the act for TheeeOSU with 20 carries for 186 yards and three TDs of his own. The Scarlet and Gray gashed the Beavers for 721 yards of offense.  Meanwhile the only positives for the Beavers was RB Artavis Pierce who rushed for 168 yards and a pair of TDs on just 11 carries and the fact that the team plane wasn't delayed leaving Columbus.
Telling Stat: 6 for 6 ; TheeeOSU crossed the double stripe on all six of their first half possessions to take a 42-14 halftime lead and make Oregon State HC Jonathan Smith question his career choice. 

Utah 41- Weber State 10: The Utes hosted their FCS brethren from just down the highway and for most of the first quarter, the Wildcats proved to be rude guests.  Weber State converted two early Utah turnovers into a 10-0 lead. Utah's defense then held the Wildcats scoreless for the rest of the game, while the offense gathered itself and went on a 41-0 run. Despite the slow start, Utah RB Zack Moss gained 150 yards on 16 carries with a touchdown. He also caught a TD from QB Tyler Huntley who threw for four scores and hit on 24 of 39 passes for 253 yards with an interception. One of Huntley's favorite targets was WR Britain Covey who hauled in six passes for 53 yards and had two carries for 64 yards.  That's not bad for a kid coming off his two year Mormon mission.
Telling Stat:  59 is fine;  Weber State came into this game with a pretty potent FCS level offense and Utah held them to 59 total yards.

Cool Stat: It was really great to see my old high school teammate Make Ford's son Nick get his first action at the college level.  Nick was the LA City Section Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior at San Pedro High in 2016.  He's a redshirt freshman and is the backup RT for the Utes wearing number 55.  

BYU 28- Arizona 23: It was the much ballyhooed opening game at Arizona for new HC Kevin Sumlin. However, It turned into a redemption game for Cougar HC Kilani Sitake who is on the hot seat after BYU's 4-8 2017 campaign.  UofA mounted a mild comeback after falling behind 7-0 in the second period. Arizona seemed to get things going thanks to a 24-yard field goal by PK Lucas Havrisik and 15-yard TD pass from QB Khalil Tate to WR Tony Ellison which gave the Wildcats a 10-7 halftime advantage and what looked like control of the game. Then, the BYU O-line asserted itself and pushed the Wildcat defense around and scored 21 points in the the third period to take a 28-10 lead.  UofA QB Khalil Tate, who had been rendered a non-factor in the game, led the Wildcats back from the dead with a 2-yard TD scamper.  He then led his team down the field on drive that covered 67 yards and was capped off by a 1-yard TD run by RB J.J. Taylor.  Arizona's two-point conversion attempt failed and that left the game in the hands of the Wildcats defense.  They failed.  BYU ran the final 3:20 off the clock with a pair of first downs. Cougar RB Sully Canada gained 98 yards on 24 carries with three TDs to lead his team to the win.  Khalil Tate finished the game with 187 yard passing and a TD to go with meager 14 yards rushing and another score in the loss.
Telling Stat: A defense with bite;  The BYU defense recorded a 3-and-out on three of Arizona's five second half drives and that was the difference in the game. 

Colorado 45- Colorado State 14: This edition of The Rocky Mountain Showdown lacked the showdown part as Colorado sheared the Rams in Denver. The Buffaloes buried the Rams behind the arm of QB Steven Montez.  Montez torched the CSU defense.  He completed 22 of 25 passes for 338 yards and four TDs.  His favorite target was WR Laviska Shenault, Jr who had 11 receptions for 211 yards and a touchdown.  CU ran the ball well too with RB Travon McMillian, a grad transfer form VaTech gaining 103 yards with a TD on just 10 carries. The Rams offense just never got gong thanks to the Buffaloes.  QB K.J. Carta-Samuels, the transfer from Washington, threw for 176 yards, a TD and an interception for the losing side.
Telling Stat: The D closed strong; After allowing 10 points and 181 yards in the first half, the Colorado defense allowed only 101 yards and a lone field goal in the second half to secure their rout over hapless Colorado State.

Arizona State 49- UTSA 7: It was pretty much all-smiles for the Sun Devils as they walloped the Roadrunners of Texas-San Antonio in Tempe.  The win was a big success for new Sun Devil HC Herman Edwards.  ASU broke form the gate quickly in this one as WR N'keal Harry took a short pass form QB Manny Wilkins, broke a tackle and was off to the races for a 58-yard touchdown. A few seconds later DT Shannon Forman dropped back in pass coverage, picked off UTSA QB Cordale Grundy and took it back 24 yards for a TD.  That gave ASU a 14-0 lead two minutes into the game and they never looked back. Wilkins completed 16 of 24 throws for 237 yard and four TDs.  Harry caught two of those TDs as part of a six catch, 140 yard night.  ASU ran the ball well too with RB Eno Benjamin gaining 131 yards on 16 carries and touchdown.
Telling Stat: 3 is a magic number; The ASU defense shutdown UTSA, holding the Roadrunners to just three yards rushing and forcing three turnovers in this laugher of a debut for Herman Edwards. 

Cincinnati 27- UCLA 16: It was new bRuins HC Chip Kelly's debut in the Rose Bowl and like many a Hollywood movie it was a flop.  UCLA lost their starting QB, Michigan grad transfer Wilton Speight due to a back injury in the second quarter, but still managed to find themselves in this game heading into the final period tied at 17-17.   While UCLA's defense was holding the Bearcats off the scoreboard in the second half,  it was the bRuins sputtering offensive that did them in. With 9:45 left, bRuin backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson dropped back to pass from his own 12-yard line and was hit and fumbled.  UCLA recovered the ball in the end zone and that handed the Bearcats a safety for a 19-17 lead that they would not relinquish.  Cincy iced the game late when when they converted two fourth downs with the second one being a one-yard TD run from RB Michael Warren II.  Warren finished the game with 142 yards and three TDs on 35 carries. UCLA RB Kazmeir Alen was a bright spot with 103 yards and a TD on just five carries.
Telling Stat: 12 = L;  With just 1:44 left in the game, UCLA was penalized for having 12 men on the field which set up Cincinnati's game-clinching touchdown. 

Observations

...Bad Dawgs;  Washington's loss to Auburn has given the E-SEC-SPN media machine the fodder they need to argue for the elimination of the Pac 12 from the college football playoff chase before labor day.

...Get the kid some Ray-Bans;  USC QB JT Daniels has a future so bright, he's gotta wear shades.

...Slouching towards Eugene; I'm thinking the folks at Oregon are happier with Mario Cristobal than Seminole Nation is with Willie Taggart right now.

...Waiting to exhale;  It's OK Penn State, you can breathe again.  Big, bad Appalachian State has gone home.

...Now that's a pipeline;  USC's top three offensive players this weekend all came from Mater Dei High School.

...Feeling the O;  It was great to see Coach O get that huge win for LSU on Sunday.

...Maize and Blue conundrum; Are Michigan's QBs this bad, is their offensive line this bad, is the offensive scheme this bad or is it a combination of all three?

...Bananarama was right;  It's just a cruel, cruel summer for Colorado State and New Mexico State.  they both went 0-2 in August. Ouch.

...Familiar voices;  Good to hear Dan Dierdorf's voice over the radio as he was working the Michigan broadcast last weekend. Also, Lee Grosscup is still going strong and hosting a post game show for Cal.

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that the Wasserman family wants a refund from UCLA and Chip Kelly.

...It's fun to be a Warrior; In case you missed it, Hawaii is 2-0 after winning a wild one over Navy, 59-41. The Croatian Sensation, Hawaii HC Nick Rolovich has the Warriors off to their best looking start in a while. He also has a pretty cool recruiting pitch on his Twitter account.  Come to the Big Island

...Pac 12 Surprise Part I; Utah's special teams looked really poor.  That's hard to do with an All-American Punter and Placekicker.

...A program reborn;  Last year, this intrepid reporter told the story of how Occidental canceled their 2017 football season midway through and that the program was on life support. Well, a group of Tiger Alumni led by Vance Mueller and the elder Jim Mora raised nearly a million dollars to save the program.  The roster is up to around 60 players and the Tigers will play an eight game D-III slate this year.

...8th time is the charm; Wazzu's win at Wyoming was their first win in a road opener in their last eight tries.  Wazzu last opened with a road victory in 2004 at New Mexico.

 ...A painful refrain;  USC's O-line is not good... again. Where have you gone, Tim Davis? A lonely Trojan Family turns it's eyes to you.

...Pac 12 Surprise Part II;. Cal has a defense this year.

...Baseball melancholy; It's sad when you get to September and realize your team isn't gong to play any meningful games down the stretch and hasn't since July.

...Entrance gate roulette; Evidently, depending which gate you enter at the LA Coliseum determines which items security will allow in.

...Another great read;  Jon Wilner of the Mercury News, is just a great writer about all things Pac 8/10/12.  Here's an article where he turns his column over to former UCLA assistant chancellor John Sandbrook to tell his account of how Arizona and Arizona State got into the league back in the late '70s.  It is a great read.  When USC ran the world

...The Truth Hurts, Jalen; Nick Saban has taken forever to realize what we all have and that Toa Tagovailoa is Bama's best QB.

...Coliseum fail; Some folks were more than a little angry when they showed up for the UNLV-USC game on Saturday and their seats were missing.  Yes, missing. I guess more seats were ripped out than SC thought in the ongoing. epically poor, Coliseum renovation project.

...Norman calling;  Who thinks Oklahoma might hang a 50 spot on UCLA this week?

...Not the opener they wanted;  With their game v. Akron cancelled due to inclement weather, Nerbraska and new HC Scott Frost's first game will be at home v. a Colorado squad that looked pretty good in week one.

...From The "Oh, I totally understand" department; This was tweeted by a Nebraska fan on Saturday and just might show us all why their game with Akron was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Pac 12 Overreactions

Utah's offense will cost their defense three games.
Arizona State needs more than one wideout.
UCLA will go 2-10.
Washington's red zone offense is just plain awful.
Oregon's uniforms will out-ugly everyone once again this year.
Stanford has to throw first, run second.
USC's PK will lead the nation in field goals. sigh.
Oregon State might give up at least 50 points a game this year.
Cal has to pick one QB or they will go 3-9.
Colorado will beat Nebraska this week.
Arizona will go 6-6.
Washington State has found their QB.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Oregon managed to end all speculation of just when they would make this section of the blog with a strong showing for ugliness.  They, according to our field reporter, Nuke LaLoosh "announced their presence with authority" with this abuse of the color yellow.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Canton, NY- Freshman PK Dan Tette made a 19-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Utica Pioneers to a 9-6 win over the St. Lawrence Saints in one ugly game.  The Pioneers managed to rally for the win despite being flagged 22 times for 275 yards.  That many flags handed SLU 12 of their 26 first downs. Utica set up themselves up for the win when CB Elijah Belle picked off St. Lawrence QB Jason Grochot in the end zone to start the overtime period.

Blowout Game of the Week: St. Paul, MN- There ain't nothing like starting out the season strong and the University of St. Thomas did just when WR Vinny Pallini took the opening kickoff back 94 yards for a touchdown v. the Trinity International Trojans.   Pallini opened the door for a 34 point first quarter for the Tommies. They would got to whip Trinity, 76-7.  Eight different Tommies scored TDs in this shellacking while the defense held Trinity to seven points and just seven first downs.

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- The Hogs played like what an SEC team should play like v. an FCS opponent. Their 55-20 whipping of Eastern Illinois was a great joy to the Razorback faithful and to HC Chad Morris who might have just found himself a QB.  Ty Storey came in off the bench and threw for three TDs and rushed for another for the Hogs.  Morris summed up his performance succinctly telling ESPN, "Ty provided the spark we had to have."  Up next for the Razorbacks is a trip to 0-2 Colorado State.

C.W. Post Press: Sorry folks, no update this week.  The Mighty Pioneers of C.W. Post open their season next week at home v. American International College.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing... 

Mother's Cookies changed their Taffy cookies and I'm disappointed.

There's nothing as fun as backyard wiffleball on Labor Day.

You just can't beat a dinner at Slav Hall.

Until next time folks, remember that an ugly opening win is still a good win.
-The Commissioner