Hey All,
From flying objects in Tennessee to a late night thumping near the Great Salt Lake to an untimely exit in the Palouse, it was another crazy week in college football. Let's take a look back with another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Paul Zimmerman.
Summaries
Utah 35- Arizona State 21: Salt Lake City, UT- The Sun Devils looked like they had the Pac 12 South division won and a spot in the Pac 12 title game all sewn up when they led the Utes, 21-7 at the half. The Sun Devils defense had basically shutdown the Utes after allowing an early score. They seemed in control of the game despite racking up a ton of penalties that kept them from building a bigger halftime lead. Utah then came out for the second half and blew the doors off ASU. The Utes only had the ball four times in the second half, but torched the Sun Devils for four touchdowns. Utah scored on drives of 75, 68, 67, and 82 yards. Utah's offense beat up the ASU defense for the final 30 minutes of play. While the Utah offense was busy going 292 yards and scoring 28 points, the Utah defense held Herman's kids to 82 total yards and zero points. For Utah, QB Cameron Rising completed 21 of 33 passes for 247 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. In the loss, ASU QB Jayden Daniels completed 20 of 31 passes for 237 yards and two scores.
Telling Stat: 38, 292, 19:16, 28 = W; Utah had the ball for 38 plays in the second half in which they gained 292 yards, held the ball for 19:16 and scored 28 points to take the inside track to the Pac 12 South crown.
Washington State 34- Stanford 31: Pullman, WA- This turned out to be the last game that Wazzu HC Nick Rolovich would walk the sidelines in the Palouse due his refusal to comply with the state of Washington's employee vaccine mandate. Nick went out with a bang. His cougars took a bite out of the Cardinal. Trailing 13-0 to start the second period, the Wazzu offense heated up. They put up three TDs and were held for downs once at the Stanford nine-yard line. Only a blocked PAT kept the Cougs to a four point halftime edge at 20-16. WSU lengthened their lead to 27-16 late in the third period when RB Max Borghi ran two yards for a touchdown. The fourth period saw the Stanford offense come back to life after being dormant. SU QB Tanner McKee led his team on back-to-back touchdown drives. McKee did the honors by scoring one of the TDs on a QB Sneak and the other on an eight-yard TD toss to RB Austin Jones. Stanford led 31-27 and it looked like the Cougars had indeed Coug'd it again. However, a funny thing happened on the way to loss column. Wazzu mounted a game-winning drive. QB Jayden de Laura and Borghi moved the ball 70 yards in six plays with Borghi finding the end zone from two yards out for the winning TD. Stanford's hopes of a game-winning drive died when McKee was sacked and fumbled the ball on his own 33-yard line. WSU DE Brennan Jackson recovered the fumble and the celebration started in Pullman. Jayden de Laura was a little bit better than McKee on the day throwing for 289 yards and three scores while McKee finished up with 273 yards and two touchdowns. The real shocker was that Wazzu out rushed Stanford 100 yards to 76 with Borghi leading all rushers with 89 yards and two TDs on 17 carries.
Telling Stat: Turnovers kill; Wazzu won the turnover battle, 2-0 and the game.
UCLA 24- Washington 17: Seattle, WA- It was a tight game on Montlake, but it was clear that UW couldn't stop UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Thompson-Robinson accounted for all of the bRuins three TDs. He had scoring tosses to WR Sam Brown and TE Greg Dulcich, while also running for a score. UCLA didn't turn the ball over and had that little extra all game when they needed it to pull out the win. bRuin RB Zack Charbonnet led all rushers with 131 yards on 21 carries. The Dawgs did manage to stay in the game, but their last chance to even the game up late in the final period disappeared when QB Dylan Morris' under thrown pass was snagged for an interception by DB Devin Kirkwood on the bRuins four-yard line. Thompson-Robinson ended the game with 183 yards passing and 87 yard rushing. Morris threw for 184 yards, a TD and two interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: Turnovers kill-part II; UCLA picked off UW to start the game and to finish the game. That +2 turnover margin provided the W for the bRuins.
Colorado 34- Arizona 0: Boulder, CO- The tail-enders of the Pac 12 met for what started out as a snoozer in the shadow of the Flatiron Mountains. The first half featured a pair of FGs that covered 19 and 37 yards from CU PK Cole Becker and a goal line stand by the Buffs defense that allowed them to take 6-0 lead into the intermission. Then in a 1:14 second span of the third quarter, the Buffaloes blew the game open and never looked back. First, at the 6:46 mark, CU special teamer Trevor Woods not only blocked a UofA punt, but scooped up that blocked punt and took it back 36 yards for a touchdown. Then at the 5:32 mark, OLB Carson Wells picked off QB Gunner Cruz and rumbled 50 yards to paydirt. The PAT put the Buffs up 20-0. A 62-yard TD pass from QB Brendon Lewis to WR Brendan Rice and an 11-yard toss from Lewis to WR Dimitri Stanley finished off the scoring. Lewis had one of his better days of the year, completing 12 of 19 passes for 248 yards and two TDs. RB Jalen John was the lone bright spot for the Wildcats rushing for 71 yards on 11 carries.
Telling Stat: 745 the hard way; Tuesday the 19th of October marks 745 days since Arizona has won a football game. The Wildcats losing streak stands at 18 games.
Oregon 24- California 17: Eugene, OR- Once again the Ducks sleepwalked through most of a game only to come out with a W at the end. The first two drives saw UO start the scoring with a 49-yard field goal from PK Camden Lewis. Cal would then go on top 7-3 on the ensuing possession. The scoring was handled by TE Jake Tonges who snagged a nine-yard pass from QB Chase Garbers. Both teams then went into an offensive tailspin. Through all the failed fourth down attempts, turnovers and punts the game stood tied at the start off the fourth quarter at 10-10. The tying scores were by UO RB Travis Dye who scored a TD for the Webfoots in the second period and a 45-yard FG from Cal PK Dario Longhetto. Oregon's offense had sputtered so much that the Autzen home crowd started booing the Quacks loudly after each unsuccessful possession. The booing got worse when Cal forged ahead 17-10 on a four-yard TD connection from Garbers to TE Gavin Reinwald. Falling behind seemed to be the thing that finally woke up the Ducks. On their next two drives, the Quacks drove 62 yards and 70 yards for what would be the game-tying and winning scores. The two TDs came on a 20-yard reception by RB Jaylon Redd and an 11-yard run by QB Anthony Brown. The Golden Bears weren't dead yet. They had one last shot to send the game to overtime. Cal moved the ball down to the Oregon seven-yard line where they faced a 2nd and 3. Cal then ran seven straight plays in the shadow of the goal line. UO's defense repelled every shot taken at them and held on for the win. Brown finished this Friday night game with completions on 20 of his 28 passes for 244 yards and a TD. He also ran for a score. Dye led all rushers with 145 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown too. Garbers completed 25 of 43 aerials for 247 yards and two touchdowns in the hard luck loss
Telling Stat: 7 stops to Berkeley; We ain't talking BART stops here. Oregon's seven defensive stops on the goal line kept the Ducks season and Pac 12's playoff hopes alive.
Observations
...Rolo rolled out of Pullman; WSU HC Nick Rolovich isn't the HC anymore after failing to comply with the state of Washington's employee vaccination requirement. Four equally unvaxed assistants were also canned. Here's the official video statement from WSU AD Patrick Chun. Rolo Out. Now here's the Wazzu printed press release
...Tennessee Tumult, Tosses and Stupidity; Here's the bare bones on what transpired at Neyland Stadium when Tennessee fans lost their minds over the fact that they were going to lose to Ole Miss and former HC Lane Kiffin. This story doesn't mention that Kiffin was hit with a golf ball that he then kept as a souvenir. Nuts in Knoxville
...Brewer-hoo; Everyone associated with the Utah program has to wonder why QB Cameron Rising wasn't their starter from the start of this season over current transfer portal inhabitant, Charlie Brewer.
...Worse than UConn; Thanks to UConn's 21-15 nail-biter of a win over the Fighting Future Hedge Fund Managers from Yale, UNLV and Arizona are the only winless teams left in the FBS.
...The game just leveled up; Michigan State is 7-0, but four of the last five games on their slate are v. Michigan, at Purdue, at TheeeOSU, and v. Penn State.
...Get a turnover, take a pull; Speaking of UNLV, the Rebels have maybe outdone every other school that has a celebration prop on the sidelines with this huge slot machine. One Armed Bandit
...He never listened to Crash; UofA QB Gunner Cruz hurt his thumb against Colorado when he stiff armed a defender with his throwing hand. He's now out for the season and that leaves UofA with one scholarship QB.
...In an Aztec state of mind; SDSU is 6-0 and the best team in California.
...Under the bus; First year Illinois HC Bret Bielema told everyone just how bad his team is in this presser yesterday. We stink!
...Not a great pair to draw to; USC is ranked 79th in the nation in scoring defense allowing 27.33 points per game. Who is ranked 78th? Cal at 27.00 points per game. Sigh.
...Lucky Dutch; Just follow this tweet and the photo below it to see just how close this Dutch soccer stadium came to a true disaster. One can away
...Gameday coming...to the Rose Bowl; College Gameday will be at the Rose Bowl for Oregon -UCLA this week. Just when I didn't think SC football could feel more irrelevant this year. Facepalm.
...A train helped row the boat; Purdue's upset of Iowa suddenly gives Minnesota a good shot at winning the Big Ten West. The Golden Gophers Don't face Michigan, Penn State or Michigan State from the East down the stretch and have already beaten Purdue. their game on 11/13 at Iowa will most likely decide the division crown.
...Oh Canada!; Huzzahs and Hip-Hip-Hoorays are in order for Simon Fraser University for picking up their first win in over two years with a 30-3 victory over Montana St. Northern. Simon Fraser is the only Canadian University that plays football in the NCAA.
...Academy trio; There are 130 football teams in the FBS. The three lowest ranked in terms of passing yards per game are Air Force, Army and Navy. Gotta love that consistency.
...A natty and gone; To quote the great Andy Sargentee from the film The Amateurs, "The highs and lows in this business come very quickly." That quote leads us to Coach O who will no longer be the HC at LSU just two years after leading the Bayou Bengals to the national title. Wow. No regrets
...Utterly disappointed; I'm sad Army couldn't pull the upset at Wisconsin last week. I'm more sad that Army threw the ball six times. That's just way too many times. SMH.
...The excitement is building; Can you feel it? The big UTSA-UTEP showdown is only weeks away.
...Rock bottom prices; According to ESPN, you can get tickets for the Washington at Arizona game this week for nine bucks a pop.
...Pac 12 after noon?; Yes, there is a Friday night game in the Pac 12 this week, but all five Saturday Pac 12 contests kickoff before the sun sets in the west. Three games are at 12:30 pm and two are at 4:30 pm Pacific Daylight Time. Whoa.
...Walker is a runner; Michigan State RB Kenneth Walker III is the leading ground gainer in the FBS with 997 yards rushing in seven games.
...The Visor is ice cold; Not only did Lane Kiffin keep himself and his team cool during the whole incident at Neyland Stadium, he calmly caught the last thing thrown at him as he exited while his security forces ducked around him. Then later, he tweeted his clutch catch back into the face of Volunteer fans. Throwing Savage Shade
Pac 12 Overreactions
Arizona will embarrass somebody instead of themselves one week.
Washington will loose the Apple Cup.
ASU still has another embarrassing loss coming up.
Cal will beat Stanford unless Mel Mothershed's crew is reffing the game.
USC shocked the experts and didn't lose to the bye week, but I hear that result is under further review.
Wazzu HC Nick Rolovich will last longer in Pullman than anybody thinks.
UCLA won't lose to Oregon.
Oregon State is Holiday Bowl bound.
Utah will play the no-respect card to a berth in the Pac 12 title game.
Colorado is happy for an FBS win.
Stanford wonders if Mel Mothershed has ghosted them .
Oregon will start telling their team that kickoffs are an hour earlier than scheduled.
Ugly Uniform of the Week
The Florida Gators win for this all-orange look they wore at LSU. They may call them throwbacks with some fondness, but the older alums don't care for that look. Way back when Charley Pell was named HC of the Gators prior to the 1979 season he changed the uniforms to this all-orange look. Pell came from Clemson and UF fans were disgusted that their team had been made to look like Clemson. This intrepid reporter isn't a fan either.
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Geneva, NY- This week's game comes from the Liberty League in D-III. The Hobart and William Smith Statesmen held on for a 10-9 win over the mighty Engineers of Renssselaer Polytechnic Institute. Nursing a 10-3 lead in the fourth quarter, the Statesmen gave up an 11-play, 48-yard drive that ended in a four-yard TD pass from RPI QB George Marinopolous to WR Vinnie McDonald. The ensuing PAT attempt was blocked by LB C.J. Calero. Hobart held the Engineers off the scoreboard the rest of the way for the win. RB Rayshawn Boswell gained 146 yards on 18 carries to power the Statesmen offense.
Blowout Game of the Week: Deborah, IA- We stay in D-III with a game in the American Rivers Conference. The Wartburg Knights walloped the Luther College Norse, 67-0. Wartburg started off the scoring a little over minute into the game with a blocked punt return for a TD that started a scoring barrage that saw the Knights take a 47-0 lead into the half. RB Hunter Clasen led all rushers with 135 yards on nine carries with a touchdown. Wartburg as a team rushed for 310 yards and six TDs. The Wartburg defense held other to -1 yard on the ground and just six first downs in the rout.
Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- Games are just not falling the Razorbacks way. Whether by bad plays, coaching decisions or poor officiating. The Hogs dropped a 38-21 game to Auburn they could have easily won. Next up for Arkansas is a cupcake game v. Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
A Farewell Note About My Dog...
This past Sunday at 6:17 PM I got the call from my daughter Julia. Our dog Trekker II died. She had a rough week or two with a fall, but seemed to be on the mend. However, she went to sleep on Sunday and never woke up. I, like the rest of the family, was devastated. Everyone who knows me, knows I was never a dog person. That part of me changed when I officially had two kids and a dog in my life when I got married in 2014. Trekker never fetched, she was a herding dog. She had a knack for stealing burgers and cookies and my heart. After my car wreck in 2015, she stayed at my side as I healed from my injuries. She made a great companion on car rides around San Juan Capistrano and for walks in the neighborhood. I never knew what the phrase,"Happier than a dog with its' head out the window", meant until I saw Trekker on our car rides. I will miss miss you pups. I hope you are now in a place where your head is out the window and you have plenty of burgers to eat and green grass to run on. Rest peacefully, my big hearted friend.
Trekker II 2010-2021
Until next week folks remember that things change, sometimes in ways you weren't really ready for.
-The Commissioner
