Pac-10 The Week That Was - Week Five

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

#25 Fresno State @ UCLA
Fresno State got all it could handle, squeaking by the Bruins 36-31. Bulldog quarterback Tom Brandstater led the offense with 236 yards and three touchdowns while running back Ryan Matthews torched Rick Neuheisel’s team for 166 yards and a touchdown. But it wasn’t as if Pat Hill’s players took the ball and ran away. The Bruins played a gutsy game and were never totally out of it; they looked much more like the team which upset Tennessee than the team that was sleepwalking the past few weeks. But in the end, a Fresno State 21-play, 8:55 drive—kept alive by a fourth down conversion–killed the clock and Bruin hopes for another upset at the Rose Bowl.

Colorado State @ California
The Golden Bears welcomed the visiting Rams but were not the friendliest of hosts, throttling the Rams 42-7. Special Teams Coordinator Pete Alamar had to be happy with the punt his squad blocked and returned for a touchdown and the 73-yard punt return Syd’Quan Thompson took to the house in the third quarter. The Bears also returned an interception for another touchdown. But the win came with a cost as sophomore Jahvid Best left the game with a dislocated elbow. Head Coach Jeff Tedford said that x-rays were negative, but they will be without the running back against Arizona State this Saturday. Another problem for the Golden Bears was the mediocre performance by quarterback Kevin Riley, who was replaced by senior Nate Longshore in the third quarter.

Stanford @ Washington
The Stanford Cardinal showed up to Husky Stadium with one thought in mind–keep Washington winless. With a replacement running back—former starter Anthony Kimble—they did just that, beating the Huskies 35-28. Kimble took over for starter Toby Gerhart, who left the game in the first quarter with a mild concussion, and put up a career-best 157 yards with two touchdowns thrown in for flavor. Adding injury to insult was the loss of Washington star quarterback Jake Locker with a broken right thumb. Coach Tyrone Willingham will have to find something to spark this team if he is to save the season, much less his job, any time soon. Meanwhile the Cardinal looked solid, especially at quarterback where Tavita Pritchard threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns without turning it over.

Oregon @ Washington State
The Ducks were the worst type of houseguests–unruly, unstoppable and uncaring as they spoiled Washington State’s homecoming to the tune of 63-14. The Oregon ground attack was the main culprit with Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount each scoring three touchdowns. The Cougars were the unfortunate recipient of Oregon’s anger after the Ducks lost their last game to Boise State, and Washington State’s bottom-ranked defense was just no match for an offense averaging 43 points a game. Wazzu Coach Paul Wulff’s offense continued its bad habits, turning the ball over four times, including two interceptions by freshman quarterback Marshall Lobbestael.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images