Pac-12 Roundup: Washington Grabs First Place in North With Comeback Win
Washington overcame a 21-0 halftime deficit to beat Utah 24-21 Saturday night, and the Huskies took over sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 North.
The Huskies improved to 3-0 and are the only unbeaten team in the North after Oregon’s loss to Oregon State on Friday.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan Morris directed the Huskies’ game-winning, 88-yard touchdown drive that ended with Morris’ 16-yard scoring pass to the tight end Cade Otton with 36 seconds left. Morris completed his final six pass attempts on that drive, which began with 4:21 remaining.
Morris finished 23-of-38 for 272 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, while Otton had eight receptions for 108 yards and two TDs.
Utah (1-1) dominated the first half, outgaining Washington 221-127 and collecting 12 first downs to the Huskies’ six while taking a 21-0 lead into intermission.
The last time the Huskies overcame a deficit of 21 points or more was in 1988 against Cal, a game Washington won 28-27.
"It's weird just thinking about it," Otton said. "We had guys making plays all over the field."
Washington linebacker Zion Tupuola-Fetui collected three sacks, giving him seven in three games, and recovered a fumble.
Washington's postgame locker room celebration:
This matchup was scheduled after Washington’s game against Washington State and Utah’s contest against Arizona State were both canceled.
Washington is scheduled to play Oregon on Dec. 12, which is both teams' final game before the Pac-12 championship participants are selected.
Huskies head coach Jimmy Lake talks about the comeback win:
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Oregon State 41, Oregon 38
On his very first college play, Oregon State quarterback Chance Nolan scored from 1 yard out on a fourth-down play with 33 second left to give the Beavers the upset of No. 15 Oregon on Friday in Corvallis.
Oregon slipped to 3-1 and plays at Cal next Saturday, while Oregon State, which was picked to finish last in the six-team North, won its second straight game and is 2-2.
The star of the game was Beavers’ running back Jermar Jefferson, who rushed for 226 yards and scored two touchdowns, including one on an 82-yard scamper on his first carry of the game. He scored on a 75-yard run on his first carry against Cal the previous week.
Jefferson's 82-yard run:
Jefferson entered Saturday’s action as the nation’s second-leading rusher, averaging 168.8 yards per game.
“I really don’t feel like I get the recognition I deserve,” Jefferson said, according to the Oregonian. “I’ve been underrated all my life. So I’m just used to it.”
Starting quarterback Tristan Gebbia led most of the Beavers’ game-winning drive, which started at the Oregon State 47-yard line with 1:55 to go. Oregon State got to the Oregon 1-yard line, but Gebbia was stopped short on a third-down keeper and limped off the field with a hamstring injury.
In came Nolan, a redshirt sophomore who played at Saddleback (Junior) College last year. He had never played in a college game before taking the snap on that fourth-down play and pushing his way in for the score.
Oregon running back CJ Verdell was used sparingly in the second half and went to go to the locker room in the fourth quarter.
"CJ was unavailable due to a first-half issue," said Oregon coach Mario Cristobal after the game in his limited explanation of Verdell’s status.
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Colorado 20, San Diego State 10
The Buffaloes (3-0) are one of three unbeaten Pac-12 teams after getting past the Aztecs (3-3) in a Saturday game that was scheduled after Colorado’s game against USC was canceled because of virus-related issues at USC.
Jarek Broussard, who entered the weekend as the Pac-12’s leading rusher, had 124 yards on 32 carries (3.9 yards per attempt) for the Buffaloes, while quarterback Sam Noyer had a so-so game, completing 17 of 29 passes for 138 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Colorado’s defense allowed only three points, with the Aztecs only touchdown coming on an interception returned for score by Darren Hall. San Diego State quarterbacks Jordon Brookshire and Carson Baker were a combined 11-for-28 for just 76 yards with an interception.
“We won the game with a day of preparation and I thought our players did a great job of just trying to get a feel of what San Diego State does,” first-year Colorado coach Karl Dorrell said, according to the Boulder Daily Camera. “I think good teams find ways to win and they’re not always pretty. Sometimes you’ve got to win ugly and it was one of those games given the lack of preparation, I think it was a solid win for us, and I’m very proud of these young men.”
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UCLA 27, Arizona 10
UCLA’s Demetric Felton rushed for 206 yards and caught four passes for 24 yards in a game in which both teams played with backup quarterbacks on Saturday. (By the way, Felton is listed as a wide receiver.)
Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson missed his second straight game because of contact-tracing issues, and he was replaced by redshirt freshman Chase Griffin, who made his second start and completed 12 of 20 passes for 129 yards and a score.
Arizona starting quarterback, Grant Gunnell, was injured on his first play of the game, and he was replaced by true freshman Will Plummer, who passed for 151 yards and ran for 113 yards, but he threw two interceptions and could not generate enough offense.
UCLA is 2-2, and Arizona is 0-3.
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Stanford 24, Cal 23
Cal quarterback Chase Garbers directed a 90-yard touchdown drive that got the Bears within a point with 58 seconds left, but Dario Longhetto’s extra-point attempt was blocked by Thomas Booker, preserving Stanford’s win in the 123rd Big Game in Berkeley on Friday.
Cal true freshman Damien Moore had 121 rushing yards, and Stanford wide receiver Michael Wilson had seven catches for 88 yards.
Stanford did not commit any turnovers, while Cal (0-3) lost two fumbles, both of which the Cardinal (1-2) turned into touchdowns. The Bears also had a 32-yard field goal blocked.
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Cancellations
Three games were canceled this past week: Arizona State vs. Utah, USC vs. Colorado and Washington vs. Washington State. Nine Pac-12 games have been canceled this season.
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