Reubenking's Roundup: Oregon's Shocker Headlines an Epic Week 2 of Pac-12 Action
Just when you thought the first week of the 2021 season was bizarre, the second week was arguably crazier. Fans on the West Coast shook the dust from their eyes at 9 a.m. and stayed glued to the TV until darn near midnight because college football is just that amazing.
Only three Pac-12 squads (Oregon, Arizona State, UCLA) remain undefeated after two weeks. The Pac-12 North fared much better this week, winning four games including one that made the most headlines.
Why not start for this week's Reubenking Roundup?
No. 12 Oregon Staggers No. 3 Ohio State 35-28 for First-Ever Win Over Buckeyes
The Oregon Ducks celebrate after the 35-28 victory over Ohio State.
© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services, LLC
There was a hefty amount of pressure on Mario Cristobal and the Ducks to represent the Pac-12 well on Saturday against a national powerhouse as Fox's Big Noon Kickoff game. Most expected Ohio State to win rather easily, as the Buckeyes were 14.5-point favorites coming into the game, and the Ducks would be without two defensive stars in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe.
Oregon wasn't phased by any of that.
The Ducks walked into the Horseshoe and never trailed against the No. 3 team in the country. CJ Verdell was the star of the show, totaling 195 yards and three touchdowns on 23 touches. The performance was a reminder to college football fans that Verdell is one of the best backs in the country.
Tim DeRuyter's defense surrendered over 600 yards of offense to Ohio State, including 484 through the air from C.J. Stroud, but his group made some gritty stops at the most important moments. The Ducks halted the Buckeyes on three fourth-down attempts, and Verone McKinley III picked off Stroud to steal back some momentum late.
The win is one of the biggest regular-season victories in the history of the Oregon football program, and the hunt for a College Football Playoff return is officially on.
Next up: Home vs. Stony Brook (1-1) at 4:30 p.m. PST on Pac-12 Network
Colorado Loses in Fourth Quarter to No. 5 Texas A&M 10-7
Colorado running back Alex Fontenot (8) celebrates a first down in the second quarter against Texas A&M.
© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The Buffs may have lost in their home state, but that defense looked like it will give opposing offenses problems all season long. Texas A&M was held to 14 yards of offense on its first six combined drives, and 106 through three quarters. Aggies running back Isaiah Spiller caught a dime from Zach Calzada in the end zone to take the lead with 2:41 remaining in the game.
Unfortunately for the Buffs, their offense couldn't take advantage of the dominant defensive performance all afternoon. The passing attack was held to just 89 yards, while Jarek Broussard left the game with an injury in the third quarter.
Offensively, the Buffs are a work in progress, but the defense clearly showed that it can hang with some of the best teams in the country and that will make them a tough out.
Next up: Home vs. Minnesota (1-1) at 10:00 a.m. PST on Pac-12 Network
Cal Slips to 0-2 as TCU Wins 34-32
Cal quarterback Chase Garbers (7) eludes the tackle of TCU defensive tackle Terrell Cooper (95).
© Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Wilcox's seat is starting to steam a little bit as the Golden Bears have started 0-2 to begin the 2021 season — making it the second straight year we've seen that trend. Of course, they began with two very good non-conference opponents in Nevada and TCU, but Cal isn't winning many games against good opponents.
Cal's offense did come alive in this game against a solid Horned Frogs defense, as Chase Garbers threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. Trevon Clark looked like a potential breakout player with 122 yards and a touchdown on just two catches.
But the defense, which has been a staple of Wilcox's teams, failed to stop the running game and Zach Evans. TCU ran for 271 yards — the most Cal has given up since October 2017. It feels like whenever Cal has one side of the ball, the other cannot step up.
Next up: Home vs. Sacramento State (1-1) at 1:00 p.m. PST
Washington State Bounces Back with 44-24 Win Over FCS Portland State
Washington State quarterback Jayden de Laura (4) drops back for a pass against Portland State.
© James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Washington State had a rather puzzling loss to Utah State in week one, and the quarterback battle looked unsolved as Jayden de Laura and Jarrett Guarantano both got snaps. But the question may have been answered on Saturday.
de Laura had himself a solid outing, going 21-of-29 for 303 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception. He looked like the quarterback that the Cougars saw early on last season.
The Cougars can't get too excited about the win, however, because the defense was shotty all game long. Portland State recorded 420 total yards of offense, including 318 through the air. Nick Rolovich will have to get his defense in check as the Cougars host USC next week.
Next up: Home vs. USC (1-1) at 12:30 p.m. PST on Fox
Washington Falls to 0-2 as Michigan Wins in Dominant Fashion 31-10
Michigan running back Blake Corum (2) runs by Washington defensive back Kamren Fabiculanan (31) for a touchdown.
© Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC
The Huskies are winless through two weeks for the first time since they went 0-12 back in 2008. Jimmy Lake's team is desperate for something to go its way.
Losing at home to Montana as a ranked team and a team with high expectations is a bad look for the program, but an opportunity lay before the Huskies this weekend as they traveled to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan in front of more than 100,000 fans.
The offense was a nightmare once again, putting up 117 yards in the first half and leaving a goose egg on the scoreboard until the third quarter. Washington's passing defense was solid, allowing only 44 yards on 15 pass attempts, but the run defense was non-existent. Michigan ran 56 times and gutted the Husky defense for 343 yards (6.1 yards per rush).
Arkansas State comes to Seattle next weekend. Perhaps this is an opportunity for the Huskies to pick up some momentum. Yet the 2021 Huskies are not a threat to anyone in the Pac-12 right now, despite having some players return from injury, which should help them be more competitive.
Next up: Home vs. Arkansas State (1-1) at 1:15 p.m. PST on Pac-12 Network
San Diego State Stumps Arizona 38-14
Arizona quarterback Gunner Cruz (9) throws a pass in warmups.
© Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona came into this weekend with a shot at earning a big win over a San Diego State team that struggled to pull away from New Mexico State until late in the game. The Wildcats put up a great fight against BYU last weekend in Las Vegas, but they were immediately overwhelmed by the Aztecs.
They trailed 21-0 just eight minutes into the game, as SDSU scored on a pair of long touchdown drives and then returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Gunner Cruz started at quarterback after his promising performance last weekend, but he regressed on Saturday, throwing for just 70 yards on 10-of-19 passing with a touchdown and a pick. Will Plummer replaced him in the second half, leaving the quarterback battle wide open. Someone better step up to lead this offense because the run game was a total non-factor.
Next up: Home vs. Northern Arizona (0-2) at 7:00 p.m. PST on Pac-12 Network
No. 21 Utah Falls to BYU 26-17 for First Time Since 2009
Utah offensive lineman Alex Harrison (79) sits dejected on the bench after the loss to BYU.
© Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Utah has dominated the Holy War for more than a decade, but the run came to an end Saturday as BYU earned its first win in the rivalry since 2009.
On the plus side for the Utes, Micah Bernard emerged as a potential star, looking like a bowling ball as he forced a bunch of missed tackles. He recorded 146 yards on the ground, just one fewer yard than the entire passing offense. The Utes went two-for-nine on third down and turned the football over twice, which didn't do them any favors.
Utah fell behind 23-7 in the third quarter, but sliced the deficit to 23-17 early in the fourth. A clutch field goal and a defensive stop by the Cougars sealed the long-awaited victory.
Next up: At San Diego State (2-0) at 4:00 p.m. PST on CBS Sports Network
Stanford Stuns No. 14 USC, Bounces Back for 42-28 Win in the Coliseum
Stanford linebacker Gabe Reid (90) celebrates a tackle against USC.
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In one of the more shocking results from the second week of the season, Stanford made an unbelievable statement following an embarrassing all-around performance just a week ago against Kansas State. USC had an impressive win last week against San Jose State, but completely fell apart on Saturday. The scripts were flipped for both teams in this early season rivalry matchup.
The Cardinal offense was pathetic last weekend, but it became explosive all of a sudden against the Trojans' defense, going from 4.5 yards per play against Kansas State to 6.9 yards per play against USC. The defense also came to play, scoring a touchdown on a Kyu Blu Kelly pick six.
After an unimpressive outing last week, Tanner McKee looked to solidify his spot as QB1 for Stanford on Saturday, outplaying Slovis and throwing for two touchdowns. While Austin Jones struggled to run the ball, Nathaniel Peat was as electric as any back Stanford has had in recent years, torching the USC defense for 119 yards on just six carries, including an 87-yard touchdown.
Stanford looks like the No. 2 team in the Pac-12 North, but the Cardinal need to stay consistent if they want to compete in the division.
Next up: At Vanderbilt (1-1) at 5:00 p.m. PST on ESPNU
No. 23 Arizona State Rolls Against UNLV 37-10
Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs by UNLV linebacker Jacoby Windmon (4).
© Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
With all of the other madness going on in the conference, Arizona State quietly kept its foot on the gas to jump out to a 2-0 start. Jaydon Daniels was a spark plug for the Sun Devils, throwing for 175 yards and two scores while running for another 125 yards to lead the team.
Rachaad White continued his solid start to the season, recording his third and fourth rushing touchdowns of the young season.
Arizona State's defense deserves more attention. Yes, the Sun Devils have played Southern Utah and UNLV, but the unit will take them a long way. They sacked UNLV quarterbacks five times and held them to 155 yards of total offense. That's difficult to do regardless of who you're playing.
We'll see if they can continue their hot start when they visit BYU next weekend in what should be a great matchup.
Next up: At No. 23 BYU (2-0) at 7:15 p.m. PST on ESPN
Oregon State Earns First Win of the Season Against Hawaii 45-27
Oregon State wide receiver Champ Flemings (2) catches a long pass near the end zone.
© Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
It's safe to say that Oregon State had no idea who its starting quarterback was before or after the Purdue game last week. Sam Noyer started while Chance Nolan finished. Nolan moved the offense down the field more effectively but didn't seem to do enough to pull away from Noyer and solidify himself atop the depth chart.
On Saturday, he earned that spot, throwing for 302 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-29 passing. But he wasn't the only star for the Beavers. Running back B.J. Baylor constantly found the treasure at the end of the rainbow against the Rainbow Warriors, scoring three touchdowns to go along with a career-high 171 rushing yards (9.5 YPC). Baylor might be the next great running back in Corvallis.
To give some perspective on just how significant this performance was for Baylor, his career-high rushing yards for a SEASON was 177. He also had five career rushing touchdowns before this season, and he is up to five through the first two games.
Another star for the Beavs was wide receiver Anthony Gould, who put up seven catches, 117 receiving yards and a touchdown in his second career game.
The Beavers' defense was also impressive, forcing two interceptions and recording a remarkable 14 passes defended. They also got after Hawaii quarterback Chevan Cordeiro and recorded three sacks.
Next up: Home vs. Idaho (1-1) at 12:30 p.m. PST
No. 13 UCLA returns to action next week after a bye this weekend. The Bruins welcome Fresno State (1-1) to Pasadena for a late-night matchup (7:45 p.m. PST on Pac-12 Network).
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