Oklahoma at UCLA
It’s very difficult to watch UCLA play right now-so I don’t-I just can’t. Well, not entirely true. I’ll turn it on and watch for a little, then I have to watch something else for a while before I check back in. But to take it all in from start to finish without a diversion of some kind is just too much. The infamous sport’s writer for the Los Angeles Times, Bill Plaschke, published a piece after the Bruin’s latest debacle in which he writes; “UCLA’s blowout loss to Oklahoma amid another 0-3 start begs the question: Would coach Chip Kelly ever consider resigning before being fired?” It came to him that there must be folks asking that and maybe, as he writes; “it occurred as quickly as the game’s first play, in which Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts sliced through a week of Bruins preparation by sprinting 52 yards untouched down the sideline. Maybe it was about two minutes later, when Hurts sprinted 30 yards on fourth down through seemingly clueless Bruins defenders for the first of the Sooners’ six virtually uncontested touchdowns.”
Arash Markazi, another LA Times columnist entitled his piece after the game; “Rose Bowl is a special venue and UCLA Football is making it a depressing place,” ouch! Oklahoma’s 48-14 rout of UCLA was their 21st straight road game win which, according to ESPN, ties them with Alabama for the 2nd longest away game streak after World War II. The Sooners definitely put the hurt on UCLA, or should I say Hurts, who became the first QB in Oklahoma history to pass for 200 yards and run for another 100 in the first half of a game. All toll he rushed for 141 yards in the first half which set another school record and is the first Big 12 QB with 100 or more rushing yards in the 1st Qtr since Texas’ Vince Young in 2005 as reported by USA Today.
Oklahoma had exactly 300 more yards of Total Offense than UCLA with 302 yards and 3 TD’s in the air added to 309 yards and 3 TD’s on the ground-could the balance in their offense be any better. UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson connected on 15 of 26 for 201 yards and 2 TD’s but also threw two more interceptions, making that five TD’s against 4 picks on the year. UCLA rushed 37 times for 110 yards but couldn’t make it into the end zone with Junior RB Demetric Felton and Senior Joshua Kelley responsible for all the positive yards. The Oklahoma run defense played great and their pass rush picked up four sacks. They didn’t fumble and there were no interceptions by UCLA. They performed as advertised and look ready to move into one of those final four spots by the end of the year.
Regarding UCLA, they had a rough start last year before they began to play better ball with noticeable week-to-week improvements-finishing up with a big win over city rival USC-which is still a possibility. As far as the next couple of weeks go it’s probably just as well that the Bruins are headed out of town to open up conference play since Game 1 will be in Pullman against the 3-0 Washington State Cougars who are averaging 49 points and 561 yards of Total Offense through three games. Let’s just assume they loose that one. Their first chance to turn things around will be back at home the following week on Saturday, October 5th, against Oregon State. Unfortunately this is not the Oregon State of last year, in spite of their record, this is an improving Oregon State who definitely could come into the Rose Bowl and knock off the Bruins. Considering Kelly’s reported lack of people skills and unwillingness to kiss the ass of UCLA boosters, all hell could break loose if they were to loose to the Beavers.
Idaho State at Utah
If the PAC-12 South teams weren’t already concerned about Utah’s stout defense and robust ground game, QB Tyler Huntley’s 1st Qtr 82 yard TD throw to Sophomore Wide Receiver Bryan Thompson must have been pretty chilling. You mean we have to prepare against a vertical passing game as well? Apparently so, as Huntley connected on close to 80% of his passes, 15 of 19, for 282 yards, 3 TD’s and no interceptions in the Ute’s home game against Idaho State, leaving late in the 3rd Qtr to his backup, Junior Drew Lisk, who was a perfect 6 for 6 while managing the rest of the game. The Utah running backs contributed another 223 yards with Senior RB Zack Moss averaging 10 yards a carry while rushing for 106 yards and 1 TD-his 13th career 100 yard rushing game. On the defensive side, Utah held a clearly overmatched Idaho State to just 80 yards in the air and a mere 36 yards on the ground, barely averaging 1 yard a carry, in a shut-out 31-0 victory.
Utah travels to Los Angeles this coming week to start PAC-12 conference play against their South Division rival USC in what could be a come-to-Jesus moment for Trojan Coach Clay Helton. Play begins early this week on Friday, September 20th at 6:00pm on FS1.
USC at BYU
I guess we’ve all figured out by now that USC’s ascension into the Top 25 was on the back of a Stanford team that apparently isn’t as good as anticipated and although the Trojans are currently one game above five hundred they are staring into the barrell of possibly three consecutive losses beginning this Friday, September 20th at home against Utah at 6:00pm on FS1. Then they’ll be hitting the road to take on the Washington Huskies in Seattle before packing up for a trip to Notre Dame. This past week the Trojans lost a tough one in overtime on the road against BYU and as Los Angeles Times Sports Columnist Dylan Hernandez wrote after listening to Clay Helton’s remarks in an effort to downplay the loss; “His program is in a death spiral and there is nothing he can do to stop it.” Not that Coach Helton didn’t have a point to make as they are, after all, undefeated in conference play. They are 2-1 overall and 1-0 in conference as the result of their win against Stanford and if they can win their next two back-to-back conference games against Utah and Washington then Helton would certainly have the ammunition to say it was all much to do about nothing. But that’s a big if.
On the road against BYU the Trojans started off strong going 74 yards in 10 plays on their first possession of the game to go up 7-0 on an 8 yard pass by QB Kedon Slovis to Michael Pittman Jr. After holding the Cougars to a three and out the Trojans shot themselves in the foot on their next possession when Slovis threw a pick while just 8 yards outside his own red zone which BYU turned into a TD four plays later to tie the score. On USC’s next set of downs Slovis throws another pick that the Cougars run back to the Trojan 27 yard line. The USC defense stiffened up enough to hold the Cougars to a field goal and a 10-7 lead. The game was close like that the rest of the way with the Trojans picking up their own field goal to tie the score at 10 a piece and then both clubs collecting TD’s at the end of long 75 yard, 10 play like drives resulting in a 17-17 tie at the half.
The score stayed tied until early in the 3rd Qtr when USC QB Kedon Slovis connected with Michael Pittman Jr. again for a 30 yard strike and TD to go up 24-17. The Cougars inched closer by kicking a field goal after a 7 play 61 yard drive down to the USC 14 and then, after holding the Trojans to a three and out and gaining great field position on a 24 yard punt return and a USC 15 yard penalty, Zack Wilson scores on a QB option run from the USC 16 to take the lead 27-24. After a 10 play 44 yard drive on their next possession the Trojans are sitting on 3rd down with 5 yards to go on the BYU 34 but the Slovis pass is incomplete and the Trojans have to settle for a field goal to tie the score at 27 a piece with 1:43 left in the 4th Qtr. After a four and out by the Cougars USC takes the ball on their own 19 on a Tyler Vaughns fair catch of the punt. But with just 44 seconds remaining and committing an offensive pass interference penalty on first down which moved them in the wrong direction, the Trojans were unable to score again in regulation.
BYU got the ball first in overtime and although couldn’t move the ball, Cougar Place Kicker Jack Oldroyd connected on a 43 yard field goal to go up 30-27 which turned out to be the final score as USC QB Kedon Slovis was intercepted on 3rd down of the Trojan’s possession. As one would expect by the score the stats were pretty even between the two clubs. Sophomore BYU QB Zack Wilson connected on 20 of 33 for 280 of the 299 total yards in the air and 1 TD for the Cougars, while Kedon Slovis was 24 of 34 for 281 yards for 2 TD’s. BYU rushed for 131 yards and 2 TD’s on 40 carries while USC rushed 45 times for 171 yards and 1 TD. All toll there was less than 25 yards difference in Total Offense between the two clubs. The game was lost due to the three interceptions by USC’s young freshman QB. The first two led to a TD and a Field Goal, while the last one ended the game. You have to feel for the guy and the program and wonder just how different things might have been this year had USC’s star QB J. T. Daniels not sustained a season ending injury in their very first game against Fresno State.
As we mentioned up top, next for the Trojans is Utah in the Coliseum this coming Friday, September 20th at 6:00pm on FS1. I wonder who is the third string QB for the Trojans if Slovis were to get hurt?
Arizona State at Michigan State
Head Coach Herm Edwards and the Arizona State faithful have to be pretty happy right now, although you’ll never catch Herm over celebrating. But, it did take the Sun Devils the entire season last year to win six games and become bowl eligible. Ironically it came on the backs of their in-state rival Arizona, who also needed to win for the same reason, in the last game of the year colloquially called “The Duel in the Desert,” with the winner taking home the Territorial Cup Trophy. We’re only three games into the season and the Sun Devils are already halfway to a bowl game at 3-0, with their latest win coming on the road against Michigan State. By the way coach, nice job spotting that the Spartans had 12 men on the field when they connected on that field goal that tied the score with just 6 seconds left. Overtime on the road is seldom rewarding. After the penalty Michigan State got another crack at it but their field goal kicker, Matt Coghlin, who probably made himself scarce afterwards, missed from 47 yards out-his third miss of the game and Arizona State pulls one out of the hat 10-7.
Michigan State had the ball seven and one-half minutes longer, they passed the ball 150 yards further, they gained more on the ground, they had nine more first downs and almost 200 more yards of Total Offense, they had 4 sacks compared to one for Arizona State-but they just couldn’t score. In the first half they punted twice, missed two field goals and fumbled the ball. The Sun Devils didn’t do much better, punting three times. But facing a 4th and 19 and sitting on the Michigan State 23 yard line, out walks that guy we’ve been talking about for the last couple of weeks, that guy that has been responsible for half of the Sun Devil points so far this year. You know, that walk-on place kicker with all that family kicking pedigree, Christian Zendejas, who with 3:40 left in the half kicks a 41 yard field goal to put Arizona State up 3-0 at the half.
If there were adjustments made at the break it wasn’t obvious during the third quarter which consisted of a scoreless combined 4 punts and one turnover on downs. Finally with 8:37 left in the 4th on a 10 play 70 yard drive Michigan State Freshman RB Elijah Collins scampered 7 yards for the Spartans only score of the game and a 7-3 lead. But with 3:34 left in the 4th Qtr Arizona State goes on an 11 play 75 yard adventure consisting of four completed passes in a row by Jayden Daniels on route from the Arizona State 30 yard line to the Michigan State 23 where it looked as though they were going no further In between two incompleted passes and a Sun Devil penalty, Arizona State burned all three of their timeouts. But on 3rd and 5 with just a minute remaining QB Jayden Daniels runs for seven yards down to the Michigan State 1 yard line for a first down. From there it only seemed fitting that the Sun Devil’s star Junior RB Eno Benjamin took it in to put Arizona State up for good, 10-7, with less than a minute remaining.
Arizona State comes back home to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe to take on a Colorado team that will be desperate for a win after last week. You can see that this coming Saturday, September 21st, at 7:00pm on the PAC12 Network. After that they’ll hit the road to take on Cal in what should be a defensive slugfest before coming back home to face the razzle dazzle world of Mike Leach and the Washington State Cougars.
Colorado at Air Force
After going up 10-0 early in the first Qtr Colorado found themselves down 20-10 at the half and 23-10 by the end of the 3rd Qtr. But they came back and with less than four minutes to play and seven points down on the road in Boulder, Colorado against the Air Force Academy Falcons, the Buffaloes took the ball 60 yards in 12 plays down to the 2 yard line. Then, as ESPN describes it; “Running out of the wildcat formation, Shenault took a direct snap and twisted his way into the end zone from 2 yards out with 28 seconds remaining. James Stefanou’s extra point ties it at 23 points a piece and sends the game into extra innings.
However, the joy of surviving regulation would be short lived as Air Force Junior Running Back Kadin Remsberg ran for a 25 yard TD on the first play from scrimmage in the overtime to put the Falcons up 30-23. Needing to score a TD to send it into a 2nd OT, Steven Montez connects on a 7 yard pass and Leviska Shenault picks up 4 hard earned yards on the ground getting the Wildcats to the Air Force 14 yard line and a first down. But between a run for no gain and two passes, one incomplete and one for a loss, the Wildcats were looking at 4th and 12 at the Air Force 16 yard line.
Having upset Nebraska 34-31 in overtime just the week before I’m sure everyone on the Colorado side though it was doable. But as first-year Head Coach Mel Tucker said afterwards; “This is a very unforgiving game at times.” The pass from QB Steven Montez to WR Leviska Shenault was incomplete. According to ESPN this was, “the first win by Air Force on the road over a PAC-12 team since knocking off [then] No 23 California on September 21, 2002.” Maybe the loss will be helpful, bringing the Buffaloes back down to earth after a 2-0 start and that big upset against Nebraska.
After all, what really counts for them is conference play which starts this coming Saturday against a really good Arizona State team that hasn’t lost yet and has not allowed any of their opponents to score more than seven points. If Colorado falls behind early in that game, like they seem to have a habit of doing, there won’t be any coming back. That game will be on the PAC-12 Network at 7:00pm. The following week they’ll take on Arizona at home and then hit the road for a couple of tough games against the Ducks in Oregon and the Washington State Cougars in Pullman.
Texas Tech at Arizona
The AP Headline on their recap of the game read, “Arizona grinds out 28-14 win over Texas Tech,” and go on to describe how it happened. Trailing in the 4th Qtr and backed up to their own 1 yard line, “Arizona ran the ball 13 straight times during a 99-yard drive . . . and Gary Brightwell capped it with his second touchdown,” powering Arizona to a win over Texas Tech last Saturday night. As Red Raider Head Coach Matt Wells said after the game; “They imposed their will on us. That’s tough to take.” One of the things Arizona Head Coach Kevin Sumlin took from the game was that, “to go 99 yards to win the game, that is a step that should give us confidence heading into conference play.”
One statistic that emphasizes the point that Coach Wells was making above, regarding Arizona imposing their will, is that they converted over 70% of their 3rd downs. The Wildcats had just 1 yard shy of 500 yards of Total Offense against 411 for Texas Tech, getting most of theirs on the ground while rushing 61 times for 314 yards and 3 TD’s against 104 yards and 1 TD for the Red Raiders. Texas Tech got most of theirs in the air, connecting on 30 of 55 for 307 yards and a score against 185 yards and a score for the Wildcats.
Both sides hurt themselves just about equally with Arizona throwing two interceptions and fumbling 3 times, loosing it once, against 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles by Texas Tech. The Defense for Texas Tech statistically caused more disruption with 2 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. But the aggressive style, in an effort to stop the passing game, left lots of gapping holes that Arizona QB Kahlil Tate was more than happy to run through while rushing for 129 yards and 1 TD himself.
With Tate passing for 185 and rushing for 129 he accounted for over 60% of Arizona’s entire offense and is reminiscent of those six weeks in 2017 when he rushed for 1,243 yards and 11 TD’s while throwing for 950+ yards and 8 TD’s. Is the greatest show on turf making a comeback? We’ll see starting Saturday, September 28th, as Arizona takes a week off before opening up conference play against UCLA.