Pac-12 scores signature victory, pushes two ranked teams to the brink in Week 2

Pac-12 finished Week 2 with 3-5 record

Boise State's Akeem Wright. | Boise State Athletics

The second week of the 2026 college football season for the reborn Pac-12 was highlighted by Boise State’s 38-20 home victory over Memphis on Saturday.

The Broncos (1-1) closed the game on a 35-3 scoring run while piling up 357 yards on the ground against the Tigers (2-1).

It was an important victory for the Pac-12, which will be vying with the American Conference to send its champion to the College Football Playoff. 

“I would say we made a statement, but … we’ve still got a lot of games left,” said Broncos junior running back Dylan Riley, who had 19 carries for a career-high 206 yards. “It’s only the second week. I would say there’s a lot more games to be played and we’ve still got more to show.” 

Have a day, Dylan Riley!#BleedBlue | #BuiltDifferent pic.twitter.com/R3TLUvBBuH

— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) September 13, 2026

Sire Gaines added 93 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries for the Broncos. 

After opening the season with a competitive 33-20 loss at No. 22 Houston, Oregon State held a fourth-quarter lead against No. 13 Texas Tech before ultimately succumbing at Reser Stadium, 35-24. 

The Beavers (0-2) had a late fourth-down conversion wiped away on a controversial offensive pass interference call, and the Red Raiders (2-0) tacked on a last-second touchdown for some insurance. 

We are always told, run the route let it happen natural. And that is actually what we did here not sure how the refs blew this call. Go Beavs, don’t trip we coming back for more. Reset and get back to work🏹 https://t.co/MZbmYBPEz7

— Brandin Cooks (@brandincooks) September 13, 2026

“That was a great football game,” first-year Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard said. “I tell you what, I expected this out of our team, and I expect more. And I know that there are some that don’t, but I’m excited about the direction that we’re going as a football team. We know what we’re capable of, we know what’s possible here, and I think we showed a lot of that today.” 

Freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree had another monster game for the Beavers with eight catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Braden Atkinson threw for 413 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a receiving TD. 

Utah State bounced back from a Week 1 loss to FCS Idaho State with a near-upset of No. 19 Washington. The Aggies (0-2) were unable to complete a Hail Mary at the buzzer as the Huskies (2-0) held on for a 16-14 win. 

Three interceptions from Grady Brosterhous doomed Utah State. The Aggies tossed four picks in Week 1. 

Two Pac-12 teams picked up runway wins over Big Sky opponents.

Fresno State (1-1) evened its record with a 49-3 victory over Sacramento State (1-2) while Colorado State (2-0) cruised to a 58-24 rout of Southern Utah (1-2). 

San Diego State (1-1) mustered just 189 yards of total offense in a 28-10 road loss to UCLA (2-0). The Aztecs trailed 7-3 midway through the fourth quarter before surrendering consecutive touchdowns. 

Texas State (0-2) blew a fourth-quarter lead in a 31-26 home loss to UTSA (2-0). The Bobcats may be the new Pac-12’s biggest disappointment through two weeks.

Washington State (0-2) is also in the running for that honor following a 34-7 loss at Kansas State (2-0). The Cougars’ lone score came on a pick-six to close the opening half. 

First-year head coach Kirby Moore defended offensive coordinator Matt Miller after the game. Miller was Boise State’s wide receivers coach from 2020-25.

“We’ve just got to work together to improve, that’s the most important thing,” Moore said. “We’ve got to have a better product on offense.”