Pac-12 Football Team Weekly: Week 3
By Josh Davis
Sept. 15, 2012; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Daniel Jenkins (3) breaks a tackle from South Carolina State Bulldogs linebacker Reggie Owens (42) and linebacker Tevin Richard (32) during the second half at Arizona Stadium. The Wildcats beats the Bulldogs, 56-0. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE
Arizona Wildcats: Beat SC State 56-0. Grade A+
The Wildcats smoked SC State with almost 700 yards of offense, setting up a big game of the week with Oregon.
Arizona State Sun Devils: Lost to Mizzou 24-20. Grade B-
They made a game out of it after an abysmal first half. They did not handle the atmosphere well early, but they really showed me something about their toughness… it’s back. Good thing too, because Utah comes calling this week, and their aren’t many tougher teams in the Pac than the Utes.
Cal Golden Bears: Lost to Ohio State 35-28. Grade A
Not often does a loss equal an A grade out, but after questionable performances at home the team rallied around their defense and running game on the road in the Shoe. Everyone for Cal had a great day… except their kicker D’Amato. He’ll bounce back and Cal will play USC tougher than expected this week.
September 15, 2012; Stanford, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley (7) is sacked by Stanford Cardinal linebacker Trent Murphy (93, left) during the fourth quarter at Stanford Stadium. The Cardinal defeated the Trojans 21-14. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE
#20 Stanford Cardinal: Beat USC 21-14. Grade A++
Stanford showed why they’re still a top 20 team by dominating USC on defense and pounding them in typical Cardinal fashion on the ground. A bye week to celebrate, then get back to work.
UCLA Bruins: Beat Houston 37-6. Grade A+
Not a particularly impressive win, being that Houston is simply terrible. However UCLA showed that they are more than just an offensive team in this game and they will be tough to handle. Oregon State will test that theory this week as they invade Pasadena to try and back up their week 2 win over Wisconsin.
#2 USC Trojans: Lost to #20 Stanford 21-14. Grade C+
Some teams just have your number but let’s face it, this was a bad loss for the Trojans. Stanford is really good but USC was a national contender with one of the strongest offensive teams in recent memory. 14 points does not sit well with the Trojan faithful and they’ll hope to get back on the horse this week. Problem is, Cal is coming with a ton of confidence and revenge on their minds.
Colorado Buffs: Lost 69-14 to Fresno State. Grade F
No heart for the Buffs in this one. Nowhere to go but up I guess, but I bet they wish they were playing Pullman High School when they come to town instead of Washington State.
#5 Oregon Ducks: Beat Tenn. Tech 63-14. Grade A
How did the Ducks allow Tech a lead? They attempt to corral Zona this week.
Oregon State Beavers: Bye.
Beavers get ready to make their claim as a team to be reckoned with at UCLA this week. Beating Wisconsin was nice, but they haven’t played a whole lot of football yet. This will be their second game because of a bye and the hurricane postponement.
September 15, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars punter Riley Stephenson
Utah Utes: Beat #25 BYU 24-21. Grade A
Fans stormed the field 3 times to get this win for their Utes. The Holy War was crazy and it ended with a doink off the uprights to put Utah back in the Pac-12 South discussion. Granted it was a non-conference tilt but they played much better than the week before at USU. At Zona State will tell us a lot this week.
Washington Huskies: Beat Portland State 52-13. Grade A
Solid win for the Huskies. Not much to it, but they got that good feeling back after being smacked around in Death Valley. Off to their bye week.
Sep 14, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Connor Halliday (12) drops back to pass while UNLV Rebels defensive lineman Parker Holloway (90) rushes during the second quarter at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE
Washington State Cougars: Beat UNLV 35-27. Grade B-
If they don’t rock Colorado this week, it’s not going to be pretty in Pullman. Got by a bad UNLV team, but barely. Still, winning on the road is just something this team is not used to, and the offense seems to be getting on track, so big ups for finishing with the W. Questions abound as to the starting qb as well, but Leach isn’t giving in. We’ll know at game time.