Reubenking's Roundup: Recapping a Raucous Week of Pac-12 Action
Welcome back to the craziest conference in college football (although the SEC made a decent argument this weekend).
Five games in the second weekend of Pac-12 play, and just about every game didn't conclude as many would have predicted.
Let's jump right into this week's Reubenking's Roundup!
USC Uses Balanced Offensive Attack to Blow Past Colorado 37-14
USC Trojans wide receiver Drake London (15) and running back Vavae Malepeai (6) celebrate a score in the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes.
© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
USC's offense poured it on early in the game and never let up. The duo of Kedon Slovis and Drake London was unstoppable as always, but the Trojans' run game had its best day as well.
USC jumped ahead 20-0 midway through the second quarter, and London had already amounted 109 yards on seven catches to go with a touchdown catch.
Meanwhile, the Colorado offense has been slugging along, but it finally found some rhythm in the passing game. Quarterback Brendon Lewis had a season high 162 yards, with 87 of those coming to tight end Brady Russell.
The Buffs' defense couldn't stop the Trojans' well-balanced offensive attack. Slovis passed for 276 yards and three scores while Keaontay Ingram, Darwin Barlow and Vavae Malepeai combined for 218 rushing yards, the most USC has had in a game since Nov. 3, 2018.
Colorado is off to its worst start through five games since 2012, and the Buffs finished 1-11 that year. The Buffs get a much-needed week off before hosting Arizona on Oct. 16 in an attempt to get their season back on track.
Next Up:
USC - Home vs. Utah (2-2) at 5:00 p.m. on Fox
Colorado - BYE
Stanford Pulls Off Massive Upset Over No. 3 Oregon in OT 31-24
Stanford players and fans erupt with celebration after defeating the Oregon Ducks.
© Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
This game was truly one of the weirdest games you'll see. The Ducks had this game won, and Stanford did the improbable to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the year in college football.
It was an ugly game if you despise officials controlling the game (20 total penalties were assessed) and lengthy reviews, but it was a beauty if you love chaos.
Stanford took an early 10-0 lead, capitalizing on a short field thanks to an Anthony Brown interception to score the first touchdown of the day. The Ducks and Cardinal exchanged touchdowns early in the second quarter, but the Ducks missed a golden opportunity to get back into the game and take the lead.
Oregon got a stop late in the second and had a chance to get the final possession of the first half and the first possession of the second half as the Ducks won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
Instead, the Ducks turned it over on downs at the end of the first half and went three-and-out to start the second half. After that ensuing punt, the Ducks' defense was downright dominant, forcing Stanford o punt on each of its first four drives of the second half. The Ducks put together three scoring drives, including two touchdowns, to take a 24-17 lead.
On the final drive of regulation, the Cardinal looked like they lost the game, sitting in the shadow of their own end zone with less than two minutes left due to back-to-back false start penalties.
The Cardinal moved the ball swiftly down the field with the help of multiple 15-yard penalties on the Ducks. When it appeared the Ducks earned the win after Mykael Wright knocked away a pass in the end zone, but he was called for a defensive holding that gave the Cardinal an untimed down, in which Elijah Higgins caught the game-tying touchdown to send the game to overtime.
John Humphreys caught the go-ahead touchdown in overtime, and the Ducks couldn't answer. Oregon suffered its first loss of the season, and the result of this game meant that the winner of the Washington-Oregon State game would be in first place in the Pac-12 North.
Next Up:
Stanford - At No. 22 Arizona State (4-1) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
Oregon - BYE
Washington State Surprises Cal in Berkeley 21-6
Washington State Cougars quarterback Jayden de Laura (4) throws a pass against the California Golden Bears.
© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jayden de Laura made his return as the Cougars' starting quarterback, and he helped the Cougars' offense to two touchdown drives in the first quarter. Calvin Jackson Jr. was the recipient of both touchdowns, and the Cougars' defense did the rest.
Cal went 79 yards on its first drive to score a touchdown after giving up an opening drive touchdown to WSU, but the two-point conversion failed and the Bears wouldn't see another point tacked on the board after that.
Washington State's defense showed up on the road in an impressive showing, holding the Bears' offense to 273 yards and just 3-of-15 on third down and 1-of-5 on fourth down. The Cougars sacked Chase Garbers four times, including two by Brennan Jackson.
If the Cougars can put it together on both sides of the ball, they could make things interesting in the Pac-12 North.
Next Up:
Washington State - Home vs. Oregon State (4-1) at 1:00 p.m. on Pac-12
California - BYE
Oregon State Moves Into First Place in North, Hits Winning FG to Beat Washington 27-24
Oregon State Beavers tight end Jake Overman (81) and teammates celebrate after defeating the Washington Huskies.
© Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
This game and the situation around it after Oregon's loss to Stanford were as odd as it gets. Whoever won would be first in the North.
The Oregon State Beavers hadn't defeated the Washington Huskies since 2011, losing each of the last nine meetings.
That streak has been snapped, and the Beavers are in first place.
Chance Nolan has run away with the starting quarterback job after the Beavers picked up Sam Noyer from the transfer portal this offseason, but they didn't win because of the passing game.
Nolan went just 7-for-15 for 48 yards and an interception. That's right. Oregon State won a college football game — in the pass-happy Pac-12, I might add — with 48 passing yards. Does that make Oregon State a military school now?
After the Beavers led 17-10 to begin the fourth quarter, the Huskies knotted up the score with a 39-yard touchdown by Sean McGrew, who has been a machine for them since his return.
On the first snap of the following Beavers possession, Nolan was stripped of the ball to set the Huskies up at the OSU six-yard line. McGrew punched it in once more to give the Huskies their second touchdown in 17 seconds and a 24-17 lead.
BJ Baylor, who carried the load for the Beavers with 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns, came in clutch with a 27-yard touchdown to tie the score at 24.
Beavers earned a big stop in the fourth quarter, halting the Huskies on fourth down to take over with 3:18 remaining. They ran the ball behind a pair of big runs by Deshaun Fenwick to set up the game-winning 24-yard field goal by Everett Hayes at the horn to send the Beavers to first place in the Pac-12 North.
Next Up:
Oregon State - At Washington State (2-3) at 1:00 p.m. on Pac-12
Washington - BYE
Arizona State Routs No. 20 UCLA 42-23
Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs the ball against UCLA Bruins linebacker Cho Bryant-Strother (9).
© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
After a 3-3 score in the first quarter, both offenses erupted in the second period. Four straight possessions resulted in touchdowns, and overall six straight scoring possessions leading to a 24-23 Arizona State lead at the break. This game appeared as if it was going to come down to who had the ball last, as neither team could stop the other.
The Jayden Daniels-to-Ricky Pearsall connection led the way for the Sun Devils, as the two connect for two huge touchdowns that churned up a combined 119 yards.
ASU went right down the field in four plays, capped off by a Rachaad White 49-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion to take a 32-23 lead.
UCLA's offense was nowhere to be found in the second half. The Sun Devils outscored the Bruins 18-0 in the half to seal the deal. Arizona State's offense showed how explosive it can be, scoring three touchdown drives of 92 seconds or less and four plays or less.
Arizona State moves into first place in the Pac-12 South with the victory.
Next Up:
Arizona State - Home vs. Stanford (3-2) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
UCLA - At Arizona at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
More from Ducks Digest
Five Takeaways from Oregon's Loss to Stanford
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