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This Week in Pac-12 Football - Week Ten

Nov 3, 2021

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FAB FOUR:  OREGON checked in at #4 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, the highest ever a Pac-12 team has been in the first rankings of the season.  The previous 2 times a Pac-12 team has been ranked in the top 5 in the first CFP rankings, they both went on to make the playoffs that season (2014 Oregon and 2016 Washington).

SEMI TRUCKIN’:  Many of the national awards released their semifinalists this week.  The Pac-12 had 4 of the 16 players on the Butkus Award list for the nation’s top linebacker, matching the Big Ten for the most of any conference and included Darien Butler (ARIZONA STATE), Nate Landman (COLORADO), Noah Sewell (OREGON) and Devin Lloyd (UTAH).  Lloyd joined Kayvon Thibodeaux (OREGON) as 2 of the 18 players on the Bednarik Award list for Defensive Player of the Year.  

On the offensive side, Drake London (USC) is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, the nation’s top player, and Greg Dulcich (UCLA) made the list for the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end.  Anthony Brown (OREGON) was named a Top 10 finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, for the nation’s top upperclassman QB.

Additionally the Wuerffel Trophy, honoring college football’s most impactful leaders in community service, released its semifinalists as well with Mo Hasan (USC), Elijah Hicks (CALIFORNIA) and Isaiah Sanders (STANFORD) giving the Pac-12 three representatives, tied with the SEC for the most from any conference.

WORTH THE WAIT:  The Burlsworth Trophy, for the nation’s top former Walk-On, announced its nominees this week with 11 coming from the Pac-12:  WR Stanley Berryhill III (ARIZONA), FB/TE Case Hatch (ARIZONA ST), TE Jake Tonges (CALIFORNIA), TE Brady Russell (COLORADO), RG/C Ryan Walk (OREGON), DB Jaydon Grant (OREGON STATE), WR Brycen Tremayne (STANFORD), TE Greg Dulcich (UCLA), LB Karene Reid (UTAH), P Race Porter (WASHINGTON), NB Armani Marsh (WASHINGTON STATE).  The only Pac-12 player to win this award was WSU QB Luke Falk in 2017.

ACTION JACKSON:  While the semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award will not be announced until November 15th, Calvin Jackson Jr. (WASHINGTON STATE) was added to the watch list this week.   Jackson has already set career-highs this season with 49 receptions for 667 yards and 5 TD.  

WEEK 11 SCHEDULE:  Game times and network affiliations announced on Monday.

Saturday, November 13th (all times local)

  • 12:00 p.m. MT- Utah at Arizona, Pac-12 Network
  • 12:30 p.m. PT- USC at California, FS1
  •   2:30 p.m. PT- Stanford at Oregon State, Pac-12 Network
  •   4:00 p.m. PT- Arizona State at Washington, FS1
  •   6:00 p.m. PT- Colorado at UCLA, Pac-12 Network
  •   7:30 p.m. PT- Washington State at Oregon, ESPN

AROUND THE PAC-12

UTAH (5-3, 4-1) at STANFORD (3-5, 2-4)

Fri., Nov. 5 • 7:30 pm PT • FS1

UTAH:  4-0 all-time at Stanford with the last meeting coming in 2018, which the Utes won 40-21.  4-1 since Cameron Rising was named starting quarterback.    Had season-highs with 44 points and 290 rushing yards last week against UCLA and topped 450 total yards for the 4th straight week.  RB Tavion Thomas had 160 rushing yards and tied a school record with 4 rushing TD.  All 3 of Utah’s losses have been on the road this season and by a combined total of 19 points.  Head Coach Kyle Whittingham is 3 wins away from becoming the all-time leader in school history.

STANFORD:  4 of their last 5 conference home games have been decided by 7 points or less.  QB Tanner McKee did not a throw a TD last week, his first career start without a passing TD.  McKee did rush for a touchdown against Washington and has 4 of Stanford’s 9 rushing TD this season.  TE Benjamin Yurosek has 3 straight games with 90+ rec yards, 1st Stanford tight end in at least the last 25 years with 3 straight games with 90+ rec yards.

CALIFORNIA (3-5, 2-3) at ARIZONA (0-8, 0-5)

Sat., Nov. 6 • 12:00 pm PT • PAC-12 NETWORK

CALIFORNIA:  Looking for first win over Arizona since 2009 and their first win in Tucson since 2004.  517 total yards last week against Oregon State, their 2nd most in conference game in the Justin Wilcox era.  QB Chase Garbers had 3 passing TD against the Beavers and has 7 passing TD and 0 INT over the last 3 games while also adding 185 rushing yards.  RB Damien Moore had 111 rush yards on just 11 carries last week, his 2nd career 100-yard game and first in his last 9 games.

ARIZONA:  Have won the last 5 meetings with California, all by 7 points or less.  Scored a season-high 34 points last week at USC, the first time this season they had scored more than 19.  Held the Trojans to just 6 points and 157 total yards in the 2nd half.  WR Tayvian Cunningham had a 73-yard TD reception last week and a 75-yarder against USC last season.  He’s just the 3rd Wildcat in the last 25 seasons with multiple 70+ yard TD receptions in their career.

OREGON STATE (5-3, 3-2) at COLORADO (2-6, 1-4)

Sat., Nov. 6 • 4:00 pm PT • PAC-12 NETWORK

OREGON STATE: Won the last meeting with Colorado in 2018, 41-34 in OT, overcoming a 31-3 deficit in the 3rd quarter. Jack Colletto was the starting QB in that game and ran for 2 touchdowns.   A win will make Oregon State bowl eligible for the first time since 2013.  Have scored 40+ points four times this season, did it 5 times in 2019 and 2020 combined.  RB B.J. Baylor held to 42 yards on the ground last week, snapping his streak of 4 straight games with 100+ yards.  LB Avery Roberts had 12 tackles last week and has 10+ tackles in 7 of the 8 games this season.

COLORADO:  Have won 3 of the last 4 meetings with Oregon State since 2015.  QB Brenden Lewis had a career-high 3 pass TD last week at Oregon, the first Buffs QB to throw for 3 scores in a game since Steven Montez in October 2019.  WR Brenden Rice had 5 receptions for 102 yards and a TD last week, the 2nd 100-yard game of his career with both coming in the last 3 games.  Rice had 281 all-purpose yards in the game, the 13th best in Colorado single game history.

#4 OREGON (7-1, 4-1) at WASHINGTON (4-4, 3-2)

Sat., Nov. 6 • 4:30 pm PT • ABC

OREGON:  Have won 14 of the last 16 meetings with Washington including the last 2 games but did not meet last season for just the 2nd time since World War II (2001).  Scored on all 8 possessions last week (7 TD, 1 FG) with QB Anthony Brown in the game.  Brown had a career-high 307 passing yards and 3 TD last week while completing passes to 10 different receivers.  RB Travis Dye has 8 TD (7 rush, 1 rec) in the 3 games since All-American candidate CJ Verdell was lost for the season.  RB Byron Cardwell had a career-high 127 yards on just 7 carries against Colorado, becoming the first Duck to rush for 100+ yards on less than 10 carries since 2018.

WASHINGTON:  Looking for their first win over Oregon since 2017, with the Huskies winning in 2016 and 2017 by a combined 84 points.  Their last 2 losses to Oregon are by a combined 7 points.  Have won their last 2 games, both on the road (Arizona and Stanford) by a combined 12 points.  Season-high 229 rush yards last week with RB Sean McGrew racking up 114 and Cameron Davis adding another 99.  It was the second 100-yard game for McGrew this season.  LB Carson Bruener had a career-high 16 tackles in his first career start, in place of the injured Edefuan Ulofoshio, becoming the first player to win Pac-12 Defensive Player & Freshman in same week. 

USC (4-4, 3-3) at ARIZONA STATE (5-3, 3-2)

Sat., Nov. 6 • 7:30 pm PT • ESPN

USC:  Have won 5 of the last 6 meetings with Arizona State including the last 3 meetings in Tempe.  WR Drake London will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his ankle last week during his 2nd TD of the game.  London finishes the season with 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and 7 TD.  Have won 8 straight conference road games with their last loss coming at Washington in September 2019.  RB Keaontay Ingram with a career-high 204 rush yards last week against Arizona and has 100+ rush yards in 3 of the last 4 games.  QBs Kedon Slovis and Jaxson Dart each had 2 touchdown passes and both threw for over 100 yard against Arizona.

ARIZONA STATE:  Looking for their first home win over USC since 2013.  With a win, will become bowl eligible for the 3rd time in 4 seasons under Herm Edwards with the only non-bowl year being the 2020 COVID-shortened season.  Had a season-low 131 rush yards last week with leading rusher Rachaad White out with an injury.  A win would give the Sun Devils victories over both Los Angeles schools in the same season for the 2nd time under Herm Edwards.  Prior to Edwards’ tenure, it had happened only 4 times since joining the Pac-12 and once in the last 20 years.

BYE WEEK

UCLA (5-4, 3-3):  Will become bowl eligible with their next win.  Will host Colorado next week.  5-0 this season when rushing for over 200 yards, 0-4 when rushing for 200 or less.  QB Ethan Garbers made his first career start last week in place of the injured Dorian Thompson-Robinson and threw for 265 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT.  Each UCLA quarterback under Chip Kelly has completed at least 60% of his passing attempts in their first career start.

WASHINGTON STATE (5-4, 4-2):  Will become bowl eligible with their next win.  Will travel to face Oregon after the bye.  Got their first win under acting head coach Jake Dickert against Arizona State, forcing 5 turnovers which led to 24 points.  The Cougars had 42 rushing attempts last week, their most since 2010 at Oregon State.  LB Jahad Woods had 11 tackles and now sits 4th all-time in school history with 391 career tackles, passing Deone Bucannon.