Week Fourteen 2023

Hey All,

Welcome to the final edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard for 2023 and ever for that matter.  Oh, the name will change next year, but this intrepid reporter will be back under that new title to make your Tuesdays feel like Saturdays in the fall.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summary 

Pac 12 Championship Game

Washington 34- Oregon 31: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV- The Ducks came in as 9.5 point favorites over the Huskies. All the pundits said that UW was just stumbling to the finish and that Oregon would whip the Dawgs.  Then a funny thing happened. They actually played the game and Washington beat Oregon for the third straight time within a span of 55 weeks.  The Huskies controlled the first half with dominant line play on both sides of the ball. UW built up a 20-3 lead on a five-yard TD run from RB Dillon Johnson, a four-year TD pass form Johnson to RB Germie Bernard and pair of Grady Gross FGs from 38 and 37 yards out.  However, the Ducks would cut that lead to 20-10 at the half on a 75 yard drive that was aided greatly by a suspect PI call on the Huskies that gave the Webfoots a 1st and Goal at the UW nine-yard line. Three plays later QB Bo Nix found TE Terrance Ferguson in the back of the end zone for a TD.  Seizing on that momentum, Oregon owned the third period with Nix finding Ferguson again from two-yards out and then getting a score on a run of six yard to paydirt from RB Jordan James. Oregon now held a 24-20 lead to start the fourth quarter.  The Huskies offense then came to life again and retook the lead at 27-24 when Dillon bulled his way into the end zone from a yard out.  The Dawgs then seemed to put this game away when QB Michael Penix, Jr. threw a two-yard TD pass to TE Quentin Moore for a 34-24 lead with 2:44 to play.  The Huskies then went into a prevent defense and Bo Nix picked it apart in two plays with the second play being a 63-yard TD pass to WR Treshon Holden who did a great tiptoe act down the sideline to find the end zone. The ensuing onside kick attempt failed and UW needed to run the final 2:14 off the clock to claim the crown.  They did just that with the their O-line blowing the Ducks off the ball to pick up two first downs to win the Pac 12 title. Penix, Jr. complered 27 of 39 passes for 319 yards, a TD and an interception, while Johnson led all rushers with 152 yards on 28 carries and two TDs. For the Ducks, Nix was everything again. He completed 21 of 34 passes for 239 yards, three TDs and an interception. He also was the Ducks leading rusher gaining 69 yards on six carries.

Telling Stat: They are fourth; The 2023 Huskies have the chance to be the fourth PCC/Pac 8/10/12 team to go undefeated since 1950. The other three are 1954 UCLA (9-0), 1972 USC (12-0) and 2004 USC (13-0).

Observations

...The Shaft;  As in Florida State got the shaft from the CFP Committee on Sunday morning. Then again, ESPN was setting the narrative all Saturday that FSU was going to get left out as a 13-0 P5 champ. The ESPN/SEC propaganda machine is flat out awful.  Heaven forbid the SEC would be left out of the playoff.  Sigh. 

...Another thought; If Texas hadn't beaten Bama, Georgia would have made the playoff too.  

...Gipperless;  ND is very happy the CFP wasn't around when Knute Rockne coached.

...Booger was bold;  ESPN pundit Booger McFarland went on a tirade about Florida State getting shutout of the playoff on Sunday and I'm sure it made his bosses cringe because he did not toe the line for the SEC like the rest of the talking heads. I'm sure Booger will be laid off by ESPN soon.

...Permanent reminder of a great feeling;  North Dakota State beat Montana State 35-34 to advance in the FCS playoffs thanks to a blocked PAT from Zach Peters. Peters will carry the memory of that block for awhile. Yes, that's the imprint of the laces of the ball on his forearm.  Laces!

...The Liberty question; There's much consternation of how Liberty got into the Fiesta Bowl. A few years ago, there were some lawmakers in D.C.who weren't thrilled with how Group of 5 teams were not getting any of the big bowl money. They made their voices heard to the college football powers that be with the "Gee, you really don't want us investigating you, do you?' argument.  Suddenly a "worthy" Group of 5 team makes it every year.  This year, the Fiesta Bowl was stuck with the G5 team.   

...19 minutes later;  Check out this weather change on a dime in Montana's playoff game with Delaware. Blanketed 

..Portal Fatigue; I think it would be easier if we were just told who was staying as opposed to who was entering the transfer portal.  Also, all these big posts on social media by the players who are leaving is just boilerplate garbage.

...Bad times in Beaverland;  In the span of two weeks, Oregon State has lost to Oregon, had their HC leave with most of his staff for Michigan State, had their starting and backup QB announce that they are going transfer, had their top RB arrested for DUI and been handed the last ever dreaded Sun Bowl bid by the Pac 12.  

...The bird for the Birds; Jerry Rice was in Philly for the 49ers-Eagles Sunday and he let the Philly fans know what he thought of them in an epic way.  A bird with a side of rings

...More CFP shaft;  The committee also had the chance to set up and epic Rose Bowl between Michigan and Washington as a last look at the old Pac 12-Big Ten Rose Bowl agreement. Instead Washington, the #2 seed gets a 2,000 mile trip to Sugar Bowl to face a Texas team that has just a 500 miles trip in their own backyard. Hmmmmmmmm

...Closer than home; UCLA will face Boise State in the LA Bowl.  For UCLA, the trip to SoFi Stadium will be shorter than to the Rose Bowl where they play their home games.  

...The last game;  There is still one regular season game left in the FBS. Up at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA, Army and Navy will square off for the 106th time this Saturday.  Here's my annual plea to watch the game. These are kids who chose to serve the nation.  There are no NIL collectives here, no big booster money, just kids who love to play the game. They play for pride and honor and to represent their branch of the service. 

On Brave Old Army Team!

Anchors Aweigh, Marine Battle Hymn

...Tough Trivia;  This intrepid reporter figures he'd finish the year with a big retro-Christams themed question.  Pictured here below is a page from the 1980 Sears Christmas Catalog. The ad is for NFL Jerseys. Each of the then 28 NFL teams is represented in the ad with a jersey of a player from that team.  The trivia question is simple. Name all 28 players represented in the ad. 

Pac 12 Overreaction

Washington made the house very rich in Las Vegas on Friday.

Pac 12 Bowls 

Here's the last slate ever of Pac 12 Bowl Games

12/16

LA Bowl: UCLA- Boise State

Independence Bowl: California- Texas Tech 

12/23

Las Vegas Bowl: Utah- Northwestern 

12/27

Holiday Bowl: USC-Louisville

12/28

Alamo Bowl: Arizona- Oklahoma 

12/29

Sun Bowl: Oregon State- Notre Dame 

1/1-2024

Fiesta Bowl: Liberty- Oregon  

Sugar Bowl: Texas- Washington 

My Conference Is Gone

Yes, there will bowl games this season, but the last game between two Pac 12 teams has been played and the football portion of The Conference of Champions is no more.  I, like many of you, can mostly understand all the reasons that the demise of the league occurred, but it doesn't mean I'm happy with it.  I am a child of the Pac 8. I saw my first Pac 8 football game in 1974 when USC beat Oregon State, 31-10 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.  SC would win the National Championship that year going 6-0-1 in conference play and then beating Ohio State, (They didn't have the Theee in front of their name then), 18-17. I would go on to attend, watch on TV or listen to 385 Pac8/10/12  games in which the Trojans have played. I'm already lost looking at next year's schedule and not seeing the old foes on it. Where I would be thinking about Corvallis, Pullman, or Tucson in 2024 has been replaced with Ann Arbor, Minneapolis and College Park. Heck, I grew up where the Big Ten team was who you whipped in Pasadena on January 1st, not who you face in league play.  The PCC/Pac8/10/12 was the benchmark of western football excellence. Now it's just the western branch of the Big Ten/Big XII/ACC. Maybe, I'm just saying I'm lost and frustrated right now with my league disappearing. The reality is starting to set in.  This is the last ever edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. Next year it will be Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard and maybe by then I'll have moved on enough in my mind to embrace the change.  However, I'm still not truly over the fact that Topps took the bubblegum out of baseball card packs back in 1992, so this will take awhile. One thing for sure is that the annual blog on the Coaching Carousel will hit your inboxes in late July and we will see where it goes from there.  

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Searcy, AR- This week's game comes form the D-II quarterfinals where The Harding University Bison came from behind for a 7-6 upset win over the Grand Valley State Lakers. A pair of field goals from PK Josh Gorball covering 27 and 48 yards gave GVSU a 6-0 lead that lasted until the fourth quarter.  The Bison had the ball with 12:52 to play and put together a 15-play drive that covered 73 yards and took the lead on a one-yard plunge by QB Cole Ceylon with 3:52 to play.  The Bison defense took over form there holding for downs at their own 26-yard line with 1:09 to play. Harding controlled the clock and the ball in this one, rushing the ball 62 times out of 65 offensive plays. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Brookings, SD: In the second round of the FCS playoffs, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits spanked the Mercer College Bears, 41-0. It was a sunny, cold 37 degree day at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, but the Jackrabbits were red hot.  RB Isaiah Davis spearheaded the Jackrabbit attack with 117 yards on 16 carries and three TDs while fellow RB Amar Johnson gained 107 yards on 11 carries.  SDSU held Mercer to just 151 total yards. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Remembering where some of your xmas decorations  is a big deal.

I'm not a fan of December Santa Ana winds. 

I'm seeing a lot more houses lit up for xmas and I like that.

Until next year folks, remember that this blog does not exist without all of you. From our field agents across the globe to my family and my extended tailgate family all of you are what make the football season great despite whatever may happen on the field.  Thank you all for another great year of getting together to enjoy this game with the funny bouncing ball. Now, go have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

-The Commissioner 

  

Week Thirteen 2023

Hey All,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, food, and football.  Here's another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard to help you look back on the long weekend that was. We still miss you, Mal Florence. 

Summaries 

Oregon 31- Oregon State 7: Eugene, OR- The Ducks needed one more win to clinch their shot at revenge against Washington in the Pac 12 title game while the Beavers were hoping to bounce back from a devastating loss to the Huskies the previous week. The Beavers team and admin were also busy fielding questions as to whether their HC Jonathan Smith was head out the door for greener pastures at Michigan State.  Throw in a short of week of prep and it was a little too much for the Beavers to handle as the Ducks took an early lead then relied on their defense in the second half to grind out a big victory in the series formally known as The Civil War.  The Quacks established a 7-0 lead when they took the opening kickoff and chewed almost nine minutes off the clock on a 15-play drive that covered 88 yards.  The scoring play was a 14-yard TD pass from QB Bo Nix to RB Bucky Irving. Then after holding OSU for downs, UO went up 14-0 on 16 yard scamper to paydirt by Nix. OSU then got onto the scoreboard when QB D.J. Uiagalelei hit WR Silas Bolden for a TD from nine yards out to cut UO's lead to 14-7 wih :48 left in the half.  Nix and the Webfoots offense then struck right back traveling  78 yards in :40 to take a 21-7 halftime lead on a 41-yard TD pass from Nix to WR Troy Franklin. The Ducks defense then pitched a second half shutout while the offense racked on 10 more points to finish off the scoring on a 25 yard FG from PK Cameron Lewis and one-yard TD plunge form RB Jordan James. Nix had another great game for the Men of Oregon completing 33 of 40 passes for 367 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 31 yards on six carries and another score. WR Tez Johnson caught 11 passes for 137 yards while Franklin grabbed nine aerials for 128 yards and a TD. For the Beavers, Uiagalelei completed 19 of 35 passes for 220 yards, a TD and an interception in the tough loss. 

Telling Stat: Downs aren't points; Oregon's defense held for downs on Oregon State's first possession of each half while their offense then scored on the ensuing drive to control the game. 

Arizona 59- Arizona State 23: Tempe, AZ- After UofA's hopes of making the Pac 12 title game were dashed on Friday when Oregon beat Oregon State, many wondered if the Wildcats would come out flat and disheartened for the battle for the Territorial Cup with Arch rival ASU.  Ummm, they didn't. The Cats offense sliced and diced the Sun Devils defense all day with only a missed FG and an interception standng in the way of the Wildcats scoring every time they had the ball.  To say that ASU had problems stopping UofA QB Noah Fifita is an understatement.  Fifita completed 30 of 41 passes for 527 yards, five TDs and an interception. His favorite targets WR Tetairoa McMillan and TE Jacob Cowing were pretty unstoppable too. McMillan caught 11 passes for 266 yards and a TD while Cowing hauled in nine passes for 157 yards and a score. Fifita's 527 yards passing is most never in a single game by an Arizona QB.  The Wildcats kept the first stringers in the whole game to get a measure of revenge for when ASU skinned the Wildcats, 70-7 back in 2020. In the defeat, ASU RB Cameron Skattebo rushed for 108 yards on 17 carries and a TD. 

Telling Stat: Double the yardage, double the score;  Arizona racked up 619 yards to ASU's 306 and outscored the Sun Devils 59-23 to reclaim dominance in the state and maintain possession of the Territorial Cup. 

Washington 24- Washington State 21: Seattle, WA- It was a barn burner at Husky Stadium where Huskies played just well enough along with some help from a somewhat iffy roughing the passer call to stay undefeated against a determined bunch of Cougars. The squads traded blows in the first half which led to a 14-14 deadlock at intermission.  A one-yard run form RB Dillon Johnson and a 40-yard pass from QB Michael Penix, Jr. to WR Rome Odunze accounted for the Huskies first half tallies while a pair of TD passes from QB Cameron Ward to WRs Josh Kelly and Kyle Williams that covered 21 and 25 yards accounted for WSU's scores.  The third quarter saw the Dawgs take the lead at 21-14 on the final play of the quarter when Penix, Jr. and Odunze hooked up again for a 21-yard TD toss.  UW then seemed to have gained control of the game when Safety Markell Eston picked off Ward at the Huskies 27-yard line with 14:11 left to play in the final period. However, the Cougs dug deep on defense and forced a Husky punt. Ward then made up for the interception by driving the Cougars 65 yards in 13 plays for the game-tying score. Ward's eight-yard TD pass to WR Lincoln Victor knotted the game at 21-21 with 5:58 to play.  The teams then traded punts and that left the Dawgs with one more shot to end this game in regulation.  Facing a 4th and 1 at their own 29-yard line, HC Kalen DeBoer decided to go for it.  Penix, Jr.tossed the ball to Odunze on a nifty end around playing that netted 23 yards and a first down at Wazzu's 48-yard line. On the next play, WSU LB Kyle Thornton was flagged for a questionable roughing the passer call which was tacked on. to the end of the play and suddenly UW had a first down at the Cougs 27-yard line with :42 left on the clock.  Four plays later, PK Grady Gross was sent on to attempt a 42-yard FG.  His kick was true and the Huskies took the Apple Cup and completed the second ever 12-0 regular season in Washington football history. Penix, Jr. completed 18 of 33 passes for 204 yards, two TDs and an interception for UW, while Johnson led all rushers with 82 yards on 21 carries and a TD of his own.  For the now 5-7 Cougars, Ward completed 32 of 48 passes for 317 yards, three TDs and a pair of interceptions. His favorite target was Victor who hauled in 11 passes for 88 yards and a TD. 

Telling Stat: Scoreboard; Washington was outplayed in many facets of this game by the Cougars, but they hung on for the win and that's all that matters in a rivalry game. 

Utah 23- Colorado 17: Salt Lake City, UT- Colorado came into this game without the services of QB Shedeur Sanders due to injury while Utah was without their top QBs with Bryson Barnes being injured and Nate Johnson having left the program.  That left Colorado to rely on the arm of freshman Ryan Staub to lead their attack while the Utes laid their hopes in the hands senior Luke Bottari and a strong rushing game.  The game itself was a closer game than most expected with both teams seemingly going through the motions on a very gray day at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utes held a 20-10 lead going into the fourth quarter on the two short TD plunges from Bottari of one and two yards to go with a pair of FG's from PK Cole Becker of 34 and 22 yards. Colorado's scores came on 30-yard TD pass from Staub to WR Jimmy Horn, Jr. and a career long 48-yard FG from PK Alejandro Mata.  Utah would extend their lead to 23-10 on Becker's third FG of the game which was form 31 yards out with 11:31 left in the final period. Then the  Buffs offense made things very uncomfortable for the Utes and their fans by marching 82 yards in nine plays to make the score 23-17 on an 18-yard TD toss from Staub to WR Travis Hunter. Utah got the ball back with 7:31 left and needed a drive to shave some time off the clock and keep the CU at bay.  They got it with a 13 play drive that covered 44 yards to send the clock to triple zeroes and claim their eighth win of the season.  Bottari didn't throw much because he didn't have to.  He did complete six of ten passes for 61 yards, while the Utes rushed the ball 53 times for 268 yards and the two TDs. RB's Jaylon Glover, Sione Vaki and Ja'Quinden Jackson accounted for 45 of those carries and 243 rushing yards.  For the now 4-8 Buffaloes, Staub completed 17 of 24 passes for 195 yards and a TD.

Telling Stat: You can't win without the ball; Colorado only had the ball for 42 offensive snaps in this snoozer of a game in Salt Lake City.

Notre Dame 56- Stanford 23: Palo Alto, CA- This was the last live football game ever to air on the Pac 12 Network and it looked early on like it might be a good one as the Cardinal had jumped out to a 16-14 lead on a 56-yard FG by PK Josh Karty midway through the second quarter. Then ND woke upon and realized that this is 2023 and Stanford isn't the Stanford of the past decade.  That realization led to six straight TDs by the Fighting Irish, the last of which was a blocked FG return of 60 yards to paydirt by DB Javontae Jean-Baptiste with 12:41 left to play in the game.  After that, benches were emptied and Stanford managed to score the last TD ever on the Pac 12 Network when QB Justin Lamson rumbled into the end zone with 7:16 left to play. For the now 9-3 Irish, RB Auric Estime had himself a great afternoon.  He lugged the leather 25 times for 238 yards and four TDs.  QB Sam Hartman completed eight of 14 passes for 140 yards and two TDs to lead ND's aerial attack.  For the Cardinal, QB Ashton Daniels compared 15 of 25 passes for 152 yards and an interception.  

Telling Stat: 42-0 in 26:26 = Rout; Notre Dame scored six straight TDs in a span of 26:26 of game time to turn a 16-14 deficit into a 56-16 lead and eventual 56-23 easy win up on The Farm.

California 33- UCLA 7: Pasadena, CA- The very last regular season game in Pac 12 history featured a pair old rivals coming off wins over their hated private school brethren the week prior. it was also billed as a game that could go either way as both teams boasted strong defenses and offense that showed flashes of brilliance. UCLA's offensive hopes were pinned on the ability of QB Chase Garbers to run the offense efficiently and set up scoring chances.  About four minutes into the game on the bRuins first drive of the contest, Garbers was injured. He would not return and in his stead, true freshman Donte Moore would take over the offense.  Moore's first year has been mix of great plays and great mistakes.  On his first play in for Garbers he threw an interception that led to a Cal 43-yard FG from PK Mateen Baghani and an early 3-0 lead for the Golden Bears.  Trailing now 6-0 after another FG from Bhaghani, Moore was able to take advantage of a short field after a Cal turnover and threw a five-yard TD pass to WR Logan Loya for a 7-6 bRuins lead.  That lead was very short lived as on the ensuing kickoff, Cal RB/KR Jaydn Ott raced 100 yards through the bRuins coverage team to paydirt and a 13-7 lead. Its was a lead they would never relinquish.  Moore could not get the UCLA offense going against the Cal defense that dared him throw the ball while the Golden Bears were content to pound the ball, throw short passes, run. the clock and steadily expand their lead.  When it was over Cal had shutout the bRuins over the final 35 minutes of the game to claim the victory to become bowl eligible for the for the first time in four years.  Cal QB Fernando Mendoza completed 19 of 30 passes for 178 yards, two TDs and two interceptions while Ott led all rushers with 80 yards on 21 carries. For the bRuins Moore completed 23 of 38 passes for 266 yards, a TD and two interceptions.  

Telling Stat: Almost a full shutout; UCLA's only touchdown of the game came after an interception thrown by Cal QB Fernando Mendoza set the bRuins up at the Golden Bears eight-yard line. 

Cranberry Crushers- Tough Turkeys: San Pedro, Ca-  The Scheduled game between the Crushers and the Turkeys was a  not contest as due to roster deficiencies and logistical problems at Yube Ursich Field led to the powers that be to postpone the contest to next Thanksgiving. 

Observations

...Silly Season reigns;  This is time of year when a vortex of Coaching Carousel movess, transfer portal moves and just flat out crazy rumors converge to dominate the college football landscape. Wow. 

...37-31 and hold the title game;  San Jose State beat UNLV, 37-31 last Saturday.  That win should have given the Spartans a berth in the MWC title game.  Ahhh, but it didn't.  Boise State, UNLV and SJSU all fished 6-2 in league play.  UNLV and Boise didn't play each other this year, so the conference went to a tie-breaker computer model similar to the old BCS computer system and like all those awful years of BCS rankings, the computer got it wrong.  UNLV will host Boise in the title game.  Oh, and the Broncos fired their HC a few games ago. Facepalm. Robbed

...A Elko for a Jimbo;  With Jimbo Fisher trying to figure out how to spend his epic buyout from Texas A&M, the Aggie braintrust went out and hired Mike Elko away from Duke to be their next HC.  An Elko in College Station

...Trivia Time;  Nebraska's bowl drought now stands at seven seasons after they lost to Iowa, 13-10 last Friday to finish the year with a 5-7 mark.  Who was the last Nebraska HC to lead the Cornhuskers to a bowl game? 

...Shine off the Buffalo nickel?; Several high profile commits have de-committed from Colorado in the past couple of weeks.  Hmmmmmmm

...Pins and needles; This intrepid reporter along with most other Trojan fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the hiring of a new DC.  

...ACC! ACC!;  Cal fans chanting "ACC! ACC!" after the Golden Bears worked over UCLA is one of the funniest/saddest things I've seen all season. 

...Fun Fact;  Arizona and Arizona State have been squaring off since 1899, yet there has only been one tie game in the series.  That came in 1987 when Wildcats PK Gary Coston booted a 30-yard FG as time expired to tie the game at 24-24.  Crazy thing is that was UofA's third tie of the season and their final record was 4-4-3. 

...Gone with friends;  Oregon State HC Jonathan Smith has taken the HC Job at Michigan State.  He's also taking most of the OSU staff with him to the banks of the Red Cedar. Buh Bye Bucky, Hello Sparty

...They are just gone;  Houston has fired HC Dana Holgorsen and Indiana has canned HC Tom Allen.

Houston, Indiana

..He's staying; Much to the chagrin of many bRuins fans, UCLA HC Chip Kelly will be back for another year in Westwood.  

... A great 7-5; Northwestern's season looked like it was over before it began when HC Pat Fitzgerald was fired in the wake of a hazing scandal just before the season opener. All interim, now permanent HC David Braun did was rally the team to a 7-5 record and a bowl berth.  If he isn't named Big Ten Coach of the Year, it's a travesty.

...Pain, pure pain;  It's got to be awfully painful to be an Auburn fan after that collapse in the final seconds v. Alabama.  The Milroe Miracle will haunt the Tiger faithful forever. 

...Bad timing;  Our field agent in the desert caught the fact that the clock ran during PAT attempts during the Cal-UCLA game.  All conversion attempts after TDs by rule are untimed downs.  Check this video out at the 4:35 mark through the PAT.  The game clock runs from 5:43 to 5:39 on UCLA's PAT.  

tick tick tick

...Trivia Answer; Mike Riley was the last Nebraska HC to lead the Cornhuskers to a bowl game.  His 2016 Huskers went 9-3 in the regular season and lost 38-24 to Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. 

...Classic on a grand stage;  The Ohio State-Michigan game was just great to watch.  That is all.

The Title Tilts

Here's your lineup of conference championship games (All Times PST)

Friday 12/1

C-USA: New Mexico State v. Liberty, 4 PM on CBSSN

Pac 12: Oregon v. Washington, 5 PM on ABC

Saturday 12/2

Big XII: Oklahoma State v. Texas,  9 AM on ABC

SEC: Georgia v. Alabama, 1 PM on CBS

AAC: SMU v. Tulane, 1 PM  on ABC

Big Ten: Michigan v. Iowa, 5 PM on FOX

ACC: Louisville v. Florida State, 5 PM on ABC

Pac 12 Overreactions 

Washington is stumbling into a title game loss.

Oregon is hitting on all cylinders and will win the title game.

Oregon State is lost in the Pac 2 abyss.

Wazzu at least has a good HC for what comes next in the great unknown of the Pac 2.

Arizona will be haunted but their loss at SC forever.

Stanford is just happy the season is over.

Utah irrelevancy has hit their fan base and they don't like it. 

UCLA only gets interested for road games. 

Arizona State is a more of a mess than we all thought. 

USC needs a lot more than just a DC to fix the program. 

Is Colorado still keeping those receipts?  Hmmmmmm

Cal going to a bowl will keep their minds off failing on that two-point conversion v. USC. 

Ugly Uniform of the Week

This week we go the NFL where I believe the Seattle Seahawks wardrobe choice is fully responsible for their loss to the San Francisco 49ers.  You just can't win in a uniform this ugly.

Departments

Upset of the Week: Alliance, OH- With :10 to play Alma College QB Carter St. John threw a two-yard TD pass to WR Cole Thomas. That TD pass sent shockwaves through the D-III ranks as it lifted the Alma College Scots to a 24-20 upset win over perennial D-III powerhouse Mt. Union.  Trailing 10-0 to start the final period, the Scots scored the last four times they had the ball to pull off the comeback win. St. John torched the Mt. Union secondary completing 20 of 33 passes for 303 yards and three TDs.  Carter drove the Scots 96 yards in 10 plays for the wining score.  Wow.   

Blowout Game of the Week: Naperville, IL- We stay not he D-III ranks where the Cardinals of North Central College Whipped the Trinity University Tigers, 71-28 to advance the the D-III quarterfinals.  The Cardinals put 27 points on the board int the first quarter then just consistently kept piling on the points to claim the victory.  Cardinals QB Luke Lehnen completed 11 of 14 passes for 245 yards and four TDs while leading all rushers with 94 yards on 11 carries.  

Razorback Report: The Hogs season came to crashing halt an a 4-8 finish after they were worked over by Missouri, 48-7 on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Hogs QB K.J. Jefferson was injured early on in this one and the game went steadily downhill after that.  One of the highlights of the game for this intrepid reporter was receiving unique and entertaining insights into the Hogs performance as the game unfolded from our field agent in Bismarck, AR. Up next for the Razorbacks is a long offseason. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

It's time to put out the Christmas decorations and my train set. Yay me!

Also time to put the fall display away and harvest the pumpkin seeds for next year's planting in the garden. 

Anybody else remember how great the old Sears Christmas Catalog was? 

Until next time folks remember that winning your rivalry game is always sweet no matter how you get the win.

-The Commissioner 

 

Week Twelve 2023

Hey All,

Here we are with Thanksgiving upon us. Here's a Turkey Day appetizer with yet another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Tom Kelly.

Summaries

UCLA 38- USC 20:  Los Angeles, CA- In the last few weeks, the Trojans lost The Shillelagh back to Notre Dame, been knocked out of the CFP discussion and the Pac 12 title hunt. They have also now surrendered the Victory Bell bell back to UCLA in a game that was not nearly as close as the score indicates. The Trojans were dominated on both sides of the line of scrimmage by the bRuins. UCLA's defense set the tone early.  In the first 13 minutes, the bRuins held USC for downs, forced a 3 and out, and then created a pair of turnovers. Those stops were turned into a 14-0 bRuin lead on a one-yard TD scamper from RB T.J. Harden and a 14-yard TD pass from QB Ethan Garbers to TE Hudson Habermehl.  Habermehl was so wide open on the play that only the Coliseum torch was nearest defender. The second quarter did see USC fight back to close the gap to 14-10 thanks to one of the prettiest 74-yard TD passes you will ever see from QB Caleb Williams to WR Brenden Rice and a 34-yard FG from PK Denis Lynch. However Lynch missed an earlier FG attempt which helped highlight SC's inability to convert Red Zone opportunities into TDs. Coming out of the half, UCLA marched through the hapless SC defense on a drive that took 5:15 off the clock. The drive covered 65 yards in 15 plays and was capped off with a seven-yard TD pass from Garbers to Harden.  Then 15 seconds later, UCLA put the game away when DB Alex Johnson scooped up a fumble by Trojan RB MarShawn Lloyd and and sprinted 11 yards to paydirt. The game was basically a glorified scrimmage after that with RB Austin Jones scoring SC's last TD of the regualr season with 3:52 left and the outcome of the game long since decided. For the bRuins, Garbers completed 18 of 31 passes for 155 yards and three TDs, while his backfield mate Harden lugged the leather 22 times for 142 yards and a TD.  Her also caught a TD pass. In what was most likely his last game as a Trojan, Caleb Williams completed 31 of 42 passes for 384 yards, a TD and an interception.  Rice led all receivers with 147 yards on eight catches and a TD.

Telling Stat: They dominated the trenches;  Nothing says how UCLA controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage over USC than the fact the bRuins gained 199 yards rushing while SC gained only three.

Washington State 56- Colorado 14: Pullman, WA- The temp was in the high 30's at kickoff on Friday night in the Palouse, but the Cougars came out red hot on Senior Night and obliterated the Buffaloes. With a bold WAZZU emblazoned on their helmets the Cougars went up 14-0 quickly on a 15-yard TD run by Lincoln Victor and a 40-yard fumble return for a TD by DE Brennan Jackson.  Colorado's porous OL got QB Shedeur Sanders sacked four times in his first ten plays. Then Sanders left the game in the second quarter with an injury and the rout was on.  The Cougars led 42-7 at the half and then 56-7 after three quarters when Jackson got his second fumble return for a TD.  This one covered 74 yards. CU RB Sy'Veon Wilkerson picked up a one-yard cosmetic TD late to end the scoring.  WSU QB Cam Ward completed 18 of 30 passes for 288 yards and two TDs  He also ran for a a pair of scores. WR Josh Kelly was Ward's favorite receiver catching six passes for 130 yards.  CU's lone bright spot was WR/CB Travis Hunter who caught four passes for 82 yards and a TD. 

Teling Stat: Lineman's dream comes true;  WSU DE Brennan Jackson returned not one, but two fumbles for TDs in this laugher in Pullman. 

Arizona 42- Utah 18: Tucson, AZ- It was a the final Pac 12 game ever at Arizona Stadium and the Wildcats went out in style with a big win over the Utes. On the opening drive of the game UofA marched 75 yards in eight plays and took a 7-0 lead on a perfectly executed double pass when WR Tetairoa McMillan hit wide open RB Michael Wiley with a 21-yard TD pass. On the ensuing drive, Utah had their punt blocked and taken in for a TD by Cats LB Anthony Ward for a 14-0 lead.  Then following a Utah punt, the Cats drove 80 yards in six plays and went up 21-0 on a 32-yard pass from QB Noah Fifita to WR Montana Lemoniuos-Craig.  Then following a third straight failed Utah drive, the Wildcats drove 72 yards to take a 28-0 lead on a pass from Fifita to Wiley that covered 31 yards. Seven seconds into the second quarter Arizona owned a 28-0 lead and had outgained Utah 227 yards to 18. From this point on, the game settled into a hard-hitting defensive affair with the Wildcats able to keep the Utes at bay.  Things did get interesting at the end of the game when instead of taking a knee to kill the clock, Arizona threw a 51-yard TD pass to add an exclamation point to their big victory. For the now 8-3 Wildcats, Fifita completed 22 of 30 passes for 253 yards and two TDs. McMillan was Fifita's top target catching eight balls for 116 yards and a TD. Cats RB Jonah Coleman led all rushers with 90 yards on 14 carries and a score of his own. In the loss, Utah QB Bryson Barnes completed 31of 53 passes for 320 yards, two TDs and two interceptions. 

Telling Stat; Flat for 15:07=L;  Utah came out flat and fell behind down 28-0 just seven seconds into the second quarter. The Utes could not dig out of the hole that big.

 

Oregon 49 - Arizona State 13: Tempe, AZ- The yard formerly known as Sun Devil Stadium has been a house of horrors over the years for the Ducks. However, that was not the case this year as the Ducks had a first half where they did everything to the Sun Devils except snap Sparky's pitchfork in two and stab him with both ends. UO had six first half possessions and QB Bo Nix threw six TD passes to stake his team to a 42-0 halftime lead.  TE Patrick Herbert and WR Tony Franklin caught two TDs each with WRs Gary Bryant, Jr. and Tez Johnson each grabbing one scoring toss.  In little over one half's worth of work, Nix completed 24 of 49 passes for 404 yards and six TDs.  Franklin led all receivers with 128 yards on catches with two scores.  For the overwhelmed Sun Devils, QB Trenton Bourguet completed 20 of 37 passes for 142 yards while WR Melquan Stoval scored the Sons of Sparky's  only TD on a 15-yard run.  

Telling Stat: Long distance whipping;  Oregon's seven TD drives covered, 75, 75, 67, 65, 74, 98 and 75 yards.

California 25- Stanford 17: Palo Alto, CA- It was an oddly tight one, but the Golden Bears came away with the win in the 126th Big Game and have retained ownership of The Axe for another year. The Bears never trialed in this one as they opened the scoring with a nine-yard TD pass from QB Fernando Mendoza to WR Trond Grizzell.  Stanford cut into Cal's lead with a 44-yard FG from PK Josh Karty only to see the Bears take a 14-3 lead on the ensuing drive. Mendoza and Grizzell connected again for a score, but this one was far longer, covering 54 yards. A 54-yard FG just from Karty later in the second quarter would make the score 14-6.  That's the way the score stood to until the teams traded TDs late in the third quarter.  Cal RB Jaydn Ott powered over form a yard out to stake his team to a 21-6 lead only to have Stanford cut that lead to 21-12 on a 41-yard TD toss form QB Ashton Daniels to WR Tiger Bachmeier.  The Cardinal then got into within six points of Bears when Karty hit a 50-yard FG to make the score 21-15.  The Golden Bears just about put the game out of reach in the final period when with 10:19 left Mendoza threw and eight-yard TD pass to WR Jeremiah Hunter for a 27-15 advantage.  Stanford 's last chance to get back into the game ended when Ashton's fourth down pass fell incomplete at the Cal 35-yard line. Mendoza then marched the Golden Bears 56 yards in 12 plays to kill the final 6:27 off the clock to secure the victory.  Mendoza's line was a hero's one for sure as he completed 24 of 36 passes for 294 yards and three TDs. Grizzell caught seven of those completions for 136 yards and two TDs.  For the Cardinal, Daniels completed 18 of 35 passes for 188 yards and a TD.

Telling Stat: No Red Zone For You!;  The Cal defense didn't allow Stanford to cross into the red zone for the entire game. Stanford's deepest drive stalled at the Cal 26-yard line. 

Washington 22- Oregon State 20: Corvallis, OR- The Huskies clinched a spot in the Pac 12 title game with a hard fought win in a constant downpour at Reser Stadium. The Dawgs owned the first half building up a 22-10 lead on TD passes of 12 yards and 38 yards from QB Michael Penix, Jr. to WR Rome Odunze, a five-yard TD run from Penix, Jr, and a safety.  The second half looked like the Dawgs would put the game away when CB Jabbar Muhammed picked off OSU QB D.J. Uiagalelei at Beavers 22-yard line. However, the OSU defense stiffened and then celebrated when UW PK Grady Gross pushed a 39-yard FG attempt wide.  Then OSU, with the aid of a PI call on the Huskies, moved the ball 78 yards in 16 plays to make the score 22-17 on a five-yard TD run from RB Damien Martinez. On their next drive, OSU was forced to settle for a 35-yard FG from PK Atticus Sappington to make the score 22-20.  After OSU forced another UW punt, the Beavers seemed primed to send the Dawgs down to defeat. However, OSU's drive stalled at their own 47-yard line where they faced a 4th and five. Uiagalelei's pass fell incomplete and they gave up the ball with 2:08 to play.  The Huskies needed a first down to kill the clock, but their offense had been held to a paltry 26 yards in the second half.  The Dawgs needed a play and they got one.  Penix, Jr, and Odunze connected for a gain of 19 yards to put the game in the win column. Three kneel downs later, the Huskies walked out of Reser Stadium undefeated and with their national title dreams intact.  Penix, Jr. finished the night completing 13 of 28 passes for 162 yards and two TDs for the 11-0 Huskies. Uiagalelei completed 15 of 31 passes for 164 yards and two interceptions while Martinez carried the ball 26 times for 123 yards with two TDs in the tough loss for the Beavers.

Telling Stat: A stop and a pass;  Despite being thoroughly outplayed the entire second half, Washington got the stop they needed on defense and the pass reception on offense they needed to remain undefeated. 

Observations

...Flipside of the argument; USC HC Lincoln Riley keeps insisting how his team was just a few plays away from being undefeated.  SC was also a few plays away from being 5-7 or 4-8 too. 

...Last dances; UCLA will host Cal in the last regular season game in Pac 12 history. The game kicks off at 7:30 PM at the Rose Bowl and will air on ESPN.  The last ever football game on Pac 12 Network will be Notre Dame at Stanford which kicks off at 4 PM.  

...The Apple Cup goes on;  While the Pac 12 dissolves, Washington and Washington State gave agreed to keep their rivalry going until at least 2028. More Apples

...No glamour, all glory;  Washington QB Michael Penix's Heisman moment wasn't flashy or jaw-dropping or highlight reel worthy.  It was just a completion on third down in the pouring rain to keep the Huskies undefeated and their CFP hopes alive. That in itself is glorious. 

...Bronze medalists;  Penn State will once again finish third in the Big Ten East.  

...7 and rising; Utah QB Cam Rising has announced he'll return to Utah in 2024 for his seventh season in college football.  Rising started his career many moons ago as a freshman signal caller riding the bench at Texas for HC Tom Herman. Wow. 

...Bad mental gymnastics;  Pundits arguing how a one loss Alabama team should theoretically make the playoff over a one loss Texas team are nuts.  Texas beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa. That's all that matters. 

...D only for the win;  Iowa has won the Big Ten West and clinched a spot in the league's title tilt despite scoring only 118 points in league play.  It's amazing what a strong defense in a bad division can do for you. 

...That bad; USC's defense has allowed 419 points this year, the most ever in school history. 

...Mediocrity rewarded;  It possible that the ACC will have 11 bowl teams with six of those teams sporting a 6-6 record.

...Turnaround turning point;  In Arizona's great turnaround of a season, the injury to QB Jayden de Laura was the turning point.  If he never gets hurt, Noah Fifita never gets his chance to lead the team.

..It is truly the Land of Enchantment;  New Mexico State going into Jordan-Hare and whipping Auburn was pretty cool.  Evidently, Auburn bought a bran muffin instead of a cupcake for $1.85 million with the way the Aggies offense went right through their defense.  

...Many ways;  According to an unnamed official in the Big XII there are still over 100 different scenarios that could play out as to who will make championship game going into the final weekmof the regualr season.  Get used to it folks. With leagues abandoning divisional play and having too many teams to play a true schedule where all teams play each other, this will be th order of the day, not the exception. 

...82 years; The Pittsburgh Steelers announced the firing of OC Matt Canada on Tuesday.  So what's the big deal? Coaches are fired all the time in the NFL. Well, this was the first midseason coaching change for the Steelers since 1941 when then part owner of the team, Bert Bell fired himself as HC after the team started the season at 0-2.  Bell would go on to be Comissioner of the NFL from 1946-59.  

...Viva Las Vegas;  If UNLV beats San Jose State this coming Saturday, they will earn a berth in the MWC title game.  

...He's Gone;  Syracuse has parted ways with HC Dino Babers.  Babers went 41-55 in his time with the Orange. Buh-Bye Babers

...More Land of Enchantment;  Fresno State was eliminated from the Mountain West title race when they fell at home to New Mexico, 25-17.  

...Fear the Goat; When you're Navy and you beat the East Carolina Prates, you are obligated to announce the victory in this manner.

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC is just a 7-5 team.  

Arizona with a chance to win the Pac 12 title and still not go to the Rose Bowl is so very Arizona.

UCLA is a few pick sixes away from the Pac 12 title. 

Oregon is out for revenge, not just wins. 

Washington State will finish 5-7 when a bowl game seemed certain in September.

Cal wishes they just kicked the extra point v. USC.

ASU has no idea who they are on offense or defense.

Oregon State should not be ranked higher than Arizona.

Washington is winning all the close ones like goos teams do.

Colorado's September was great, but not nearly as great as Earth, Wind and Fire's September. 

Utah will put 60 on Colorado this week.

Stanford will be a lot better next year. 

Le point sur la Coupe Grey/ Grey Cup Update 

Félicitations aux Alouettes de Montréal qui ont marqué sur une passe de touché de 19 verges du QB Cody Fajardo au WR Tyson Philpot avec :11 à jouer pour battre les Blue Bombers de Winnipeg, 28-24 dans la 110e Coupe Grey. Il s'agissait de la première victoire de la Coupe Grey pour Montréal depuis 2010. Les Alouettes ont éliminé les deux équipes ayant la meilleure fiche en saison régulière dans l'Est (Toronto) et l'Ouest (Winnipeg), pour remporter le championnat de la LCF. Allez les Alouettes !

Congratulations to the Montreal Alouettes who scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass from QB Cody Fajardo to WR Tyson Philpot with :11 left to beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 28-24 in the 110th Grey Cup.  It was the first Grey Cup win for Montreal since 2010. The Alouettes knocked off both the teams with best regular season record in the East (Toronto), and the West (Winnipeg), to claim the championship of the CFL.  Go Alouettes!

Cool Helmet of the Week

Anytime Washington State embraces their inner WAZZU with a helmet design, it's great. Go Cougs!

Departments

Low Score Games of the Week: Midland, TX- In a an upset in the D-II Playoffs, the mighty Beavers of Bemidji State Beavers went on the road and beat University of Texas Permian Basin Falcons, 10-3.  A 15-yard TD pass from QB Brandon Alt to WR Mike Wandemaker in the second quarter and a 20-yard FG from PK Marko Jovisic gave the Beavers a 10-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter. UTPB didn't get on the scoreboard until there was :41 left in the game on a 44-yard FG from PK Rafael Vargas. Bemidji State then recovered the onside kick that followed and the claimed the upset win. The Beavers will now take on Central Washington in the second round who were also upset winners over Western Colorado. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Naperville, IL-  In the first round of the D-III Playoffs the Cardinals of North Central College extinguished the Blazers of Belhaven University, 65-0. The Cardinals built up a 35-0 halftime lead thanks mostly to QB Luke Lehnen who threw for three TDs and ran for one more. The Cardinals then put the game away for good when WR/KR Joey Lombardi returned the second half kickoff 93 yards for a TD.  North Central held Belhaven to just 125 total yards allowing just one Belhaven drive to cross the 50-yard line.  North Central will now face Trinity (TX) in the second round.  

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR-  It was cupcake week in the SEC and Arkansas moved to 4-7 on the season by whipping FIU, 44-20.  Down early, 13-7 the Hogs built up a 31-13 halftime lead. The second half turned into a glorified scrimmage with Hogs tacking 13 more points on the board.  QB K.J. Jefferson completed 15 of 28 passes for 187 yards and three TDs. The Hogs got their rushing game going, gaining 323 yards on 54 carries and a TD.  Top next for the Razorbacks is their season finale where they will host the red hot Missouri Tigers. 

This Week's There Notes About Nothing...

Pepperidge Farm Egg Nog cookies are really good.

When did grocery stores stop stocking Boysenberry jam?

Rainstorms followed by Santa Ana winds here is a pretty crazy thing. 

Until next time, remember to have a Happy Thanksgiving. It's the best holiday of the year.  It's just about family, food and football and that's pretty special.  

-The Commissioner

Week Eleven 2023

Hey All,

It's time for yet another edition of the column that makes Tuesday feel like Saturdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud. 

Summaries 

Oregon 36- USC 27: Eugene, OR- When this game kicked off, USC still controlled their own destiny in the Pac 12 race. Wins over Oregon and UCLA the next week would have given the Trojans a berth in the Pac 12 title game. However, it was just another bad loss for the Trojans. A loss that was a not as close as the score indicated. Like just about every other team SC faced this year, the Ducks moved the ball with ease against the lackluster SC defense.  In fact, after his first two passes thrown, UO QB Bo Nix completed both passes for 161 yards and two TDs.  The Trojan secondary gave up TDs of 77 and 84 yards. However, QB Caleb Williams almost single handedly kept the Trojans in the game. Oregon dominated both sides of line of scrimmage, but only held a 22-14 lead at the half.  The second half would see the Webfoots press their advantage in the trenches, content to run clock and keep the Trojans at bay.  UO took a 29-14 lead when Nix hit WR Tez Johnson with a 21-yard TD pass.  The Quacks would extend the lead after they recovered a fumble by SC RB Austin Jones at the Trojans 48-yard line. five plays later, UO RB Bucky Irving raced untouched 19 yards into the end zone for a 36-14 lead.  Oregon seemed to lose  interest at this point. The Ducks slacked off while the Trojans put up two TDs to cut their deficit to nine points at 36-27. SC could have cut the deficit to eight points with a PAT, but as he has done all season HC Lincoln Riley elected to go for two-points at the wrong time.  The conversion failed and whatever chance the Men of Troy had to pull out the game disappeared now down nine points with just 3:44 on the clock and one time out left.  Oregon recovered USC's onside kick, then ran out the clock to secure the win.  For the Ducks, Nix compared 23 of 31 passes for 412 yards and four TDs. WR's Johnson and Troy Franklin combined to catch nine passes for 273 yards and three TDs. Irving led all rushers with 118 yards on 19 carries and a score.  For the now 7-4 Trojans, Williams completed 19 of 34 passes for 291 yards and a TD. He also ran for a score.  WR Brenden Rice caught five of Williams tosses for 82 yards and a TD.

Telling Stat: Limited stops= L;  The hapless USC defense forced Oregon to punt once. The other Duck drives ended in six scores, a missed FG, and a kneel down to end each half. 

Arizona 34- Colorado 31: Boulder, CO- The Wildcats were on a hot streak, winners of four straight games when they took the field against a Colorado squad that had fallen to 4-5, and couldn't protect their QB.  So naturally this turned into a barnburner at the base of the Flatirons. The teams traded punches all game with CU QB Shedeur Sanders giving the Buffs a 14-7 lead in the first period with a 16-yard TD scamper and a 20-yard scoring strike to WR Jimmy Horn, Jr.  UofA would tie the game at 14-14 on a three-yard TD pass from QB Noah Fifita to TE Jacob Cowing. However, CU would take a 24-17 lead into into the break thanks to one-yard TD run from RB Sy'veon Wilkerson and a 39-yard FG from PK Alejandro Mata.  UofA's final points of the half came on a 52-yard FG from PK Tyler Loop. The third quarter and first play of the final quarter saw the teams reach a 31-31 deadlock on two Cats TDs which were a two-yard pass from Fifita to WR Tetairoa McMillan and a seven yard run from RB D.J. Williams. CU's score came on Sanders' second TD pass of the contest. This one was a seven--yarder to RB Michael Harrison.  The defenses then asserted themselves. Four punts were exchanged with Colorado getting the better of the field position. They looked to be in prime position, (pardon the pun), to win the game with a 1st and 10 at their own 49-yard line to start their next drive. Sanders drove his team down to the Wildcats 25-yard line where they faced a 4th an 7. The Buffs elected to go for the field goal.  The 44-yard attempt from Mata sailed wide and UofA took over the ball at their 25-yard line. As of late, Arizona has had some defining drives this year and this was one of them.  Fifita marched the Wildcats 67 yards in 11 plays. That left the Cats with a 4th and Goal at the CU seven-yard line with :02 left on the clock.  On came Loop who calmly nailed the 24-yard FG attempt and Arizona sent the Buffaloes down to defeat, 34-31.  For the now 7-3 Wildcats, Fifita completed 21 of 35 passes for 214 yards and two scores.  McMillan hauled in nine of those completions for 107 yards and a score. RB Jonah Coleman spearheaded the Cats ground attack rushing for 179 yards on 11 carries.  For the Buffaloes, Sanders completed 22 of 35 passes for 262 yards and two TDs.  He also ran for 29 yards and score.     

Telling Stat: They finished strong; Arizona owned the last 4:57 of the game, driving 67 yards for the game-winning score. That's what good teams do.  

Washington 35- Utah 28: Seattle, WA- Under rainy gray skies, the Utah Utes saw their quest for a a third straight Pac 12 title end at Husky Stadium.  However, it looked early on like the Utes were gonna hand the Huskies their first loss of the year. Utah's defense hung in there while their offense had an answer for every UW score.  The Utes had a 28-24 halftime lead on a pair of TD runs from RB Ja'Quinden Jackson and two TD tosses from QB Bryson Barnes. UW's points came on two TD runs from QB Michael Penix, JR, and RB Dillon Johnson along with a TD pass from Penix, Jr. and a FG from PK Grady Gross.  This game would come down to who could win the battle in the trenches over the last 30 minutes.  The Dawgs rose to the challenge and kept the Utes off the scoreboard the rest of the game. While that was going on, the UW offense tacked another FG from Gross and a 33-yard TD pass from Penix, Jr. to WR Rome Odunze for a 33-28 lead with 4:09 left in the third period.  Then, The UW defense turned ecstasy into agony and then ecstasy again in a two play span. On a 1st and 20 at the Washington 24-yard line, Utah's Barnes was picked of by UW LB Alphonzo Tuputala who took the ball back 80 yards for a TD, or so we all thought.  Tuputala got a little sloppy and started celebrating early leaving the ball at the Utah one-yard line where it was by recovered Utes OL Mike Mokofisi. The Husky Stadium crowd was shocked and Tuputala was embarrassed.  Utah now had new life trialing by just five points. On first down Jackson got the handoff and never had a chance.  He was taken down by a whole host of purple jerseys in the end zone for a safety. UW now led 35-28 Dawgs with :24 left in the the third quarter.  The Huskies then put a stranglehold on the game.  While the UW offense ate 11:55 off the clock in the final period, the defense forced a three and out and and picked off Barnes with :44 left to put this one in the win column.  For the 10-0 Huskies, Penix, Jr. completed 24 of 42 passes for 332 yards and two interceptions, while Johnson lugged the leather 23 times for 104 yards and a score of his own.  Penix, Jr's favorite target was TE Jack Westover who caught seven passes for 64 yards. As for the Utes, Barnes completed 17 of 30 passes for 267 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.  TE Devaughan Vale caught five of Barnes' passes for 145 yards, while Jackson gained only 29 yards on 10 carries but scored two TDs. 

Telling Stat: Anatomy of a shutout; In the second half, the Washington defense held Utah scoreless, allowing just 57 total yards, while forcing two turnovers and scoring on a safety.     

California 42- Washington State 39: Berkeley, CA- It was another perfect day for football and another shootout at Memorial Stadium. However, this time the Golden Bears found themselves on the right end of the final score. The Bears led this one all the way with the Cougars fighting back from adversity time after time to stay in the game. The Bears held a 28-21 halftime edge thanks to two TD passes of six and 13 yards from QB Fernando Mendoza to TE Jack Endries and RB Jaydn Ott to go along with not one, but two fumble recoveries for TDs from LB Cade Uluave and OL Brian Driscoll. Uluave's score was a 51-yard fumble return on the first drive of the game while Driscoll recovered a fumble by his own team in the end zone for a score.  Then in the third quarter, Wazzu PK Dean Janikowski cut Cal's lead to 28-24 with a 28-yard FG. The denizens of Strawberry Canyon then extended their lead to 42-24 on a five-yard TD jaunt from Ott and A 52-yard fumble return TD from LB Noel Williams. However, the Cougars mounted a serious comeback cutting Cal's lead to 42-39, on a 21-yard TD pass from QB Cameron Ward to WR Josh Kelly, a successful two-point conversion and a five-yard TD pass from Ward to RB Djouvensky Schlenbaker. Wazzu then needed a stop on defense to have a chance to win the game or send it overtime.  The Cougs got it, they forced a 3 and Out and got the ball back on their own 34-yard line. Ward did drive his squad into FG range despite a horrific call by the refs that eliminated a first down completion when the refs retroactively allowed an injury timeout to Cal after they were initially flagged for having 12 men on the field. However, Janikowski's 48-yard FG try sailed wide with :50 left.  Wazzu did get the ball back one final time, but Ward's Hail Mary pass was picked off by Uluave to end the game.  For the Golden Bears, Mendoza finished the day completing 14 of 21 aerials for 150 yards and two TDs. Ott led all rushers with 167 yards on 27 carries and a TD. Ott also caught a TD pass.  For the Cougars who now own a six-game losing streak, Ward completed 34 of 59 passes for 354 yards and a TD. Kelly had a huge day, catching nine balls for 130 yards and a TD. 

Telling Stat: 20 point swing spells doom;  Wazzu gave up two one fumble returns for TDs and missed two FGs in game that they statically dominated in every other category.  That 20 point swing was the difference in the game. 

Oregon State 62- Stanford 17: Corvallis, OR- The Beavers retuned home after a couple of weeks on the road and clear cut The Farm on a gray November afternoon at Reser Stadium.  Stanford just could not stop OSU's rushing game that featured RB Damien Martinez. He found paydirt four times in the first half on runs of 7, 59, 15 and 5 yards. Throw in a 13-yard TD toss from QB D.J. Uiagalelei to RB Deshaun Fenwick and the Beavers went into halftime leading 34-10.  Any hopes of a Stanford miracle comeback were easily dashed as the Beavers scored three straight TDs in third period to take a 55-10 lead.  Then up 55-17 with 5:54 left, backup QB Aiden Chiles threw a 28-yard TD pass to backup TE Riley Sharp to finish off the scoring. In an about three quarters worth of work, Martinez carried the ball 15 times for 146 yards and four TDs while Uiagalelei completed 12 of 19 tosses for 240 yards and two scores. For the overwhelmed Cardinal, QB Ashton Daniels completed 10 of 16 passes for 200 yards, a TD and three interceptions. 

Telling Stat: Turnovers kill;  Stanford finished -4 in the turnover battle and got hammered for it in this laugher in Corvallis.  

Arizona State 17- UCLA 7: Pasadena, CA- A smattering of fans saw a pretty strange game at the Rose Bowl.  ASU came into the game with a ton of injuries while UCLA would have to go with third stringer Collin Schlee at QB due to injuries that knocked both Ethan Garbers and Dante Moore out of the lineup last week at Arizona. ASU's unusual offensive game plan and UCLA HC Chip Kelly's hubris combined for a loss for the Sons of Westwood.  The Sun Devils ran a good deal out their offense out of the old Swinging Gate formation.  Usually a one off, trick play formation, the Sun Devils used it often and well to generate offense.  ASU took a 3-0 lead into the half thanks to a 29-yard FG from PK Dario Longhetto and Kelly's arrogance. Two UCLA drives stalled inside the ASU 10-yard line. But instead of kicking short field goals, the bRuins went for it both times and were stuffed by the ASU defense.  The ASU defense kept UCLA off the board for the entire third quarter and stopped another 4th conversion attempt by UCLA.  This one was at their own 37-yard line. The Sons of Sparky took a 10- lead into the final stanza after RB Cameron Skatebo threw a 25-yard TD pass to WR Elijah Badger.  UCLA did make a game of it when Schlee hit WR Logan Loya with a 16-yard TD pass with 9:47 to play.  On the ensuing drive ASU put the game away with a drive that covered 75 yards in 12 plays.  Skattebo did the honors with his feet this time, rumbling 17 yards to the end zone to cap off the drive.  ASU's defense then stopped UCLA's last drive with ease and walked out of the Rose Bowl with the Victory.  For the now 3-7 Sun Devils, QB Trenton Bourguet completed 19 of 34 passes for 149 yards. Skatebo completed one of three passes for 25 yards and TD. He also led all rushers with 61 yards on 12 carries and another score. For the lackluster bRuins, Schlee completed 11 of 18 passes for 117 yards and a TD.

Telling Stat: Just take the points;  If UCLA had just kicked field goals on those two drives in the second quarter, they would have had a far better chance to winch game,

Observations

...Dawg Drop;  Here's the premature celebration by UW LB Alphozo Tuputala v Utah. At the one!

...He's gone; Penn State has fired OC Mike Yurcich after the Nittany Lons lost to Michigan. Later, dude

...Epic fail on an epic scale; Texas A&M's firing of Jimbo Fisher and agreeing to pay his buyout of 76 million dollars is the craziest thing I've ever seen in coaching circles. It's the largest buyout anyone has ever seen. Here's a couple of stories on this catastrophe in College Station. Gone$,  The Explanation$

...He's gone too; Mississippi State has fired HC Zach Arnett. Arnett was tabbed the HC after Mike Leach died suddenly last December.  The Bulldogs were 4-6 this year under Arnett. Aloha Arnett

...First of 12;  Cal's win over Wazzu was the last Pac 12 home game ever for the Golden Bears. Sigh for all the goodbyes to the Conference of Champions. 

...Imua Warriors!;  Long after most of the residents of the contiguous 48 states had gone to bed, one of the biggest upsets of the year occurred. 4-6 Hawaii knocked off 8-1 Air Force, 27-13 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex in Honolulu. Up 20-10 in the start of the fourth quarter, LB Ashlock Profele scooped up a Falcons fumble and rumbled 32 yards to the end zone to give the Warriors a 27-10 lead with 11:09 to play.

...He put a fork in himself;  ASU AD Ray Anderson has resigned. His tenure at ASU was short but controversial with the hiring of, and recruiting scandals that occurred under, his old buddy Herman Edwards as the Sun Devils HC. Forked!

...Aggie pride;  We are talking New Mexico State Aggie pride.  NMSU is now 8-2 on the season and has clinched a berth in the C-USA title game with a 38-29 win over Western Kentucky last Saturday. The Aggies haven't been this good since 1960 when they went 11-0 and beat Utah State in the Sun Bowl. 

...Going to the SEC Jeremy?; Liberty HC Jeremy Chadwell has a location problem. Starkville

...Waiting for 2024; Nobody in the Big Ten will be happier for the elimination of divisions in 2024 than Penn State. They've finished third so many times in the Big Ten East they might as well change their official school color to bronze. 

...Viva Las Vegas!;  A UNLV win at Air Force this week would give the Rebels the inside track to the MWC title game. 

...An official low blow;  Please excuse the caption of this play on X, but this had to hurt. Clank!

...A D-III note;  Chapman University has won the SCIAC title and will be the league's representative in the D-III playoffs playing Whitworth University in the first round this Saturday at 12:00 PM. 

...Says it all;  This line from the their message boards sums up the frustration of Penn State fans in yet another loss to Michigan.  "James Franklin was out coached by a team without a coach."

...It extends to politics;  Wherever you land on the political landscape, you've got to get a laugh out of this ad that relies on the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry to get folks to vote for legalizing recreational marijuana use in the Buckeye State.  Oh, the measure passed by a margin of 57% to 43%. 

CFL Update 

The 110th Grey Cup matchup is set! In the West Final the Winnipeg Blue Bombers put in a physical, bruising effort to beat the B.C. Lions, 24-13 to punch their ticket to Tim Horton's Field in Hamilton, Ontario.  The East Final featured a huge upset as the 16-2 Toronto Argonauts were whipped 38-17 by the Montreal Alouettes. The Grey Cup will kickoff at a little past 3 PM PST next Sunday, the 19th. Winnipeg is a 7.5 point favorite on the early betting line. 

Pac 12 Overreactions 

Oregon can lose to Washington twice.

USC's best defense would be to let the offense play both ways. 

Utah is busy booking rooms for the Alamo Bowl.

Arizona is gonna wreck the Big XII next year.

Cal is just happy to win a close game. 

Oregon State is surprised they are still in it.

Colorado will not go bowling.

UCLA needs to remember that field goals count for points too. 

Wazzu won't go bowling either.

ASU might switch to the Swinging Gate as their primary offensive formation.

Stanford can beat Cal.

Washington will get beat 54-10 in the playoff. 

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Gotta go this week with the all-gray ensemble from TheeeOSU.  These bland togs do a disservice to the Buckeyes great color palette. 

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Madison, NJ- This week's game comes from the D-III ranks where the Misericordia University Cougars came from behind for a 6-3 win over the Fairleigh Dickenson University- Florham Devils. Down 3-0 with 1:54 left in the second quarter, MU QB T.J. Lattimore knifed in over the double stripe from two-yards out to give the Cougars a 6-3 lead.  The Cougars defense made the lead stand up the rest of the way by not allowing the Devils to cross the 50-yard line for the final two quarters.  

Blowout Game of the Week: Durango, CO- The Colorado School of Mines Orediggers make a second straight appearance here with a 82-0 shellacking of the Fort Lewis Skyhawks. The win gave the #1 ranked in D-II Orediggers their fifth straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference crown. They are now 11-0 overall and 9-0 in conference play. The win featured a history making performance from QB John Matocha. He threw for three TDs and ran for one which gave him the all-time record for most TDs produced ever in a college career at any level with 181. 

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR-The Razorbacks didn't bother showing up in a 48-20 pasting at the hands of the Auburn Tigers.  AU QB Payton Thorne threw for three TDs while Tigers rushing game shredded the Hogs for 354 yards on 55 carries.  The Hogs only TD came late in final period when QB Jacolby Criswell threw an 11-yard scoring pass to WR Isaac TeSlaa.  Up next for the 3-7 Hogs is a home date with Florida International. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Having Vertigo isn't fun at all.

First rain of the fall expected here this week and it may the first of a series of storms. Hmmmm

Rewatching old SCTV episodes is a blast.

Until next time, remember that you are actually  allowed to cover receivers in college football.

-The Commissioner

Week Ten 2023

Hey All,

November is now upon us.  That means Turkey Day is approaching, Christmas lists start being made and college football is racing towards the end of the regular season.  Take a look back at last Saturday now with yet another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Mal Florence. 

Washington 52- USC 42:  Los Angeles, CA- In what would prove to be USC DC Alex Grinch's final game on a Trojan sideline, his unorganized, porous defense wiped out a great effort by SC's offense in a frustrating loss to the Huskies.  With as bad as the defense is, everyone knew the USC offense had to be prefect to have chance to win a shootout and they weren't.  With the game tied at 28-28 with 1:14 left to play in the second quarter, USC had a 1st and 10 at their own 25-yard line.  UW had just tied the score on a four-yard TD toss from QB Michael Penix, Jr. and USC needed one more score before the half to keep ahead of the Dawgs who would get the ball to start the second half.  They didn't. Instead, SC QB Caleb Williams was hit in the backfield and fumbled. UW took over on the SC 12-yard line. Three plays later, UW RB Dillon Johnson ran in untouched form a yard out and the Huskies owned a 35-28 lead at the break. The Huskies took the second half kickoff and glided down the field with ease to the SC 21-yard line.  On 1st and 10 from the 21, Penix, Jr. had his pass tipped inside the five and intercepted by SC CB Christian Roland-Wallace for a touchback. The UW defense, being only slightly better than the SC defense, watched as the Trojans marched 83 yards in seven plays to tie the game on a 25-yard TD pass from Williams to WR Brenden Rice. The teams traded TDs to make the score 42-42 with 1:41 left in the third quarter. On the ensuing drive the SC defense actually kept UW out of the end zone. UW did take the lead again on a 43-yard FG from PK Grady Gross.  It was USC's turn with the ball again and the Trojans drove to the Dawgs 30-yard line where they faced a 3rd and 10 after having a go ahead TD wiped off the board because of a holding call. Williams was sacked an SC was was forced to punt. Punter Eddie Czaplicki's kick was downed at the UW nine-yard line. Could the SC defense finally get a crucial stop?  Could they put their offense in position to win the game?  Uhhhhh, no.  On first down, they let Johnson sprint 53 yards down then sideline to the SC 38-yard line. A few plays later, Johnson crossed over the goal line for a TD that gave the Dawgs a 52-42 lead and the game. In the win, Johnson had a career day, carrying the ball 26 times for 256 yards and four TDs, while Penix, Jr. completed 22 of 30 passes for 256 yards, two TDs and an interception.  In the loss, Williams completed 27 of 35 passes for 312 yards and three TDs. He also ran for 16 yards and a score.  His top receiver was Tahj Washington who caught eight passes for 122 yards and a TD.  RB Austin Jones carried the ball 11 times for 127 yards to further aid the Trojan cause.

Telling Stat: No D= L; The SC defense as coordinated by Alex Grinch gave up 52 points and 572 yards to Washington. 

Utah 55- Arizona State 3: Salt Lake City, UT- After being humiliated  last week at home by Oregon, the Utes gave the home fans plenty to cheer about last Saturday as they did everything to the Sun Devils short of flattening the tires on the team bus. The Utes took the opening kickoff and promptly traveled 72 yards in eight plays for a 7-0 lead when QB Bryson Barnes connected with TE Devaughn Vele for an 11-yard TD strike.  The game would never be that close again.  While Utah's offense methodically piled up points in every quarter, the ASU offense couldn't cross the street much generate any points.  The Sun Devils only had 27 total yards at the half and 83 total for the game.  In fact, their only three points came as the result of a long kickoff return rather than any kind of drive by their offense. Meanwhile Barnes finished the game completing 19 of 28 passes for 161 yards and four TDs, while RB Ja'Quinden Jackson rushed the ball 13 times for 111 yards and a TD.  As a team, the Utes ran the ball 49 times for 352 yards. 

Telling Stat: They couldn't move the chains;  In a very impressive defensive effort, Utah held ASU to a meager six first downs and 83 total yards.  The Sun Devils ran 62 plays, so that works out a a very ugly, 1.33 yards per play. 

Oregon 63- California 19: Eugene, OR- This first quarter plus of game action saw the Ducks throw an interception, fumble a ball to Cal that was returned for a TD and then miss a FG.  However, UO still held a 14-10 lead after these miscues.  The Webfoots then relaxed and realized that they were Oregon and that Cal was Cal.  The Quacks then found the end zone on seven their last eight possessions to blow the doors off the Golden Bears.  UO QB Bo Nix sliced and diced the Cal secondary, completing 29 of 38 passes for 386 yards, four TDs and an interception.  His backup, Ty Thompson also had a good day in mop up duty, completing six of eight passes for 58 yards and a score.  WR Tez Johnson hauled in 12 passes for 180 yards and two TDs to lead the way for the UO receiving corps. As for the ground attack, RB Bucky Irving carried the ball 18 times for 89 yards and a TD.  For the Bears, QB Fernando Mendoza completed 18 of 34 tosses for 177 yards an and interception, while RB Jaydn Ott rushed 20 times for 93 yards and a score.  

Telling Stat: 7 of 8 is great; Oregon's seven TDs in eight drives sent everyone out of Autzen Stadium early in this laugher. 

Stanford 10- Washington State 7: Pullman, WA- On a wet and chilly night an ugly, defensive Big Ten style struggle played out in the Palouse.  When it was over, the Cardinal snapped a six-game losing streak to the Cougars. Wazzu's high flying offense was hobbled by the absence of RB Dylan Paine and then the loss of fellow RB Nakia Watson after only two carries.  Defense reigned here from the get go with the only score of the first half coming with 6:18 to play in the second quarter. WSU scored to complete a drive of 80 yards in nine plays when QB Cameron Ward threw a nine-yard TD pass to WR Josh Kelly. Just before the half, Stanford eschewed a FG attempt and went for it on 4th and 1 at the Cougars 14-yard line. SU QB Justin Lamson was halted for no gain on the play and Wazzu took over on downs and took a 7-0 lead into the half.  In the middle of the third quarter, Stanford got the spark it needed when Safety Scotty Edwards picked off Ward on the Cardinal's 47-yard line. Seven plays later, Lamson took the snap and rumbled over the right side for a TD.  PK Josh Karty's PAT leveled the score at 7-7 with 2:55 left in the third period. Then with :05 left in the period, WSU DB Jamorri Colson picked off QB Ashton Daniels at the SU 35-yard line. This should have led to a score for the Cougs, but the Cardinal defense stood strong and forced a 43-yard FG attempt by PK Dean Janikowski which sailed wide and the game remained tied.  Stanford then forged ahead on a drive that covered 61 yards and shaved nearly six minutes off the clock.  The game-winning points for SU came via a 31-yard FG by Karty. The Cardinal defense then forced a three-and-out to force a punt on the Cougs next drive with 5:02 left.  WSU wouldn't get the ball again as Stanford then ran out the clock with one of the shortest drives ever to kill the final five minutes as it lasted 10 plays and covered just 22 yards. For the Cardinal, the QB Duo of Daniels and Lamson played well enough to win. Daniels compared 15 of 31 passes for 115 yards and an interception while also rushing for 18 yards on nine carries.  Lamson rushed 20 timed for 54 yards and a TD while also completing his only passing attempt for 27 yards.  For the now 4-5 Cougars, Ward completed 24 of 40 passes for 241 yards with a TD and an interception. 

Telling Stat: They finished strong; Stanford sealed the win by owning the fourth quarter. They outgained Wazzu, 83 yards to five and held the ball for 11:06 of the final 11:54 of the contest. 

Oregon State 26- Colorado 19: Boulder, CA- The Beavers withstood a late Buffs rally to grab a win after falling at Arizona last week. Colorado HC Deion Sanders, in an effort to address problems his offense has had this year protecting QB Shedeur Sanders, demoted OC Sean Lewis and replaced him with Pat Shurmur.  The result was a CU offense that only marginally protected Sanders better and did not find the end zone until the final quarter.  Both teams turned the ball over twice in the first half, but the Beavers managed to forge a 14-3 lead thanks to a 23-yard TD run from RB Aiden Chiles and a 20-yard TD pass from QB D.J. Uiagalelei to WR Deshaun Fenwick.  After forcing a CU punt to start the third quarter, OSU went on an 85-yard drive that took 7:24 off the clock for a TD. The TD was scored on the Beavers version of a brotherly shove across the double stripe from a yard out.  Up 20-3, Colorado was penalized on the PAT and OSU decided to go for two points from the close the one-yard line.  That was a bad call.  A high snap sailed through hands of Uiagalelei and was scooped up by DB Kyndrich Breedlove who took it all the way to the house for a defensive two-point conversion.  Colorado now trailed 20-5 and had a little spark going into the final quarter.  After OSU PK Atticus Sappington booted a 22-yard FG, the Buffaloes got two late TDs on a pair of throws from Sanders.  The first one was a 15-yarder to WR/DB Travis Hunter and a 12-yarder to RB Anthony Hankerson. After the second TD, OSU managed to run the final 1:42 off the clock and walkout of Boulder with the win.  Uiagalelei completed 12 of 24 passes for 223 yards and a TD to go with 16 yards rushing on 11 carriers and another score.  His backfield mate, Damien Martinez lugged the leather 21 times for 115 yards to lead all rushers.  For the now 4-5 Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders completed 24 of 39 passes for 245 yards and two TDs.  

Telling Stat: Nowhere to run;  The OSU defense had four sacks and held the Buffaloes to -7 yards rushing to help pave the way to victory.  

Arizona 27- UCLA 10: Tucson, AZ- The surging Wildcats hosted the Bruins and their vaunted defense on a clear desert evening.  UofA went on to grind out an impressive physical win over the mistake prone bRuins.  UCLA wrapped a pair of missed FGs from PK Blake Glessner around a nine-yard TD pass from Cats QB Noah Fifita to WR Montana Lemonious-Craig to find themselves down 7-0 midway into the second stanza.  UofA would go up 14-0 with 1:27 left in the half when Fifita threw another nine-yard TD pass. This one was to TE Jacob Cowuing for a 14-0 lead.  However, UCLA would then sweep down the field on the ensuing drive with QB Ethan Garbers throwing a 14-yard scoring strike to WR Carson Ryan on the last play of the half.  Despite their lackluster efforts so far that score left UCLA in the game down just seven to start the third quarter. The Wildcats opened up a 17-7 lead after taking nearly half the third quarter to travel 55 yards for a 37-yard FG from PK Tyler Loop. UCLA answered right back with a 29-yard FG from Glassner. Things then went downhill in hurry for the Sons of Westwood.  The Cats then went up 24-10 on a drive that was aided by a facemark on the bRuins that resulted in a 1st and 10 at their own 11-yard line. The TD drive was capped off with an 11-yard scoring pass from Fafita to WR Tetairoa McMillan.  On the next possession, UCLA lost Garbers for the game when he injured his knee while being sacked on first down.  Much hyped Freshman Donte Moore came in and was ineffective in relief until he was injured after his head slammed to the turf on UCLA's next drive.  UofA then tacked on another FG to end the scoring when Loop split the uprights from 22 yards away.  The bRuins last possession ended when third string QB Collin Schlee's fourth down pass fell incomplete with 3:04 to go.  UofA then ran out the clock and moved to 6-3 on the season, while the bRuins fell to 6-3.  Fifita had a fine night for the Wildcats completing 25 of 32 passes for 300 yards, three TDs and an interception, while RB Jonah Coleman led all rushers with 77 yards on 17 carries.  For UCLA, Garbers completed 13 of 21 passes for 143 yards and a TD.

Telling Stat: They moved the chains;  Arizona converted on 11 of 16 third downs which allowed them to keep drives alive on what is a pretty stingy UCLA defense.   

Observations 

...The Juice is loose!;  Want to take a ride with Juice Kiffin as he retrieves the tee after a Rebels kickoff? Just click this link. Juice!!!!

...Just a rumor;  There is no truth to the rumor that former SC DC Alex Grinch and soon to be former OC of Iowa Brian Ferentz will be speaking at any coaching clinics in the coming year. 

...They got the memo; Michigan has been informed that the football program could be facing discipline from the Big Ten due to the sign stealing scandal involving now former staffer Connor Stalions. Would the Big Ten keep the Wolverines out of the playoff? Hmmmmmmmm Notified

...OU out with dud;  The final game for the foreseeable future in the Bedlam Rivalry between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State was won by the Cowboys, 27-24.  That's a great win for Okie State, but can you really call it a rivalry when with that win, the Cowboys now trail in the overall series 91-20 with seven ties? 

...On, Brave Old Army Team!;  The Cadets forced five turnovers en route to a 23-3 upset of Air Force.  The Falcons came into the game at 8-0 with aspirations of playing in New Year's Six bowl game.  

...They're +1; With a rout of Cal, Oregon now holds a 43-42-2 series lead over the Golden Bears as this matchup fades away with the dissolution of the Pac 12. 

...Confident Rebel;  Our Field Agent in Oxford, MS sent this dispatch to the home office after the Rebels came back to defeat Texas A&M. "2024 Jaxson Dart is a serious Heisman contender. The Rebels grew up this week against Texas A&M and became a true top tier football team.  I wouldn't be surprised if Ole Miss scores last to beat Georgia." 

...Misguided History; Back on November 6, 1869 we are told that Princeton traveled to Rutgers for the first college football game.  However, the game was played with Football Association Rules.  Those rules had 25 players on each side and scoring was only achieved by kicking the ball into the opposing team's goal. That game sure didn't resemble anything close to college the football we know, but as they said in the classic western, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, " When the legend becomes truth, print the legend."

...Calmer; Watch this video of USC HC Lincoln Riley's press conference from Monday and see if you see what this intrepid reporter saw.  A much calmer Riley now that Grinch has been let go. He looks relieved. 

Tranquil  

...Free James Madison!; Due to NCAA bylaws that govern the transition of FCS teams tot he FBS level, James Madison is currently 9-0 and ineligible to go to a bowl.  The JMU admin has sent another letter to the NCAA to gain approval to play in a bowl.  To quote another classic film, The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, "Let them play!' An Appeal

...Only in the title tilt;  MWC top ten teams Air Force and Fresno State won't meet in the regular season. So, they'd only face each other if form holds in the MWC Championship Game on 12/2. 

...Irrelevancy wears blue and white;  With a loss at home to Michigan this week, Penn State will most likely go 10-2 and finish in third place in the Big Ten East yet again.  

...A lost season;  It's sad how USC could be 9-1 right now with just a marginally better defense. Sigh.

...Huh, what?; I'm sure nobody had Oklahoma State- Texas as their most likely Big XII title game matchup.  

...He was thrilled;  This actual Longhorn was harpoon when this Oklahoma fan decided to pose next to his corral with a Horns Down gesture. Zero U

Roses and Thorns

As the Conference of Champions plays out its' final football season, here's the last time each league member  played in the Rose Bowl game.

Arizona: Never

Arizona State: 1-1-1997 : Lost to Ohio State, 20-17

California: 1-1-1959: Lost Iowa, 38-12

Colorado: Never

Oregon: 1-1-2020: Beat Wisconsin, 28-27

Oregon State: 1-1-1965: Lost to Michigan, 34-7

Stanford: 1-1-2016: Beat Iowa, 45-16

USC: 1-1-2017: Beat Penn State, 52-49

UCLA: 1-1-1999: Lost to Wisconsin, 38-31

Utah: 1-2-2023: Lost to Penn State, 35-21

Washington: 1-1-2019: Lost 28-23 to Ohio State

Washington State: 1-1-2003: Lost 34-14 to Oklahoma

 

Good Riddance Alex Grinch 

Alex Grinch was not a popular hire as the DC when Lincoln Riley filled out his staff after taking over at Heritage Hall. His defenses had never been great.  In 2022, his bad scheme that hemorrhaged explosive plays and acres of yards was given the benefit of the doubt.  Fans knew the talent level was extremely poor on defense and were told that when Grinch gets more talent into the program that things would get better.  They didn't. The defense regressed has become a national laughing stock. Confusion reigned before almost every play with players not knowing where to line up, then lining up out of position.  Oh, and heaven forbid that the opposing offense made a shift in their formation.  That would cause further confusion and allowed for a great deal of busted coverages and explosive plays. The results were record breaking numbers posted by opposing offenses and watching journeyman starters consistently have their best day ever against the Trojans.  It became an embarrassment doled out on a weekly basis. Something had to change and finally it did.  Grinch is now gone and Riley and team can start picking up the pieces.  However, we all remember how this year was ruined.  How this could have been a playoff team.  How yes, Alex Grinch is the Grinch that stole USC's season. Good Riddance, Alex Grinch.  You now join the dubious pantheon on failed Trojan DCs with Keith Burns, Todd Orlando, Justin Wilcox and Nick Holt. 

CFL Update 

We have playoff scores from the Great White North! In the East Semi Final the Montreal Alouettes knocked off the Hamilton TigerCats, 27-12 while the B.C Lions held on for a 41-30 win over the Calgary Stampeders in the West Semi Final.  This Saturday's East and West finals Weill decide who gets to play in the Grey Cup.  The East Final will feature the Alouettes at Toronto while the West will see the Lions travel to Winnipeg.  

Pac 12 Overreactions 

USC is a 7-5 team thanks to Alex Grinch. 

Arizona is still the team that nobody wants to play right now.

Oregon plays with an anger nobody else in the league has.

Colorado is a 5-7 team.

UCLA is Sun Bowl Bound.

ASU has now joined Iowa as another team in need of an offense donor.

Now even Pepperidge Farm doesn't remember when Wazzu was undefeated.

Cal is very happy to face Wazzu this week.

Washington will lose the Pac 12 title game.

Oregon State wonders how they lost to Wazzu.

Utah will lose at Washington.

Stanford is in eighth place in the league and loving it.

Ugly Uniform of the Week

Have to go with Maryland here with these yellow jerseys. Seriously, Maryland has four colors, they can come up with something better.

Departments 

Wildest Game Almost Nobody Saw last the Week: Defiance, OH- A gathering of 308 people saw that The Fightin' Engineers of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology had their offense in high gear in 78-54 win over the Defiance College Yellow Jackets. The teams combined for 1,037 yards of offense, 60 first downs, 19 TDs and a defensive PAT return for two points for good measure. Rose-Hulman RB Gray Ripperda toted the rock 38 times for 226 yards and five TDs, while QB Miguel Robertson competed 17 of 25 passes for 192 yards and three scores. The Fighting' Engineers are undefeated in league play in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in D-III.  They will face the Mount St. Joseph Lions for the league title and a spot in the D-III playoffs next week. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Golden, CO- We go to Divison II for this game where the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers claimed at least a share of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference crown with an impressive 77-3 dismantling of the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys. QB John Matocha completed 17 of 19 passes for 289 yards and four TDs in one half's worth of work for the Orediggers.  His efforts helped Colorado Mines build up a 42-0 halftime advantage and then everyone earned their letter in the second half.  A win next week over 0-10 Fort Lewis would give Colorado Mines a high seed in the D-II layoffs as they have wins over the #3,4 and 9 ranked teams in the country. 

Razorback Report: Gainesville, FL-  Razorback fans had seen this scenario play out a lot this season.  The Hogs take an early lead, only to blow that lead and find themselves staring at a late fourth quarter deficit while their offense just can't engineer a comeback victory and the result is another loss.  However, the Hogs changed the ending to the script at Florida and picked up their first win ever at Gainesville in grand fashion.  Down 33-30 with 3:02 to play, QB K.J. Jefferson led his team into Gator territory where PK Cam Little booted a 49-yard FG with :44 left.  The game then went to OT where UF hit a 39-yard FG for a 36-33 lead only to see the Razorbacks win the game there plays later when Jefferson hit WR Tyrone Borden with a four-yard TD pass.  Woo Pig Sooieeeeee! could be heard all the way back to Fayetteville as the Hogs walked off with a 39-36 win. Up next for Arkansas is a home date with Auburn. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

It's either fog or Santa Ana winds here lately.  The last vestige of summer is still fighting with Fall. 

It's always cool seeing candy on sale for 1/2 off just after Halloween.

I might be one of the few people who likes both falling back and springing forward. 

Until next time folks, remember you can't win games with just an offense or a defense. you need both. 

-The Commissioner