This Date in College Football History

Nov. 8, 1975: In Los Angeles, Stanford upsets No. 9 USC 13-10, as freshman cornerback Savann Thompson intercepts a Vince Evans' pass with 59 seconds left in the game, setting up kicker Mike Lanford's 37-yard field goal.

Credit: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Inside the Pac-10 - Week Ten

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 FOOTBALL

Washington (0-8, 0-5 Pac-10) @ #5 USC (7-1, 5-1 Pac-10)

USC stomped all over the Huskies as expected. They pretty much did everything right--they ran the ball for 297 yards, and quarterback Mark Sanchez moved the ball through the air with ease before Coach Pete Carroll chose to sit him down rather than risk an injury in a game that was well in hand. The Trojans committed some undisciplined penalties, but from whistle to whistle, they did everything within their power to move up in the BCS rankings. However, with the Pac-10 continuing to feast upon itself, their strength of schedule keeps dropping and so did their ranking. Despite the shutout, USC fell two spots to #7 in the BCS rankings. USC is unlikely to jump up again as their competition does not get more impressive going forward. All they can do is work towards another BCS Bowl bid and hope those in front of them stumble along the way.

Meanwhile the woeful Washington Huskies continue to find new ways to struggle and are now the only FBS team without a win. There isn’t a lot to say about the team that is positive. They have heart and a young core that will get better over time. A fresh attitude and a new coach may spark some life into these players but for this season, they just need to keep their heads up and keep fighting.

There was no letdown for the Trojans this weekend as they never took their foot off the gas. Perhaps a bigger win might have made a difference in the polls, but USC cannot get wrapped up in the computers, reporters and coaches who rank them. Their focus must be on winning the Pac-10 and getting themselves ready to finish the season strong.

#24 Oregon (6-3, 4-2 Pac-10) @ California (6-2, 4-1 Pac-10)

The conditions were awful this Saturday during the Golden Bears’ 26-16 win against the Ducks, but that didn’t stop California quarterback Nate Longshore, who replaced starter Kevin Riley and led the team to victory. The rain didn’t make either team look particularly attractive, though both teams were able to move the ball on the ground to some extent. For a large part of the game, the play was as bad as the weather as there were numerous turnovers, missed snaps and field goals for both teams.

Senior Duck running back Jeremiah Johnson ran for 117 yards and a touchdown while quarterback Jeremiah Masoli had a better day on the ground than he did through the air. Masoli threw two picks which certainly offset the advantage he gave the team with his 97 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

California running back Jahvid Best continued to play well in his second game back from injury, compiling 93 yards for the Golden Bears.

But it was truly Longshore’s day to shine. He and Masoli have been rotated in and out of the lineup during the season, but when California coach Jeff Tedford called on him, the senior stepped up and led his team to victory.

The Golden Bears have now won four of the last five meetings between these teams.

Washington State (1-8, 0-6 Pac-10) @ Stanford (5-4, 4-2 Pac-10)

The Cardinal made sure there was no letdown in Saturday’s game against the Cougars, trouncing them 58-0.

Junior running back Toby Gerhart put Stanford’s offense on his back and carried them to victory, posting an astounding four touchdowns to go with his 132 rush yards.

Washington State didn’t help themselves, turning the ball over five times and floundering in the run game, unable to top even 80 yards on the ground.

Washington State has now set a single-season record for most points allowed in Pac-10 play at 350. The previous owners of that dubious record – a California Golden Bear team that coughed up 333 points – will likely be sending them a thank you note.

Stanford kept its hopes for a share of the Pac-10 title alive as they stay one win behind USC along with the Oregon schools and #21 California.

Arizona State (2-6, 1-4 Pac-10) @ Oregon State (5-3, 4-1 Pac-10)

It was a closer game than the Beavers would have liked, but a late touchdown by ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter showed the Sun Devils still have some fire left in them despite a rough season.

Arizona State surged late but came up short when Carpenter’s two-point conversion attempt was intercepted, sending the Devils home with their fourth Pac-10 loss, 27-25.

ASU junior running back Shaun DeWitty finally gave the offense a ground attack, rushing for 110 yards on 16 carries and the positive effect his effort had on the Sun Devils’ passing attack was obvious. Carpenter had his best game in some time, throwing the ball 27 times and completing 15 for 217 yards and a touchdown despite being sacked a season high five times.

The senior quarterback led an 11-play, 72- yard drive, capped off by a three-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Pettes with 21 seconds left. On the ensuing two point conversion attempt, Carpenter was flushed from the pocket and forced to throw the ball up for grabs. Oregon State picked it off and that was the game.

The Sun Devils often looked undisciplined and were flagged for 10 penalties, totaling 80 yards.

For the Beavers, the win came with the cost of a second quarter injury to starting quarterback Lyle Moevao. Junior backup Sean Canfield was a bit of a revelation though, as he threw for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He didn’t come without mistakes and his one interception was brought back for touchdown by Sun Devil safety Troy Nolan just moments into the second half.

Still as caretakers go, Canfield did an able job keeping things moving with some help from freshman running back monster Jacquizz Rodgers who continued his assault on Pac-10 run defenses, posting 133 yards on ASU.

Oregon State controls its own destiny--if the Beavers can sweep the rest of their conference games, they will win the Pac-10 Championship as they hold the tiebreaker over USC due to their upset of the Trojans earlier in the season.

Collegiate Images: Collegiate Images

This Date in College Football History

Oct. 17, 1992: Washington State opens the season 6-0 for the first time since 1930 with a 30-17 win over UCLA in Pullman. Cougar linebacker Ron Childs returns an interception for a touchdown while Deron Pointer returns a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown to start the second half.

Credit: The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Game Preview: Oregon St. @ Utah

By ANDREW GARDA - PACO-10 INSIDER

The unstoppable force of the Beavers’ offense (aka running back Jacquizz Rodgers) meets the immovable objects of Utah’s defense on Thursday as Oregon State tries for its second upset in as many weeks. The Utes boast a run defense that is fifth in the nation against the run, and leads the Mountain West Conference in defense, giving up just 231 yards a game.

But coach Kyle Whittingham’s men will need to find a way to slow down Trojan killer Rodgers, who was nearly unstoppable against USC’s vaunted run defense. His success or failure against this defense could be the key to whether the Beavers can upend another ranked team this Thursday.

The Utes would like to continue their best start since 2004 and will feature a running attack comprised of Matt Asiata and Darrell Mack. Both backs have run for more than 300 yards so far, with Asiata totaling six touchdowns.

Victory Thursday night is far from a sure thing, and the Utes know it. Last season, they opened up against Oregon State…and lost.

Can the Beavers stun another top 25 team? They’ll come in with just that intent Thursday night.

Pac-10 Week Four Preview

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

Arizona @ UCLA
Both teams are in need of a win in order to right ships that just a week ago appeared strong and sturdy. Before the Wildcats suffered a tough loss to New Mexico, quarterback Willie Tuitama was playing mistake free football. He needs to put his two interception performance against New Mexico behind him, because a shaky Bruins’ secondary lies in the waters ahead. They also need tailback Nic Grigsby to revert to form as well—he totaled 304 yards and five touchdowns. On the other side of the field, Coach Rick Neuheisel is wondering just which team is going to show up this weekend. The fighting, clawing, ‘never say die’ scrappers from the victory against Tennessee, or the not quite ready for prime time players that got blown out by BYU? Sadly, it is probably more the latter than the former. Quarterback Kevin Craft cut down on his mistakes against BYU, but still has a long way to go as a starter. That goes for the team around him as well. After the embarrassing loss last week, it may be all the coaching staff can do to keep the kids focused on this game and not last week’s. While UCLA is not as good as they were week one, they are not as bad as week two, and Arizona is no BYU. That said, the Wildcats will still have an edge in nearly every aspect of this game (other than home field) and should be the victors in this match-up.

#2 Georgia @ Arizona State
A week ago, Arizona St. was thinking about perhaps beating Georgia and making a statement. While they were doing that, their foot came off the gas and UNLV took advantage. Despite Georgia’s not-exactly-strong win against South Carolina, the Bulldogs come in heavily favored to win while ASU is still trying to figure out what happened last week. The key to this game for both sides comes down to one man – Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter. If the offensive line can keep him from being hammered by the Bulldog defensive line, Carpenter should be able to exploit a secondary that is second to last in the SEC, allowing 236.3 yards per game. Arizona State is putting over 300 passing yards on the board each week. The Sun Devils have allowed just five sacks so far this year – and enormous improvement – and the Dawgs have amassed only six on defense, so keeping Carpenter is a possibility. The senior signal caller attempted 23 passes last week, while the team ran 36 times—the first time this season the team ran more than it passed. But it didn’t get the job done, as the rushing attack was only able to garner 3.6 yards per attempt and couldn’t kill the clock before UNLV got back in the game. In order to win, Carpenter needs to have a big game, and to do that he needs to be standing.

Meanwhile, Georgia will need better production from star running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Matthew Stafford. Like ASU’s offensive line, the Bulldog line is under the microscope. They must protect Stafford better after allowing South Carolina to get to him four times last week. The Sun Devils defense will try to repeat South Carolina’s success at stumping Stafford and stuffing Moreno, but the run defense will have to stop the bleeding after allowing 100+ yards in both of the last two games. That will be a tall challenge, with the talented sophomore coming in with something to prove. ASU has been good against the pass in this young season, but Stafford will put that to the test in the first top end challenge the Sun Devils will face.

If Coach Dennis Erickson’s boys upfront can protect Carpenter, they might make a game of this and perhaps bounce back into the rankings. But if Georgia can keep the pressure on and Moreno can rebound from his lackluster game last week, Georgia could make it a long evening in Tempe for the hometown team.

Portland State @ Washington State
I hesitate to say that Washington State should be able to beat Portland given last weekend’s events. Still, this is a bounce-back game for the Cougars and they should be able to win at home. The Cougars will be looking to reboot their season against Portland State, but need the defense to play better after having been manhandled in the first three games. Meanwhile, the offense needs to cut down on turnovers. Six interceptions from the quarterback position is too many, as they have continually put the defense behind the 8-ball and on the field more often than they can handle.

San Jose State @ Stanford
San Jose State comes to Stanford with an offense that moves the ball well, but is not as effective getting into the end zone. Stanford does a better job of scoring, but so do their opponents. This combination could spell disaster for the Cardinal, if the Spartans pick up their game in the red zone. While they looked good beating Oregon State, Stanford has been beaten handily over the last two games. San Jose State dropped their one big test at Nebraska, but otherwise has kept their opponents putting up points. The Cardinal should model their game on Nebraska’s and attack with the pass.

Boise State @ #17 Oregon
After an overtime comeback against Purdue last Saturday, the Ducks host Boise State with starting quarterback Justin Roper sidelined. Tailbacks LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Johnson will try to keep the dynamic offense moving on the ground, while Boise State will trot out running back Ian Johnson and wide receiver Titus Young to carry their offense. Oregon will likely turn to Jeremiah Masoli to carry the quarterback load, though true freshman Chris Harper may get some work as well. Regardless, the run game will be pivotal for the Ducks, as they try to limit their inexperienced quarterbacks. Boise State boasts a defense ranked 28th in the nation, giving up just 257 yards a game. They will try to put the Oregon offense in passing situations, turn on the pressure, and try to create turnovers, just as they did last week against Bowling Green. Oregon cannot afford to get behind this week, the way they did against Purdue. Boise State is also capable of explosive offensive play and if they get out in front by a bunch, the game will be in the hands of Oregon’s quarterbacks. Something the Ducks do not want to happen.

Photo Credit: Collegiate Images

Pac 10 Breakdown

By ANDREW GARDA - PAC-10 INSIDER

#23 Cal @ Maryland
The Cal Bears head to Maryland off an impressive win over Washington State, to face a Terrapin team trying to rebound off a disappointing loss against Middle Tennessee. Jahvid Best will lead a dynamic running attack, while De’Rel Scott has been the lone bright spot for Maryland. But Cal’s D is a rougher test than the Terps have seen this season and the Golden Bears should overwhelm the Terrapins and solidify their top 25 ranking.

UCLA @ #18 BYU
UCLA looks to send another top team amongst the unranked (see Tennessee). BYU is coming off a close win, in which many feel they won on a questionable penalty by Washington. They will have to leave no doubt in a win that they belong. UCLA QB Kevin Craft needs to get the offense going before half – and avoid the plethora of mistakes that plagued him early against Tennessee.

#16 Oregon @ Purdue
Oregon has scored early and often and will bring their assault to West Lafayette as they continue to make people say ‘Dixon and Stewart who?’ Purdue’s QB Curtis Painter will continue to lead an offense, which last year was easily as dynamic as Oregon’s is this year. The game will be decided by whose defense steps up in the big moments.

Stanford @ TCU
As Stanford heads to Texas, the Cardinal are just trying to keep their heads above water. Literally, as it should be raining hard due to Ike. While the beating Arizona State delivered last week is still fresh in their minds, the defensive line hit ASU QB Rudy Carpenter Rudy Carpenter often. If they can bring that intensity against TCU and contain Joseph Turner they can beat the Horned Frogs. Last year TCU QB Andy Dalton lit the Cardinal up, but in the rain and if the Stanford D-line keeps the pressure up, it’s unlikely he’ll get another chance.

#3 Oklahoma @ Washington
Washington would love to play spoiler as they host the #3 team in the nation, but have to bounce back from a crushing loss to BYU. The Huskies will need to find a way to contain Sooner QB (and Heisman hopeful) Sam Bradford and his receiver tandem of frosh Ryan Broyles and senior Manuel Johnson. Washington’s Jake Locker is dangerous in his own right -- either his arm or his feet. The Huskies should be hungry, but the Sooners are a team that’s tough to beat.

Arizona @ New Mexico
The Wildcats will look to go 3-0 against the Lobos this Saturday and should outplay a winless New Mexico team in every aspect of the game. QB Willie Tuitama has been solid so far and faces a defense that just gives up too much across the board.

#5 Ohio State @ #1 USC
No Beanie Wells, could mean a long day for the Buckeyes, though they have some solid running backs behind him and a great core of veteran defensemen. The secondary is a little undersized and Trojan QB Marc Sanchez with his receiving core will try to take advantage of it to gain an advantage through the air.

UNLV @ #15Arizona State
If the Sun Devils could keep QB Rudy Carpenter upright more often, who knows what the prolific, hard-nosed signal caller could do. Even though that struggle continues, expect Carpenter (733-4-1) to unleash an assault on the Rebel defense. As long as ASU isn’t looking ahead to #2 Georgia, UNLV will find themselves another team on the wrong end of a Carpenter yard-fest.

Is the Pac-10 Underrated?

By KENNY FRANEK

The Pac-10 Conference is widely regarded as the third (or fourth depending on how you view the Big 10) best conference in football, but is that a fair presumption? The Pac-10 currently has four teams in the top 25; Cal, Arizona State, Oregon, and of course USC. The other two conferences have a combined total of 10 teams in the top 25 (5 from the SEC and 5 from the Big 12). The Pac-10 may be behind these conference powerhouses by one team ranked in the top 25, but let’s not forget about the stunning victory UCLA had in the first week of the season when they beat a highly touted Tennessee team (who happened to be ranked 17th in the nation and resides in the SEC Conference). Not to mention the fact that, due to injuries, UCLA was playing their 3rd string quarterback against the Vols. Oh, and the 3rd stringer threw 4 interceptions in the first half alone, yet the Bruins still found a way to win. This victory alone does not mean that the Pac-10 is better than the SEC (or Big 12 for that matter), it just goes to show you that the Pac-10 should be getting some more love. They have the number one team in the nation in USC and several other teams are trying to prove that they too are forces to be reckoned with.

Let’s not forget that last year both Oregon and USC had national title hopes shattered due to key injuries. Dennis Dixon tore his ACL late in the season while the Ducks were making a case to be in the national championship picture. John David Booty played with a broken finger and threw 5 interceptions in a key loss to Stanford. One has to wonder, if these key players did not get injured at such crucial points in the season while their teams were making a run at the title game, could we have seen a Pac-10 national championship game? This we will never know, but it is definitely a thought to ponder.

Historically, the Pac-10 conference has had 223 first-round NFL draft picks. This ranks them 4th; which is 2 ahead of the fifth place Big 12 conference and 55 behind the second place SEC conference. There is no doubt that USC is an NFL-producing machine, having 4 players going in the first round alone, and 11 altogether in the 2008 draft.

The point of all this is that even though the Pac-10 may not have the number one or two all-around conference in the land, they still do have USC which has been in the top 4 final AP poll slots since 2002 (and also appeared in 3 straight national championship games in the same timeframe). This alone makes their conference one to be reckoned with and one which deserves to be shown more love.