Hey All,
Welcome to the first in-season installment for 2022 of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
USC 66- Rice 14: Los Angeles, CA- The hype had been building all offseason as soon as Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for USC. Well, after all the bluster and fuss, it finally came time for toe to meet leather last Saturday. The Lincoln Riley era at USC started with a blowout in the oppressive Coliseum heat. Kickoff temps near 110 degrees on the field wouldn't keep the Trojans from dominating the Owls. After a sluggish first quarter which saw OU transfer QB Caleb Williams connect for a short TD pass to Pitt transfer WR Jordan Addison and Rice answer back with a score to tie things up, the Men of Troy then turned that 7-7 tie into a 31-7 halftime lead. They did so on pair of TD runs by RBs Austin Jones and Raleek Brown, a 93-yard pick six from Safety Calen Bullock and a 25-yard FG from PK Denis Lynch. The Trojan defense then put the game out of reach with not one, but two more pick sixes in a :48 span at the start of the third quarter. LBs Shane Lee and Ralen Goforth did the honors with returns of 40 and 31 yards. Williams would find Addison for another score and Jones would score again before the quarter ended to extend SC's lead to 59-14. RB Darwin Barlow capped off the scoring with a 2-yard run midway through the final stanza. Caleb Williams' Trojan debut was an efficient one with him completing 19 of 22 passes for 249 yards and two TDs. He also ran the ball six times for 68 yards. For the Owls, QBs Wiley Green and T.J. McMahon combined to complete 14 of 28 passes for 134 yards and four costly interceptions.
Telling Stat: D-21; USC's defense outscored Rice all by themselves, 21-14. The Trojans' three pick sixes in a game are a Pac 12 record.
TCU 38- Colorado 13: Boulder, CO- Former Cal HC and now new TCU HC Sonny Dykes started off his tenure in Fort Worth with a win thanks to a huge second half by the Horned Frogs on both sides of the ball. The first half was a struggle with Colorado piling up yards and time of possession but not the lead. TCU took a 7-6 lead into the intermission. The Horned Frogs then scored the first five times they had the ball in the second half to put the game solidly in the win column. TCU QB Chandler Morris didn't light up the stat sheet because he didn't have to. The Frogs ran for 275 yards on the Buffs. It truly was a team rushing effort. Eight different backs carried the ball and four of them found paydirt. For the hapless Buffaloes backup QB J.T Shrout threw for 157 yards an a TD in relief of the ineffectual Brendan Lewis.
Telling Stat: Defense when they needed it; TCU stopped three Colorado drives that crossed into the red zone. CU only managed two field goals and was stopped for downs once one those drives.
Arizona State 40- Northern Arizona 3: Tempe, AZ- Last offseason was basically a dumpster fire for ASU. Assistant coach firings, players exiting at a rapid rate due to an NCAA investigation and HC Herm Edwards receiving a big Tammy Wynette from his AD led to 51 new Sun Devils in uniform to take on the Lumberjacks from Flagstaff. Things started off sluggishly for the Sun Devils, but a 21-point second quarter put this one away early in the desert. Florida transfer QB Emory Jones paced the ASU attack by completing 13 of 18 passes for 152 yards. He also ran for 48 yards on 11 carries and a pair of scores. Wyoming transfer Xazavian Valladay led all rushers with 116 yards on 15 carries and a two TDs of his own. ASU PK Carfter Brown had a fine game going 4/4 FG attempts with a long of 44 yards. The NAU offense had a great deal of trouble with QB RJ Martinez throwing for just 97 yards and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: 16; ASU allowed only 16 more yards (120) than the game time temp was (104) at Sun Devil Stadium last Thursday Night.
Georgia 49- Oregon 3: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA- The Defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs came into this "neutral site" game facing question mark about how their defense would rebound after having five players taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Looks like those concerns were for not as the new Bulldogs defense beat up the Ducks for a full four quarters. UO's offense couldn't cross the street much less put together any meaningful drives while the Georgia offense found the end zone on their first seven possessions. QB Stetson Bennett torched the Quacks secondary completing 25 of 31 passes for 368 yards and a pair of scores. Stetson's backup, Carson Beck also did well in mop-up duty completing five of six passes for 71 yards and another TD. UO QB and Auburn transfer, Bo Nix had a rough game completing 21 of 37 passes for 173 yards and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: Oh did they march in Georgia; The Bulldogs treated the Ducks defense like they were the Italian Army. UGa's seven TD drives averaged 78 yards in only eight plays.
UCLA 45- Bowling Green 17: Pasadena, CA- In 102+ degree heat, a smattering of fans turned out to watch the bRuins fall behind early, 17-7 to a spirited Falcons squad. However, around the beginning of the second quarter the bRuins got their offense in high gear and whipped Bowling Green over the final three periods. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson led the bRuins with his arm and his legs. He completed 32 of 43 aerials for 298 yards, two TDs and a pick. He also ran for 87 yards on seven carries which included a 68-yard TD jaunt. Fellow bRuin RB Zack Charbonnet gashed the Falcons for 111 yards on 21 rushes and a TD of his own. Son of former USC All-American QB Paul McDonald, Matt McDonald completed 17 off 34 passes for 125 yards and a TD in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: 38-0 in 43= W; UCLA scored 38 unanswered points while racking up 404 yards of offense over the final 43+ minutes to easily put away Bowling Green.
Arizona 38- San Diego State 20: San Diego, CA- It was a huge day for SDSU. It was the debut of the Aztecs in their new yard which goes by the name of Snapdragon Stadium. Those who filled the new grounds expected to see their Aztecs take out the hapless Wildcats as they had done last year in Tucson. The Wildcats showed up, but were unwilling to go along with the plan. UofA led by Wazzu transfer QB Jayden de Laura pretty much controlled the action from start to finish. UofA turned a 24-10 halftime edge into a 31-10 lead on the first drive of the third quarter. WR Jacob Cowing hauled in a 25-yard pass from de Laura for the score. SDSU did close the gap to 31-20 midway early in the fourth quarter. UofA then sealed the game on the ensuing possession by traveling 75 yards in 12 plays for a TD. RB DJ Willams did the honors when he crossed the double stripe from 10 yards out. de Laura played well for the Wildcats in his debut. He completed 22 of 35 passes for 299 yards, four TDs and an interception. For the inept SDSU offense, QB Braxton Burmeister completed only five of 10 tosses for 51 yards, a TD and an interception.
Telling Stat: Immobile Aztecs; Arizona held SDSU to just 3 yards per play on first down and a paltry 2 of 11 on third down conversions to control this game.
California- 34 UC Davis 13: Berkeley, CA- The Aggies came to Strawberry Canyon with what was touted as their strongest team in many years. After a first quarter where they led 7-0 and held Cal to minus -1 yard of offense, it looked like Davis might actually upset the Golden Bears. Then, the second quarter started. Cal's offense got rolling and the Aggies hopes of a first ever win over their UC brethren were dashed. The second period saw the Bears shift to a more up tempo attack that paid off in 17 straight points on a pair of short TD passes from Purdue transfer QB Jack Plummer to WR Jeremiah Hunter and RB Jadyn Ott along with a 32-yard FG from PK Dario Longhetto. Cal then extended the lead to 24-7 just :40 into the third quarter when DB Craig Woodson snagged an errant throw from Aggie QB Miles Hastings and ran it back 39 yards for a touchdown. UCD answered that TD with a 60-yard TD run by RB Alonzo Gilliam, Jr. to cut their deficit to 24-14. However the Aggies wouldn't tally another point. Cal would get another score on a 41-yard FG from Longhetto and would then cap off the scoring on Plummer's third TD pass of the day. Plummer ended up completing 23 of 35 passes for 268 yards, three TD s and an interception. Gilliam was a bright spot for Davis with 115 yards rushing on 14 carriers and that long TD run.
Telling Stat: 0 for 29:04 = W; Cal's defense held UC Davis scoreless for the final 29:04 of the game to ensure the victory.
Florida 29- Utah 26: Gainesville, FL- Utah was the sexy dark horse pick to make the CFP this year. They actually ditched their usual slate of cupcakes to open the year in SEC country. They tried to announce their presence with authority in 2022 by taking on a rebuilding Florida squad in the Swamp. Utah got a Florida squad that was ready for them under new HC Billy Napier. The two teams traded punches for a full four quarters with Utah making just enough mistakes to lose. A goal line stand, a failed two point conversion and a late interception doomed the Utes. This game also served as the coming out party for Gator QB Anthony Richardson. Richardson ran around and threw over the Utah defense all game long. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 168 yards and rushed for 111 yards and three TDs. His last TD proved the be the game-winning score, but Utah forced Florida to hold on for dear life before it was all over. On the final drive of the game QB Cameron Rising led a 69-yard drive that put the Utes on the UF six-yard line with 22 seconds left. On 2nd and Goal, Rising's pass to the end zone was intercepted by LB Amari Burney. The Ben Hill-Griffin Stadium crowd erupted. Utah and the Pac 12 were dealt another bad non conference loss. Utah's three headed offensive monster did well in the loss. Rising threw for 216 yards a TD and an interception. RB Tavion Thomas gained 115 yards on 23 carries and a score, while TE Brent Kuithe grabbed nine passes for 105 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: A slip and a fumble = L; Utah RB Tavion Thomas slipped and fell in the backfield on a goal line run, then two plays later fumbled on fourth down just outside the goal line to kill a Utah drive. A TD on that third quarter drive would have given the Utes a win in The Swamp.
Stanford 41- Colgate 10: Palo Alto, CA- The Red Raiders of the Patriot League in the FCS made the cross country journey to take on the Cardinal. They hoped to play the Cardinal tough. Those hopes were dashed on the first play from scrimmage when Cardinal RB E.J. Smith, (Yes, he's Emmit's kid), took a handoff 80 yards to the house. HC David Shaw's Cardinal showed off a more pass-oriented offense with QB Tanner McKee throwing for 308 yards and a pair of scores in a little over three quarters worth of work. Up 35-10 to start the fourth quarter, Stanford emptied the benches and cruised to the rest of the way. Including that big run, Smith let all rushers with 118 yards on 11 carries and two TDs.
Telling Stat: Over at 7; Stanford's win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Cardinal.
Washington State 24- Idaho 17: Pullman, WA: These two border rivals put on a tight contest after dark in the Palouse. New WSU QB Cameron Ward, a transfer from that football power Incarnate Word, picked up his first win as a Cougar over a pesky bunch of Vandals. Things didn't start well for the Cougs. Two fumbles, (one returned for a TD), two punts and a missed FG saw the Vandals carry a 10-0 lead deep into the second quarter. Ward then got the Wazzu offense going through the air. On an all-passing play drive, Ward accounted for all 80 yards completing eight of nine passes. The drive capper was a three-yard toss to WR Renard Bell. On the ensuing possession, the WSU defense picked off Idaho QB Gevani McCoy at the Vandals 27-yard line. A few plays later, PK Dean Janikowski knotted the score at 10-10 with a 34-yard FG. Coming out of the break, the Wazzu defense held the Vandals for downs, then marched 58 yards in eight plays for the go ahead touchdown. The score was an eight-yard pass from Ward to WR De'Zhaun Stribling. WSU would extend their lead to 24-10 on Ward's third TD pass of the night. This one was to WR Jaylen Jenkins for eight yards. Idaho tightened the game right back upon with a 23-yard TD pass from McCoy to WR Jordan Dwyer. Idaho would get one last shot to tie the game, but McCoy's last pass was intercepted to end the contest. Ward had a good night completing 25 of 40 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns. McCoy led the Vandals attack completing 21of 32 tosses for 212 yards, a TD and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: 4th down defense wins the night; Wazzu held Idaho to three of seven on fourth down conversions to hold off the Vandals.
Oregon State 34- Boise State 17: Corvallis, OR- OSU came out strong on both sides of the ball to dominate the first half, then traded scores with the Broncos the rest of the way en route to a nice win. The Beavers scored 17 points off turnovers in the first half which led to their 24-0 lead at intermission. The second half saw the Broncos offense come to life when QB Hank Bachmeier was replaced by Taylen Green. Green galloped 74 yards for one score and then ran four yards for another. Suddenly, OSU found themselves in a game, hanging onto a 27-17 lead early in the final quarter. The Beavers put away the game when LB/RB Jack Colletto ran over the BSU defense for 41-yard TD with 10:39 to play. OSU QB Chance Nolan completed 14 of 23 passes for 251 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. In one half of work, Green was the Boise offense. He ran for 102 yards and two TDs on 11 carries and completed 19 of 28 passes for 155 yards and an interception.
Telling Stat: 24-0 for 30; Oregon State's defense dominated the first half, forcing four turnovers, four punts and held for downs once which enabled the Beavers offense to build up a 24-0 lead that they would not relinquish.
Washington 45- Kent State 20: Seattle, WA- After last year's embarrassing home opener loss to Montana, New Husky HC Kalen DeBoer made sure his squad was ready for Kent State. Indiana transfer QB Michael Penix, Jr. carried out his new coach's instructions well in leading the Dawgs to a 31-13 halftime lead. A lead that let the Husky faithful believe that a new era has begun on Montlake. Penix led the UW offense to TDs on their first four possessions. The Dawgs didn't look back after that adding a field goal before the half. The second half turned into a glorified scrimmage with the Huskies tagging on two more TDs. Penix looked great completing 26 of 39 tosses for 345 yards and four scores. He also ran for 27 yards on four carries. For the outclassed Golden Flashes, QB Collin Schlee completed 12 of 24 passes for 178 yards, a TD and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: A quick start; UW's 21-point first quarter set Kent State back on their heels and the Golden Flashes couldn't fight their way back into the game.
Observations
...Happiness is a thing; The national hype train has long left the station for this year's SC team, but most Trojans fans experienced something they hadn't had in a very long time... happiness. Just whipping an overmatched Rice Owls squad had folks leaving the Coliseum happy after a game for the first time in many years.
...A new category needed; QBs need a category to record interceptions that weren't their fault. The pick six that handed Pitt the win over West Virginia was not even close to being JT Daniels' fault.
...Chance encounter; While getting away from the stifling heat in our seats, my family sought to cool off in the upper concourse of the Coliseum last Saturday. It was there that this intrepid reporter met one of his all-time baseball heroes, Bobby Grich. The former Angels great was a pleasure to talk to and gracious with his time. Sometimes it is good to meet one of your heroes.
...7:15 PM PDT 9/3/2022; That's approximately when Utah lost to Florida. That's also when the Pac 12's chances of reaching the college football playoff were put on life support.
...Always a crack up; This video has been around for a few years. It is hilarious and also a reminder that you have to coach your team the fundamentals. Parental Facepalm
...Lighten up, Francis; Aggie fans and pundits were dumping on Texas A&M after their seemingly lackluster 31-0 pasting of FCS power Sam Houston State. With TAMU holding a 17-0 lead at the half, torrential rains and lightning delayed the game for three hours. Hey Aggie fans, just be happy you got the win and nobody was seriously hurt after the long delay.
...They sunk the Navy; How about those Fightin' Blue Hens of Delaware and their 14-7 upset of the Midshipmen!
...Get that man a cold one; According to this post game interview, Arkansas HC Sam Pittman was in need of a cold beverage after his Hogs defeated Cincinnati, 24-17. Sam needs a drink
...Irony thy name is Polian; Poor special teams play cost LSU their game with Florida State which is truly ironic because the only assistant coach to go with HC Brian Kelly from Notre Dame to LSU is Special Teams Coordinator Brian Polian.
...If you know, you know; When LSU's PAT failed this scene immediately flashed through my mind.
...Fun while it lasts; Currently Indiana and Northwestern are the divisional leaders in the Big Ten.
...A legal play in down under; South Carolina State Punter Dyson Roberts executed a fake punt pretty well then had a brain cramp and punted the ball well past the line scrimmage. Aussie Rules
...A correction; I told family in the stands that the last time USC finished with 66 points, it was against Utah State back in 1989. I was wrong. SC hung 66 on UCLA in 2005.
...Could be fun; This year's Tennessee-Vandy game could be a blast.
...That time of year; When I hear commercials for Farm Bureau Insurance, alumni clubs, pancake breakfasts, coaches shows and local burger joints, I must be listening to college football on SiriusXM.
...Almost half; 48% of all starting QBs in the FBS this year are transfers. Instead of the Transfer Portal, the NCAA should just call this College Free Agency.
...Always fashionably late; The Ivy League won't start play until two Saturdays from now. However, Harvard will get in a game on 9/16 v. Merrimack College. The Crimson and Dartmouth are favored to battle it out for the title in the Ancient Eight.
...Defensive delusion; Iowa fans who watched the Hawkeyes beat FCS Foe South Dakota State 7-3 on a field goal and two, yes two, safeties comfort themselves by saying they won with defense. The part they aren't saying out loud is that if their sputtering offense keeps sputtering they know the OC won't be replaced. Why? Because he's HC Kirk Ferentz's son, Brian. The Iowa City Press-Citizen summed up the Hawkeyes lack of offense with this great headline.
...He's #10; Stanford HC David Shaw sits all alone in 10th place for career wins by a Pac 12 HC. The Cardinal's win over Colgate was his 94th. With the win he surpassed former OSU headman Mike Riley and Wazzu legend Babe Hollingberry. He's now a win away from moving into a ninth place tie with Arizona's Dick Tomey.
...Must SC-TV; USC's week three and four opponents face off with each other this week when Fresno State hosts Oregon State in the soul-sucking heat of Fresno.
...A big number; Who besides me thinks that Alabama is just gonna destroy Texas this week?
...Anonymously good; The best QB nobody saw play last Saturday was UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Couple the bRuins announced crowd of 27,000 plus a lackluster Pac 12 Network audience and you have the closest thing to anonymity in major college football.
Pac 12 Overreactions
Utah will lose three more games.
Arizona is bowl bound.
UCLA's home game attendance will be < 100,000 total for their first 4 games.
Phil Knight will tell Oregon he wants all his money back.
Washington will win at least eight games this year.
Oregon State is a 9-win team.
Wazzu will be 6-6 at best.
ASU will be good until the NCAA hammer drops.
Cal will go 7-5.
Colorado will go 0-12.
USC will score 50+ points in a game 5 times this year.
Stanford will go to a bowl this year.
CFL Update
For all of you who were just jonesing for a report about the 110-yard game, here it is. We are about two-thirds of the way through the season and Winnipeg is the team to beat. The Blue Bombers own the CFL's best record at 12-1 and have a two game lead over the BC Lions in the Western Division. The Eastern Division is a mess with the Toronto Argonauts being the only team with a wining record at 6-5. The Commissioner's favorite team, the Edmonton Elks, are in last place in the West at 3-9. Sigh.
Ugly Uniform of the Week
Hey Oregon! Welcome back! Yeah, there's always a reserved seat for you in this part of the blog. To paraphrase the legendary Dean Wormer of Faber College, destroying what's left of the Pac 12's reputation by getting pummeled by Georgia in butt-ugly uniforms is no way to go through life.
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Easton, PA- We go to the FCS for this game where the Lafayette Leopards kicked off their 141st football season with a hard fought, 6-0 win over the Sacred Heart Pioneers. The Leopards tallied the only points of the game when QB Ryan Schuster broke contain and sprinted 18 yards to the end zone in the third quarter. The Leopard defense worked hard until the very end when they made a goal line stand to secure the win. Sacred Heart RB Malik Grant was stopped on 3rd and goal at the Lafayette one-yard line as time expired to the delight of the home crowd and HC John Troxell who picked his first win as the new leader of the Leopards.
Blowout Game of the Week: Baton Rouge, LA- This game comes from the FCS as well. The Jaguars of Southern University opened their season with an 86-0 dismantling of the Florida Memorial University Lions of the NAIA. The Jaguars struck early and often rolling up a 42-0 lead in the first quarter. The Jags cruised after that playing everyone but the tuba players in the rout. Eight different ball carriers combined for 396 yards rushing and seven TDs. The Jags defense held FMU to just 92 total yards. The final score was ugly and so was the penalty total as the two teams committed a total of 27 penalties fro 215 yards.
Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- Coming of a 9-4 2021 campaign under HC Sam Pittman, the Razorbacks hosted the Cincinnati Bearcats to start the 2022 season. Cincy came in off a an appearance in the CFP last year. This game was nail-bitter that showed the Hogs are not just a one-season wonder. Arkansas used a strong defensive effort and the many talents of QB K.J. Jefferson to tame the Bearcats. Jefferson accounted for all four of the Hogs TDs in the 31-24 victory. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 233 yards and three TDs to go with 62 yards rushing and another score. Hogs RB Raheim Sanders toted the rock 20 times for 117 yards to lead all rushers. Up next for Arkansas is their SEC opener v. South Carolina.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
The Donuttery in Huntington Beach gets two sugary thumbs up from me. My lovely wife recently introduced me to this slice of donut heaven.
San Pedro has so many stop signs and nobody ever really obeys them.
Grilling up steaks and burgers in the backyard on Labor Day may be the most American thing a guy can do.
Until next time folks, remember that being 1-0 is a helluva lot better than being 0-1.
-The Commissioner.
