It is time for another edition of the column that makes every Tuesday feel like a game day, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Mal Florence.
Summaries
Arizona State 38- USC 35: Those of us who read the USC practice reports coming into this game were told all week long how with Jack Sears starting at QB in place of the concussed JT Daniels that the Trojan defense would have to come up with a huge effort to beat the Sun Devils. While Sears fought to find his way in the opening half, the Trojan defense failed to help him. With 6:49 left in the second period, ASU held a 24-7 lead and had made it look easy as they ran over the Trojan defense. Despite the defensive woes, Sears got his act together and led SC down the field to a TD just before halftime to cut the deficit to 24-14. USC came out strong to start the second half. Sears kept plays alive and drove the Trojans to a TD on an 87-yard march that put USC within three points at 24-21. The USC defense then recovered an ASU fumble and one down later on a trick play pass from WR Tyler Vaughns to Michael Pittman, Jr. SC took the lead at 28-24. The Sun Devils were reeling. After a missed field goal attempt by ASU, the Trojans looked to increase their lead. Sears threw a beautiful 45-yard bomb to Vaughns who didn't secure the ball and had it was knocked from his hands for an incomplete pass. Two plays later SC punted and it was returned 92 yards for a TD by ASU star WR N'Keal Harry. That 14-point swing put ASU ahead for good at 31-28. USC did have chance to tie the game in the fourth period, but SC HC Clay Helton called his FG unit off the field and called a timeout. After the timeout, the offense retuned to the field and failed on 4th and 1. ASU would then score another TD as the Trojan defense let down yet again and a great TD pass from Sears after the fact would lead to an onside kick that ASU would recover to end the game. For ASU, QB Manny Wilkins threw for 166 yard and a TD while Also running for 89 yards and the game-clinching TD. RB Eno Benjamin did his best LaDanian Tomlinson impression all game, torching the soft SC defense for 185 yards and two TDs on 29 carries. For SC, Sears competed 20 of 28 passes for 235 yards and two TDs in tough loss.
Telling Stat: It wasn't just fourth down; While Clay Helton's awful decision to pull his field goal unit off the field will be remembered as the call that killed off SC's chance at victory, the failed catch by Tyler Vaughns and the ensuing punt return TD by ASU's N'Keal Harry are what really snuffed out USC's chance to win this game.
Arizona 44- Oregon 15: The Ducks were coming off a tough loss at Wazzu and looked to take out their frustrations on a subpar Arizona squad that stumbled through the season with hobbled star QB Khalil Tate. Tate had missed the previous game due to his injuries and had a full two weeks to heal and prep for the Ducks. A very healthy Khalil Tate proved to be Oregon's worst nightmare. Tate's passing on two good ankles and his ability to keep plays alive opened up their rushing attack for RB J.J. Taylor. Tate passed for 189 yards and three TDs, while Taylor ran over, around and through the Ducks to the tune of 212 yards rushing on 30 carries and two TDs of his own. The UofA defense had some fun too. With a real offense behind them, the Wildcats defense physically worked over the Quacks' offensive attack. QB Justin Herbert did throw for 186 yard and two TDs, but the Quacks rushing game never got in gear. Arizona held UO to a paltry 84 yards on the ground and held the Webfoots to just three of 16 on 3rd Down Conversions. UofA also outgained UO by almost 200 yards on the night.
Telling Stat: Not even that close; 74 of Oregon's 270 total yard and final seven points came in early in the fourth quarter after Arizona already had the game well in hand with a 37-8 lead.
California 12- Washington 10: In this pure defensive struggle at Strawberry Canyon, the Cal defense came up with the big play to send the Huskies down to a humiliating defeat. At halftime, the score stood 7-6 Dawgs. UW Scored on their opening drive of the game when QB Jake Browning found WR Ty Jones in the back off the end zone for a 3-yard TD. Cal's points came on a pair of field goals covering 23 and 35 yards from PK Greg Thomas. Both defenses ruled the second half. However, Cal's defense made the play of the game. Washington faced a 3rd & 8 at their own 25-yard line when QB Jake Heaner's pass was intercepted by Cal LB Evan Weaver who returned the errant toss for a pick six. Yes, Jake Heaner. UW HC Chris Petersen had decided to give Jake Browning a wake up call for his poor play and it backfired in epic fashion. Cal then blew the two-point try and held a tenuous 12-7 lead over the Dawgs with the whole fourth quarter to play. UW did put themselves in position to win the game when a good punt return by PR Aaron Fuller set the Dawgs up with a first down at the Cal 22-yard line with 6:56 to play. All looked bad for Cal but the Bears defense came up golden. They held UW to a field goal and left it up to their struggling offense to win the game. The Cal offense, which had tallied just 40 yards in the second half, gained 27 yards and picked up two first downs on their final drive to kill the clock and grab a huge win in Berkeley.
Telling Stat: 4+4 = W; Cal's offense couldn't cross the street in this game, but RB Patrick Laird's 4-yard reception for one first down and 4-yard run for another first down enabled Cal to run out the clock and pick up a much needed win.
Oregon State 41- Colorado 34 OT: 12 seconds into the third quarter, Colorado RB Trevor McMillan put the Buffaloes up 31-3 over the Beavers with a 75-yard TD run. The CU faithful felt great and more than a few headed to start celebrating a now sure win in the bars of Boulder. Then, Jake Luton showed up. Luton hadn't started the game at QB for OSU because of an ankle injury. His backup Jack Colletto had strong ankles but a weak arm completing only six of 14 passes in the first half for 35 yards and an interception. So, Beavers HC Jonathan Smith put Luton in to spark the Beavers offense in the second half. Luton didn't just spark the offense he set the field on fire. Luton completed 28 of 39 passes for 310 yards and three TDs to lead the Beavers to the epic comeback victory. He picked on the CU secondary, especially CB Trey Udoffia, unmercifully. Udoffia alone was flagged for two PI's a late hit and allowed WR Isaiah Hodgins to grab 11 receptions for 146 yards and two TDs. The stunned Buffaloes tried to get back in rhythm as the second half wore on, but dropped passes, penalties, and an OSU defense with something to play for made sure it did not happen. CU did get a shot at redemption when OSU PK Jordan Choukhair missed a game-winning PAT with :29 left in regulation. However, in the OT it was all Beavers who scored the go ahead TD on a 1-yard run by Colletto after he was brought in for his running prowess on the goal line. The OSU defense then held CU out of the end zone on their possession and comeback/upset was complete. CU QB Steven Montez threw for 319 yards and two TDs in the CU choke job.
Tellig Stat: The other half of a comeback; While OSU's offense exploded, the Beavers defense worked over Colorado. In CU's final seven drives of the game, OSU allowed a field goal, forced two punts and two missed field goals while also holding for downs twice to set the stage for victory.
Utah 41- UCLA 10: Utah came into this one at the Rose Bowl after manhandling USC in Salt Lake City last week. UCLA came into this one on a two game winning streak. UCLA held an early 7-3 lead as the Utes stumbled their way through the first period. The smattering of fans at the game and those watching at home wondered if Utah would suffer a letdown and fall to the bRuins as the epically long third game of the World Series was being played a few miles away at Chavez Ravine. It didn't happen. Utah righted themselves before the half on the strength of a TD pass from WR Britain Covey to TE Cole Fotheringham and one-yard TD jaunt by RB Zack Moss. Utah held a 17-7 lead going into the break, then blew the doors off the bRuins in the third quarter, leaving the several hundred bRuins fans left to go find a bar to watch the end of the baseball game by the 10:01 mark of the final period. Utah blitzed the UCLA with a 24-3 run that took 17 minutes of game timed featured two more TD runs by Moss that covered 1 and 5 yards each, a TD Run by RB Armand Shyne and a 49-yard field goal by PK Matt Gay. UCLA's lone points of the second half came on a 27-yard field goal by PK J.J. Molson. Moss as the man for the Utes finishing the game with 211 yards on 26 carries and those three TDs, while UCLA RB Joshua Kelley gained 90 yards and scored UCLA's lone TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: They shut 'em down; The Utah defense gave up 98 yards and a TD to UCLA in the first quarter then allowed UCLA to gain just 193 more yards and score only three more points over the final three quarters to secure a win at the Rose Bowl.
Washington State 41- Stanford 38: Everyone knew that Wazzu would be heaving the ball all around the yard in Palo Alto, but nobody figured Stanford would too. This game turned into a shootout on The Farm. The Cardinal held a 28-17 lead at the half thanks to three TDs passes from QB K.J. Costello and a short TD blast from RB Cameron Scarlett. The Cougars cut the deficit to just seven points in the third quarter on a 3-yard TD jaunt by RB James Williams and then grabbed the lead for the first time all game when QB Gardner Minshew III tossed a three-yard TD pass to WR Renard Bell. Stanford came back to tie the game when WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteisde snagged his second TD grab of the game with 1:25 to play in regulation. If there ever was an offense built to score in 1:25, it is WSU HC Mike Leach's Air-Raid Offense. Minshew drove the Cougar 50 yards in a seven plays and PK Blake Mazza nailed a 42-yard field goal to win the game with :19 left. Minshew finished the game completing 40 of 50 passes for 438 yards and three TDs, while Costello complete 34 of 43 passes for 323 yards and four TDs in the loss. In all, the squads combined for 940 yards of offense, 51 first downs, and converted on 14 of 26 third downs and only turned the ball over once in this donnybrook.
Telling Stat: Stay true to yourself; Stanford changed who they are to play Wazzu and got burned. They were beaten in every stat category including T.O.P. which is one big reason why the Cougars now own a there-game winning streak over the Cardinal.
Observations
...Telling it like it is; While researching the C.W. Post game for the departments column I came across this great description of the game conditions. look where it says WEATHER
...They did it again; The Pac 12 has beat itself up once again. When Wazzu is the class of the league, we all know something has gone wrong.
...Six figure fine; The Big XII Conference had fined Baylor two million dollars for doing damage to the league as a result of their sexual assault scandal. That begs this question, why didn't the league fine Baylor for similar damage when back in 2003 one Baylor basketball player killed his own teammate? Didn't that do damage to the league too? Hmmmmmm
...And the (Trojan Marching) band played (Fight) on; USC HC Clay Helton relieving is OC Tee Martin of play calling duties yesterday and firing his OL coach Neil Calloway looks like he is just rearranging the deck chairs on his own personal Titanic.
...Ahh memories; Remember when Stanford RB Bryce Love was a Heisman Trophy candidate?
...Bookends for 22; Oregon State's win at Colorado ended their 22-game road losing streak. Before Saturday's epic comeback win, Oregon State's last road win was a 36-31 victory in 2014 at Colorado.
...1-3 in the Golden State; All four Pac 12 teams from California played at home this past week and only Cal came away with a win. Wow.
...The SoCal invasion; USC limps off to Oregon State this week while Oregon might have less than a warm welcome home ready for Chip Kelly and his UCLA squad.
...An odd thought; If things break right down the stretch, Michigan and Northwestern would meet in the Big Ten title game.
...Urban renewal; With Urban Meyer's future at TheeeOSU in doubt, the great rumor mill of college football has him heading west to USC to take over for Clay Helton. Most folks believe Helton will be fired after the clock hits 0:00 v. Notre Dame on November 24th. Hmmmmm
...Memo to Colorado; Don't feel bad about losing, you were only brought in to give the league access to the rocky mountain TV market.
...Back form the dead; the Alabama-Birmingham football program died. The program played what was it's final game in 2014. Players dispersed to other schools and life was supposed to just move on. Only, the community didn't let it die. They rallied support and brought the program back from the dead. Now UAB is 7-1 and sits atop the C-USA West Division. Pretty cool.
...It's over; When ASU QB Manny Wilkins raced for a TD to put ASU up 38-28 over USC with just about two minutes to play, the Clay Helton era at USC ended for all intents and purposes.
...Hmmmmm; If LSU is supposed to give Alabama all they can handle this week, why are they 14.5 point home underdogs?
...Calling my shot; Notre Dame will lose at Syracuse on 11/17 at Yankee Stadium.
...A leader with friends; WSU QB Gardner Minshew III leads the NCAA with 3,183 passing yards on the season, yet not a single WSU wideout ranks in the top 50 nationally in receiving yards. Minshew really spreads the ball around.
...The 1,000 yard freshman; Oregon State RB Jermar Jefferson is third in the nation with 1,034 yards rushing in eight games this season. This kid from Narbonne High is a ring star in the Pac 12.
...The mullet rules; Count me as one of the Trojan fans that loved watching Okie State beat Texas.
...It's a Bulldog world; Thanks to Nevada's upset of SDSU, Fresno State stands alone atop the West division of the Mountain West Conference. HC Jeff Tedford took over a team that had one win in 2016 and has gone 17-5 in his one plus seasons at the helm.
...Safety in a study; In the October edition of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), an article appeared about a study that tracked the concussion rate in the Ivy League after they modified their kickoff rules. The quick read here discusses how much safer Ivy league football became with the changes. Touchbacks are a good thing
...Smart kids don't get penalties; Three of the nation's least penalized teams in the FBS are Northwestern, Navy, and Duke. They all get flagged on average about three times a game.
...Getting off the field; Utah's defense has held opponents to a 30.6% 3rd Down Conversion rate. That's one reason why the Utes have a great shot to win the Pac 12 crown.
I beg to differ; Penn State HC James Franklin believes the his QB Trace McSorley is the best player in the nation. I think ASU WR N'Keal Harry is just a s good. Check this stellar catch out. ODB without the attitude
...Still wins the beauty contest; I just checked, even with the last two losses, Oregon fans still don't want Willie Taggart back.
...And then there was one; With San Jose State winning on Saturday, that leaves lowly UTEP as the only winless team in the FBS at 0-8.
...11/25; 11 teams lost in the top 25 this past weekend and that opens up the doors for some newcomers. Houston, Utah State, Fresno State, Mississippi State, Boston College, Virginia and Syracuse are all now ranked.
...Lock, Stock, and Barrel; A new book titled University of Nike: How Corporate Cash Bought American Higher Education has just hit the bookstores and it chronicles how Phil Knight calls all the shots at Oregon. Spoiler; He's a Jerk. Here's a piece of how much of a jerk Phil is in this piece about the book in the NewYork Post. U of (O) Swoosh?
...30 minutes of awesome; Central Connecticut State RB Aaron Dawson rushed for 308 yards in the second half v. Wagner last Saturday. He did it on only 15 carries.
Special Section: The One Point Safety
Last night during the Patriots-Bills game the first one point safety in NFL history almost occurred. Yes, the one point safety exists. One point safeties are an ultra-rare occurrence and even that description doesn't do justice to how rare the one point safety is. Here's what has to happen for a one point safety to occur.
1. It can only happen on a PAT or a two-point conversion attempt.
2. The defense has to gain control of the ball via turnover by the offense during the PAT or two-point conversion attempt.
3. The defense must then bring the ball out of the end zone and then voluntarily bring the ball back in the end zone OR the ball is recovered outside of the end zone and is then brought back into the end zone voluntarily by the defense. I.E- The defensive player trying to return the ball voluntarily gives ground back into the end zone while trying to avoid tacklers from the offensive team.
4. After the ball has been brought back voluntarily into the end zone, the ball is then downed in some way. I.E.- The defensive ball carrier is tackled in the end zone.
5. If all these conditions are met, then a one point safety is awarded to the offensive team.
Here's one that occurred in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl between Oregon and Kansas State
The Big One
Pac 12 Overreactions
Wazzu is good enough to lose the Rose Bowl.
Washington loses because of Jake Browning.
Oregon stinks.
Oregon State will finish 3-9.
Cal still hasn't turned the corner.
Stanford is just a shell of itself.
USC is just waiting for Clay Helton's replacement.
UCLA needs DTR back.
Colorado looks like the CU we invited into the league again.
Utah still can't beat Wazzu.
Arizona should have let Khalil Tate rest six weeks ago.
ASU will go to the Sun Bowl.
Northern Update
With Winnipeg's win on Saturday, all the playoff teams are set for the CFL. However, this final week of the season still has some drama as Calgary's recent losing streak has Saskatchewan in line to claim the West Divison title if the Stampeders stumble this week. One sad note is that my favorite team, the Edmonton Eskimos have been eliminated from playoff contention. Oh, and that is pretty rough when your team is not one of the six playoff teams in a nine team league.
Ugly Uniform of the Week
Oregon wins again this week for wearing a uniform that that looks a prison league uniform with duct taped numbers, Yes, I do realize that I just insulted prison league uniforms. Oregon is just Nike's test department and that is a pretty bad thing.
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Glendora, CA- For this week, we stay in California for a Division II contest in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference between the Western Oregon Wolves and the Azusa Pacific Panthers. QB Tyrone Williams, Jr. hit WR Weston Carr with a 9-yard TD pass with just :17 left to lift APU to 7-6 win over the WOU. Defenses ruled the day here with the teams combining to convert on only 9 of 30 third downs, one of four fourth downs and committed 15 penalties for 175 yards.
Blowout Game of the Week: Golden, CO- We stay in Division II for game in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Orediggers of the Colorado School of Mines doubles up the South Dakota School of Mines and Metallurgy Hardrockers, 84-42. Orediggers QB Isaac Harker crushed the Hardrockers defense, completing 19 of 24 passes for 372 yards and five TDs. His backfield mate RB Cameron Mayberry rushed for 151 yards on 21 carries with four TDs as well. For the Hardrockers, QB Jake Sullivan completed 33 of 54 tosses for 425 yards and five TDs in the loss.
C.W. Post Press: Worcester, MA- The Green and Gold of C.W. Post stayed perfect on the season with a 21-7 win over the Assumption College Greyhounds. It was a wet, cold and windy day. The game time high temp was 43 degrees, with winds of 30+ MPH and a steady rainfall throughout. The contest stood scoreless at the half. Post got going quickly after the break when WR Nazir Streater took the third quarter kickoff back 86 yards for a touchdown. Post then made a goal line stand later in the period and then drove down the field to go up 14-0 when RB Malik Pierre punched then ball over form a yard out. Post had total control of the game at this point and moved to 8-0 on the season. Pierre was quite the mudder for Post, rushing for 126 yards and a TD on 32 carries. Up next for the Pioneers is a trip to New Haven, Connecticut to take on the Southern Connecticut State Owls.
Razorback Report: The Hogs couldn't extend their wining ways and fell to Vanderbilt, 45-21. Up next for the Hogs is a bye week followed by a visit form LSU on 11/10.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Every cake from Amalfitano's Bakery is amazing.
Three flats on the same tire in a six week span stinks.
Toasted onion dip is always a winner.
Until Next time folks, remember that a soft team comes from soft leadership.
-The Commissioner
