Cal at Oregon
I’m sure this wasn’t exactly the way Oregon Head Coach Mario Cristobal had this game planned, but after only managing a field goal in the 1st Qtr, a TD in the 2nd, and zero points in the 3rd maybe the Ducks should have been happy to be tied 10-10 going into the fourth—especially considering that they fumbled and lost the ball twice. Given the opportunties they were given and couldn’t capitalize on, I imagine Cal was equally frustrated with their matching TD, field goal, and zero point 2nd Qtr. But all that changed in the 4th with Cal striking first on an 11 play, 80 yard drive taking almost six minutes and leading to a Chase Garbers to Gavin Reinwald 4 yard TD toss to go up 17-10.
Finally waking up to the realization that they could easily lose this game the way they were playing, the Ducks came right back in a hurry starting with a 32 yard punt return and back-to-back runs that got them all the way down to the Cal 31 yard line. One run and two Anthony Brown passes later, including a 20 yard TD pass to Jaylon Redd, and Oregon was back even at 17 a piece. Aided by a sack, an offensive holding penalty and an incomplete pass by Cal QB Chase Garbers, the Ducks got the ball back and would go on a productive 7 play 70 yard drive in less than three minutes that put them out in front for good, 24-17, on an 11 yard Anthony Brown run for TD. It was the 16th straight victory for Oregon at home in Autzen Stadium.
For Oregon, Brown connected on 20-of-28 for 244 yards and 1 TD in the air while rushing for 44 yards and that go-ahead TD on the ground. Junior RB Travis Dye did the bulk of the damage for the Ducks on the ground rushing 19 times for 1 TD and 145 of the team’s 210 yard total. For the Bears, Senior QB Chase Garbers completed 25-of-44 for 247 yards and 2 TD’s and although Cal rushed for 155 yards on 36 attempts their ground game never translated to points on the board.
Both teams had exactly 23 first downs a piece with Cal enjoying about 3 more minutes time of possession thanks to the Oregon fumbles. The Ducks accumulated about 50 more total yards, all on the ground as there was only 3 yards difference in passing with neither QB throwing up an interception. Cal falls to 0-3 in conference and 1-5 overall with their only win coming against a non-FBS opponent in Sacramento State. Oregon is on top of the North but tied with Oregon State at 2-1 in conference play. Cal should finally have an even chance to get a conference win hosting Colorado this coming Saturday while Oregon will have their hands full on the road in the Rose Bowl against UCLA—should be a good one.
Stanford at Washington State
Well at least Cougar Head Coach Nick Rolovich, recently fired for refusing to get vaccinated, went out on a good note in a come-from-behind 34-31 victory over Stanford at home in Pullman. Senior RB Max Borghi, under used in general and especially during the Leach years, was the star of the show rushing for 89 of Washington State’s 100 yards on the ground and picking up two TD’s, one the game winner with less than two minutes left on the back of a 40+ yard reception from Sophomore QB Jayden De Laura to Senior WR Calvin Jackson Jr. Jackson only had two receptions on the night but the other one was for 32 yards! De Laura had a very productive and statistically interesting night passing, connecting 17 times for 289 yards—an average of exactly 17 yards per catch.
As far as Stanford’s scoring goes it was the Tanner McKee show as the Sophomore QB threw for 273 yards, 2 TD’s and no interceptions while rushing for 12 yards and the Cardinal sole TD on the ground. McKee connected multiple times with five different receivers with Sophomore TE Bejamin Yurosek and Junior RB Austin Jones accounting for more than half of the yards and both of the TD’s. Stanford scored on their very first possession and never trailed in the game until a critical fumble late in the 2nd Qtr on the very first play from scrimmage after a Washington State punt down to the Cardinal 9 yard line. One play later De Laura slung it into the end zone and the Cougars never fell behind again until early in the 4th Qtr.
After holding Washington State to a three-and-out, and with almost thirteen minutes left in the 4th Qtr, the Cardinal went on a Stanfordesque 11 play, 85 yard, 5:28 minute drive to retake the lead 31-27 on a Tanner McKee 8 yard pass to Austin Jones for a TD. They held the Cougars to a three-and-out on their next possession but couldn’t put more distance between the two on the scoreboard during their own following possession–forced to punt after a six play drive that went no where. Starting on their own 30 yard line with just three minutes left, Cougar QB Jayden De Laura and RB Max Borghi alternated pass and run plays that took half the time off the clock and Borghi into the end zone to go up 34-31. Stanford had one more chance to come back but on their third play of the drive, with less than 30 seconds left, McKee fumbled the ball over to the Cougars in the course of being sacked.
Washington State stays home to host BYU this coming Saturday before they hit the road for three of their last four games against Arizona State, Washington, and Oregon while Stanford has a bye week before a long home stand in which they will host four of their next five games against Washington, Utah, Cal and Notre Dame with a short trip in between to Corvallis to take on Oregon State.