Colorado at Utah
Although it didn’t matter in the end there were certainly more surprises than expected in this game including an early interception by Colorado on Utah’s fourth play of the game and a block of an attempted field goal on their 2nd possession. On the fourth play of Utah’s first possession of the game QB Cameron Rising was picked off on a throw from the Utah 36 that was returned to the 15 yard line. But due to the stiff Utah defense Colorado could go no further and found themselves still sitting 15 yards away from the end zone three plays later. The Buffalo’s PK Cole Becker connected on a 33 yard field goal to go up 3-0 which was the last time they would have a lead in the game. Fourteen plays and 56 yards later the Utes had their own field goal by PK Jadon Redding blocked at the Colorado 19 yard line followed by a Colorado field goal miss with just 14 seconds left in the quarter.
When the first quarter ended so did the stumbling around by Utah who scored TD’s on back-to-back possessions in the 2nd Qtr to go up 14-3 at the half. The 3rd Qtr started just like the 2nd for Utah as they scored two more TD’s on back-to-back possessions but not before one last surprise courtesy of their Special Teams who fell asleep on the kick-off which Colorado’s Nikko Reed ran the entire distance back to the house. But after those two Utah TD’s to go up 28-13 with 6:45 left in the third there would be no scoring by either team with the remaining six possessions resulting in three punts and three turn-overs on downs.
Although the score didn’t necessarily look like a blow-out, the stats kind of indicated otherwise as Utah had 23 1st downs compared to 9 for Colorado, 444 total yards of offense compared to 148, nine more minutes of possession, 265 yards rushing to 64, and more than twice as many yards passing. Utah already had the PAC-12 South nailed down and although this is their third year in a row to win the South they have yet to win a PAC-12 Conference Championship. I think this will be Kyle Whittingham’s year to get over the hump, win the conference championship and represent the PAC-12 in the Rose Bowl.
Arizona at Arizona State
This past Saturday the Duel in the Dessert, one of the oldest rivalries in all of college football, between Arizona and Arizona State took place for the 95th time dating all the way back to 1899. The winner is awarded the Territorial Cup. This year for the fifth time in a row that distinction goes to the Arizona State Sun Devils who easily won over the Wildcats 38-15. Arizona has had a horrible year with their only distinction being that of the team that was holding the nation’s longest losing streak–finally getting a win on November 6th against a Cal team who players and coaches were severely depleted by the COVID protocol. The loss this past Saturday leaves them in the basement of the PAC-12 South with a dismal record of 1-11.
In terms of yards the Sun Devil’s Jayden Daniels didn’t come close to Arizona’s Freshman QB Will Plummer who connected on 28-of-38 for 346 yards, 1 TD, and 1 interception. But Daniels minimal but very efficient 10-of-14 for 86 yards did equate to 2 TD’s and no picks in addition to running 10 times as well for 86 yards and another score. The Sun Devils out-rushed the Wildcats 228 yards to 50 with the Arizona State defense picking up 4 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 1 QB hurry. Besides Daniels, Senior RB Rachaad White and Sophomore Deamonte Trayanum rushed collectively for another 135 yards with White picking up the other TD on the ground while Junior WR Ricky Pearsall was the recipiant of both TD’s in the air while collecting 52 yards on 5 receptions.
After a field goal at the end of their 9 play, 77 yard drive to start the game and go up 3-0, Arizona trailed the rest of the way. 7-6 at the end of the first quarter and 14-9 by the break, although they wouldn’t have been trailing at all by the end of the 2nd Qtr if not for Plummer getting stripped sacked on their own 1 yard line which was recovered by the Sun Devils. One play later Arizona State’s Rachaad White ran it into the end zone. By the end of the third the Sun Devils had stretched the lead to 31-15 which incuded a 48 yard run by QB Jayden Daniels and an interception and 87 yard run all the way back to the house by Senior DB Jack Jones. Arizona struggled to score the entire game and as pointed out in the AP recap of the game for ESPN; “The Wildcats are the worst team in the Pac-12 at converting red-zone opportunities into touchdowns and were at it again: three deep first-half drives, three field goals. [They] went into the game with just 11 touchdowns on 34 trips inside the 20 this season.”
Jedd Fisch, the New England Patriot’s former QB Coach, took over for Kevin Sumlin at Arizona after he was fired and has suffered through a really tough, injury riddled year. After the season ending game he was quoted as saying; “If there was a foxhole to climb into, I would want it to be with this team. They have battled, scrapped, clawed, and never quit under very difficult circumstances.” If they stick with him like Oregon State has with Jonathan Smith, who took over a program that was also 1-11 the year before he started, maybe he’ll be able to turn things around in a few years like Smith has in this, his fourth year on the job. Arizona did come out on top in a couple of categories in the game. They actually had the ball 10 minutes longer but as noted above couldn’t put TD’s up on the scoreboard after those long drives. The other category—penalties. Both teams were horrendous with the Wildcats picking up twelve to the Sun Devils ten, although Arizona State was actually penalized for more yards, 119 to 96. It’s been a problem all year long.
Arizona State will be headed to a bowl game along with five other PAC-12 teams that are eligible. As far as their head coach Herm Edwards and an upcoming NCAA investigation he had this to say about his future as a Sun Devil; “The day I don’t have the energy to walk up those stairs, I’m going to walk back down. I’m the coach. I’m going to be the coach.” That was confirmed by Arizona State AD Ray Anderson who informed the team after the win that Edwards will be back for a fifth season.