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ARIZONA: It wasn't pretty, but the Wildcats were able to remain undefeated
with a 10-9 victory over California in their conference opener. Juron Criner's
three-yard touchdown catch with 1:11 to play gave 14th-ranked Arizona the
thrilling victory. Nick Foles went 25-for-39 with 212 yards and an
interception, but he engineered the winning drive for the Wildcats, who were
coming off a seven-point win over Iowa last Saturday. Nic Grigsby had 12
carries for 65 yards while Criner finished the game with five catches for 68
yards. The Wildcats are not in action this upcoming weekend, but will return
to the field October 9th when they host Oregon State.
ARIZONA STATE: The Sun Devils put up a fight in their conference opener
against Oregon, but the fifth-ranked Ducks were too tough for Arizona State.
The 42-31 setback followed a heartbreaking, 20-19 loss to Wisconsin on the
road. Steven Threet connected on 30-of-53 passes for 387 yards with three TDs
and four interceptions for Arizona State, which had seven turnovers. Deantre
Lewis rushed 11 times for 127 yards and a score for the Sun Devils, who had
nearly 600 yards of total offense. If the Sun Devils are going to snap this
minor slide, and earn their first league win they will have to do it on the
road against Oregon State on Saturday.
CALIFORNIA: Clearly the Golden Bears are no comfortable on the road. After
opening the season with two straight wins at home, the team has dropped back-
to-back games outside of Berkeley. On Saturday, Cal's hot offense was shut
down by Arizona in a 10-9 setback. Kevin Riley went 13-for-26 with 116 yards
and an interception for the Golden Bears. Shane Vereen had 27 carries for 102
yards in the loss. The Golden Bears will not be in action this upcoming
weekend, but the team will return to the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium
on October 9th to host UCLA.
OREGON: The Oregon offense continues to cause mayhem for opposing defensive
coordinators, and that was the case on Saturday, as the fifth-ranked Ducks
pounded Arizona State for 42 points, en route to an 11-point victory. Darron
Thomas threw for a pair of touchdowns and ran for another score in the win,
while LaMichael James rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown. Thomas finished
19-of-33 for 260 yards with two TDs and an interception. This upcoming weekend
the Ducks will face their biggest challenge to date, as they will host the
surging Stanford Cardinal.
OREGON STATE: The Beavers had a tall mountain to climb on Saturday, as they
were pitted against Boise State on the now infamous blue turf. Oregon State
put up a strong fight, but the Broncos were too tough, and coach Mike Riley's
squad fell by a 37-24 margin. Ryan Katz connected on 12-of-26 throws for 159
yards with a TD for the Beavers, who were coming off a victory over Louisville
a week ago. Wide receiver James Rodgers was shaken up early in the third
quarter when he collided helmet-to-helmet with Boise State's Winston Venable
while making a block. Rodgers' 54-yard punt return for a touchdown was the
first of his career. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 2008
against California. Jacquizz Rodgers had 46 yards rushing. The Beavers will
try to corral their first league win this season when they host Arizona State
this weekend.
STANFORD: Jim Harbaugh's bunch continues to climb up the polls, as the 16th
ranked Cardinal pushed their record to 4-0 with a 37-14 decision over Notre
Dame in South Bend. Andrew Luck threw for 238 yards on 19-of-32 throws with a
touchdown toss to Coby Fleener for the Cardinal, who snapped their seven-game
skid at Notre Dame Stadium and are off to their best start since 1986. Luck
also threw his first two interceptions on the year but helped Stanford convert
11-of-16 third down tries. Nate Whitaker connected on all five of his field
goal attempts and two-way player Owen Marecic scored on consecutive plays from
scrimmage in the fourth quarter. The Cardinal have been impressive this
season, but they will face their biggest matchup on the year this upcoming
weekend at Oregon. This is not only a battle between two undefeated Top 25
teams, but also a huge contest in Pac-10 play.
UCLA: In one of the more impressive victories over this past weekend, the
Bruins went to Austin and promptly punched the 21st ranked Texas Longhorns in
the mouth with a 34-12 victory. Johnathan Franklin carried the ball 19 times
for 118 yards and a score, while the UCLA defense forced five turnovers.
Kevin Prince, who completed just 5-of-8 passes for 27 yards and a touchdown,
carried the ball 13 times for 50 yards and a score for the Bruins, who were
coming off a 31-13 win over then No. 23 Houston. Derrick Coleman rushed for 94
yards and a touchdown on 16 carries for UCLA, which outgained Texas by a
264-85 margin on the ground to halt both the Longhorns' 20-game regular season
win streak and a stretch of 16 straight wins at home. The Bruins will try to
grab their first conference win on the season when they host Washington State
this upcoming weekend.
USC: Even with a new coach and lower expectations the Trojans continue to win
and pushed their record to 4-0 with a commanding, 50-16 victory over
Washington State. Matt Barkley threw for three touchdown passes and finished
with 290 yards on 16-of-25 passing, but he also threw two interceptions.
Stanley Havili caught five passes for 107 yards and one touchdown while adding
another score on the ground for the Trojans. The Trojans will now return home
to play the Washington Huskies, and will try to remain perfect on the year.
WASHINGTON: The Huskies were not on the field this Saturday, but they needed
the break after starting the year with losses in two of their first three
contests. Washington will return to action this upcoming weekend when the
Huskies take on the USC Trojans at the Coliseum.
WASHINGTON STATE: The Cougars dropped their second consecutive contest and
third on the season with an embarrassing, 50-16 setback to USC. Jeff Tuel
completed 24-of-37 passes for 222 yards with one touchdown and three
interceptions for the Cougars, who have lost 12 in a row to FBS opponents.
Jared Karstetter had 87 yards and two scores on eight receptions in defeat.
Washington State will try to jump back in the win column, but it will not be
easy as the Cougars will have to deal with UCLA on the road this upcoming
Saturday.