ESPN College Football

Five things we learned during the five games in Week 5.

1. Changing impressions? Maybe rumors of Oregon State’s demise have been greatly exaggerated ... maybe. Since losing the opener to Eastern Washington, the Beavers have run off four in a row. Granted, the combined record of the four teams they beat is 6-9 (five of those six wins coming from the two Pac-12 teams). Many expected the Beavers to start 7-0, or 6-1 at worst. While no one expected that the “1” would be from an FCS team, Oregon State is still on pace. And with Sean Mannion and Brandin Cooks continuing to scorch stat sheets, you have to imagine they’ll stay competitive offensively. On the flip side of Saturday's game in Corvallis, the 2-0 start was nice for the Buffs, but they reverted against the Beavers. Going out of state for the first time -- and playing for the first time in three weeks -- the Buffs managed just 300 yards of total offense in the 44-17 loss.

2. Making impressions: People wanted to see what Washington looked like once the Huskies got into league play. Same for Arizona -- which hadn’t been tested after blowing through a vanilla nonconference schedule. The Huskies weren’t always clean, missing on a few opportunities especially in the first half of their 31-13 win over the Wildcats. But Bishop Sankey earned his 161 yards on a school-record 40 carries. Keith Price was good enough (14-of-25, 165 yards, two touchdowns, one interception). The Huskies are 4-0 for the first time since 2001. For what it’s worth, Arizona’s defense put up a gritty effort, keeping them in the game.

3. Impressive: Oregon, Stanford, Mannion and Arizona State’s offense. In a sloppy mess, the Ducks were still able to score 50-plus points for the fourth consecutive game. That’s a record for a program that doesn’t have many offensive records left to break. Stanford put on a dominating display on both sides of the ball. The offense looks explosive -- much more explosive than it did last season -- and deep threats are opening things up on the ground ... or is it the ground game opening up the deep threats? More importantly, the Cardinal put together a 60-minute game, which is what David Shaw had been preaching all week. Mannion’s monster season continues with six more touchdowns -- an Oregon State record. He now has 21 passing touchdowns on the year -- and that’s his career high for a single season. He leads the country in passing touchdowns, attempts, completions and yards. And the Sun Devils, who rolled up 612 yards of offense, received a dominating performance by quarterback Taylor Kelly, who accounted for more than 400 yards of total offense.

4. Unimpressive: Weather, obviously, had a lot to do with some of the offensive struggles for Arizona, Cal and Colorado. But there were also drops, fumbles, picks and flat-out bad reads and passes. Cal's offense was grounded with just 325 total yards and five turnovers. USC’s defense also falls into the unimpressive category. Give the credit where it’s due for ASU. Kelly was fantastic with some of his back-shoulder throws and Marion Grice just keeps finding the end zone. That said, the Trojans, who had been getting it done on defense, looked tired and beaten in the fourth quarter. And now they are 0-2 in conference play for the first time since 2001.

5. Northern impressions: With the Oregon State and Washington victories, the Pac-12 North moves to 5-0 against the South. In previous weeks, Oregon State beat Utah in overtime, Washington State beat USC and Stanford beat ASU. The average score of those five games is 36-23. Next week brings us only one North-South matchup when Oregon makes a trip to Colorado. Arizona, Oregon State and USC are on byes and UCLA and Utah play the only South matchup. Stanford hosts Washington, WSU is at Cal, and ASU takes on Notre Dame.

So who deserves a helmet sticker for a job well done?

Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State: Cooks was the best player on the field in Corvallis, decisively winning his battle with Colorado WR Paul Richardson in the Beavers' 44-17 victory. Cooks caught nine passes for 168 yards (18.7 yards per catch) with two touchdowns. He also rushed five times for 47 yards.

Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State: Cooks was brilliant, but Mannion was also stellar, throwing six touchdown passes, a new team record. He completed 27 of 52 passes for 414 yards with an interception in the blowout win. That pick, by the way, bounced off the chest of his receiver, so it shouldn't count against him.

Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington: Sankey set a school record with 40 carries in the Huskies' 31-13 win over Arizona. He gained 161 tough yards and scored a TD.

Taylor Kelly, QB, Arizona State: Kelly completed 23 of 34 passes for 351 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in the Sun Devils' 62-41 win over USC. He also rushed for 79 yards on just four carries -- 19.8 yards per pop.

Alden Darby, S, Arizona State: Darby had two interceptions against USC, including one he returned 46 yards for a touchdown. He also forced and recovered a fumble and tied for second on the Sun Devils with seven total tackles

Bralon Addison, PR, Oregon: Addison returned two punts for touchdowns against California, the first for 75 yards and the second for 67 yards.

Devon Cajuste, WR, Stanford: The big receiver was the star of the Cardinal's new downfield passing game. He caught four passes for 115 yards in their 55-17 win over Washington State, including touchdowns of 57 and 33 yards.

SEATTLE -- Regardless of the weather, Washington running back Bishop Sankey is going to get his touches. He knows it; opposing defenses know it. It's fact.

Put the Huskies in a constant rain, throw in a gusting wind, and it's all Sankey, all the time. That was the case on Saturday as the junior ran for 161 yards on a school-record 40 carries to lift No. 16 Washington (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) past previously unbeaten Arizona (3-1, 01), 31-13.

"You play the hand that you're dealt, and those were the conditions we had and [Sankey] was awesome," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said. "He didn't change, his focus was there, his body language didn't change from his first carry to his last one."

The 40 carries breaks the record (38) Corey Dillon set in the Apple Cup against Washington State in 1996, and if Washington hadn't pulled away in the fourth, Sarkisian would have kept calling Sankey's number. That would have been fine by Sankey, who said fatigue was not a factor.

"You just had to dig deep, and that's something that we preach here is mental toughness," said Sankey, the nation's No. 2 leading rusher coming in. "That's what I was trying to do for the team."

It didn't hurt that he was coming off what, by his standards, amounted to a game off last week against Idaho State. That four-carry, 77-yard performance was no accident, Sarkisian said. Keeping his workhorse fresh for the Pac-12 opener was part of the grand plan.

"That's why he had four carries last week and 40 tonight," he said. "We knew coming into the game that both were going to go fast."

The win brings Washington to 4-0 for the first time since 2001. That year the Huskies, as the No. 10-ranked team, lost the next week on the road at No. 7 UCLA and finished 8-4, which included a loss to Texas in the Holiday Bowl.

They'll face a similar challenge next week on the road at No. 5 Stanford.

After scheduling itself to a 3-0 record with games against Northern Arizona, UNLV and Texas-San Antonio, Arizona remained as much of a mystery as a 3-0 team could be. Coming into Saturday's game on the banks of Lake Washington, Arizona had the opportunity to prove its legitimacy. Instead, the Wildcats showed they have a lot to get cleaned up.

Offensively, it took time for Arizona to adjust to the step up in competition.

In the first quarter, the Wildcats finished with more plays (16) than total yards (11) and didn't complete a pass or register a first down. Their first eight possessions of the game netted no points -- not factoring in Washington's safety on a botched Arizona punt -- and just 75 yards.

"That's why you play in the Pac-12, because you have bigger, faster, athletes," Arizona quarterback B.J. Denker said. "But I don't think it was anything we couldn't handle. Our offensive line was fine. Ka'Deem [Carey] ran the ball well. When I got hit, it wasn't like my whole body broke. It hurt like every other hit. These guys weren't superhuman out there."

It wasn't until they were pressed for time did the Wildcats find any semblance of an offense. Given the ball at their own 14 with 2 minutes, 43 seconds left in the first half, the Wildcats marched 84 yards in 14 plays, and Carey scored from three yards out to make it 11-6.

It was the first touchdown Washington had allowed in the first half this year.

The Wildcats answered Washington's 95-yard touchdown drive to open the second half with a 72-yard one of their own, but after cutting the deficit to 18-13, Arizona couldn't keep pace.

"It would have been nice when we got the momentum going to get a stop on defense or anther big play on offense to get the lead," Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said. "We never really made them face any adversity. You have to give them credit for that."

Carey, who led the nation in rushing a year ago, finished with 132 yards on 30 carries.

Arizona remains on the road next week at USC.

The fourth game of the 2012 season is when it all seemed to come together for Washington running back Bishop Sankey.

More than once he’s pointed to one play -- which happened exactly a year ago today, as a matter of fact -- as the moment when it all started to click for him. If you know who Washington played a year ago today, you know exactly which play Sankey is referring to: a 61-yard touchdown on fourth down against Stanford that helped propel the Huskies to a 17-13 shocker over the Cardinal.

That play was Sankey’s “Hello, world” moment and got the Huskies faithful thinking maybe life without Chris Polk wasn’t going to be so bad after all. Sankey proved to be remarkably durable and was one of the nation’s elite, if not underappreciated, running backs in 2012, rushing for 1,438 yards and 16 touchdowns.

A year later, with added depth and a healthy offensive line, Sankey and the Washington running game are cruising. Through the first three weeks, the Huskies are averaging 303.7 yards per game on the ground, which ranks ninth nationally. Going back to last season, Sankey has rushed for more than 1,200 yards in Washington’s last seven games, including going for more than 100 yards in six of his last seven and 200-plus in two of the last four. That puts him in a class with names like Corey Dillon and Napoleon Kaufman.

With Washington’s new up-tempo offense taking shape, head coach Steve Sarkisian is pleased with his rushing attack.

“I’ve been impressed with those guys,” Sarkisian said. “We had some question marks at that position coming into the year with Jesse [Callier] and Deontae [Cooper] coming off of ACLs. I think Jesse has really started to improve the last couple of weeks. He played really well against Illinois and again last week against Idaho State. Deontae has come on. He got his first touchdown last week. … I feel like it’s a good position right now with adequate depth.”

Running backs will take center stage when the Huskies host Arizona on Saturday. Sankey enters the game as the country’s No. 2 runner with 148.7 yards per game. Arizona answers with Ka'Deem Carey, last year’s rushing champ.

Through the first three games of last season, things weren’t going so well for Washington on the ground. Part of that had to do with losing Callier in the first game of the year and part of it had to do with their 24 carries for 26 yards at LSU. The Huskies had just 341 yards through the first three games. That’s almost their per-game average this season as they’ve rushed for 911 yards.

The return of Callier and Cooper and the emergence of redshirt freshman Dwayne Washington have taken some of the pressure off of Sankey and allowed him to have more productive carries.

So far Sankey has rushed 64 times for 446 yards and four touchdowns. The backup trio has added 59 carries for 280 yards and four touchdowns.

Also contributing to the run game’s success is consistency on the offensive line. By this time last year, the Huskies had already lost three starters and were trying to get by with a duct-taped front. This year, the same five have the consistency and continuity that last year’s group was lacking.

“It’s huge,” Sarkisian said. “Those same guys have been together since spring practice. We got 15 spring practices, all of training camp and now three games under our belt. I think the continuity is so much better than we’ve been. The communication is there. The guys are working well with one another and they know what to expect from the guy on each side of them. They are doing a good job in the run game being physical and they are protecting well. But the continuity and communication is where it all begins.”

A few things to keep an eye on in the Pac-12 this week.

1. League play is upon us: Rejoice! Now the Pac-12 teams can gut each other with their nine-game conference schedule and lose all of that national credibility it built up in the first four weeks of the season. This year, perhaps more than any other in recent memory, it doesn’t look like there are any easy outs. Would anyone really be shocked if Colorado beat Oregon State based on what we’ve seen? The only one that would be truly shocking would be Cal beating Oregon -- and we might raise an eyebrow if Washington State beats Stanford in Seattle -- especially sans David Yankey for the game and Ed Reynolds for a half.
2. [+] Enlarge

   Kirby Lee/USA TODAY SportsUSC's Morgan Breslin has recorded four sacks this season for the Trojans.
   Nonconference notes: A good tidbit from the folks at the Pac-12 offices regarding the league’s 29-4 nonconference record: Since 1934, only one season witnessed the conference capture more than 29 wins in nonleague play; 2002 (32-15), when the league played an eight-game conference schedule, allowing an additional 10 non-conference games to be played. There are three nonconference games remaining (a possible fourth pending Colorado’s situation) against Notre Dame. The Pac-12 is contracted with seven bowl games, so there could be as many as 11 more nonconference games.
3. Battle of elites (1): Two of the league’s top running backs will be on the field in Seattle on Saturday -- though not at the same time. That would mean either a bizarre trade or either Ka’Deem Carey or Bishop Sankey playing defense. In terms of rushing yards per game, they are separated by less than a yard (149.5 for Carey, 148.67 for Sankey). Yards per carry? It’s even closer (6.97 for Sankey, 6.95 for Carey). Both have four rushing touchdowns. While it’s not truly head-to-head, this could be one of those games folks look to when awarding postseason honors.
4. Battle of elites (2): Two of the league’s top wide receivers will be on the field in Corvallis on Saturday -- though not at the same time. That would mean a bizarre trade or either Brandin Cooks or Paul Richardson playing defense. Cooks leads the nation with 43 catches for 639 yards and seven touchdowns. In only two games, Richardson has 21 catches for 417 yards and four touchdowns. Sixty percent of the time Cooks catches the ball, Oregon State either gains a first down or scores a touchdown.
5. Battle of elites (3): Two of the league’s top defensive players will be on the field in Tempe on Saturday -- though not at the same time. That would mean either a bizarre trade or either Morgan Breslin or Will Sutton playing offense (which would be awesome!). Breslin is tied for the conference lead in total sacks (four) with teammate George Uko and leads the league in tackles for a loss per game. Sutton, on the other hand, has nine tackles, no sacks and half a tackle for a loss. The reason? Teams are double- and triple-teaming him like crazy. Plus, ASU has faced more run-based teams in the first few weeks. This week might be a good time for him to break out.
6. Speaking of USC: How good has the defense been? According to ESPN Stats & Information, none of the four quarterbacks USC has seen has posted a Total QBR above 30. The Trojans are also blitzing a lot more under new coordinator Clancy Pendergast. Last year they blitzed 25 percent of the time. This year it’s up to 46 percent. And when they blitz, opposing QBs are completing just 41.9 percent of their throws, throwing it away or ending up on the ground.
7. All hands: With big quarterback numbers come big receiving numbers. Six Pac-12 receivers have hauled in 10 or more catches in a game eight times this season, led by Cooks and Richardson with two each. Also, 17 different receivers have posted 100 or more receiving yards in a game 26 times, led by Cooks and Utah’s Dres Anderson with three games each.
8. Layoff impact: Colorado is playing for the first time since its Sept. 7 win over Central Arkansas, which seems like months ago, though it actually has been only 20 days. After their Sept. 14 game with Fresno State was called off because of the flooding, the Buffs had a bye in Week 4. This is Colorado’s first trip to Corvallis. The previous two meetings (1931, 1963) took place in Portland. This is the last Pac-12 team Colorado is yet to play since joining the league (though the Cal game in 2011 was the back end of a home and home that didn’t count in the conference standings).
9. Tough road: This is the second-straight game against a top-five team for California, which faces No. 2 Oregon this weekend. The Bears have gotten huge numbers out of true freshman quarterback Jared Goff, who leads the FBS with 435.3 yards per game. But the defense has been hammered with injuries. Not good, considering 12 different Ducks have scored touchdowns so far.
10. Odds and ends: Worth noting that four more Pac-12 receivers were recently added to the Biletnikoff watchlist: Cal’s Bryce Treggs, Oregon State’s Richard Mullaney and Washington State’s Gabe Marks, who are all in action this weekend. Utah's Dres Anderson is the fourth … UCLA and the Utes are off this week in anticipation of their Thursday night showdown next week in Salt Lake City.

Is Arizona ready? After rolling through a Downy-soft nonconference schedule the competition level gets raised dramatically as the Wildcats head north to Seattle to face No. 16 Washington. Did the sacrificial trio of Northern Arizona, UNLV and Texas-San Antonio do enough to prepare the Tucson crew for the rigors of the Pac-12?

“Heck, I think we were ready to play a league game the first week,” Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez said. “Our schedule is what it was. Those teams, even though we were favored to win them all, you still have to go out there and play well and win them. I think San Antonio is going to win games. I think UNLV is going to win games. I think Northern Arizona is going to win league games at their level. We try to prepare for the first game no matter who we’re playing and I thought we were ready then.

“But tough environment against good players and a good coaching staff, it will be a challenge.”

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Wildcats was whether they would be improved on defense. With the entire starting cast back, they are allowing an average of just 8.7 points per game, though the aforementioned trio is hardly considered a suitable measuring stick for what Arizona will face in Pac-12 competition.

And the Huskies should prove to be suitable competition. Through their first three games, which included wins over then-No. 19 Boise State and a road win against Illinois in Chicago, Washington is averaging almost 43 points per game and more than 625 yards of total offense.

“Our season started during week one,” quarterback B.J. Denker said. “There are no pretend games in football, you only get 12. Yes, this is Pac-12 play and we understand this is a bigger deal and this is going to be the best team we will have played. We can only play who is put on the schedule, I don’t think the normal fan appreciates that if they are I-AA (FCS) or you are a lower-tier Division I football team, this game is rough. You can’t just go out on the field and expect a victory because somebody will come and smack you in the mouth.”

The pressure is on Denker to revitalize a passing attack that flourished last year under Matt Scott, but has been a work in progress the first three weeks. The Wildcats average only 108 yards per game in the air -- a surprisingly low number for a Rodriguez-coached team. Denker is completing just 56.4 percent of his throws with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Part of that is a new quarterback getting to know new wide receivers. Another part is 151 carries through three games.

“I don’t think the chemistry was the issue,” Denker said. “Most of the reason the numbers weren’t so good was because we were running the ball so well. It’s not like I don’t know what our receivers are going to do. It’s just being young and not really having to throw the ball every down. We have been working on that since the season started and during this bye week. I feel like it is getting better and as the season progresses, you will see that on the field.”

Rodriguez said improvement in the passing game was his top priority during the bye week. And he seems pleased with the progress.

“It’s gotten better, I have to judge it in practice,” he said. “We really struggled beginning of August; it was a combo of new receivers with a new quarterback. We’ve gotten a whole lot better the last three weeks, particularly in practice. We know we have to throw the ball. Everyone is going to put everybody in the box to try to stop the run game. We’ve worked harder on that than anything else we’ve done offensively.”

The wide receiving corps could also get a boost with the return of David Richards, who has been nursing a foot injury. Rodriguez said he’s been practicing this week and a decision on whether he’ll play will be made either Wednesday or Thursday.

The sidebar to this game is the running backs: Arizona’s Ka'Deem Carey and Washington’s Bishop Sankey. Sankey has one extra game on Carey, who sat out the season opener for disciplinary reasons but is averaging 149.5 yards per game since his return. Sankey averages 148.6. Both have four rushing touchdowns and average 6.9 yards per carry.

While some postseason honors might hinge on who plays better, that’s not even on Rodriguez’s radar.

“I don’t think the players of the coaches on either side look at individual matchups like that,” he said. “We know Sankey has been a huge part of their success and Ka’Deem has been a huge part of ours. That’s going to be the case for the rest of the season. We look at the overall picture.”

We’re four weeks into the season and the Pac-12 has (mostly) made short work of its nonconference foes. Now the fun starts. League play kicks off conference-wide this week. But before we look forward, the ESPN blogosphere is looking back at some of the best and worst through the first four weeks of each conference.

Best game: In terms of excitement, it’s tough to beat an overtime shootout. And that’s what happened when Oregon State traveled to Utah in Week 3. After building a 27-10 lead early in the third quarter, it looked like the Beavers would cruise. But Travis Wilson would lead the Utes back and they’d eventually grab a 38-37 lead. The teams swapped touchdowns in the closing three minutes to force overtime, where the Sean Mannion-to-Brandin Cooks connection gave the Beavers a 51-48 victory.

Best player: For as shaky as Oregon State’s defense has been, its offense has been sensational. So we’re going to give the nod to Cooks, who has 10 more receptions than anyone else in FBS football. Through four games he leads the nation in catches (43), receiving touchdowns (7) and first-down receptions (23). Mannion gets honorable mention, since someone has to throw the ball. But Cooks is head-and-shoulders above the rest of nation’s receivers right now. Another honorable mention to Washington’s Bishop Sankey, who has emerged over the last nine or so games as one of the country’s elite running backs.

Best performance: How about the Washington State defense -- that’s right, defense -- for its performance in the 10-7 win at USC. Damante Horton nabs a pair of interceptions, including a game-changing pick-six. Daquawn Brown makes his first career start and has a team-high 11 tackles and two pass breakups. Toni Pole blocks a kick, the front seven gets 7.5 tackles for a loss and a sack. You can say USC’s offensive inefficiency played a role. And you’d be right. But give credit where it’s due. Mike Breske had the boys ready to go and the Cougs came to town and pushed their way to a win.

Best surprise: Though his team has played in only two games so far this season, it’s hard not to feel good about the comeback of Colorado wide receiver Paul Richardson -- and really the rebirth of the Buffs under Mike MacIntyre. Richardson has 417 yards in just two games, which puts him eighth in the country. Had Colorado played its game against Fresno State (which was postponed due to flooding), it’s likely we’d see Richardson toward the top with Cooks. As for the Buffs in general, we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. They still have a long way to go. But you can definitely see an air of confidence about this team that’s been lacking the last couple of seasons.

Biggest disappointment: Head’s: Oregon State's defense. Tails: USC's offense. Go ahead and flip. Either way, you're right. Both have been disappointing. Anytime a BCS conference team loses to an FCS team, it’s disappointing. Anytime one of the country’s proudest football institutions is averaging 22 points per game through four games, it’s disappointing. Anytime a team -- once ranked in the top 25 (I guess that actually applies to both schools) -- is allowing an average of more than 35 points per game, it’s disappointing. Both teams are 3-1. And probably counting their blessings that (1) USC's defense has been that good and (2) Oregon State's offense has been that good.

A few storylines to keep an eye on in the Pac-12 this week.

1. Keep it rolling: The Pac-12 is 23-4 in its nonconference games this year and 16-3 against FBS competition. It’s also 8-0 against Mountain West teams. USC and Oregon State can extend that streak with matchups against Utah State and San Diego State. Washington State also renews its border war with Idaho for the first time since 2007 -- a series the Cougs have owned 70-17-3.
2. Air it out: Eight Pac-12 quarterbacks rank among the top 16 in total offense, headlined by Cal’s Jared Goff (429.7 ypg). Through three weeks, three Pac-12 quarterbacks (Goff, Marcus Mariota and Sean Mannion) have combined to throw for 440-plus yards four times. Only two other seasons in Pac-12 history have seen league quarterbacks throw for 440 or more yards more than four times -- 1998 (six times) and 2002 (five times).
3. Speed it up: Pac-12 offenses are scoring, and scoring fast. There have been 195 scoring drives, and so far 83 have taken less than two minutes. As you’d expect, Oregon tops the list with 23 of its 28 scoring drives taking less than two minutes. Utah is next on the list with nine.
[+] Enlarge
Bruce Thorson/USA TODAY SportsUCLA QB Brett Hundley was impressive against Nebraska and should be even more so this week.
4. Heisman moments? Mariota, who sits atop the ESPN.com Heisman poll, is off this week. But Brett Hundley has a chance to bolster his numbers against a New Mexico State team that is allowing nearly 50 points per game. Look for Mannion to continue rolling against a San Diego State team that is yielding 41 points per game. Same for Washington running back Bishop Sankey against an FCS Idaho State squad.
5. The headliner: For the first time this year, we have two ranked Pac-12 teams squaring off with No. 23 ASU’s trip to No. 5 Stanford. The focus is, and should be, on the lines. Stanford wants to do what Stanford does -- pound at ASU’s interior defense. The Sun Devils were pretty good defending at Wisconsin's inside rushing attack but were caught off guard by sweeps. Will be interesting to see if Stanford goes after the edges the way Wisconsin did.
6. Sankey rolling: Sankey now has rushed for at least 100 yards in six of his past seven games -- including a career-high 208 yards in the win last week over Illinois. Through three weeks and two games, he’s the national leader in average yards per game with 184.5. Dating back to last year, he has rushed for 1,142 yards in his last seven games.
7. Take a breather: Four byes this week, with Arizona, Cal, Colorado and Oregon all getting the week off. Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre, whose team had an unscheduled bye last week, said his team is back to practicing after several players were displaced by flooding.
8. Running like a Mad(den) man: Only six players have started the season with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. We don't want to assume, but Sankey probably will have his third straight this week. For now, USC’s Tre Madden is the only Pac-12 player among those six (Paul James, Rutgers; Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin; Mark Weisman (FB), Iowa; Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, Arkansas). Per our friends at ESPN Stats & Information, USC is running the ball on 62 percent of its plays this year, up 18 percent from last year. Of those six mentioned, Madden is the only one who has faced three FBS opponents. He leads the Pac-12 with 149 yards after contact.
9. Mobile Hogan, mobile Kelly: Also from Stats & Info: Kevin Hogan and Taylor Kelly are the only Pac-12 quarterbacks who have attempted at least 20 percent of their passes outside the pocket over the last two seasons. Kelly leads all AQ quarterbacks with 115 passes attempted from outside of the pocket. When out of the pocket, Hogan has completed 76 percent of his passes, including 20-of-24 passes on designed rollouts. In comparison, Kelly has completed a lower percentage of his passes thrown outside the pocket, but his average throw travels 10 yards, 4.5 yards longer than Hogan.
10. Goodbye for now, Holy War: The Utah-BYU rivalry will go on break for a couple of years after Saturday. Kyle Whittingham insists that doesn’t mean anything. I’m guessing having two extra years of bragging rights, however, means plenty to the fans. Utah has won four of the past five and holds a 56-34-4 edge in the series, which dates back to 1896. Though BYU doesn’t recognize six games, split 3-3, from when it was Brigham Young Academy. But since this is the Pac-12 blog, we’ll recognize it, cause we’re cool like that. And Utah SID Liz Abel is awesome at her job for bringing that nugget to our attention. Utah quarterback Travis Wilson is coming off of a 142-yard rushing performance -- the second most ever by a Utah quarterback and the most since 1979. Should this one be a nail-biter, it's worth noting that both kickers -- Utah's Andy Phillips and BYU's Justin Sorensen -- are 5-for-5 on field goals this season. Neither has missed a PAT.

So who deserves a helmet sticker for a job well done?

Tyler Gaffney, RB, Stanford: He carried the ball 20 times for 132 yards and a score and caught a 23-yard TD pass in the Cardinal's 34-20 win over Army.

Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA: He led the Bruins with a team-high 11 tackles with 1.5 coming for a loss in the 41-21 win at Nebraska. He also forced three -- three! -- fumbles. The Bruins shut out the Cornhuskers in the second half.

Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA: Hundley overcame a slow start to complete 16 of 24 passes for 294 yards with three TDs in the win at Nebraska. He also rushed 19 times for 61 yards.

USC: We could have gone with new starting QB Cody Kessler (15-of-17, 237 yards, 2 TDs, no INTs). Or RB Justin Davis, who rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries. Or the defense, which was again dominant. Or even Lane Kiffin, who got his team to play well after a horrid week. But let's just give the Trojans credit for getting off the canvas.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon: He completed 23 of 33 passes for a career-high 456 yards with four touchdown passes and no interceptions in the blowout win over Tennessee. He also rushed for 27 yards and a TD.

Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington: He rushed 35 times for 208 yards in the Huskies' 34-24 win at Illinois.

Dom Williams, WR, Washington State: Williams caught just three passes, but those included TDs of 43 and 55 yards in the Cougars' 48-10 win over Southern Utah. He finished with three catches for 101 yards.

Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State: In the Beavers' nutty 51-48 victory, Mannion completed 27 of 44 passes for 443 yards with five touchdowns and, most important in this nail-biter, no interceptions.

Marion Grice, RB, Arizona State: Grice rushed for only 84 yards in Arizona State's nutty 32-30 win over Wisconsin, but he scored four TDs. And he caught five passes for 50 yards. He was the Sun Devils' most consistent weapon in a huge win.

A few storylines to keep an eye on in Week 2.

1. Heavy favorites: The Pac-12 is favored in all eight of its nonconference games this week. In fact, the league is favored by at least 10 points in every game and by at least 20 points in six of the eight. It should be a strong week for the conference. Should being the operative word.

 

• League play kicks off: The ninth game this week features the first conference showdown of the season with Washington State traveling to USC. The Cougs are coming off a tough loss at Auburn, where Connor Halliday completed 35 of 65 passes for 344 yards and a touchdown. Cody Kessler is expected to start for the Trojans, but Max Wittek likely will see time again. USC’s defense had four interceptions and seven sacks in its Week 1 win over Hawaii. WSU's last win at USC was in 2000.
• Debuts: After spending last Saturday lounging around and watching football, Arizona State coach Todd Graham and Stanford coach David Shaw have to get back to work. The Sun Devils open the season on the cusp of the Top 25 and host Sacramento State on Thursday night. Stanford hosts San Jose State in the Bill Walsh Legacy Game. The Cardinal opened the season ranked No. 4 but got bumped down to No. 5 for their Week 1 laziness.
• Off and running: The Pac-12 had seven players rush for at least 100 yards in Week 1, headlined by Washington’s Bishop Sankey. He and the Huskies are off this week prepping for their game against Illinois on Sept. 14. Three of those seven came from Oregon -- a school record with De’Anthony Thomas, Byron Marshall and Marcus Mariota all eclipsing 100 yards. The other 100-yard rushers were Jordon James (UCLA, which is off this week), Daniel Jenkins (Arizona) and Tre Madden (USC).
• 2-oh? Colorado snapped an eight-game losing streak last week with its win over Colorado State. The Buffs host Central Arkansas on Saturday with a chance to start 2-0 for the first time since 2008.
• Crazy eights: Stanford and San Jose State are both riding eight-game winning streaks dating back to last season. That’s the first time in all of the years the schools have played that both have enjoyed simultaneous streaks.
• Dominating the MWC: The Pac-12 went 5-0 against the Mountain West last week with Utah (Utah State), Colorado (Colorado State), USC (Hawaii), Washington (Boise State) and UCLA (Nevada) all scoring victories. The Pac-12 has three more games against the Mountain West this week with Arizona traveling to UNLV, Hawaii visiting Oregon State and San Jose State at Stanford. It was a rough opening weekend for the West Coast’s little brother league, which went just 3-9.
• Road warriors: No. 2 Oregon goes on the road for the first time this season and is riding the nation’s best winning streak away from home. The Ducks have won 15 straight road games. Alabama and Northern Illinois are tied for second with nine. Oregon’s last road loss was at Stanford in 2009.
• Strong debuts: The three new coaches in the Pac-12 went 2-1 in their season openers. Mark Helfrich (Oregon) rolled over Nicholls State (no shocker there). Mike MacIntyre led Colorado to an emotional win over an in-state rival in Colorado State, and Sonny Dykes’ California team put up a gritty effort in defeat against Northwestern.
• Suspensions lifted: After being suspended for Week 1, Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey, the nation’s leading rusher last season, will make his debut against UNLV. Daniel Jenkins filled in quite nicely, rushing for 139 yards on 12 carries, including a 91-yard touchdown run. Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who was also suspended for Week 1, is expected to be on the field when the Huskies return to action next week. Cal linebacker Chris McCain had his suspension rescinded after he was ejected per the NCAA’s new targeting rule and will play against Portland State.

 

A look at what we learned about the Pac-12 in Week 1.

Washington looks to be legit: Per my co-blogger, Washington quarterback Keith Price was “lights out” in his performance against Boise State. Bishop Sankey picked up where he left off last season, and the defense kept the Broncos out of the end zone. For those nervous about letting their expectations get raised, go ahead and raise them. Oh yeah, and you get the best tight end in the country back next week.

Andy Phillips is now a household name: In his first career game, the redshirt freshman kicker from Utah went 3-for-3, including a 45-yarder on his first career kick -- and executed a perfect onside kick to swing the momentum in the Utes’ victory over in-state rival Utah State.

USC QB TBD: Is it going to be Cody Kessler or Max Wittek at USC? What we learned is we didn’t learn much. Neither looked particularly sharp as USC struggled offensively against Hawaii. Kessler was 10-of-19 for 95 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Wittek was 5-of-10 for 77 yards. Both seemed constrained by a conservative gameplan of short throws and swing passes.

Oregon likes to run (well, duh): Three different Ducks eclipsed the 100-yard mark: De’Anthony Thomas, Marcus Mariota and Byron Marshall. In all, the Ducks rushed for 500 yards and a robust 11.1 yards per carry against Nicholls State. It marked the first time in school history three players went for 100 yards in the same game. Yes, it was Nicholls State, but you have to figure rushing records are getting harder and harder to break at Oregon.

DAT the featured back? New Oregon coach Mark Helfrich had been fairly noncommittal when talking about how Thomas would be used. He looked the part of an every-down back Saturday night, carrying 18 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns. The 18 carries were a career high.

Utah’s depth will be tested: For the second season in a row, the Utes lost a big-name player for the year at the hands of Utah State. Wide receiver Kenneth Scott will miss the rest of the season after suffering a leg injury in the first quarter. Others will have to step up. Sean Fitzgerald looked pretty good in relief, catching five balls for 79 yards.

They’re serious about this ejection thing: The NCAA’s new targeting rule, which went into effect this season, can lead to an ejection on the spot if the official deems it a head-to-head hit. The first big-name casualty was Oregon cornerback Terrance Mitchell, who makes up half of Oregon’s outstanding cornerback tandem with Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Miller was ejected late in the first quarter of Oregon’s win over Nicholls State.

Really, Beavers? Maybe more of the offseason focus should have been on the defense, and less about the quarterback competition. Sean Mannion played brilliantly. The defense, not so much, allowing Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams to throw for 411 yards and run for 107. Not that it bears repeating, but this is the second time in three seasons the Beavers have opened the season with a loss to an FCS team.

We’re not done yet: One more game on the Week 1 docket with Colorado and Colorado State squaring off Sunday in Denver.

The Cougs looked better: A gutty effort in SEC country from Washington State, which went toe-to-toe with Auburn before falling 31-24. Turnovers continue to be a curse and three interceptions from Connor Halliday, including one in the red zone in the fourth quarter, contributed to WSU’s downfall.

Speaking of turnovers: In its nine games (Colorado pending), the Pac-12 won the turnover battle, 15-11. When the Pac-12 tied in turnovers (Utah, Cal, Oregon State, Washington), it was 2-2. When it won the turnover battle (Arizona, Oregon, USC), it was 3-0, and when it lost the turnover battle (UCLA, Washington State), it was 1-1.

Special teams had special plays: See Vincenzo D’Amato’s pass to Jackson Bouza on the fake field goal (one of the more creative give-and-gos I’ve seen). See UCLA’s punt block for a touchdown against Nevada. See Phillips’ performance.

Speaking of special: After posting the worst field-goal percentage in college football last year (67.9 percent) the Pac-12 kickers came out swinging in Week 1, converting on 14 of 17 attempts (82 percent).

Washington coach Steve Sarkisian likes his team's maturity. He likes its depth. He's appreciative it emerged from preseason camp mostly healthy. He's pleased with the focus and willingness to work. And he really likes the spectacular remodel of Husky Stadium.

Sarkisian sees plenty of positives as he enters his fifth season at Washington, including 20 returning starters, a number that doesn't include a handful of former starters who missed the 2012 season due to injuries who are back on the 2013 depth chart.

Don't think Sarkisian isn't aware, however, of the "but" coming, the qualifier, the pause that allows skepticism to walk into the room to confront this optimism. The last three times his team was 0-0 in August, it finished 7-6 in December. This is a program with a dedicated fan base that can recall a time when three consecutive seasons capped by no final game in January was seen as a worrisome downturn.

Of course, part of the problem is that portion of the Huskies dedicated fan base needs to be at least in its mid-to-late 30s to recall the golden age under Don James.

So the excitement of No. 19 Boise State coming to Seattle to open Husky Stadium on Saturday is accompanied by a sense of full-on urgency for Sarkisian and his team. It's time to be relevant again, both in the Pac-12 and nationally. It's time to eyeball Rose Bowls, not just bowl eligibility.

Simply: If not now, then when?

"What's really going to make this place special is how we play, the product we put on the field. Our guys understand that," Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian says his players are eager to prove this is the team; this is the year.

No Husky is more eager to move on to a new season than quarterback Keith Price. He lets out a big laugh when a reporter jokes that both of them are surely pleased that Boise State's arrival means no more talk about 2012. It's now time.

"We understand that seven-win seasons are no longer acceptable," he said. "We're up for the challenge."

The Huskies know the Broncos will offer a challenge for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their having lost to them in last year's Las Vegas Bowl on a last-second field goal. In that game, the Huskies fell behind 18-3, rallied to take a fourth quarter lead but then yielded a 47-yard kickoff return and short drive for the winning kick.

It was emblematic of the season -- slow start, a positive swing in momentum but then an ultimate flop. The Huskies were floundering at 3-4 at the 2012 midpoint but then won four consecutive games as the schedule softened. With the Apple Cup against struggling Washington State and a bowl game ahead, they seemed poised for a potential six-game winning streak to close a nine-win season.

Instead, they epically collapsed in the Apple Cup -- surrendering an 18-point fourth-quarter lead to lose in overtime -- and then fell to Boise State.

You might have heard all this before, but -- apologies -- it's the prevailing narrative until the Huskies change that. Which is where Boise State comes in.

Sarkisian is as aware as anyone that putting too much on this game -- one way or the other -- could damage the season. Beating Boise State likely would push the Huskies into the national rankings, but they will only stay there by continuing to win when Pac-12 play begins. Conversely, allowing a loss to linger could prove catastrophic to the season. The latter could congeal random hotseat chatter into something legitimate for Sarkisian, even though he took over a program after it went 0-12 in 2008.

Another plot twist: The uncertain status of preseason All-American tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. He's not been cleared to play due to an injury to his pinkie, Sarkisian said, but the real issue is whether he will face any type of suspension after a spring DUI. Sark isn't saying, giving a reporter seeking clarity a, "Come on dude," during a Monday news conference. If Seferian-Jenkins is out, Price loses a big target, particularly in the red zone.

Price is probably where this game turns. It's likely that Boise State, after giving up 205 yards rushing to Bishop Sankey in the bowl game, is going to gang up on the run and try to force Price to make plays. He'll have a much healthier and seasoned offensive line in front of him, and he's seemed to be back to his old playmaking ways after strong performances in spring practices and fall camp.

Meanwhile, the Huskies defense took big strides last year and seems poised to do so again in year two under coordinator Justin Wilcox. Not only are eight starters back, but Hau'oli Kikaha -- who was brilliant as a true freshman in 2010 when his last name was Jamora -- has won the starting nod at one defensive end, displacing Andrew Hudson, who had 6.5 sacks last year.

"Man, I think he’s better than ever, quite honestly," Sarkisian said. "He is flying around all over the field. You really notice him in practice. He’s creating turnovers, he’s moving all over the field at different positions for us."

Of course, the Broncos have starting QB Joe Southwick back. He was highly efficient over the latter part of the season, including the bowl win over the Huskies.

Price calls it "a good question" when asked if the Huskies should be concerned about being too fired up. They're eager to put last season's disappointment behind them. They're focused on becoming relevant again. And they will be goosed about their fancy new digs.

And those digs are really fancy.

"Aw man, it's awesome," Price said. "Going from our old facilities to our new facilities, it's night and day. But we understand those facilities don't mean anything if we don't win games in our home. That's what's going to make that place even more special."

The Walter Camp Award, given annually to the best player in college football, announced its 50-man watch list on Friday, and it includes nine Pac-12 players.

• Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
• Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona *
• Marqise Lee, WR, USC *
• Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
• Keith Price, QB, Washington
• Silas Redd, RB, USC
• Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington
• Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State #
• De’Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon

Price is obviously making the list based on his 2011 reputation. You could make an argument UCLA QB Brett Hundley and Arizona State QB Taylor Kelly deserve inclusion.

Here's the complete list:
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
Antonio Andrews, RB, Western Kentucky
Dri Archer, RB, Kent State
Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson
Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
Kolton Browning, QB, Louisiana Monroe
Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona *
Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State
Rakeem Cato, QB, Marshall
Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina *
Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
David Fluellen, RB, Toledo
Phillip Gaines, DB, Rice
Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
John Hubert, RB, Kansas State
Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas
Duke Johnson, RB, Miami Fla. #
Chuckie Keeton, QB, Utah State
Marqise Lee, WR, USC *
Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan *
Jordan Lynch, QB, Northern Illinois
Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M *
Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M #
Jordan Matthews, WR, Vanderbilt
Venric Mark, RB, Northwestern
Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska
AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama
Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State
C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama *
Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia
Louis Nix III, DE, Notre Dame
Casey Pachall, QB, TCU
Keith Price, QB, Washington
Silas Redd, RB, USC
Bradley Roby, DB, Ohio State #
Tyler Russell, QB, Mississippi State
Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington
Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor
Yawin Smallwood, LB, Connecticut
Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State #
Tyler Tettleton, QB, Ohio
De’Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon
Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech
Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame #
Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU
Jason Verrett, DB, TCU #
Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama

* 2012 Walter Camp First Team All-American
# - 2012 Walter Camp Second Team All-American

Another preseason list. But this one is different.

Athlon has released its preseason All-America team and 22 Pac-12 players were tapped for four teams at 23 spots, second only to the SEC's 25. However, the Pac-12 actually leads all of college football with eight players on the first-team (it probably should be nine, but Anthony Barr was relegated to the second team). The SEC is second with seven.

Here are the Pac-12 players selected:

First-Team Offense

• RB Ka'Deem Carey, Arizona
• WR Marqise Lee, USC
• TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington
• G David Yankey, Stanford
• AP De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon

First-Team Defense

• DT Will Sutton, Arizona State
• CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon
• S Ed Reynolds, Stanford

Second-Team Offense

• G Xavier Su'a-Filo, UCLA

Second-Team Defense

• DE Scott Crichton, Oregon State
• LB Anthony Barr, UCLA
• LB Trent Murphy, Stanford
• LB Shayne Skov, Stanford
• S Dion Bailey, USC

Second-Team Specialists

• KR Marqise Lee, USC

Third-Team Offense

• TE Chris Coyle, Arizona State
• C Hroniss Grasu, Oregon

Third-Team Defense

• DE Morgan Breslin, USC
• DT Leonard Williams, USC
• LB Shaq Thompson, Washington

Fourth-Team Offense

• RB Bishop Sankey, Washington
• WR Brandin Cooks, Oregon State

Fourth-Team Defense

• S Deone Bucannon

Thoughts: As always, subjective lists are going to be debatable. For the most part, I think Athlon hit on almost all of the Pac-12 players who should be hit in the preseason. It's nice to see Su'a-Filo get some recognition because I think it's warranted and he'll prove worthy of it by year's end. Same with Sankey and Coyle. Cooks is a pleasant surprise. While I think he certainly has the potential to be on this list, we really need to see someone else step up opposite him to free him up the way Markus Wheaton did last year.

As noted above, I'd have Barr on my first team. But one glaring omission is Stanford safety Jordan Richards. I get Ed Reynolds being on the first team -- that seems to be a popular consensus among the preseason lists. But no Richards at all is a big miss. My guess is both will end up splitting AA honors at the end of the year because both are that good. I just have a hard time believing there are seven other safeties better than Richards.

I didn't mind Bailey on the list. And I think the move back to the secondary is going to be huge for him and for the Trojans. But he's taken some time off from the position and might need a readjustment period. And for that reason, I think second team is too high for him -- especially when Richards is off the board.

I think the same Reynolds/Richards argument can be made for Oregon's Terrance Mitchell (who could be on one of these teams as well) and Ekpre-Olomu, who certainly benefited from having a lockdown corner on the opposite side. As a result, his numbers ballooned. While Richards/Reynolds are the best safety duo in the league (probably the country), the Mitchell/Ekpre-Olomu tandem makes up the best cornerback duo in the league (probably the country).

Finally, I understand the rationale for not having Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota one one of the four teams. Heck, Teddy Bridgewater -- perceived to be the top quarterback in the country by many -- didn't make the list. But I think when all is said and done, Mariota will get All-America honors because his numbers will be too good to overlook. He's shown to be a true dual-threat with precision passing and pretty darn good running skills.

With spring ball in the books, Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian took some time to chat with the Pac-12 blog about his impressions over the 15 practices, moving on without Austin Seferian-Jenkins and what it's like to actually have a healthy offensive line.

I know every coach has a laundry list of things that they want to get done in spring. But was there one particular thing you felt like you wanted to address?

Steve Sarkisian: There's always more than one. When you come out of a season and you assess your football team and the things you have to work on and the needs you have -- whether it's from a team standpoint, personnel, development -- there were numerous things I felt like we had to address. I feel like we addressed the majority of those things by design. Some of those we found out couldn't be addressed until some of the players we signed arrived on campus. But I felt good about having a purpose going into spring on a variety of fronts and then addressing those things of purpose and feeling good about them coming out.

Where's your confidence level with [quarterback] Keith [Price]?

SS: I felt great about Keith coming out of spring, quite honestly. Of the 15 practices we had, he might have had one that wasn't his best and another where he was just OK. But outside of that I thought he was fantastic. Bringing Marques Tuiasosopo back on board as a quarterbacks coach -- he's a guy I coached in the NFL at Oakland and he was with us here for two years when we first came on board -- bringing him back has been good and the style of coaching he has is what I'm looking for and it's consistent with myself. Keith has really responded to that. He came out and had a really good spring. He's upbeat about what we're doing offensively. I think he feels good about what we're doing up front with the offensive line and also with the wideouts and the running back situation. That genuine confidence that he has in himself, as well as his confidence in what's going on around him, is as high as it's been.

You talked about the offensive line. It seems like you guys finally have healthy depth. How nice has it been to have the same five working with the offense and then knowing you've still got Erik [Kohler] and Colin [Tanigawa] waiting in the wings?

SS: It's been huge. For myself and Dan Cozzetto, our offensive line coach, just the continuity up front of having those five guys communicate with one another, playing with one another, making decisions with one another on the fly has been big. But also for us, having depth -- and not just depth in number -- but depth in experience. You look at Colin Tanigawa. You look at Erik Kohler. Shane Brostek is a backup who has a lot of game experience as well. Really, we have eight offensive linemen who have a lot of game experience against some top-level talent who could step in and play, as well as some younger guys who are really developing. We feel really good about that position group as long as we can stay healthy.

I talked with Bishop [Sankey] a couple of weeks ago and all he wanted to talk about was how he needs to get better at everything -- very little about what he's already accomplished. What's the next step for him?

SS: Bishop is a great kid. Everyone sees what he did on the field and they see how he progressed and got better and better as the year went on and the maturity he exuded -- not only through the tough times early on -- but also in the good times late in the year for himself. The beauty of it all is you turn around and look at our GPA -- he had the highest on the team with a 3.8.

He didn't mention that when we talked.

SS: He'd be the first not to tell you that. He's such a humble kid. But it's everything he does. And it's not just on the field. It's in the classroom, it's in the community. We're seeing now more than ever the leadership he possesses, and I'm really proud of what he's been able to accomplish. I think his best days are ahead of him. There's a lot he can improve on and he's working hard at improving and we're working hard to make him better.

How much of a distraction has the situation with Austin [Seferian-Jenkins] been this spring?

SS: It really wasn't bad. Especially internally. At the end of the day, we touched on this with the team, guys are going to make mistakes. I deal with 18-to-22-year-old males and I've got 105 sons on this roster. To think that all 105 aren't going to make mistakes in a four-to-five year span isn't reality. What I do know, and what our team knows, is that Austin is a really good guy. He's done a great deal for our community. He's a good student. He just got over a 3.0 as well. He's been working hard and was having a good offseason. But he made a mistake. Is that mistake truly indicative of Austin's character? No, it's not. We all understand that. We all have to learn from the mistake he made, unfortunately. But we're moving on. We practiced 12 times without Austin. It was actually good for us. It allowed some of the other guys in his position group to develop and improve. And when the time is right for him to re-join us, he'll re-join us and we'll move on.

You guys were really two different teams when you were at home versus on the road last year. I know there is no magic-bullet answer, but what do you need to do to improve the road play?

SS: We have to continually try to expand our comfort zone. We're obviously a very good team when we're in the friendly confines -- whether it's CenturyLink Field or Husky Stadium -- I think what's key for us is no matter where we go, who we play, what time the game is, what the weather is that we go play Husky football. That's something we've talked about since the locker room of the Las Vegas Bowl, quite honestly, and we continue to talk about it every single day. That won't change.

Speaking of Husky Stadium, what are you expecting from the fans, and what's the game day experience going to be like for them?

SS: I would rival the game day experience with any other school in the country. I had a chance to go through it [last week] and I'm still blown away every time I go in there. I think the proximity to the fans and how close they'll be to the field is going to enhance the game day experience for the fans and for our players. From a crowd noise standpoint. From an energy standpoint they'll provide, it will be a great environment. To go along with the setting of Lake Washington and Montlake Boulevard, I don't know what's better out there in college football.

The defense was much better last year. What's the next step for them as a unit?

SS: I think we have to continue to be an opportunistic defense -- one that creates turnovers. We did a great job of that last year. Continue being really sticky in pass defense. You have to be in our conference with so many people throwing the football. And play really good red-zone defense. Those are three areas we drastically improved last season. To continue to build upon that; our ability to defend the up-tempo offense is going to be big for us; and our ability to disrupt quarterbacks -- whether that's sacks or knockdowns, things of that nature -- playing in the offensive backfield more than we had last season are two areas we're very focused on. We focused on that this spring and we'll continue to focus on it in the fall. Defending the up-tempo offense and then wreaking havoc in the offensive backfield.

Whose name are we going to be hearing in 2013 that we didn't hear about in 2012?

SS: I think a name to keep an eye on is a kid who redshirted for us last year and I think can be a playmaker for us in the defensive backfield and in the return game is Cleveland Wallace. He's a guy that possess a really high football IQ. He has a knack for being around the football. He really improved this spring. I think he's a guy to keep an eye on.