Week Nine 2023

Hey all,

The last Saturday of October has come and gone. That means you get to enjoy your Halloween candy while reading another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Tom Kelly. 

Summaries

USC 50- California 49: Berkeley, CA- The last game for the foreseeable future between these two old rivals was a crazy one played in near perfect weather at Memorial Stadium.  The start of the game was delayed for a good 10 minutes or so thanks to a protest from Cal students who sat down at midfield. Here's the story on the protest Midfield sit in. The game then started out favorably for the Men of Troy as they picked up a 23-yard FG from PK Denis Lynch and then a two-yard TD jaunt from RB MarShawn Lloyd for an early 10-0 lead. That TD was made possible by a Cal fumble on their own 42-yard line. The Trojans prosperity would be short lived however as USC's sieve of a defense gave up four straight TDs.  The first three of those TDs belonged to RB Jaydn Ott who scored on runs of 43, 61 and four yards. The fourth one was a 17-yard TD pass from QB Fernando Mendoza to WR Trond Grizzell. USC did manage to score on a six-yard pass from QB Caleb Williams to RB Austin Jones in the middle of the Cal point onslaught to make the score 28-17 Golden Bears at the half.  Or so we thought. At the end of the second quarter USC TE Lake McRee hauled in a 29-yard pass as time seemed to expire in the half.  Both teams headed to the locker room, except for Trojan HC Lincoln Riley who had stopped the refs to issue a challenge that there was still time left on the clock and that his team should be granted a time out with :01 left.  While the Cal band played their halftime show, Riley and Cal HC Justin Wilcox, (who was brought out of the locker room), waited to find how the review would go. Much to Wilcox's consternation, SC was granted that one last play. However, with both teams in the locker room already for a good while, it was announced by the officials that when the teams emerged for the second half, USC would run one more play to finish off the first half before the start of the third quarter.  All the sound and fury that came about because of this added untimed down ended up signifying nothing as Lynch shanked a 33-yard FG attempt. USC then held Cal for downs to start the third quarter.  Four plays later, Williams raced into the end zone from six-yards out to cut SC 's deficit to 28-23.  Unwilling to learn from last week's failures, SC went for two and failed.  The Trojans were then able to grab the lead back two possessions later when LB Eric Gentry came up with an interception at the the Golden Bears 22-yard line. Williams then turned that turnover into a TD on a 22-yard pass to WR Brenden Rice.  SC held a 29-28 lead after another failed two-point conversion. Cal then took the lead right back on the next drive that was aided by two USC pass interference penalties. Mendoza did the honors by rushing two yards for the TD and then connecting with Grizzell for the two-point conversion and a 36-29 lead.  Mendoza then stretched Cal's lead to 43-29 when he found paydirt from a yard out.  Things looked dire the Trojans down but 14 with 14:56 to play with a defense that could not stop anyone. However, SC found a way to win.  A one-yard TD run form Williams cut Cal'as lead to 43-36.  Then after SC forced a Cal punt on their next possession, the Cal defense stiffened and forced the Trojans  to punt with 7:30 left.   The punt was fielded by Cal PR Nohl Williams who was hit and fumbled.  SC LB Tackett Curtis made the recovery and the Trojans had a 1st and 10 at the Cal 18-yard line.  Three plays later Lloyd rumbled nine yards for a TD and the score now stood tied at 43-43.  The teams then traded fumbles before the Trojans stuffed the Bears on fourth down at SC's 37-yard line. On first down Lloyd took off around the right side and sprinted 57 yards down to the Cal seven-yard line.  On the next play, RB Austin Jones ran untouched into the end zone. USC now led 50-43 with 3:33 left to play.  Now trailing, the Golden Bears moved easily down the field and scored on a 13-yard screen pass to RB Jaivian Thomas.  USC now led 50-49 with :58 left.  Instead of kicking the PAT,  Cal went for two-points and the win. Mendoza's pass for the conversion was swatted away by USC Safety Jaylin Smith.  USC then recovered the ensuing onside kick and then ran out the clock to escape Strawberry Canyon with the victory.  For the Trojans, Williams compared 23 of 40 passes for 369 yards and two TDs. He also ran for two scores.  Williams favorite target was WR Tahj Washington who caught five passes for 102 yards.  Lloyd carried the ball 17 times for 115 yards and two TDs to also aid the Trojans cause.  For the heartbroken Golden Bears, Mendoza completed 25 of 39 passes for 292 yards, two TDs and an interception.  He also ran for 48 yards a pair of TDs as well. Ott led all rushers with 153 yards on 21 carries and three TDs.  

Telling Stat: Turnovers Kill; USC forced four Cal turnovers and that was the difference on the game. 

Oregon 35- Utah 6: Salt Lake City, UT-  College Gameday came to the Great Salt Lake.  The ESPN hype machine was in full gear touting how the Utes were making their run at a third straight Pac 12 title and they would really give the Ducks a hard time of it at Rice-Eccles Stadium.  What transpired when toe met leather was Utah being smashed by the Webfoots in the cold light of a late October day.  Six plays into  the game, the Ducks had driven 75 yards and held a 7-0 lead on one-yard run by QB Bo Nix. Utah cut the UO lead to 7-3 after a Duck fumble recovery led to a 32-yard FG by PK Cole Becker.  Utah would never be that close again. Oregon went top 14-3 late in the first period when WR Jordan James caught an 18-yard scoring strike from Nix.  On Utah's next drive, DB Tysheem Johnson picked off UU QB Bryson Barnes deep in Utah territory.  Nix cashed in the interception for a TD an a 21-3 lead when he hit WR Tony Franklin for short TD toss of three yards. Utah would get another Becker FG to trail 21-6 at the half. The third quarter saw a repeat of earlier in the contest.  The Quacks got a nine-yard TD run from Irving followed by Johnson's second interception of Barnes.  RB Traeshon Holden found paydirt form five yards out and with 6:08 left in the third quarter, the game was essentially over with the Men of Oregon holding a 35-6 lead.  The rest of the game was a glorified scrimmage with no further scoring. For the now 7-1 Ducks, Nix completed 24 of 31 passes for 248 yards and two TDs.  He also ran for one.  Irving led all rushers with 83 yards on 14 carries with a TD. There was not real offense to speak of for the Utes. 

Telling Stat: 0 for 30:00;  The Oregon defense pitched a second half shutout while rendering the Utah offense inert in the process. Utah only crossed the 50-yard line once in the second half. 

Washington 42- Stanford 33: Palo Alto, CA- Another week, another close call for the Huskies. The Dawgs scored on their first drive of the game in a quick trip down the field that covered 50 yards and was capped off with a one-yard TD plunge from TE Jack Westover.  Then nothing really went easily for the Huskies for the rest of the game.  Stanford stayed on UW's heels. Three times the Cardinal got to within two-points of the Dawgs at scores of 21-19, 28-26 and 35-33.  The Huskies were able to walk out of Palo Alto with a W thanks to big drop with 3:20 left to play in the final period. Stanford had a 4th and 2 at their own 28-yard line.  They lined up in a tight run formation.  QB Ashton Daniels pitched the ball back to WR Tiger Bachmeier who then passed the ball to wide open WR Jayson Raines. Raines dropped the ball.  The Huskies took over on downs.  Four plays later, RB Dillion Johnson ran 13 yards for the game-clinching TD. In the close win UW QB Michael Penix, Jr. completed 21of 37 passes for 369 yards, four TD an an interception.  WR Ja'Lynn Polk caught five of Penix Jr.'s passes for 148 yards and two TDs. For the Cardinal, QB Ashton Daniels completed 31 of 48 passes for 367 yards and a TD.  Daniels also ran the ball 18 times for 81 yards and two more scores. 

Telling Stat: The Drop did 'em in;  The drop by WR Jayson Raines was the difference in the game. Wide Open 

UCLA 28- Colorado 16: Pasadena, CA- This game was billed as a sellout, but did not look like one from the aerial shots of the Rose Bowl.  Whether it was a sellout or not, it can be agreed that those who did attend saw a sloppy game where the bRuins slowly pulled away from the Buffaloes. CU PK Alejandro Mata booted FGs of 31 and 39 yards on either side of an interception of UCLA QB Ethan Garbers to give the Buffs a 6-0 early lead.  With 14:19 left in the second quarter, UCLA took a 7-6 lead on a three-yard TD pass from Garbers to RB Carson Steele.  The score would stay that way until intermission.  Two more UCLA turnovers killed off a pair of promising drives while the bRuins defense easily shutdown the Buffs offense.  Two plays into the third quarter, the bRuins extended their lead to 14-6 on a 26-yard TD pass from Garbers to TE Maliki Matavo.  With 4:13 left in the third period, Mata made his third FG of the game, a 34-yarder, to cut CU's deficit to 14-9.  UCLA then took control of the game going on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that was capped with a three-yard TD run by RB T.J. Harden for a 21-9 lead. On their next drive, UCLA backup QB Collin Schlee knifed through the Buffs defense from seven yards out for a TD and a 28-9 lead.  At that point, the handful of fans left headed for the exits. The Buffaloes would get their only TD of the night with 2:37 left when QB Shedeur Sanders hit WR Jimmy Horn, Jr.  with an 18-yard scoring strike.  UCLA's Garbers finished the evening completing 20 of 27 passes for 269 yards with two TDs and an interception while backfield mates Steele and Harden combined to carry the ball 31 times for 153 yards and a TD.  For the Buffs, Shedeur Sanders completed 27 of 43 passes for 217 yards and a TD.  

Telling Stat: Can't complete passes on your back;  UCLA sacked Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders seven times in this sloppy, grinding win for the Sons of Westwood.

Arizona State 38- Washington State 27: Tempe, AZ- What had the makings of a shootout in the first half turned into a defensive struggle in the second half with the Sun Devils doing just enough to get their second win of the year.  There were six TDs scored in the firs half with WSU QB Cam Ward responsible for all three WSU tallies on TD runs of three and 11 yards and a nine-yard toss to WR Lincoln Victor.  ASU's trips to the end zone came on runs of one yard and 13 yards by RB DeCarlos Brooks and two-yard slash from fellow RB Cameron Skattebo. Then, unlike the USC-Cal game, the refs managed to hash out whether ASU WR Jaylin Conyers did get his knee down before the clock ran out to end the half.  After it was established he did indeed get down by the refs, Sun Devils PK Dario Longhetto connected on a 51-yard FG on the final play off the half put ASU up 24-21.  ASU extended their lead to 31-21 as they marched 75 yards in 12 plays for a TD on the opening drive of the second half. WR Elijah Badger scored from six yards out on a neat little end around play to finish the drive. This is where the ASU defense came up big when they had to.  WSU put together a pair of long drives only to see the Sun Devils shut them down in the red zone.  The Cougars settled for a pair of field goals covering 31 and 34 yards from PK Dean Janikowski.  Meanwhile ASU tacked on one more TD when Brooks rambled eight yards to the end zone to start the fourth quarter. The Sons of Sparky then held the Cougars scoreless the rest of the way to secure the victory.  In the win, ASU QB Trenton Bourguet completed 19 of 26 aerials for 274 yards while Brooks and Skattebo combined to tote the rock 22 times for 188 yards and four TDs. For the Cougars, Ward completed 35 of 50 passes for 315 yards and a TD.  His favorite target was WR Kyle Williams who caught eight passes for 77 yards. 

Telling Stat: They bent but didn't break; In the second half the ASU defense gave up drives into their red zone that covered 60, 48 and 72 yards, yet only gave up six points. 

Arizona 27- Oregon State 24: Tucson, AZ- The Beavers were expected to physically dominate the Wildcats and grind out a victory.  Instead it was the Wildcats that ground the Beavers down to grind out the win with little help from an unforced error by OSU.  With :03 left in the first half, the game stood tied at 10-10. OSU's 10 points came on a 22-yard TD pass from QB D.J. Uiagalelei to TE Jack Velling and a 35-yard FG from PK Atticus Sappington while UofA's10 points came on a seven-yard TD pass from QB Noah Fifita to WR Tetairoa McMillan and 51-yard FG from PK Tyler Loop.  Now, let's gets back to :03 left in the second quarter.  Oregon State had a 3rd and 10 at the Cats 16-yard line. They sent the FG unit out to try and take a 13-10 lead into the half. Instead the Beavers ran a fake field goal with Sappington carrying the ball.  He was tackled at the UofA seven-yard line to end to half.  The Wildcats took a 13-10 lead on the opening drive of the third quarter when Loop split the uprights from 25 yards out.  OSU then would take a 17-13 lead early in the final period when WR Silas Bolden ran around UofA's end for eight yards and a TD.  This is when Arizona physically took control of the game. On the next four drives, Arizona scored two TDs while their defense forced two OSU punts.  The first TD was a nifty toss from Fifita to RB Michael Wiley who tightroped down the sideline 40 yards to the end zone.  The second TD also came on a pass to Wiley. This one covered three yards and gave the Wildcats a 27-17 lead with 2:22 to play.  OSU then got up off the deck and torched Arizona's prevent defense by traveling 75 yards in just four plays with Uiagalelei hitting TE Jimmy Velsin III with a 20-yard TD pass.  The Cats recovered the ensuing onside kick and then ran out the clock to secure the 27-24 win.  Fifita had a great night completing 25 of 32 passes for 275 yards, three TDs and an interception.  McMillan was was the game's leading receiver catching eight balls for 80 yards and a score.  For the Beavers, Uiagalelei completed 16 of 30 passes for 218 yards and two scores. His backfield mate, RB Damien Martinez led all rushers with 87 yards on 14 carries. 

Telling Stat: Just kick it;  If Oregon State doesn't mess around with that fake field goal attempt, they could have sent the game to overtime with a chance to win.

Observations

...#1 to me; Yes, they have a weak schedule this year, but until two-time defending National Champion Georgia is beaten, they are still #1.

...Parity nightmare;  Somebody went to the trouble to figure out a way that all seven Big Ten West teams can finish tied for the division title with identical 4-5 records in league play. Facepalm. 

..Paperless; For anyone who has ever ridden the BART in the Bay Area, come November 30th no more paper tickets will be issued.  I know some of you still have a few of those old tickets as souvenirs of Weekenders past. 

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that Oregon QB Bo Nix is eligible to receive Social Security benefits for his many years as an NCAA QB. 

...Worms going viral;  Rice had a guy that hands to gummy worms to players on the sideline and now he's gone viral. Gummies!

...Oddball stat; Neither of the two QBs in Kansas' 38-33 upset of Oklahoma threw a TD pass.  OU's Dillon Gabriel and KU's Jason Bean did combine to throw three interceptions however. 

...Trivia Time; LSU QB Jayden Daniels this week has the chance to be only the second QB to defeat a Nick Saban team two times in a row in his college coaching career.  Who was the only QB to beat Saban twice a row?

...Beaten and poorer for it;  The game was not the only thing lost by Colorado at UCLA.  During the game somebody broke into the Buffaloes locker room and stole a bunch of the players jewelry. Ripped Off

...A familiar refrain;  I say it every year, but I do believe that October is by far the prettiest month of the year in California. 

...He got mad;  Clemson HC Dabo Swinney went on a near five minute rant on his radio show Monday after a caller asked why he's getting paid 11 million a year while his team is only 4-4. Hot Swinney

...No more farewells;  With their heart-stopping win at Cal, USC has finished their farewell tour of the Pac 12,. The Trojans went 7-1 against the teams they will not see on the gridiron again for quite some time. 

...So long, son; Iowa OC and son of Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz, Brian Ferentz has been fired as per the end of the season according to the school.  Brian Ferentz's punchless offenses have been a laughing stock of the college football world these past few years.  Pack your bags, kid

...Trivia Time Answer; In 1998 and 1999 QB Drew Brees of Purdue beat Saban's Michigan State Spartans. 

..Yellow Flagged Snow;  Colorado State fans got their team penalized 15 yards for throwing snowballs at the Air Force bench last Saturday. Snowball Fight! 

...More snow;  I just wanted to show this cool picture from the Air Force- Colorado State game.  

CFL Update 

It is playoff time north of the border! In the Eastern Semi-Final the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will travel to Montreal to take on the Allouettes.  The winner gets a trip to play Toronto in the Eastern Final.  The Western Semi-Final features  the Calgary Stampeders at the British Columbia Lions.  The winner of that game gets to go to Winnipeg to take on the Blue Bombers in the Western Final. 

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC is a 7-5 team.

Washington will continue to play to the level of their opponent.

UCLA is a few pick sixes away form the CFP.

Colorado won't go bowling.

Nobody wants to play Arizona right now.

Oregon really really really wants another shot at Washington.

Cal wishes they had kick the PAT with :58 left. 

Stanford is the 2-10 team that could have easily been 5-7.

Oregon State won't try a fake field goal again for years. 

Only Pepperidge Farm remembers when Wazzu was 4-0.

ASU will be bowl eligible... in 2024.

Utah fans hate the entire state of Oregon.

Uniform Error of the Week

UTEP's equipment manager blew it and packed the Miner's home blue jerseys for their road game at Sam Houston State.  The result was full on color v color game that almost looked like an NFL color rush game.  

They had one job! 

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Waltham, MA- This week's game features action in the Northeast-10 Conference of D-II.  The Bentley Falcons had just tied their game with the Franklin Pierce Ravens at 10-10 on a 17-yard TD pass from QB Mark Waid to WR Pat Damon with 3:23 to play in the fourth quarter when LB Nick Pucillo won the game for Falcons on the ensuing kickoff. Pucillo nailed the KR and forced a fumble that the Ravens recovered in their win end zone for safety.  Bentley now held a 12-10 lead and would get the ball back.  The Falcons offense managed to run out the clock and grab a two point win.   

Blowout Game of the Week: Jacksonville, IL- For the second consecutive week the Illinois College Blue Boys appear in this space.  Last week they won a road game, 72-0.  This week they did their pounding of an opponent at home as the Blue Boys trounced the Grinnell College Pioneers, 93-0.  QB Chance Destin had another big game, completing 21 of 33 passes for 415 yards and seven TDs.  In the past two games, Destin has thrown for 880 yards an 15 TDs without an interception. 

Razorback Report: The Hogs had a bye this past Saturday an will travel to The Swamp to take on Florida on 11/4. 

This Week's Three Notes About The Weekender...

Harris Ranch is still a great road trip stop.

The Burger at Causwells in San Francisco is pretty darn awesome.

A road trip is the best way to experience the many facets of California. 

Until Next time, remember that an ugly win is still better than a beautiful loss.

-The Commissioner 

Week Eight 2023

Hey All,

Here we are with another look back at the week that was in college football with another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Bud Tucker. 

Summaries 

Utah 34-USC 32: Los Angeles, CA- It was an exciting, but gut wrenching loss at the Coliseum for the Trojans and their faithful. It started off with SC winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half.  Utah's opening drive lasted just three plays and covered 75 yards with the Utes taking a 7-0 lead. The TD was scored on a 53-yard swing pass to RB Sione Vaki against an incredibly poor coverage scheme by SC DC Alex Grinch. USC would answer right back with a pair of TDs.  The first one was on a 45-yard run from RB MarShawn Lloyd and the second came on a nifty no-look reverse pitch from QB Caleb Williams to WR Zachariah Branch.  The Utes tied the game at 14-14 when QB Bryson Barnes ran 10 yards for a TD right through the middle of the Trojan defense. The second quarter proved to be a stalemate with neither team scoring. Utah then took control of the game in the third period. They took a 28-14 lead on a six-yard TD pass from Barnes to TE Landen King and a 15-yard TD toss from Barnes to Vaki. The USC offense, which had not been heard from since they abandoned the rushing game after gaining 100 yards in the first quarter, managed to kick a FG on the final play of the third quarter to cut Utah's lead to 28-17.  Then, the fourth quarter saw the game swing back in SC's favor when S Calen Bullock picked off Barnes and took it back 30 yards for a TD. Then instead of just kicking a standard PAT, SC HC Lincoln Riley decided to go for two points.  The conversion attempt failed miserably and SC trailed 28-23 with 13:28 to play. After the ensuing kickoff pinned the Utes at their own 12-yard line, many wondered if the Trojan defense could get a big stop. They didn't.  Utah drove for a 33-yard FG from PK Cole Becker and a 31-23 lead.  SC then answered on the next drive and made the score 31-26 on a 36-yard FG from PK Denis Lynch. On the next drive the SC defense actually forced an Utah punt with 2:07 to play. Zachariah Branch fielded that punt at the Trojan 28-yard line and took it all the way back to the Utes 11.  One play later, Williams took off on a QB draw and made it into the end zone for a 32-31 lead. Now, with only a one point lead thanks to the poor decision to try for two points earlier in the game, USC was forced to go for two points again just to get to a three point lead.  The conversion attempt failed and it was up to the defense to hold the lead.  However, the Utes got the ball back with 1:46 left on the clock and all three time outs. They marched down the field with the aid of a targeting call on SC DT Bear Alexander.  However, the biggest play was a 26 yard run by Barnes that put Utah in prime FG range at the SC 19-yard line.  A few seconds later on the final play of the game, Becker split the uprights from 38 yards out to give Utah a 34-32 victory. For the now 6-1 Utes, Barnes completed 14 of 23 passes for 235 yards, three TDs and an interception.  He also ran for 57 yards on 10 carries and a TD as well.  RB Ja'Quinden Jackson lugged the leather 26 times for 117 yards while Vakin rushed or 68 on nine carries and caught five passes for 149 yards and two TDs.  For the lackluster Trojans, Williams completed 24 of 34 passes for 256 yards while Lloyd rushed for 86 yards on seven carries and a TD.

Telling Stat: Two point dominance;  USC"s failure to kick simple PATs did cost them the game,  but Utah's struggling offense outgained USC by 81 yards, they held the ball for 10 minutes longer than SC and the Utes defense kept the Trojan offense out of the end zone for a 49:31 span from the 6:17 mark of the first quarter until the 1:46 mark of the fourth quarter.

Oregon 38- Washington State 24: Eugene, OR- After their crushing loss at Washington last week, Oregon was in much need of a bounce back win over the Cougars who had just dropped two games in row themselves.  It wasn't easy, but the Quacks pulled out the win in front their home crowd at Autzen Stadium. The game was grinding kind of affair with the teams trading FGs in the opening quarter.  Wazzu then went out to a 10-7 lead when RB Nakia Watson capped off a 97-yard drive with four yard TD scamper. The Cougars would not lead again.  The Webfoots tied the game and then took the lead for good on pair of two-yard TD runs.  The first was from RB Bucky Irving, the second was from QB Bo Nix who was making his 54th start at QB in his career.  The 54 starts are an NCAA record.  Wazzu PK Dean Janikowski hit a 33-yard FG as time ran out in the second quarter to make the score 17-13 Ducks at the break.  The third quarter belonged to Men of Oregon as they tacked on more two more scores to pull away from the Cougs. Irving provided both scores on a 42-yard TD pass form Nix and a 43-yard trip to paydirt through the Cougar defense. Irving's scores were wrapped around a 50-yard FG from WSU's Janikowski.  The Quacks extended their lead to 38-16 on a 17-yard toss from Nix to WR Tez Johnson with 8:53 left in the final frame.  Wazzu's final tally came with :52 left on a 16-yard scoring pass from QB Cam Ward to WR Isiah Hamilton.  Nix finished the day completing 18 of 25 passes for 293 yards and two TDs.  Irving had a great day carrying the ball 15 times for 129 yards with two TDs and catching three passes for 51 yards and another score.  For the Cougars, Ward completed 34 of 48 passes for 438 yards and a TD. 

Telling Stat: Downs for the W;  The Oregon defense twice held for downs in the second half on drives deep into their territory to allow this game to look not as close as it felt. 

Washington 15- Arizona State 7: Seattle, WA- Big wins sometimes lead to big hangovers the following week.  The Huskies offense suffered one for a full four quarters last week.  The UW faithful are just thrilled their defense showed up and the Pac 12 refs incompetence worked in their favor last Saturday night.  The first three quarters of this game looked more like an Illinois-Nebraska game than anything a pair of Pac 12 teams could produce.  The first quarter was scoreless affair with UW QB Michael Penix, Jr. throwing an interception and ASU PK Dario Longhetto missing a 31-yard FG attempt.  The start of the second period looked like the UW offense had shaken off their Oregon hangover. They had 1st and Goal at the Sun Devils, seven-yard line when Penix Jr.'s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and then picked off by DB Shamari Simmons at the ASU two-yard line.  After forcing an ASU punt, UW turned the ball over again on a fumble by Penix, Jr. Simmons was Johnny-on the-spot again for the Sun Devils and recovered it at the their own 46-yard line.  Eight plays later, RB Cameron Skattebo crossed the double stripe form a yard out and the Sons of Sparky held a 7-0 lead with 4:22 left in the second period. The Dawgs would answer back before the half with a 73-yard drive.  However, they failed to punch it in the end zone and had to settle for a 24-yard FG from PK Grady Gross.  ASU led 7-3 at the half.  A quiet concern had settled over the crowd at Husky Stadium.  Then the third quarter did noting to help their anxiety.  Neither team scored with the only tangible scoring threat being another missed FG by ASU's Longhetto. With 12:38 in the fourth quarter the Dawgs cut the ASU lead to 7-6 on a 47-yard FG from Gross. Now we come to the truly controversial moment in the game. After UW's FG, the Sun Devils drove all the way down to the Dawgs 19-yard line.  On 2nd an 10 from the 19, ASU QB Trenton Bourguet threw and incomplete pass down near the goal line.  A flag was thrown.  Quickly, the Pac 12 Refs deemed there was no holding/interference on the play and picked up the flag.  It was a game changing non-call. Watch it here... Awful NonCall Two plays later ASU throws a pick six and the Huskies take the lead, 12-7.  The Dawgs would tack on a FG later and escape with the Ref-aided victory.  Penix, Jr. finished the game completing 27 of 42 passes for 275 yards and two interceptions.  ASU held the Huskies to just 13 yards rushing.  For the now 1-6 Sun Devils, Bourguet complete 26 of 47 passes for 196 yards and that devastating interception.  Skattebo and fellow RB DeCarlos Brooks combined to rush for 114 yards on 21 carries and a TD.  

Telling Stat: Pick up game;  The Pac 12 officials decision to pick up the flag on an obvious penalty irreparably altered the game in Washington's favor. 

UCLA 42- Stanford 7: Palo Alto, CA- In recent weeks it had become clear that talented true freshman QB Dante Moore is the main reason UCLA is 5-2 instead of 7-0.  The pick sixes he had thrown were the difference in losses to Oregon State and Utah.  So, HC Chip Kelly benched the kid in place of veteran QB Ethan Garbers this week against The Farm.  No pick sixes were thrown and the bRuins easily routed the Cardinal. Garbers was cool and efficient completing 20 of 28 passes for 240 yards and two TDs.  UCLA's rushing game proved hard to handle as RB Carson Steele toted the rock 20 times for 76 yards and three TDs.  Stanford's lone score came on a 20-yard TD pass from QB Ashton Daniel to WR Tiger Bachmeier after the bRuins had built up a 35-0 lead.  

Telling Stat: A 30 minute good bye; UCLA left Palo Alto in their rear view mirror quickly, building up a 21-0 lead and outgaining the Cardinal 270 yards to 29 in the first half. 

Observations

...Quite a magic act;  USC DC Alex Grinch's poor defensive scheme has the ability to consistently turn ordinary QBs into first round draft picks.  Facepalm.  

...Hosed Hawkeyes; This reporter has never been a big fan of Iowa, but I just can't buy the reasoning  of how their go-ahead punt return v. Minnesota was overturned.  I guess I'm not well versed in this rule, but I don't see how telling your teammates to get away from the ball creates a fair catch dead ball situation.  Dead Ball?  (Note: When you watch the video, notice how nobody on either squad reacts as if a fair catch has been called.) 

...Air Force aerial bombardment; USAFA QB Zac Larrier hooked up with WR Dane Kinsman for a 94-yard TD pass in the Falcons 17-7 win over Navy.  The Falcons had only thrown for 468 yards total coming into the game. 

...No defense for the defense;  How bad is USC's defense?  They let a former pig farmer turned walk on QB and a Safety turned RB dominate them last Saturday. 

...Woo Hoo for the Wahoos!;  One win Virginia's upset of undefeated North Carolina in Chapel Hill over the weekend was pretty amazing and much needed by a team that has gone through so much. 

...Trapped!;  UTSA HC Jeff Traylor got caught in his own motivational device.  He laughed it off as you can read here. Say Cheese!

...Trouble in Ann Arbor; An NCAA probe into sign stealing by Michigan has taken an interesting turn as the Wolverine staffer accused of doing the alleged sign stealing, Connor Stalions, now includes a paper trial and video evidence of the sign stealing operation.  Hmmmm 11 Schools

...Tables turned in fun; Watch ND HC Marcus Freeman grill Tim O'Malley about coaching decisions and gaffes about the flag football team O'Malley coaches. Freeman's son is on that flag football team.  Answer up scribe! lol

...He's gone; Arkansas has fired OC/QB Coach Dan Enos after the Hogs lost their sixth straight game on Saturday to Mississippi State. WR Coach Kenny Guiton will be the interim OC. 

...Fuhrer spotted on the banks of the Red Cedar; Yeah, as if MSU getting totally obliterated, 42-0 by arch rival Michigan didn't hurt enough, the school is now apologizing for a pregame trivia question about Adolf Hitler in which a picture of the him was posted on the stadium vision board.  WTF?!

...And then there was one;  With Nevada's shocking, 6-0 win over SDSU, the Sam Houston State Bearkats are the only winless team left in the FBS. It has been a very rough first year in the FBS for SHSU.  They are winless with no loss being more than by 14 points. 

...Irrelevant in Happy Valley;  After dropping a 20-12 decision to TheeeOSU, Penn State is another loss to Michigan away from a a possible 10-2 season and being completely irrelevant for another year. 

...Rough bye;  The first notable person to lose on their bye week is Maryland OC Kevin Sumlin.  He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence near the Florida State Fairgrounds.  DUI

...Just a rumor; There is no truth to the rumor that the athletic departments of Minnesota and Michigan have sent bonus checks to the officiating crews of their respective games last week. 

...Leveled;  A Tennessee security guard absolutely leveled a fan when wandered onto the field in Tuscaloosa after the Crimson Tide beat Tennessee.  No Gain

...Hot coaching tip;  When your team has rushed for 100 yards on your opponent in the first quarter, don't  abandon the running game. Sigh.

...Hot numbers;  The hot numbers in Reno are 16 and 12. 16 is for the number of games in the losing streak that was snapped by Nevada in their 6-0 win over San Diego State. 12 is for the number of years since the Wolfpack shutout an opponent when they blanked arch rival UNLV, 37-0 way back on October 8, 2011.  

...That will leave a mark;  The Astros Chas McCormick got nailed with a 104 MPH pitch from Rangers reliever Aroldis Chapman in game seven of the ALCS.  Pain

...The new DC; Here's my choice for USC's next DC.  Scouting report says he has a ruff demeanor and his defenders really fly to the ball.

Pac 12 Overreactions

Cal can't wait to attack USC's defense.

UCLA is a 10-2 team.

Washington is the only school that has ever been happy with Pac 12 officials.

ASU got hosed worse than Iowa, but hardly anybody saw it. 

USC is a 7-5 team.

Oregon State can win the league title. 

Wazzu is Sun Bowl bound.

Arizona enjoyed their best bye week in years.

Utah is an 11-1 team. 

Colorado's silence during their bye week was golden.

Oregon needs Washington's refs this week at Utah.

Stanford is a 2-10 team. 

Utah just keeps grinding out wins with a superior culture. 

Great Throwback Uniforms of the Week

Oregon and Miami. Yes Oregon gets some kudos here. They wore great throwback uniforms. Both went back to the '80s for inspiration and nailed it.  Miami revised the classic Canes look, while Oregon actually wore their official school colors of Emerald Green and Lemon Yellow with a great old logo of Puddles on the sleeve. Well done, boys.

Departments 

Low Score Game of the Week: Waxahachie, TX- We go tothe NAIA ranks for this game.  The Southwestern Assemblies of God University Lions defeated the North American University Stallions, 15-6. The Lions took a 9-0 lead into the half thanks to three second quarter FGs from PK Jonah Osborne that covered 25, 42, and 40 yards.  Late in the third period the Lions extended their lead to 15-0 when WR Paul Odidi caught a 19-yard TD pass from QB Bailey Green. The Lions did give up a cosmetic TD late, but held on for the win on Senior Day. SWAG held NAU to just 65 total yards for the afternoon.  

Blowout Game of the Week: Appleton, WI- This week's game comes form the Midwest Conference in D-III where the Illinois College Blueboys smashed the Lawrence University Vikings, 72-0.  Blueboys QB Destin Chance had a great game.  Game? it was a great half of play.  Chance completed 26 of 37 passes for 465 yards and eight TDs in the first half.  Holding a 56-0 lead at the break, Illinois College emptied the benches in the the second half. The IC defense held the Vikings to -32 yards rushing. 

Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- Well, the almost Hogs came home and a Big Ten game broke out.  The sudden style change did not help as they fell to Mississippi State, 7-3. The Arkansas defense held MSU to 205 total yards and just 10 first downs, but the offense just couldn't find that one scoring drive to win the game.  QB K.J. Jefferson completed 19 of 31 passes for 97 yards and an interception.  Neither team scored in the second half. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

October comes to a close soon and we have one last pumpkin to harvest. That's kind of cool.

My weather staton may need new sensors when it tells me that it's 131 degrees outside on a foggy day.

Candy Corn is my least favorite Halloween candy by a wide margin.

Until next time, remember that when something works, keep doing it until they stop it.  

-The Commissioner 

Week Seven 2023

Hey All,

We move to middle of October where fall has taken hold with frost on the pumpkins, decorations on the houses and meaningful football game being played.  Let's take look at the weekend that was in college football with another edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud. 

Summaries 

Notre Dame 48- USC 20:  South Bend, IN- The main narrative this year has been that USC's defense was the weakest link on a team that underwhelmed the fans and the rest of the nation at large.  Nobody really thought the that QB Caleb Williams and the OL would ruin the Trojans chances in South Bend, but they did.  The offensive line's inability to hold out a simple four man rush, much less a fifth man blitzing led to three first half interceptions by Williams. Those three picks were turned into TDs by the Fighting Irish and USC trailed at the half, 24-6.  The third quarter saw the USC offense make some strides even though the OL just couldn't block anyone.  Nevertheless, the Trojans only trailed 31-20 with 11 minuted to play after WR Brenden Rice hauled in a seven-yard TD pass from Williams.  Then on the ensuing kickoff, USC's suspect special teams failed.  ND KR Jadarian Price took the ball back 99 yards untouched for a game-breaking TD.  ND would add a FG before the Men of Troy handed ND a final TD when WR Mario Willams fumbled on the SC 15-yard line. CB Xavier Watts scooped up the ball and dashed 15 yards to end zone.  ND could have broken 50 points, but instead they chose to kneel down at SC's 26-yard line to kill the clock on their final drive.  For the Irish, QB Sam Hartman completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and two TDs while RB Audric Estime toted the rock 22 times for 95 yards and two scores.  The ND defense sacked Caleb Williams six times and forced five turnovers.  For the unprepared looking Trojans, Williams completed 23 of 37 passes for 199 yards, a TD and three interceptions, while RB MarShawn Lloyd ran for 46 yards on eight carries with a score.  

Telling Stat: 5+6= W;  Notre Dame's defense forced five Trojans turnovers and sacked USC QB Caleb Williams six times to pave the way for a big W for the Fighting Irish. 

Stanford 46- Colorado 43 2OT: Boulder, CO- This game looked pretty like it had the makings of a Buffaloes Blowout and it was... for half.  The Buffs did just about everything right in the first half.  The CU defense made the Cardinal look completely inept.  Stanford's offense couldn't cross the street without the help of a Boy Scout.  Meanwhile, QB Shedeur Sanders toasted the Stanford secondary.  He threw three TD passes that covered nine, 24 and 39 yards.  Two of those went to WR Xavier Weaver who also ran for a 14-yard TD.  WR/DB Travis Hunter had returned from injury for CU and had a TD catch and also completely shutdown SU's WRs.  Up 29-0 at the break, this one seemed over.  Heck, even Shedeur Sanders' people put out instagram ads for his clothing line during the break. Then the second half started and Colorado left their game in the locker room.  The Cardinal just kept chipping away at the lead with a couple of plays that the Buffs could not stop.  WR Elic Ayomanor torched the CU secondary with a 97-yard TD catch and a 60-yard scoring strike.  Tack on a two-yard run by WR Bryce Farrell and suddenly Stanford trailed just 29-19 with 4:45 left in the third period.  In the fourth quarter, QB Justin Lamson bulled his way to paydirt from one yard out to cut CU's lead to 29-26.  The crowd had turned from rowdy to nervous to deeply concerned and quiet only to regain a bit of swagger when Sanders hit WR Javon Antonio with a four-yard TD toss to stake CU to a 36-26 lead. However, the Cardinal was still able to keep their comeback bid alive thanks to a TD catch by Farrell and their defense which forced the Buffs to punt with 2:55 to play. Stanford took over possession on their own one-yard line and marched 71 yards to the CU 28-yard line. As time ran out PK Josh Karty split the sticks from 46-yards out and the game went to OT at 36-36.  CU took the ball first in OT and scored when Sanders found Antonio in the end zone form four yards out. After starting their half of the OT with a False Start penalty, Stanford QB Ashton Daniels threw for Ayomanor down the sideline.  Ayomanor reached around the head of Hunter for a 30-yard TD grab that was one of the best catches you'll ever see. Yeah, he caught it.  That TD brought us to the second OT where CU started with the ball again and instead of throwing the ball away on third down to at least get a field goal attempt out of the possession, Sanders threw a lazy spiral into the end zone that was picked off by Stanford Safety Alaka'i Gilman.  Dead silence enveloped Folsom Field.  Four plays later, Karty's 31-yard FG attempt was good.  The Cardinal had pulled off the miracle comeback. The Buffs were stunned and the small gathering of Cardinal fans in the visitor's section was ecstatic.  For the miracle men from Palo Alto, Daniels completed 27 of 45 passes for 396 yards and four TDs.  His top target was Ayomanor who caught 13 passes for 294 yards and three TDs.  For the now 4-3 Buffaloes, Sanders completed 33 of 47 passes for 400 yards and five TDs.  Hunter caught 13 off those passes for 140 yards and two scores.

Telling Stat: 0 to Hero;  Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor had zero catches in the first half.  He finished the game with 13 catches for 294 yards and three TDs. The 294 yards are a new Stanford single game record. 

Utah 34- California 14: Salt Lake City, UT- With QB Cameron Rising still out, Utah has leaned on a stingy, hard-hitting defense and robust rushing attack to throttle teams into submission. This was no different except for the RB who did the most damage to the Golden Bears.  Safety Sione Vaki was switched to RB and all he did was rush for 158 yards and two TDs on 15 carries to lead the Utah offense.  QB Bryson Barnes managed the offense well, completing 15 of 21 passes for 128 yards on the day.  Cal held a 7-0 into the second quarter on a 48-yard TD pass from QB Fernando Mendoza to RB Jaydn Ott. Utah took a 14-7 lead into the half on short TD runs by Vaki and fellow RB Ja'Quinden Jackson.  Up 24-14 in the fourth quarter, Utah put the game away with a 72-yard TD run form Vaki and a 38-yard FG from PK Cole Becker. In the loss, Mendoza completed 10 of 17 passes for 149 yards, two TDs and an interception.  

Telling Stat:  Can't win without the ball;  Utah held the ball for almost 38 minutes and held Cal to just 4 of 12 on 3rd Down Conversions.   

Washington 36- Oregon 33: Seattle, WA-  The big game in the Pac 12 this week was just that a big game.  Two really good teams fought toe-to-toe for a full 60 minutes.  Ironically a misplaced toe decided the outcome.   Husky Stadium was rocking as the Dawgs took an early 7-0 lead when QB Michael Penix, Jr.  threw a dart to WR Giles Jackson for a 26-yard TD.  Oregon answered on the ensuing possession with a 14-play, 90-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a 12-yard TD run from RB Bucky Irving.  UO then took an 8-7 lead on a two-point conversion run by TE Patrick Herbert.  Then next four drives would end in scores with UW then having the ball and a 22-18 lead with 2:04 left in the second quarter.  Penix, Jr. then threw an interception to DB Jahlil Florence at the UO 49-yard line.  Seven plays later, the Quacks faced a 4th and Goal at the two-yard line with :02 left before the half.  The Ducks decided to go for it and QB Bo Nix's pass was broken up and fell incomplete. UW forced an Oregon punt to start the third quarter then Penix, Jr. hit WR Rome Odunze with a 17-yard TD pass for a 29-18 lead.  On the next possession the Webfoots drove down to the shadow of the UW goal only to be faced with another 4th and Goal.  Again the Ducks went for it and again Nix's pass was broken up and fell incomplete.  UW seemed to be in total control of the game at that point, That control lasted seven plays.  After forcing a Husky punt, Nix connected with WR Troy Franklin for a 30-yard TD.  Nix then threw to WR Tez Johnson for the two point conversion.  The Ducks now trailed just 29-26 with 1:36 left to play still in the third period. UW couldn't move the ball on their next possession and had to punt again. The Ducks then marched 80 yards to regain the lead.  RB Jordan James cut through the Huskies from 10 yards out for the go ahead score.  Now trailing 33-29, the Dawgs needed to answer with a score and they almost did. The Huskies were faced with a 4th and Goal at the UO one-yard line with 6:33 left.  They went for it and RB Tybo Rogers was hit in the backfield for a one yard loss.  However, the Webfoots couldn't run out the clock.  They went for the knockout blow on 4th and 3 at the UW 47-yard line.  Like on the goal line, this Nix pass failed too and the Dawgs had one last chance. Penix, Jr. then threw two passes.  One went for 35 yards to WR Ja'Lynn Polk down to the UO 18-yard line. His next pass found Odunze down the sideline for an 18-yard TD. Now UO was down 36-33 with 1:38 left and Nix rallied his squad one final time. He marched his team down to the UW 25-yard line. With :04 left on came PK Camden Lewis for 43-yard FG try to send to the game to OT.  Lewis' kick sailed just wide right and the Huskies came away with the win. For the still undefeated Huskies, Penix, Jr. completed 22 of 37 aerials for 302 yards, four TDs and an interception. Two of his receivers broke the century mark with Odunze catching eight passes for 128 yards and two TDs while Polk caught six balls for 118 yards and a score of his own.  Husky RB Dillon Johnson ran for 110 yards on 20 carries and a TD too.  For the deflated Ducks, Nix complerted 33 of 44 passes for 337 yards and two TDs.  His favorite receiver was Troy Franklin who hauled in eight passes for 154 yards and a TD.  Ducks RB Bucky Irving led all rushers with 127 yards on 22 carries and two TDs. 

Telling Stat: 4th Down Blues for the Green and Gold;  Oregon went 0 for 3 on 4th down conversions.  Converting any one of those would have meant victory for the Men of Oregon. 

Arizona 44- Washington State 6: Pullman, WA-After being an onside kick away from a chance to beat Washington two weeks ago and then taking USC to triple OT last week before losing, many wondered if HC Jedd Fisch's Wildcats would escape the cycle of pain that moral victories provide.  UofA did that in emphatic fashion with a complete dismantling of the Cougars at Martin Stadium.  The Cougs did take the early lead at 6-0 when RB Nakia Watson crossed the double stripe from a yard out.  The Wazzu offense would never be heard from again.  Meanwhile, the Wildcats offense methodically kept piling up yards and scores. UofA calmly put up 10 points in each of the first three quarters then gave the knockout blow to the Crimson clad Cougs with 14 more points in the final period.  QB Noah Fifita completed 34 of 43 passes for 342 yards while a trio of RBs were responsible for finding the end zone.  Rayshon Luke rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries and a TD, Jonah Coleman gained 70 yards on 11 carries with three TDs and D.J. Williams ran for 37 yards on 12 carries with a TD.  Coleman also led all receivers with four catches for 98 yards. For the shellshocked Cougars, QB Cameron Ward completed 22 of 30 passes for 192 yards and an interception.  

Telling Stat: 0 for 55:01;  After giving up a 75-yard TD drive in the first 4:59 of the game, the Arizona defense held Wazzu scoreless the rest of the way allowing only 159 yards and forcing three turnovers.

Oregon State 36- UCLA 24: Corvallis, OR- The bRuins came into this game with a statistically stellar defense that had held opponents to just a shade over 12 points per game. However after bRuins QB Dante Moore threw a pair of first quarter interceptions deep in his own territory, the Beavers held a 13-0 lead.  Moore would lead UCLA back into the game.  The Sons of Westwood trailed just 16-10 in the second quarter but Moore then threw a third interception. This one was returned 67 yards for a TD by DB Ryan Cooper, Jr.  OSU led 23-10 and would pretty much keep that cushion the rest of the way.  The teams traded blows to the end, but OSU managed to bring home the win. QB D.J.Uiagalelei completed 14 of 24 passes for 266 yards and two TDs, while PK Atticus Sappington kicked FGs covering 36, 43 and 26 yards.  For the hard luck bRuins, Moore completed 14 of 33 passes for 164 yards, a TD and three huge interceptions.  UCLA RB Carson Steele lugged the leather 22 times for 110 yds and TD to lead all rushers.

Telling Stat: Turnovers kill; UCLA QB Dante Moore's three interceptions sunk the bRuins in Corvallis. 

Observations

...Fit-fita for the job;  Arizona HC Jedd Fisch has to keep Noah Fifita as his starting QB when Jayden de Laura comes back from injury.  Fifita owns the huddle and ruins the offense efficiently.   

...Lost in the noise of Boulder;  While the Stanford comeback made waves across the nation, Rutgers came back from being down 24-6 in the fourth quarter to beat Michigan State, 27-24.  Go Scarlet Knights!

...Just rumor;  There's no truth to the rumor that USC is replacing its' offensive line with a set of turnstiles just to save wear and tear on uniforms.

...Tough Love;  Colorado Assistant and former Trojan great Dennis Thurman  laid it out on the line for the players the day before the Stanford game. (Note: First Six minutes or so are Thurman's speech.) 1.5

...Wasn't drawn up that way; Kent State decided to surprise Eastern Michigan with an onside kick to start the game.  It didn't go well.  Facepalm

...Dull as stale popcorn;  Much has been made of Iowa's moribund offense and the fact that OC Brian Ferentz had a clause added to his contract that his offense has to average 25 points per game or he loses his job.  After the Hawkeyes 15-6 win over Wisconsin, it's possible that the team can finish 11-1 and make the Big Ten title game with Ferentz losing his job in the process.  Wow.

...A feeling from a different time; An afternoon Arizona Fall League baseball game had me thinking that this must be what spring training was like the '60s-'70s. 

...Long drought over; North Dakota walloped perennial FCS power North Dakota State, 49-24 for the Fighting Hawks first win over the Bison in 20 years. What does this win mean for the UND?  Check out their emotional HC here. Two Decades

...Penn State of Mind; If the Nittany Lions don't beat TheeeOSU at the Horseshoe this week, they will be rendered irrelevant again on the national landscape. 

...Six the hardway; Nobody thought USC's Caleb Williams and UCLA's Dante Moore would each throw three interceptions last week. 

...D-II rumbler;  The first player to reach 1,000 yards rushing this year in the NCAA is Shen Butler Lawson, Jr. from Minnesota State- Mankato in Division II.  The Mavericks RB has 1,026 yards on 141 carries with 12 TDs. That's a nifty 7.27 yards per carry average. Whoa. 

...X marks the game;  Anyone else find it odd that the Oregon-Washington game featured opposing QBs whose last names ended with the letter X? Hmmm. 

...Even the refs hit;  USC's bad night was so bad that even the refs took a shot at the Trojans.  Tough Zebra

...Jones-ing for Prime; One of the best parts of my weekend was watching ESPN play-by-play man Mark Jones have to call Stanford's second half miracle comeback against Colorado.  You could feel Jones' depression when Stanford was making their comeback.  It totally went against his narrative that Deion Sanders is the greatest coach who ever lived. Funny, and I thought national play-by-play guys were supposed to be neutral.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. 

...Zooming to great heights;  At 6-0, Air Force is the top team in the Mountain West.  They now enjoy a week off before they travel to Navy. 

...1-5 is fine;  The Patriots are 1-5 and I'm totally cool with that.  

...Has to be nuts;  If anyone told you back in August the UNLV-Air Force game on 11/18 has the chance to be one of the biggest games of the year in the Mountain West, you would have had them committed. 

CFL Update 

With two weeks to go in the regular season, all the drama is in the West Division.  The Wiinnipeg Blue Bombers and the B.C. Lions are fighting it out for the division title while Saskatchewan and Calgary are clashing for the final playoff spot.  The East Division belongs to Toronto with Montreal and Hamilton in second. and third place.  The Commissioner's favorite team, the Edmonton Elks are 4-13 and will once again not make the playoffs. Keep up on all the CFL action at 3 Down Nation.  110 yards

Pac 12 Overreactions 

Washington will go to the CFP.

Oregon will finish 10-2.

Stanford fans just went all in on HC Troy Taylor. 

USC is an 8-4 team. 

ASU worked on their tans during the bye week.

Colorado still wonders what happened.

Arizona is on the rise.

Wazzu is in shock. 

Oregon State is a 9-3 team.

Cal wants to just play home games.

UCLA is two pick sixes away from being undefeated.

Utah is what Stanford was by necessity, not by choice. 

Ugly Uniform of the Week

The Quacks came up little short against Washington on the field, but their uniforms came up way short.  These duck eggshell togs just look like a bunch of guys came to play right form their job as house painters.  Yuk. 

Departments 

Low Score Game of the Week: Kutztown, PA-  This week's game comes from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in Division II.  The Kutztown State Bears beat the Shippensburg State Raiders, 9-6 in Overtime.  In the rain and wind the teams managed to trade 34-yard field goals during the first 60 minutes.  In the OT period, the Raiders eschewed going for it on 4th and inches from the K-State two-yard line.  Instead they settled for a 19-yard FG from PK Jaxson Montross.  The Raiders regretted that decision one play later when Bears QB Judd Novak ran 25 yards for a TD on K-State's first play in OT.  The win gives the Bears a 5-2 overall record and first place in the PSAC East with a 4-0 league mark. 

Blowout Game of the Week: Surprise, AZ- This game come from the Golden State League in the NAIA.  The Ottawa University (AZ) Spirit crushed the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes, 83-0.  The 83 points scored are a new school record for OUAZ. QB Luke Giron completed 18 of 21 tosses for 282 yards and four TDs while his backfield mate, Jordan Willmore ran the ball 18 times for 211 yards and four scores of his own. OUAZ also set a school record with 608 yards of offense. 

Razorback Report: Tuscaloosa, AL-  Another week, another almost win form the Hogs.  This one happened at Alabama.  The Hogs lost 24-21. Sam Pittman is a good HC, but all the single digit losses are painful to watch. This week the Razorbacks host Mississippi State. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

Most intersections in Phoenix don't have limit lines. That's just weird to this Californian.

You could spend a ton of cash on Candy at Cracker Barrel.

The Act It Out deck on the phone game Heads Up is a blast.

Until next time, remember that if you don't have an offensive line, you don't have an offense.  

-The Commissioner 

Week Six 2023

Hey all,

it's time once again for the column that makes your Tuesdays feel like Saturdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard.  We still miss you, Alan Malamud.

Summaries 

USC 43 - Arizona 41 3OT:  Los Angeles, CA- This game ended up as a Cardiac Kids win at the Coliseum when it had all the earmarkings of an Arizona blowout early on.  How bad was SC being beaten in this game?  Well, with 12:36 left to play in the second quarter, the Trojans trailed 17-0 and had been outgained by the Wildcats 210 yards to 0.  Yes. folks, 210 yards for UofA and bupkis for the Men of Troy.  The crowd in the Ol' Gray Lady sat mostly in stunned silence. I say mostly because a contingent of Arizona fans were  pretty ecstatic near the east end zone. It would take a great deal of determination and grit to comeback from this deficit and somehow the Trojans dug deep an did it.  However it was an ugly fight to the end.  The Trojans started their climb back with an assist from the defense when CB Jacobe Covington picked off UofA QB Noah Fifita on the Wildcats 36-yard line and returned it to the 12.  Two plays later, SC QB Caleb Williams serpentined his way through the defense for a four-yard TD run.  USC would cut their deficit to 17-14 right before the half when Williams hit WR Kyron Hudson with a five-yard TD pass that really did not look like a catch, but somehow survived the review process. The third quarter saw the SC defense give up yards like the Italian Army, but somehow limit the Wildcats to just a FG.  SC managed to take a 21-20 lead in the final period on a drive that featured a pair of 15-yard penalties on the Wildcats. That drive was topped off with a nine-yard sprint to the end zone from RB MarShawn Lloyd.  The Trojans then extended their lead to 28-20 on their next possession.  They marched 77 yards in 11 plays with the TD coming on a one-yard run by Williams where he simply refused to be taken down by an Arizona defender.  However, prosperity would not last for SC as the Wildcats moved down the field with ease and a scored a TD and a 2-point conversion running the same pass route two-times in a row.  Then, After forcing a missed 50-yard FG attempt from UofA PK Tyler Loop, the Trojans then took over the ball and moved quickly down to the Wildcats six-yard line as time was running out in regulation.  With a chip shot FG attempt seemingly assured, the SC offense went into a Keystone Kops routine.  Two bad option reads that resulted in a bad pass and a fumble that Williams luckily recovered was followed up with one of the worst FG attempts in history. The snap was high and PK Denis Lynch was stuck standing there and barely got off a wounded duck of a kick that ended being blocked and fallen on as the clock struck zero. On to overtime now and the teams traded TDs in the first OT and in the second.  From the third OT on in college football dueling two-point conversion attempts are made by each team until a winner is decided.  USC was up first and Williams made a mad dash to the pylon for two points on a busted trick play.  That left Arizona with a shot to take this to a fourth OT.  That wouldn't happen. USC LB Mason Cobb knifed into the backfield and led a stop of RB D.J. Williams.  The conversion failed and the Trojans escaped with a gritty, ugly win. Caleb Williams had one of his worst passing days for SC, completing only 14 of 25 passes for 219 yards and a TD.  He ran well though scrambling for 41 yards on 12 carries with three TDs and a two-point conversion.  Lloyd finished the game with 86 yards rushing on 15 carries and a TD of his own.  For the hard luck Wildcats, Fifita completed 25 of 35 passes for 303 yards five TDs and an interception.  WR Jacob Cowing caught 20 passes for 88 yards and four TDs.  Wildcat RB Jonah Coleman led all rushers with 143 yards on 22 carries.  

Telling Stat: All but one;  Arizona dominated this game in every category except one, the scoreboard. 

UCLA 25- Washington State 17: Pasadena, CA- When discussing any Chip Kelly coached team defense is rarely ever mentioned. Kelly's defense is going to be mentioned a lot now with the way they handcuffed the Cougars at the Rose Bowl. It was the UCLA's offensive struggles that kept this game close. Wazzu led at the half because the bRuins offense gave the points away. QB Dante Moore threw an interception on  UCLA's first drive of the game to set Wazzu up at the bRuins 19-yard line.  The Cougars couldn't move the ball and settled for a 32-yard FG and a 3-0 lead.  The Sons of Westwood took a 9-3 lead on a TD pass from Moore and a 37-yard FG from PK R.J. Lopez. It then looked like the bRuins would take a larger lead into the break just before intermission, but Wazzu DB Kapena Gushiken picked off Moore and took it back 88 yards for a TD on the last play of the first half for a 10-9 Wazzu lead.  The third quarter saw UCLA forge back ahead 12-10 on a 32-yard FG from Lopez. Wazzu then took back the lead at 17-12 on their only TD drive of the game.  The Cougars drove 74 yards in just four plays with Ward hitting RB Nakia Watson with a five-yard scoring pass.  The Wazzu offense wouldn't really be heard from again.

UCLA regained the lead and then extended the lead on a pair of TD runs covering 13 and 22 yards by WR/RB Keegan Jones. Wazzu's last chance to send the game to OT ended when Ward was stuffed on a QB sneak on 4th & 1 at the bRuins 40-yard line with 1:38 left to play.  Moore had a decent day completing 22 of 44 passes for 290 yards, a TD and two interceptions.  RB Carson Steele was the workhorse of the bRuins offense lugging the leather 30 times for 140 yards. For the Cougars, Ward completed 19 of 39 passes for 197 yards, a TD and two interceptions.  

Telling Stat: There is a D in Westwood;  The UCLA defense held WSU to 10 points and 216 total yards which allowed the offense to do just enough to win the game. 

Oregon State 52- California 40: Berkeley, CA-  The game that was billed as a battle of two really good defenses ended up being a shootout.  Early on though it looked OSU would be doing all the shooting. Leading 7-3, the Beavers then went up 14-3 early in the second quarter when QB Aidan Chiles, subbing in a series for starter D.J. Uiagalelei, hit WR Silas Biden with an 11-yard scoring strike.  The Beavers then went to take a stranglehold on the game with an onside kick.  That strategy failed miserably as Cal LB Ryan McCulloch scooped up the kick and returned it 26 yards to the Oregon State 19-yard line. Five plays later Cal QB Fernando Mendoza connected with RB Isaiah Infanse for a nine-yard score to cut OSU's lead to 14-10.  The Cal defense then asserted itself on the next drive forcing a Beaver fumble. Ifanse found the end zone from a yard out on the ensuing drive to give Cal a 17-14 lead.  OSU rallied to take a 21-17 lead into the half on a three yard TD pass from QB D.J. Uiagalelei to TE Jack Veiling. The shootout was on after that with Cal's defense not being heard from again.  Mendoza, who got the start for Cal in place of Ben Finley and Sam Jackson V, did a fine job running the Cal offense in his first college start, but he couldn't keep up with what Uiagallelei did for OSU. He led the Beavers on five straight scoring drives to start the second half. Every one of the 31 points on those drives was needed too. Cal was hanging right in there with OSU until they turned the ball over twice in the final quarter.  For OSU Uiagalelei completed 19 of 25 passes for 275 yards and five TDs.  WR Anthony Gould caught seven of those passes for 117 while Velling hauled in three TD tosses.  For the Golden Bears, Mendoza complete 21 of 32 passes for 207 yards two TDs and an interception. He also ran for 41 yards on four carries.  Cal's RB duo of Ifanse and Jaydn Ott combined to tote the rock 24 times for 171 yards and two TDs. 

Telling Stat: 31 made easy;  OSU was unstoppable in the second half scoring on their first five drives.  The only reason they didn't score on their sixth drive is that it was the one where they took a knee to kill the clock at the end of the game. 

Colorado 27- Arizona State 24: Tempe, AZ- The traveling circus known as Colorado football made a stop in the desert and in addition to their usual antics picked up a win over a scrappy Sun Devils squad. This game was bit of a train wreck from the start. Sloppy play on both sides of the ball was punctuated with penalties, trash talk, hard hits and occasional trips to the end zone.  ASU took a 7-0 lead on the opening drive of the game when QB Trenton Bourguet drove his squad 65 yards in nine plays to paydirt.  Bourguet did the scoring honors himself on a two-yard plunge.  With 2:03 left in the first quarter, Colorado tied the game on a one-yard RD run by WR Xavier Weaver.  The teams traded TDs in the second quarter with RB Cameron Skattebo scoring from one yard out for ASU while the Buffs evened the score on a 16-yard run from QB Shedeur Sanders. ASU took a 17-14 lead into the break on a 33-yard FG from PK Dario Longhetto. The third quarter was scoreless as neither team could pick up any momentum.  Colorado managed to take control of the game in the final period when they forged ahead on a nine-yard TD pass from Sanders to WR Javon Antonio and 42-yard FG from PK Alejandro Mata.  Up 24-17, CU seemed to have put the game away when they blocked a 52-yard FG attempt by ASU's Longehetto.  However, the Buffs couldn't run out the clock and the Sun Devils got the ball back with 3:26 to play.  Bourguet then led ASU on a drive to tie the game. It was a march of 13 plays where the Bourguet complered eight passes, got a huge 4th down conversion run from Skattebo and PI call on CU.  His last pass was 15-yard TD toss to WR Troy Omeire.  CU got the ball back with just :50 left at their own 25-yard line.  On first down, Sanders hit a wide open Antonio for a 43-yard gain to the ASU 32-yard line.  Another completion to Antonio of seven yards set up the Buffs for a game-winning FG try.  Mata's kick was good from 43-yards out and Colorado walked out of the Valley of the Sun with a win.  Sanders completed 26 of 42 passes for 239 yards and a TD. He also ran for a score.  Antonio caught eight passes for 81 yards and a TD.  For the now 1-5 Sons of Sparky, Bourguet completed 32 of 49 passes for 335 and a TD. He also ran for a tally.  WR Elijah Badger was Bourguet's favorite target, catching  12 passes for 134 yards.  

Telling Stat: One more play;  This game was so even statistically that one play decided the outcome and CU QB Shedeur Sanders made that play to put his team in position to win.  

Observations

...Gauntlet dropped; The new Big Ten list of conference games for each school from 2024-2028 has been released.  Throw in LSU and Notre Dame to SC's slate and you have one of toughest schedules ever in 2024. Rough Sledding

...Maize and Blue world;  Michigan is the #1 team in the nation right now.  

...They ain't back;  Texas' last minute choke job against Oklahoma means that Texas sure is back alright, back to the Alamo Bowl. 

...He ain't wrong; Kentucky HC Mark Stoops was pretty clear on what he needs to compete with Georgia in the SEC. Dollars

...6-0 in goodbyes;  Going back to last year, USC is 6-0 against the teams they won't be playing for the  considerable future as the Pac 12 fades away into history. There are two more goodbye games left on the schedule as the Trojans host Utah on 10/21 and go to Cal on 10/28. 

...And then there were two;  Sam Houston State and Nevada are the only winless teams left in the FBS.  

...Welcome to 7,220 feet;  Fresno State came into Wyoming with the nation's longest winning streak at 14 games and left with a one game losing streak. The Cowboys led 24-0 at the half and held on for the 24-19 win.  Way to go Ragtime Cowboy Joe. 

...Man down!; Even the photographers weren't safe in the Wisconsin-Rutgers game.  Painful 

...No O, but 5-1;  Iowa is 5-1 on the year despite being in desperate need of an offense transplant. 

...It was that bad;  I knew things were going very poorly for SC Saturday night when my normally calm wife lost it in the third quarter and screamed, "That play hasn't worked all game!"  

...Futility on display; The Nebraska-Illinois game featured one of the most forgettable second halves ever played.  The only scoring was a FG by the Cornhuskers. The rest of the half featured three punts, five turnovers, two turnovers on downs and a kneel down to end the game. 

...NIL craziness;  Utah's Crimson Collective handed out 2024 Dodge Ran Bighorn trucks to all 85 scholarship players on the Utes roster. Wow. Ram-a-lam-a- NIL

...On the lee side;  The last couple of seasons, I've enjoyed a better degree of calm in the stands at SC games.  Am I older now, more mature, more willing to go with the ebb and flow of a game?  Oh heck no, there's a guy across the aisle in our section and a couple of rows back that comes completely unglued every game and I get to just sit back and let him scream for me. It's a great in-game coping mechanism. 

...To kneel or not to kneel;  That isn't a a question for most coaches, but Miami HC Mario Cristobal eschewed taking a knee to kill the clock v. Georgia Tech and it cost the Hurricanes the game. Kneeless in Miami 

...Ho hum XII;  It looks like a slow weekend upcoming in the Big XII when the marquee match is Kansas at Oklahoma State.  

...Just rumor;  There's no truth to the rumor that Minnesota HC P.J.Fleck and Texas HC Steve Sarkisian are clients of the guy who was Pee Wee Herman's tailor.  

...Innovators again;  Back in 1894 Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf and hearing impaired in Washington D.C., invented the huddle when they formed a tight circle before plays to keep teams from stealing their hand signals.  Now, they are taking play calling to the next level with these 5G helmets they have developed with AT&T.  View Screen!

...A Chicago man;  Only George Halas can identify stronger with the orange and navy blue of the Chicago  Bears than Dick Butkus.  Even though he lived many years of his life just up PCH from here in Malibu, Dick Butkus was Chicago. Hard to find a tougher player to have ever played the game. RIP Mr. Butkus.

Pac 12 Overreactions

USC is a 9-3 team.

Oregon and Washington got to obsess over each other for an extra week.

Cal still hasn't learned to play offense and defense well at the same time.

Stanford was just happy to have a bye.

Arizona is kicking themselves for not going for two in the fourth quarter.

Utah had fun with their new trucks all week.

Colorado is a 6-6 team. 

UCLA wishes they had this year's defense last year.

Oregon State is scary.

ASU is a 3-9 team. 

Ugly Uniform of the Week

After their coaching induced choke job, this Miami all black ensemble is ugly and sad.

Departments

Low Score Game of the Week: Redlands, CA-  We stay local this week as this game comes from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in D-III.  The Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens held on for a 10-9 upset win over the Redlands Bulldogs. QB Nick Kim threw a three-yard TD pass to go along with a 39-yard FG by PK Cameron Shirang to stake the Sagehens to a 10-0 halftime lead.  Late in the third quarter, Redlands QB Tyler Tremain ran the ball in from four yards out to cut Pomona's lead to 10-7.  Redlands had a chance to tie the game late, but PK Vicente Garcia's 31-yard FG attempt was blocked.  However, the kick traveled forward and a Pomona player fell on the ball at his own three-yard line with :48 left.  After a couple of kneel downs, Pomona was faced with a 3rd and 12 at their own one-yard line with :03 left on the clock. Kim took the snap on third down and watched the clock hit :00 before taking a knee in his own end zone.  The intentional safety allowed Pomona to walk away with the 10-9 upset victory.  It was only the third win for the Sagehens over Redlands in their last 31 meetings. 

Blowout Game of the Week: River Forest, IL-  We stay on the D-III level but mover to the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference where the Spartans of Aurora University wiped out the Concordia University of Chicago Cougars, 91-0.  The Spartans scored on a punt return and an interception return to go with 11 offensive TDs in this laugher.  RB Zack Russel rushed for just 53 yards, but he found the end zone four times.  The Spartans were a perfect 11 for 11 in red zone scoring on the day. 

Razorback Report: Oxford, MS- What can we say here?  Another game, another almost win for the Hogs.  QB K.J. Jefferson showed flashes of brilliance again only to spoil it by throwing two more interceptions. Arkansas outgained the Rebels by almost 150 yards and still lost.  This edition of the Razorbacks just can't get over the hump.  That's making HC Sam Pittman's seat pretty hot in Fayetteville.  Up next for the Hogs is a bye week followed by a trip to Alabama. 

This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...

I never knew that Pineapple Sage blooms were a brilliant red.

Foghorns are now a part of the soundtrack of our mornings again.

Why do items you order on different days from different places all arrive on the same day?

Until next time folks, remember that one man can't carry your team all season.

-The Commissioner