This Week in Pac-12 Football - Week Six
QUICK HITS
EIGHTH IS ENOUGH: Despite their first loss of the season, OREGON remains in the Top 10 for the 4th straight week as the #8 team in the country. ARIZONA STATE is back in the Top 25 at #22 after receiving votes the previous 2 weeks. OREGON STATE, STANFORD and UCLA were all among the others receiving votes this week.
LONDON CALLING: USC WR Drake London is leading FBS in both receptions (48) and receiving yards (670). Marqise Lee is the only Trojan to ever lead the country in either category when he had 118 receptions in 2012. In the last 20 seasons, only 3 players have lead the country in both in the same season. Heisman winner DeVonta Smith did it for Alabama last season while Western Michigan’s Jordan White did it in 2011 and Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree in 2007.
RUNNING FOR ROSES: After leading STANFORD to a win over then #3 OREGON, QB Tanner McKee was named the Rose Bowl Game Pac-12 Player of the Week. McKee had 3 TD against the Ducks and has multiple TD passes in each of his 4 starts. David Shaw was also honored this week, taking home the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week. Going back to 2012, STANFORD has 4 straight wins against Top 3 teams under Shaw, the longest active streak in FBS.
HEAD OF THE CLASS: 30 candidates were named Wednesday for the 2021 Senior Class Award and it included six Pac-12 student athletes: DE Thomas Booker (STANFORD), QB Anthony Brown Jr. (OREGON), DL Nick Figueroa (USC), LB Andrzej Hughes-Murray (OREGON STATE), LS Keegan Markgraf (UTAH), QB Isaiah Sanders (STANFORD)
WEEK 8 SCHEDULE: Game time and TV assignments announced Monday for Saturday October, 16th (all times local)
- 1:30 p.m. MT- Arizona at Colorado, Pac-12 Network
- 4:30 p.m. PT- Stanford at Washington State, ESPNU
- 5:30 p.m. PT- UCLA at Washington, FOX
- 8:00 p.m. MT- Arizona State at Utah, ESPN
Previously announced for Friday October 15th:
- 7:30 p.m. PT- California at Oregon, ESPN
AROUND THE PAC-12
STANFORD (3-2, 2-1) at #22 ARIZONA STATE (4-1, 2-0)
Fri., Oct. 8 • 7:30 pm PT • ESPN
STANFORD: First meeting between these schools since 2018 and have won 6 of the last 7 meetings. Playing an AP Top 25 opponent for the 4th time in the last 5 weeks and are 1 of 4 FBS teams with multiple Top 15 wins so far this season. Looking to beat multiple ranked opponents on the road for the first time since 2012. QB Tanner McKee is 3-1 as a starting QB with 10 passing TD in those 4 games. McKee is 1 of 3 FBS QB’s with 10+ pass TD and 0 INT this season. Only 2 turnovers this season, tied for the 2nd fewest in FBS.
ARIZONA STATE: Lead the Pac-12 and 4th in FBS with 7.23 yards per play. Had 5 plays of 45+ yards against UCLA and lead the Pac-12 with 29 plays of 20+ yards this season. Lead the Pac-12 with 16.0 sacks with multiple sacks in all 5 games. RB Rachaad White is 1 of 4 players in FBS that is leading his team in both rush attempts and receptions. WR Ricky Pearsall had 4 receptions for 132 yards becoming the first Sun Devil with multiple receiving TD of 50+ yards in a game since 2012. Herm Edwards’ teams have beaten 9 of the other 11 Pac-12 schools but have not yet beaten Stanford or Washington, going 0-1 against each.
OREGON STATE (4-1, 2-0) at WASHINGTON STATE (2-3, 1-2)
Sat., Oct. 9 • 1:00 pm PT • PAC-12 NETWORK
OREGON STATE: In sole possession of 1st place in the Pac-12 North for the first time in school history. 4-1 start for the first time since 2014. After being held to 78 yards in the season opener, have rushed for 267 yards per game during the 4-game win streak. RB B.J. Baylor has rushed for 150+ yards twice this season and is tied for 3rd in FBS with 9 rushing TD. Leads the Pac-12 and 25th in FBS with 36.0 PPG, while the defense is allowing 21.6 PPG. The Beavers have not allowed less than 30.0 PPG since 2012.
WASHINGTON STATE: Have won the last 7 matchups in this series with their last loss coming in 2013 in Pullman. Allowed only 6 points last week at Cal, their fewest in a conference game since shutting out Colorado in 2017. Forced 11 turnovers this season (6 fumbles, 5 interceptions), tied for 10th most in FBS this season. Homecoming in Pullman and the Cougars have won their last 5 Homecoming games. QB Jayden de Laura tied a career-high with 3 passing TD at Cal and has 8 in 3 starts this season.
UTAH (2-2, 1-0) at USC (3-2, 2-2)
Sat., Oct. 9 • 5:00 pm PT • FOX
UTAH: Coming off a bye week. In their last game, overcame a 13-7 3rd quarter deficit to beat Washington State 24-13. RB TJ Pledger had 117 yards on the ground, all in the 2nd half, becoming the first Ute since 2013 to have 100+ rushing yards in a game without a carry in the first half. LB Karene Reid had 15 tackles in his first career start, becoming the 4th FBS player since 2012 to have 15+ tackles in their first career game with a tackle. DE Van Fillinger had 3 sacks against Washington State, the most ever in a game by a Utah freshman.
USC: 9-1 against Utah all-time in Los Angeles with their only loss coming in 1916. Since the start of the 2015 season, the Trojans are 26-4 against Pac-12 South opponents. QB Kedon Slovis had 3 passing TD at Colorado last week, the 9th time in his career with 3+ passing TD. OLB Drake Jackson had 2 sacks last week, the 2nd multi-sack game of his career. USC is allowing 11.7 PPG in their 3 wins this season, 43.5 PPG in their 2 losses. Heisman winner Carson Palmer will be honored at the game for being elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
UCLA (3-2, 1-1) at ARIZONA (0-4, 0-1)
Sat., Oct. 9 • 7:30 pm PT • ESPN
UCLA: Won their last 2 conference road games, have not won 3 straight since a 7-game streak from November 2013 to September 2015. Had 200 yards rushing last week against Arizona State, the 4th time in 5 games this season they have rushed for 200+ yards. Have outrushed their opponents in 11 straight games, the longest streak since a 15-game stretch in the 1984-85 seasons. Has 14 plays of 30+ yards this season, most in the Pac-12. WR Kyle Philips has a TD catch in 4 straight games and leads the Pac-12 with 6 receiving TD.
ARIZONA: Have won their last 2 meetings in Tucson and 6 of the last 8. Jedd Fisch went 1-1 as the interim head coach at UCLA at the end of the 2017 season. Held their opponents under 400 total yards in 3 of their 4 games this season after doing that only once in 17 games in 2019 and 2020. QB Jordan McCloud has been named the starter moving forward after throwing for 233 yards and rushing for 64 more against Oregon. Even after the bye week, WR Stanley Berryhill III is 2nd in the Pac-12 with 33 receptions. 1 of 2 FBS teams with 2 safeties this season.
BYE WEEKS
CALIFORNIA (1-4, 0-2): Have held 3 of their 5 opponents this season to under 100 yards rushing. QB Chase Garbers had 4 completions of 20+ yards last week and leads the Pac-12 with 21 completions of 20+ yards this season. RB Christopher Brooks had an 11-yard TD run for Cal’s only score against Washington State. It was Brooks’ first touchdown since November 27th, 2020 against Stanford.
COLORADO (1-4, 0-2): TE Brady Russell had 3 receptions for a career-high 87 yards against USC and had more receiving yards in that game than any other Colorado player has for the entire season. DE Mustafa Johnson made his season debut for Colorado against USC and had 1 tackle. Johnson sat out the first 4 games after not being selected in the NFL Draft and being granted a waiver by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
#8 OREGON (4-1, 1-1): Did not have an INT last week after collecting 8 in the previous 2 games. Defense held Stanford to just 12 rushing yard in the 2nd half. QB Anthony Brown had 2 rush TD against Stanford, his 2nd career game with multiple rushing touchdowns. RB CJ Verdell passed Jonathan Stewart for 5th place on Oregon’s all-time rushing list. Will play at home next Friday against Cal and have a 15-game win streak at Autzen, the 3rd longest active home winning streak in FBS.
WASHINGTON (2-3, 1-1): Held Oregon State to 290 total yards, the 2nd time this season they’ve lost a game despite allowing less than 300 yards of total offense. LB Edefuan Ulofoshio had 16 tackles last week, the 2nd most of his career after logging 18 last season against Stanford. RB Sean McGrew rushed for 104 yards and 2 TD last week at Oregon State. After not getting a carry in the first 2 games, McGrew now has 3 straight games with multiple rushing touchdowns.