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Ranked League Matchup Highlights Pac-12 Football Week 4 

Sep 18, 2018

COMPLETE RELEASE (PDF)

QUICK HITS:

• ESPN’s GameDay visits the Pac-12 this Saturday when the iconic college football show lands in Eugene, Ore. The last time GameDay appeared in Eugene was Sept. 6, 2014 prior to the #3 Ducks’ 46-27 win over #7 Michigan State.

• #7 STANFORD at #20 OREGON is one of two FBS games this week that pits AP ranked foes against each other. The other is No. 22 Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama.

• This is the fifth Stanford-Oregon meeting since 2009 where both teams enter the game ranked in the AP Top 25. Only once since 2009 did the matchup between Stanford and Oregon not feature at least one team ranked in the Top 25 (team in bold captured the Conference title that same season).

2009 - Stanford 51, #7 Oregon 42
2010 - #4 Oregon 52, #9 Stanford 31
2011 - #6 Oregon 53, #3 Stanford 30
2012 - #14 Stanford 17, #1 Oregon 14 (OT)
2013 - #2 Oregon 26, #6 Stanford 20
2014 - #5 Oregon 45, Stanford 16
2015 - Oregon 38, #7 Stanford 36
2016 - Stanford 52, Oregon 27
2017 - #23 Stanford 49, Oregon 7

PAC-12 FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK:

THE RANKINGS: Three Pac-12 teams are ranked in both the AP and Coaches polls. STANFORD (7/7), WASHINGTON (t10/12), and OREGON (20/19) ... WASHINGTON has now appeared in the AP Top 25 for 36 consecutive ranking periods  ... Five other Pac-12 teams are receiving votes in both polls (COLORADO, CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA STATE, UTAH, WASHINGTON STATE).

REMAINING PERFECT: There are 34 FBS teams that remain undefeated, with 28 teams posting a 3-0 mark. Of those 28, five are from the Pac-12. Only the 14-team SEC has more teams with six sitting at 3-0.

RUN, FORREST, RUN!: Three FBS players returned kickoffs for a touchdown Saturday, and all three are from the Pac-12: ARIZONA’s J.J. Taylor (84-yard return vs. Southern Utah), CALIFORNIA’s Ashytn Davis (89-yard return vs. Idaho State), WASHINGTON STATE’s Travell Harris (100-yard return vs. Eastern Washington). Harris’ return of 100 yards is the first of that distance for the Cougars since Robert Taylor did the same against Arizona State in 2016.

GOING THE EXTRA YARD: The CFP Extra Yard for Teachers (#CFPExtraYard) campaign continues as teachers will be recognized during games over the weekend. The mission of Extra Yard for Teachers is to elevate the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers.

NFL OPENING DAY ROSTERS: The Pac-12 had 211 former players listed on NFL Opening Day active rosters (see page 7 for complete list, which includes players on practice squads). The Pac-12 led all conferences with seven former quarterbacks getting the start on opening day - Arizona - Nick Foles (Eagles); California - Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Jared Goff (Rams); Oregon - Marcus Mariota (Titans); Stanford - Andrew Luck (Colts); USC - Sam Darnold (Jets); Utah - Alex Smith (Redskins).

PAC-12 HEADLINERS: Among 177 returning starters are a number of headliners, including a total of 10 first-team and 12 second-team All-Pac-12 performers. Nine of the 12 squads return at least six starters on offense, and seven squads return at least six starters on defense ... Returning are the reigning Offensive Player of the Year in Stanford senior running back Bryce Love, as well as the Freshman Co-Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in Arizona running back J.J. Taylor and Stanford offensive lineman Walker Little, and Arizona linebacker Colin Schooler. Four teams have multiple returning First Team all-conference performers - USC linebacker Cameron Smith, defensive back Marvell Tell and all-purpose/special teams Michael Pittman Jr.; Stanford’s Love and offensive lineman Nate Herbig; Washington offensive lineman Kaleb McGary and defensive back Taylor Rapp; Utah placekicker Matt Gay and punter Mitch Wishnowsky. Additional returning first team performers include Arizona State junior wide receiver N’Keal Henry and Oregon junior all-purpose/special teams Brenden Schooler.

THE COACHING RANKS: Five new coaches enter the league this season. It’s the highest number of new coaches to grace the sidelines in one season for the Pac-12. UCLA’s Chip Kelly returns for his second stint in the Pac-12. Kelly posted a 46-7 record in four seasons at Oregon (2009-12) and led the Ducks to the 2010 BCS title game ... ARIZONA’s Kevin Sumlin has averaged 8.7 wins over 10 seasons, including back-to-back 10-win seasons at Houston (2011) and Texas A&M (2012) ... ARIZONA STATE’s Herm Edwards moves from his role as an ESPN analyst back to the sidelines where he last coached in the NFL for eight seasons (2001-08 - five with the Jets, three with the Chiefs) ... OREGON’s Mario Cristobal moves from co-offensive coordinator to head coach. Cristobal has reached the pinnacle of college football with a pair of national titles as a player for Miami (1989, 1991) and one CFP title as an Alabama assistant coach (2015) ... OREGON STATE’s Jonathan Smith returns to his alma mater for his head coaching debut. Like his Civil War counterpart, Smith achieved success as a player (MVP of the 2000 Fiesta Bowl/BCS) and as a Washington offensive coordinator (2016 Peach Bowl/CFP semifinal).

TAKE IT ON THE RUN: Among the Power 5 conferences, the Pac-12 returned the most players (5) who rushed for 1,000 or more yards last season.

Bryce Love, Stanford - 2,118 yards (needs 1,009 to set Cardinal career rushing mark)
Khalil Tate, Arizona - 1,411 yards (3 200-yard rushing games last year are more than all other Pac-12 quarterbacks combined have tallied in the history of the league)
Myles Gaskin, Washington - 1,318 yards (has rushed for at least 1,300 in each of his first 3 season. No Pac-12 player has rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons)
Zack Moss, Utah - 1,173 yards (Utes have had a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the last 4 seasons)
Patrick Laird, California - 1,127 yards (last Bear with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons was Marshawn Lynch in 2005-06)

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:

OFFENSE: Gardner Minshew II, QB, WSU
In WSU’s 59-24 win over Eastern Washington, Minshew completed 45-of-57 passes (78.9%) for 470 yards, 2 TDs and no interceptions. The 470 passing yards is fifth-best among FBS quarterbacks this season. Minshew led WSU on seven scoring drives, including three of 80-plus yards (83, 98 and 99 yards). Minshew scattered passes to nine different receivers. Minshew leads the nation in passing average (401.0 ypg), completions per game (39.0).

DEFENSE: Ben Burr-Kirven, LB, WASH
Led the Huskies defense that held Utah to just seven points and 261 yards of total offense in a 21-7 win in Salt Lake City. For the third game out of three this season, he led all tacklers with 11 total. Three times in the fourth quarter, Burr-Kirven and the Huskies held the Utes out of the endzone despite Utah moving deep into UW territory. Early in the fourth, Utah started a drive at the UW 11, but turned the ball over on downs. Later in the fourth, Utah started at the Husky 28 and the UW 42, but came away scoreless on both occasions.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Travell Harris, WR/KR, WSU
Totaled three kickoff returns for 125 yards and a touchdown in WSU’s 59-24 win over Eastern Washington. Harris accounted for the Cougars’ third touchdown when he returned a kick 100 yards. It marked the first kickoff return for a touchdown for WSU since 2016. Harris leads the Pac-12, and seventh in the FBS, in kick return average at 37.0 ypg.

  Offensive Defensive Special Teams
Sept. 4 JJ Arcega-Whiteside, STAN Nate Landman, COLO Chase McGrath, USC
Sept. 10  Laviska Shenault Jr., COLO Chase Hansen, UTAH Brandon Ruiz, ASU
Sept. 17 Gardner Minshew II, WSU  Ben Burr-Kirven, WASH Travell Harris, WSU

POLL NOTES: WASHINGTON’s preseason AP No. 6 ranking was its highest preseason ranking in the AP poll since 1997 when the Huskies opened the year at No. 4. The Huskies have now appeared in the AP Top 25 for 35 consecutive ranking periods ... STANFORD has appeared in the AP preseason Top 25 for the eighth consecutive year. The Cardinal are one of eight teams to have appeared in the preseason AP poll in each of the last eight seasons, joining Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, USC, Oklahoma, LSU and Georgia ... USC has appeared in each of the last 17 presesaon AP polls and 58 preseason polls overall. Only Ohio State (65) and Oklahoma (60) have appeared in more preseason AP Top 25 polls.