Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Week 15

Hey all,

It's time for the last installment this year of the column that makes your Tuesdays better, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summary

Pac 12 Championship Game

Oregon 37- Utah 15: Santa Clara, CA- In front of a smattering of fans, the Pac 12 took itself out of the playoff picture yet again when the Ducks worked over the Utes in the cold and rain at Levi's Stadium. The Ducks game plan was to be the more the physical team and they were against the always physically strong Utes. In the first half the Webfoots defense pushed around the Utes offense, pitching a first half shutout. Oregon allowed the Utes yards, but snuffed out any scoring threats thanks to the way they keyed on RB Zack Moss and a little help from a stubborn Utah HC Kyle Whittingham.  Twice the Ducks held for downs to gain much needed momentum when a long field goal or well placed punt would have kept the Utes in the game early on. Down 20-0 at the half, the Utes did mount a comeback in the third quarter. Their defense held the Ducks to three points while they put up 15 of their own on a 24-yard tD pass from QB Tyler Huntley to Moss and a 25-yard pass from Huntley to TE Samson Nacua.  Then with 7:09 left to play in the game, the Ducks extended their slim lead with a 70-yard TD run By RB C.J. Verdell. Then after picking off a desperation heave by Huntley, the Quacks put the game away with a 31-yard scamper by Verdell. While QB Justin Herbert threw for 193 yards and a TD, the real star for the Ducks was Verdell. He gashed the Utes for 208 yards on 18 carries and three TDs. In the painful loss for the conference and the Utes, Huntley threw for 193 yards two TDs and two interceptions while Moss ran for 113 yards on 19 carries.
Telling Stat: The 0 for the O; Oregon's defense bent, allowing 183 first half yards, but kept the Utes off the scoreboard in the first half which put the Utes in a hole they couldn't dig out of.  

Observations

...It wasn't Auburn, Phil;  Folks from Eugene and in the media need to quit saying that Oregon was "punished" because they scheduled Auburn.  That's just flat wrong, the Ducks got knocked down in the playoff poll because they lost at ASU.  End of story.

...Friday night is not alright for fighting; Utah's two losses each took place on a Friday night.

...They will feel pain; Whoever makes the CFP Championship Game will get the painful experience of having a Pac 12 crew call the game.

...Feeling the O; There no way that Coach O could have put together a team at SC the way he has at LSU because the idiots in Heritage Hall wouldn't have cleared the hurdles for him to do so.  However, it still very cool to dream about of what might have been.

...They held on; That giant exhale everyone heard Saturday around 12:30 or so PST last Saturday was every Sooner fan into world breaking a sigh of relief after holding on for the Big XII tile win against Baylor's third string QB.

...Dude is nails; Alabama/Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts has had an incredible college career and will be the first QB to start for two different schools in the CFP. Wow.

...Purple Facepalm; When two of your program's great ambassadors are on the sidelines supporting another school, you may have a problem.   No words

...Six of Eight ain't great; Utah has been in the last two Pac 12 title games and has been shutout in six of the eight quarters played.

...The SeC; Now that Lane Kiffin has taken the Ole Miss job after having a really good three years at FAU, I can't wait until the Rebels take on LSU next year.

....Honey, we have to move again; What a crazy two years for Eliah Drinkwitz. The man is named Appalachian State HC about this time last year and after leading App State to an 11-1 record is now off to be the HC at Missouri.

...30k; If SC loses the Holiday Bowl to Iowa then gets blown out by Alabama to start the 2020 season, a crowd of 30,000 is a real possibility for the the Trojans home opener v. New Mexico the following week. SMH

...A first half of worry and anxiety;  I'm sure the CFP Committee had some very anxious moments when TheeOSU trailed Wisconsin at the half last week.

...California is out;  The last hope for a championship for a California team in the NCAA playoffs died when Sacramento State was beaten 42-28 by Austin Peay in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

...People like to drink; LSU's Tiger Stadium began selling alcohol this season and made 2.259 million dollars net revenue off potent potables.

...Big Sky tough; Both Montana and Montana State kept the Big Sky alive in the FCS playoffs with impressive wins over Albany and SE Louisiana.

...No tailgate at all; According to John Ourand of Sports Business Journal Daily, the Pac 12 will have some 9am kickoffs in 2021. Several unnamed schools have already jumped on the idea and Fox is really interested in doing it. I'd link the article, but it is behind a paywall.

...Patting myself on the back; A couple of weeks back, this intrepid reporter predicted which bowl that each of the Pac 12's seven bowl eligible teams would play in and got all seven right.  First time that's ever happened. Woo hoo!

The Retention of Clay Helton

Last week, (was it only a week ago?)  USC did the worst thing possible and didn't fire Clay Helton. Many rumors/stories flew around about how this came about and all of them boil down to new USC President Carol Folt making the call on this one while the money for Helton's buyout and for his replacement was already secured.  The great disturbance in the force that was nearly every SC fan everywhere crying out in anger over the decision only got worse when new USC AD Mike Bohn tried to polish this turd of a decision through softball interviews on several media platforms. It's quite easy to see that the majority of the fan base which includes myself are flat out sick of the last decade of mediocrity at SC and were hoping that a new university president and AD would come in and provide the leadership to build Trojan football back into a national power. With this decision, USC seems to have chosen mediocrity instead where being competitive in the Pac 12 South and accepting Holiday Bowls is the new normal.  Sigh.

Good Looking Uniform Combos of the Week

Credit to LSU-Georgia and Ohio State-Wisconsin for wearing their classic uniforms in their respective championship games





Departments

Best Game Nobody Saw Last Week: Slippery Rock, PA- Slippery Rock advanced to the D-II semifinals with a scoreboard busting 65-59 win over the Notre Dame (OH) Falcons. The teams piled up 1,134 yards of total offense, 45 first downs and only one turnover. The Rock QB Roland Rivers accounted for eight touchdowns. He threw for six and ran for two more. Rivers top receiver, Henry Litwin hauled in 12 receptions for 203 yards and three TDs. In the loss, Notre Dame QB Chris Brimm threw for 360 yards and five TDs while RB Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for 137 yards on 20 carries with two TDs.  McLaughlin finished the season with 2,136 yards rushing.  Oh and the two teams combined for 452  total yards in the first quarter alone. Wow.

Low Score Game of the Week: Brookings, SD- Northern Iowa PK Matthew Cook sent an 18-yard chip shot field goal through the uprights to lead the Purple Panthers to a 13-10 win over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The win send the UNI to the next round of the FCS playoffs. The Purple Panthers trailed 10-0 after the first period, but then shutout the Jackrabbits the rest of the way for the win.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Dark chocolate raspberry soft centers from Sees are the best.

I love the feeling you get when you hang out with friends you haven't seen in awhile and you pick up right where you left off without missing a beat.

It's time to start wrapping presents soon.

Until next year, I wish everyone a great holiday season and a big thank you for reading this blog. Once again, I have been shown that family and friends who are just like family make the football season great. See you all here again next summer when we take another ride on the ol' coaching carousel.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Week 14

Hey All,

This intrepid reporter sincerely hopes that everyone had a wonderfully fun Thanksgiving filled with football, food and family. Now here's yet another edition of the column that makes your Tuesdays better, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Tom Kelly.

Summaries

Utah 45- Colorado 15: Salt Lake City, UT- Utah came into this one as 28.5 point favorites over the Buffs and needing a win to claim the Pac 12 South title and more importantly a convincing win to sway the the CFP Committee in their quest to make the playoff.  Early on the Buffs took a 7-0 lead and folks got a little nervous at Rice-Eccles Stadium. However, the Utah fans needed not to worry as Colorado's offense proved to be no match for the Utah defense over the long haul.  They shut out the Buffs for little over two quarters while the offense put 31 straight points to turn the game into a blowout and claim a spot in the Pac 12 title tilt. The two headed backfield monster of QB Tyler Huntley and RB Zack Moss had a good final home game as Huntley threw completed 14 of 17 passes for 165 yards and two TDs while Moss ran for 88 yards on 20 carries and a TD. TE Brant Kuthie has been a great weapon as of late  and he had another stellar game.  He caught three passes for 63 yards and a pair of TDs and ran the ball twice for 59 yards and another trip to the end zone. For CU, QB Steven Montez completed 17 of 26 passes for 157 yards and two TDs in his final game for the Buffaloes.
Telling Stat: 30 is a cover, but did they impress; Utah whipped the Buffaloes and covered the spread, but was it enough to garner favor with he CFP? 

Oregon 24- Oregon State 10: Eugene, OR- They stumbled, they bumbled, they looked to still be shell-shocked after getting upset in Tempe last week, but the Ducks did just enough right to hold off a very determined bunch of Beavers at Autzen Stadium. A little boost from the UO special teams helped push the Ducks to the victory. The Ducks opened the scoring with a field goal, then watched the Beavers tie the game at 3-3 near the end of the first quarter. It was on the ensuing kickoff that UO KR  Jordan Choukiar waved his way through the Beavers for  a 98-yard touchdown and a 10-3 lead. The Webfoots extended their lead to 17-3 in the second period when QB Justin Herbert hit WR Juwan Johnson with a pass that covered 28 yards for a touchdown. After a scoreless third period that saw the  Ducks miss a field goal, OSU put together an 11 play, 87-yard drive that was capped off by a 19-yard TD scamper by RB Jermar Jefferson.  Suddenly, UO only had a 17-10 lead with 11:03 to play. The Autzen crowd was nervous.  They became more nervous when after apparently scoring the TD to put the game away, RB Jaylon Redd actually lost control of the ball before he made it to paydirt and fumbled it out of the end zone for a touchback. After the teams traded possessions, the boys from Corvallis had one last shot to send the game to overtime, but Jefferson fumbled while stretching for extra yardage on a short pass.  Oregon took over on the Beavers 27-yard line. Three plays later, RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio raced 20 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.  For the Quacks, Herbert was held to 174 yards passing and a TD, with RB Travis Dye leading all rushers with 91 yards on 12 carries.  For the hard luck Beavers, QB Tristan Gebbia started in place of Jake Luton, who couldn't play due a forearm injury against Wazzu last week. Gebbia filled in admirably completing 26 of 40 passes for 243 yards, while Jefferson rushed the ball 20 times for 81 yards and his squad's only TD on the afternoon.
Telling Stat: 2 failed fourth downs = No Bowl; If Oregon had converted on just one of two critical fourth down conversion v. either Wazzu or Oregon, the Beavers would be going to bowl and HC Jonathan Smith would be Pac 12 Coach of the Year.

Arizona State 24- Arizona14: Tempe, AZ- The Territorial Cup remains in Tempe after the Sun Devils put up just enough offense to hold on for the win on a night where the temps dipped into the mid 40s at Sun Devil Stadium.  A sluggish first half saw the Wildcats take a 7-6 lead into the intermission as QB Khalil Tate's 48-yard TD toss to WR Jamarye Joiner provided the only lead the Wildcats would enjoy in the contest.  ASU came out for the second half with a simple plan; give RB Eno Benjamin the ball. He toted the rock well and found paydirt twice in the third quarter to put ASU up 21-7.  The TDs came wrapped around a pair of interceptions from UofA's Tate. ASU tacked on another field goal to extend their lead to 24-7 before UofA picked up a late TD to make things a little tighter at the end. Benjamin was the ASU offense, gaining 168 yards on 34 carries with two TDs and a fumble, while Tate completed 22 of 38 aerials for 228 yards, two TDs and three interceptions.
Teling Stat: Ground beat air; While UofA was busy throwing interceptions and failing on offense for most of the game, ASU kept to the rushing game and ground out a big rivalry win.

Washington 31- Washington State 13: Seattle, WA- For the seventh straight year the Apple Cup remains safely in the hands of the Huskies.  UW DC Jimmy Lake had boasted earlier in the week about how easy it was to prepare for the Wazzu offense because it never changes. Lake's defense sure did make it look easy allowing a TD on the Cougs opening drive then allowing just six more points over the final 54:49 while the struggling Huskies offense managed to grind out 31 points of their own.  QB Jacob Eason completed 15 of 22 passes for 244 yards and a TD.  He also ran for the a score.  RB Salvon Ahmed ground out 85 hard yards on 16 carries to lead the Huskies rushing attack, but fellow RB Richard Newton carried the ball just nine times, but two of those carries went for short TDs.  In the loss, Cougar QB Anthony Gordon  complete 42 of 62 passes for 308 yards and two huge interceptions.
Telling Stat: More with less; Washington ran 31 fewer plays than Wazzu, yet outgained and outscored the Cougars thanks to a brilliant defensive gameplan. 

California 28- UCLA-18: Pasadena, CA- Would the Golden Bears have a letdown after finally beating Stanford for the first time in a decade last week? Uh, no.  The boys form Berkeley hung on for a gritty win over the bRuins in front of hundreds of fans at the Rose Bowl. UCLA drew first blood midway through the first period when Jaylen Irwin hauled in a 19-yard TD pass from QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Cal would tie up the game a short time later when QB Chase Garbers connected with WR Makai Polk for a 44-yard scoring strike. Garbers would then put Cal ahead in the second quarter when he knifed into the end zone from a yard out. The Golden Bears would never trail again. The Bears would add a TD in each of the final two quarters on pair of short TD jaunts by RB Chris Brown, while their defense held the bRuins in check the rest of the way. Thompson-Robinson did throw for 278 yards with a TD and an interception, but he was also sacked six times.  Those sacks contributed heavily to the Bears holding UCLA to just 58 yards rushing in the cold Pasadena night. For the Bears, Garbers finished the game with 230 yards into air and a TD to go with 40 on the ground and another TD.  Brown led all rushers with 111 yards on 18 carries and two TDs.
Telling Stat: A pick, a stop and a stand; Cal shutout UCLA in the fourth quarter to claim their seventh win of the year. UCLA's three drives of the final period ended in an interception, a punt and a failure to score on fourth and goal from the Cal two-yard line with 42 seconds left.  

Notre Dame 45- Stanford 14: Palo Alto, CA- The Cardinal came out looking like the Cardinal of recent vintage against the Fighting Irish.  With 4:56 left to pay in the second quarter, Stanford held a 17-7 lead, had run off 35 plays to ND's 19 and held the ball for 17:49 of the first 25:04 of the game.  ND desperately needed a spark as Stanford was in total control of the game.  The Irish got that spark when DE Isaiah Foskey blocked a punt by Stanford's Jake Bailey. ND recovered the ball on the Cardinal one and three plays later closed to within three at 17-14 when QB Ian Book connected with TE Tommy Tremble for a six-yard touchdown pass. That was first score of a run that would see ND score 31 straight points and earn their 10th win of the season. Book had a fine day in the Palo Alto rain, completing 17 of 30 passes for 255 yards and four TDs. QB Davis Mills competed 28 of 46 passes for 276 yards and two TDs in the losing effort. Mills also fumbled while being sacked in his own end zone late in the game. ND defenders fell on the ball for the final score of the game.
Telling Stat: 31-0 in 19:51 for the W; ND scored 31 points over a 27:51 span to take control of the game hand the Cardinal their eighth defeat of 2019. 

Tough Turkeys v. Cranberry Crushers: San Pedro, CA- the annual Thanksgiving Day clash between these two heated rivals was postponed due to unplayable field conditions at Yube Ursich Stadium due to last week's storm. No makeup date has been announced.


Observations

...Not a Sunny Jim;  After losing yet again to TheeeOSU, Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh was a little testy in the post game presser.  Feeling Insulted

...Another worry;  While DCs have been game-panning for QB Tyler Huntley and RB Zack Moss, TE Brant Kuthie has become a great weapon for the Utah offense. You just can't cover them all.

...Second round and down; The great 600 pound gorilla of D-III, mighty Mount Union (OH) was knocked out of the playoffs, 59-52 by North Central College (IL).  North Central did it on the road, shutting out Mt Union for the final 12:53 of the game.

...Another dubious Clay Helton achievement;  USC has become the first team in the history of the Pac 12 to win all of its' divisional games and not make the Pac 12 title game.  Facepalm.

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that the Territorial Cup is really just an old athletic supporter.

...Still couldn't stop him; While getting their butts kicked by TheeOSU, Michigan defenders Carlo Kemp and Aidan Hutchinson decided they'd untie and remove one of RB J.K. Dobbins shoes after a tackle. That act drew a 15-yard penalty and failed to slow down Dobbins. He ran for 211 yards on 31 carries with four TDs on the afternoon.  Bush League Move

...Needing to impress;  It was pretty funny watching Utah throw ball trying to run up the score late v. Colorado. I'm sure it made Utah HC Kyle Whiitngham feel very strange to have to do so.

...The Sumlin regression; From his last year as the HC at Houston through his time at Texas A&M to his first two seasons at Arizona, here's Kevin Sumlin's fall in to coaching mediocrity represented in wins and losses.  2011: 12-1, 2012: 11-2, 2013: 9-4, 2014: 8-5, 2015: 8-5, 2016: 8-5, 2017: 7-5, 2018: 5-7, 2019: 4-8. Hmmmmmmmm.

...Way to geaux Jeaux; LSU QB Joe Burrow Chose a pretty cool way of showing love for the Tiger faithful by having his name changed from Burrow on his jersey to the the way folks in Louisiana like to add a pseudo-french touch to words to claim them as their own.



... A Husky clinic; Washington knows how to stop to Air Raid offense cold.  The tapes of the last several Apple Cup games should be required viewing for DC's all across the land.

...The Fight for the Cannon got real; An all-out brawl broke out in Reno after UNLV QB Kenyon Oblad threw the game-winning TD pass to lift the Rebels to a 33-30 overtime win. Blindsided!

...Would he like some cheese for his whines?;  Nick Saban is just not a good loser.  His onfield antics during and whines after Auburn knocked Alabama out of the playoff picture were pretty bush league. SMH.

...One regular season game left; Even though championship games and lower division playoffs fill the schedule this coming week, there is still, one final regular season game left to be played.  The Army-Navy game will be played on 12/14.

...The Pirate rants;  Wazzu HC Mike Leach had some choice words for reporters after his squad Coug'd it for the seventh straight time in the Apple Cup, losing yet again to the Huskies.  His rant didn't go over well Washington's Liuetenant Governor who issued an apology the media on behalf his fellow state employee.  The Rant and The Apology

...Whizzed away;  Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore decided that his TD reception that should have tied the game at 21-21 with arch-rival Mississippi State with :04 needed to be celebrated by imitating a dog urinating on the field.  That "celebration" drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.  That penalty turned the potential game-tying chip shot PAT into a 35-yarder. Rebel PK Luke Logan shanked the kick and the Bulldogs held on for the 21-20 win. Please read about it in detail in the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger.  Whizzed Away

Clay Watch 2019

This intrepid reporter hoped to be writing about the end of the Clay Helton era at USC. However, as of right now, there has been no news either way on this matter from Heritage Hall. Rumors are as thick as 1970s LA smog and cover everything from that he's definitely getting fired to that he's definitely staying. After wading through all the things that have been written and said about this subject, one thing has become crystal clear. This fact alone should force new USC AD Mike Bohn to fire Clay Helton.  It's the fact that all of USC's opponents want Helton to stay on as HC.  If your rivals like your HC, then you have a pretty poor guy in charge of your program.

Pac 12 Coaching Casualties

Here's the list of those HCs and other positions who have been fired and will now take another ride on the coaching carousel.

ASU- HC Herm Edwards fired his OC Rob Likens, TE coach Donnie Yantis and WR coach Charlie Fisher. That's an interesting way to celebrate a victory over arch-rival Arizona.

Washington- In a shocker, Husky HC Chris Petersen stepped down on Monday. He will coach the Huskies in their bowl game, then make way for his current DC Jimmy Lake to take over as HC.

Pac 12 Overreactions
Arizona will go 3-9 next year.
USC won't use all their practices and lose their bowl game.
Oregon better be ready for Utah.
Colorado has a good coach.
UCLA is regretting their hiring of Chip Kelly.
Utah will get screwed over by the Playoff Committee.
Arizona State will lose their bowl game by six points.
WSU's Mike Leach era may be at an end.
Stanford is a really bad team.
Washington needs a real offensive line.
Oregon State goes to a bowl in 2020.
Cal is still an offense away from being very good.

Good Helmet Choices of the Week

Arizona and Arizona State both earn praise for going with their classic helmet designs in their rivalry clash.  It's great to see the classic White UofA helmet against the great Sparky logo of ASU.



Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Des Moines, IA- This week;'s game comes form the NAIA ranks where The Vikings of Grand View College scored twice in the second quarter to beat the College of Idaho Coyotes, 14-6 to advanced to the NAIA semifinals. A five-yard TD pass from QB Ben Ferkin to WR Anthony Turner and a 1-yard TD plunge by RB Jerry Lowe provided the winning points. The Viking defense made the scores stand up as the offense was shutout the rest off the way.

Blowout Game of the Week: Sioux City, IA- We stay in the NAIA playoffs for a 51-0 victory by Morningside (IA) over St. Xavier (IL).  The Mustangs defense walloped St. Xavier forcing four turnovers, registering six sacks and 12 other tackles for losses in the big win. QB Joe Dolincheck completed 25 of 38 passes for 303 yards and four TDs on the day.  Up next for Morningside is a semi-final matchup with Grand View.  Pretty Cool.

Razorback Report: Arkansas finished out this dismal year with an another dismal loss.  This time it was 24-14 to Missouri. The Hogs finished the year with a 2-10 record overall and 0-8 in SEC play.  Missouri was so thrilled with their win that they fired HC Barry Odom immediately after the game. Maybe it was because he gave up two TDs to the Hogs. Hmmmmmmm

This Week's Three Notes About Thanksgiving...

We had a smaller turnout this year, but those that weren't there were missed by us all and loved just the same.

I was glad the Macy's parade found a way to go off in the bad weather.

Leftovers from Thanksgiving are always great.

Until next time, remember that just because your team is gong to bowl doesn't necessarily mean they are a good team.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Week 13

Hey All,

It's time for the Tuesday before Thanksgiving week edition of the column that makes your football season better, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still Miss you, Ned Miller and staff.

Summaries

USC 52- UCLA 35: The Trojans took the Victory Bell back from the bRuins with an onslaught of offense and a modicum of defense in the 2019 edition of this storied rivalry.  USC QB Kedon Slovis threw over, around, under, and through UCLA defense for 515 yards and four TDs. He also spread the ball around a bit with four Trojan receivers gaining over 100 yards each.  USC fans can thank the offense for offsetting a pretty bad effort from their defense and another absolutely abysmal effort from their special teams.  UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson carved up the Trojans completing 26 of 44 passes for 367 yard and three TDs while also rushing for 64 yards on 16 carries and another score. As for SC's special teams, a running into the kicker call, a hands to the face penalty, a fumbled punt and having less than 11 men on the field for a field goal attempt were just some of the errors that drew the ire of the Coliseum crowd. In the end though, USC did come away with a rivalry win that killed UCLA's faint hopes of becoming bowl eligible.
Telling Stat: Twice is nice;  USC WRs Michael Pittman, Jr., Drake London, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Tyler Vaughns became just the second set of WRs to all top the 100-yard receiving mark in game this century.

California 24- Stanford 20: Palo Alto, CA- Chase Garbers exited the second quarter of Cal's loss to SC on 11/6 when he re-injured his shoulder.  He was held out of all the contact drills in practice ahead the Big Game at Stanford.  Garbers then started for Cal, took all the physical punishment Stanford could hand out and with 1:16 remaining in the contest scrambled 16 yards for the game-winning TD to snap Cal's nine-game losing streak in the rivalry and take The Axe back to Berkeley. The Golden Bears looked like a 10th straight loss to the Cardinal was happening when PK Ryan Sanborn nailed a 44-yard field goal with 2:23 to play. Garbers then drove Cal 75-yards in six plays forth game-winning score. The Cal defense then held the Cardinal for downs on the ensuing drive to seal the victory. Garbers finished the day with 285 yards passing and a TD to go with 72 yards rushing and another score. Cardinal QB Davis Mills threw for 283 yards, a TD and two huge interception in defeat.
Telling Stat: 1 is fun; Cal currently has a one-game wining streak over Stanford. 

Colorado 20- Washington 14: Boulder, CO- The Buffaloes kept their dreams of bowl eligibility alive and registered their first ever win over the Huskies in the process. Colorado's defense set up camp in the Washington backfield from the opening kickoff and held the Dawgs to 32 yards rushing on 32 carries. That's a nifty 1.0 yards per carry average for the non-math majors out there. The Buffs did hold QB Jacob Eason in check too. They gave up only 206 yards and a TD while picking him off once early in the first period. CU QB Steven Montez had a rare good night. Which means he didn't throw the drive killing interception or cough up the ball on an ill-advised dive for extra yardage.  He managed the game well, completing 17 of 28 aerials for 223 yards and a TD.  RB Alex Fontenot found the gaps in the Husky defense, carrying the ball 24 times for 105 yards and a TD.  Even with the fine efforts of the Buffaloes, UW still had a chance to pull the game out.  A Husky punt pinned the the Buffs at their own one-yard line with 5:09 left to play.  CU avoided a safety thanks to an offsides call on the Dawgs, then survived a fumble when backup QB Blake Stenstrom fumbled an RPO exchange and then recovered the loose pigskin. Montez came back into the game with an obviously injured left hand and handed the ball to Fontenot five straight times to break the Huskies spirit.  Montez then took a final kneel down to kill the clock and get the win.
Telling Stat: They paved the road; With five minutes left, Colorado's O-line took it to the Washington front seven, paving the road for 81 yards in 11 plays to drain the clock and Washington's last chance for a victory.

Arizona State 31- Oregon 28: Tempe, AZ- With 11:59 left to play, the Sun Devils held a 24-7 lead over the Ducks. The Sun Devils had methodically built the lead after falling behind 7-0 early. The ASU defense had held the Webfoots in check and had seemingly iced the game after picking off QB Justin Herbert on consecutive possessions.  However, Oregon wasn't finished. Instead they mounted a furious comeback that fell just short as their defense failed them down the stretch.  Herbert picked apart the Sun Devils, driving his squad to three TDs in a tad under 7:00 of playing time. He hooked up with WR Joey Johnson for most of the yards on those drives. After two the first two of those TDs, the Quacks defense lost track of ASU WR Brandon Aiyuk. Faced with a 3rd and 16 from his own 19-yard line, QB Jayden Daniels hit Aiyuk on a go route and he took it to the house for an 81-yard TD to put ASU up 31-21 with 3:54 to play. UO did get another TD, but then ASU recovered the onside kick that followed and then killed the clock to seal the victory and end Oregon's playoff hopes. Daniels had arguably the best night of his young career, completing 22 of 32 passes for 40 yards and three scores. RB Eno Benjamin also had a fine night leading all rushers with 114 yards on 31 carries and 54 more yards on five receptions. In the loss, Herebert completed 20 of 36 tosses for 304 yards, two TDs and two costly interceptions.
Telling Stat: 0 for O;  Once again, Oregon will go another year without a national title. 

Washington State 54- Oregon State 53: Pullman, WA- What a barnburner it was in the Palouse! The two squads combined for 60 first downs and 1,242 total yards.  That's not bad a for a game that was just 24-21 Beavers at the half. Wazzu took control of the game in the third quarter shutting out OSU, 14-0 to take a 35-24 lead into the last stanza. Oregon State then went on a 29-7 run over the first 11:43 of the final quarter to take a 53-42 lead. QB Jake Luton and RB Jermar Jefferson made a powerful combo  with Luton throwing to Jefferson for two of the TDs during the scoring blitz with Jefferson running for a third. Then, with the home crowd stunned and thinking this was the UCLA game all over again, the Cougs fought back to win.  The TD drive to to cut their deficit to five points covered 75 yards in seven plays with WR Dezmon Patton taking it to the end zone form 14 yards out. After the ensuing onside kick failed, the Beavers tried to run out the clock. However, they couldn't. When faced with a fourth & four from the WSU 43-yard line, the Beavers went for it. Luton's pass fell incomplete and the Cougs had a chance. 10 lays later, RB Max Borghi slammed into the end zone from the two-yard line with :02 left to lift Wazzu to victory.  That was a pretty gutsy call considering, that the Cougars had not timeouts and being stopped short would mean the clock would run out. Now, for the stats.  In the win Gordon completed 50 of 70 passes for 606 yards and six TDs with Borghi rushing the ball 10 toes for 44 yard and two scores. In the painful loss, Luton completed 22 of 40 throws for 408 yards and five scores, while Jefferson lugged the leather 21 times for 132 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: No punt = L; Even if an OSU punt went for a touchback with a 1:10 left, Wazzu would have had to travel an extra 23 yards on their final drive. Hmmmmm

Utah 35- Arizona 7: Tuscon, AZ- The Utes ruined Senior Night and ended UofA's hopes of bowl eligibility in a little over three hours last Saturday night.  The much maligned Wildcat defense made a couple of surprisingly good fourth down stops of the Utes in the first half, but it didn't matter much as the Utes took a 14-0 lead into the half and then extended that to a 28-0 lead at the end of three quarters. The easy win put the Utes a game away from clinching the Pac 12 South and meeting up with the Oregon Ducks in the Pac 12 title tilt. Utah RB Zach Moss ran over, around and through the Wildcats to tune of 203 yards on 26 carries and a TD.  His backfield mate, QB Tyler Huntley completed 19 of 23 passes for 211 yards and a TD to provide the second half of a one-two punch that Arizona couldn't recover from. Meanwhile, the Utah defense held their opponents to 196 total yards and token TD after the game was well in hand.
Telling Stat: Not nearly as closes as it looked; The Utah defense allowed 85 of Arizona's 196 total yards after emptying the benches with a 35-0 lead and 6:50 to play in the fourth period.

Observations

...Get the hardware out;  After tastes of rivalry game last Saturday, a boatload of rivalry games will be played this week.  Everything form the Apple Cup to the Old Oaken Bucket to the Fremont Cannon will be up for grabs  this week. Enjoy the football feast folks!

...Not shocked; The FCS playoff bracket came out Sunday and North Dakota State is the number one seed. Yawn.

...A little strange; With USC having a very poorly placed bye week, it will be very odd not going to the Coliseum this Saturday.

...Imua Warriors!;  When SDSU PK Matt Araiza's 48-yard FG attempt missed with eight seconds left, Hawaii held on for a 14-11 win over the Aztecs and claimed the the Mountain West Conference's West Division crown and will face Boise State for the MWC title on 12/7.

...Two gone in the MWC; New Mexico HC Bob Davie and UNLV HC Tony Sanchez were both fired this week.

...The circle is complete; The annual Circle of Suck for the Pac 12 fell into place when ASU upset Oregon.  Please check this tweet form the Stanford Tree to see just how the Pac 12 eats its' own.
Daddy sang bass

...Early celebration Part I; After scoring the winning TD with :02 left against OSU, Wazzu HC Mike Leach had his team take a knee on the conversion attempt to prevent any kind of turnover that would result from a possible blocked PAT.  Cougs WR Renard Bell didn't realize that the clock doesn't run on a conversion attempt and started celebrating as if the game was over.  He was flagged for celebration and WSU had to kickoff form their own 20-yard line to finish the game. He's very lucky the OSU didn't pull of a miracle with those 15 extra yards. Facepalm.

...Feeling it for the Commodores;  This speaks volumes about a sad picture of a lost season at Vanderbilt. I think the band outnumbers the fans here.



...Early Celebration Part II; Washington Redskins QB Dwayne Haskins was taking a selfie with a fan and celebratig his first win as a starter in the NFL as any young QB night do.  Only problem was that the Redskins still needed to take one final snap. SMH. One more play 

...Seven Bowls for Seven teams;  The Pac 12 has seven bowl game tie-ins and has seven bowl eligible teams and most likely won't get any more.  It is very unlikely that Oregon State beats Oregon next week or that Colorado will upset Utah.

...He wasn't happy; At least one Wazzu fan was not thrilled when Oregon State scored to take a short-lived fourth-quarter lead v. the Cougars last week.



...#2 by 91 yards and two scores; USC's Kedon Slovis threw for 515 yards and five TDs v. UCLA and was still only second in the Pac 12 in passing yards last week as WSU's Anthony Gordon threw for 606 yards and six TDs.  Wow.

...Imua Warriors- Part II; Hawaii did what UCLA couldn't do this year. They beat San Diego State.

...More Scarlet and Gray; There's no way the Michigan beats Ohio State this week.

...They brought the weather (delay) with them; The Harvard-Yale game was delayed over an hour due to protestors rushing the field at halftime for a climate change protest.  So, the game did suffer  a weather delay of sorts. lol The Protest at The Game

...2-0; New USC AD Mike Bohn picked up his second win over UCLA this season. Bohn came to USC from Cincinnati who beat UCLA, 24-14 to start the season.

...Best game nobody saw last week; In the first round of the D-III playoffs, Chapman University hit the road to Linfield College in Oregon and walked out with a 68-65 win in triple OT. Way to hold up that SCIAC pride, boys.


Power Five Conference Races Update

ACC: Clemson is the Atlantic division champ. The winner of this week's Virginia-Virginia Tech game will win the Coastal division and face the Tigers in the ACC title game.

Big 12: Baylor will play Oklahoma in the Big XII title game.

Big Ten: TheeeOSU is the Big Ten East division champ and will play the winner of this week's Minnesota-Wisconsin game in the Big Ten title game.

Pac 12: Oregon will face either Utah or USC in the Pac 12 title game.  If Utah beats Colorado this week, they are in.  A loss to the Buffaloes means the Trojans back into the title game.

SEC: Georgia and LSU will face each other in the SEC title game.

Pac 12 Bowl Predicitons

Oregon- Rose Bowl
Utah- Alamo Bowl
USC- Holiday Bowl
Cal- Redbox Bowl
Arizona State- Sun Bowl
Washington- Las Vegas Bowl
Washington State- Cheez-It Bowl

Grey Cup Update

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the 107th Grey Cup Champions. They wiped out the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 33-12 to claim their first CFL championship since 1990. Read about it here in the Winnipeg Sun. The Grey Cup, Eh!

Ugly Uniform of the Week

As much I will praise Baylor for further helping Texas football rediscover irrelevancy, these uniforms are just hideous. Hey Baylor, French's called. They want their mustard back.



Departments 

Low Score Game of the Week: Maryville, MO- In a first round matchup of D-II playoffs, the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats held off the Harding Bisons, 7-6.  The Bearcats held an early 7-0 lead thanks to a 4-yard pass from QB Braden Wright to WR Kyle Raunig. It was defensive slugfest the rets of the way with Harding finally hitting paydirt with 1:14 left to play  when QB Tristan Tucker knifed into  the end zone from six yards out. Harding then went for two and failed. The Bearcats defense held Tucker short of the goal line to get the win.  Harding didn't attempt a single pass in the game. They just ran the ball for all 56 of their offensive plays.

Blowout Game of the Week: Salisbury, MD- The D-III playoffs started as well this week and the Salisbury Sea Gulls destroyed the SUNY- Privateers, 83-0.  The Sea Gulls built up a 42-0 lead in the first quarter behind a defense that forced a pair of turnovers and a three three-and-outs which were turned into 35 of the those 42 first quarter points. The Sea Gulls defense held the Privateers to just 71 total yards and two first downs for the afternoon.

C.W. Post Press: Brookville, NY- The nightmare that has been the Sharks first year at the FCS level ended in a 24-10 loss to old foe Merrimack College.  The Sharks finish the year at 0-10. Needless to say, the braintrust at Post needs to rethink their decision to leave D-II.

Razorback Report: The Hogs were smashed 56-20 by LSU and this quote from Tigers HC Ed Oregon says it all, "There wasn't gong to be a celebration for beating Arkansas, they haven't beat anyone in a long time."

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

My sister is right, Marshalls is great place to buy wrapping paper. 

First big rain of the season supposed to hit LA this week, Can't wait to see what poor schlub the local news sends outside in a slicker to tell me that it's raining. 

More weather here. If you see the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore in your town, doesn't that mean you should evacuate the area?

Until next time folks, remember that championship level teams play well on offense, defense and special teams.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Week 12

Hey All,

After a triumphant trip to Berkley, this intrepid reporter is proud to present to you another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 41- California 17: The Trojans kicked off at 8 PM in Berkeley, then after playing a mostly sluggish first half, kicked the Bears out of Memorial Stadium to earn their seventh win of the season. This game turned from a 10-10 tight looking affair into a rout after the USC defense knocked Cal QB Chase Garbers out of the game in the middle of the second quarter.  The Trojan defense easily handled backup QB Devon Modster, allowing the Bears to score once more after the game was no longer in doubt. The Cal defense had major problems covering the USC receiving corps.  They just really couldn't and SC QB Kedon Slovis carved them up. He completed 29 of 35 passes for 406 yards and four TDs. WR Michael Pittman hauled in 11 balls for 180 yards and a TD.  RB Stephen Carr retuned from his injuries sustained a few weeks ago against Arizona to rush for 19 yard and a TD, while keeping blitzing LBs off Slovis.
Telling Stat: 31 gets a W;  USC went on a 31-0 run that lasted from just before the end of the first half to the Start of the fourth quarter to take a 41-10 lead and send folks home early from Strawberry Canyon. 

Oregon State 35- Arizona State 34: Corvallis, OR- ASU WR Brandon Aiyuk piled up 292 all-purpose yards, but it wasn't enough to lift the Sun Devils to a win against the Beavers.  This game was  see-saw affair with the Beavers holding a 35-28 lead heading into the final period. Both defense held firm in the final period until ASU QB Jayden Daniels hit Aiyk with a 44-yard strike to set up the Sun Devils at the OSU 44-yard line. Nine plays later, ASU faced a fourth and eight form the  Beavers 12-yard line. Daniels found Aiyuk one more time, this time for 12 yard and what many thought would be the game-tying touchdown.  However, ASU HC Herm Edwards decided to go for two instead. The Two-point converison attempt failed.  The Beavers covered the ensuing onside kick and then were able to run out the clock when former Trojan and ASU CB Jack Jones was called for pass interference with just :43 seconds left. The big win was OSU's fifth of the season, which really nobody thought this team could pull off. OSU's Jake Luton completed 26 of 35 passes for 288 yards and four TDs to lead his team to victory. As for ASU, Daniels threw for 334 yards and three scores in the loss.
Telling Stat: They left points on the field; ASU fumbled twice in the second half. One led to OSU's go ahead TD and the other was on the Beavers goal line to kill a drive. Couple that with Herm Edwards' poor two-point conversion call and  it all adds up to a bad loss for the Sun Devils.

Washington State 49- Stanford 22: Pullman, WA- Wazzu HC Mike Leach called his team "frauds" last week after they were trounced by Cal.  This week, the Cougars exposed the Stanford secondary as frauds.  Cougar QB Anthony Gordon torched the Trees, completing 44 of 60 passes for 520 yards and five TDs with one interception. WRs Brandon Arconado and Easop Winston were Gordon's favorite targets combining to haul in 20 balls for 255 yards and three scores. The Cougars did get just enough defense to turn this into a rout by blanking the Cardinal in the first and fourth quarters.
Cardinal QB Davis Mills did have a decent day, tearing up the suspect Wazzu secondary, completing 32 of 49 passes for 494 yards, three TDs and two huge interceptions in there loss.
Telling Stat: 2+6+2+6=W;  The WSU defense allowed 510 yards, but registered two sacks, six other tackles for loss, picked off two passes and held Stanford to just six yards rushing to get the W in the Palouse.  

Utah 49- UCLA 3: Salt Lake City, UT- The bRuins traveled to Rice-Eccles Stadium with visions of  a Pac 12 South division title dancing in their heads. Those visions were dashed by a very nasty Utah defense and opportunistic offense. After surrendering a field goal on UCLA's opening drive, the Utes dominated the game.  UCLA just couldn't stop turning the ball over. They did it  five times with the Utes scoring 21 points off those bRuin miscues. The bRuin defense couldn't stop Utah QB Tyler Huntley or his backfield mate, Zack Moss. Huntley connected on 14 of 18 aerials for 335 yards and a pair of TDs, while Moss toted the rock 17 times for 127 yards and two scores of his own. UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 20 of 36 passes for 219 yards and two interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: 53:05=W; Utah gave up an early field goal, then shutout UCLA over the final 53:05 of game time in this laugher in the Beehive State.

Oregon 34- Arizona 6: Eugene, OR- The Ducks got a win and a light workout in against the Wildcats. Oh, and the Quacks also secured a spot in the Pac 12 title game too. The Webfoots jumped out to an e 21-0 lead and never looked back.  Grant Gunnell got the start over Khalil Tate at QB this week, but it didn't matter. Both played poorly and combined for a meager 132 yards though the air with no TDs.  For the Ducks, QB Justin Herbert had a good day against the porous Wildcat defense, completing 20 of 28 tosses for 333 yards and four scores.
Telling Stat: 5:09;  That was the time left in the second quarter when the Ducks went up 21-0 over the Wildcats to end the competitive portion of this game.

Observations

...The injury;  The hip dislocation that Tua Tagovailoa suffered his awful and possibly career ending, but it's tough for me to blame Saban on this one.  I can't remember seeing a coach take his starting QB out in a blowout game before the half.  Even with al the circumstances around Tua's health, that's a tough knock on Saban.

...8 PM pain;  The worst thing about the late kickoff in Berkeley was that ti was senior night at Cal. Instead of a decent kickoff time to allow your seniors to be celebrated in front of packed stadium against and old rival, the place was maybe 2/3 full and rather subdued. Kind of lame.

...Best sponsor ever;  The replay reviews at Cal are sponsored by the UC Berkeley Optometry School.

...Tiger Trivia;  LSU ran up 714 yards of offense in their 58-37 win over Ole Miss last week. That's the second highest total, ever amassed by the Bayou Bengals in a single game.  The most is 746 yards by the 1977 LSU squad in a 77-0 thumping of Rice.  Who was the QB of that 1977 LSU team?

...Taking one for the team;  Chamberlain Smith, an Intern for the Georgia Athletic department was knocked out on the sideline when she was run over by Bulldog RB Brian Herrien. This is what int looks like on TV. Out Cold  She was conscious by the time she was carted off the field. Smith also tweets this out on Tuesday. She got the shot

...The Longhorns are back... to irelevancy;  Iowa State's upset of the Longhorns has many burnt orange faithful feeling burnt and wondering they hired the wrong coach in Tom Herman.

...And then there was one; At 0-10, Akron is the only winless school left in the FBS.

...Coolest punch of the year; Check out this pick six from the College fo Idaho Coyotes. Pop, Punch, Score

...Cool story, bro;  Watching new USC AD Mike Bohn looking like he'd rather have a root canal than listen to anything Tennis Larry had to say during the SC-Cal game last week warmed many Trojan hearts with the hope that finally they have a guy who can't stand Scott as much as they do.

...Not so Golden;  Minnesota fell from the ranks fo the unbeaten, but can still win their division and fight for a CFP spot in the Big Ten title game.

...Out of the picture; Notre Dame is 8-2 and nobody cares.

...Failing praise;  Nebraska HC Scott Frost is 8-14, but that was apparently good enough for a two year extension of his current contract.  Huh?

...Tiger Trivia answer;  That 1977 LSU QB was Steve Ensminger who just happens to be LSU's current Offensive Coordinator.

...Shanks it every time; Former NFL punter and current ESPN Analyst Pat McAfee stinks.  He's the reason why nobody cares what kickers think.

...A jug and a record;  Ith-a-ca! Ith-a-ca! The Ithaca Bombers secured the their third straight Cortaca Jug victory with a 32-20 win over Cortland State last Saturday.  The two teams also set a record for attendance at a D-III game with 45,161 fans filling Met Life Stadium. Here is a pic of the Coratca Jug rivalry trophy that that the two schools play for.


Pac 12 Overreactions

Stanford has reverted back to the mean.
Utah can almost taste the Roses right now.
Cal is still a QB away from a bowl game.
UCLA 's delusions of grandeur have been gutted.
ASU is an almost team, they almost won their last four games.
USC seems to be Alamo Bowl Bound.
Oregon State won't make a bowl.
Arizona needs a GPS to find a way to back to being relevant.
Wazzu will make the Cheez-It Bowl.
Oregon is in cruise control.
Colorado will finish 4-8.
Washington will finish 8-4.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Because this is the best week to hate any form of light blue, Tulane wins for this sky blue ugliness.


Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Throggs Neck, NY- This week's game comes form the Skyline Conference in D-III. It was senior day at the SUNY- Maritime College and the Privateers used a strong defensive effort and a final last drive from their offense to pull out an 11-9 win over the Mount St. Joseph Lions.  The defensive battle stood tied at 9-9 with 6:37 to play when Privateers DE Wayne Betencourt sacked Lions QB Chaiten Tomlin for a safety.  After the ensuing free kick, The Privateers rushed the ball 11 times for 31 tough yards to run out the clock and clinch the victory.  RB Chistian Schiavone was the star of the drive, lugging the leather nine straight times before QB Jack Lynn took a knee on the final two plays of the game.

Blowout Game of the Week: Tahlequah, OK- The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in D-II provides us with this this week's game. The Fort Hays State Tigers crushed the Northeastern State Riverhawks, 91-7. After a 13 point first quarter, the Tigers put up 42 points in the second period to end this game early. QB Chance Fuller completed 18 of 27 passes for 254 yards and four TDs in one half of playing time.

C.W. Post Press: Villanova, PA- The Sharks fell to 0-9 on the season with a 35-7 loss to the Villanova Wildcats.  Post's season will mercifully come to an end next week on senior day when the Sharks host former D-II foe Merrimack College.

Razorback Report: The Hogs were off this week, but will be accorded another chance to lose this week as they travel to LSU.


This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

It's easy to fall for the empty peanut trick at any age.

The Lucasfilm/ILM campus at the Presidio in San Francisco looks like the coolest place to work like ever.

A sneaky good place to get breakfast and watch NFL games on Sunday is the Greenery Bar & Grill at Diablo Hills Golf Course in Walnut Creek, CA.

Until next time folks, remember that running the ball is still the best way to win games.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Week 11

Hey All,

After a nail-biter of a road trip to Tempe, your Commissioner returns with the next installment of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Mel Durslag.

Summaries

USC 31- Arizona State 26: 15 minutes of happiness, followed by 44:35 of dread and then :25 of relief is the best way to describe USC's win at Sun Devil Stadium. The first quarter was a treat for Trojan fans, QB Kedon Slovis had a quarter for the ages in his return to his home state. All he did was throw for 295 yards and four TDs to set USC up with a 28-7 at the end of the first quarter.  His biggest toss was a 95-yard hookup with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. Slovis' 295 yards passing were the most by any QB in the NCAA in any quarter in the last 15 years. Then the wheels fell off and USC held on for dear life the rest of the way. ASU QB Joey Yellen, subbing for the injured Jayden Daniels, recovered form a dismal start to bring the Sun Devils slowly back into the game. The ASU defense stepped up the final three quarters as well.  With 8:54 left, ASU trailed SC by just five points. The USC defense coupled with a timely flag and a big drop hung on to win the game.  The flag occurred earlier in the game when a pick six thrown by Slovis was overturned on a holding call on the ASU defense.  Then on ASU's final drive, TE Tommy Hudson dropped a sure TD pass with a little over a minute to play. Two plays later, Trojan DT Christian Rector tipped Yellen's pass and intercepted it to clinch the game for SC with :25 left.  Slovis finished the game completing 29 of 39 passes for 432 yards and four TDs.  WR  Michael Pittman, Jr. hauled in 13 passes for 146 yards, while St. Brown caught eight balls for 173 yards and a score. RB Kenon Christon ran for 62 yards and caught four balls for 82 yards and two TDs. Yellen threw for 292 yard and four TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: The three that sealed it; USC PK Chase McGrath's 41-yard field goal in the third quarter was the difference in the game. 

Washington 19- Oregon State 7: Corvallis, OR- This was a defensive battle where the OSU defense played well, the Washington defense played far better and the UW offense accounted for all the points. The defenses dominated from the get go.  Oregon State kept the Huskies in check, but trailed 3-0 thanks to a 47-yard field goal by UW PK Peyton Henry.  The Dawgs then put the only real drive of the half together traveling 70 yards in nine plays.  RB Salvon Ahmed capped of the drive with a six-yard TD blast. UW took 10-0 lead into the half. The second half was absolutely dominated by the Husky defense.  They did not allow the Beavers to make a single first down in the second half, forcing three and outs on all of OSU's second half possessions. However, the Husky offense did their best to give Oregon State a chance.  Up 13-0 midway through he third quarter, UW QB Jacob Eason's out route was intercepted by CB Jason Grant who took it back 36 yards for a touchdown. Suddenly, UW's lead was cut to just 13-7. The Dawgs would bounce back and put the game away three series later when Ahmed broke off a 60-yard TD run to finish the scoring for the night. Ahmed was just about all the offense in the game as his 174 yards rushing on 25 carries and two TDs dwarfed OSU's entire offensive effort.
Telling Stat: No O, No W; Oregon State's offense couldn't move the ball at all against Washington. The Beavers were held to 119 total yards and six first downs with their deepest drive only getting as far as the Huskies 46-yard line. 

Colorado 16- Stanford 13: Boulder, CO- It was homecoming at Folsom Field and the Buffs sent the home crowd happy with a last second victory.  Several things went right for the Buffs that hadn't happened all year to pull out the win. First, Colorado jumped out to an early lead, driving 75 yards in 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a 13-yard run by QB Steven Montez. Second, CU played defense. They held Stanford to 13 points and just three of 10 third down conversions. Third, they finished strong, holding the ball for most of the final quarter and putting together a a pair of drives that covered 69 and 61 yards that finished in two field goals that won the game.  The key moment in the game came from the CU defense in a situation where Stanford has found success many times in the David Shaw era.  With 7:54 to play, Colorado had just kicked a FG to tie the game at 13-13.  Usually in these situations, the Cardinal take the kickoff, drain the clock with a long drive and win the game either with either a FG or TD.  It didn't happen this time.  The much maligned Colorado defense stepped up and forced a three and out. Stanford was forced to punt and never saw the ball again. The Cardinal offense stood on the sideline and watched CU PK Evan Price connect from 37-yards out to win the game for Colorado as time expired. The win ended a five-game losing streak for the Buffs.
Telling  Stat: 27/12:31=W;  Colorado ran off 27 plays and held the ball for 12:31 of the fourth quarter, which resulted in two field goals and a big win for the Buffaloes.  

California 33- Washington State 20: Berkeley, CA- What's the big deal about 57 yards anyway?  Throw in an abysmal error by the Pac 12 refs along with a strong effort from the Golden Bears and that's how the Cougars dropped to 4-5 on the year.  The strong effort for the Golden Bears came as usual from their defense, but also came surprisingly from QB Devon Modster.  Ever since starter Chase Garbers was injured a few weeks back v. ASU, Modster has had a lot of trouble moving the Cal offense. This night he didn't.  He completed 16 of 24 passes for 230 yards and three TDs while also running for 43 yards on seven carries and another score.  However, his great game was overshadowed by the epic error made by the officials. The error occurred on the kickoff that followed Cal's extension of their lead to 20-11 with 10:14 left in the third quarter.  On the ensuing kickoff, the Cougars returned the ball out to midfield. However, they were called for a an illegal hands to the face penalty near their own 15-yard line.  The Cougs were penalized half the distance to the goal and their drive started at their own eight-yard line.  However,  it was really Cal who committed the penalty. The crew penalized the wrong team. Instead of starting their own eight-yard line, Wazzu should have started this drive at the Cal 35 after the correct 15 yard penalty was marked off. That's a 57 yard field position swing. Did this call directly affect the outcome of the game? Possibly, what if Wazzu had scored a TD on this drive instead of a field goal? The entire Pac 12 crew screwed this up. Folks, we are talking about everyone form the head referee to the full replay crew. This error overshadows a fine effort by the Cal to get a much needed win.
Telling Press Release:  Here's the Pac 12's very weak statement on the error. 57 Yards

Observations

...Just a rumor;  It is not true that the Oregon State campus police got calls from Beaver fans reporting that their O-line disappeared shortly after kickoff against Washington.

...Weather games;  With the bitter cold snap hitting most of the east this week, there should be some great games played in bad conditions to watch this weekend.

...For my father; Slippery Rock is 10-0.

...Simple fact; road trip drives home are so much better when your team wins.

...And a punter is #1;  Colorado Punter Alex Kinney set the Colorado school record by playing in his 53rd career game last week v. Stanford.

...What a week off; Oregon and Utah are the two teams that gained the most last week by not playing.

...A Trojan shall lead them;  Illinois rallied from 25 points down to stun Michigan State, 37-34 at East Lansing.  The big WR for the Illini that day was USC transfer Josh Imatorbhebhe.  He caught four passes for 178 yards and two TDs. SMH.

...Never great;  USC HC Clay Helton is the master at making wins feel like losses.

...He gone; Arkansas could not take it anymore and fired HC Chad Morris last Sunday. Morris' Razorbacks were a dismal 4-18 in his less than two seasons on the job.  Memphis HC Mike Norvell is rumored to be the top target of the Hogs search for Morris' replacement.

...So impactful;  I see that Ohio State's self-imposed suspensions of DE Chase Young really hurt the Buckeyes.  They only beat Maryland, 73-14 last week.

...One play delay;  Matt Richards, the ref who blew the call in the WSU-Cal game,  informed WSU HC Mike Leach that the error occurred after the Cougars ran their first down play.  Because that play was run, that means that by rule the officials couldn't go back and correct their error.  Facepalm.

...5 short;  Minnesota is 9-0 after their win over Penn State. The last time that happened was 1904. The US only had 45 states back in 1904.

...Memo to Arkansas AD Jeff Long;  Please don't go after Gus Malzahn or even consider a return to Fayetteville by Bob Petrino.

...Don't care; I just have no interest in the Oklahoma-Baylor game this week.

...Fun fact; Indiana and Illinois are bowl eligible and Michigan State and Nebraska are not.

...Oh coach O!; Coach Ed Oregon's LSU squad's win over Alabama led to this locker room speech by coach O, which was live-streamed by one his players.  The kid shouldn't have done that from the locker room, but it was fun to watch.  This link is not safe for work.  Roll Tide What?

...A look ahead;  If all holds to form, the SDSU-Hawaii game on 11/23 will be for the West division title in the Mountain West Conference.

...Falling short;  We are heading into week 12 of the season and the Pac 12 has only four bowl eligible teams. Hmmmmm

...Irony thy name is Wazzu;  The Cal player who actually committed the penalty that was wrongly assessed against Washington State last week was LB Ben Moos.  Ben Moos is the son of former Wazzu Athletic Director Bill Moos.

...Coach O part Deux;  Coach O was not backing down from his speech after the game, warning Bama fans that LSU ain't going anywhere soon. Here to stay

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC will get the dreaded Sun Bowl bid.
Washington will finish 8-4.
UCLA, Utah, Arizona and Oregon's bye week didn't help the Pac 12.
Oregon State is an offensive line away from respectability.
Wazzu won't win another game this year.
Colorado still won't make a bowl.
Arizona State needs to wake up earlier than the second quarter to win games.
Stanford will never fire David Shaw.
Cal still needs a QB.

Poor Uniform Choice of the Week

ASU broke out the all-black uniforms for their game v USC.  Not smart to wear all-black in the Tempe sunshine.   However, we know ASU had no idea that the game would receive an early kickoff time.  Also, they couldn't change the uniform selection once the kickoff time was set.  Why? because it was parents weekend and was a designated a blackout game for the fans.  All the parents weekend T-shirts and apparel for the week was black and made well ahead of the kickoff announcement.  Facepalm.



CFL Update

The playoffs have started north of the border with both Edmonton and Winnipeg wining their divisional semi-finals.  That sets up the East and West finals matchups. The Edmonton Eskimos, a crossover team, heads east to take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eats final while the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will hit the road to Saskatchewan to face the Roughriders in the West. The winners
will meet in Calgary in the 107th Grey Cup game on Sunday, November 24th.

Departments 

Low Score Game of the Week: Brevard, NC- The Brevard College Tornados put together an eight-play, 57-yard drive that ended with a 36-yard TD pass from QB Dalton Cole to WR Blake Taylor to pull out a 10-9 win over the Averett College Cougars. The win lifts the Tornados to 6-2 overall on the season and 4-2 in South Atlantic College play in D-II. The Tornados won despite making only 11 first downs and converting only four of 13 times on third down.

Rivalry Game of the Week: Williamstown, MA- In what is known as the Biggest Little Game in America, the Williams Ephs dominated the Amherst Mammoths, 31-9.  The Ephs Held Amherst to 196 total yards and just one for 11 on third down attempts. Willams' RB Joel Nicholas was almost unstoppable, rushing for 211 yards on 24 carries with three TDs in the win. These two have been meeting on the gridiron since 1884.

C.W. Post Press: The Sharks were off this week and will take a trip to Villanova for a Friday night clash with he Wildcats.

Razorback Report: The Hogs were humiliated, 45-10 by Western Kentucky, then Razorback HC Chad Morris was fired on Sunday morning. The Razorbacks will limp into Tiger Stadium on 11/23 to take on LSU.


This Week's Three Notes About Hallmark Christmas Movies...

You don't mind the fact that it is supposed to be winter and yet you can never see anyone's breath on those cold days and the snow is so horribly fake.

The promos and films they are showing this year are featuring the former Full House star who hasn't been arrested by federal agents. 

Nobody ever moves to the big city, they all return small town America.

Until Next time folks, remember that one quarter of offense isn't enough to win games.

-The Commissionner

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Week 10

Hey All,

It's time for the column that makes your Tuesday brighter even if your team ruined Saturday, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Tom Kelly.

Summaries

Oregon 56-USC 24: This game saw the Ducks claim the overall top spot in the Pac 12, while the Trojans saw HC Clay Helton turned into a fired coach walking. The Trojans started off in a familiar Helton pattern, They played a strong first quarter and jumped out to a 10-0 lead over the Quacks. Then, the second quarter happened. Poor play calls, ejections, a ton of penalties and just a lack of discipline and execution found the Trojans down 28-17 at the half.  The key play that signaled the end of the competitive portion of the game occurred with :20 left before the half.  USC had just scored to cut UO's lead to 21-17.  Then, USC's braintrust eschewed a squib kick and kicked the ball deep to the Ducks. KR Mykael Wright fielded the kick at his own goal line and sprinted untouched through the coverage team for a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown.  USC never recovered. The Quacks came out in the second half and put four more TDs on the board before USC put up a meaningless score on the board after UO had emptied the benches. Future #1 draft pick Justin Herbert QB'd his squad to the win, completing 21 of 26 passes for 225 yards and three TDs.  The Duck defense did their job too. They picked off three SC passes and returned one of those for a TD. USC QB Kedon Slovis competed 32 of 57 passes for 264 yards and three TDs in the embarrassing loss.
Telling Stat: 56-7;  After falling behind 10-0, Oregon whipped USC in every phase of the game, going on a 56-7 run before calling off the hunt in the final period.

Utah 33- Washington 21: Seattle, WA- The knock on Utah is that they just don't play that well away from home. The Utes erased a good portion of that sentiment with a tough road win over the Huskies.   However, it didn't look good for the Utes early on as the Dawgs held a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter on a pair off TD passes by QB Jacob Eason. Utah then steadied themselves and fought back closing to within a point at halftime. Two field goals by PK Jason Redding and a nine-yard TD pass from QB Tyler Huntley to RB Zack Moss did the damage.  UW seized the momentum to midway through he third period When Eason hit WR Hunter Bryant for a 40-yard TD toss. Utah's defense then made the play of the game to save their season. DB Jaylon Johnson intercepted Eason and took it back 39 yards for a TD with 3:16 left in the third quarter.  The ensuing two point conversion attempt failed, but the Utes had the momentum and trailed the Dawgs by two at 21-19 to start the final period. The Utes offense then woke up.  On their next two drives they marched 82 and 84 yards for touchdowns to take a 33-21 lead.  Huntley and Moss did the honors with a pair of short TD plunges. The Dawgs did mount a late comeback, drawing to within 33-28 after Eason threw to WR Aaron Fuller for a three-yard score. However, the Utes recovered the ensuing onside kick and got out of Husky Stadium with huge road victory. Moss ran for 100 yards and caught passes for 41 more with a pair of scores to lead the winning effort, while Eason threw for 316 yards and all four Huskies TDs in the tough loss.
Telling Stat: Fourth quarter strong;  Utah doubled up Washington in yards, (161-82),  and points, (14-7), to grab a much needed win.

Oregon State 56- Arizona 38: Tucson, AZ- Last Sunday, Arizona HC Kevin Sumlin fired his Defensive Coordinator.  That move proved to be ineffectual as the Wildcats gave up their most points in game all year in front of their home crowd to the Pac 12 juggernaut known as Oregon State. This game was truly a shootout as the Beavers gave up over 500 yards and 38 points to UofA. After a lackluster first period where the Beavers held a 7-6 advantage, the kids form Corvallis just couldn't be stopped int he second period.  They hit paydirt on all four of their drives. A pair of short TD runs by RB Jermar Jeffferson, one from fellow RB Artavis Pierce and a 23-yard TD pass from QB Jake Luton to TE Noah Togiai left OSU to go into the half with a 35-19 lead. The teams traded scores in the second half with the Beavers never letting the Wildcats to get within serious striking distance of the lead.  Luton completed 20 of 26 passes for 328 yards and three TDs, while the RB tandem of Pierce and Jefferson combined for 219 yards on 37 carries and four TDs. For UofA QBs Grant Gunnell and Khalil Tate worked together to complete 26 of 41 tosses for 378 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: By the bucketful; Oregon State torched the Arizona defense, with their average scoring drive covering nearly 72 yards to reach the end zone.

UCLA 31- Colorado 14: Pasadena, CA- The bRuins raced out to an early lead, then held on the rest of the way for their third straight win.  UCLA's defense set the early tone, forcing a pair of three-and-outs and then picking off CU QB Steven Montez in the Buffaloes first three possessions.  The UCLA offense took advantage of their opportunities and built up a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson sandwiched two TD tosses around a FG by PK JJ Molson to account for the 17 points.  The rest of the game was a slog with both teams playing it even. UCLA missed several plays that would have turned the game into a blowout while Colorado could never make the key plays to get back into the ballgame. The bRuins did dominate the stat sheet, outgaining the Buffs by nearly 150 yards. While Robinson threw for 226 yards and two TDs, RB Joshua Kelley led all rushers with 126 yards on 35 carries with two TDs.  Montez threw for 195 yards an a TD in defeat.
Telling Stat: 17-0 and over; UCLA's hot start put Colorado in a hole that they could never climb out of.

Observations

...Route 56; I don't think anyone thought that both Oregon schools would hang a 56 spot in road victories last Saturday.

...Angry money;  Young know you're despised as a head coach when boosters raise 17 million to have you fired.  Florida State boosters ponied up 17 large to rid themselves of Willie Taggart in the second year of his five year contract. Wow.

...This just in; Arizona football really really stinks.

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that Oregon has interest in Willie Taggart returning to Eugene.

...Mascot failure; Long Beach State has officially changed their mascot from the 49ers to the Beach for all sports other than baseball.  So yes, they are now the Long Beach State Beach.  Facepalm.

...They let the other people go;  USC's kick coverage team parted wider than Red Sea on MyKael Wright's 100-yard kickoff return. I thought I even saw Moses in the stands, but it was just an old guy with this hands raised in disbelief, screaming obscenities as the return occurred. (Note; that old guy may have been me.)

...Decision time;  What is more surprising this year, the fact that Baylor is 8-0 or that Kansas is 3-6? Hmmmmm

...Bristol stumped;  NFL HOF WR Randy Moss had to scramble early Sunday morning when his private plane landed in Bristol, Tennessee and not Bristol, Connecticut. SMH. Wrong Way Moss

...Not on the list;  USC special teams coach John Baxter will not be a finalist this year for the Broyles Award.

...The other feel good story;  While Minnesota is the feel-good story of the year so far in the Big Ten West, the Big Ten East has one of their own with Indiana.  The Hoosiers are 7-2 and will most likely go 8-4, as they face Penn State, Michigan and Purdue down the stretch. The Hoosiers haven't won eight games since 1993 when Bill Mallory roamed the Bloomington sidelines.

...On the outside; Almost nobody is rooting for Penn State to beat Minnesota this week.

...Not much goodness; In 121 seasons of Indiana football, the Hoosiers have won eight games or more in a season just seven times.

...Wilson!;  USC's 32 points loss to Oregon was the Trojans most lopsided loss to the Ducks in 104 years. The 1915 Trojans led b y HC Ralph Glaze were beaten 34-0 by the Webfoots. Back in 1915, the Coliseum hadn't been thought of yet and Woodrow Wilson occupied the White House.

...The Kernel rules; Concordia-Moorhead College is known the Cobbers and their mascot is named Kernel Cobb.  Enjoy this pic of Kernel Cobb.


Pac 12 Overreactions

USC will go 6-6.
Utah doesn't have to kick themselves for losing to SC anymore.
UCLA won't beat Utah.
Arizona might just drop football.
Oregon State will make a bowl.
Washington has become irrelevant.
WSU, ASU, Cal and Stanford enjoyed their peaceful weekend off.
Colorado will not make a bowl.
Oregon still won't make the CFP.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

This week's winner are the Cleveland Browns.  What happened to the time when the Browns uniforms weren't as offensive as their on-field play?


Departments

Crazy Game of the Week: Bluefield, WV- We go to the Mid-South Conference in the NAIA where the St. Andrews Knights raced out to a 16-7 first quarter lead over the Bluefield Rams.  The Knight and Rams then traded off scores for the last three quarters in a 70-54 win by the Knights. The two teams combined to run 155 plays for 1,167 total yards of offense. St. Andrews QB Aidan Wilder completed 29 of 51 passes for 456 yards and five TDs in the win.

Blowout Game of the Week: Pineville, LA- It's time for Mary Hardin-Baylor's annual appearance in this blog.  The UMHB Crusaders crushed the Louisiana College Wildcats, 82-0. The Crusaders dominated form start to finish, and emptied the benches early with RB Tommy Bowden crossing the dibble stripe three time in nine carries.  The Wildcats were held to 151 total yards of offense and never crossed the 50-yard line in the defeat.

C.W. Post Press: Moon Township, PA- The Sharks held a 17-14 lead over the Robert Morris Colonials, but where shutout 14-0 in the second half and lost 28-17. The Sharks are  0-8 on the season overall, and finished conference play at 0-7.  Next up for the Sharks is a trip to Philadelphia and a matchup with FCS power Villanova.

Razorback Report: The Hogs got worked over by Mississippi State last Saturday, 54-24. The Hogs will host Western Kentucky next week. That is all.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

MRI's are lame.

Trader Joe's dried, sweetened orange slices are way too good.

I guess people in San Pedro have given up stopping at stop signs permanently. 

Until next time folks, remember that you have to run the ball to win.
-The Commissonner

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Week 9

Hey All,

It's time for the column that you don't need an online subscription to read, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

USC 35- Colorado 31: Not all games are masterpieces and this game was UG-LY.  I'd say it was as ugly as an Elvis on black velvet, but that would be an insult to the artist who painted the Elvis on black velvet. The Trojans stumbled and bumbled their way through three quarters, before pulling off a cheap imitation of the Cardiac Kids and escaping with a W into the chilly Colorado night. The Trojans started off well, moving the ball 75-yards in :59 seconds to take a 7-0 lead on a 37-yard run  by WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. Colorado then controlled the game until the fourth quarter. USC couldn't stop CU's rushing game, let Buffs QB Steven Montez escape every pass rush and failed to tackle anyone on a consistent basis. USC's big break to get back into the game came late in the third period when they were not flagged for roughing the passer. SC hit Montez late with the back of his head slamming into the turf. Montez exited the field to be checked out in the locker room.  He then returned for the start of the final period and just wasn't the same player. Montez's decline along with the Buffs puzzling decision to abandon their running game set the stage for the Trojans to pull off the late comeback.  SC QB Kedon Slovis hit WR Michael Pittman, Jr. with a 44-yard bomb up the sideline to cut CU's lead to three points with 8:08 to play.  After trading punts, USC had one final chance to win the game. Slovis survived disaster with a both a fumble and ill-advised screen pass both bouncing the Trojans way. Slovis also overcame a sack on the drive.  The game-winner came when Sovis hit Pittman on a crossing route and he took it 37 yards to paydirt. The Trojans defense held CU one more time and the comeback was complete. Slovis finished the game completing 30 of 44 passes for 406 yards and four TDs.  Several Trojan receivers had multiple catches, but Pittman was the leader catching seven passes for 156 yards and two TDs. Colorado's offense torched the Trojans with Montez completing 27 of 43 passes for 324 yards and three TDs.  He also ran for 45 yards and a TD as well. WR Laviska Shenault, Jr. grabbed nine balls for 172 yards and a TD in the tough loss.
Telling Stat: 42:40 and no W;  Colorado led this game for 42:40 and didn't get the win. 

Stanford 41- Arizona 31: Palo Alto, CA-  Good things happen when you get your starting QB back. Stanford's KJ Costello had finally recovered from a concussion and a thumb injury on his throwing hand. The Stanford offense looked better than it has all season with him back under center.  The porous Arizona defense may have also had something to do with the Cardinal looking good too. Costello completed 30 of 43 passes for 312 yards and three TDs to lead his team to victory. The Wildcats once again went with the QB tandem of Khalil Tate and Graham Gunnell to generate offense. Tate was 17 of 33 for 205 yards and a two TDs to go with 103 yards rushing on nine carries. Gunnell was merely perfect going seven for seven for 68 yards and a TD. After a frantic first half which saw Stanford take a 31-24 lead into the break, the defenses controlled the second half.  The Stanford defense shutout Arizona in the fourth quarter to secure the much needed win for the Cardinal.  The Cardinal forced a punt, intercepted two passes and held for downs once in the final stanza.
Telling Stat: 52/10/5:59=W;  While nursing a 38-31 lead, Stanford got the ball, back with 12:17 to play. The Cardinal then marched 52 yards in 10 plays for a field goal to extend their lead to 10 points. The drive also took 5:59 off the clock to cut Arizona's chances of victory to almost zero.  

Utah 35- California 0:  Salt Lake City, UT- As of late, a team really has to bring their A-game to beat the Utes at home. Cal came to Rice-Eccles with third string, true frosh QB Spencer Brasch starting and that meant that Cal didn't have anything close to their A-game. The Utah defense shutdown Cal from the opening kickoff to the final gun. To say the Utes rendered the Cal offense inert is an understatement. They held the Golden Bears to 83 total yards, and six first downs. While that went on, the Utes offense crossed the double stripe four times and headed into the half with a 28-0 lead. The second half saw Utah tack on one more score before the game devolved into a glorified scrimmage with Utah subbing liberally along the way. Utah RB Zack Moss ran for 115 yards on 17 carries with  two TDs and also racked up 89 yards receiving, while QB Tyler Huntley completed 11 of 17 passes for 214 yards and a TD in the easy easy win.
Telling Stat: 204/83;  Utah's Zack Moss 204 yards form scrimmage easily dwarfed Cal's paltry 83 total yards in this yawner in Salt Lake.

UCLA 42- Arizona State 32: Pasadena, CA- Could Chip Kelly's bRuins keep their momentum going after beating a vastly undermanned Stanford team last week?  They could and they did at the Rose Bowl. The bRuins built up a 42-10 lead over the Sun Devils thanks to the duo of QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and RB Joshua Kelley.  Thompson-Robinson competed 16 of 23 passes for 176 yardman a pair of TDs, while Kelley almost couldn't be stopped by the ASU defense. Kelley gashed the Sun Devils for 164 yards on 34 carries and four TDs. The game was pretty much a rout until UCLA did what a lot of teams do with a big lead after three quarters.  The bRuins took their foot off the gas and ASU scored 22 points in garbage time after the game was well out of hand. Sun Devil QB Jayden Daniels threw for 267 yards and three TDs, while RB Eno Benjamin was held in check all night gaining just 46 yards on 20 carries with one TD in the lopsided loss.
Telling Stat: Too little, too late; 127 of ASU's 383 total yards and 22 of their 32 pints came well after game was decided.

Oregon 37- Washington State 35: Eugene, OR- Not a lot of defense, some rather questionable calls by what passes for a Pac 12 officiating crew and great individual performances combined for an almost four-hour thriller of a game.  Neither team could stop the other team's top gun.  Wazzu had no answer for RB C.J. Verdell who lugged the leather 23 times for 257 yards and three TDs. Oregon had no answer for Cougar QB Anthony Gordon who completed 32 of 50 passes for 406 yards and three TDs.  This game came down to who had the ball last and Oregon had it last.  The Ducks got the ball back with 1:00 left after giving up a go ahead TD to Wazzu on a five-yard TD toss form Gordon to WR Brandon Arconado.  UO started out their final drive well with a kick return by KR Mykael Wright that covered 36 yards to set up the Quacks at their own 39-yard line. Four completions by QB Justin Herbert later, UO has a first down and goal at the Cougs nine-yard line. The Ducks then ran down the clock and brought on freshman PK Camden Lewis for the game-wining field goal attempt. Lewis' kick was true and the Ducks kept their CFP hopes alive.  The Ducks also picked up their first win over the Cougs in five years.
Telling Stat: The seven they didn't get; An first quarter interception that bounced out of the hands of WSU WR Brandon Arconado and into the hands of Verone McKinley in the Oregon end zone was the difference in the game.
Observations

...Never like this;  I have never seen such a difference in the way teams play at home and away than in this year's Pac 12.

...Crickets in the corn;  Funny how nobody talks about Nebraska anymore.

...They got there;  With both teams having this week off, let's just appreciate the fact that undefeated Penn State going to undefeated Minnesota on 11/9 is a big game that none of us expected but will gladly watch.

...Haunting thought;  Can't shake the feeling that USC will face Texas in the Cheez-It Bowl.

...#1 and two weeks;  LSU has leapfrogged Alabama to the #1 spot in the AP poll.  That adds a little more spice to the Tigers upcoming battle with he Crimson tide on 11/9. Hmmmmm

...Kha-Lousy;  Did UofA HC Kevin Sumlin ruin Khalil Tate or was he ever really that good to start?Hmmmmmmm.

...Easy call;  If Alabama, LSU and Ohio State are easily the top three teams in the country no matter which order you put them in.

...Hollywood recreated; This epic, yet not flagged, block by Michigan's Stephen Spanellis looked like something out of The Blindside. Enjoy. Drive! Drive! Drive!

...Bison stampede;  North Dakota State is the biggest, baddest, toughest team in the FCS for a reason.  They were able to focus on the road and grind out a huge win at South Dakota State despite all the hype created by the College Gameday circus coming to South Dakota State.

...20/20 hindsight haunts him;  Regardless of what would have happened if he had had his interim tag removed, Trojan fans are delighting on roasting former AD Pat Haden on social media over his decision to hire Steve "Cutty Sark" Sarkisian instead Ed Oregon a few years ago.

...44.3+ 456.6 will get you canned; UofA Defensive Coordinator Marcel Yates was fired by HC kevin Sumlin. In their last three games the Wildcats have averaged giving up 44.3 points and 456.6 yards per game. Chuck Cecli will take over as the DC, which makes one wonder if the cheap shots taken by the Wildcats will now increase.

...It ain't the uniforms;  Colorado is now 0-7 when wearing all black uniforms.  What's their excuse the rest of the time?

...Staring into the college football abyss...again; The Pac 12 could be knocked out of the CFP for another year if Washington and USC take out Utah and Oregon this week.  Thanks, Larry Scott.

...An idle rise;  On their bye week, Baylor has ascended to the top of the Big 12 standings after Oklahoma's choke job at Kansas State.

...Let it sink in;  Indiana is bowl eligible and USC is not right now.

...2 and Oh, um wow; Didn't catch this when it happened in the game, but MLB did. World Series Flashers Banned

...Didn't take long;  As soon as the Oklahoma loss went final, the SEC pundits started screaming how it clears the way for two teams from that conference to make the playoffs. SMH.

...Smashed 'em; Michigan did everything to Notre Dame but flatten the tires on the team bus as it left Ann Arbor.

...One for the Mad Hatter; I can't do Kansas' improbable win over Texas Tech justice.  Just follow the link, read the story, watch the video. No words

...Gameday for the Ponies; College Gameday will be in Memphis this for the AAC clash between undefeated SMU and one loss Memphis. Go Mustangs!

...Suddeenly, it hit him; Watch Auburn DE Big Kat Bryant face an injury to slow down LSU last Saturday.  I think Rodney Dangerfield's injury in Caddy shack was more believable. Let's compare. First, Auburn Timber!  Now, Rodney Looks broken to me

...They didn't like the call; A very suspect pass interference call was made against Michigan Against Notre Dame.  The fans let the refs know of their displeasure by pelting the field with maize towels. The drive ended in a ND TD and the fans let Irish TE Cole Kmet know they didn't like his TD catch either.



Pac 12 Overreactions

USC will continue to play at the level of their competition. Sigh.
Cal may go winless the rest of the year.
Stanford will make the Sun Bowl to the relief of the rest for the league.
Washington will beat Utah this week.
Arizona still won't make a bowl.
Oregon won't make the CFP.
UCLA is a contender in the Pac 12 South.
Arizona State will make the Cheez-It Bowl.
Colorado won't win another game the year.
Wazzu will beat Washington this year.
Utah still needs more offense.
Oregon State will finish at 5-7.

Intriguing Uniform of the Week

Can't decide if I love it or hate it, but Minnesota's Gold and Grey look will get your attention.


Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Rapid City, SD- This game comes from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in division II where in conditions that were described as "brisk" the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers relied on their defense for an 8-7 victory over the the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys.  Upon reading of the game recap, "brisk" in South Dakota meant a game time temperature of 40 degrees with 40-50 MPH wind gusts which brought a wind chill factor in the low 30s.  The 1,121 hearty souls who attended the game saw NMHU RB James Budgett break off an 87-yard TD run midway thorough the third period for a 7-0 lead. A few minutes later, the Orediggers got on the board with a safety off a blocked punt.  The game stayed that way until the Hardrockers defense came up big again. DB Chandler Callejo scooped up a Cowboys fumble to set his offense for the wining score.  SD Mines drove 33 yard in eight plays tow in the game on a five-yard TD pass from QB Toby Smith to WR Ian Anderson with just :21 left on the clock.

Blowout Game of the Week: Grand Forks, ND- This game comes form the Northern Sun Intercollgiate Conference in Division II. In the second half of a double header of football action at the Alerus Center, home of the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, the University of Minnesota- Crookston Golden Eagles were thumped, 81-0 by the Minnesota State- Mankato Mavericks. The Mavericks ran all over the Golden Eagles. they racked up 386 yards rushing on 38 carries with nine TDs. Kaleb Sleezer led all rushers with 135 yards on in carries and a TD. The Mavericks defense held the Golden Eagles to just 106 total yards and eight first downs.  Oh, and tickets to this game were 10 bucks and the parking was free.

C.W. Post Press: New Britain, CT- The year of pain continues for the Post Sharks as they were drubbed 28-0 by the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils. The Sharks were held to a paltry 142 total yards in the loss.  The only interesting thing about this game was that the game as played on at Arute Field. Arute Field is named after Jack Arute, Sr. who donated the land for the first stadium win the CCSU campus.  Jack, the now retired, ABC sideline reporter is the grandson of Jack, Sr.

Razorback Report:  The Hogs traveled to Tuscaloosa and provided a bye week before their actual bye week to Alabama, The Razorbacks put up token resistance in a 48-7 loss to the Crimson Tide. Arkansas will host Mississippi State this coming week.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Bison burgers are pretty darn good.

The whipsaw effect of Santa Ana's then cooler weather here will get a lot of folks sick.

I don't really want to fall back this weekend.

Until next time, remember folks that mediocre teams play to the level of their competition.

-The Commissioner.