Hey All,
It's time for yet another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Bud Furillo.
Summaries
USC 55- Colorado 17: Los Angeles, CA- It was slow, ugly, defensive and frustrating. That's what the first quarter of this game was. USC had gained a few yards of offense while the Trojan defense allowed the Buffaloes to move the ball enough the to kick a short field goal. Throw in an intentional grounding penalty by the Buffs in their own end zone for a safety and the Trojans found themselves trailing, 3-2 to start the second quarter. Then, the Trojans offense would find themselves. USC would buildup a 26--3 lead at the half, but it came along with a devastating injury. With 2:45 left in the period, USC RB Travis Dye had is left leg twisted underneath him at the end of a play. Dye was carted off the field and placed in an air cast. The injury is season ending. The Trojans would got to on hang 29 more points on the boys from Boulder in the second half. Highlights of the half for USC included a beautiful no-look toss from QB Caleb Williams to RB Austin Jones for a score, a nifty run for a two point conversion by Holder Will Rose who then did a pretty cool backflip in the end zone and backup QB Miller Moss throwing the first TD pass of his Trojan career. Williams finished the game completing 14 of 26 passes for 268 yards, three TDs and an interception. He also ran for two scores. For the now 1-9 Buffaloes, RB Alex Fontenot was a bright spot with 108 yards on 20 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: 16-0; USC has never lost to Colorado.
Washington State 28- Arizona State 18: Pullman, WA- The Cougars dominated the Sun Devils in the first half, then made a big lead it stick in the second half to become bowl-eligible for the seventh time in the last eight years. ASU QB Trenton Bourget had an awful day. He completed only three of 10 tosses with an interception, He also had a fumble that ended being a loss of 25 yards after his teammates recovered it on their own one-yard line. Wazzu capitalized on ASU's ineptitude with three short TD jaunts of two, five and two yards by RB Nakia Watson and a two-yard TD toss from QB Cameron Ward to WR Leyton Smithson. The Cougs held a 28-0 lead at at the break then almost gave the game away late. Emory Jones came of the bench at QB for ASU and wrapped a pair of TD passes around a short TD burst from RB Xazavian Valladay to cut their deficit to 10 points late in the final quarter. But, the Sun Devils would get no closer as their onside kick attempt failed with under a minute to play. A couple of kneel downs later and WSU had the win. Watson's three TDs were apart of a 20 carry, 116 yard performance for the Cougars. His backfield mate, Ward completed 22 of 37 passes for 219 yards and a TD. For the now bowl-ineligible Sun Devils, Jones completed 15 of 23 aerials in relief of Bourget and Valladay led all rushers with 134 yards on 21 carries and a TD.
Telling Stat: They dug a hole; The abysmal first half by Arizona State's offense cost them the game. They were shutout, gaining just 56 total yards and never crossed midfield.
Oregon State 38- California 10: Corvallis, OR- The Golden Bears had their Pac 12 road losing streak extended to 15 games after they were beaten in a variety of ways by the Beavers. OSU built up a 21-0 lead on a short sneak by QB Ben Gulbranson, a five-yard TD run by RB Jam Griffin and a 55-yard punt return for a TD by PR Anthony Gould. Cal would get their only TD of the game when CB Jeremiah Earby picked up a Beaver fumble and returned it 33 yards to paydirt. The Beavers ball control offense extended their lead to 31-7 in the third quarter on a 49-yard FG by PK Everett Hayes and an eight-yard TD pass from Gulbranson to WR Tre'Shaun Harrison. Cal's offense did manage to score in double digits when a 36-yard FG attempt by PK Michael Luckhurst split the uprights with 12:30 left in the final quarter. The Beavers tallied their final score shortly after that when Gulbranson threw short TD pass to TE Jack Velling. Gulbranson had a workmanlike night completing 15 of 23 passes for137 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a score. For the moribund Bears, QB Jack Plummer completed 22 of 34 passes for 147 and an interception.
Telling Stat: A not so nifty 50; Oregon State's defense allowed Cal to run only 50 plays on offense for a total of 156 total yards. That works out to an anemic 3.12 yards per play.
Washington 37- Oregon 34: Eugene, OR- This slugfest at Autzen was truly a drama in three acts. The first act took up the entire first half and saw QB Michael Penix, Jr. and the Huskies run off time consuming drives that kept the Ducks heralded offense led by QB Bo Nix off the field for the most part. A 13-yard TD run from RB Willie Taulapapa and two FGs by PK Peyton Henry paced the Dawgs to a 13-10 halftime lead. The Ducks 10 points came on a 10-yard TD run by Nix and a FG by PK Camden Lewis. The second act saw the teams combine for 35 points in the third quarter. All the scores covered long distance whether they were big play strikes or or long multi-play drives. The Huskies took to the air for most of their yards while the Webfoots took to the ground for the bulk of their yardage. Oregon held a 31-27 lead going into the final period which featured a full 11 minutes of scoreless football followed a huge interception thrown by Penix, Jr. on the Oregon one-yard line. Instead of throwing the ball away on fist and goal, Penix Jr. tried to thread a needle with a pass that got tipped an intercepted. With the lead and now the ball, Oregon looked to run off some clock and boy did they. After chewing up about 11 minutes off the clock and traveling 89 yards, the Ducks faced a third and five at the Huskies 10-yard line. Nix took off on a keeper and was nailed low after a two-yard gain. Nix would be helped off the field with an ankle injury. The Ducks then made a 26-yard FG to take a 34-27 lead. On the ensuing possession, Penix, Jr. threw a 62-yard TD pass to WR Taj Davis to tie the game up at 34-34. A very quiet Autzen Stadium watched backup QB Ty Thompson come in for the injured Nix and hand off three times. After those runs, UO faced a fourth and one at their own 34-yard line. They went for it and failed. RB Noah Whittington slipped while making a cut in the backfield and lost a yard. Four plays later Henry booted a 43-yarder to put the Dawgs up for good, 37-34. Nix came back out for Oregon's last chance to tie/win the game, but his final pass fell harmlessly to the Autzen Field turf and the Huskies had the win. Penix, Jr. completed 26 of 35 passes for 408 yards, two TDs and a interception, while Nix finished the game completing 19 of 27 passes for 280 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a TD. UO also had two RBs both eclipse the 100-yard mark with Bucky Irving rushing for 143 yards on 19 carries and Whittington running for 108 yards on 20 carries with a TD.
Telling Stat: 1+1 = L; The injury to QB Bo Nix and the fourth down fall by RB Noah Whittington cost Oregon the game.
Utah 42- Stanford 7: Salt Lake City, UT- It was below freezing at kickoff at Rice-Eccles Stadium, but the home Utah crowd got a little hot as they watched the Cardinal take an easy 7-0 lead on a short QB sneak by Tanner McKee. The Utes would slowly get their offense on track and forge a 14-7 halftime lead on a nine-yard TD pass from QB Cam Rising to TE Devaughn Vele and four-yard run from RB Tavion Thomas. Then the the third quarter came and Utah remembered that are much better than Stanford and put the game away. Rising and his backup Nate Johnson combined to throw three TD passes to three different receivers in the period to pace the Utes to a 35-7 lead. The final period was an exercise in what not to do when you're behind as Stanford was held for downs on a drive at the Utah 11-yard line that chewed up 7:17 of the final 8:25 off the clock. The highlight of the quarter was a 36-yard sprint to the end zone by Thomas for Utah's final score. Rising completed 20 of 33 aerials for 219 yards, two TDs and an interception while Thomas lugged the leather 22 times for 180 yards and a two TDs of his own. For the woefully overmatched Cardinal, McKee completed 11 of 23 passes for 155 yards.
Telling Stat: Not offensive; Stanford was held to 177 total yards and just 22 yards rushing by the Utah defense which gave their offense the time it needed to bury the Cardinal.
Arizona 34- UCLA 28: Pasadena, CA- A funny thing happened to the bRuins on the way to their crosstown clash with USC on November 19th. They didn't take care of business last Saturday and suffered a crushing upset a the hands of the Wildcats. The crowd of several thousand at the Rose Bowl saw UofA take a surprising 14-0 in the first quarter on a 10-yard TD run by RB Michael Wiley and a 22-yard TYD catch by Wiley on a pass from QB Jayden de Laura. The stunned bRuins fought their way back to tie the game on a one-yard run from RB Zach Charbonnet and a 51-yard scoring strike from QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson to TE Hudson Habermehl. UCLA fans breathed a sigh of relief thinking their squad had woken up and would take control of the game. The bRuins didn't. On the ensuing drive de Laura crossed the double stripe on a there-yard run to put the Wildcats up 21-14. UCLA looked to tie the game up just before the half, but Thompson-Robinson fumbled on the UofA 20-yard line with :17 left in the half. The fumble was recovered for UofA by USC transfer, Hunter Echols. UCLA had the ball to start the second half and drove down to Wildcats 27-yard line. The drive stalled and a field goal was attempted by PK Nicholas Barr-Mira. The kick was blocked. However, the Wildcats cold do nothing with the ball after and UCLA would tie the game at 21-21 with 3:38 in the third period on Charbonnet's second one-yard TD run of the game. That set up a fourth quarter that saw the Wildcats take the game away from the bRuins. After a 35-yard FG by PK Tyler Loop put the Wildcats up 24-21. UCLA then got the ball and drove for their only lead of the game. Charbonnet capped off a nine-play 65-yard rive with his third rushing TD of the day to put his squad ahead 28-24. The crowd was uneasy but thought their bRuins had finally tamed the Wildcats. Ummmm No. de Laura led the Wildcats on an 82-yard drive to take the lead for good. On 4th and 4 from the UCLA 17-yard line, de Laura found WR Tetairoa McMillan in the end zone for the go ahead TD. The bRuins then did the unthinkable. They went for it on 4th and 6 form their own 36-yard line. They failed. UofA turned that fail into a another three points on a 23-yard FG from Loop. More importantly, the Wildcats left UCLA with just 1:07 left to try and win the game. Facing 4th and 10 from the Arizona 29-yard line, Thompson-Robinson's throw to end zone proved to be just out of reach of his receiver. The Wildcats had won. For the victorious Wildcats, de Laura completed 22 of 28 passes for 315 yards and two TDs. He also ran for a score while RB Michale Wiley gained 97 yards on 21 carries with a TD. He also caught a scoring pass. For the bRuins, Thompson-Robinson completed 26 of 39 passes for 245 yards, a TD and he fumbled once while Charbonnet led all rushers with 181 yards on 24 carries and three TDs.
Telling Stat: Three big stops for the win; The Arizona defense held UCLA without a point on three possessions that ended in the shadow of their own goal line to win the game.
Observations
...That time of year; The games matter more and the weather shows us that fall is waining and winter is near. Heaters have replaced misters on the sidelines and parkas are draped around shoulders. Snow flurries and chilling rain play havoc with field conditions. It's my most wonderful time of the year.
...Must be the shoes; Isn't it funny that Oregon RB Noah Whittington's Nike cleats might have caused his slip and fall on fourth down to just about kill the Ducks chances to beat the Huskies? Uncle Phil must be very unhappy.
...Worth recording; I'm thinking that Wazzu's game at Arizona this week will be a pretty darn good one. It will be fun the see UofA QB Jayden de Laura take on this former team in the desert.
...Just a rumor; There's no truth to the rumor that Texas A&M's NIL collective has entered the Transfer Portal.
...13-0 and out; If TCU finishes the regular season at 13-0, I'm sure the Playoff Committee will tell use all how the Horned Frogs aren't more deserving of a playoff berth than a two-loss LSU.
...Hot mic fun; Evidently someone let their feelings known on how bad they thought the refs were in the Kansas-Texas Tech game and those comments made it over the airwaves. Facepalm. A valid assessment
...A true arms race; The QB talent in the Pac 12 this year is flat out amazing. At least six different QBs have a case to be named to the All-Pac 12 first team.
...A deserved celebration; It took a little longer this year, but with Philadelphia losing to Washington on Monday night, the remaining members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins popped the champagne and toasted the fact that they are still the only NFL team to finish with a perfect record. Perfection turns 50
...Piggybacking on Perfection; Back in 1972, USC fielded what many call the greatest college football team ever. Back in '72 then Wazzu HC Jim Sweeney was asked if USC was the best team in America. Sweeney answered, "USC is not the number one team in the country, the Miami Dolphins are better."
...Tarps stay; UCLA is keeping four huge tarps that cover seats for their rivalry game with USC this week. The capacity of the Rose Bowl is knocked down to a little over 70,000 with he tarps. I guess the UCLA admin was afraid that USC fans would snap up all those seats. Facepalm.
...Quietly making noise; Duke is 7-3.
...The catch you missed; This intrepid reporter is sure you all saw plenty of great catches over the weekend, but did you see this one from Toronto WR Brandon Banks in the CFL Eastern Final last Saturday? It was amazing. Had it all the way
...A court filing; Former Wazzu HC Nick Rolovich has filed a lawsuit against Washington State University, Washington Governor Jay Inslee and WSU AD Patrick Chun over his dismissal from his job for refusing to follow the stat'e vaccine mandate. Hmmmm. No Jab, No Job
...There's no O in Cal; With their offense struggling greatly for the most of this year, Cal HC Justin Wilcox has fired OC Bill Musgarve and OL coach Angus McClure.
...A big ask; I asked a young cousin of mine, (single digits in age) what was the one thing he wanted most for Christmas. He said he wanted Santa to bring, "A autographed Babe Ruth rookie card." I'd like Santa to bring me that too.
...A reckoning at 7,000 feet; Actually more like 7,165 feet in Laramie, where Wyoming will host Boise State. The winner will most likely become the champion of the Mountain Division of the Mountain West Conference. Laramie will be a balmy low 30s by kickoff with 18-20 MPH winds. Brrrrrrrrrrr.
...Head shakers; Connecticut, Kansas and East Carolina are bowl eligible. Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Nebraska are not.
...Common fail; Clemson and North Carolina are both 9-1 and the class of the ACC . Each teams' only loss is to Notre Dame.
...Playoffs! We are talking about playoffs; Divisions II and III of the NCAA and our friends in the NAIA start their playoffs this coming Saturday. The FCS level jumps in a little later.
...Another program gone; Whittier College announced they were dropping their football program on Monday. The news came as a total shock to those associated with the program. The team wasn't very good, but they had a full roster of 76 players and outside financing though NIL deals for the team. That leaves California's only D-III league, the SCIAC, with just six football members. Sigh.
...That look; I still think Utah HC Kyle Whititngham looks constipated on the sideline.
...More open mic; Enjoy this bit of earthiness on the field mic from the Arizona-UCLA game. Exasperation
...Carnage; The Big Ten West is still a mess. Purdue, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota are all 4-3 in league play. It is conceivable for this race to finish in a four-way tie with all teams having identical league and overall records. Wow.
...He wasn't thrilled; Mississippi State HC Mike Leach really wasn't into this halftime interview. Whatever
...Four baby, four!; Over in Kings Point, NY, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy beat the Coast Guard Academy, 41-33 to notch their fourth straight win in the rivalry and retain possession of the Secretaries' Cup. Go Mariners!
...Seven not three; While most of the awful headlines from this past weekend centered on the three Virginia football players who were shot and killed by a former teammate, there was another mass shooting in Idaho. Four Idaho students were found shot and killed in house near the University of Idaho campus. While we mourn the football players, these other four students need your mourning too.
The Band Is Out On The Field!
This Saturday Stanford and Cal will meet in Berkeley for the 125th edition of their rivalry known as The Big Game. It also marks the 40th anniversary of one of the wildest endings ever to a football game which has gone down in history simply as The Play. Who can forget Cal announcer Joe Starkey's radio call of The Play? This year's Big Game will be the last Big Game called by Starkey. The Bay Area legend, is retiring from the broadcast booth at the end of the season. Starkey has called everything from the NHL to the USFL, but has been the radio voice of Cal football since 1975. His voice will be greatly missed. Here's a video of the full game, but it is the only one I've ever found with the full end of the game. Fast forward to the 1:25:00 mark. 5 Laterals
Pac 12 Overreactions
None needed this week, let's just celebrate the annual completion of the Pac 12 Circle of Suck. UCLA's loss to Arizona made this year's version complete. Oh, it is Pac 12 cannibalism at its' finest. This who beat who starts at the the top and works clockwise in an endless loop of pain.
CFL Update
The great matchup is set! The Toronto Argonauts will face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan in the 109th Grey Cup on 11/20. The Argos outlasted the Montreal Alouettes, 34-27 in the Eastern Final and the Blue Bombers gutted out a tough 28-20 win over the BC Lions in the Western Final. The Blue Bombers are trying for their third consecutive Grey Cup victory. No team has won at least three straight Grey Cups since the Edmonton Eskimos were in the middle of their epic run of five straight wins from 1977-82.
Is there any doubt? that Human Hi-liter look from Oregon wins! They need to just burn these awful things.
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week:Wayne, NE- This week's game comes form the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in Division II and features a school from Nebraska the actually wins football games. The Wayne State Wildcats held off the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons, 10-7 to better their record to 9-2 on the season. PK Alex Powders' 23-yard FG in the second quarter proved to game-winner as the Wildcats defense thwarted a late FGA and stopped the Dragons on fourth down in their territory on their final two drives to secure the win.
Blowout Game of the Week: Ripon, Wi- It's tough to pick on a school two weeks in a row, but something is seriously wrong with Lawrence University in Division III. The Vikings finished their season at 0-10 getting blown out in Midwest Conference play, 82-0 by the Ripon College Red Hawks. The Vikings only made three first downs and gained just 26 total yards on the day. The Vikings have now been shutout in five straight games and have been outscored 290-0 during that span.
Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- The Hogs did not have the services of their injured starting QB, but they still had a great chance to beat LSU. However, a couple of key coaching decision cost the Razorbacks in their 13-10 loss to the Bayou Bengals. Two ill-advised attempts to convert on fourth down were the difference in this game. The first came early when the Hogs eschewed a chip shot field goal after an LSU turnover and were stopped in the shadow the LSU goal line. The second time came in the third quarter when instead of punting and pinning the Tigers deep, the Razorbacks went for it and set up LSU on a short field for their only TD of the game. Up next for the Arkansas is a home game with Ole Miss.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Late season Santa Ana winds really mess up my sinuses. Heck, in-season ones do too.
The length of the season for Trader Joe's seasonal items seems to be about a week and a half now.
A good flannel shirt is an essential thing life.
Until next time, remember that most game are won when one team does the simple things well.
-The Commissioner
