CU mascot "Chip" being ran into field prior to CU vs Washington at Folsom Field on November 23, 2019 (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News).
Boulder, CU – The Colorado Buffs broke a nine-game losing streak against Washington, in a close defensive win for their final home game of the season.
CU Jaren Mangham (1) looks for running room upfield in first quarter of CU vs Washington at Folsom Field on November 23, 2019 (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News).
Colorado entered halftime with a 13-0 lead, but the Huskies
scored early in the third quarter. The Buffs responded with another touchdown,
and the Huskies scored one more time early in the fourth quarter. Resulting in
the end-score, 20-14.
Before this game, the defense allowed an average of 32.3
points-per-game, which led to some high-scoring games that resulted in Colorado
losing. In the past two games, the defense turned their season around, allowing
13.5 per game.
The Buffs defense held the Huskies to 238 yards, and sacked
Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason five times, and intercepted him once.
CU Steven Montez (12) runs for some yardage in first quarter of CU vs Washington at Folsom Field on November 23, 2019 (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News).
An attacking defense that stops the run is exactly what
Buffs head coach Mel Tucker wants out of his defense.
And according to the stats, this is exactly what the defense
offered during Washington, allowing them on only 6-17 third-down conversions.
“You got to hold people to low numbers if you want to win
games,” said Tucker on the differences between this defense now, and earlier in
the season, “You want to beat good football teams, you can’t five up 30-points
a game.”
CU Laviska Shenault Jr. (2) is tackled by Washington Edefuan Ulofoshio (48) and Asa Turner (20) in first quarter of CU vs Washington at Folsom Field on November 23, 2019 (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News).
Quarterback Steven Montez broke the record for the most
touchdowns in Buffs history in his final home game on a throw and catch that
almost seemed impossible.
As Montez dropped back to pass, the rush got to him, but
that didn’t stop him from throwing a ball towards the back of the end-zone. The
ball was overthrown slightly, but that didn’t stop receiver Laviska Shenault
from catching the ball.
“Just an amazing catch,” said Montez which he referred to
as, “the Laviska Shenault effect.”
Washington Jacob Eason (10) makes throw down field in second quarter of CU vs Washington at Folsom Field on November 23, 2019 (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News).
Because the game was controlled by the Buffs defense, the
Colorado offense ran the ball on their terms, rushing for over 207 yards. This
is important to Tucker’s philosophy as he plans to continue this trend in the
final game and for future seasons.
Next week the Buffs head to No 7 Utah and get to play the spoiler role with a victory.
Oregon Ducks vs Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, November 23, 2019. (John Hays / fi360 News)
TEMPE, AZ – The
Arizona State Sun Devils (6-5, 3-5) played spoiler to the No. 6 Oregon Ducks
(9-2, 7-1) delivering fans the 31-28 upset on homecoming, and dashing the
Ducks’ hopes for a College Playoff berth.
Oregon Ducks vs Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, November 23, 2019. (John Hays / fi360 News)
It was one heck of
an evening for freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Sun Devil outlasted
Oregon in their, 31-28 win, officially becoming bowl eligible.
Coming into this one
fresh off the 35-34 loss to Oregon State, and losers of four-straight games,
Herm Edwards message to his team coming into this one was simple, “we knew
coming into this game, that the only way to survive it, was to make it ugly early”
head coach Herm Edwards said.
However, it wasn’t
going to be easy.
Oregon had all the
hype. The Ducks were in play for a potential College Playoff Berth, quarterback
Justin Herbert is in possible contention for the Heisman Trophy, it seemed like
everything was setting up for a big evening for Oregon.
Oregon Ducks vs Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, November 23, 2019. (John Hays / fi360 News)
Things looked
especially ominous early on, as the Ducks drove the field on just their second
drive of the game to make it 7-0 after a Cyrus Habibi-Likio touchdown run from
five yards out.
Trailing 7-0,
responded in a big way by going 75 yards on four plays to even the score at 7-7
after a Daniels to Frank Darby touchdown from 57 yards away tied this one.
Using a stifling
defense, ASU would generate a lot of pressure on the Ducks for much of the
first half, forcing Oregon out of its groove, and more importantly on Herbert.
The key to Herbert’s
struggles was to “just getting pressure,” said senior Devils’
linebacker Khaylan Kearse-Thomas, “when he gets pressure, he gets a little
rattled.”
Oregon Ducks vs Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, November 23, 2019. (John Hays / fi360 News)
Luckily for ASU,
they were able to capitalize after getting the in the second quarter and
driving 69 yards on 11 plays, before finally settling on a 25-yard field goal
from Christian Zendejas to make it 10-7.
Oregon would have
one more chance to get points, but the Ducks came up short, punting it right
back to ASU, before the half ended with the Sun Devils leading 10-7.
Coming into this
one, Edwards’ attitude was to defer the ball, and hopefully steal a possession.
“You always defer,” he said. “You steal a possession, especially
if it all works out in the first half, you’ll have the ball before the half ends…
then you’ll get it in the third quarter.” Well, with such a risky strategy
against a talented team like Oregon, it seemed like the gamble paid off big
time in this one!
Oregon Ducks vs Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, November 23, 2019. (John Hays / fi360 News)
The second half
would certainly lead to some fireworks in this one. Starting with the ball, ASU
would drive the field on their first drive, scoring on a 28-yard field goal
again from Zendejas to make it 13-7.
A few series later,
an interception by Herbert would set-up a Sun Devils’ touchdown, this time on a
pass from Daniels to Darby from 26 yards out. After a successful two-point
attempt, ASU would go up 21-7.
Two plays later,
Herbert would throw his second pick of the game, setting up ASU for yet another
field goal to make it 24-7 with 8:42 left in the game!
However, that’s when
the drama would begin to set-in!
Oregon would come
right back, marching down the field in three plays to score a touchdown,
followed by another three-play drive to only trail 24-21 with 5:24 to play.
Before taking the
field again, Edwards would chat with his fresh quarterback, trying to help him,
“I told him hey man, it’s real simple, if you make three first downs in
this series, the games over… but you could throw a touchdown too if you want.”
Needing some big
plays on that drive, the freshman Daniels would come up big for the Devils
again, this time finding Bradon Aiyuk over the top on an 81-yard touchdown to
make it 31-21, essentially putting this one away for good!
Oregon would get the
ball back with 3:46 to go, and would find the endzone again, this time on a
Herbert pass to Johnny Johnson to make it 31-28 after the extra point.
However, an
unsuccessful on-side kick gave ASU the ball and the eventual victory, as the
Devils ran out the clock to deliver the win!
For Edwards, the win
comes at perfect timing, as his team got tired of losing. “Losing ain’t no
fun for anybody,” he said. “For the fans, the student body, the
coaches and the players… I told them, when you get tired of losing, you’ll win again.”
And that they did! With the win, the Devils become bowl eligible again under
coach Edwards. The win is especially important to the seniors who get
“another game,” said running back Eno Benjamin. “Some play go on
and don’t play football anymore, so just being able to grant those guys another
game, it’s a huge opportunity.”
As for the Devils,
they will have the next few days off before preparing for rival Arizona and the
Territorial Cup. For Oregon, the will still compete for a Pac-12 Championship,
but their playoff hopes are likely to be officially over.
The California Golden Bears defeat the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, November 23, 2019, to earn the program's first victory in the Big Game rivalry in ten years. (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News)
Palo Alto, CA – Coming into the
day, the Cal Bears (6-5, 3-5) had not defeated rival Stanford (4-7, 3-3) since
2009. The oldest rivalry in the West belonged to the Cardinal for nine
consecutive seasons.
The California Golden Bears defeat the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, November 23, 2019, to earn the program’s first victory in the Big Game rivalry in ten years. (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News)
That streak ended Saturday with Cal edging out a 24-20
victory in the 122nd playing of the Big Game on the back of its stingy defense
and a gutsy performance from starting quarterback Chase Garbers (7).
Garbers made his return to the lineup last week when
the Bears were pummeled by USC at home after missing the entire month of
October. He was forced to leave before the half, however, and though he was
named the starter coming into the game this week, he hadn’t been publicly
cleared to play up until game-time.
For the Cardinal, they were without their starter as
K.J. Costello was ruled out for the second straight week. Redshirt sophomore
Davis Mills (15) gave Stanford an experienced leader under center with the
quarterback starting five games this season, including a
school-record 504-yard passing performance in a loss to Washington State last
week.
This game was balanced and highly competitive from the
start.
The California Golden Bears defeat the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, November 23, 2019, to earn the program’s first victory in the Big Game rivalry in ten years. (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News)
The Cardinal struck first, scoring a touchdown on their
opening drive with a 40-yard catch and run by senior receiver Donald Stewart
(8).
Later in the quarter, the Bears evened the score with a
13-play, 90-yard drive finished off by running back Christopher Brown Jr. (34)
on a seven-yard rushing touchdown.
Both teams would capitalize on field goal tries in the
second quarter to make it 10-10 before the Cardinal blocked the Bears’ field
goal attempt just before the end of the half, their fourth blocked field goal
of the year.
The California Golden Bears defeat the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, November 23, 2019, to earn the program’s first victory in the Big Game rivalry in ten years. (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News)
In the third quarter, the strength of the Cal defense
emerged with the self-described “takers” pulling interceptions on two
straight Stanford drives.
Stanford would regain the lead despite their struggles
with turnovers in the quarter when their workhorse senior running back Cameron
Scarlett (22) drove in a one-yard rushing score to make it 17-10.
The back-and-forth scoring continued in the fourth
quarter with the Bears finishing off an 84-yard drive when Nikko Remigio (4)
hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Garbers in the back of the endzone,
followed by a field goal from Stanford placekicker Ryan Sanborn (27) to push
the Cardinal ahead once more, 20-17.
Driving toward their passionate fans packed into the
corner of Stanford Stadium, the Bears needed at least a field goal when they
regained possession with just 2:23 remaining.
It was Garbers, playing in his first full game since he
orchestrated an upset victory at Ole Miss on September 21, who gave his team
the lead on a 16-yard rushing touchdown with 1:19 left to play.
The California Golden Bears defeat the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, November 23, 2019, to earn the program’s first victory in the Big Game rivalry in ten years. (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News)
Finally, the team put its fate in the defense, as they
have throughout the season and through most of head coach Justin Wilcox’s
tenure thus far.
They prevailed.
The Bears stopped the Cardinal shot on fourth down with
41 seconds remaining and the Bears had ended the rivalry drought.
With the win, the Bears are now bowl-eligible for the
third time in five years and in consecutive seasons for the first time since
2008 and 2009.
For Wilcox, this is his first victory over the
cross-bay rival Cardinal in three seasons at Cal, while Stanford coach David
Shaw was 8-0 against the Bears coming in.
“It was awesome. What it means for this team and
this Cal community is something special,” Garbers said after the game.
“And after 10 years of not having The Axe, we finally got it back. I think
winning this definitely makes a statement in the history of the Big Game and
going forward.”
Stanford needed victories against Cal and over visiting
Notre Dame next week to give themselves a chance at postseason play and will
see the end of a decade-long bowl streak conclude this season.
Garbers led the way for the Cal offense finishing with
285 yards on 20-of-30 attempts through the air and a touchdown to go along with
a game-high 72 yards rushing and the go-ahead touchdown on the ground.
On the other side, Mills was able to put up a solid
performance outside of the third-quarter turnovers with 283 yards passing on
26-of-35 attempts and a touchdown.
The Bears’ National Defensive Player of the Year
candidate, linebacker Evan Weaver (89), entered the game leading the nation in
nearly every tackling-related statistical category and finished the day with 13
more total tackles, seven of them on his own, and one tackle-for-loss, to give
him 164 on the season.
The Bears will look to improve their record next week
to improve their bowl bid when they take on the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl in
their final match-up of the regular season. They will likely relish in today’s
victory for the moment though.
Stanford will look to close out the 2019 campaign as
best they can against the No. 16 Fighting Irish, who will be coming in looking
to improve upon their record in hope of securing a New Year’s Day bowl.
“We keep churning,” coach Shaw said in
postgame. “We’ll find a way to get back and come back seven days from now
and try to end the
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 23: USC Trojans wide receiver Drake London (15) catches the ball for a gain during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and The USC Trojans on November 23, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
USC trailed 14-10 in the second quarter before the Kedon Slovis show began. The Trojans scored 28 consecutive points and Slovis threw for a school-record 515 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-35 win over rival UCLA Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 23: UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) looks to throw the ball during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and The USC Trojans on November 23, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 23: USC Trojans quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) looks to pass the ball during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and The USC Trojans on November 23, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
This was Slovis fourth 400 yard game in the last five contest. He passed Matt Barkely’s single game USC records against UCLA and tied Barkley for the most 400-yard passing games in a USC career.
“This is 4-5 games with 400+ yards and I think he’s doing a really nice job finding the one on one opportunities and believing in his playmakers,” USC coach Clay Helton said. “In 25 years, I’ve never had four receivers with over 100 yards. I’m proud of what he’s become and I’m proud of how coachable and learns from mistakes and gets better with each time.”
USC set a school record with four pass catchers going over 100 receiving yards.Michael Pittman Jr. tied a career best with 13 catches for 104 yards today. It was his fourth game this season with 10 or more catches and fifth with 100 or more receiving yards. Pittman had two receiving touchdowns today to give him 20 all-purpose touchdowns in his career. The two touchdowns today matched a career high. It is his third game this season and fifth of his career with two touchdowns.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 23: USC Trojans wide receiver Drake London (15) catches the ball for a gain during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and The USC Trojans on November 23, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
Freshman Drake London had career high with eight receptions and 142 receiving yard. He also had a touchdown catch, his fourth of the season and fourth consecutive game with a touchdown catch. Tyler Vaughns had six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown It was his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season and seventh of his career. Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with eight catches for 128 yards today. It was his third 100-yard receiving game of the season and fourth of his career.
“Like coach said, any of you in here could throw for a couple hundred yards with these receivers,” Slovis said. “So yeah, it’s exciting to put up numbers but I think I really have a good team around me that makes it happen.”
The Trojans took a 10-7 lead in the first quarter after Vavae Malepeai’s 1-yard touchdown run. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson scored on a 3-yard run to put the Bruins up 14-10 in the second quarter. Pittman Jr. caught two touchdowns to give USC a 24-14 halftime lead.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 23: USC Trojans running back Stephen Carr (7) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and The USC Trojans on November 23, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
Slovis hit London on a 32-yard touchdown to open the third quarter. Malepeai scored his second touchdown of the game before UCLA’s Devin Asiasi and Chase Cota caught touchdown passes to cut the USC lead, 38-28.
Vaughns reeled in a 49-yard touchdown pass and running back Stephen Carr closed the show with a 2-yard touchdown run.
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 23: USC Trojans wide receiver Devon Williams (2) catches the ball during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and The USC Trojans on November 23, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
“Never quit the fight, we believed in the process,” Helton said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of them for finishing like they have. I couldn’t be any happier, it gives up the opportunity to be in Santa Clarita. We’re going to be the biggest Wildcat and Buffalo fans over the next two weeks.”
USC needs a Utah loss in its final two games to be able to play in the Pac-12 championship game
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 23: USC Trojans wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (6) catches a touchdown pass during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins and The USC Trojans on November 23, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)
Temple vs USC NCAA Basketball game on Friday November 22, 2019 at Galen Center. (Photo by Rick Guerrola)
LOS ANGELES – USC Trojans Men’s basketball team suffered its
first defeat of the season to the Temple Owls 70-61,
Friday night at the Galen Center.
Temple vs USC NCAA Basketball game on Friday November 22, 2019 at Galen Center. (Photo by Rick Guerrola)
“That was a tough game for us tonight. We didn’t play
well offensively,” said Andy Enfield. “We made a lot of mistakes. We
missed some shots. Give Temple credit. They played a hard, physical game but we
just didn’t get it done offensively tonight.”
That is an accurate statement as the Trojans shot it at a 38
percent clip, including only making six-of- 22 from the land of threes. It
could have been much worse if not for the performance of freshman sensation
Onyeka “Big O” Okongwu, who led the way for the Trojans with 17
points on 6-of-13 from the field with six boards and five blocks. Big O has had
at least one block in every game this season.
Pac-12 player of the week Nick Rakocevic struggled in this
game, only making 2-of-7. However, one of those makes by Rakocevic was his
first career three pointer.
Temple vs USC NCAA Basketball game on Friday November 22, 2019 at Galen Center. (Photo by Rick Guerrola)
It was the perimeter players who really built a foundation
with their bricks. This was especially true for senior guard Jonah Mathews, who
missed eight of his 10 shots.
“We’re in the gym every day,” said Mathews.
“They just haven’t started falling yet but we’re going to keep them
coming.”
For Temple, they did keep coming and at a rapid pace,
particularly during one stage early in the second half when they blitzed the
Trojans with a 19-2 run that turned the game on its head.
Three runs can characterize this game. The first found the
Trojans down 25-16 just inside the six-minute mark of the first half but closed
strong under leadership of freshman Ethan Anderson, who scored four points to
jump start a 14-6 run to close the first
half; he had 12 points and five assists.
Temple vs USC NCAA Basketball game on Friday November 22, 2019 at Galen Center. (Photo by Rick Guerrola)
Temple guard Josh Pierre-Louis had 13 points in first half
on 5-8 shooting, including 2-of-4 from long range.
“His contribution was big,” said Temple head coach and
former Laker Aaron McKie about his reserve player. “I wasn’t anticipating
Josh coming in like he did the first half and was making shots but it happened
for us at a good time and he kept us in it until our veteran guys were able to
get their footing. I think we took control of that game midway through the
second half.”
Down by one out of the locker room, the Trojans torch stayed
lit from how they closed the first half as they opened the second half on a
10-3, to go up 40-34 on the visitors. This was the last good thing that happened for
the Trojans in the game.
“We played the first 4 or 5 minutes of the second half, and
then we turned the ball over and missed shots,” said Enfield.
Temple vs USC NCAA Basketball game on Friday November 22, 2019 at Galen Center. (Photo by Rick Guerrola)
Temple scored 13 straight points while the Trojans could not splash the net in a six-minute span. Big O made layup to stop the bleeding, temporarily, but six more in a row put Temple up 53-42 and the Trojans could not get back in a groove.
Temple vs USC NCAA Basketball game on Friday November 22, 2019 at Galen Center. (Photo by Rick Guerrola)
The Trojans fall to 5-1 on the season as they head to
Orlando for a three-game ESPN Invitational Tournament next week.
Pepperdine Waves vs USC Trojans PAC-12 Basketball game on Tuesday November 19, 2019 at the Galen Center. (Photo by Jerry Kelly)
USC held a five-point lead with 1:20 left in the second half when Nick Rakocevic received a pass in the paint and quickly threw an alley-oop to freshman Onyeka Okongwu who threw it down with two hands.
Pepperdine Waves vs USC Trojans PAC-12 Basketball game on Tuesday November 19, 2019 at the Galen Center. (Photo by Jerry Kelly)
Okongwu finished with a career night, scoring 33 points to lead USC to a 91-84 win over Pepperdine Tuesday at the Galen Center.
“Onyeka does what he does well,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said. “And when he is fouled, he makes his free throws. He played a smart game. All three of our bigs played well. If we can get that productivity out of our three bigs, that’d be pretty good.”
The Trojans improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2016. Rakocevic had 16 points and 11 rebounds while Jonah Mathews added 16 points as well. Four players finished in double figures for USC.
Pepperdine Waves vs USC Trojans PAC-12 Basketball game on Tuesday November 19, 2019 at the Galen Center. (Photo by Jerry Kelly)
“That was a good win against a very good team,” Enfield said. “Both teams offensively made a lot of tough shots. Ross was spectacular. He had some shot making you don’t see often. Every time we tried to extend the lead, he’d hit a shot. Our guys played well and we’re 5-0. Pepperdine is much improved. Lorenzo has done a good job and they have a lot of offensive talent.”
USC got off to a slow start, trailing by double digits twice in the first half. Pepperdine took a 21-11 lead after a layup by Skylar Chavez. USC made nine of its final 13 shots in the first half to take 44-37 halftime lead.
Colby Ross hit a three-pointer to open the second half for Pepperdine but USC went on a 9-0 run before Elijah Weaver nailed a three-pointer to give USC a 56-46 lead. Ross finished with a career-high 38 points.
Pepperdine Waves vs USC Trojans PAC-12 Basketball game on Tuesday November 19, 2019 at the Galen Center. (Photo by Jerry Kelly)
“We tried different things on Ross,” Enfield said. “He had it rolling. Some of the shots he made were really hard. Sometimes you’ve got to give others credit.”
Freshman Isaiah Mobley hit a pair of free throws to give USC a 73-61 lead with 9:27 left in the second half. After an 8-0 run by the Waves, Mathews hit back-to-back three-pointers to get the lead back up to nine points.Mobley scored 14 points off the bench.
“The coaches kept telling me to be aggressive,” Mobley said. “I was trying to find where I can be consistent and persistent. I found a spot in the second half to get going.”
Pepperdine Waves vs USC Trojans PAC-12 Basketball game on Tuesday November 19, 2019 at the Galen Center. (Photo by Jerry Kelly)
USC’s next game will be against Temple (3-0) on Friday, Nov. 22 at the Galen Center.
PAC-12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Rick Gurrola / fi360 News)
Pac-12 Football Players of the Week – Week 12
OFFENSE: Anthony Gordon, R-Sr., QB, Washington State (Pacifica, Calif.) • Led WSU to a 49-22 victory over visiting Stanford as he completed
44 of 60 passes (73.3%) for 520 yards, five TDs and 1 interception. • Upped his season total to 39, most in WSU single-season history and tied for fourth-most in Pac-12 single-season history • Gordon’s 520 yards, his 2nd 500-yard game this season, upped his
season passing total to 4,314, fifth-most in WSU history and 10th-most
in Pac-12 history. • Gordon led the Cougars to scores on nine of WSU’s 11 drives, with
the non-scoring drives ending on an interception and the final drive of
the game with WSU taking a knee. • Completed passes to eight different receivers and was at his best
in the second half, completing 17 of 19 passes (89.5%) for 203 yards and
two TDs. • Completed 9 of 11 3rd-down passes for 148 yards, 2 TDs, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
DEFENSE: Julian Blackmon, Sr., S, Utah (Layton, Utah) • Finished with a game-high 12 tackles (1.5 sacks, 1.5 TFL), adding a
forced fumble and an interception in Utah’s 49-3 win over UCLA. • He is a part of a defense that has held five opponents to
single-digits this season, including four games holding an opponent
without a touchdown. • Is tied for the Pac-12 lead with four interceptions this season and is tied for ninth in the FBS • Assisted in a sack for a loss of nine yards on a second-and-goal
for the Bruins, pushing them back to the Utah nine-yard line where they
eventually had to settle on a field goal in the first drive of the game. • Forced a fumble on a sack for a loss of 17 yards on a third-and-10
for the Bruins with Utah picking it up and running it back for a 68-yard
return.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Brandon Aiyuk, Sr., KR/PR/WR, Arizona State (Reno, Nev.) • Three punt returns for 76 yards, including a 63-yard return for touchdown at Oregon State. • Also had two kickoff returns for 44 yards. • Combined with his performance on offense, Aiyuk collected 293
all-purpose yards (173 receiving, 76 punt return, 44 kick return), the
fifth-most in single-game program history. This represents his seventh
performance with 100+ all-purpose yards this season and 11th of his
career.
Also nominated: Chase McGrath, PK, USC; Travell Harris, KR/WR, WSU
OFFENSIVE LINE: Shane Lemieux, Sr., RG, Oregon (Yakima, Wash.) • Finished as the highest-graded guard in the Pac-12 for week 12 by
Pro Football Focus during No. 6 Oregon’s 34-6 win over Arizona. • Made his 48th consecutive start at right guard. • Did not allow a hit, hurry or pressure on the QB over 67 snaps • Led the Ducks with a season-high seven knockdowns and had a 97 percent assignment grade from the Oregon coaches. • Had an 80.4 overall grade from PFF, good for third best nationally among guards • Protected QB Justin Herbert, who threw for 333 yards and four TDs • Oregon totaled 471 yards of offense and averaged 7.0 yards per play.
Also nominated: Blake Brandel, OT, OSU; Frederick Mauigoa, OG, WSU
DEFENSIVE LINE: Mika Tafua, So., DE, Utah (Laie, Hawaii) • Tafua was a key part in Utah’s 49-3 win over UCLA, scoring Utah’s
defensive touchdown on a fumble recovery return while contributing five
tackles (1.0 TFL) and his fourth fumble recovery of the season. • Tafua’s fumble recovery return for 68 yards was Utah’s fifth
defensive touchdown of the season and is tied for the fourth-longest
fumble return in school history. • Tafua is tied for first in FBS football and ranks first in the Pac-12 this season in fumbles recovered (4). • He is a part of the Utah defense that held UCLA to 50 yards
rushing, the ninth team this season that Utah has held to under 100
yards rushing.
Also nominated: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, ORE; Simon Sandberg, DL, OSU
FRESHMAN: Drake London, Fr., WR, USC (Moorpark, Calif.) • London had 6 receptions for 111 yards with an 8-yard TD catch in the 41-17 win at California. • It was his first 100-yard game in his career. • He had a 45-yard catch in which he outjumped a defender and
wrestled the ball away, the second consecutive week he has used his
basketball skills to make a spectacular grab (he plans to join the
Trojan basketball team in January). • He now has 27 receptions with 3 TDs on the year and his 14.5 average yards per reception tops USC regulars.
Also nominated: Jayden Daniels, QB, ASU; Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, ORE; Omar Speights, LB, OSU
Arizona vs Oregon PAC-12 football game in Eugene, OR on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Megan Connelly / fi360 News).
EUGENE, OR – The 6th ranked Oregon Ducks defeated the Arizona Wildcats 34-6 late Saturday night,
securing the Pac-12 North Division Title in the process.
Question marks have
surrounded Oregon’s offense all season, and despite only converting 53% of
their third down attempts the Ducks offense showed moments of explosiveness
they’ve been looking for. Marcus Arroyo’s offense averaged over 6-yards per
play on first down and gained 471 total yards to Arizona’s 240.
Arizona vs Oregon PAC-12 football game in Eugene, OR on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Megan Connelly / fi360 News).
Justin Herbert became the
second player in Oregon history to break 10,000 total career yards and 100
total career touchdowns after he completed 20/28 passes for 333 yards, and 4
touchdowns. Herbert now trails only Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who
was in attendance, on the all-time Oregon stat list.
Leading the Ducks on the
receiving end were Juwan Johnson and Johnny Johnson III, who posted similar
nights of 5 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, and 4 catches for 89 yards
and a touchdown, respectively. Juwan Johnson’s longest catch of the night came
off a 53-yard reverse flea flicker from Justin Herbert, who dropped the ball
perfectly in stride for a touchdown.
Arizona vs Oregon PAC-12 football game in Eugene, OR on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Megan Connelly / fi360 News).
Head Coach Mario Cristobal was a physical offensive lineman for the University of Miami between 1989-92 himself and understands the importance of winning battles up front. After the game he stated, “We felt to win this game that we were going to have to take control at the line of scrimmage”. Oregon’s defense dominated the front line, recording 9 tackles for loss and 6 sacks on the night.
The Ducks move to 9-1 on the
season after the win, and Mario Cristobal knows his team’s goals are still in
their control. “The best part about it is, and his feels like a broken record…
but our guys still feel like we haven’t played our best football”.
Come December 4th,
the Ducks will compete in the Pac-12 Championship game in Santa Clara for the
first time since 2014, which will likely be against a highly ranked Utah Ute
team. With a win, either team would have a strong argument for having a chance
to compete in the College Football Playoff.
Arizona vs Oregon PAC-12 football game in Eugene, OR on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Megan Connelly / fi360 News).
Injuries unfortunately struck
Oregon again, the biggest of which hit came after freshman wide receiver Mycah
Pittman suffered what appears to be a significant arm injury at the end of a
play. Pittman struggled with injuries early in the season, and already missed 4
games due to a broken collarbone. The loss of Pittman definitely hurts, but the
emergence of Juwan Johnson and Spencer Webb should fill the void if Pittman
indeed misses significant time.
Arizona vs Oregon PAC-12 football game in Eugene, OR on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Megan Connelly / fi360 News).
The Ducks will head to
Arizona State next week before hosting in-state rival Oregon State for the
‘Civil War’ in their final home game of the season on November 30th.
Indiana vs Penn State Big Ten football game on November 16, 2019. (Photo by Patrick Blain)
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – It was far from a flashy 34-27 victory for a
Penn State football team looking to rebound from a disappointment of a week
ago. When the matchup between #24 Indiana (7-3, 4-3) and #9 Penn State (9-1,
6-1) came down to crunch time, it was a fourth down decision in the final
quarter that ultimately determined the fate for the Hoosiers.
Indiana vs Penn State Big Ten football game on November 16, 2019. (Photo by Patrick Blain)
With 1:48 remaining and the score at 27-24, Penn State quarterback
Sean Clifford used his legs to stretch across the goal line on a 4th down and 1
yard play. The Nittany Lions finished 2-2 on fourth down conversions and
Clifford finished the day with 55 yards rushing on 10 carries and two
touchdowns.
When asked about his late game play calling, Penn State head coach
James Franklin said, “It was the right decision… it worked.”
After star wide receiver KJ Hamler left the game in the first
quarter with an undisclosed injury, he was oddly seen with a bull horn cheering
teammates on from the tunnel at moments during the game. Penn State shifted
gears on offense following Hamler’s absence and turned to another young star
in-the-making running back Journey Brown.
Indiana vs Penn State Big Ten football game on November 16, 2019. (Photo by Patrick Blain)
“You know how KJ is… KJ be KJ at the end of the day,” said Brown
of his teammate Hamler.
Journey Brown finished the day with 100 yards rushing on 21
carries and one touchdown. “Our offensive line played great, giving me holes
and time to hit them.”
Indiana vs Penn State Big Ten football game on November 16, 2019. (Photo by Patrick Blain)
Penn State’s passing defense suffered mightily for the second week
in a row. Indiana’s top ranked Big Ten passing attack torched Penn State for
371 yards.
Next up for the Nittany Lions is a visit at the Horseshoe on
Saturday, Nov. 23 with #2 Ohio State. Game time is set for noon.
Indiana vs Penn State Big Ten football game on November 16, 2019. (Photo by Patrick Blain)
The USC Trojans defeat the Cal Bears 41-17 at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News).
Berkeley, CA – The final home game of the 2019
season did not go accordingly to plan for the California Golden Bears (5-5,
2-5), as they fell to the USC Trojans (7-4,6-2) in a 41-17 rout on senior
night.
The USC Trojans defeat the Cal Bears 41-17 at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News).
The opening quarter brought what appeared to be a
fairly even matchup with the return of quarterback Chase Garbers (7) for the
Bears, who led the offense down the field for an opening-drive touchdown capped
off by a 5-yard dash to the endzone by running back DeShawn Collins (26).
The Trojans would also score on their first
drive, marking the first of four touchdown passes on the night, all to
different receivers, for quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) who found Amon-Ra St.
Brown (8) for an 18-yard strike to make it 7-7.
USC would take a 10-7 lead heading into the
second quarter with a 41-yard field goal from Chase McGrath (40) before the
Bears would tack on 3 points of their own with a 37-yarder from Greg Thomas
(39).
The USC Trojans defeat the Cal Bears 41-17 at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News).
It was in the second quarter, however, that
everything started to fall apart for Cal.
First came the loss of Garbers. Again.
The sophomore quarterback would leave the game
after going down on a short scramble to his left side, much like the play in
which he was injured against Arizona State and forced to miss nearly half the
season.
Then it was Evan Tattersall (54), who left the
game on a stretcher after receiving medical attention for several minutes
following a hard collision in kickoff coverage. Tattersall was ultimately taken
to the hospital but it was confirmed that he was alert and demonstrating
movement of his extremities following the game.
The final blow for Cal in the second quarter, and
what would be the beginning of USC’s march toward a blowout win, was a 33-yard
touchdown pass from Slovis to Michael Pittman Jr. (33) with just 43 seconds
remaining in the half.
The USC Trojans defeat the Cal Bears 41-17 at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News).
In the second half, it was all USC with Slovis
delivering two more scoring strikes, first to London Drake (15) and then to
Josh Falo (83), to go along with a 2-yard rushing score from Stephen Carr (7).
The Trojans effectively ripped apart the Cal
secondary, tallying 462 total yards of offseason with 406 through the air on
29-of-35 attempts from Slovis.
Collins provided a late spark for the Bears,
shedding tacklers on his way to a 34-yard rushing score to give the Bears their
only points of the half, but it was far too late for any hope of a comeback.
The USC Trojans defeat the Cal Bears 41-17 at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif., on Saturday, November 16, 2019 (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News).
After the game, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox
noted just how impressive the Trojan’s offensive weapons had been.
“I’ve never seen a receiving corps like that
in this conference, not in 20 years,” he said.
Cal, on the other hand, struggled to produce a
passing attack strong enough to go along with a decent rushing performance, led
by Collins who contributed 103 yards of the Bears’ 166 total on the ground as
well as both of his team’s rushing touchdowns on just 15 carries.
Quarterback Devon Modster (6), after delivering
his strongest performance yet for the Bears against Washington State last week
after becoming the go-to man under center after the first injury to Garbers,
was unable to provide the level consistency his team needed in this one.
He finished 11-of-22 for 95 yards passing with 2
interceptions and added just 19 yards rushing.
The Bears now look to cross-bay rival Stanford,
as they will head down to The Farm next week for the 2019 edition of The Big
Game before finishing the regular season at UCLA.
“We have to own this. All of us. It’s
disappointing that we didn’t perform better,” Wilcox said. “We knew
we had to perform well against a team with that type of talent. We have to
regroup on Monday. I know that’s exactly what we will do.”
The Trojans will welcome the UCLA Bruins in the
final game of their regular season next week.
