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Tag: Pacific-12 Conference football

  • No. 4 USC falls to Utah in Pac-12, all but ending CFP hope

    No. 4 USC falls to Utah in Pac-12, all but ending CFP hope

    LAS VEGAS — Caleb Williams once again was starring in his own highlight video, breaking four tackles and finding himself in the open field for a 59-yard gain.

    No. 4 Southern California looked as if it would do whatever it wanted against No. 12 Utah and coast into the College Football Playoff. But, Williams pulled his hamstring on that play and was never the same.

    Neither were the Trojans, whose hope for a spot in the College Football Playoff all but ended as Utah rolled to a 47-24 win in the Pac-12 Championship game Friday night.

    “Our play didn’t really resemble the way we played the majority of this year,” first-year USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “Disappointed with some of the missed opportunities out there, but that’s the name of the game when you get to this level in these kind of games against good teams. You’ve got to go play good to win, and we didn’t do it.”

    The loss by the Trojans (11-2) could open the way for Ohio State (11-1) to take their spot in the playoffs. USC is fourth in the CFP rankings, the Buckeyes are one step behind.

    Ohio State coach Ryan Day had to be Utah’s biggest fan. The Buckeyes’ move up in playoff consideration, with 12-0 Michigan at No. 2 with the Big Ten championship game on Saturday, would give that conference two playoff teams for the first time. It also would extend the Pac-12’s playoff drought — Washington in 2017 is the last team from that conference to make the playoffs.

    “Coach Day, you’re welcome,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham directed at Ohio State coach Ryan Day on the FOX Sports broadcast after the win.

    Utah (10-3) is heading to the Rose Bowl, but the Utes already were going there regardless of the outcome of the title game. They are responsible for USC’s only losses, having edged the Trojans 43-42 on Oct. 15 in Salt Lake City.

    The Utes rolled up 533 yards of offense in the rematch, and Cam Rising passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns and earning game MVP.

    Williams threw for 363 yards and three TDs. He entered the game as the leading Heisman Trophy candidate, but wasn’t the same after getting injured in the first quarter.

    Backup Miller Moss even took snaps on the sideline in the second half.

    “I asked (Williams) at one point, ‘Are you 50%?’” Riley said. “He was not even close to 50%. I definitely thought about taking him out. He didn’t let me. He wouldn’t even let me take him out at the end. In terms of guys I’ve coached at that position, it may be the gutsiest performance I’ve ever seen. Most guys wouldn’t even have played, and he still gave us a chance.”

    Williams, who also played with a badly cut pinky on his throwing hand, said his hamstring felt like “an old rubber band.”

    “I was in my head and encouraging (myself) the game was bigger than I was feeling,” Williams said, drawing inspiration from a Kobe Bryant quote. “I also had a group of guys looking at me to go out there and lead them to victory.”

    Williams painted his fingernails before game that read “(Expletive) Utah,” though the Utes apparently weren’t aware of that until told afterward.

    “You can put whatever you want on your nails,” Utah running back Ja’Quinden Jackson said. “I’m not going to judge him … but I hope he liked it.”

    The Trojans looked as if they were going to run away with the game, taking a 17-3 lead early in the second quarter behind some stellar play by Williams. He passed for 108 yards and two TDs and rushed for 76 yards in the first quarter

    After USC failed to pick up a fourth-and-8 from Utah’s 37-yard line, the Utes scored two touchdowns in the final 3:55 of the first half, and suddenly the game was tied at 17. Instead of a rout, the game was beginning to look like the shootout the Utes won in October.

    The game took on that tone at times in the second half, but USC had no answer for how to slow down Utah, which outscored the Trojans 44-7 in overcoming that two-touchdown deficit.

    “Just unwavering belief,” Rising said.

    ATTENDANCE RECORD

    A announced sellout crowd of 61,195 made this the largest for a neutral-site Pac-12 Championship. It beat the previous record of 58,476 fans. who watched Southern California-Stanford in Santa Clara, California, in 2015

    ———

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  • Thomas helps No. 13 Utah rout Stanford 42-7

    Thomas helps No. 13 Utah rout Stanford 42-7

    SALT LAKE CITY — A few weeks ago, Tavion Thomas was on the brink of losing his place on Utah’s team.

    Rushing for a career-high 180 yards on Saturday night proved he’s all the way back.

    “I was just so happy to be out there with my teammates,” Thomas said. “I wasn’t worried about my carries, I was just worried about finishing this thing and playing with these guys.”

    Cameron Rising threw for three touchdowns and No. 13 Utah beat Stanford 42-7 on Senior Night.

    Utah (8-2, 6-1 Pac-12) started slow on a below-freezing night in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains, but scored 42 straight points after trailing 7-0 to Stanford (3-7, 1-7).

    Utah’s defense was suffocating after the initial score while Thomas recorded his first 100-yard rushing game since the season opener at Florida and eclipsed his previous high (177) set at Stanford last year.

    Thomas, who has been in and out of the lineup with personal issues, was pressed into heavy use because of injuries in the backfield.

    “It’s been challenging but you can’t run from it, you have to attack it. I’ve got great guys here and a great support system and they got me back slowly but surely,” Thomas said.

    He rushed for a four-yard TD in the second quarter and a 36-yard score in the fourth — his 28th career touchdown at Utah, moving him to third on the all-time rushing TD list.

    “There were some bumps in the road … but I’m really grateful he continued to stick with it and fight through some of the issues he was having,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.

    Thomas was a 1,000-yard rusher and had 21 touchdowns last season but was away from team at times this season and missed the Washington State game. He struggled through the middle of the season but showed renewed speed and power in time for Utah’s quest for a Rose Bowl return.

    “It was great to see Tavion in his last game at Rice-Eccles get back to his old self. I’m really proud of him and glad that he’s weathered the storm,” Whittingham said.

    Rising went 20-for-33 through the air for 219 yards with an interception to boost Utah’s home winning streak to 14.

    “Once we eliminated our mistakes, things started to go our way,” Rising said.

    The Utes initially struggled to execute against Stanford, which allows the most rushing yards of any team in the conference. After three fourth-down conversions, including a fake punt, Utah finally scored on a Rising-to-Devaughn Vele 9-yard TD pass in the second quarter.

    “We’ve always been good at getting off the field on third down this year but fourth down has been a different story,” Stanford linebacker Levani Damuni said about Utah going 4-for-4 on 4th down in the first half.

    After that, the floodgates opened and Utah rolled to 514 total yards with 279 on the ground. At the same time, Stanford’s entire offense failed to outgain Thomas, garnering just 177 total yards.

    “We are just doing our job. A lot of the mistakes that were happening early in the season were guys trying to make a big play and not doing their assignments,” said Jonah Elliss, who had 1.5 sacks.

    On Stanford’s second drive, Tanner McKee evaded the rush and threw a 51-yard pass and then snuck in for a one-yard touchdown one play later.

    In the end, McKee passed for 155 yards but didn’t have much time to throw and was sacked seven times.

    “It’s going to be a dirty pocket. It’s going to be tight coverage. When we have those one-on-one opportunities with all the pressure, and we get the protection, we got to hit them,” Stanford coach David Shaw said.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Stanford: Without any semblance of a rushing attack — just 22 yards — the Cardinal couldn’t move the ball. Stanford’s defense forced Utah to convert four fourth downs to keep drives going but eventually wore down against the run and were exposed when Utah turned to the passing game against a stacked box.

    Utah: The Ute defense looked suspect earlier this season and in this game, but dominated the second quarter by keeping Stanford without a single first down while the offense awoke. Once the Utah line controlled the line of scrimmage, the game was essentially over. Now Utah heads to Oregon in a battle in of one-loss teams.

    POLL IMPLICATIONS

    UCLA, Oregon and Mississippi were ranked ahead of the Utes in the poll and all lost, so Utah may move up a couple notches.

    UP NEXT

    Stanford visits California next Saturday afternoon.

    Utah plays at Oregon next Saturday night.

    ———

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  • Washington knocks off No. 24 Oregon State 24-21 on late FG

    Washington knocks off No. 24 Oregon State 24-21 on late FG

    SEATTLE — Michael Penix Jr. has accomplished plenty in his first season as the quarterback at Washington. He added a game-winning, fourth-quarter drive to the list on Friday night.

    Peyton Henry made a 22-yard field goal with 8 seconds left to cap a 92-yard scoring driving, and Washington held off No. 24 Oregon State 24-21 to preserve its hopes in the Pac-12 championship game race.

    The Huskies took over at their own 3 with 4:33 left and Penix led the march downfield against the Beavers’ stingy defense. Penix was 9 of 13 for 66 yards on the drive, including key third-down conversions to Devin Culp, Ja’Lynn Polk and a diving catch by Cameron Davis. Penix’s push pass to Giles Jackson for 12 yards got the Huskies to the Oregon State 2. After a pair of incompletions, the Huskies set up for the short field goal and Henry delivered the winning kick.

    “We knew if we gave them the ball back we probably wouldn’t have got it back,” Penix said. “We wanted to make sure that we took advantage of that drive and make sure we got down there and got some points on the board. And it was great that we took up all that clock.”

    Washington (7-2, 4-2 Pac-12) won its third straight and kept alive its slim hopes of finding a spot in Las Vegas in the conference title game. Penix, the nation’s leader in passing, was 30 of 52 for 298 yards and a 24-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal to Jack Westover in the third quarter.

    Wayne Taulapapa ran for two touchdowns for the Huskies, the second coming early in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 21-21. Rome Odunze had seven receptions for 102 yards.

    “It just gives us that mentality that we’re gonna go out there and fight no matter what,” Odunze said.

    The game wasn’t without some typical late-night Pac-12 wackiness. Blustery winds affected the passing and kicking game all night and the game was stopped for 25 minutes early in the fourth quarter after partial power outage took down some of the stadium lights illuminating the field.

    “That was the biggest thing I was probably trying to address with the guys is how hard they had fought to make it a 21-21 score,” Washington coach Kalen DeBoer said. “And we had just gained the momentum and just to get their minds back on how it felt.”

    Deshaun Fenwick rushed for two touchdowns and linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold returned an interception 37 yards for a score for Oregon State, which was playing its first game ranked in The AP Top 25 since the 2013 season opener.

    “Credit to those guys for finishing the game better than we did ultimately,” Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith said. “It was back-and-forth battling. Some missed opportunities out there and they made one or two more plays than us.”

    The Beavers (6-3, 3-3) will lament two missed opportunities in the first half going for it on fourth downs deep in Washington’s end of the field and failing to convert. The windy, blustery conditions made kicking an adventure all night, but failing to get points on those drives came back to bite Oregon State.

    The Beavers were stopped on fourth-and-2 at the Washington 7 and fourth-and-3 at the Washington 15 on consecutive possessions with a chance to extend their early lead.

    “We’re going to error on aggression down there, even more aggression with the way the wind was going,” Smith said. “There’s no guarantee that thing is going through the uprights and I didn’t think the distances were ridiculous.”

    Damien Martinez had 107 yards rushing for Oregon State.

    LIGHTS OUT

    Taulapapa scored on a 4-yard TD run with 11:36 left. But as the Huskies celebrated, a bank of stadium lights on the north side of the stadium went out. Washington kicked the extra point to pull even at 21-21, but after the kick the lights on the south side went down as well.

    After officials huddled with stadium staff, it was announced there would be a delay before the lights would come back on. The lights flickered back on after about 20 minutes and the game resumed after a 25-minute break.

    DeBoer said he had a similar situation during a game at Fresno State in 2018.

    “I sat on the heater. It was cold,” Penix said.

    FLASHBACKS

    The instable weather and the delay in the fourth quarter brought back memories of 2019 when Washington and California played a night game that was delayed by lightning storms in the Seattle area. That game was delayed more than 2 1/2 hours and ended at 1:22 a.m. local time.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Oregon State: The Beavers’ return to the rankings will be brief. Oregon State has not been ranked for more than one week since 2012 when it reached as high as No. 7 before losing at Washington.

    Washington: The Huskies still need help to get to the conference title game and have to win at Oregon next week if they want a shot.

    UP NEXT

    Oregon State: The Beavers host California next Saturday.

    Washington: The Huskies are at No. 8 Oregon next Saturday.

    ———

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  • Rising scores on 2-pointer, No. 20 Utah tops No. 7 USC 43-42

    Rising scores on 2-pointer, No. 20 Utah tops No. 7 USC 43-42

    SALT LAKE CITY — Time was dwindling but the decision had already been made as Cameron Rising drove Utah down the field against previously unbeaten Southern California.

    “We were going to keep the ball in Cam’s hands,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said. “And if we score and time is close to expiring, we were going for 2, no question.”

    Rising threw for 415 yards, ran for three touchdowns and scampered up the middle for a go-ahead two-point conversion with 48 seconds left in No. 20 Utah’s 43-42 victory over the seventh-ranked Trojans on Saturday night.

    The Utes dedicated the game to Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe, former players who died within a year of each other. In the locker room after the game, the team presented the game ball to the fallen players’ mothers in a poignant moment. Both players wore jersey number 22.

    “We wanted to make sure we represented 22 well,” Rising said as the Utes had hand-painted portraits of Jordan and Lowe on their black helmets.

    Even when the Utes were down two touchdowns, Rising said his teammates never doubted.

    “We had an unwavering belief,” Rising said. “Having Ty and Aaron on your helmet made it that much easier to go.”

    Rising rushed a yard for a touchdown on fourth down to set up the deciding conversion.

    “Cam Rising is a competitor, warrior, you name it. He’s a champion,” Whittingham said.

    Caleb Williams threw for 381 yards and five touchdowns for Southern California (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12). Utah (5-2, 3-1) held the Trojans on their last-ditch drive, handing them their first loss as a record crowd of 53,609 shook Rice-Eccles Stadium and then flooded the field.

    “I’m going to be honest, I hate losing. I really, really, really, I hate it, simply,” a devastated Williams said. “So, yeah, I had a little emotion.”

    The Utes needed every one of Rising’s big plays with his legs and his arm during his career night. Rising, who was once committed to current USC coach Lincoln Riley when he was at Oklahoma, became the first Utah QB to throw for 400 yards since Brian Johnson had 417 against San Diego State in 2005.

    Dalton Kincaid had 16 catches for 234 yards, the most for a Ute since Carl Harry had 255 yards in 1988 and the most catches and yards receiving for a Utah tight end.

    “Cam made some really nice throws to him and he made some really phenomenal catches,” Riley said. “The yards that he had after the catch really, really hurt us.”

    Southern Cal’s Mario Williams had four catches for 145 yards and Jordan Addison had seven receptions for 106 yards before an ankle injury took him out of the game.

    Against an all-out blitz, Williams connected with Michael Jackson III, who stepped through a tackle for a 20-yard touchdown with 6:15 to play for a 42-35 lead. It was Jackson’s first catch of the season.

    The Trojans scored on their first three possessions of the game. The assault continued throughout the game but the Utah defense secured the victory after Rising’s heroics in the fourth quarter.

    “Their team is full of explosive players … but they have to play for four quarters and that showed the resiliency of our team,” Utah linebacker Karene Reid said of the final stop.

    Utah has won 23 of its last 24 home games, including a streak of 12 in a row.

    “That certainly had to be one of the most exciting games in Rice-Eccles history. What a performance by our football and it’s a really good team we beat, very talented and the quarterback’s tremendous,” Whittingham said.

    Addison, the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner at Pittsburgh as the nation’s top receiver, had seven catches for 106 yards but hurt his ankle on a reverse in the third quarter.

    KINCAID STEPS IN

    Brant Kuithe was Utah’s focal point in the passing game but is out for the season with a knee injury. Kincaid stepped in with his historic game and the Utah offense didn’t miss a beat, even when the running game faltered.

    “He’s an absolute athlete, one of the best tight ends in the country and tough as nails,” Whittingham said.

    Rising said this game was a result of an instant connection when they both transferred to Utah in 2020 and the trust has grown each year.

    “He’s an easy guy to throw the ball to. When he touches the ball that often, he make plays, he extends them. He’s a player,” Rising said.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Southern California: The Trojans were prolific on offense, but the defense couldn’t stop Rising, especially when it counted. Key penalties often stymied the Trojans when they had opportunities to take a commanding lead.

    Utah: Rising willed the Utes to the win but the defense was gashed by the Trojans. Utah defenders often took poor angles against USC’s speed. Utah turned almost exclusively to the passing game as the running game was stuffed, except for Rising’s power runs.

    POLL IMPLICATIONS

    Utah should rise but the Trojans shouldn’t fall far after the two teams went toe-to-toe for 60 minutes.

    UP NEXT

    Southern California: At Arizona on Oct. 29.

    Utah: At Washington State on Oct. 27.

    ———

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  • Nix, No. 12 Oregon roll up offense in 49-22 win over Arizona

    Nix, No. 12 Oregon roll up offense in 49-22 win over Arizona

    TUCSON, Ariz. — Noah Whittington surveyed the field while running to his right, making a quick cut to evade a tackle before sprinting up the field.

    Then the Oregon running back reached a speed no one else on the field could match, bursting past a half-dozen Arizona defensive players on the way to the end zone. It was the first rushing touchdown of the game for the Ducks.

    There would be many, many others before the night was through.

    Bo Nix threw for 265 yards and ran for three touchdowns, Whittington added the superb 55-yard touchdown run and No. 12 Oregon rolled to a 49-22 victory over Arizona on Saturday.

    “We were able to impose our will at times tonight,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We were able to run the ball the way we wanted to run the ball. Our guys played with physicality, and that’s what we’re looking for. We definitely saw that.”

    The Ducks (5-1, 3-0 Pac-12) scored touchdowns on seven consecutive drives starting midway through the first quarter, building a 49-13 lead by late in the third. All seven scores were on the ground.

    Oregon piled up 580 yards of total offense — including 306 yards rushing — doing pretty much whatever it wanted against Arizona (3-3, 1-2).

    Nix was great on the ground for a second straight game, scoring on a pair of 2-yard runs before breaking free for a 25-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He ran for a career-high 141 yards and two touchdowns last week against Stanford.

    The Ducks have won five straight since a season-opening loss to Georgia, scoring more than 40 points in every game. They built a 28-13 lead by halftime Saturday. Nix completed 13 of 14 passes for 187 yards as the offense racked up 346 total yards before the break.

    “It feels really good offensively,” Nix said. “When you’re able to play fast like we did — up tempo — they were kind of confused at times and we’re just rolling.”

    Arizona managed to stay within striking distance thanks to a 52-yard touchdown run by DJ Williams and a pair of field goals from Tyler Loop, including a 36-yarder as time expired in the second quarter.

    But the Ducks erased any doubt about the outcome in the third. Oregon opened the second half with an efficient eight-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Nix’s second touchdown run for a 35-13 advantage. A few minutes later, Bucky Irving ran for a 22-yard touchdown and a 42-13 lead.

    Arizona’s Jayden de Laura completed 24 of 42 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

    The Wildcats had a promising first drive snuffed out at the Oregon 11 when de Laura and Jacob Cowing botched a handoff. Oregon’s DJ Johnson was there to fall on the fumble. With Oregon rolling on offense, those mistakes were insurmountable.

    “We couldn’t keep up,” Arizona coach Jedd Fisch said. “They were going and we weren’t stopping them. Then we got stopped a couple times in a row, pinned them back, but couldn’t get the stop. Wasn’t the type of game we wanted, but they played a complete game.

    “We tell the players all the time, ‘You win or you learn.’ In this case, we learned.”

    Oregon had to punt on its first offensive drive but quickly found its offensive rhythm.

    Whittington’s touchdown put Oregon up 7-3 and the Ducks added to their momentum early in the second. Nix hit a diving Kris Hutson for a 42-yard gain that was just short of a touchdown. On the next play, Nix kept it himself for a 2-yard touchdown and 14-3 lead.

    TARGETING

    Oregon’s Dontae Manning was called for targeting in the second quarter and ejected. He had a helmet-to-helmet hit on Arizona’s Cowing.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Arizona: There’s no shame in losing to the Ducks, but there’s little doubt the Wildcats will be disappointed, particularly with the defensive performance. Arizona’s given up 49 points in two of the past three weeks and that’s not going to win a lot of football games.

    Oregon: The Ducks are gaining steam and now get two weeks to prepare for a showdown against UCLA, which could be a Top 10 team by the time the game is played. Nix — an Auburn transfer — is starting to look comfortable with his new school.

    UP NEXT

    Arizona: Travels to face Washington next Saturday.

    Oregon: Plays at home vs. UCLA on Oct. 22.

    ———

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