Pac-12: Oregon Ducks
There was no movement again from Pac-12 programs in the updated team recruiting rankings, as Arizona held firm with the top spot in the conference and the No. 23 class in the country. Stanford checks in right behind the Wildcats, at No. 24 overall, while Arizona State checks in at No. 35.
Trending up: Oregon
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Video: One Good Thing -- Pac-12 teams
September, 30, 2013
Sep 30
2:00
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
ESPN.com's Kevin Gemmell discusses one good thing in the Pac-12: the conference has five teams ranked in the top 25 and four in the top 15.
There was plenty of news on and off the field in the Pac-12 this past weekend, as several conference teams separated themselves with huge wins, Oregon landed a big verbal commitment, and USC made a head coaching change.
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Marshall stars in Thomas’ absence
September, 29, 2013
Sep 29
4:18
AM ET
By Craig Murphy | Special to ESPN.com
EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon's main two offensive weapons had subpar nights -- or in the case of one, no night at all.
No matter. Other players, most notably running back Byron Marshall, filled the gap admirably.
When junior De'Anthony Thomas went down after injuring an ankle on the opening kickoff against Cal on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium, Marshall was tabbed to fill the role.
Marshall, a sophomore, made the most of the opportunity, rushing 19 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns as the Ducks cruised to a 55-16 win.
"I wasn't expecting that much time in the first half," Marshall said. "But I can't control that. De'Anthony went down early, unfortunately. I just had to hop in and play the best I could."
His first score of the night, a 14-yard untouched scamper with 13:27 left in the opening quarter, put the Ducks up 6-0 and opened the floodgates on a soggy night.
Marshall's second touchdown was good for 25 yards, making it 27-0 with 2:57 remaining in the opening quarter. On both runs, Marshall ran in nearly untouched.
"They were pretty much the same play," Marshall said of his two touchdown runs. "It was a sweep to the left side. Bralon [Addison] was on the edge blocking the DBs. I just found a block and ran."
Marshall's play more than offset an off game -- by his standards -- for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, who finished the night 11-of-25 for 114 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to 37 yards rushing and another touchdown.
It wasn't just Marshall lending a helping hand. Addison returned two punts for touchdowns, running for 75 and 67 yards, respectively. Addison also had three catches for 13 yards.
"We've got a few of those guys that can make things happen," said Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, as the Ducks improved to 4-0 in the Pac-12 conference opener for both teams.
Helfrich said there wasn't a set number of touches planned for Marshall had it not been for Thomas' injury.
"We had packages for him," Helfrich said. "We've been talking about balancing out the touches."
While it was a big night for Marshall, it wasn't faultless. He had a couple of fumbles, both recovered by the Ducks. Oregon, which entered the game as the only team yet to commit a turnover in 2013, did lose two fumbles on the night.
"He needs to control the ball better, but we have a ton of trust in him," Helfrich said.
Marshall acknowledged he needs to keep a tighter grip on the ball.
"No matter what the condition is, it's not OK," Marshall said. "But we still kept possession. You just have to keep playing. I had to make sure I had it in there nice and tight."
Marshall admitted he hadn't played in such wet conditions before, but he enjoyed it.
"It was fun," he said. "It was a different experience. All you can do is go out and play like normal."
No matter. Other players, most notably running back Byron Marshall, filled the gap admirably.
When junior De'Anthony Thomas went down after injuring an ankle on the opening kickoff against Cal on Saturday night at Autzen Stadium, Marshall was tabbed to fill the role.
More on Oregon
For full coverage of the Ducks, check out the Oregon blog, part of ESPN's College Football Nation. Blog
More:
• Oregon's clubhouse page
• ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog
"I wasn't expecting that much time in the first half," Marshall said. "But I can't control that. De'Anthony went down early, unfortunately. I just had to hop in and play the best I could."
His first score of the night, a 14-yard untouched scamper with 13:27 left in the opening quarter, put the Ducks up 6-0 and opened the floodgates on a soggy night.
Marshall's second touchdown was good for 25 yards, making it 27-0 with 2:57 remaining in the opening quarter. On both runs, Marshall ran in nearly untouched.
"They were pretty much the same play," Marshall said of his two touchdown runs. "It was a sweep to the left side. Bralon [Addison] was on the edge blocking the DBs. I just found a block and ran."
Marshall's play more than offset an off game -- by his standards -- for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, who finished the night 11-of-25 for 114 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to 37 yards rushing and another touchdown.
It wasn't just Marshall lending a helping hand. Addison returned two punts for touchdowns, running for 75 and 67 yards, respectively. Addison also had three catches for 13 yards.
"We've got a few of those guys that can make things happen," said Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, as the Ducks improved to 4-0 in the Pac-12 conference opener for both teams.
Helfrich said there wasn't a set number of touches planned for Marshall had it not been for Thomas' injury.
"We had packages for him," Helfrich said. "We've been talking about balancing out the touches."
While it was a big night for Marshall, it wasn't faultless. He had a couple of fumbles, both recovered by the Ducks. Oregon, which entered the game as the only team yet to commit a turnover in 2013, did lose two fumbles on the night.
"He needs to control the ball better, but we have a ton of trust in him," Helfrich said.
Marshall acknowledged he needs to keep a tighter grip on the ball.
"No matter what the condition is, it's not OK," Marshall said. "But we still kept possession. You just have to keep playing. I had to make sure I had it in there nice and tight."
Marshall admitted he hadn't played in such wet conditions before, but he enjoyed it.
"It was fun," he said. "It was a different experience. All you can do is go out and play like normal."
Pac-12 recruiting storylines: Sept. 26 
September, 26, 2013
Sep 26
2:00
PM ET
By
Erik McKinney | ESPN.com
Two Arizona showdowns, two impressive visitors to the Pacific Northwest and recent recruiting attention for two standout juniors highlight this week's top storylines in the Pac-12 conference.
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Goff will try to match Mariota in Autzen
September, 25, 2013
Sep 25
5:30
PM ET
By
Ted Miller | ESPN.com
California quarterback Jared Goff is the Pac-12's new big thing. The true freshman is headed Saturday to Autzen Stadium to play opposite the conference's biggest thing, Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.
Goff presently leads the nation in passing with 435.3 yards per game. Mariota presently, well, leads the nation, see the latest ESPN.com Heisman Watch poll, where he ranks No. 1 by a wide margin.
Goff has been throwing the ball all over the place -- sometimes not in the right place -- while the Bears have been playing one of the nation's toughest schedules. The No. 2 Ducks will be Cal's third ranked foe in the first four games and second top-five team.
Mariota? He's pretty much been doing whatever he wants. He ranks 14th in the nation with 296.3 yards passing per game and second in the nation in ESPN.com's Total QB Rating. The Ducks have dominated an early schedule that included AQ conference foes Virginia and Tennessee, ranking second in the nation in scoring (61.3 points per game) and rushing (355.3 yards per game).
Goff is the up-and-comer on a team trying to regain its mojo under new coach Sonny Dykes. Mariota is the superstar on a team trying to win a national championship under new coach Mark Helfrich.
"They are as good an offense as I've seen," Cal coach Sonny Dykes said. "They are really playing at a high level. They've got a lot of weapons. They haven't turned the ball over this year."
That last point is most notable. Cal has turned the ball over six times, including four interceptions from Goff. Two of those picks went back the other way for touchdowns in the season opener against Northwestern, or that 44-30 defeat might have turned out differently.
Dykes lauds Goff for his ability to distribute the ball to playmakers, his accuracy and his knack for working within the pocket. It's not surprising, though, that when assessing the negatives thus far that Dykes sites Goff's decision-making and tendency to force the football into tight spaces.
That said, it's difficult to argue that Goff hasn't exceeded preseason expectations after surprising many when he beat out touted redshirt freshman Zach Kline in the preseason.
"The good thing about Jared is you can see him get better practice to practice," Dykes said. "He continues to improve every day."
The next test for Goff is playing in a hostile road venue, and road venues don't get much more hostile than Autzen Stadium. Which brings us to another notable Goff characteristic, one he shares with Mariota: a seeming unflappability.
While Mariota comes at it with a genial, mellow humility that belies his fancypants playmaking, Goff conducts interviews not unlike his QB hero, former Cal great Aaron Rodgers. He's laconic and all business.
When asked if anything has surprised him since making the jump from Marin Catholic to the Pac-12, Goff said, "On TV it looks like more than it is on the field." Meaning when you get past all the pageantry in major college football, it's still just football.
As for specifically playing in Autzen, he said he expects the experience to be "fun." He said noise won't be a factor because the Bears offense operates almost entirely on hand signals. Nerves? Nope.
"I don't anticipate having any sort of different feelings than I would if it were a home game," he said. "It's a regular game. We're just playing in front of a bunch of crazy people."
Of course, those are just words. Dykes admits you never know how a young guy will react on the road. Take Mariota. As a redshirt freshman last year, he made his first career road start against Washington State in CenturyLink Field in Seattle, and it was his worst game of the season. He threw two of his season's six interceptions, his only game with more than one pick.
Goff is wired well, but he simply doesn't yet understand how different the atmosphere of a road game is.
"What he does is a great job of not worrying about anything but just going out there and playing football and doing what he is coached to do," Dykes said. "We'll see how he responds, but I expect him to respond well. You never know until a young player gets put into that situation."
A bigger problem is Oregon itself. The Ducks offense likely will roll up points against the conference's No. 12 scoring defense (42 ppg). That will put pressure on Goff and his unit to keep up. Throwing 50-plus balls into the Ducks secondary, one of the nation's best, doesn't seem ideal.
Yet Goff seems undaunted.
"We're going to take it as a challenge and go up there and do what we do every day," he said. "We really feel our offense can score on anybody."
It's an interesting matchup, Goff versus Mariota. But the matchup of the new big thing and the established big thing probably will come down to Mariota having a lot more big things around him.
Goff presently leads the nation in passing with 435.3 yards per game. Mariota presently, well, leads the nation, see the latest ESPN.com Heisman Watch poll, where he ranks No. 1 by a wide margin.
Goff has been throwing the ball all over the place -- sometimes not in the right place -- while the Bears have been playing one of the nation's toughest schedules. The No. 2 Ducks will be Cal's third ranked foe in the first four games and second top-five team.
Mariota? He's pretty much been doing whatever he wants. He ranks 14th in the nation with 296.3 yards passing per game and second in the nation in ESPN.com's Total QB Rating. The Ducks have dominated an early schedule that included AQ conference foes Virginia and Tennessee, ranking second in the nation in scoring (61.3 points per game) and rushing (355.3 yards per game).
[+] Enlarge
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesCal QB Jared Goff leads the nation in passing with 435.3 yards per game.
"They are as good an offense as I've seen," Cal coach Sonny Dykes said. "They are really playing at a high level. They've got a lot of weapons. They haven't turned the ball over this year."
That last point is most notable. Cal has turned the ball over six times, including four interceptions from Goff. Two of those picks went back the other way for touchdowns in the season opener against Northwestern, or that 44-30 defeat might have turned out differently.
Dykes lauds Goff for his ability to distribute the ball to playmakers, his accuracy and his knack for working within the pocket. It's not surprising, though, that when assessing the negatives thus far that Dykes sites Goff's decision-making and tendency to force the football into tight spaces.
That said, it's difficult to argue that Goff hasn't exceeded preseason expectations after surprising many when he beat out touted redshirt freshman Zach Kline in the preseason.
"The good thing about Jared is you can see him get better practice to practice," Dykes said. "He continues to improve every day."
The next test for Goff is playing in a hostile road venue, and road venues don't get much more hostile than Autzen Stadium. Which brings us to another notable Goff characteristic, one he shares with Mariota: a seeming unflappability.
While Mariota comes at it with a genial, mellow humility that belies his fancypants playmaking, Goff conducts interviews not unlike his QB hero, former Cal great Aaron Rodgers. He's laconic and all business.
When asked if anything has surprised him since making the jump from Marin Catholic to the Pac-12, Goff said, "On TV it looks like more than it is on the field." Meaning when you get past all the pageantry in major college football, it's still just football.
As for specifically playing in Autzen, he said he expects the experience to be "fun." He said noise won't be a factor because the Bears offense operates almost entirely on hand signals. Nerves? Nope.
"I don't anticipate having any sort of different feelings than I would if it were a home game," he said. "It's a regular game. We're just playing in front of a bunch of crazy people."
Of course, those are just words. Dykes admits you never know how a young guy will react on the road. Take Mariota. As a redshirt freshman last year, he made his first career road start against Washington State in CenturyLink Field in Seattle, and it was his worst game of the season. He threw two of his season's six interceptions, his only game with more than one pick.
Goff is wired well, but he simply doesn't yet understand how different the atmosphere of a road game is.
"What he does is a great job of not worrying about anything but just going out there and playing football and doing what he is coached to do," Dykes said. "We'll see how he responds, but I expect him to respond well. You never know until a young player gets put into that situation."
A bigger problem is Oregon itself. The Ducks offense likely will roll up points against the conference's No. 12 scoring defense (42 ppg). That will put pressure on Goff and his unit to keep up. Throwing 50-plus balls into the Ducks secondary, one of the nation's best, doesn't seem ideal.
Yet Goff seems undaunted.
"We're going to take it as a challenge and go up there and do what we do every day," he said. "We really feel our offense can score on anybody."
It's an interesting matchup, Goff versus Mariota. But the matchup of the new big thing and the established big thing probably will come down to Mariota having a lot more big things around him.
It was a relatively quiet recruiting week in the Pac-12, which seemed to mirror the rest of the country. There was no movement in the newly released team recruiting rankings. The Pac-12 held steady with three teams listed, led by Arizona and Stanford -- at No. 23 and 24 respectively -- followed by Arizona State, at No. 35. The conference did land two commitments, as Arizona State and Washington State added recruits, while a desert showdown awaits Pac-12 fans on Friday night.
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We've barely hit the quarter pole of the 2013 season, but with true and redshirt freshmen making impacts all over the country, attention turns this week to those recruits in the 2014 class who could generate the same kind of press early in their careers and affect the conference.
Current 2014 QB prospect who could start immediately
Arizona and Washington are the only Pac-12 programs scheduled to lose their starting quarterbacks after this season, but with seven quarterbacks already slated to compete for the job next year, it's going to be extremely difficult for Brandon Dawkins (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian) to truly put himself in the mix. The same is true at Washington -- though the Huskies have yet to receive a commitment from a quarterback in the 2014 class -- as redshirt freshmen, who will then be redshirt sophomores, Jeff Lindquist and Cyler Miles will likely battle for the spot. So at this point -- leaving aside speculation on whether quarterbacks such as UCLA's Brett Hundley or Oregon's Marcus Marriota could make themselves available for the NFL draft -- this question becomes about the possibility of a true freshman supplanting a returning starter, and while it would be tough to bet on anybody actually getting it done, the easy answer is Keller Chryst (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) at Stanford. The No. 19 overall recruit is a polished pocket passer and seems to fit perfectly into the Stanford offense. If it clicks early for him, he could give Kevin Hogan a serious run next fall.
Program-changing 2014 recruiting class: USC
This could be a make-or-break recruiting class for the Trojans. When USC begins practices next spring, just 26 players on the roster will come from the 2012 and 2013 recruiting classes, combined. That means tons of opportunity for what could be 19 signees in a class still limited by NCAA sanctions. Right now, recruits want a clear picture of what will happen going forward at USC. If the Trojans make a decisive move at the top -- either with Lane Kiffin finishing the season in a strong manner and earning the full trust of the fans and his bosses, or with athletics director Pat Haden moving swiftly to replace Kiffin with an impressive hire -- USC could close with a monster class, as a number of high-profile prospects are intrigued by the idea of playing for USC and understand the playing time situation. If things break well for the Trojans, it's not impossible to think this class could be the best group in the Pac-12 and eventually form some of the nucleus that takes USC back to the top of the conference.
Current 2014 prospect with Heisman potential
Since the Heisman Trophy has become about quarterbacks and running backs, that narrows this category a bit. Again, Chryst is the easy answer because he'll likely put up good numbers for a national power. But a bit farther down the West region prospects list sits tailback Joe Mixon (Oakley, Calif./Freedom), who possesses just about everything you look for in a potential Heisman contender. He'll likely be suiting up for a national power -- Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon are three of his finalists -- a running back's dream -- Wisconsin is another finalists -- or a program in Cal where he'd have the ability to put up silly numbers both rushing and receiving. Mixon has also said UCLA is still in the running, which would put him in a major media market. His ability to catch out of the backfield and perhaps even return kicks will help his statistics, and the fact that he brings some personality to the table -- nearly 6,500 twitter followers at last count -- helps his cause as well.
Current 2014 QB prospect who could start immediately
Arizona and Washington are the only Pac-12 programs scheduled to lose their starting quarterbacks after this season, but with seven quarterbacks already slated to compete for the job next year, it's going to be extremely difficult for Brandon Dawkins (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian) to truly put himself in the mix. The same is true at Washington -- though the Huskies have yet to receive a commitment from a quarterback in the 2014 class -- as redshirt freshmen, who will then be redshirt sophomores, Jeff Lindquist and Cyler Miles will likely battle for the spot. So at this point -- leaving aside speculation on whether quarterbacks such as UCLA's Brett Hundley or Oregon's Marcus Marriota could make themselves available for the NFL draft -- this question becomes about the possibility of a true freshman supplanting a returning starter, and while it would be tough to bet on anybody actually getting it done, the easy answer is Keller Chryst (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) at Stanford. The No. 19 overall recruit is a polished pocket passer and seems to fit perfectly into the Stanford offense. If it clicks early for him, he could give Kevin Hogan a serious run next fall.
Program-changing 2014 recruiting class: USC
This could be a make-or-break recruiting class for the Trojans. When USC begins practices next spring, just 26 players on the roster will come from the 2012 and 2013 recruiting classes, combined. That means tons of opportunity for what could be 19 signees in a class still limited by NCAA sanctions. Right now, recruits want a clear picture of what will happen going forward at USC. If the Trojans make a decisive move at the top -- either with Lane Kiffin finishing the season in a strong manner and earning the full trust of the fans and his bosses, or with athletics director Pat Haden moving swiftly to replace Kiffin with an impressive hire -- USC could close with a monster class, as a number of high-profile prospects are intrigued by the idea of playing for USC and understand the playing time situation. If things break well for the Trojans, it's not impossible to think this class could be the best group in the Pac-12 and eventually form some of the nucleus that takes USC back to the top of the conference.
Current 2014 prospect with Heisman potential
Since the Heisman Trophy has become about quarterbacks and running backs, that narrows this category a bit. Again, Chryst is the easy answer because he'll likely put up good numbers for a national power. But a bit farther down the West region prospects list sits tailback Joe Mixon (Oakley, Calif./Freedom), who possesses just about everything you look for in a potential Heisman contender. He'll likely be suiting up for a national power -- Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon are three of his finalists -- a running back's dream -- Wisconsin is another finalists -- or a program in Cal where he'd have the ability to put up silly numbers both rushing and receiving. Mixon has also said UCLA is still in the running, which would put him in a major media market. His ability to catch out of the backfield and perhaps even return kicks will help his statistics, and the fact that he brings some personality to the table -- nearly 6,500 twitter followers at last count -- helps his cause as well.
Freshmen making early impact
Ole Miss' freshmen earned headlines months before they took the field. They have lived up to the hype, writes Chris Low. Story
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Early Offer: Dylan Moses rocks recruiting
September, 24, 2013
Sep 24
5:30
AM ET
By
Jeremy Crabtree | ESPN.com
The Early Offer is a RecruitingNation's regular feature, giving you a daily dose of recruiting in the mornings. Today's offerings: Dylan Moses' commitment to LSU sent shockwaves throughout the college football recruiting world; you have to tip your hat to Mark Stoops and Kentucky once again for another creative recruiting mailer; and Oregon, Miami, South Carolina and Tennessee are battling down the stretch for a four-star WR.
The story of Moses
Dylan Moses (Baton Rouge, La./University Lab) deciding to end his recruitment before he even was halfway through his freshman year of high school football sent a tidal wave of response throughout the college football world late Sunday and throughout the day on Monday. As expected the news was well received by LSU fans, but fans in general and even several college coaches were highly critical the Tigers’ decision to accept the commitment. “I can’t be critical of the kid himself, because he’s jumping on an opportunity placed in front of him,” one ACC recruiting coordinator said. “But schools offering a scholarship to a 14-year-old and then actually accepting it is everything that’s wrong with recruiting today. It’s hard enough to project the future of seniors accurately, but it’s impossible to do it with freshmen.” My colleague Tom Luginbill was right on the money when he said it’s a high risk, high reward scheme for coaches. The more it happens the more we’re going to see calls for even more regulation from the NCAA, because there’s just too much gray area for coaches to maneuver in.
The story of Moses
Dylan Moses (Baton Rouge, La./University Lab) deciding to end his recruitment before he even was halfway through his freshman year of high school football sent a tidal wave of response throughout the college football world late Sunday and throughout the day on Monday. As expected the news was well received by LSU fans, but fans in general and even several college coaches were highly critical the Tigers’ decision to accept the commitment. “I can’t be critical of the kid himself, because he’s jumping on an opportunity placed in front of him,” one ACC recruiting coordinator said. “But schools offering a scholarship to a 14-year-old and then actually accepting it is everything that’s wrong with recruiting today. It’s hard enough to project the future of seniors accurately, but it’s impossible to do it with freshmen.” My colleague Tom Luginbill was right on the money when he said it’s a high risk, high reward scheme for coaches. The more it happens the more we’re going to see calls for even more regulation from the NCAA, because there’s just too much gray area for coaches to maneuver in.
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Pac-12 recruiting storylines: Sept. 19
September, 19, 2013
Sep 19
2:00
PM ET
By
Erik McKinney | ESPN.com
Three Pac-12 programs added commitments in the past week, while several more appear poised to close this class in a big way. A number of Pac-12 programs are off this weekend, but one program in particular looks to be in line for a busy recruiting weekend.
Cardinal closing strong
There was only one team that made any kind of movement in Wednesday's updated team recruiting rankings, and it was a big jump for the Stanford Cardinal. On the strength of a commitment from ESPN 300 defensive tackle Nifae Lealao (Sacramento, Calif./Capital Christian), Stanford moved up four places, from No. 28 to No. 24 overall. It seems to be only a matter of time before Stanford is sitting atop the Pac-12 conference, as ESPN 300 prospects Casey Tucker (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) and Dalton Schultz (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham) appear to be strong leans to the Cardinal. Several other four-star prospects across the country are giving the program a long look.
Cardinal closing strong
There was only one team that made any kind of movement in Wednesday's updated team recruiting rankings, and it was a big jump for the Stanford Cardinal. On the strength of a commitment from ESPN 300 defensive tackle Nifae Lealao (Sacramento, Calif./Capital Christian), Stanford moved up four places, from No. 28 to No. 24 overall. It seems to be only a matter of time before Stanford is sitting atop the Pac-12 conference, as ESPN 300 prospects Casey Tucker (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) and Dalton Schultz (South Jordan, Utah/Bingham) appear to be strong leans to the Cardinal. Several other four-star prospects across the country are giving the program a long look.
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What to watch in the Pac-12: Week 4
September, 19, 2013
Sep 19
10:15
AM ET
By
Kevin Gemmell | ESPN.com
A few storylines to keep an eye on in the Pac-12 this week.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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Bruce Thorson/USA TODAY SportsUCLA QB Brett Hundley was impressive against Nebraska and should be even more so this week.
There was movement from only one program in the newly-released 2014 class recruiting rankings, and it was a big jump forward for a Pac-12 heavyweight. The Stanford Cardinal moved up four spots to No. 24 overall, just one behind Pac-12 leader Arizona at No. 23. The conference still has just three teams ranked in the top 40, with Arizona State coming in at No. 35.
Trending up: Stanford. The Cardinal added defensive tackle Nifae Lealao (Sacramento, Calif./Capital Christian) last Friday and were rewarded with a big move in the rankings.
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Most important Pac-12 recruiting targets
September, 17, 2013
Sep 17
8:00
AM ET
By
Erik McKinney | ESPN.com
As the regular season heats up on the field, so too does the action on the recruiting trail, as prospects are setting official visits, trimming final lists and setting their sights on February's signing day. With a number of targets still on the board for every coach in the conference, this list illustrates the biggest name still out there for each Pac-12 program.
Arizona
OT Layth Friekh (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial)
6-foot-6, 251 pounds
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If you don't like where you are in the Power Rankings, play better.
See last week's Power Rankings here.
1. Oregon: The power rankings are about reacting to the latest games as well as the cumulative body of work and general perception of butt-kicking ability. The Ducks are now tops in all three. And after witnessing Mark Helfrich's tour-de-force presser following his team's bludgeoning of Tennessee, reporters realized we've still got some Chip Kelly wiseacre to enjoy.
2. Stanford: Stanford falls behind due to style points. Of course, Stanford knows that winning, if continued, will conquer style. The Cardinal just needs to keep doing the former, starting with an interesting visit from Arizona State on Saturday.
3. UCLA: The Bruins now own the highest quality win in the conference with Saturday's emotional 18-point come-from-behind victory at Nebraska. Furthermore, how the Bruins took care of business -- 38 consecutive points? Are you kidding me?! -- was freaking impressive on both sides of the ball. Jim Mora and his staff seem to be pretty good in a halftime locker room.
4. Washington: The Huskies took care of business on the road against a solid Illinois team. After Idaho State, the visit from Arizona on Sept. 28 will present a big test for both teams.
5. Arizona State: The Sun Devils looked like the superior team against Wisconsin, but that doesn't change the fact they nearly blew it and -- let's face it -- got lucky with how things went down at the end with Pac-12 officials Larry, Curly and Moe. Still, it was a good win since the scoreboard says it was. Now, what can the Sun Devils do on the road against Stanford?
6. Washington State: The Cougars should improve to 3-1 on Saturday against Idaho. Then they get Stanford in Seattle, the first of four consecutive games against North Division foes. It's a tough stretch, but it certainly looks closer to a potential 2-2 run than it did in August. And two wins puts the Cougs one win away from bowl eligibility with four games to play.
7. Arizona: The Wildcats have been the quietest team in the conference because they played three weak nonconference opponents. They have looked pretty good, with an improved defense being particularly noteworthy. But we still don't know these guys and won't until they go to Washington on Sept. 28.
8. Oregon State: That was a big, clutch win at Utah. A potential season-changer. The preseason perception was the Beavers had a good shot at a 7-0 start. It's not unreasonable to be leaning toward ending up 6-1 now, particularly if QB Sean Mannion keeps doing his NFL QB-looking thing. Next up is a visit to a San Diego State team that can't -- please, Beavs, no! -- can't be overlooked.
9. USC: Not unlike Oregon State getting off the carpet, the way USC handled Boston College was enough to suggest it's premature to throw in the white towel for the Trojans' 2013 season. Clancy Pendergast's defense has been dominant, for one. And just maybe the offense is starting to figure things out.
10. Utah: Ouch. So many "what ifs" from the home loss to Oregon State. A great comeback, only to fall in overtime. Again, ouch. It's probably good news that a visit to BYU is up next. That's a big emotional game, and the Utes need to move on from a big emotional game.
11. Colorado: The grudge match with Fresno State was canceled due to major flooding -- unquestionably the right call, by the way -- so the renewed Buffs were on the sidelines and again will be off this week. It will be interesting to see how two consecutive weekends without a game will affect the visit to Oregon State on Sept. 28. That's a sneaky interesting game.
12. California: The Bears are the only team in the conference with a losing record, though that is a function of tough scheduling against a pair of ranked Big Ten teams in two of the three weeks. If Cal had played Arizona's schedule, it would be 3-0 and we'd be celebrating new coach Sonny Dykes and true freshman QB Jared Goff. But, as it is, the 1-2 record stands as the only available body of work. And that defense? Pretty yucky so far, injuries or not.
See last week's Power Rankings here.
1. Oregon: The power rankings are about reacting to the latest games as well as the cumulative body of work and general perception of butt-kicking ability. The Ducks are now tops in all three. And after witnessing Mark Helfrich's tour-de-force presser following his team's bludgeoning of Tennessee, reporters realized we've still got some Chip Kelly wiseacre to enjoy.
2. Stanford: Stanford falls behind due to style points. Of course, Stanford knows that winning, if continued, will conquer style. The Cardinal just needs to keep doing the former, starting with an interesting visit from Arizona State on Saturday.
3. UCLA: The Bruins now own the highest quality win in the conference with Saturday's emotional 18-point come-from-behind victory at Nebraska. Furthermore, how the Bruins took care of business -- 38 consecutive points? Are you kidding me?! -- was freaking impressive on both sides of the ball. Jim Mora and his staff seem to be pretty good in a halftime locker room.
4. Washington: The Huskies took care of business on the road against a solid Illinois team. After Idaho State, the visit from Arizona on Sept. 28 will present a big test for both teams.
5. Arizona State: The Sun Devils looked like the superior team against Wisconsin, but that doesn't change the fact they nearly blew it and -- let's face it -- got lucky with how things went down at the end with Pac-12 officials Larry, Curly and Moe. Still, it was a good win since the scoreboard says it was. Now, what can the Sun Devils do on the road against Stanford?
6. Washington State: The Cougars should improve to 3-1 on Saturday against Idaho. Then they get Stanford in Seattle, the first of four consecutive games against North Division foes. It's a tough stretch, but it certainly looks closer to a potential 2-2 run than it did in August. And two wins puts the Cougs one win away from bowl eligibility with four games to play.
7. Arizona: The Wildcats have been the quietest team in the conference because they played three weak nonconference opponents. They have looked pretty good, with an improved defense being particularly noteworthy. But we still don't know these guys and won't until they go to Washington on Sept. 28.
8. Oregon State: That was a big, clutch win at Utah. A potential season-changer. The preseason perception was the Beavers had a good shot at a 7-0 start. It's not unreasonable to be leaning toward ending up 6-1 now, particularly if QB Sean Mannion keeps doing his NFL QB-looking thing. Next up is a visit to a San Diego State team that can't -- please, Beavs, no! -- can't be overlooked.
9. USC: Not unlike Oregon State getting off the carpet, the way USC handled Boston College was enough to suggest it's premature to throw in the white towel for the Trojans' 2013 season. Clancy Pendergast's defense has been dominant, for one. And just maybe the offense is starting to figure things out.
10. Utah: Ouch. So many "what ifs" from the home loss to Oregon State. A great comeback, only to fall in overtime. Again, ouch. It's probably good news that a visit to BYU is up next. That's a big emotional game, and the Utes need to move on from a big emotional game.
11. Colorado: The grudge match with Fresno State was canceled due to major flooding -- unquestionably the right call, by the way -- so the renewed Buffs were on the sidelines and again will be off this week. It will be interesting to see how two consecutive weekends without a game will affect the visit to Oregon State on Sept. 28. That's a sneaky interesting game.
12. California: The Bears are the only team in the conference with a losing record, though that is a function of tough scheduling against a pair of ranked Big Ten teams in two of the three weeks. If Cal had played Arizona's schedule, it would be 3-0 and we'd be celebrating new coach Sonny Dykes and true freshman QB Jared Goff. But, as it is, the 1-2 record stands as the only available body of work. And that defense? Pretty yucky so far, injuries or not.
It was another extremely impressive weekend for Pac-12 programs on the field, as the conference went 9-2 overall, which included a guaranteed loss as Oregon State traveled to Utah. On the recruiting trail, things were just as impressive, as blowout wins by Oregon and UCLA had recruits buzzing about the resiliency of the Bruins on the road and the overpowering display on both sides of the ball by the Ducks. Elsewhere, Utah added a big commitment and Cal hosted a huge recruiting weekend.
Biggest commitment: Utah had plenty of talent on hand for its overtime loss to Oregon State, and while the result was disappointing for a team looking to make a statement early in the season, the atmosphere in the stadium helped land a big verbal commitment from junior college wide receiver Brandon Snell (Miami/Garden City CC). Snell originally signed with Louisville as part of the 2012 class, but enrolled at Garden City Community College in Kansas and will now take his speed and elusiveness to Utah, as the Utes continue to stockpile talent that will allow it to compete in the Pac-12.
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PAC-12 SCOREBOARD
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4:00 PM ET Washington State California - FOX Sports 1
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6:00 PM ET 2 Oregon Colorado 7:30 PM ET 22 Arizona State Notre Dame 10:30 PM ET 15 Washington 5 Stanford
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Ted Miller
Miller has been covering college football since 1997, starting with Auburn and then heading West to Washington and the Pac-12. His columns for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer won first place in the 2007 APSE Best Writing contest. The Atlanta native and University of Richmond graduate presently lives with his wife in Scottsdale, Ariz.
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