Hey all,
As the Pac 12 moves into its' annual downward spiral that leads to missing the playoffs yet again, here's another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Loel Schrader.
USC 37- Colorado 14: Boulder, CO- After being embarrassed last week at home by Oregon State, the Trojans took to the road against perennial Pac 12 doormat Colorado and got a much needed win. The USC passing offense resembled a game of three flies up. Trojan receivers didn't get much separation form the Buffs secondary but used their size and leaping advantage to make catches and gain yards. WR Drake London was once again QB Kedon Slovis' favorite target. He hauled in nine passes for 130 yards with an amazing one-handed TD grab that gave SC a 10-0 lead late in the first period. USC extended their lead to 20-0 midway through the second period on a 46-yard TD catch and run from WR Michael Trigg and a 44-yard FG from PK Parker Lewis. Colorado cut SC's lead to 20-7 right before the half on a one-yard TD run by RB Deion Smith. CU was able to take advantage of a short field after SC RB Keaontay Ingram fumbled on SC's 48-yard line. The Buffs would never get any closer to the Trojans. USC methodically took the Sons of Ralphie out of the game in the second half. The Trojans would score 17 points off three CU turnovers to put the game away. USC also helped drain the second half clock with their rushing game. Yes folks, USC actually ran the ball well. The Trojans rushed for 218 yards on 35 carries for a nifty 6.22 yards per carry average. Ingram led all rushers with 124 yards on 14 carries. Defensively, SC shutdown CU's offense holding the Buffaloes to 242 total yards. However, CU QB Brendon Lewis racked up his largest passing total of the year, connecting on 10 of 17 tosses for 162 yards and one touchdown.
Telling Stat: Can't convert, can't run, can't win; USC held Colorado to 1 of 10 on third down conversions, and just 2.2 yards per carry ensuring that the Buffs would not come close to a win against the Trojans.
Washington State 21- California 6: Berkeley, CA- One play defined this game and maybe this season for the Golden Bears. Trailing, 7-6 in the first quarter, Cal forced Wazzu to punt. The Punt was blocked by Cal defender Nick Alfiti. Wazzu up-man Ron Stone, Jr. picked up the blocked kick and ran for a Cougars first down. WSU continued the drive and tacked on a TD to take a 14-6 lead. The Golden Bears then held Wazzu to one score the rest of the way, but could never get their offense going and fell to defeat in Strawberry Canyon. Cal did generate a few good drives, but they were held for downs three times and turned the ball over once. WSU didn't put together a great game, but they were that little bit better than Cal. WSU QB Jayden de Laura completed 25 of 41 passes for 219 yards with three TDs and two interceptions. Cal's Chase Garbers completed 14of 30 aerials for 152 yards and an interception in the tough loss.
Telling Stat: 52:16 for the win; Wazzu's much maligned defense held Cal's sputtering offense scoreless for the final 52:16 in this snoozer of a contest.
Arizona State 42- UCLA 23: Pasadena,CA- This game was billed as a shootout of a contest that would challenge stat keepers abilities and cause some lights to blowout on the scoreboard. The second quarter lived up to that billing. The first quarter was a stalemate and the second half belonged to the Sun Devils. The first quarter saw the schools trade field goals after drives stalled on each other's goal lines. The second quarter saw things pick up as UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson capped off a 75-yard drive with a TD pass to WR Kyle Phillips. ASU answered back in seven plays when RB DeaMonte Trayanum scampered into the end zone from six yards out. UCLA went back ahead, 20-17 with a 21-yard FG by PK Nicholas Barr-Mira after their drive lost momentum on the ASU three-yard line. The Sun Devils would take the lead for good when QB Jayden Daniels hooked upon with WR Ricky Pearsall for a 54-yard catch and run touchdown. UCLA cut their halftime deficit to just one with a 26-yard FG from Barr-Mira on the final play of the first half. ASU came out in the second half and reduced the bRuin offense to a lone serious scoring threat in the final 30 minutes. The Sun Devils extended their lead when RB Rachaad White took off through the bRuin line and rumbled 49 yards to paydirt. Trayanum would knife into the end zone to tack on the two-point conversion. ASU led 32-23. UCLA tried to mount a comeback, but the ASU defense played great modern defense. They allowed yards, but basically choked off most of the bRuins potential extra yardage with sure tackling and at least two men on every ball carrier. ASU's biggest defensive play of the game came when they stopped Thompson-Robinson on fourth and goal from the two with 13:35 left to play. The Sun Devils offense then went into long march mode against the tired bRuin defense. They marched 96 yards in 11 plays. White had the honor of putting the bRuins away when he crossed the double stripe from a yard out. ASU would add a late FG to make the final score 42-23. Daniels had a fine game for ASU, completing 13 of 19 passes for 286 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 45 yards on six carries. White and Trayanum combined for 126 yards rushing on 25 carries and three TDs. Thompson-Robinson completed 21 of 32 tosses for 235 yards and a TD. He also ran the ball 19 times for 96 yards in the loss.
Telling Stat: Can't do it alone = 18-0; The Arizona State defense systematically took weapons away from UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and forced him to beat them by himself. He couldn't. That's why ASU shutout UCLA 18-0 in the second half.
Oregon State 27- Washington 24: Corvallis, OR- Last year's game between these two teams came down to a flat out awful spot by Pac 12 officials. A spot that cost the Beavers a first and goal and helped UW to a 27-21 win. This year, the spot was correct and the Huskies poor execution cost them the game at Reser Stadium. This game was played tight with each squad trying to muscle the other into submission. The Dawgs were up 24-17 with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter when Oregon State RB B.J Baylor dashed 27 yards for a TD to tie the game. UW's next drive stalled at their own 46-yard line. Facing a fourth and one, the Huskies gambled and lost. QB Dylan Morris was stopped short on a sneak. The measurement showed he was indeed short and that almost brought the house down in Corvallis. Four plays later, OSU had a 1st and 10 at the Huskies 20-yard line. With 1:26 left, the Dawgs decided to lay down and let the Beavers score to get the ball back for one last shot to send the game to OT. It didn't work. RB Deshaun Fenwick only got to the eight-yard line before going going down. The OSU coaches spotted the lay down and then refused to take the easy TD after that play. The Beavers then just used the next three plays to drain UW's remaining two time outs and the clock. With :03 left, PK Everett Hayes made a 24-yard FG to lift OSU to victory. Baylor led the Beavers attack with 111 yards rushing on 20 carries and two touchdowns. RB Sean McGrew toted the rock 16 times for 104 yards and two scores in the loss for Washington.
Telling Stat: No air required; Oregon State beat Washington despite completing only seven passes for 48 yards.
Stanford 31- Oregon 24 OT: Palo Alto, CA- Oregon once again played to the level of their competition. This time that dangerous trait went along with a clock management error and those pesky Pac 12 refs to cost the Quacks a game. The Cardinal built up a 10-0 lead in the first period. A 25-yard FG by PK Joshua Karty and an 18-yard TD pass from QB Tanner McKee to WR Brycen Tremayne were the scores. UO cut the deficit to 10-7 on a a 3-yard TD gallop by QB Anthony Brown a few seconds into the second quarter. Stanford would take a 17-7 lead into the intermission When RB Isaiah Sanders crashed into the end zone from two yards out. The Webfoots woke up in the third quarter. A one-yard TD run from 47th year senior C.J.Verdel and a 22-yard FG from PK Camden Lewis sent the game to the final stanza tied at 17-17. The Ducks defense had shutdown Stanford, allowing just one first down in the second half. So, it was no surprise, when UO seemed to go ahead for good. Brown did the honors with his second rushing TD of the game. After forcing another Stanford punt, it looks like UO would run out the clock and escape Palo Alto with the win. However, a funny thing happened on the way to 5-0 . With 2:11 to play and and facing a 2nd and 18 at the Cardinal 47, the Ducks threw a pass instead of making Stanford burn a timeout with a run call. The pass fell incomplete. SU then stuffed the next play, a running play, and used their second timeout. After the Ducks punt. Stanford had a 1st and 10 at their own 13 with 1:53 left to play and one timeout left. The Cardinal then drove the for the tying score with a little help from bad Duck decisions and the refs. The Ducks gave Stanford 30 yards in penalties to help them move down the field. Both penalties were the norm for calls of targeting and roughing the passeer. The roughing call wasn't much of a hit, but anytime the QB takes a short to the face, the flag will fly. Six plays later, the Cardinal faced a fourth and goal at the Ducks 4-yard line. Mckee's pass fell incomplete as time ran out. Game over? No, there was a flag. Oregon was called for defensive holding in the end zone. Crazy thing is that the DBs from both teams had "aggressively covered" receivers with impunity until that play. McKee calmly threw a TD pass to WR Elijah Higgins on the extra untimed down to send the game to OT. In the OT, Stanford had the ball first and covered the 25 yards in six plays with McKee connecting with WR John Humphries for 14-yard scoring strike. UO's offense looked completely lost in their half of the OT. Brown's fourth down pass was caught out of bounds and Stanford had the upset win. McKee was the Stanford offense. He completed 20 of 36 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Brown threw for just 186 yards, but ran the ball 12 times for 35 yards and two scores.
Telling Stat: 1 pass for the L; With as many things that did happen in this game, Oregon's choice to pass on their last drive in regulation instead of making Stanford burn all their timeouts cost them the game.
Observations
...One last score; My next fictional HC choice for USC is Nate Scarboro from the Mean Machine in The Longest Yard (1974). Ol' Nate can coach 'em up and even give you a clutch TD catch. He also knows just how much every single game matters.
...Time waster; If you want spend a few fun minutes running your mouse around a website, go here.
Rocky
...Just a rumor; There was not a SigAlert in Pasadena late Saturday night. It was just that the streets around the Rose Bowl were clogged for a few minutes while bRuin "fans" were busy jumping off the UCLA bandwagon.
...Pac 12 style; The Big XII might just implode like the Pac 12 does every year.
...17; This intrepid reporter was just 17 years old the last time Kentucky beat Florida in Lexington.
...Feeling Columbus; Colorado HC Karl Dorrell tapped into his inner Woody Hayes and shoved a photojournalist's camera down after Dorell's Buffaloes fell to USC last Saturday. CU AD Rick George apologized for the incident. Woody is smiling
...Spanning the globe; This week's online newspaper reads included the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Roanoke.com and the El Paso Herald Post.
...Illegal use of Urban; Urban Meyer's antics in an Ohio bar got him caught for Backfield in Motion. Just ask Mel & Tim. First link is to the story. Not smart. Second link is to the old song for a MoTown Tuesday feel. Throw that flag
...1-2 baby blues; UCLA is now 1-2 since Classes began in Westwood. Hmmmmmmmm
...Flag 12; even with the UW-OSU game only seeing five flags thrown for 29 yards, the league still averaged 13 penalties for 116 yards per game. Wow.
...Just beautiful; Especially on a perfect fall afternoon, Boulder has to be one of the prettiest locations to play a game in all of college football.
...Hoping for more; Let's hope the Penn State- Iowa game lives up the hype it will receive this week. A repeat of 2003's 6-4 Iowa win would be pretty boring.
...Let the big men eat; VaTEch's offensive line grabbed the coolest NIL deal ever.
BBQ!!!!!!!!!
...Car, corndogs or chicken; During a game, ASU HC Herman Edwards' facial expression looks like he's either the old guy at the mall who can't remember where he parked his car or the old guy in the food court who can't decide between Chick-Fil-A or Hot Dog on a Stick.
...They stand alone; Oregon State sits alone in first place in the Pac 12 North.
...Miners doin' work; Mighty UTEP is 4-1 and 1-0 in C-USA play after a 28-21 win over Old Dominion. The win over the Monarchs snapped a 15-game conference losing streak for the boys with the pickaxes.
...Holding that Tiger; If the ACC title game was this week it would feature Wake Forest v. Pitt.
...5-0 but those pants; Michigan thumped Wisconsin to go to 5-0, but man those blue pants gotta go. Michigan without a lot of maize just doesn't look like Michigan.
...The Toilet Bowl is real; This week 0-6 UConn will take on 0-6 Umass.
...Time for a new sport; Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. suffered a separated throwing shoulder against Penn State. It could be his fourth season ending injury in four seasons at IU.
...Junkyard Dawgs; Georgia has scored more points on defense than they have allowed this year.
...London calling; Enjoy this epic photo of SC's Drake London making a great one-handed catch for a TD v. Colorado.
Pac 12 Overreactions
UCLA is a 7-5 team.
Utah is just happy to play televised games.
Arizona will lose 62-7 to UCLA.
USC will eventually find other receivers than Drake London.
Colorado will fire Karl Dorrell at the end of the season.
Cal is a 1-11 team.
Oregon State will win the Pac 12.
Washington is Sun Bowl bound.
Arizona State will drop two very winnable games down the stretch.
Stanford's game at Oregon State on 11/13 will decide the Pac 12 North.
Oregon fans will be discussing clock management for years.
Wazzu still has no offense.
Cool Helmet of the Week:
Arizona State broke out these red iridescent helmets v. UCLA and they were pretty great looking.
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Indianapolis, IN- This week's game featured a real dogfight in the Pioneer League of the FCS. The visiting Drake Bulldogs held on for a 6-3 win over the Butler Bulldogs. The first half of this game was played in a steady rain. Butler PK J.J. Waddas generated the only scoring in the first half with a 40-yard FG with 1:37 left in the second quarter. Trailing 3-0, Drake RB Robinson Cross put the only TD of the game on the board when he galloped in from four yards out with 4:53 left in the third period. Butler threatened on the ensuing drive to retake the lead, but Drake DT Max Johnson forced Butler QB Nick Orlando to fumble on the Butler one-yard line. LB Declan Carr recovered that fumble in the end zone for a touchback. Butler's offense wouldn't cross midfield again. Drake improved to 1-1 in league play with the hard fought win.
Blowout Game of the Week: Slippery Rock, PA- This week's game comes from D-II. In a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference contest, Slippery Rock demolished Clarion College, 75-0. QB Andrew Koester completed 20 of 22 passes for 328 yards and five TDs to help Slippery Rock build up a 55-0 halftime lead. Keoster's backup, Noah Giver wasn't too bad either. All he did was complete 11 of 13 passes for 114 yards and two scores in mop up duty.
Razorback Report: Athens, GA- The Hogs had an absolutely awful day at Georgia. A miserable first quarter was all it took for Arkansas to fall behind, 21-0 en route to a 37-0 beating. Now the Hogs move onto next week, where they will travel to Ole Miss to take on Lane Kiffin's Rebels.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are still my favorite candy, but Twix still holds a solid second place for me.
I think the folks at the corporate levels of Trade Joe's have an underlying belief that all TJ's have to be put in areas with the worst parking lots possible.
The Family Circus is still one of the best comics ever to grace the comics section.
Until next time folks, remember that just because your team beat a lousy team it doesn't mean that your team is getting any better.
-The Commissioner
