Pac-12 football kicks off this week

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AROUND THE PAC-12

KICK IT OFF: All 12 teams will be in action during the opening week of the season as the Pac-12 kicks off its 99th season. The 2014 season features eight Thursday games and eight Friday contests, including the Pac-12 Championship Game, to go along with the traditional slate of Saturday games.

THE POLLS: Six Pac-12 teams grace the preseason Top 25 polls. While the Conference had six teams listed in the final AP poll of the 2013 season, this marks the first time the league has placed six teams in the preseason polls.

NON-LEAGUE SLATE/PAC-12 SCHEDULE: The Pac-12’s non-conference schedule of 37 games includes matchups with 10 opponents who are ranked or received votes in the preseason AP and/or USA Today polls. . . Each Conference team will play a nine-game league schedule that includes five games within its own division and four games in the other division. Teams with the best record in their respective divisions will meet in the Pac-12 title game on Friday, Dec. 5 (FOX). This year’s game will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. 

RETURNING SIGNAL-CALLERS: Ten returning starters line up behind center led by two-time All-Pac-12 first team selection Marcus Mariota (league-best 167.7 passing efficiency/31 TDs). He’s tossed 63 TDs over two seasons and will have a chance to become the first Pac-12 QB to earn first-team league honors three times. Only three seniors among the returning starters - Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly (303.1 ypg total offense/28 TDs), Oregon State’s Sean Mannion (358.6 passing ypg/37 TDs), and Washington State’s Connor Halliday (353.6 passing ypg/34 TDs). Mannion and Halliday posted the top two season passing totals in Pac-12 history with 4,662 and 4,597 passing yards respectively; Mariotta and Kelly set school single-season records with 4,380 and 4,243 total yards respectively. Mannion needs just 1,839 passing yards to set the Pac-12 career record. UCLA’s versatile Brett Hundley (152.9 passing efficiency/293.8 ypg total offense/24 TDs) has steadily climbed the school’s charts, moving up to third in total offense with 7,914 yards and 53 TD passes over the past two seasons.

This Week’s Pac-12 Football Schedule

Thurs., Aug. 28

Fri., Aug. 29

Sat., Aug. 30

Rankings listed (AP/Coaches poll); * - Win later vacated