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
