Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Week Thirteen

 Hey All,

The regular season ended for just about everyone last Saturday.  Time to look back on the last full slate of games for 2021 with another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Mel Durslag.

Summaries 

BYU 35- USC 31: Los Angeles, CA- It was another loss, in this lost season for USC,  but the Trojans probably played their best football of the year as a team.  Now, I only have a few words left to say...

LINCOLN RILEY IS USC'S NEW HEAD COACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Utah 28- Colorado 13: Salt Lake City, UT- It was very emotional senior day at Rice-Eccles Field where the seniors present and those that had fallen were honored by the school and their fans. All those emotions might explain how the Utes found themselves trailing the Buffaloes, 3-0 to start the second quarter.  However, the Utes got their offense rolling.  Two TD passes from QB Cam Rising to TEs Brant Kuthie  and Dalton Kincaid would stake the Utes to a 14-6 half-time lead.  A lead they would never relinquish.  However, it did look al little dicey when KR Nikko Reed to the kickoff to open the third quarter back 100-yards to put CU down just 14-13 with a lot of time left to play.  The Utah defense shutout the the Buffs the rest of way to ensure the win.  RB Tavion Thomas ran for a 12-yard touchdown and Rising threw another TD pass, this time to WR Britain Covey, to cap off the scoring in the third period. The last period was a glorified scrimmage.  Rising finished the game with 179 yards passing and three TDs, while RBs Thomas and T.J Pledger combined for 245 yards rushing and a TD on 38 carries. 
Telling Stat: 29 +51 = Second half dominance;  The Utah defense held Colorado to a feeble 51 total yards on 29 plays in the second half. That's a nifty 1.75 yards per play. 

Washington State 40- Washington 13: Seattle, WA- Nine years.  It had been nine long years since the Apple Cup had taken up residence in Pullman. The Cougars came out with their interim HC and whipped the Huskies with their interim HC.  Then the Cougars faithful rushed the field, danced on the W in Husky Stadium while planting the WSU flag in the process.  The Cougs never trailed, putting up double digits every quarter while the Wazzu defense held the Dawgs offense in check all night.  WSU RB Max Borghi had himself another great night, slashing through he Huskies for 129 yards and two TDs on 22 carries.  Borghi's teammate, QB Jayden de Laura, completed  27 of 32 passes for 245 yards.  For UW, true frosh QB Sam Huard got his first start ever and it was one to forget.  Huard completed 17 of 31 passes for 190 yards, a touchdown and four huge interceptions. The last one was the final nail in the Dawgs coffin as it was returned 28 yards for a touchdown by DB Armani Marsh. 
Telling Stat: A wall as big as the Cascades;  Washington State's defense made Washington a one-dimensional team.  They held the Dawgs to just 10 yards rushing.  That turned the Cougars loose to make UW QB Sam Huard's first start into a nightmare.  

Notre Dame 45- Stanford 14: Palo Alto, CA- Nobody expected much out of this matchup from the Cardinal and they lived down to those expectations.  The Fighting Irish pretty much did what they wanted to do on offense while their defense kept the Cardinal easily at bay.  ND QB Jack Coan sliced up the Stanford secondary, completing 26 of 35 aerials for 345 yards, two TDs and an interception.  RB Kyren Williams had one of his lesser days, but still managed to gain 74 yards and score two TDs on 19 carries for ND. For the hapless Cardinal, QB Tyler McKee completed 20 of 25 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown.
Telling Stat: 45/511 Workmanlike;  ND put up 45 points and 511 yards on Stanford like they were getting in a light scrimmage against Las Positas College of Livermore.  ND is very good, but Stanford has fallen off the map. 

Oregon 38- Oregon State 29: Eugene, OR- Wazzu's beatdown of UW eliminated the Beavers from the Pac 12 North race.  Couple that with Oregon's desire to get another crack at the Utah team that embarrassed them one week earlier and you have the recipe for a win for the Webfoots in the latest edition of the rivalry formerly known as the Civil War.  In opposite form of most of their games this year, the Quacks came out quick and went up 14-0 on the before some folks had even settled into their seats at Autzen Stadium.  UO would go into the break up 24-3 thanks to TD runs of 20 and 10  yards from RB Travis Dye and QB Anthony Brown, a 36-yard field goal from PK Camden Lewis and a 50-yard TD pass from Brown to WR Devin Williams. OSU showed some signs of life when TE Luke Musgrave snagged a four-yard TD pass from QB Chance Nolan for the only score of the third period.  OSU's offense finally woke up for real in the final period putting up three TDs, but the Ducks tacked on two more TDs also to keep the game out of reach. Brown completed 23 of 28 passes for 275 yards and two TDs.  Dye led all rushers with 99 yards on 20 carries and two scores. Nolan threw for 308 yards, two TDs and an interception in the loss. 
Telling Stat: Dammed up Beavers.  After being run over, around and through by Utah last week, the Ducks defense limited the Beavers to just 85 yards rushing en route to their bounce back victory.

UCLA 42- California 14: Pasadena, CA- This was a battle of the main branches of the University of California system.  It was a also a battle to see which team handled beating their main rival last week and was prepared to win again this week.  After a sluggish first half, the bRuins ran away and hid from the Golden Bears in the second half.  Up 17-14 to start the third quarter, UCLA's defense clamped down on Cal while their offense scored on four straight drives to put the game away. A 29-yard pass from QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson to TE Greg Dulcich, a 46-yard FG from PK Nicholas Barr-Mira, a one-yard blast from RB Zach Charbonnet and a four pass from Thompson-Robinson to WR Kyle Phillips accounted for the second half scoring explosion. Thompson-Robinson threw for 164 yards three TDs and also rushed for 102 yards to lead the bRuins attack.  As for Cal, QB Chase Garbers completed 16 of 31 passes for a 125 yards and two interceptions in the losing effort. 
Telling Stat: 2nd half freeze out;  UCLA held Cal off the scoreboard in the second half. In fact, 74 of the 88 yards Cal gained in the final two periods came on their final drive that stalled on the bRuins one-yard line with 2:45 to play and the game long decided.

Arizona State 38- Arizona 15: Tempe, AZ- The Territorial Cup stays in Tempe as the Sun Devils handed UofA their 11th loss of the year. The win was the Sun Devils fifth in a row over the Wildcats. 
ASU held a 14-9 lead at the break, but outscored the Wildcats 24-6 in the second half to claim the victory. ASU QB Jayden Daniels didn't pile up a lot of yardage but he did find the end zone three times.  He completed 10 of 14 tosses for 86 yards and two TDs while also rushing for 86 yards on 10 carries and another score. Former USC DB Jack Jones sealed the game for ASU when he picked off UofA QB Will Plummer and took it back 87 yards for a touchdown.  Plummer finished the day with 346 yards passing, one TD and that soul-crushing interception. 
Telling Stat: 2+2= L;  Arizona owned a lot of statistical categories in this game, but committing two more penalties than ASU (12-10) and being -2 in the turnovers lost this game for the Wildcats.

Cranberry Crushers 7- Tough Turkeys 0: San Pedro, CA- After a great Thanksgiving meal, some stuffed and not so great athletes clashed for the first time in three years at Yube Ursich Field.  It was a true defensive struggle with neither offense doing much in a scoreless first half.  The Cranberry Crushers notched the only score of the game midway through the second half.  QB Robert Weissler hit WR Margaret Lenker with a pass just shy of the goal line. Lenker did the rest, scampering the last two yards for the score.  The Tough Turkeys did have one last shot after forcing a late punt, but never got the ball snapped as the clock ran out. Margaret Lenker's TD reception and two interceptions earned her MVP honors.  
Telling Stat: 1 is fun; It was the first backyard Thanksgiving game in three years and it was a lot of  fun

Special Section: Lincoln Riley comes to USC

As he stood atop the Scholarship Tower at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, most Trojans fans still couldn't believe it was happening.  New HC Lincoln Riley looked like he couldn't believe it either. Standing at the podium in a sharp suit and a tie that looked more OU crimson than SC cardinal Riley addressed the gathered dignitaries, media and Trojan faithful formally for the first time. He said all the right things with a blend of humor and frankness not seen in quite awhile by anyone tied to Heritage Hall. It was a moment to rejoice for USC fans for one simple reason; USC finally did something right.  If for some reason it doesn't work out for Riley at SC you can't blame AD Mike Bohn for not swinging for the fences on this hire. USC hasn't brought a coach with this high a profile into the program since Howard Jones back in 1925. That's one of the reasons why SC fans are so happy right now.  This shows that maybe the school actually cares about football. This hire also sent shockwaves through the Pac 12 and greater college football landscape.  It's great being a Trojan and seeing the rest of the league flip out over the hire. The sleeping giant of the west has woken up indeed.

Here's some links about the hire...


Observations 

...From SoCal; Late season games featuring long time rivals playing in cold, snowy conditions are great to watch... from home. 

...Giving thanks;  USC owes Oklahoma State a huge thank you for beating Oklahoma.  If the Cowboys don't beat OU last Saturday,  Lincoln Riley ain't wearing Cardinal and Gold this Saturday. 

...A Jolley self-own;  Oklahoma candidate for State Treasurer, Clark Jolley fired off a tweet trying to comfort OU fans over the loss of Lincoln Riley to USC by stating how much more he'll pay in taxes by moving to California.  It didn't go over well. Pummeled

...Herm is here;  ASU has confirmed that Herm Edwards will remain as the HC of the Sun Deivls as an NCAA investigation swirls around the program.  Hmmmmm.

...Nervous quacks; Folks around Eugene are starting to worry that HC Mario Cristobal will leave for the Miami job if it opens up. 

...De-Lovely for De-Dawgs?;  It looks like Washington has come to terms with Fresno state HC Kalen DeBoer to take over the Huskies program after the dismissal of Jimmy Lake. You may have missed that one in all the Lincoln Riley hype grabbing the Pac 12 headlines. 

...Taking the heat off;  As Lincoln Riley was being vilified in Norman for leaving the Sooners for USC, Notre Dame HC Brian Kelly said, "Hold my beer." He dropped the Fighting Irish like a hot rock for the vacancy at LSU.  I guess he just wanted to turn his post season beatings from Alabama into an annual regular season event. 

...Still laughing;  Don't know how this got approved, but this message made it onto the Iowa State message board last Saturday in their game v. TCU.  The teenage boy in me is still laughing...



...Trojan Schadenfreude;  It's kind of fun to watch Oklahoma collapse, the rest of the Pac 12 meltdown and ND lose their HC after SC hired Lincoln Riley.  

...Blame it on The Tree;  Seems that Stanford has basically been the catalyst of change in college football this year.  Check out this timeline:

9/11 Stanford plays USC
9/13 USC fires Clay Helton
10/16 Stanford plays Wazuu
10/18 Wazzu fires HC Nick Rolovich
10/30 Stanford plays Washington 
11/8 UW Suspends then later fires HC Jimmy Lake
11/26 Stanford Plays ND 
11/29 ND HC Brian Kelly bolts for LSU

...Silent Valley;  Anybody notice how nobody talks about Penn State anymore?

...In our backyard; Over in Carson, California on Saturday 11-1 San Diego State will host Utah State in the Mountain West Conference title game. 

...The shine is on the Big 12 penny;  Let get this straight, the SEC is getting an Oklahoma on brink of collapse and a five win Texas team to join their league.  Meanwhile, the Big 12 is getting an 11-1 BYU, 11-1 Houston and undefeated playoff-bound Cincinnati team in return.  All I say to the SEC is quote the movie Dodgeball...



...One more, we need one more;  Moments after USC lost to BYU, USC President Carol Folt sent this tweet out forgetting that there is still a game left in the Trojans season.  Facepalm. 



Pac 12 Overreactions: George Lucas Edition 
USC fans know that Lincoln Riley may be the one to bring balance back to the force. 
The other 11 teams in the Pac 12 have just realized that they are the Imperial garrison on the second Death Star and Han just brought the shield generator down. 

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Oregon and Oregon State split the award for their TV breaking attire in their rivalry game.


Departments

Low Score Game in the Week: Worcester, MA- This game comes from the first round of the FCS playoffs.  With :14 left in regulation, the Holy Cross Crusaders got a 35-yard TD pass from QB Matthew Sluka to WR Jalen Coker to beat the Sacred Heart Pioneers, 13-10.  The win was the first ever playoff victory for the Crusaders. Sluka was the Holy Cross offense.  He complete 13 of 19 passes for 171 yards and a TD to go with 111 yards rushing on 23 carries.  The Crusaders second round opponent are the powerful Villanova Wildcats. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Golden, CO- Our source for this week's game shift to the second round of the D-II playoffs.  The mighty Orediggers of Colorado Mines worked over the Bemidji State Beavers, 55-6. The Orediggers led only 13-0 at the break but broke the game wide open with a 35 point third quarter. Orediggers QB John Matocha completed 25 of 34 tosses for 348 yards and three TDs while teammate Michael Zeman rushed for 95 yards and two TDs on 22 carries. 

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR-  It looked touch and go for awhile, but the Razorbacks grinded their way to a 34-17 win over the Missouri Tigers.  The win was the Hogs eighth on the year and brought the Battle Line Trophy back Fayetteville.  QB K.J. Jefferson was very accurate, completing 15 of 19 passes for 262 yards and a TD.  Big-bodied RB Raheim Sanders didn't rush far but he rushed well, tints the rock eight times for 21 yards and two scores.  Up next for the Hogs is a bowl game!!!!!!! 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Thanksgiving leftovers are the best meal of the whole Thanksgiving weekend.

My train set goes up this week!

I'm a little tired of the late season Santa Ana winds.

Until next time, remember that the future can go from cloudy to bright in the blink of an eye.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Week Twelve

 Hey All,

The season that will never end for USC fans keeps staggering along towards oblivion, but there are plenty of other things to enjoy about college football. Here's another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Tom Kelly. 

Summaries

UCLA 62- USC 33: Los Angeles, CA- There wasn't much faith among Trojans fans that USC could actually win this game, but many hoped that this kind of beating at the hand of the bRuins would not occur.  However, it did. It did despite what looked to be a decent effort from the Trojans through almost three quarters. With 2:09 to play in the third period, RB Vavae Malepeai bulled his way into the end zone to cut UCLA's lead to 35-26.  Suddenly things looked good for USC for about 30 seconds. USC then went for two points and failed when they didn't need to make the attempt.  The Trojans followed up that failure with a much larger gaffe when they allowed UCLA KR Kazmeir Allen to sprint 100 yards untouched for a TD on the ensuing kickoff.  Whatever momentum USC had acquired was shot and the rout was truly on.  The bRuins would put three more TDs on the board.  The most flashy one was where UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson ran15 yards to the corner of the end zone, hurdling over a hapless SC tackler along the way.  He then finished off the play by stopping to autograph a cap for a fan near the end zone. UCLA's last score was emblematic of USC's whole season.  The bRuins were content to run out the clock. They had emptied their benches and the Trojan defense still couldn't stop a simple dive play. bRuin RB Ethan Fernea raced 42-yards to paydirt to complete the humiliation.  It was a day that Thompson-Robinson will always remember.  He completed 16 of 22 passes for 349 yards and four TDs. He also ran for 46 yards on 11 carries and two more scores.  For USC, Malepeai subbed in midway through the game for injured RB Keontay Ingram and gained 49 yards on 10 carries with three TDs. 
Telling Stat: 609;  UCLA rolled up 609 of offense in what is yet another historic loss for the Trojans this historic debacle of a year.  Marv Goux must be rolling in his grave. Facepalm. 

California 41- Stanford 11: Palo Alto, CA- In the second of the two beatdowns handed out by branches of the UC system, the Golden Bears went into Stanford Stadium and took back The Axe back in the 124th edition of The Big Game. The game featured an exciting but scoreless first period that saw the Bears offense try to give the game away early, while their defense scrambled to keep it a close.  Cal turned the ball over on their first two possessions.  Stanford drove down to the goal line after those turnovers, but the Bears defense made two goal line stands to keep the Cardinal off the board.  Stanford would never seriously threaten to win the game again. Cal's offense got rolling in the second quarter with a pair of TDs.  The first one was an 84-yard pass from Cal QB Chase Garbers to WR Trevon Clark.  The second score was of the much shorter variety with Garbers throwing a one-yard pass to RB Christopher Brooks.  Then, up 14-3 in the third quarter, Cal put the game out of reach with two field goals from PK Dario Longhetto that traveled 24 and 34 yards and a back-breaker of a TD jaunt by RB Marcel Dancy that covered 76 yards up the left sideline.  Stanford would cut the score to 27-11 with a one-yard plunge by RB Austin Jones to start the fourth quarter, but Cal would find the end zone two more times to finish off the rout on a two-yard TD run from Dancy and five-yard scoring sprint from RB Chris Street.  Garbers final stats were 18 of 27 pass completions for 250 yards, two TDs and an interception, while Brooks and Dancy combined to rush for 223 yards and two TDs on just 17 carries. As for the Cardinal, QB Tanner McKee comforted 26 of 43 passes for 239 yards and two interceptions. 
Telling Stat: They dialed long distance; Cal scored on drives that covered 95, 80, 69, 81, 80 and 60 yards to win The Big Game.  

Washington State 44- Arizona 18: Pullman, WA- The Cougars kept their Pac 12 title hopes alive in a rout of a game that saw both teams disappear in a thick Friday night Pullman fog.  WSU RB Max Borghi got the scoring underway in the first period with a 26-yard TD run.  The Cougs kept their foot on the gas pedal for the next two quarters, building up a 37-7 lead on another Borghi TD run, a blocked punt for a safety and three TD passes from QB Jayden de Laura. UofA mounted a mini-comeback cutting their deficit to 37-18 with 12:16 left in the fourth quarter, but de Laura threw another TD pass.  This one was a 78-yarder to WR Calvin Jackson, Jr. to put the game firmly in the Wazzu win column.  de Laura threw for 259 yards and four TDs while Borghi had arguably his best game and it came on Senior Night.  He carried the ball 16 times for 139 yards with two TDs. 
Telling Stat: They ran to win;  That's not often said about Wazzu, but their 223 yards rushing on 36 carries kept the Wildcats defense off balance all night. 

Utah 38- Oregon 7: Salt Lake City, UT- It was supposed to be the next step for #3 Oregon on their way to the College Football Playoff, instead it may be the Quacks first step towards the Alamo Bowl.  The Ducks did their sleepwalking routine to start yet another game and Utah punished them for it.  Utah also beat up on the Quacks for a full 60 minutes with the Utes OL and DL vying for the hardest hits. UO's defense had no answer for Utah RB Tavion Thomas.  Thomas shredded the Webfoots scoring two TDs in the first half on runs of 10 yards and four yards.  Throw in a one-yard run form QB Cam Rising and the Utes held a 21-0 lead.  Utah then broke the Oregon's spirit on the ensuing drive.  WR Brittain Covey took the punt from UO's Tom Snee on his own and left 11 Quacks in his wake as he scampered 78 yards for a TD that gave Utah a 28-0 lead at the half. The second half looked like a glorified scrimmage with the Utes defense continuing their domination of the Oregon offense. Thomas led all rushers with 94 yards on 21 carries and three TDs.  Fort the Men of Oregon, QB Anthony Brown completed 17 of 35 aerials for 231 yards and a TD in the bitter loss. 
Telling Stat: 7:52;  The Pac 12 playoff hopes died on 11/20/2021 at 7:52 PM Pacific Standard Time. 

Colorado 20- Washington 17: Boulder, CO- It was a great day for the Colorado defense.  I don't think I've ever written that sentence.  However, it was as they carried the Buffaloes to a win over the Dawgs. CU started of the game well, jumping out to a 10-0 lead on a 35-yard FG from PK Cole Becker and an 88-yard fumble return for a touchdown by LB Jack Lamb. The second quarter was all Washington.  The Huskies sent the game to the half tied at 10-10 on a 30-yard FG from PK Peyton Henry and an eight yard TD pass from QB Dylan Morris to WR Rome Odunze. The third quarter was scoreless, but the Buffs defense asserted itself by picking off a pass, forcing a missed FG and recovering a fumble. It was the fumble late in the third that would set up more points for the moribund CU offense.  The Husky fumble was recovered on the Dawgs seven-yard line.  CU couldn't cash it in for a TD, but did get a 22-yard FG to go up 13-10 with 14:35 left in the game.  The Dawgs drove down to the CU 28-yard line on the ensuing drive and it looked like they would take the lead when the Buffs defense struck again and picked off Morris' pass in the end zone.  Starting their next drive on their own 10-yard due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the interception, Colorado drove 90 yards in 14 plays to take a 20-10 lead.  QB Brendan Lewis crossed the double stripe from two yards out for the score. UW kept fighting and made this game tight when Morris connected with WR Ja'Lynn Polk fora 55-yard scoring strike to cut CU's lead to 20-17.  The Huskies defense then stopped the Buffaloes on their next drive to get one more shot to win the game, but the Colorado defense forced four straight incompletions to seize victory. Lewis was the Colorado offense, if you could call it that, completing 14 of 25 tosses for 112 yard. He also ran 30 yards and a TD on six carries.  For the hard luck Huskies, Morris complete 33 of 53 passes for 387 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. 
Telling Stat; Turnovers kill;  Washington dominated this game in almost every statistical category but one.  They were -4 four in turnovers and that is what cost them this game. 

Oregon State 24- Arizona State 10: Corvallis, OR- Scoreboard watching by both teams prior to kickoff set the tone for this game. As Utah finished working over Oregon two things became clear.  ASU's Pac 12 title hopes had died and Oregon State's were still alive.  The Beavers then played this game like it mattered and ASU didn't.  Oregon State built up a 17-0 half-time advantage with their rushing attack that featured RB B.J. Baylor and LB/RB/QB Jack Colletto.  ASU did manage to hang around in this game and even cut OSU's lead to 17-10 early in the fourth period, but a seemingly disinterested approach that featured many missed assignments and penalties ensured defeat for Sun Devils.  ASU's final offensive sequence summed their efforts up well.  Facing a 3rd and 7 at their own 49-yard line, the Sun Devils committed two straight false starts, gave up a sack and then threw an incomplete pass to kill their final drive. Baylor had a fine night rushing for 150 yards on 20 carries while Colletto ran the ball six times for 57 yards and a TD. Beavers QB Chance Nolan completed 12 of 18 passes for 90 yards and a TD. For the Sun Devils, QB Jayden Daniels completed 16 of 27 passes for 166 yards and an interception.
Telling Stat: An almost game;  ASU almost made two field goals, almost converted on many third downs, almost completed passes, almost blocked well and almost tackled which led to the Sun Devils almost winning the game.  

Observations

...Tex-what?;  According to former Longhorn Brian Jones, big donors are forcing Texas HC Steve Sarkisian to play certain players because of their race.  Sark and Texas AD Chris Del Conte vehemently deny the accusations made by Jones.  What color are the Eyes of Texas?

...Dad got traded;  I have a younger cousin who played minor league baseball. He did play long enough to be put on a baseball card. I have that card, but his eight-year old son doesn't have that card anymore. He traded the card of his dad for a dog-eared, beat up Mike Trout card.  I think that kid that might get a lump of coal in his stocking this year, but at least his dad can now say he was once traded for Mike Trout. 

...Extremes;  Wazzu could either in end up in the Rose Bowl or the Sun Bowl. Wow. 

...Almost a sesquicentennial; 11/30 will mark the 145th anniversary of the first collegiate football game ever played on Thanksgiving. That day Yale defeated Princeton, 2-0 in front of an estimated 1,000 fans on a cold, rainy day in Hoboken, New Jersey. Then again, isn't every day cold and rainy in Hoboken?

...He's gone;  Florida fired HC Dan Mullen the day after the Gators were beaten by Missouri, 24-23 in overtime.  Hit the road, Dan

...Brutal stat: Stanford has rushed for 992 yards as team this season, The Cardinal defense has given up 1,011 rushing yards in their last three games alone.

...Speaking of bad defenses;  USC's defense is the worst Trojan defense in at least 60 years and maybe ever. How bad are they?  Well, every Pac 12 team that has come to the Coliseum has amassed their highest single-game point total this year. Yes, even Arizona.

...As expected; Redlands got smacked for a second time by Linfield, this time it was a 44-10 loss to end their season. 

...Twice just ain't cool; It's very possible that Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will play each other this week in their rivalry game and the next week in the Big 12 title game. Sigh. Here's the Big 12 title game scenarios.  Twice?

...Hornets own the Big Sky; With their 24-7 win over UC Davis in the Yolo County Causeway Classic, the Sacramento State Hornets are your 2021 Big Sky Conference Champions.  The Hornets went undefeated in league play and are 9-2 overall with one of their two losses being to Cal, 42-30. Sac State has a bye for the first round of the FCS playoffs and will host the winner of the game between UC Davis and South Dakota State in the second round.  

...ACC three;  While Pitt has made it to the ACC title game, their opponent could be either Wake Forest, Boston College or Clemson.  Here's the scenarios. Three for One

...Doing his old team a solid;  Utah RB Tavion Thomas' three touchdown performance helped kill Oregon's playoff hopes.  However, he also helped his old team's chances for the playoff as well.  Thomas is on the Utah roster as a transfer from... Cincinnati. 

...About 30 minutes early;  The football season for Howard University and Virginia-Lynchburg ended near halftime of their game due to a bench clearing brawl. Howard was up 56-6 with 1:17 left in the second quarter when the fight took place. Game officials ended the game at that point. Frustration and fists

..Big Ten possibilities;  Heres' the skinny on who might face TheeeOSU in the Big Ten title game.  Yes, Michigan could still win the Big Ten East, but seriously folks, USC has a better chance at bowl eligibility this year. Wild Wild Big Ten West

...Rivalry time;  Yes, it has been that time of year for football rivalry games and usually when books like 66 years on the California Gridiron: 1882-1948 get read through once again by this intrepid reporter.

...They quietly made noise; UTEP is 7-4 and going bowling this year.  HC Dana Dimel has done a pretty great job in El Paso.  UTEP is hoping for their first bowl victory since they beat Ole Miss 14-7 in the 1967 Sun Bowl.

...A reverse by the DC;  Most retirement age folks move away from the cold, but Arizona DC Don Brown is leaving Tucson. He's returning to UMass to be the HC of the Minutemen a second time. Brown is a Massachusetts native and is 66 years old, so this may be his retirement gig.  

...A sideline show; The fog was so bad in Pullman last Friday that most of the game was shown from field level sideline cameras because the overhead and end zone cameras were rendered useless. 

...Ivy is green after all;  The Big Green of Dartmouth clinched the Ivy League football title with a 52-31 win at Brown.  However, the Big Green won't be playing in the FCS playoffs because Ivy League football teams don't get to do that while every other one of their sports do get that privilege.  They think they are special that way. Facepalm.

...That rumbling sound;  Big man with skills time. Watch UMass-Dartmouth OL Tyler Gmyr grab the backwards pass and rumble his way into the end zone in the Corsairs, 42-16 win over Alfred State.

...Thanks, Larry; Wazzu, Oregon and Oregon State all have a shot at the Pac 12 North title, wouldn't it be great if the two games featuring these teams were played at the same time?  The Pac 12 can't even get them on the same day.  The Apple Cup is this Friday while the game formerly known as the Civil War will be played on Saturday.  Leisure Suit Larry Scott still sucks. 

...Historic fatigue;  USC fans have heard the term "Historic" associated with so many losses this season, it's lost its' impact on the fan base. 

Pac 12 Overreactions 

USC will finish 4-8 and everyone will wonder how they even won four games.
Wazzu fans are dreaming of wearing t-shirts that read 2021 Pac 12 North Champions.
Oregon is Alamo Bowl bound.
Arizona will beat ASU.
I hope OSU wears 1965 Rose Bowl throwbacks if they make it to Pasadena. 
Most ASU undergrads think the Territorial Cup is an athletic supporter.
Colorado will scare Utah.
Utah still has no passing game, but they don't really need one.
Cal will beat UCLA this week because well, this is the Pac 12.
Washington has a defense in search of on an offense.
Stanford's upcoming loss to Notre Dame will be uglier than their loss to Utah.
UCLA will play Michigan State in the Holiday Bowl. 

Cool Uniform of the Week

Oregon State gets the nod for their 2001 Fiesta Bowl throwback uniforms. The 2001 Fiesta Bowl team was inducted into the OSU Hall of Fame last weekend.  It's not often that the Beavers have something to celebrate on the gridiron, so let's celebrate with them!



Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Pocatello, ID- This week's game comes from the Big Sky Conference in the FCS.  A pair of short TD runs by FB Trase Le Sexier and QB Zach Borisch in the first quarter put Idaho up 14-0 over Idaho State.  Oh, and that would be all the scoring there was in this 14-0 Idaho victory. Oddly, this game was the last game for both HCs.  Paul Petrine of Idaho and Rob Phenicie were both relieved of their coaching duties prior to this game. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Alliance, OH- The Mt. Union Purple Raiders started their annual D-III playoff run with a 52-0 thrashing of the Washington & Lee Generals. Purple Raider QB Braxton Plunk completed 27 of 37 passes for 368 yards and five TDs on the afternoon. The Mt. Union defense held the Generals to a measly three first downs and 100 total yards. 

Razorback Report: Tuscaloosa, AL- Speaking of great passing, Alabama QB Bryce Young sliced and diced the Razorbacks defense.  He completed 31 of 40 passes for 559 yards and five TDs in the Crimson Tide's 42-35 win over the Hogs.  The Hogs can take solace in the fact that they put 35 points on Bama.  QB K.J. Jefferson there for 326 yards and three scores in the tough loss. Up next for the boys from Fayetteville is a home date with those Gator hunters from Missouri to finish the regular season.  

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

The mix of cool, foggy days and warm days filled with Santa Ana winds is always weird this time of year.

I miss the days when you could buy a box of Topps football cards for $3.60.

I look forward more to Thanksgiving leftovers than the actual Thanksgiving meal.

Until next week folks, I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Week Eleven

Hey All,

The College football regular season has entered the home stretch. Here's another look back at the week that was with this latest edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Loel Schrader.  

Summaries 

USC at California- Postponed to 12/4:  With all the news and rumors that went on about this game, here's the skinny on the situation.  Cal should have forfeited to USC due to a lack of players available because of COVID-19 positives in the program. USC agreed to waive the forfeit and play the game at a later date. The Pac 12 approved the reschedule because they don't have to give back the TV money lost due to forfeit.  

UCLA 44- Colorado 20: Pasadena, CA- Among the story lines featured in this game are UCLA's quest for bowl eligibility and the return of Colorado HC Karl Dorrell to the Rose Bowl sidelines.  For the first half, Colorado controlled the game, building a 20-10 halftime advantage on two FGs by PK Cole Becker that covered 23 and 40 yards and a pair of one-yard TD blasts by RB Alex Fontenot. The usually cool Chip Kelly let the refs and his players have it several times as the bRuins looked to be locked into a loss to the boys form Boulder.  Then a funny thing happened in the second half, UCLA remembered that they were UCLA and that Colorado was well... Colorado.  The bRuins blitzed the Buffs, 34-0 in the second half to claim bowl eligibility for the first time in the Chip Kelly era, and ruin Dorrell's homecoming. Leading the way was RB Zach Charbonnet who found paydirt three times on short jaunts to go with another TD run by QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a 82-yard punt return TD from WR Kyle Phillips. Charbonnet and Robinson combined for 26 carries and 166 yards and three scores.  Thompson-Robinson also threw for 257 yards with an interception.  CU's Jarek Broussard led all rushers with 108 yards on 16 carries in the loss.
Telling Stat: Sputter dooms Buffs;  UCLA's defense shutout Colorado in the second half, forcing three punts, a fumble and holding for downs once to pave the way for bowl eligibility. 
 
Utah 38- Arizona 29: Tucson, AZ- Did Utah get caught looking ahead to Oregon next week?  Maybe, they also came into the game down top RB Tavion Thomas who missed the game with the always vague "lower body" injury.  Throw in a pesky bunch of Wildcats off their first win in forever and this was game that turned out to be closer than expected.  Utah QB Cam Rising opened the scoring on an 11-yard TD run to cap off the Utes first drive of the game.  Surprisingly, Arizona answered back with a 43-yard TD run by QB Will Plummer. The teams traded blows through the rest of the half with Utah taking a 21-20 lead into the intermission. The Utes would never trail in the second half. However, UofA did put a good scare into the Utes due to a huge special teams play. The Wildcats were trailing, 31-23 when they forced the Utes to punt from their own 28-yard line.  The Wildcats broke through the line and blocked the punt.  UofA DB Rhedi Short recovered the ball at the three-yard line and took it in for a touchdown.  The Wildcats would go on to miss the two-point conversion, but still stood within striking distance down just 31-29 with 10:34 to play.  The Utes needed a big drive to put away the game and they got it.  Utah burned 8:24 off the clock on a drive that lasted 15 plays and covered 75 yards to claim victory. RB T.J. Pledger did the honors rumbling through the tired Wildcats defense from two-yards out for the game-clinching score. The Utah defense then held UofA for downs on the next drive and the game was over.  For Utah, Pledger led all rushers with 119 yards on 25 carries and a pair of scores. Rising had a good game for Utah, completing 19 of 30 tosses for 294 yards and two TDs. Will Plummer was the offense for the Wildcats completing 19 of 34 passes for 223 yards and a TD to go with 50 yards rushing on 10 carries and another score. 
Telling Stat: One big drive;  Utah's final scoring drive that chewed 8:24 off the clock killed any hopes of an Arizona upset in this way too close for comfort win for the Utes. 

Oregon State 35- Stanford 14: Corvallis, OR-  The Cardinal had won their last eleven games at OSU.  The Cardinal also were without the services of QB Connor McKee again this week due to injury.  He and the rest of the Cardinal watched that streak fall by the wayside under the gray Corvallis skies. A trio of inexperienced Stanford QBs were no match for the Beavers defense.  Stanford's defense did keep the game in check for awhile, but they gradually wore down as the Beavers pounded out the ball with their rushing attack.  The Beavers took a 14-0 lead into the half on 4-yard TD scamper from QB Chance Nolan and a two-yard scoring run from the multiple position playing Jack Colletto.  The Beavers added a 67-yard scoring strike from Nolan to WR Trevon Bradford and a six-yard TD blast by RB B.J. Baylor in the third quarter. Stanford did get on the board as well in the period with an 8-yard pass from QB Ari Patu to TE Benjamin Yurosek. Oregon State extended their lead to 35-7 in the final frame when TE Teagan Quitoriano hauled in a five-yard toss from Nolan.  Stanford got a final cosmetic score late when RB Nathaniel Peat broke through OSU's second stringers for an 18-yard score.  Nolan spearheaded the OSU attack completing 19 of 25 passes for 257 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 29 yards seven carries and another touchdown. Stanford once again had no real offense to speak of.  Patu completed seven of 14 passes for 51 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Telling Stat: The moved the chains; Oregon State racked up 29 first downs, made 11 of 26 3rd down conversions and two of three 4th down conversions to control the ball, the clock and the game. 

Arizona State 35- Washington 30: Seattle, WA- What turned out to be the first game for the Huskies in the post Jimmy Lake era as well as DC Bob Gregory's first game as the interim HC started out pretty well, but faded quickly like like Seattle sunshine.  UW had jumped out to an early 14-0 lead on a pair of three-yard TD runs by QB Dylan Morris and RB Cameron Davis. UW managed to hold onto the lead and still led 24-14 to start the final period.  One major factor that led to the Huskies late lead was that the ASU offense just seemed to be doing everything but the one thing they can do well, which is run the ball with RB Rachaad White and QB Jayden Daniels. The fourth quarter started and ASU leaned on their rushing game.  The result was that ASU closed the game with a 21-6 run to pick up their seventh win of the season.  White ran through the Dawgs for 184 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns, with Daniels rushing for 56 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.  For the Dawgs, Morris competed 16 of 28 passes for 151 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Telling Stat: They owned the fourth quarter;  ASU held the ball for 12:04 to start the final quarter, scoring two rushing TDs and getting an interception return for a TD to take the game from the Huskies. 

Oregon 38- Washington State 24: Eugene, OR- So, the marquee game of the week for the Pac 12 kicked off when most of the country wasn't around to see it... as usual.  Man, I hate Larry Scott. It was the marquee game because Wazzu has handed Oregon some pretty huge losses over the last few years.  Could the Cougs derail the Ducks and watch the Pac 12's playoffs hopes die in the cold Oregon night?  No, but it was still entertaining to watch.  The teams traded off playing well in the first half with the Quacks going up 14-0 in the first period only to have the Cougs own the second quarter.  Their two TDs sent the game to the half tied at 14-14.  Oregon's defense stifled WSU in the third period, holding them to 33 yards and zero points. UO's offense scored 10 in the third frame to go up 24-14.  The fourth quarter started with the guys who are supposed to be wearing emerald green and lemon yellow poised to put the game away at the Wazzu 10-yard line. UO QBAnthony Brown took the next snap and took off for the goal line.  He was forced to fumble by Cougars DB George Hicks III. Fellow DB Jaylen Watson grabbed the ball and returned it out to the 50-yard line. The play was reviewed and the fumble call was upheld.  UO was not happy as they thought Brown had crossed the goal before the strip.  One of the main factors that worked into the call being upheld was that the replay crew did not have a normal number of camera angles to review the play. Why was that?  ESPN staffed the game with a skeleton crew and had only six cameras in the stadium when usually there are 12. You can read about ESPN skimping on the Pac 12 coverage here. not even in HD Now, as for how the game turned out, Wazzu got a field goal out of the drive which cut UO's lead to 24-17 with 8:31 to play. Oregon then put the game away with two TDs wrapped around a WSU interception. The Cougs got a late score to make the result look closer than it was.  Brown threw for 135 yards and a TD, but the Ducks rushing attack won this game.  Brown, RBs Byron Cardwell and Jermaine Dye combined to rush for 309 yards on 44 carries with four touchdowns. QB Jayden de Laura completed 20 of 36 passes for 280 yards, two TDs and two interceptions for the Cougars in defeat. 
Telling Stat: The big one at the right time;  Oregon DB Bryan Addison picked off his first pass of the year late in fourth quarter to keep the Quacks in the playoff hunt.  

Observations

...No roses for Pac 12;  That is possible.  Let's say Oregon beats Utah this week and OSU next week.  Now add in a Utah win over Colorado on 11/26.  That would set up an Oregon-Utah rematch in the Pac 12 title game. An Oregon win would most likely send the Ducks to the college football playoff and leave the second place Utes with an 8-5 record. Unless there's a legal agreement that this intrepid reporter hasn't read yet, why would the Rose Bowl take an 8-5 team? 

...Two more gone;  Florida International fired HC Butch Davis and VaTech just canned HC Justin Fuente. Davis was never gonna win at FIU because nobody does, but Fuente was a rising star when took the VaTech job.  DavisFuente

...Nary a mention; Notre Dame is 9-1 and nobody cares.  

...No favors given;  Good news: SCIAC champion Redlands has made the D-III playoffs. Bad news: The Bulldogs travel to undefeated Linfield who handed Redlands their only loss, a 52-10 beatdown at Redlands back in September. 

...Not a misprint; With a win at Clemson this Saturday, Wake Forest would clinch the ACC Atlantic Division crown and go into their final game of the regular season at 10-1.

...California Clashes;  The two rivalry games of California portion of the Pac 12 will be played this week as UCLA travels across town to USC and Cal heads to Palo Alto to fight it out with Stanford. 

...Stone cold move;  Baylor HC Dave Aranda's decision to call timeout and put another three points on the board on an already beaten Oklahoma will be long remembered by the Sooners.  Those same Sooners that conveniently forget how many times they've run up the score on others. 

...He's gone; Most folks figured UW HC Jimmy Lake's suspension for this last weekend was just the first step towards firing him.  That was true and he is officially gone after 13 games at the helm of the Huskies. Only one Washington HC has coached fewer games before leaving Seattle in the last 100 years. Darrell Royal was the HC for the Huskies in 1956 before bolting for Texas.  13 and done

...Mariners holiday;  With a resounding, 49-14 victory, the United States Merchant Marine Academy defeated the Coast Guard Academy to retain possession of the Secretaries' Cup. 

...From disbelief to Joy in seconds;  Here's the radio call of Texas Tech's 62-yard winning FG over Iowa State. He Made It!!!! 

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that the SEC is trying to rescind the invitations to Texas and Oklahoma to join the conference. 

...This just in; Stanford stinks.

...Everyone needs a good mechanic; Pittsburg State long snapper comes through in the clutch or should we say hose?  A practical major

...Worthless but fun;  If you need some worthless paper in your life, the Green Bay Packers are offering up ownership shares.  For 300 bucks a share you can have a piece of paper that says you are an owner of the team.  Go! Pack! Go!

...They got their bowling shoes; UCLA is bowl eligible for the first time in the Chip Kelly era. It only took 1,449 days to achieve that goal. 

...Claim your L's SEC style;  This video had me laughing hard.  I hope y'all do too. L's can be fun

...Speaking of Darrell Royal;  After their devastating 57-56 OT loss at home to Kansas, Texas has lost five games in a row for the first time since 1956. That happens to be the year before Darell Royal took over the Longhorns.

...The Street sign is Sagehen property;  Pomon-Pitzer beat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 24-10 to claim the Sixth Street trophy.  The five Claremont Colleges field two football teams with two different home stadiums. That makes them the two closest rivals in any level of football.  They sit closer together than USC-UCLA, Rice-Houston or even Ouachita Baptist and Henderson State. 


CFL Update
The last week of the regular season is at hand north of the border. My favorite team, the Edmonton Elks, (formerly Eskimos), are 2-10 and last in the West division by a fair margin. However, the Elks are ending the season with a bang, playing three road games in seven days thanks to the rescheduling of a game that was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols back in August.  So, the Elks lost last Sunday at Saskatchewan, will play at Toronto on 16th and then at British Columbia on Friday, the 19th. As for the playoffs, the full bracket will be known after this long week's games.  However, it is hard to not pick the 13-2 Winnipeg Blue Bombers to take home the Grey Cup. 3 in 7 Whoa!

Pac 12 Overreactions 
USC needed a week off, but I doubt they used it wisely.
Arizona will win the Territorial Cup.
Cal will find a way to lose their final three games.
Utah is not going to the Rose Bowl.
Oregon will still sleepwalk into another loss.
ASU might finally realize that they run the ball well.
UCLA is happy to be bowl eligible.
Colorado is just a 3-9 team.
Wazzu is still happy that Nick Rolovich is gone. 
Oregon State will get the dreaded Sun Bowl bid.
Stanford should just drop football.
Washington will lose the Apple Cup.

Ugly Uniform of the Week: Tennessee wins for going to the all-black uniforms v. Georgia.  Volunteer Orange is one of the iconic colors of college football. Why screw it up? Also why wear black against a team where black is truly one of their school colors?  SMH.


Departments 

Low Score Game of the Week: North Manchester, IN- This week's game comes from the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference of D-III.  In the battle for the Bronze Ball, the Manchester University Spartans defeated the Anderson University Ravens, 3-0.  PK Andrew Kilber's 39-yard FG with 12:58 to play provided the margin of victory.  The Manchester defense deserves a great deal of credit for the win.  The surrendered a lot of yards, but forced five Anderson turnovers to keep that 0 on the scoreboard. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Olivet, MI- We stay in the D-III ranks, but move over to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association where the Olivet University Comets destroyed the Finlandia University Lions, 79-6.  The Comets set school records for total offense with 689 yards and rushing yards with 531. RB Cortaveon Barnett had the game of his life, rushing for 326 yards and four TDs on just 11 carries.  That's a gaudy 29.6 yards per carry. Barnett's 326 yards are also a single-game record for Olivet. Oh, an PK Sam Rose made all 11 PATs he attempted to set a single-game record as well for the Comets too.

Razorback Report: Baton Rouge, LA- It was a brawl in bayou and the Razorbacks came out on top for a 16-13 OT win to reclaim the Golden Boot trophy.  Trailing 10-3 in the third quarter, Razorback QB K.J. Jefferson hit a wide open TE Dominique Johnson for a 43-yard touchdown to tie the game.  After the teams traded FGs, the game went to OT tied at 13 a piece.  LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier was intercepted in the end zone in the Tigers haft of OT.  Four plays later, Hogs PK Cam Little split the uprights from 37 yards out for the win. Up next for the Razorbacks is a trip to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. 

This Week's Three Things About Nothing...

There's something reassuring about being in one of the cars leaving for family dinner on Sunday afternoon. That's my kind of rush hour. 

Hershey's has made a nine inch pie-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Wow. 

Can't wait to get my train set up and running for the holidays.

Until next time folks remember that a bye week is only a good thing if you win the next game coming out of it.

-The Commissioner

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Week Ten

Hey All,

It was a lightly regarded slate of games in college football, but there was still excitement, thrills, elation and despair as there is in every other week of the season.  Let's take a look back with another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries 

Arizona State 31- USC 16: Tempe, AZ- USC followed nearly the same script for this game as they did against Notre Dame and ended up with the identical score too.  USC, minus all-world WR Drake London, just couldn't generate enough offense in what was a very winnable game. Despite sputtering and flailing all over the field, the Trojans trailed just 17-16 heading into the final period. ASU was no great shakes either, with their offense looking rather poor in the passing game, but they did run the ball well.  It was when ASU finally discovered that could rely on the run that they took control of the game.  The Sun Devils ran all over the Trojans in the final quarter, putting up two TDs to claim victory.  USC had no answer for ASU RB Rachaad White. White ran over, around ands through the Trojans for 202 yards and three TDs on 28 carries. USC used two QBs with Kedon Slovis and Jaxson Dart rotating in and out on different possessions.  It was obvious that the team moved better worth Dart, but that wasn't a significantly better thing.  The two combined to go 24 of 45 for 220 yards and two interceptions.  Dart did run for USC's lone TD.  This was a dull game with neither team really generating much excitement.  The most exciting to happen was when a Gray Fox ran around the field and stands before bolting up a tunnel to leave this snoozer of a contest. Best part of the game
Telling Stat:  ASU won the fourth quarter and the game; The Sun Devils outscored USC 14-0 and gained 149 yards while holding USC to 36 yards and zero points to get the win.  USC's last four drives ended on three punts and an interception.

Oregon 24- Washington 16: Seattle, WA-If you know your Pac 12 football you know that the Washington-Oregon rivalry is a nasty thing. However, even with all the nastiness it did surprise many folks that UW HC Jimmy Lake went out of his way to disparage everything about Oregon from academics to recruiting battles to even saying that the Ducks can't handle inclement weather. (Annual average rainfall in Seattle is 37 inches while in Eugene it is 47 inches.) That led to tensions being higher than normal when the two met on Saturday at Husky Stadium.  Things started out perfectly for the Dawgs. Oregon QB Anthony Brown was picked off on the opening drive of the game by LB Carson Bruener who retuned the errant toss 50 yards to the UO six-yard line.  Two plays later RB Sean McGrew crossed the double stripe from a yard out to put the Huskies up early, 7-0.  UO answered on the next drive with a 46-yard FG by PK Camden Lewis.  Then after a great punt by P Race Porter was downed at the UO one, the Huskies defense then tackled RB Travis Dye for safety and a 9-3 lead.  The replay refs reviewed the call and let it stand even though one video angle seems to show that Dye had gotten out of the end zone by a slim margin.  The Dawgs held a 9-3 lead despite having only ran five plays on offense for a total of 15 yards.  UW would be shutout for the next 41:46 as Oregon's offense put up 21 straight points. A 31-yard pass from Brown to WR Devin Williams, a two-yard run by Brown and a 19-yard gallop by Dye accounted for the 21 points. The Dawgs did make a game of it when McGrew scored from two-yards out to cut the Ducks lead to 24-17 with 11:13 to play. Oregon then killed most of the clock, taking 8:59 to travel 43 yards in 15 plays before pinning the Dawgs back on their own 10-yard line with 2:09 left to play.  UW's final drive was disaster, three incomplete passes followed by a botched snap on a punt that sailed high and out of the end zone for a safety.  Game over.  Ducks win, 26-16. Dye outgained the Huskies all by himself, rushing 28 times for 211 yards and a TD while also catching two passes for 13 yards.  Sean McGrew only rushed or 48 yards on 15 carries, but he did score both of the Huskies TDs in the loss.  
Telling Stat: Grounded Ducks get W;  Oregon ran for 329 total yards while holding the Huskies to just 55 rushing yards in inclement weather to win this game.

Arizona 10- California 3: Tucson, AZ- The Golden Bears came to the desert down 24 players due to COVID protocols of the City of Berkeley who did not clear the players for travel this week.  Seven starters were among that 24 including QB Chase Garbers.  Add in other injuries and Cal was down a total of 10 starters for this game.  That made this game worth watching to see if UofA could snap their 20-game losing streak.  The game went to the halftime break at scoreless.  UofA did move the ball more than Cal did, but two interceptions snuffed out any scoring chances for the Wildcats.  Cal QB Ryan Glover looked every bit like a guy who hadn't ever really taken a snap for the Bears. On their second possession of the second half, Arizona actually put the scoreboard to use.  The Wildcats traveled 61 yards in 12 plays and capped off the drive with a 29-yard FG from PK Tyler Loop. Cal then came right back with a FG drive of their own.  PK Nick Lopez nailed a 34-yarder and the game stood tied at 3-3 with 2:09 left in the third period. With 4:49 left in regulation, UofA started a drive on their own 45-yard line.  Eight plays later, RB Michael Wiley bulled his way through the Cal defense 10 yards for the game-winning TD. The Wildcats defense then snuffed out Cal's last chance to tie the game when they forced an incomplete pass from Ryan Glover with 1:26 left.  A couple of kneel downs later, the few hundred fans that attended the game, sprinkled onto the field for the celebration of Arizona's first win in 763 days. QB Will Plummer was for once the better QB on the field, completing 16 of 28 passes for 129 yards and two interceptions.  Cal really had no offense to speak of.  There were 18 punts in this game, three turnovers, and one stop for downs to go with two other drives ended with time running out at the end of each half. This was a hard game to watch.
Telling Stat: 1;  Arizona's winning streak is at one game and that's all that matters in Tucson. 

Utah 52- Stanford 7: Palo Alto, CA- Itv was a chilly Friday night up on The Farm, but the Utes did not feel the chill.  The were hot and ran all over the Cardinal in a humiliating rout.  Stanford was without QB  Tanner McKee and the backup tandem of Jack West and Isiah Sanders didn't have a chance against the Utah defense.  In one of the most lopsided first 30 minutes of football ever played on the FBS level, Utah generated 38 points on 440 yards of offense, while holding the Cardinal to zero points and 28 total yards. The second half saw the Utes empty the benches and win the second half too, 14-7.  RB Tavion Thomas led the Utah attack with 177 yards rushing and tied a school record with four TDs.  He saw Teammates Micah Bernard and TJ Pledger also eclipse the hundred yard mark with each scoring a TD as well. There's was not a lot of offense to speak of for the Cardinal.
Telling Stat: 441 for the win; Utah ran for 441 yards in their rout of the Cardinal. They achieved that total on 46 carries.  Thats a nifty 9.6 yards per carry average for the non-math majors reading this column.  

Colorado 37- Oregon State 31 2OT: Boulder, CO- A thriller won by the Buffaloes in Boulder? No way, Wayne! Yes, way, Garth!  OSU was trying to get a much needed win to stay in the Pac 12 North race after an embarrassing loss at Cal a week ago. Nobody told the Buffs about that.  They came out fast and went up 10-0 on their first two drives of the game on a 28-yard FG by PK Cole Becker and a 43-yard TD pass from QB Brendon Lewis to WR Daniel Arias.  Becker would add another FG in the second quarter while OSU got in the board with a 14-yard TD rumble by QB Jack Colletto and a 45-yard FG by PK Everett Hayes. The game stood at 13-10 Buffs entering the third quarter where the teams traded TDs.  Trailing 20-17, the Beavers took the lead for the first time when WR Tre'Shaun Harrison hauled in a 27-yard TD pass from QB Chance Nolan.  Colorado then regained the lead at 27-24 when WR Montana Lemonius-Craig caught Lewis' third TD toss of the game.   The Beavers seemed doomed to defeat in regulation time when Hayes missed a 51-yard attempt with :32 seconds left. However, OSU used all three of their time outs on CU attempt to run out the clock.  The Buffs were forced to punt and OSU PR Anthony Gould returned the kick 26 yards to the Beavers 49-yard line.  A nine yard pass form Nolan to Gould set up a 60-yard FG attempt for Hayes with five seconds left.  Hayes, who just earlier missed that 51-yard attempt sent the 60-yard try right through the uprights and the game would go to OT tied at 27-27. After trading TDs in the first OT, the defenses stiffened and Hayes, the PK who hit the 60-yarder, missed a 37-yard attempt in the second OT! Becker's kick was true from 43 yards in CU's half of the OT to win the game.  Colorado's Lewis and RB Jarek Broussard were the offense for the Buffs. Lewis completed 15 of 24 passes for 170 yards and three TDs, while Broussard toted the rock 24 times for 151 yards.  Nolan threw for 255 yards with a TD and an interception to go with 39 rushing yards in the loss.
Telling Stat: 1+3 is sweet for CU;  In the second OT, CU got a holding call on OSU, then held the Beavers on the next three snaps to force a FG attempt. An attempt the Beavers would miss.

Observations

...Just a rumor;  There's no truth to the rumor that the University of Arizona AD has sent a gift certificate for a week long golf, and spa package at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort to the director of the Berkeley Health Department. 

...Hard to get good talent;  During Utah's humiliation of Stanford last Friday, Harbor area resident, Petros Papadakis threw some love out to Utah OL Nick Ford who hails from San Pedro High.  I know the Friday night games are of a low priority for Fox Sports, but couldn't they have found a graphics editor who can spell school correctly?  SMH


...Defense wins games; Georgia's defense has only given up 59 points all year. Crazy thing is that they've only given up six TDs and four of those were scored on the Dawgs second stringers after the games were all but over.    

...Spotless Wake; Wake Forest may be 8-1 now, but they are still 5-0 in the ACC after losing, 58-55 to North Carolina.  Huh? Well, the two schools had scheduled the game outside of their ACC schedules to keep their rivalry going. 

...New Topic; After Texas was pounded by Iowa State, 30-7 last Saturday to fall to 2-4 in the Big XII, I don't think Longhorns fans are talking about the stripper and her monkey anymore. 

...Jimmy sits one out;  Here's the story and the video showing why UW HC Jimmy Lake got suspended for the Huskies game this week v. ASU. First step out the door

...Slim and none;  I believe that those are the chances that Washington HC Jimmy Lake remains the Dawgs HC in 2022.

...Love those academies;  One of the best games of the week was Army's 21-14 win in OT v. Air Force. The Black Knights of the Hudson will retain the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy as a result of the win. On, brave old Army team!

...And then there were none; With Arizona and UNLV picking up wins this week, there are no winless teams left in the FBS.  

...Just stop it;  USC needs to pick one QB and knock off this failure of a two QB system.  My pick is that Jaxson Dart get the snaps the rest of the way.  This system isn't the worst one ever done though.  Back in 1971, Tom Landry used Craig Morton and Roger Staubach on alternating plays.  Wow.

...The Pirate gives no quarter;  After their 31-28 loss to Arkansas where three field goal attempts were missed, HC Mike Leach announced open tryouts for PK in the post game press conference.  We know the Pirate does love to throw his players under the bus. He also had this profound insight into kicking on Monday. "There's a ball and you kick it. It really doesn't matter if seven-year olds are watching or if five million Mongol Warriors on horses getting ready to shoot their bows and arrows at you. You approach the ball and kick it. It's as simple as that." 

...Black Sunday comes early in the Northwest;  While many thought HC Jimmy Lake was gonna get canned, but it was OC John Donovan who was shown the door after the Dawgs fell to Oregon, 26-16.  Then, a little while later and a bit farther south in Corvallis, Oregon State fired DC Tim Tiber after the Beavers lost 37-34 in double overtime at Colorado.  Heres' two links...  This Dawg is gone  Banned from the dam

...Feeling Linfield;  D-III Linfield University in McMinnville, OR is having another good year on the gridiron. They are undefeated this year and have notched their 65th straight winning season. I don't care what level you're playing on that is an incredible streak. 

...Offensive offense in the Bay Area; Stanford and Cal's offenses last weekend combined to score just 10 points, gain 289 yards and make 20 first downs. Facepalm.  

...They showed him the money; Texas Tech has quickly filled their HC vacancy by plucking Associate HC Joey McGuire from Dave Aranda's Baylor staff. McGuire is a revered name in Texas high school circles where he built DFW area school Cedar Hill into a power in the region.  The Red Raiders hope McGuire can use his old ties to grab some great Texas talent and bring it to Lubbock.  Lubbock is not a garden spot however, as the saying goes, "Lubbock sucks 'cause the wind blows and the wind blows 'cause Lubbock sucks." 

...Head scratcher;  Who would have thought that the Ohio State-Purdue game this week would mean so much to the Big Ten divisional races and the CFP standings?  I don't think Purdue has been this good since Bob Griese was a Boilermaker.  

...Almost full;  You can just about fill out a full coaching staff from the coaches already fired in the Pac 12 this year. All you need is a special teams coach and a linebackers coach.


...So long, Walt;  After falling, 35-22 to FCS Rhode Island, HC Walt Bell was fired by UMass. Bell had a tough time at what is arguably one of the worst HC gigs in all of the FBS.  Bell's Minutemen went a dismal 2-23 over his nearly three seasons in charge. Bell un-rung

...Western logjam;  The Big Ten West has four teams tied for first place with 4-2 conference records. I wouldn't want to be the guy who has to explain how a four-way tie breaker would work. 

...Coach and player meet again;  Former Minnesota HC and now TCU interim HC Jerry Kill will lead the Horned Frogs into action against Oklahoma State this week.  Kill spent one year on the coaching staff at Oklahoma's Midwest City High School in 1984. The QB on that Midwest City team was current Okie State HC Mike Gundy. 

...He's back; Nebraska HC Scott Frost will be back in 2022 with a restructured deal. Restructured deal is coachspeak for lower salary.  Then it was announced that Frost had fired four assistant coaches. Sounds like another case of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. 

...Until spring; The MLB season is over and the Atalanta Braves are the world champions. When Autumn truly takes hold and the game leaves us 'til spring, I tend to remember a couple of lines from Game Called by the legendary Grantland Rice. A good 3:14 spent

...It's the circle, the circle of...suck;  Arizona's win over Cal completed the annual Pac 12 circle of Suck.
here it is in full color display:

Arizona beat Cal who beat Colorado who beat OSU who beat Utah who beat USC who beat Wazzu who beat ASU who beat Stanford who beat Oregon who beat UCLA who beat Washington who beat Arizona. 

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC is a 4-8 team.
Arizona is a 1-11 only because of the City of Berkeley Health Department.
Utah will win the Pac 12 South without a decent passing attack.
Oregon State is Sun Bowl Bound.
UCLA is just happy to have a week off.
Cal has to be the hardest place in the Pac 12 to build a winning team.
Colorado just might beat Utah.
Wazzu is still happy that Nick Rolovich is gone.
Oregon will beat Utah twice to go to the playoff.
Utah is Holiday Bowl bound.
Stanford once considered dropping football, they may now consider that again.
ASU needs to switch to the wishbone.

USC Fictional Head Coach Pick of the Week

I've been remiss lately in my fictional HC recommendations for USC, but picking up the slack is our field agent in Redondo Beach who is a strong advocate for coach Eric Taylor from the TV series Friday Night Lights. She pointed out that if coach Taylor could get Tim Riggins to make something out of his life, he could work wonders at USC.  After all, he was good enough to win with a big program, then go to a small program and beat his old team. Also, we know that because he handled dealing with Buddy Garrity so well that he could easily handle any USC booster. Now say it with me.  Clear eyes, Full hearts Can't lose!


Ugly Uniform off the Week:

Arizona State beat out UTEP's all-orange togs with this all-gold look in their Salute To Service uniforms.  All-yellow doesn't look on many and ASU is part of the many. SMH,


Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Gettysburg, PA- This week's game comes from the Centennial Conference in D-III.  The McDaniel College Green Terror made a lone TD stand up for a 7-3 win over the Gettysburg Bullets.  With the help of 30 yards in penalties, the Green terror took a 7-0 lead just before the half when QB Hunter Sigler threw a 17-yard TD pass to WR John Ferguson. Gettysburg cut the lead to 7-3 when PK Doug Cummings kicked a 45-yard FG.  The Green Terror defense allowed nothing more form the Bullets forcing four turnovers on the day and two missed field goals.  This was the lowest number of points scored by both teams in this series since 1950. 

Blowout Game of the Week:  Redlands, CA: This week's game comes form the SCIAC, California's only D-III league.  The University of Redlands Bulldogs trounced the Whittier Poets, 65-7.  The Bulldogs defense pitched a shutout as Whittier's only points came on a came on a pick-six midway through the third period. The Bulldogs gained a season high 568 total yards with 321 of those coming through the air.  QB Nathan Martinez completed 11 of 17 passes for 195 yards and three TDs in about one half's worth of playing time.  The win clinched the league title for Redlands and an automatic bid into the D-III playoffs which start on 11/20.

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- The Pirate Mike Leach and his Mississippi State Bulldogs showed up for a barn-burner of a game on the hill. This tight affair was aided that by the fact that MSU missed three FGs.  The Hogs held a 23-14 with 14:10 to play only to watch the Bulldogs score two ADs to take a 28-23 With 2:22 to play. Arkansas made their last possession count. They marched 75 yards in 10 plays for the game-winning score. RB Dominique Johnson did the honors, galloping into the MSU end zone from four yards out.  Johnson also ran for the two-point conversion and a 31-28 lead.  The Bulldogs got the ball with :21 left and in three plays worked their way down to the Arkansas 22-yard line.  The game could have went to OT, but PK Nolan McCord's kick sailed wide and the Razorbacks got the win. Arkansas now stands 6-3 on the season and will head to Baton Rouge next for a grudge match v. the LSU Tigers.  

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

We have fallen back here in Southern California and it sure feels like it. Foggy nights and cooler days make you want to have warm beverages and wear flannel shirts. Of course, that feeling will last only until the Santa Ana's come back and the temps go back into the 80s. 

Trader Joe's horseradish and chive chips are pretty good. 

Must be near Thanksgiving if I'm getting my model train layout ready for the holidays. 

Until next time folks, remember that when you have two quarterbacks you really have none.

-The Commissioner