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.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Week 8

Hey All,

It is time once again to look back at the week that was with another editor of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

USC 41- Arizona 14: After a three week period that featured losses at Washington and ND sandwiched around a bye, the Trojans returned home for this sparsely attended Homecoming game v. the Wildcats. This game was an injury riddled affair that showed two things. One, SC is a pretty deep squad and two, Arizona's O-line was no match for the USC defense. The combination of those two things led to this blowout. The USC defense spent most of their time in the Arizona backfield, making UofA's dangerous QB Khalil Tate nothing to worry about.  In fact, Tate was so ineffective in the face of SC's defensive pressure that he was benched in favor of backup Grant Gunnell in the second half.  The Trojan offense slowly ground down the Wildcats and built up a 27-0 behind pair of TD passes by QB Kedon Slovis, a TD run by RB Markese Stepp and a pair of field goals by PK Chase McGrath. Injuries then led to the two most exciting plays of the game. With RBs Stephen Carr and Stepp both knocked out of the game, true freshman Kenon Christon was forced into action. On his second carry, Christon ran through a hole you could drive a truck through and sprinted 55-yards to paydirt.  Yes, I do mean sprinted. After all, he was the California state 100 and 200 meter champ in high school last year. Christon turned on his jets one more time, this time covering 30 yards for a score to put the finishing touches on this much needed win for the Trojans. He finished the game with 103 yards and two TDs on eight carries. Slovis had a decent night for SC as well completing 19 of 28 passes for 232 yards and two scores. For UofA, Gunnell threw for 196 yards and a pair of scores in the latter stages of the lopsided loss.
Telling Stat: Red Zone Freeze Out; USC's defense put a lid on the red zone. Arizona didn't run a play in the red zone until the 6:12 mark of the fourth quarter when the Trojan has emptied the benches with a 41-7 lead.

Oregon State 21- California 17: Berkeley, CA- The Beavers came to town looking to put their thumping at the hands of Utah last week behind them against a Cal team still missing their starting QB Chase Garbers. The Beavers did that in dramatic fashion having to engineer a comeback after surrendering a 14-0 lead late in the third quarter. OSU built up their 14-0 lead on a seven-yard TD pass form QB Jake Luton to RB Artavis Pierce in the first quarter and a four-yard toss from Luton to WR Isaiah Hodgins in the second period. The Golden Bears then clawed back to take the lead on a 39-yard field goal by Greg Thomas right before the half and two third quarter scores.  The first one was a one-yard blast by RB Chris Brown and the second was a 33-yard TD pass form QB Devon Modster to WR Jordan Duncan.  The fourth quarter saw the teams trade punts and OSU take over the ball at their own 20-yard line with 9:33 to play. They then marched 80 yards in 13 plays on Cal's much heralded defense for the go-ahead score.  The TD came on a 13-yard rumble by RB B.J. Baylor where he stayed off the ground and crawled over a pair of Cal defenders to cross the double stripe. Cal had one last chance to comeback in the game. True freshman QB Spencer Brasch has subbed in for Modster who was injured on the previous series. Brasch had his second down pass tipped and intercepted by the Beavers to put a capper on the upset win. Neither team had a good day offensively but Lution did complete 18 of 34 passes for 174 yards and two TDs.  The real story of the game was the OSU defense. They sliced up the Cal O-line recording nine sacks and 14 other tackles for losses and came up with the game's only turnover which set up their game-wining drive.
Telling Stat: 3 for 24 for the win;  The Oregon State defense held Cal to just 24 yards and forced the an interception on the Bears final three drives to ensure a hard fought victory. 

Washington State 41- Colorado 10: Pullman, WA- Both these squads have had some frustrating times as of late.  In fact, neither team has looked that good lately and something had to give. What gave was the Colorado defense.  Wazzu raced out to a 21-3 first quarter lead then cruised the rest of the way to a big win. QB Anthony Gordon completed 35 of 51 aerials for 369 yards, four TDs and an interception. Another high point for the Cougars was the 105 yards rushing and a TD on 12 carries from RB Max Borghi. The Buffaloes had a rough night all the way around. QB Steven Montez had an off night completing 16 of 30 passes for a meager 129 yards and two interceptions. He was replaced in the fourth quarter by backup Tyler Lytle. Lylte's backup stint was short as he was injured on his first play from scrimmage. That left Blake Stentstrom, the son of former Stanford QB Steve Stentstrom, to do the mop up duty.
Telling Stat: A quick 14=W;  In the first quarter, Wazzu turned a missed Colorado FG and an interception into a quick 14-0 lead that they would never surrender in this rout in the Palouse.

Utah 21- Arizona State 3: Salt Lake City, UT- This was a nasty, chippy, ugly game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Lost in all ugliness was a superior effort by the Utah defense. The weather conditions did not help matters as the game was played in near constant rain with a temp in the high 40s.  The Utes defense shutdown the Sun Devils completely in the first half allowing just 47 total yards and just two first downs.  However, the Sun Devils only trialed 14-0 at the half thanks to their defense forcing two fumbles and hobbling Utah QB Tyler Huntley.  Huntley injured his lower left leg in the second quarter and saw limited action after the injury. The Utes two first half scores came on a 25-yard jet sweep by WR J. Dixon and a two-yard run by RB Zack Moss.  ASU's offense showed very little signs of life in the second half. Utah's front seven spent most of the game on the Sun Devils side of the ball. ASU's only points came after a fumble recovery deep in Utah territory.  The Utes held ASU to a meager 136 total yards. Utah put the game away with 5:33 to go in the final period when Moss raced through a big hole for a 32-yard touchdown.  The run also saw Moss become Utah's all-time leading rusher surpassing Eddie Johnson, who set the career mark back in 1988 with 3,129 yards.
Telling Stat: 12=12=L; Arizona State's 12 penalties equals the total number of pass completions (4) and first downs (8) they made in this ugly road loss. 

Oregon 35- Washington 31: Seattle, WA- The Huskies had the Ducks on the ropes and had control of the game all they way, until suddenly they didn't.  The Ducks rallied from a 28-14 deficit to all but sew up the Pac 12 North with the huge road win. UO QB Justin Herbert had a slow start but finished strong, completing 24 of 38 passes for 280 yards and four TDs. His backfield mate RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio gained 81 yards on 14 carries and a TD. UW QB Jacob Eason had a pretty impressive game himself completing 23 of 30 throws for 289 yards and three scores.  Husky RB Salvon Ahmed was the leading rusher in the game gashing the Quacks for 140 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. The Ducks trailed 31-28 to start the final period, but their defense rose to the occasion and shutout the Dawgs the rest the way to give their offense the chance to win.  The Webfoots winning drive covered 70 yards in eight plays and was capped off by Herbert's 5-yard TD toss to WR Jaylon Redd.  The loss was a crusher for the Dawgs who dropped to 2-3 in conference play. Oregon remains the Pac 12's best hope for the CFP.
Telling Stat; They finished strong;  After being torched for the most points and yards they'd given up in a game all year through three quarters, the Oregon defense posted a fourth quarter shutout, holding UW two just 47 yards and two first downs in the process.

UCLA 34- Stanford 16: Palo Alto, CA- The young and hungry bRuins wiped out a depleted Cardinal squad up on The Farm. UCLA gave up an early field goal then came back strong on their first two drives and built-up a 14-3 lead on a pair of TD passes from QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson to WR Kyle Phillips.  Stanford then closed to within four points of UCLA at 14-10 after they blocked a bRuin punt and recovered it in the end zone for a TD.  Stanford wouldn't be that close to UCLA again for a variety of reasons.  The first reason is that UCLA realized that Stanford's patch work OL couldn't protect QB Jack West or open holes for the running game. The second reason was that Stanford did not have the defensive speed to keep up with UCLA.  After UCLA took a 21-10 lead on a one-yard jog by Thomson-Robinson the game devolved into a glorified scrimmage. UCLA added points, but couldn't turn the game into a blowout and Stanford's pride also helped keep the score down. The only excitement late in the game came when Stanford attempted a two-point conversion.  The over under for the game was 50 1/2 points, so a successful two point ry would have altered a few fortunes. Thompson-Robinson was UCLA offense with 21 completions in 34 attempts for 182 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a score as well. Stanford's ailing offense was rendered inert by the UCLA defense gaining only 198 total yards.
Telling Stat: Stuck on 55;  UCLA held Stanford to an embarrassing 55 yards rushing in this win for the bRuins that snapped their 11-game losing streak to the Cardinal.

Observations

...Throw a punch, ride the bus; Clemson CB Andrew Booth, Jr. was ejected form the Tigers game at Louisville for throwing a punch in the third quarter at Louisville's Trenell Troutman. Clemson HC Dabo Swinney made Booth ride the team managers' bus the 450 miles home.  No Plane For You!!!

...Sooner facepalm; The Sooner Schooner took it's nearly annual rollover at home v. West Virginia. Seriously, can't they engineer that thing better? Rollover

...Bell drops ball, things get crazy; Michigan WR Ronnie Bell dropped the potential game-tying TD pass at Penn State that ensured the Wolverines would lose 28-21.  Bell was visibly upset over the drop, but that didn't stop Wolverine fans from ripping him on social media.  Bell's father got involved after a particularly brutal e-mail was sent to his son. Let's do lunch

...Correction, there is another;  I said last week that there are two winless teams left in the BCS. Actually there are three. In addition to Rice and New Mexico State, Akron is also winless. The Zips are truly zip in the win column at 0-7.

...Just a small chip on their shoulder; Utah's play lately screams, "Hey, there is another team in the Pac 12 with just one loss!"

...7-0; SMU is 7-0 for first time since the Pony Express Backfield roamed Texas Stadium. Wow.

...A statistical conundrum; Four of the top five scoring defenses are in the Big Ten. Are the defenses really that good or are the offenses they've played been that bad?

...On the way to 2K; Okie State's Chuba Hubbard lead the nation by far with 1,265 yards rushing through seven games. That puts him on pace for 2,169 yards. No wonder this kid from Sherwood Park, Alberta was sent video well wishes by The Great One, Wayne Gretzky last week.

...Pegged;  Ohio U executed a real heady onside kick against Akron last Saturday. Duck!

...Just a rumor; There's no truth to the rumor that Cal and Michigan will be holding open tryouts for the quarterback position this week.

...Laying in the weeds;  While SDSU and Boise get all the love in the Mountain West Conference, Utah State is quietly taking care of business in league play.

...No way; If anybody told you they predicted that Baylor and Minnesota would both be undefeated at this point in the season they are lying.

...Champaign with no buzz; Illinois' upset over Wisconsin sure took the shine off this week's Big Ten matchup between the Badgers and Ohio State.

...Just about there; Haven't done the research, but the Pac 12 circle of suck should almost be ready for 2019.

...He had space;  I think USC RB Kenon Christon had decent sized hole to run through v. Arizona.



...All the good feels;  Nothing but love here for Minnesota redshirt sophomore Casey O'Brien.  The kid is a four-time cancer survivor and fought all the way back to hold on a PAT for the Gophers last Saturday.  Way to go, kid

...Unfamiliar territory;  Texas having to comeback to beat, let alone trail at home to Kansas is a pretty rare thing. So rare, that I bet you can't name who was the last Texas HC to trail at home to Kansas before last weekend.

...Best catch almost nobody saw last week; Check out this grab by Sac State WR Parker Clayton.
One Handed Glory

...Lost Mojo; The superstitious fan in me says Michigan won't be relevant again until they start wearing their maize pants on the road.

...A rarity; USC finally won the turnover battle with a +2 turnover margin v. Arizona.

...Jake Olson wins the internet, again; Former blind long snapper for USC Jake Olson won the internet again with this tweet after Lane Kiffin was fined five large for posting a photo of blind refs on his twitter page. He's got your back, Lane

...Texas trivia answer;  The last Texas HC to trail at home to Kansas was John Mackovic.  His 1997 Longhorns beat the Jayhawks 45-31,  but trialed 21-20 late in the third period.

...Big Sky California;  In case you haven't noticed, the same Sac State team that gave ASU fits earlier this year is on top of the Big Sky conference and just whipped Montana 49-22.

...He ain't happy; South Carolina HC Will Muschamp expressed his contempt for one SEC official in this posit game tirade. At his feet

Pac 12 Overreactions

Arizona is far worse than most of us thought.
Colorado is getting to be as bad as we thought.
Stanford needs an O-line transplant.
Cal is just an offense shy off making a bowl.
Arizona State' s youth is showing.
Utah still can't believe they lost to SC.
Wazzu is just happy for a W.
Oregon won't make the CFP.
USC will eventually run out of personnel.
Washington is now a spoiler team in the Pac 12.
UCLA is a 4-8 team.
Oregon State has some hope for the first time in years.

Ugly uniform of the Week

The Buffalo Bills win for their running blood clots look. Yuk.


Departments

Low Score Game of The Week: Oberlin, OH- A battle of the tail-enders of the Great Northern Athletic Conference downing D-III wins this week's award.  The Oberlin College Yeomen picked u0p their first win of the year with a 7-0 victory over the still winless Hiram College Terriers. The game's lone score game with 6:59 left in the second quarter when QB Chris Allen, Jr. hit WR Ceiveon Munoz with a five yard TD toss. Oberlin won this game despite being outgained by over two hundred yards.  The Yeomen defense forced five turnovers to make that lone TD stand.

Blowout Game of the Week: McMinnville, OR- In the Northwest Conference in D-II, the Linfield Wildcats crushed the Willamette Bearcats, 77-0. QB Wyatt Smith led the Linfield offensive attack, completing 17 of 22 passes for 398 yards and six TDs. The Linfiield defense stifled the Bearcats offense, holding them to 151 total yards and 11 first downs.

C.W. Post Press: It was not a pleasant Homecoming day for the Sharks as they were drubbed, 30-0 by the Saint Francis Red Flash. The score was pretty close heading onto the final period with Post down just 9-0, but a 21 point outburst by the Red Flash sealed a other loss for LIU. QB Clay Beathard threw for 157 yards in the losing effort for the Sharks. Up next for LIU is a trip to New Britain, Connecticut to take on Central Connecticut State.

Razorback Report: The Hogs got smoked by Auburn, 51-10 and will get worked over by Alabama this week.  The Razorbacks horrible season can be summed up in this abysmally poor fake punt.
Embarrassing


This Week's Three Things About Nothing...

The Enchi-Carinta-Rito is this year's new great tailgate creation.

I have never liked Santa Ana winds.

The latest trailer for the new Star Wars movie is epic.

Until next time, remember every team gets their depth tested this time of the season.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Week 7

Hey All,

It's time for the column that makes Tuesdays feel like Saturdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you. Joe Jares.

Summaries

Notre Dame 30- USC 27:  It's the moral victory tour and it's coming take you away.  Yes, the Trojans "played hard" and "fought like warriors" and you can insert almost any other Clay Helton post game platitude to describe this third straight loss to the Fighting Irish.  The Trojans came out tough in the first quarter and held a 3-0 lead to start the second quarter thanks to a 40-yard field goal by PK Chase McGrath.  Notre Dame then owned the second quarter with 17 points to take a 17-3 lead into the half.  An altercation going into the half between both squads lit a bit of a fire under the Trojans and they made a game of it. USC's defense gave up a pair field goals, (one came after one of the weakest roughing calls in history), while the offense scored 17 points behind the arm of QB Kedon Slovis and the bruising running of RB Markese Steppe.  With 10:32 left in the game USC has climbed within three points at 23-20.  It was here that the Trojan defense needed to stop ND and get the ball back for a chance to win.  However, Clancy Pendergast and not Marv Goux was running SC's defense and the they failed.  The Fighting Irish traveled 75 yards in 14 plays for the game-clinching TD.  QB Ian Book did the honors with an eight-yard jaunt to paydirt. SC did drive back down the field and close the gap to within three again, but the subsequent onside kick attempt was recovered by ND.  It also helped that ND's HC Brian Kelly was on the field during the kick to direct his squad which did not seem to warrant a penalty form the Pac 12 officiating crew. Hmmmmmmm.  The fact that the Trojan defense once again could not tackle was the main story as ND ran for 311 yards.  RB Tony Jones toted the rock 25 times for 176 yards to lead the Irish offense. Book threw for 165 yards and both passed and ran for a score. Meanwhile, for the Trojans, QB Kedon Slovis threw for 255 yards and two TDs, while Stepp gained 82 yards on the ground and had one powerful TD run that made some of us old SC fans think about when Ricky Bell rumbled.
Telling Stat: Outmuscled; Notre Dame's offensive and defensive lines pushed USC around and that was the difference in the game. 

Oregon 45- Colorado 3: Eugene OR- It was blowout in Autzen where the Buffaloes hung around for a little while before the hard-hitting Ducks defense forced several turnovers which the Ducks offense cashed in for scores.  The Ducks turned three interceptions by CU QB Steven Montez into 21 points.  Those TDs plus a TD drive after a punt turned a 10-3 Oregon second quarter lead into 38-10 Oregon lead early in the third quarter.  That barrage of points ended the competitive portion of the contest. The Ducks tacked on one more score in garbage time to add more pain to the Buffaloes night. The RB combo of CJ Verdell and Cyrus Habibi-Likio could not be stopped by CU.  Verdell racekd up the yards with 171 on 14 carries while Habibi-Likio got into the end zone three times to lead a Quack Attack that rushed for 271 yards. QB Justin Herbert also had a good game completing 18 of 32 passes for 261 yard and a two TDs.  As for the Buffs, Montez had one of the worst nights of his career throwing for just 151 yards and four huge interceptions.
Telling Stat: 1 fro 5; Oregon's defense has given up only one TD in their last five games.  

Arizona State 38- Washington State 34: Tempe, AZ- There was a shootout in the 90 degree heat of Sun Devil Stadium.  Once again ASU HC Herm Edwards' charges won a close game with a late score. Wazzu did hold a 17-7 lead early thanks to Two TD tosses from QB Anthony Gordon and a FG by PK Blake Mazza. The Sun Devils fought back to tie it before the half on a two-yard TD toss from QB Jayden Daniles to WR Brndon Aiyuk and a FG by PK Christian Zendejas. The teams traded TDs to start the third period, then Wazzu took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter after RB Max Borghi sliced into the end zone from two yards out.  ASU owned the final quarter, outscoring the Cougars, 14-3.  The game wining score came with just :41 left. Daniels scrambled 17 yards to paydirt and the victory. Daniels had a pretty good day against the revamped Cougar defense. He completed 26 of 36 passes for 363 yards and three TDs.  He also ran or 23 yards and another score.  RB Eno Benjamin gashed the cougars on the ground, gaining 137 yards on 19 carries to lead all rushers.  In the loss, WSU's Gordon completed 44 of 64 aerials for 466 yards and three TDs.
Telling Stat: They finished strong; ASU scored 14 points and gained 163 yards on 19 plays over their final three drives to finish off the Cougars in the Tempe heat. 

Utah 52- Oregon State 7: Corvalis, OR- The Utes went on a raiding party and came home with plenty of Beaver pelts in this rout at Reser Stadium.  10 minutes into the first quarter Utah held a 21-0 lead thanks to a pair of TD passes from QB Tyler Huntley and a 91-yard TD scamper form RB Zach Moss. Moss' runs signaled a triumphant return from the shoulder injury that has kept him sidelined the last few weeks. He finished the game with 121 yards just five carries. He sat out the second half as the Utes had built up a 35-0 lead at the break. Huntley completed 14 of 17 passes for 247 yards and those two scores.  Oregon State's offense never got untracked against the Utes defense.  Their lone TD drive was their longest drive and it went only 46 yards well after the game had been decided.
Telling Stat: 52/60; Utah scored 52 points while running just 60 plays on the very overmatched Oregon State defense.    

Washington 51- Arizona 27: Tucson, AZ- After their debacle at Stanford last week, you could feel the  Husky fan base cringe as the Wildcats took a 17-13 lead into the half. After all, the UW offense only managed a pair of field goals while the defense took advantage of a head-scratch inducing play from UofA QB Khalil Tate. (Check it out here, He ain't a lefty) to be lucky to trail by just four points. The second half was another story.  The Dawgs dominated the final two periods behind the one-two punch of QB Jacob Eason's passing and RB Salvon Ahmed's running. Eason threw for two second half TDs and Ahmed ran for three which along with a third field goal by PK Peyton Henry turned a likely loss into a blowout and sustained life in the Pac 12 North. Eason finished with 243 yards passing and two TDs while Ahmed finished the game with 95 yards rushing and three TDs.  Tate threw for 184 yards and a TD and that awful fumble in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Second half Dwags; Washington put up 34 points and 307 yards in the final two periods to claim their third straight win over the Wildcats.

Observations

...6-0 in Maroon and Gold; Minnesota is 6-0 after running roughshod over Nebraska. The Gophers racked up 322 yards rushing in the 34-7 rout.

...Overachievers?; The fact that USC is 3-3 right now and not 2-4 is a bit shocking. Facepalm

...Bear-ly undefeated;  The Big XII admitted that they did make a major error that basically saved Baylor form a loss at Texas Tech. It was a fumble

...Under the radar; San Diego State at 5-1 and fresh off a 26-22 win over Wyoming and is the best team in California this year.

...A double edged sword; The biggest winner from Georgia's upset loss to South Carolina was Oklahoma, the biggest loser was Notre Dame.

...3 straight ain't great; USC HC Clay Helton has now lost three straight game sot Notre Dame. Last SC HC to do that was He who shall not be named.

...67 million to one shot;  St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux hit not one, but two holes in a single round of golf on Monday. Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

...Geaux Coach O!; LSU is #2 in the latest AP Poll.  I wonder if former SC AD Pat Haden still thinks that Ed Orgeron still doesn't project the right image for USC. Facepalm.

...Down to two;  I'm giving out a Billy Graham Award this year to the most frustrating QB in the Pac 12.  Arizona's Khalil Tate and Colorado's Steven Montez are the two finalists.  The inspiration for this award is my Uncle Melvin who explained to me that a Billy Graham Quarterback is a kid with the ability to make 60,000 fans jump up and scream "Jee-zus Christ!" 

...Third and burnt orange; Texas is in third place in the Big XII, definitely not where Longhorn fans thought they'd be this year.

...Getting stoked over this;  I'm a little premature here, but if both teams handle their business the next two weeks, 8-0 Penn State will face 8-0 Minnesota in Minneapolis on 11/9.  Both teams will be coming off a bye for that game.  Wow.

...The bird is the word;  I've seen a lot of ways to run a silent snap count on placekicks, but this is pretty funny. Sign Language

...Red memories; Hey! Remember, about a month ago, when folks still thought Nebraska would win the Big Ten West?

...6 for 12;  this week marks the first time all year that everyone in the Pac 12 is playing a conference game.

...A dilemma; Is Wisconsin really that good or is their schedule that weak?

...No blemishes;  Your undefeated teams through seven weeks of the season are SMU, Clemson, Baylor, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Boise State, Alabama, LSU and Appalachian State.

...Just Pathetic;  The usually flag-happy Pac 12 refs swallowed their flags in South Bend last week with numerous obvious penalties being ignored, but this failure to flag ND HC Brian Kelly for being on the field during USC's onside kick attempt serves as the poster child for the lousy job this crew did. Blind Stripes

...And then there were two; Rice and New Mexico State are the only winless teams left in the FBS.

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC is a 6-6 team at best according to their home/road split
Oregon is the best team in the Pac 12.
Washington may have a weather delay to blame for losing the Pac 12 North.
Wazzu may be in contention with USC for that cherished Cheez-it Bowl bid.
UCLA was just happy not to play a game last week.
Arizona wonders when Khalil Tate will ever learn to protect the ball.
Oregon State wants play UCLA again.
Colorado could be a really good team with a good QB.
Utah still wonders how they lost to USC.
Cal is glad that Oregon State is coming to town.
Stanford is still going to wreck the Pac 12 race.
Arizona State will lose to Utah.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Iowa wins going away for these NFL Color Rush knockoffs.  Yuk.


Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Durant, OK- This week's game comes form the Divison II ranks and the Great America Conference to be exact.  That is where the Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils pulled out a 9-7 road win over the Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm.  With 10:00 left to play in fourth quarter, Boll Weevil DT C.J. Everett sacked Savage Storm QB Daulton Hatley in his own end zone for a safety that would be the game-winning play for UAM. The Boll Weevils won despite being held to just 202 yards of total offense.

Blowout Game of the Week: Columbus, OH- This game comes form the D-III ranks and the third oldest athletic league in America, the Ohio Athletic Conference. It was there that the John Carroll Blue Streaks destroyed the Capital University Crusaders, 90-0. The game was only 28-0 at the half before the Blue Streaks exploded for 62 second half points. The Blue Streaks amassed 695 yards of offense with 564 of those yards coming on the ground. Four different RBs scored at least two TDs in this huge rout.  JCU's 90 points were the most scored in any college game this year.

C.W. Post Press: The Sharks had a bye last Saturday and will take a trip to Rhode Island to play at Bryant University this week.

Razorback Report: Lexington, KY- Kentucky WR Lynn Bowden got the start at QB in place of injured starter QB Sawyer Smith.  He only completed seven of 11 passes for 78 yard and a TD, but he ran the Hogs out of the building, gaining 196 yards on 24 carries with two TDs to lead the Wildcats to a stunning 24-20 win. The Hogs will host Auburn this week.

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

(Martha Stewart voice) A well made fall display can make your home a more vibrant space.

I can make a pretty good Hoosier Cream Pie.

Rance's Chicago Pizza is the bomb.

Until next week folks, remember that moral victories are only for Oregon State and Charlie Weis

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Week 6

Hey All,

It's time for another look back at the week that was in college football with another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Mal Florence.

Summaries

Stanford 23- Washington 13: Palo Alto, CA- The Huskies have had a bad time on The Farm of late, dropping their last five games at Stanford Stadium.  That streak grew to six games as the Cardinal used their ball control offense and solid defense to slowly strangle the Huskies. The Cardinal forged a 13-10 halftime advantage behind the a pair of FGs by PK Jet Toner and a 42-yard TD pass from QB Davis Mills to WR Simi Fehoko.  UW took the ball to start the third period and marched down to the Cardinal 13-yard line. Dawgs HC Chris Petertsen eschewed a game-tying FG attempt and went for it on fourth down. QB Jacob Eason's pass fell incomplete. Whatever momentum, the Huskies had built up then vanished and never returned. An exchange of punts then left Stanford with great field position at the Washington 47-yard line. The Cardinal didn't waste it. Seven plays later, RB Cameron Scarlett grinded his way through the Dawgs for a four-yard TD. Stanford held a 20-10 lead that would be cut to 20-13 when Petersen opted for the FG he should have had kicked earlier in the quarter.  Stanford owned the final period tacking on another FG from Toner. The SU defense shutout the Huskies the rest of the way picking off one pass and forcing a punt on their only two serious drives of the period. Mills had his best game yet, completing 21 of 30 passes for 293 yards and a TD.  Scarlett had his best day at Stanford also, rushing for 151 yards on 33 carries.  Eason completed 16 of 36 passes for 206 yards a TD and an interception in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 9/5:06; With 6:00 left in then game and nursing a 10-point lead, Stanford's Cameron Scarlett carried the ball nine straight times for 29 yards. Those nine plays shaved 5:06 off the clock to end any hopes of a comeback by the Huskies. 

Oregon 17- California 7: Eugene, OR- Cal's defense shutdown the Oregon offense for most the game, but the Golden Bears couldn't generate much offense of their own in a tough loss at Autzen Stadium. Remarkably, Cal led this game 7-0 at the half thanks to their defense forcing three UO turnovers and a missed FG. Cal's lone score came after the Ducks first turnover.  Cal QB Devon Modster, in for the injured Chase Garbers, drove the Bears 63 yards in six plays for the early go-ahead score. Modster hit RB Chris Brown, Jr who found paydirt from 22 yards out.  The Ducks finally got off the schneid midway through the third period when PK Camden Lewis made good on a 28-yard FG attempt after the Ducks drive stalled at the Cal seven-yard line. UO got their big break in the game when Cal punter Steven Counts' poor punt from deep in his own territory traveled 38 yards and was returned 24 yards by PR Jevon Holland.  The Ducks then drove 30 yards and took the lead when Cyrus Habibi-Liko crossed the double stripe from one yard out.  The Boys from Berkley looked liked they were still in the game, but their offense was so ineffective it was just an illusion.  Early in the final period, Modtser threw his second pick of the night and Oregon turned that pick into the TD to put the game away.  The Quacks covered 64 yards in just five plays and scored when QB Justin Herbert found WR Jaylon Redd for a 1-yard TD toss. Cal would miss a FG and be held for downs their final to drives to end the game. Herbert completed 20 of 33 aerials for 214 yards, a TD and an interception on the evening.  Meanwhile, Modster competed 17 of 34 passes for 190 yards, a TD and two costly interceptions.
Telling Stat: 17 is enough; Oregon's offense got stymied by the Cal defense, but they scored just enough points to win the game. 

Arizona 35- Colorado 30: Boulder, CO- There must be something about Colorado  that brings out the best in UofA QB Khalil Tate.  Tate had another stellar game against the Buffaloes and the Wildcats needed it. He accounted for 427 of his squad's 487 total yards of offense,  He completed 31 of 41 passes for 404 yards and ran for 23 more to lift the Wildcats to victory.  Tate connected with 11 different receivers, but his three TD passes went to WRs Cedric Peterson, Brian Casteel and Stanley Berryhill III. Not a bad game considering Tate missed last week's game due to a leg injury.  However, this game was a back an forth affair and the Buffs did put some points of their own on the board. QB Steven Montez completed 28 of 42 passes for 299 yards and a TD while WR KD Nixon threw for a TD pass too. The Buffs didn't have WR Laviska Shenault, Jr. to throw to either as he was still out due to injury.  However, most of the Buffs woes could be laid at Montez's feet. He once again missed several wide open receivers with flat out poor throws. That's what really cost the Buffaloes the game.
Telling Stat: He loves the Buffs; In three games v. Colorado, Arizona QB Khalil Tate has amassed 1,174 yards of offense and 13 TDs. Wow

Oregon State 48- UCLA 31: Pasadena, CA- 6:01 into the first quarter the Beavers, with a little help from UCLA HC Chip Kelly's hubris and an epically cool onside kick, held a 21-0 lead at Rose Bowl. The bRuins never recovered form the early onslaught and fell to 1-5 on the season.  The anatomy of the 21-point Beaver explosion went down like this.  OSU took the opening kickoff and rove 75 yards in seven plays for a 7-0 lead when QB Jake Luton hit WR Isaiah Hodgins for a 4-yard score. UCLA then got the ball and faced a 4th and 1 at their own 29-yard line. Kelly kept his offense on the field and RB Joshua Kelley was nailed in the backfield for a 5-yard loss. Five plays later, RB Artavis Pierce waltzed through he bRuins defense for a 14-0 lead.  The Beavers then pulled off a drop-kick onside kick that they recovered at the UCLA 27-yard line.  On the next play, Luton hit TE Teagan Quitoriano in the end zone for a 21-0 lead. The Bruins did cut the deficit down to 10 points several times during the game, but the Beaver kept putting up points to grab a win at the Rose Bowl. Luton had one of his best games completing 18 of 26 passes for 285 yards with five TD and he also ran for a score. His big target was Hodgins who grabbed 10 passes for 123 yards and three scores. OSU had a good rushing day as well. Pierce ran the ball 21 times for 129 yards and a TD.  UCLA QB Austin Barton who was playing in place of the injured Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 27 of 41 passes for 236 yards and a TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: They finished it off;  After UCLA scored to get within 10 points at 41-31, Oregon State got the ball back with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter and went on a 14 play, 74-yard drive that shaved 6:57 off the clock and ended with a 19-yard TD by Jake Luton to clinch the win.

Observations

...P ain't for Playoff;  Pac 12 commissioner Larry Scott's dream of parity in the league has become the nightmare we expected it would be. The league won't produce a CFP team yet again. SMH

...Feisty Beavers; In their last five quarters of play Oregon State has scored 69 points and gained 695 yards of total offense.

...And he's gone; No, not Clay Helton. Wazzu DC Tracy Claeys "resigned" from his post last Friday. I guess giving up 50 to UCLA and 38 to Utah in consecutive weeks got him shown the door.

...Just a rumor; There's no truth to the rumor that Arizona QB Khalil Tate has created a John Denver playlist on Spotify and was heard singing Rocky Mountain High on the team bus last Saturday.

...Molto Brutto; UCLA's defense has given more ground than the Italian army.  The bRuins defense  is allowing 502 yards a game and have given up 1.7 miles of yards in six games into this season.

...5-0; Congrats to Minnesota on being undefeated and with a strong chance to start out 8-0 for the first time since 1941 when RB Bruce Smith won the Golden Gophers only Heisman Trophy.

...The Hoyas have a team; Georgetown is 4-1 and has beaten both Columbia and Cornell in non-confernce action.

...113 miles; That's the short distance between the two top teams in the expansive Big Sky Conference.  Montana and Montana State sit atop the standings at 5-1 and 2-0 in league play.

...Get off my field turf!; Oregon RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio made a great tackle on a fan who ran onto the field at Autzen Stadium.  Check it out. Smackdown

...We're 13th!; Maryland wiped out Rutgers, 48-7 to take one large step out of the Big Ten cellar.

...An unintended consequence;  With their HC fired and their season circling the drian, Rutgers starting QB Art Sitkowski and starting RB Raheem Blackshear announced they are redshirting and skipping the rest of the 2019 season.  It's already happened in Houston and expect more of this to occur across the nation as players use the new redshirt rule to their advantage.

...The Mustangs are hot;  SMU is 6-0 for the first time since the Pony Express backfield roamed Texas Stadium. Their triple overtime comeback win over Tulsa was awesome.

...A bit of a ruckus;  Check out this incident where the Sam Houston State PK and the Stephen F. Austin band director get into it. Pushed Away

...Just a rumor; There's not truth to the rumor that Pac 12 Commissioner Larry Scott is having participation trophies made for the Pac 12 champs when they don't make the CFP yet again.

...Big Motion; Just some average motion before a play at St. Joseph Catholic School in Greenville, MS. Splits!!!

...One big step; Navy downed Air Force, 34-25 to position themselves to win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy.

...Less one Les in Lawrence; Kansas HC Les Miles fired his OC Les Koenning after the Jayhawks were whipped, 45-20 by Oklahoma last Saturday.  The Jahawkws were only averaging 22 points per game in the offensive heavy Big XII.

...Sticking with Dallas;  Forget the LSU-Florida game, the best game this weekend will be Oklahoma-Texas.

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC won't get to 4-2.
UCLA is a miracle away from 0-12.
Oregon State will finish 3-9
Arizona is bowl bound.
Colorado will win seven games.
Cal will go winless until Chase Garbers returns.
Utah is afraid their game with Colorado will really mean something this year.
Wazzu's DC needed to "resign" two weeks ago.
Washington is a Holiday Bowl team at best.
Stanford will win just enough games to help kill the Pac 12.
Arizona State is happy to stay under the radar in the Pac 12 South.
Oregon won't make the playoff even if they go 12-1.

CFL Update

The final month of the regular season starts this coming week and the top team in the league is June Jones' Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Ti-Cats are 12-3 and a win way from clinching the East Division. Saskatchewan is 10-4 and on top in the West Division, but holds a slim one game lead over both the Calgary Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.  The Edmonton Eskimos should make the playoffs as a crossover team as the East Division only has one more playoff eligible team in the Montreal Alouettes.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Got to go to the NFL for this week's winner.  The Seattle Seahawks gives the best argument as to why the NFL Color Rush uniforms are a horrible idea. Facepalm. A small picture was used here as to not damage my readership's eyes.



 Departments

Low Score Game of the Week:  Jamestown, ND- This week's game comes form the Great Plains Athletic Conference in the NAIA. The Jamestown Jimmies downed the Concordia (NE) Bulldogs 13-10 in four overtimes. Constant rain turned the field into an absolute mud bowl. The game went to overtime tied at 3-3.  The teams traded TDs in the first OT with Jamestown scoring on 14-yard TD pass from QB Jordan Mann to WR Garrett Mitchell and then Concordia tying the game on a 1-yard mud dive by RB Ryan Durdon. Neither team scored in the next two OT periods with turnovers and missed kicks thwarting the offenses.  Then finally in the fourth OT, Jamestown picked off another Concordia pass and PK Sean Fenlon then kicked a 32-yard FG to lift the Jimmies to victory. Neither team gained more than 200 yards and they combined to convert on only 6 of 39 on 3rd down conversion attempts. The win was Jamestown's first of the season.


Best Game Almost Nobody Saw This Week: Fort Worth, TX- The Texas Wesleyan Rams knocked off the Southwest Assemblies of God Lions, 52-44 in three overtimes. The Rams held a 20-3 lead at the half, but that evaporated quickly and the shootout was on at Farrington Field. The Rams took the lead for good when RB Jemarcus Jones scooted 17 yards for a TD and the two-point conversion catch by WR Tyler Pullig. The Rans defense ended game on the next SAGU possession when DL's Mark Seidler and Darnerick Scott sacked QB Landon Moon on the final play.

C.W. Post Press: Pittsburgh, PA- At Arthur J. Rooney Field , the Sharks just couldn't muster enough offense and fell to 0-4 on the season with a 21-14 loss to the Duquesne Dukes. Nursing a 13-7 lead to start the fourth quarter, the Dukes went on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard TD blast form RB A.J. Hines to put the game away at 21-7.  Post got a a cosmetic TD late when QB Clay Beathard hit WR Steven Chambers with a 14-yard TD pass. Up next for Post is a trip to Bryant University.

Razorback Report: The Hogs were off this week and will play at Kentucky next Saturday.

This Week's There Notes About Nothing...

There's nothing like a big birthday party in San Pedro.

Amalfitano's cakes never disappoint.

Comfortable costumes rock.

Until next tome folks, remember that parity isn't a great thing in a modern college football conference.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Week 5

Hey All,

Its time for another edition of the column that makes Tuesdays more fun, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries

Washington 28- USC 14: The well coached, disciplined Huskies got the win over the poorly coached, undisciplined Trojans in Seattle.  The Trojans third string QB Matt Fink who shined in relief of Kedon Slovis last week, had a very tough outing which only showed Trojan fans why he was third on the depth chart in the first place. The Trojans and Dawgs traded punts on the first three series with UW gaining great field position thanks to SC P Ben Griffiths kicking a pair of balls that each netted a paltry 24 yards. Five plays later, UW took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard plunge by RB Richard Newton.  USC then set up UW for their second TD when Fink made his first of three throws to the guys in the purple uniforms. The Dawgs traveled 38 yards to go up 14-0 when WR Andre Bacellia recovered RB salmon Ahmed's fumble in the end zone.  SC did cut the Huskies lead to 14-7. when Fink did something USC QBs never do. He actually kept the ball on an RPO and scored from three yards out. However, Fink was penalized for spiking the ball after he hit paydirt. UW took the extra 15 yards they were handed and drove into field goal range. PK Peyton Henry then put the ball through the uprights from 28 yards out on the final play of the half to give UW a 17-7 lead.  The Huskies got the ball to start the third quarter and drove for another field goal to extend their lead to 20-7.  What came next was the key sequence of the game. USC drove down to the Huskies 10-yard line thanks mainly to a 60-yard run by RB Stephen Carr.  On second down Fink didn't hand the ball off on an RPO and instead threw an ill-advised slant route straight to UW CB Elijah Molden. The interception was a back-breaker as two plays later UW's Ahmed broke though the Trojan defense and raced 89 yards to hallelujah land.  The Dawgs tacked on a two-point conversion to complete a 15-point switch that put the game away at 28-7.  The Trojans did close the gap to 28-14 on the next possession when Fink hit WR Michael Pittman, Jr. with a 44-yard scoring strike. However, that would be as close as they'd get to the Huskies. Head scratching penalties, missed blocks, and Fink's third interception of the game killed off any final chances the Trojans had.  USC's defense did hold vaunted UW QB Jacob Eason in check allowing him tom complete only 16 of 26 passes for 180 yards, but they allowed three rushing TDs on the day.  Meanwhile Fink completed 19 of 32 passes for a meager 163 yards, a TD and three huge interceptions.
Telling Stat: -3 +P= L; USC QB Matt Fink's three interceptions and celebration penalty cost the Trojans 18 points in what was a winnable game in Seattle. 

Stanford 31- Oregon State 28: Corvallis, OR- This game started late with a weather delay and the excitement in this game came late as well.  With 6:14 left  in the third quarter, Cardinal QB Davis Mills, who started in place on the injured K.J. Costello, connected with TE Brycen Tremayne for a 3-yard TD pass.  The Cardinal now held a 21-0 lead and the OSU fans spirits were dropping faster than the temperature in Reser Stadium. Oregon State's stagnant offense then woke up and put four TDs on the board in their final four possessions. An 11-yard TD pass from QB Jake Luton to WR Isiah Hodgins, two TD runs by RB Artavis Pierce and B.J. Baylor TD run knotted up the game at 28-28 with 1:55 to play. (Sandwiched in that TD barrage was a "Stanford Special" trick play that saw Cardinal TE Colby Parkinson hit Mills for and eight-yard score.  Stanford Special) So, with 1:55 left the Beavers kicked off and Stanford KR Connor Washington returned that kick to the 50-yard line. Three plays later Stanford had a first down at the OSU 14-yard line. Three plays after that PK Jet Toner nailed a 39-yard field goal wit :01 left to lift the Cardinal to victory. Mills was the man for Stanford completing 18 of 25 passes for three TDs and he caught Stanford's other scoring toss. For the Beavers, Luton competed 27 of 39 passes for 337 yards and a score while his favorite target Hodgins racked up 10 receptions for 162 yards and a TD. OSU ran the ball well too with Pierce rushing the ball 16 times for 141 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: 21/106/0;  Oregon State had two first half drives that totaled 21 plays, covered 106 yards and resulted in 0 points which proved cost in a game where the Beavers outgained Stanford by almost 150 yards and racked up 10 more first downs.

Arizona State 24- California 17: Berkeley, CA- It was another edition of Pac 12 after dark where in the road teams were a dismal 2-16 in the last 18 Friday night contests.  Somebody didn't tell that to ASU who with a strong rushing effort from RB Eno Benjamin and a huge injury to Cal QB Chase Garbers left Strawberry Canyon with a win.  ASU's Benjamin opened the scoring when he rumbled 11 yards to give the Sun Devils a 7-0 lead. Cal answered with a TD to tie the game at  7-7. The score was a 16-yard TD strike form Garbers to WR Trevon Clark. Then, the key play of the game came with 1:56 to play in the half.  Garbers was forced to scramble on a pass attempt and had his ankles slapped together from behind by an ASU defender.  Garbers hit the turf on his throwing shoulder and stayed down.  Garbers was done for the game and would watch the second half on the Cal sideline with his shoulder heavily wrapped.  In for Garbers came Devon Modster, the UCLA transfer.  Modtser did get Cal into the red zone with his first pass, then threw a pick on his second pass into the ASU end zone to kill the drive. Cal got the ball to start to the third quarter and ran the ball 12 straight times to drive 63 yards and take a 14-7 lead on RB Chris Brown, Jr.'s one-yard run. ASU answered right back with a TD rive that covered 50 yards and ended with a a four-yard TD rumble by Benjamin. Both sides traded punts and hard hits with Cal taking a 17-14 lead after cashing in a FG off a fumble by ASU QB Jayden Daniels. ASU put another TD on the board on the ensuing drive.  The Sun Devils traveled 75 yards in 12 plays with Benjamin racking up his third score of the game on a three-yard blast. Modster was ineffective in place of Garbers and the Golden Bears were held for downs by the ASU defense on their final two possessions. A 43-yard FG by PK Christian Zendjeas finished off the scoring for the boys form Tempe. Benjamin was the man for ASU gaining 100 yards on 29 carries with three TDs.  Daniels only threw for 174 yards, but he killed Cal with his legs, rushing for 84 yards on 12 carries. Garbers threw for 117 yards and a score before being hurt while Modster competed only five of 14 passes for 23 yards and an interception in relief.
Telling Stat: 21/30= L;  After taking the lead 14-7 to start the third quarter, the Cal offense was held scoreless the rest of the game by ASU  The Sun Devils held the Golden Bears to 30 yards on just 21 plays over their final five possessions to hang a big L on Cal. 

Utah 38- Washington State 13: Salt Lake City, UT- The Utes bounced back after their loss to USC last week by throttling the Cougars at Rice Eccles Stadium. The much maligned Utah secondary controlled Wazzu's potent Air Raid offense that was averaging nearly 500 yards a game to just 252 yards. Cougar QB Anthony Gordon completed 30 of 49 passes but was never allowed to get into a rhythm by the Utes. Meanwhile, the Cougar defense that got gashed last week for 67 points couldn't stop Utah QB Tyler Huntley.  He completed 21 of 30 passes for 334 yards and two TDs and he ran for 31 yards on six carries and two more scores. Utah shutout WSU, 17-0 in the second half to put this game away. The Utes picked off two passes, held for downs once and watched the clock run out on the Cougars final drive to grab the win and stay in the Pac 12 South race. 
Telling Stat: Dialing long distance; Utah's average scoring drive in this game lasted nine plays and covered 65 yards. 

Arizona 20- UCLA 17: The bRuins came into this one high off their epic comeback win last week at WSU to take on a Wildcat team hobbled by injuries.  Arizona QB Khalil Tate and RB J.J. Taylor were out of the lineup due to leg injuries. UCLA started the game looking like they'd blow the Wildcats out of their own yard, traveling 85 yards in 12 plays to take an early 7-0 lead on the a two yard scoring toss from QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson to TE Matt Lynch. UCLA's offense then went dormant for the rest of the half. UofA moved the ball between the 20s but couldn't do it the red zone where UCLA forced two field goals by Wildcat PK Luke Havrisik and held a 7-6 halftime edge. The second half started out withh a bang for UofA after UCLA  tacked on a field goal to take a 10-6 lead. QB Grant Gunnell hit WR Daruis Smith for a 75-yard TD on a busted coverage by the bRuins.  UCLA would retake the lead, 17-13 on a three yard jaunt by RB Joshua Kelley. However, on the drive the bRuins would lose Thompson-Robinson for the rest of the game when he went down with a leg injury. Arizona would take the lead back for good at 20-17 when RB Gary Brightwell crossed the double stripe from 10-yards out with 10:51 left. UCLA backup QB Austin Burton led his squad down the field on a drive that would have sent the game to overtime, but PK JJ Molson's 39-yard FG attempt sailed wide right with :34 left and the Wildcats had the win. Gunnel had a good game filling in for Tate, completing 29 of 44 passes for 352 yards and a TD.  Kelley spearhead the UCLA attack with 127 yards and a TD on 27 carries in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Perfect when he needed to be; Arizona's Grant Gunnell was a perfect 6 for 6 for 130 yards and a TD on the two scoring drives that gave the Wildcats the win over UCLA.

Observations

...Only the weather won;  This result comes form the NAIA  where the William Penn (IA) Statesmen played to a 7-7 tie with the Central Methodist Eagles in a Heart of America Conference contest.  With 2:17 left in the second quarter, severe weather rolled into Okalaoosa, Ia. After a little over an hour and numerous lightning strikes in the area, the officiating crew and coaches agreed to end the game and call it a tie.

...Moving up in class; Utah State travels to LSU this week. Whoa.

...Anyone need an expensive doorstop?; Ricky Williams' 1998 Heisman Trophy is hitting the auction block and nobody can say anything about it.  Williams' trophy was the last one awarded before winners were required to sign an agreement forfeiting their right to sell the stiff-arm statue.
Going once, going twice...

...Shucked over;  Ohio State did everything to Nebraska except rip Tom Osborne's name off the field at Memorial Stadium in their 48-7 beatdown of the Cornhuskers.

...Hey mom, I made it on ESPN!;  I'm sure this kid is the most popular guy in his dorm and received a choice phone call or two from his folks. Credit for catching this goes to my wife who said, "Run that back about 30 seconds, look at the upper right corner of the screen."



 ...On pace for 2K; Okie State RB Chuba Hubbard leads the nation with 938 yards rushing through five games this year.  That puts him on pace for over 2,200 yards this year.

...Connections to drown his sorrows;  UCLA PK J.J. Molson has the connections to drown his sorrows after missing a FG attempt to send the bRuins game with Arizona into OT last Saturday. He's related to the Molsons of Canada's Molson brewing empire.

...Done in by his own; USF HC Charlie Strong saw his Bulls get worked over, 48-21 by SMU. The SMU QB That threw for three TDs and ran for another was his old QB when he was the HC at Texas, Shane Buchele.

...Life ain't easy in stripes; This happened back on 9/21, a ref was taken to the hospital when a cannon blast at a Maine Maritime Academy game hit him in the head. Kaboom

...Removing Ash from the fire;  The Big Ten dumpster fire known as Rutgers took some ash out of that fire when they fired HC Chris Ash last Sunday. Ash's tenure was pretty rocky in New Brunswick where his teams stumbled to an 8-32 record. The speculation is that former HC Greg Schiano will return to roam the sidelines of the state college of New Jersey once again.

...32 years;  After whipping USF over the weekend, the SMU Mustangs are now ranked in the AP top 25 poll for the first time since the program received the death penalty form the NCAA in 1987. Being #24 never felt so good in Dallas.

...Girl has skills; Didn't think you could find such quick hands at a wedding. Intercetpted!

...The Fork Travels; ASU is 2-0 on the road v. ranked teams this year.

...An angry Pirate; Wazzu HC Mike Leach went off on his team in the post game presser after his Cougars were trounced by Utah. He called his said "Fat, dumb and entitled" among other things. Roasted Cougs

...Not rambling', just wrecked;  I don't think new Georgia Tech HC Geoff Colins thought he'd be staring down getting just one win in his first season at the helm.  The Yellow Jackets are 1-3 after dropping a 24-2 decision at Temple. Ouch.

...Not a chance;  Yeah, it would have been cool to watch North Carolina upset Clemson, but there is no way I can ever, ever, ever, root for a Mack Brown coach team.

...A high five; There are five undefeated teams in the Big Ten. The most unlikely of those five undefeated teams is Minnesota. The Gophers have a chance to start 8-0 according to this article in the Pioneer Press. 1941

...NCAA in scramble mode; While everyone started freaking out over California Governor Gavin Newsom singing a bill that would allow NCAA athletes in California to start making money off their name and likeness in 2023, Florida said "Hold my beer' and now has a similar bill moving through its' legislature that would allow NCAA athletes in their state to start earning money in 2020.  

...Just a rumor; There no truth to the rumor that USC is 14 point underdog to their bye week. The real spread is only 8 1/2 points.

...And then there were three; There are just three winless teams left in the FBS.  Akron, New Mexico State and Rice are all 0-5.

...Gloom and doom report; Phil Steele's Twitter feed seems to be nothing but a giant injury report.

...Really?; Tennessee isn't naming their starting QB for their game with Georgia this week. It doesn't matter whoever gets the start will lose by 40. SMH.

...Double thuds;  Nebraska has had five kicks blocked this season, that makes them the NCAA leader in blocked kicks allowed. Ouch.

...Not your usual suspect;  The Ragin Cajuns of Louisiana are the number three rushing team in the FBS averaging 314 yards per game on the ground.

...A matter of time; Just about everyone knows what kind of player Vontaze Burfict has been all the way back to his high school days. To see him receive a rest of season suspension for his hit on Indianapolis TE Jack Doyle isn't a shocker. I'm sure it will be appealed and by Burfict and the NFLPA.  Gone

The Big 150

My wife happened to ask me last week how many of these blogs have I put out?  After a short bit of research I discovered that this week marks the 150th edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  It's kind of cool to hit that number in the 150th year of college football.


Ugly Uniform of the Week

Wisconsin wins for this weird sort of throwback design. Yuk.



Awkward Football Photo of the Week

UCLA searching for wins in all the wrong places. Facepalm.



Pac 12 Overreactions

Stanford is still a four win team.
USC may not win another road game this year.
WSU is going to have the most painful bye week ever.
Arizona State will drop two more home games.
Cal won't win another game without Chase Garbers at QB
Colorado will beat Arizona by three TDs this week.
Oregon State will go 1-11.
UCLA will go 2-10.
Arizona will not go to a bowl this year.
Oregon is the best team the Pac 12.
Washington will lose at Stanford this week.
Utah will not win the Pac 12 South.

Departments

Best Game Nobody Saw This Week: Dallas, PA- In a four overtime thriller, the Misericordia Cougars downed the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen, 35-32.  The game went to Overtime after LVC PK Nick Bentz made a 35-yard field goal with :55 left in regulation play.  The first OT was pretty exciting with Cougars QB Brady Williams getting picked off by the Dutchmen's CB Brendan Yetter.  However, Lebanon Valley didn't score either as Bentz's 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked.  The teams traded TDs in the second and third OTs with both teams misfiring on two-point conversion attempts in the third OT.  In the fourth OT period, LVC got another field goal, this time a 31-yarder to take a 32-29 lead. Then Misericordia drove down to the Dutchmen's one-yard line. RB Eric Jeffries went then found paydirt on the next play to give the Cougars the hard fought win. It was the Cougars first win of the year.

Blowout Game of the Week: Naperville, IL- This week's game comes from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin in the D-III ranks where the North Central Cardinals crushed the North Park Vikings, 77-0.  Cardinal QB Broc Rutter was nearly perfect hitting on 16 of 17 passes for 334 yards and four TDs.  The Cardinals also ran the ball well to with nine different ball carries gaining 306 yards on 39 carries and five TDs. The North Central defense held NorthPark to just 117 total yards and eight first downs for the afternoon.

C.W. Post Press: Staten Island, NY- The Wagner College Seahawks used a 17-point second quarter to propel themselves to a 24-14 win over C.W. Post. The game stood tied at 7-7 to start the second quarter after Post WR Jake Bofshever hackled in a 38-yard scoring toss form QB Clay Beathard. The a pair of TD runs by Wagner RB Steve Alexander and a 48-yard FG by PK Eric Silvester put the Seahawks in control fo the game. Both defense pitched a shutout in the second half with thinly scorn coming on a 67-yard blocked field goal return by Post LB Grant Ibeh.  Post was held to just 86 total yard sin the second half. Up next for Post is a trip to Pittsburgh to take on Duquesne University.

Razorback Report: Jerryworld, Arlington, TX- It was another barn burner at the Death Star between the Razorbacks and the Aggies and once again the Hogs were on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Down 31-27, the Hogs last chance to pull the upset died at the Texas A&M 19-yard line when QB Ben Hicks' fourth down pass fell incomplete. Up next for the Razorbacks is a much needed bye week.  

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Suddenly, it's fall.

If DISH has anymore programming disputes, I'm going to be down to just the Home Shopping Network and Buzzer for viewing options.

I need to start grilling more salmon.

Until next time folks, I'll remind you to do what I do in the very first blog, so keep your head on a swivel and your pad level low.

-The Commissioner