Last week I stated that offense was the story of the week, and that was the case again in Week 10. In Week 9, 313 total points were scored in five conference games; this week, 397 points were scored in six games. To put this remarkable weekend into perspective, the SEC scored 362 total points in seven games.
It could be that the Pac-12 is just full of weak defenses. Regardless, it was incredibly entertaining to keep up with these dynamic contests across the Pac-12.
Don’t stress if you didn’t get a chance to watch every game because I have you covered in my Week 10 edition of “Unpack The Pac.”
Washington 24, Oregon State 21
This incredibly exhilarating game ended with Washington senior kicker Peyton Henry delivering the game-winning field goal with eight seconds left. The field goal was set up by junior quarterback Michael Penix Jr. who led the Huskies’ offense 92 yards down the field on that final drive. Penix delivered a solid performance, mainly due to his offensive line which was outstanding during the game and has been the entire season. Penix was not sacked or hurried once throughout the game.
On the other side of the ball, the Huskies’ pass defense, which has struggled this season, finally produced as it held Oregon State to 87 passing yards. This was a shock considering redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Gulbranson has had a lot of success during the past month filling in for injured junior quarterback Chance Nolan.
Gulbranson was not able to move the ball down the field, and the only reason the Beavers played the Huskies down to the wire was their elite rushing attack, which put up 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns. This was a heartbreaking loss for the Beavers, who have now fallen out of the College Football Playoff rankings after entering the game at No. 23.
USC 41, Cal 35
It’s another week, but it’s the same storyline for USC: Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams delivered a Superman-esque performance to make up for the Trojans’ lackluster defensive outing. USC’s offense looks as good as any in college football, and Williams has been the most talented player in college football over the past few weeks. The reality is he has had to put the team on his back these past two weeks without his best two wide receivers and with a poorly performing defense on the other side of the ball.
In its last three games, USC has allowed 38.3 points per game after allowing 18.7 points per game in the team’s first six contests. Let’s give credit to Cal, though, since the Golden Bears clearly watched the USC defense’s tape this week. Redshirt senior quarterback Jack Plummer attacked a vulnerable USC secondary the entire game and threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns. Plummer’s career game helped Cal battle until the final whistle, but the Trojans’ offense was too much for Cal to handle as USC squeaked out a narrow 41-35 win. USC’s defense will need to drastically improve for the team to pick up key wins as the schedule comes to a close.
Oregon 49, Colorado 10
Oregon got off to a red-hot start and did not take their foot off the pedal as the Ducks rolled past Colorado. Oregon’s offense is firing on all cylinders as it has an elite mixture of a superb passing attack, rushing game and an abundance of big-time playmakers.
Senior quarterback Bo Nix is leading the flock of Ducks as he has added five more touchdowns to his season total of 36. Nix did his best impression of Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles and caught a touchdown pass. Colorado never really stood a chance in this contest and had too many mistakes on offense to stick around with Oregon. Oregon now extends its winning streak to 8 games, and Colorado now drops to 1-8.
Utah 45, Arizona 20
Utah won this game in the trenches as the Utes rushed for 306 yards and five touchdowns. Arizona has one of the worst rushing defenses in all of FBS, and Utah undoubtedly took advantage of that. Utah junior quarterback Cameron Rising, who returned to the starting role after missing one game with a knee injury, wasn’t asked to do much in this game but did a terrific job managing the game. It’s also noteworthy that he was only sacked once, a significant improvement since Utah’s offensive line hasn’t held up too well this season. Arizona had too many mistakes in this game, as the Wildcats turned the ball over four times and had three more penalties than Utah. This was an all-around dominant performance by Utah.
UCLA 50, Arizona State 36
UCLA ran all over Arizona State in this game. The Bruins rushed for a season-high 402 rushing yards. The Bruins did this without superstar senior running back Zach Charbonnet, who missed the game due to an injury.
While the Bruins’ offense dominated the box score, the UCLA defense, which has been inadequate for most of the season, allowed ASU to stay in the game. ASU redshirt junior quarterback Trenton Bourguet threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns. The biggest question for the Bruins this season has been whether the defense can keep up its end of the ball, and that answer is still unclear after another subpar outing.
Washington State 52, Stanford 14
Well, I don’t think many expected Washington State to be the highest-scoring team in the Pac-12 this weekend. The Cougars, like UCLA and Utah, faced one of the worst run defenses in all of college football. As a result, WSU rushed for 306 yards and averaged 8.1 yards per rush. The Cougars’ defense also completely embarrassed Stanford’s offense, forcing four turnovers and returning a fumble for a touchdown. This win ends WSU’s three-game losing streak and brings the Cougars within one game of being bowl-eligible.
“Unpack the Pac” runs every Wednesday.