Skip to main content

Week 7 in Pac-12 Football

Oct 9, 2018
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

COMPLETE RELEASE (PDF)

QUICK HITS:

SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER... Due in part to the stellar performances of QB Steven Montez (15th, 284.0 ypg), RB Travon McMillan (20th, 105.6 ypg) and WR Laviska Shenault (1st, 141.6 ypg), the undefeated COLORADO Buffaloes are just one of three FBS teams (also Ole Miss, Oklahoma State) to have a player listed among the Top 20 in passing yards per game, rushing yards per game and receiving yards per game.

• With No. 7 WASHINGTON facing No. 17 OREGON, it’s the third time this season that Pac-12 ranked teams are squaring off in conference play. The game, which is the 111th meeting between these two teams, also features a pair of FBS Top 30 rated quarterbacks in Oregon’s Justin Herbert (No. 8, 180.9) and Washington’s Jake Browning (No. 28, 155.0).

PICK-SIX... There were 12 interception returns for touchdowns last week by FBS players, three by Pac-12 players. UTAH’s Jaylon Johnson returned his pick 100 yards, the only return this season in the FBS of 100 yards, ARIZONA’s Scottie Young Jr. returned one of his two interceptions against California for a 24-yard score; ARIZONA’s Azizi Hearn also scored on an interception return of 34 yards, although he was the benefactor of teammate Colin Schooler’s interception and subsequent fumble that he recovered and carried in for the score.

THE RANKINGS: Three Pac-12 teams are ranked in the AP poll, while four grace the Coaches poll. WASHINGTON (7/7), OREGON (17/17), COLORADO (19/18) and STANFORD (nr/24)...  Washington has now appeared in the AP Top 25 for 39 consecutive ranking periods, and have been in the Top 10 in 29 of the last 38 ranking periods ... Colorado makes its first appearance in the AP poll since coming in at No. 17 in the final ranking period of the 2016 season.

REMAINING PERFECT: COLORADO is one of 11 FBS teams that remain undefeated this season.

MOST-PLAYED CONFERENCE RIVALRIES: The 111th meeting between WASHINGTON and OREGON this week is among the Pac-12’s most-played rivalries. UCLA and CALIFORNIA square off this week for the 89th time, but it’s not among the top 10 most-played in the Conference. Here’s a look at the top 10:

Games Rivalry First Game and Outcome (location) Series Record
121 Oregon-Oregon State 1894 - OSU, 16-0 (Eugene) ORE, 64-47-10
120 Stanford-California 1892- STAN, 14-10 (San Francisco) STAN, 63-46-11
110 Oregon-Washington 1904 - ORE, 18-0 (Seattle) WASH, 60-45-5
109 Washington-Washington State 1900 - Tied, 5-5 (Seattle) WASH, 72-32-6
105 USC-California 1915 - USC, 28-10 (Berkeley) USC, 70-30-5*
102 Washington-Oregon State 1897 - OSU, 16-0 (Corvallis) WASH, 64-34-4
102 Washington State-Oregon State 1903 - OSU, 6-0 (Corvallis) WSU, 52-47-3
98 Stanford-USC 1905 - STAN, 16-0 (Stanford) USC, 63-32-3*
97 California-Washington 1904 - Tied, 6-6 (Seattle) WASH, 54-39-4
95 Oregon-Washington State 1901 - WSU, 16-0 (Pullman) ORE, 47-41-7
  * - One win later vacated due to NCAA penalty  

BOW UP: Washington QB Jake Browning and RB Myles Gaskin are climbing the Pac-12 career charts.

Career Passing Yards
8.      10,913       Alex Brink, WSU, 2004-07
9.      10, 911      Steve Stenstrom, STAN, 1991-94
10.    10,796       Marcus Mariota, ORE, 2012-14
11.    10,708       Cade McNown, UCLA, 1995-98
12.    10,693       Matt Leinart, USC, 2003-05
13.    10,612       Jake Browning, WASH, 2015-18              

Career Total Offense
8.      11,285       Cade McNown, UCLA, 1995-98
9.      11,011       Alex Brink, WSU, 2004-07
10.    11,097       Derek Anderson, OSU, 2001-04
11.    10,812       Connor Halliday, WSU, 2011-14
12.    10,777       Jake Browning, WASH, 2015-18

Career Touchdown Passes
5.      96              Jared Goff, CAL, 2013-15
6.      90              Connor Halliday, WSU, 2011-14
7.      88              Cody Kessler, USC, 2012-15
8.      87              Jake Browning, WASH, 2015-18

Career Rushing Yards 
1.      6,245         Charles White, USC, 1976-79                  
2.      5,621         Royce Freeman, ORE, 2014-17                
3.      5,082         LaMichael James, ORE, 2009-11            
4.      5,044         Ken Simonton, OSU, 1998-2001              
5.      4,814         Marcus Allen, USC, 1978-81                    
6.      4,609         Myles Gaskin, WASH, 2015-18

Career Rushing Touchdowns
1.               60              Royce Freeman, ORE, 2014-17
2.               59              Ken Simonton, OSU, 1998-2001
3.               53              LaMichael James, ORE, 2009-11
4.               52              LenDale White, USC, 2003-05
5.               50              Myles Gaskin, WASH, 2015-18

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).

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

OFFENSE: Laviska Shenault, WR, COLO
In Colorado’s 28-21 win over Arizona State, Shenault caught 13 passes for 127 yards and 2 TDs, while rushing 5 times for 13 yards and two more scores. This was his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the year and he has caught at least one TD pass in all five games this season. He is the first player in Colorado history to score multiple touchdowns rushing and receiving in the same game. Shenault is the fifth receiver to earn the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honor twice in the same season.

DEFENSE: Jaylon Johnson, DB, UTAH
Johnson tallied seven tackles and one interception return for a touchdown in the 40-21 win at No. 14 Stanford. He became just the third Ute in history, and the first since 1994, to return an interception 100 yards for a touchdown. His interception return for the touchdown came in the second quarter with Stanford on the Utah 9-yard line and the Utes clinging to a 7-0 lead. Johnson’s 100-yard interception return is the longest in the nation this year.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Matt Gay, PK, UTAH
Gay was integral in Utah’s 40-21 win at No. 14 Stanford, making 4-of-4 field goals, including back-to-back kicks of 48 and 49 yards to end the first half and the start the second half. His 49-yard field goal was a season-long. Gay’s other field goals were from 34 and 37 yards putting him at 4-of-4 made field goals inside the 40-yard line this season and 25-of-26 in his career. Gay also made 4-of-4 PATs giving him 16 points on the night. Gay ranks first in the Pac-12 in field goals per game (1.60).

  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
Sept. 24 J.J. Taylor, ARIZ Ben Burr-Kirven, WASH Jay Tufele, USC
Oct. 1 Eno Benjamin, ASU Ugochukwu AmadI, ORE Marvell Tell III, USC
Oct. 8 Laviska Shenault Jr., COLO Jaylon Johnson, UTAH Matt Gay, Utah

Player of the Week Notes: Colorado’s Lavisk Shenault is just the fifth receiver to earn Offensive Player of the Week twice in the same season. He joins USC’s Dwayne Jarrett (2006), Stanford’s Troy Walters (1999), California’s Bobby Shaw (1997) and USC’s Johnnie Morton (1993) ... Washington’s Ben Burr-Kirven is the first player to repeat as Defensive Player of the Week since Arizona State LB Antonio Longino in 2015 (Nov. 16, 23), and the first Husky defender to repeat since CB Derrick Johnson accomplished the feat in 2002 (Nov. 9, 17).

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.