Recapping the Saturday motion throughout the Pac-12 …
Theme of the week: L.A. story
USC and UCLA are each 6-0 and alive within the Faculty Soccer Playoff chase after dispatching Washington State and Utah, respectively, by double digits. (Every staff can afford one loss, so long as it’s not within the convention championship recreation.) That is the primary time the crosstown rivals have been 6-0 in the identical season since 2005. That yr, the Bruins received eight video games earlier than their first defeat (at Arizona) whereas the Trojans carried an ideal report right into a Rose Bowl matchup towards Texas that, if we recall accurately, was considerably entertaining.
Theme of the season I: Bowl math
USC and UCLA are already bowl-eligible whereas Oregon is one victory away and 4 extra groups (Utah, Washington, WSU and Oregon State) are simply two wins from clinching bids. And we give Cal (3-2), which performs each Colorado and Stanford, a stable likelihood to achieve the six-win threshold, as nicely. Not for the reason that 2017 season has the convention positioned eight (or extra) staff within the postseason.
Theme of the season II: Coaches getting cute
We've witnessed repeated circumstances of head coaches outsmarting themselves with drastic personnel and formation modifications at essential occasions — solely to see the strikes backfire. The final one among Week Six got here courtesy of Stanford, which eliminated its finest participant, quarterback Tanner McKee, on a vital third-down late within the recreation and didn't convert with the Wildcat formation. Different groups impacted recently embody Arizona and Utah. It’s not difficult: Stick to what works.
Sport of the week: Arizona State 45, Washington 38
The Solar Devils led this wild affair by 14 factors on three events, together with late within the third quarter. The Huskies pulled even with 12 minutes remaining, however ASU responded with what grew to become the profitable landing. The groups totaled 83 factors, 855 yards and 55 first downs. Oh, and there’s this: ASU backup quarterback Trenton Bourguet changed the injured Emory Jones and threw three landing passes.
End of the week: Oregon State 28, Stanford 27
The Beavers escaped because of an inconceivable catch-and-run by receiver Tre’Shaun Harrison, who grabbed a sideline cross from Ben Gulbranson and raced down the proper sideline for a 56-yard landing with 13 seconds remaining. The cross was barely under-thrown, forcing Harrison to leap excessive, flip his physique and pluck the ball off the again of the defender who was going through him. And with Stanford’s security out of place, there was nobody between Harrison and the top zone. The sport itself wasn’t riveting, however the end was very #Pac12AfterDark.
Workforce of the week: Arizona State
The Solar Devils snapped a four-game shedding streak and gave interim coach Shaun Aguano his first victory with their upset of the Huskies (as a 14-point underdog, no much less). Clearly, the Devils haven’t given up on their season regardless of the teaching change and possess an opportunity to generate actual momentum with upcoming highway video games towards Stanford and Colorado. By the top of the month, ASU could possibly be 4-4 and preventing for a bowl berth.
Offensive participant of the week: UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet
The perfect tailback within the convention hammered Utah for 198 yards and averaged 9.8 yards-per-carry. The offensive line carved its justifiable share of operating lanes, however lots of Charbonnet’s yards got here on account of him operating over, or scooting previous, Utah defenders. He’s 220 kilos however has the nimble toes of a 185-pound scat again.
Defensive participant of the week: USC’s Tuli Tuipulotu
The 290-pound sort out had three sacks, 4 tackles-for-loss and spent a lot of the recreation in Washington State’s backfield. At this level, Tuipulotu is our frontrunner for Pac-12 Defensive Participant of the Yr. He may produce one of the best season for a USC defensive lineman since Leonard Williams.
Coach of the week: UCLA’s Chip Kelly
With a veteran quarterback who understands the playbook and precisely the proper complementary items, Kelly has entered his finest play-calling rhythm for the reason that Oregon period. He had a solution for every little thing Utah tried on Saturday afternoon because the Bruins produced 299 yards passing and 203 yards speeding and scored extra factors towards the Utes than any convention opponent in nearly a yr.
Stat of the week I: Ejections
We counted at the least 4 gamers who have been ejected for focusing on on a day that featured bodily video games, poor selections and mass confusion on social media about precisely what's, and what's not, thought-about focusing on. Trace: It doesn’t must be helmet-to-helmet, of us. A shoulder pad to the pinnacle or neck counts, too, so long as a sequence of indicators are met.
Stat of the week II: Washington
The Huskies have now misplaced eight consecutive video games at Arizona State, with their final victory in Tempe coming in 2001.
Stat of the week III: Stanford
The Cardinal has not defeated an FBS opponent since Oct. 2, 2021, when it shocked Oregon in extra time. Solely thrice within the 11-game shedding streak has the margin-of-defeat been within the single digits.
Stat of the week IV: Washington State
The Cougars had nearly as many penalty yards within the loss to USC (106) as they did whole yards within the second half (117).
Stat of the season I: Oregon
Because the season-opening face plant towards Georgia, the Geese have received 5 consecutive video games and averaged 49.8 factors within the course of. Quarterback Bo Nix has 12 landing passes and one interception in that stretch.
Stat of the season II: Utah
The 42-32 loss at UCLA was the Utes’ first defeat in convention play since Oct. 23, 2021, once they misplaced at Oregon State 42-34.
Stat of the season III: Stanford, Arizona and Colorado
Solely 4 of the 65 groups within the Energy 5 are permitting greater than 200 yards speeding per recreation, and three of them may be discovered within the Pac-12. The Cardinal is yielding 207 yards per recreation on the bottom, which is terrible by most requirements however seems good compared to Arizona (228.8) and incredible when in comparison with Colorado (294.2). The fourth member of the 200-yard membership, in the event you’re curious, is Oklahoma.
Sport of subsequent week: USC at Utah
Utah’s loss at UCLA tempers the anticipation, however solely barely. The undefeated Trojans are in playoff competition with a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback whereas the Utes stay within the hunt for the convention title. (Win out, and so they’re in nice form for a spot in Las Vegas.) The showdown can be televised in primetime on the East Coast by Fox (5 p.m.) and can characteristic a packed home at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Sport of the next week: UCLA at Oregon
Each groups have two weeks to arrange for Chip Kelly’s return to Eugene. This received’t be his first go to to Autzen Stadium as UCLA’s coach, however that is, by far, his finest staff. We’re constructive that Kelly can be delighted to spend two weeks speaking about it.
Assist the Hotline: Obtain three months of limitless entry for simply 99 cents. Yep, that’s 99 cents for 90 days, with the choice to cancel anytime. Particulars are right here, and thanks in your assist.
*** Ship solutions, feedback and suggestions (confidentiality assured) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or name 408-920-5716
*** Comply with me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline
*** Pac-12 Hotline is just not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Convention, and the views expressed herein don't essentially replicate the views of the Convention.