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Another close match, ending with Colorado loss as time expires 

By
Devon Martinez
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Shedeur Sanders runs for a first quarter touchdown against Arizona at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Saturday November 11, 2023. Arizona won 34 to 31. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)

Boulder, CU – With no time remaining and a tied game, the Arizona Wildcats secured their win against the Colorado Buffaloes 34-31 with a 24-yard field goal Saturday at a sold-out Folsom Field for the final home game this season. 

“We could have won the darn game. I like that we should have won. I’m tired of we could’ve won,” coach Deion Sander said. 

Colorado’s Jimmy Horn Jr. (5) attempts to hurdle over Arizona’s Genesis Smith (12) in the second quarter at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Saturday November 11, 2023. Arizona won 34 to 31. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)

And he’s right, they should have won. The drive prior to the final game winning field goal, Colorado kicker Alejandro Mata missed a 44-yard field goal to the right with 4:57 remaining. The team was also in the lead until the final snap. 

The last four loses have been by a total of 25 points. 

After two back-to-back punts, Colorado took the lead Saturday as Sanders finished a three-play drive with a 16-yard run. The Wildcats replied with a touchdown, tying the match 7-7. 

Arizona’s Noah Fifita (11) looks for his running back to make the hand off in the fourth quarter at Colorado at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Saturday November 11, 2023. Arizona won 34 to 31. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)

But Colorado replied again with another touchdown, this time a 20-yard pass from Sanders to wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. 

Shedeur Sanders ended the match with two passing touchdowns and a run; he also finished with 262 yards passing to go over the 10,000-yard mark for his career. And despite the losing season, Sanders is close to breaking some program records at Colorado as he is 56 passing yards away from the single season passing yard record of 3,2000 set by Sefo Liufau in 2014. 

Colorado went into the second half with another touchdown and field goal, leading 24-17. 

Arizona’s Tanner McLachlan (84) makes a fourth quarter sideline reception while Colorado’s Jordan Domineck (44) closes in to make the tackle at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Saturday November 11, 2023. Arizona won 34 to 31. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)

The Wildcats scored early in the 3rd, attempting a comeback, and tying the match 24-24 after a 2-yard pass. 

However, Shedeur Sanders’ seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Harrison late in the third put Colorado up 31-24. On the same play, Arizona defensive end Taylor Upshaw was called for a roughing call; Upshaw briefly joined Colorado before transferring to Arizona in the Spring. 

Two-way stand out Travis Hunter ended with no touchdowns this week, but still had 5 receptions for 74 yards on offense and a pass breakup and six tackles on defense. 

The lead soon became a tie as the Wildcats scored with 14:55 left in the fourth, not scoring again until no time remained. 

Shedeur Sanders runs for a first quarter touchdown against Arizona at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Saturday November 11, 2023. Arizona won 34 to 31. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News)

However, Shedeur Sanders chooses to not let this loss and the season bring down his confidence and belief in himself. 

“You can’t go in a dark tunnel if you have a season like this,” he said after. “Nothing will ever be perfect.” 

The Buffaloes ended the season 2-4 home this season, and 4-6 overall. 

Colorado is heading to Washington State on Friday, Nov. 17. With two games left, Colorado won’t be playing in any bowl games, but can end the season even if they win both games. 

Oregon Dismantles Cal Despite Early Struggles

By
Bryce Viglione
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EUGENE, OR – Despite wet conditions and early mistakes, the No. 6 Ducks dismantled the Golden Bears Saturday, defeating them 63-19 and making another strong claim for consideration in the 2023 College Football Playoff.

Following an impressive win last week against Utah, the Ducks showed signs that they were falling into a textbook trap game against Cal in the first quarter as they held onto a 1-point lead at 14-13.

Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

Bo Nix’s first play of the game resulted in a Cal interception by Patrick McMorris after Nix’s pass went through the hands of wide receiver Tez Johnson. Later in the quarter, a miss-timed snap hit Johnson’s thigh while in motion, which resulted in a fumble recovery and touchdown by Nohl Williams.

Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning addressed the early struggles in his opening statement after the game stating “There are moments in that game that I certainly wish we could have back and execute a little bit better. I think we put ourselves in some tough positions at times, didn’t play to our standard of play, certainly in the first half”.

The Ducks went on to score three touchdowns in the second quarter, and Cal was never able to match Oregon’s electric offense. Tez Johnson finished the day with a career-best 12 catches for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

Bo Nix’s Heisman hopes are very much alive following another impressive performance where he finished the day 29/38 for 386 yards and 6 total touchdowns.  “I thought we did great – 63 points is hard to do in a conference game” Nix stated after the game.

A weight of heaviness fell on Autzen Stadium in the second half as Cal running back Jaivian Thomas suffered what appeared to be a serious head injury when he fumbled on the Oregon 1-yard line. Thomas was met by both teams on the field and loud applause from the crowd as he showed signs of consciousness while being carted off the field.

With the large lead, backup quarterback and former 5-star recruit, Ty Thompson was able to play nearly the entire fourth quarter. Thompson finished the day 6/7 with 58 yards and 1 touchdown.

Oregon is poised for the National spotlight again next Saturday, where they will host reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and USC.

Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

No. 5 Washington outlasts USC in a shootout at the Coliseum 

By
Eric Ramos
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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Washington Huskies running back Will Nixon (8) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Washington Huskies against the USC Trojans on November 04, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

Los Angeles, CA –

USC quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns but it wasn’t enough as No. 5 Washington racked up 572 yards of total offense to defeat the Trojans 52-42 in a shootout on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 

Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. passed for 256 yards and two touchdowns while running back Dillon Johnson rushed for 256 yards and four touchdowns to help the Huskies remain undefeated. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 04: Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) rolls out of the pocket during a college football game between the Washington Huskies against the USC Trojans on November 04, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

Both teams traded blows like a heavyweight title fight  and combined for 1,087 yards but the Huskies made bigger plays at the right moment. USC suffered its third loss of the season and the defense has given up at least 40 points for the fifth time in its last six games. 

“We didn’t play very well tonight. Biggest thing was the run game,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “Way too many big plays, and then some of our worst ball was on some of the biggest plays of the game.” 

On USC’s opening possession, they marched down the field on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Raleek Brown 2-yard touchdown run. UW came right back with a 2-yard touchdown run from Johnson. 

At the end of the first quarter, freshman Duce Robinson blocked a punt and two plays later, Williams scored from a yard out to give USC a 14-7 lead. The Huskies answered with a Penix 22-yard touchdown pass to Devin Culp. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 04: USC Trojans wide receiver Raleek Brown (14) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Washington Huskies against the USC Trojans on November 04, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

Darwin Barlow’s 1-yard touchdown run gave USC a 21-14 lead but the Huskies came right back to tie it on Johnson’s 52-yard touchdown run. USC regained the lead 28-21 when Williams hit Tahj Washington for a 41-yard touchdown. 

UW tied it once again when Penix threw a 4-yard touchdown to Ja’Lynn Polk. On the ensuing drive, Williams lost the football and the Huskies recovered the fumble. Johnson scored on a 1-yard run to give Washington a 35-28 lead with 20 seconds left in the second quarter. 

“I don’t dance anyway.” Johnson said. “I’m a physical runner, but the offensive line did a great job making holes for me. So my run game was pretty easy. I just hit whatever hole that was open.”

Williams tied it 35-35 on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Brenden Rice in the third quarter. Penix gave UW the lead with a 1-yard touchdown run before USC tied it 42-42 with a Williams 20-yard touchdown pass to Mario Williams. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 04: USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Washington Huskies against the USC Trojans on November 04, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

USC was able to hold the Huskies to a field goal in the fourth quarter but the offense couldn’t get into the end zone and UW put the game away with Johnson fourth touchdown of the game. 

“Super proud of they way our team fought tonight,” Washington coach Kalen Deboer said. “ We finished, that’s the big thing, 10-0 in the fourth quarter. That’s the difference in the game.” 

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 04: Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze (1) catches the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Washington Huskies against the USC Trojans on November 04, 2023, at United Airlines Field at The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)

USC will be at Oregon next Saturday before returning home for the season finale against crosstown rival UCLA on Nov. 18. 

Purdue gets taken down by Michigan

By
Jamie Bright
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Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan Wolverine at The Big House on, November 04, 2023. (Photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News )

Ann Arbor, MI- No.2 The Michigan Wolverines dismantle the Purdue Boilermakers as they move to 9-0 with a 41-13 home victory.

Purdue tried to stand its ground giving the Wolverines as much as they have handled all year. The defense stepped up with three sacks on Heisman candidate JJ McCarthy. Even recovering a fumble for another offensive series.

Boilermakers signal caller Hudson Card was only able to throw for 144 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 12/28.

Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan Wolverine at The Big House on, November 04, 2023. (Photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News )

“It’s the team defense just kind of having all the guys moving around and different people that are able to make a lot of big plays,” Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett said. “We’ve got a lot of great players on the defense — you can’t watch everybody at the same time

Receiver Deion Burks (4) lead Purdue with 3 catches for 43 yards and the only touchdown. Teammate Mershawn Rice (9) had big catch of the day with a single 43 yards reception.

The Wolverines ground games was the star of the afternoon with 5 touchdowns lead by Blake Corum (2) who reached endzone 3 times for 44 yards on 15 carries.

Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan Wolverine at The Big House on, November 04, 2023. (photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News )

The Purdue defense was just over powered after the gameplan to slow down McCarthy went into effect. He was held to 355 yards in the air on 24/37 pass with no trips to the endzone.

“We were already super close as a unit, but with more stuff coming in — the noise — we just think of it as us against the world,” McCarthy said.

Michigan now 9-0 and will play No. 11 Penn State, Maryland, and No. 1 Ohio State to close the season, this matchup against the Buckeyes will deciding who will represent the East in the Big Ten title game in Indiana.

Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan Wolverine at The Big House on, November 04, 2023. (Photo by Andre Hollis / fi360 News)

Purdue will host Minnesota Saturday November 11th with the opportunity to get back into the win column.

Colorado Attempt at comeback falters again this season for 3rd straight loss

By
Devon Martinez
-
Coach Prime talks to Willie Gaines (20) just prior to kickoff of Stanford at Colorado at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Friday October 13, 2023. Stanford won 46 to 43 in double overtime. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News).

Boulder, CU- Colorado falls to 4-5 after losing at home to the 16 Oregon State Beavers 26-19. In a game that was decided by one touchdown, time management errors, and a struggling offense turned what could have been a successful comeback into another failed opportunity.

With 50 seconds left in the first half, Oregon State was up 7-3. Both offenses struggled with a collective nine punts and two fumbles. The Colorado Buffaloes began their drive backed up on their own five-yard line and under a minute left with two incomplete passes and finished with a run, allowing Oregon State to get the ball with good field position and one more time out.

And the Beavers scored with 20 seconds left in the half. Colorado lost by a touchdown, and this was the touchdown that caused it. Colorado could have run out the clock, but in trying to make plays, the team gave the Beavers the momentum.

Colorado celebrates Caleb Fauria (88) second quarter 2-point conversion against Stanford at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Friday October 13, 2023. Stanford won 46 to 43 in double overtime. (Photo by Laura Domingue/fi360 News).

“We dropped the pass, we should have run the ball,” Coach Deion Sanders said later. “That’s on me. I take full responsibility.”

Another factor in the first half is that Colorado’s offense struggled, only finishing with 78 yards of total offense and only three points. Days after Sanders demoted offensive coordinator Sean Lewis.

Questions over his decision were addressed after in the post-game press conference thanks to the offensive struggles.

“We’re not going to demean Sean Lewis, we’re not going to take that tone,” Sanders Said. “Sean is a good man; I think he is a good play caller. We just needed change at the time. We needed to try something else at the time, that’s what we did. I don’t look back on it. I don’t second-guess myself whatsoever because there’s more to it that what you may know. Let’s just trust the process.”

Trailing 23-5 with 13 minutes remaining in the half, the opportunity for a Colorado comeback was slim.

The Colorado defense had just allowed a touchdown and a field goal on the two previous drives while the offense was scoreless in the previous quarter, the only two points scored by Colorado in the 3rd quarter were from a defensive PAT conversion off a fumble by the Beavers on their two-point attempt.

Yet, the Colorado offense again came alive with little time left just like earlier in the season with USC, and again the team just ran out of time.

The offense responded to the Beavers field goal with a nine play 75-yard drive, ending with a Travis Hunter touchdown off a 15-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders.

Hunter, a bright spot on the team, stayed mostly silent until this drive; he finished the game with eight receptions and 98 yards.

But the defense failed to stop Oregon from taking a time off the clock and remaining scoreless. As Oregon drove down to end with a 41-yard field, taking 4:47 off the clock. With over 4 minutes left, Colorado was down by two scores.

Yet again the team drove down the field and scored another touchdown, this time ending with a 12-yard pass from Sanders to Anthony Hankerson. There was 1:42 seconds left in the game at this point.

And Oregon took advantage of Colorado’s mistakes, including bad time management, as the Colorado coaching staff forgot to call a time out immediately after a rushing attempt by Oregon.

Coach Sanders blamed himself for the bad time management, but he also defended himself and the coaching staff.

“I make a decision to help this team win. You guys don’t know all the intangibles yet. You’re just looking from the outside of the crib, looking in.

Colorado is home for the final time this year, taking on the 6-3 Arizona Wildcats at noon Saturday Nov. 11. 

San Diego St. interception closes the door for Utah St

By
Keyonte Caine
-

San Diego, CA – Aztecs can’t keep pace with Utah State in a double-overtime loss 32-24 with the Aggies going for two to seal the deal.

Ike Larsen sealed the deal with one interception of the game on Jalen Mayden (18) on the fourth play in OT.

Photo by Rashad Griffin / fi360 News

“Super excited with the outcome,” Utah State head coach Blake Anderson said. “It was a tough night. Really nothing went well offensively early. Their (defensive) front created problems for us all night.”

San Diego St. had a solid gameplan that just couldn’t close the deal in regulation, despite Utah St losing its starting quarterback midway throughout the game. This turned out to be just what they needed.

Cooper Legas (5) threw two touchdowns for 167 yards on 11/15 passes for the Aggies. Starter McCae Hillstead (10) threw 12/16 passes and 62 yards before leaving.

Photo by Rashad Griffin / fi360 News

Signal caller Mayden (18) carried his team on his back but just fell short. He was able to keep his team close by throwing 3 touchdowns for 265 yards on 25/39 passes.

“That was huge,” Anderson said. “I don’t know how you quantify it, but nobody wants to go into the last three games having to bat .1000. We needed to get this one. It was a game that was winnable, although it is difficult to win on the road against anybody.”

Photo by Rashad Griffin / fi360 News

Now Utah St moves to 4-5 record getting a step closer to being back in bowl eligibility, so these last few games will be key. Saturday they will host Nevada at noon on November 11th.

San Diego St. will travel to Colorado St on November 11th at 4pm.  

Chargers Are Dominant On Sunday Night Football 

By
Christopher Floch
-

INGLEWOOD, CA– After dropping consecutive games, it was a must win for the Los Angeles Chargers heading into their match up against the Chicago Bears on NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ at majestic SoFi Stadium on October 29th. In front of a National audience, Justin Herbert and the Bolts played their most complete and best game of 2023, moving to (3-4) on the season.

It was all Chargers from the kickoff,  Quarterback Justin Herbert found Running Austin Ekeler for a 39-yd touchdown pass. Ekeler is such an excellent dual threat in the backfield, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore made a wonderful decision by making Ekeler be the focal point of the offense.

Herbert went 31-of-40 for 298 yards and had three touchdowns in the win for the Chargers. Ekeler had 29 rushing yards on 15 carries, but had another 94 yards on seven catches. Keenan Allen added 69 yards on eight grabs.

Herbert completed his first 15 passes to begin the game as the quarterback led the Chargers on four-straight scoring drives to begin the first half. 

Charger fans need not worry about the defense. It’s a well oiled machine; stifling the Bears and rookie QB Tyson Badget. Bagent went 25-of-37 for 232 yards with two interceptions for the Bears in the loss. The Chargers defense was led by linebacker Eric Kendricks, who had 10 tackles. Cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor and safety Derwin James each had interceptions. 

Badget, a former Division II star who went undrafted out of Shepherd University was making his second start in place of Justin Fields, who is dealing with a thumb injury. He led the Bears to a 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, so naturally the hype train and beleaguered Bears fans hoped he might be the one. 

The Bears have lost their last four games in Los Angeles and haven’t won in the city since the 2018 season, when they defeated the L.A. Rams, 15-6, at the Coliseum. Three of those defeats were in front of a national television audience.

“We’ve been in search of a game like this,” coach Brandon Staley said. “I felt like our guys really earned it.” It was a great second half from the Chargers, an area of concern over the past couple of weeks. Hopefully, the Chargers hope this trend continues.

America and NFL fans cannot get enough of the Los Angeles Chargers, next week the Chargers travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. 

Bruins Win Key Game In “Primetime” Matchup

By
Manny Nunez
-

Way back when before UCLA faced Colorado on their schedule, to them this was just another game. Since joining the Pac-12, UCLA has had their number 9 of 12 times. 

What could have been all the buzz was created by all the hype Deion Sanders brought to this Buffaloes team. A 2-0 start was thwarted by Oregon’s beatdown. Since that game, their season went from all the hype to just another team on the schedule. 

Fans of college football think otherwise, however. The game was a sellout just weeks before kickoff. Third party markets had cheap seats marked at well over $150. The press room, which normally is less than half full, used every seat just like they would in every Rose Bowl game. All this for a game that featured a UCLA team that needs to win out to clinch a spot in a Pac-12 title game, and a Colorado team that is squeaking by teams in the bottom of the conference and losing hope before the first drive against ranked teams.

This was the kind of game that the Bruins have been looking for: a packed house and a crowd sold on this team. They saw, however, a Bruins team that somehow ran into a heavily motivated Buffaloes team knowing their schedule doesn’t get easier after this week. The game didn’t turn out pretty, but a 29-17 win at the very least gives the Bruins a nice path to a lot of possibilities.

“The combination of a large crowd and Terry Donahue’s statue the night before was fitting for all of us,” head coach Chip Kelly said. “This was much needed. Our defense was big while our offense had a lot of holes. Give credit to the all around effort that put us in a great position.”

Garbers (Photo by Full Image 360)

Ethan Garbers revived his UCLA career with a second chance at quarterback after performing well against Stanford last week. He was met by just about every Colorado defensive lineman, being sacked three times. However, he was rarely put under pressure without being hurried, and his 20-for-27, 269 yard night with two touchdowns made his first half blunder with his lone interception made it seem like he earned back his starting role. 

“After the first interception, in my head I kept telling myself one play at a time and I needed to just let the game flow,” Garbers said. “Those turnovers were just mistakes and they can be fixed. We knew our defense was doing their job and we had to pick it up. Our offense has a lot of resiliency.”

“Ethan is a resilient kid, and you can’t dwell on the pass that got Colorado a turnover early,” Kelly said. “He is still learning but he has grown quickly.”

Sanders cause a fumble with a with a big hit on Steele. (Photo by Full Image 360)

Pass interferences and turnovers were the storyline of the UCLA defense. A number of UCLA corners tangled up with Colorado receivers. In each instance the Buffaloes were not able to take advantage, where their only scoring drives led to field goals that at one point just kept the game close. Shilo Sanders’s stats were padded at the end with his lone touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. He ended the night going 27 for 42 with just over 215 yards. 

“Our offense had a lot of holes, but credit to the defense that gave us all the momentum we needed,” head coach Chip Kelly said. “We have a lot to review and improve upon. This game gave us a lot of momentum when we needed it most.” 

Coach Prime (Photo by Full Image 360)

UCLA has a very favorable schedule moving forward. The matchup against USC could be the turning factor to see where the season could end up. As they are now bowl eligible, their remaining opponents are should-wins that could put them as a Pac-12 title contender. 

“We analyze everything during the week and everything can change,” Kelly said. “We always play our strategy on game day and from there we get ourselves ready to go knowing we have big games ahead.” 

Oregon Dominates Utah 35-6 in Heated Clash

By
Jason Strother
-

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – No. 8 Oregon faced an early hiccup in their showdown with No. 13 Utah on Saturday afternoon, but it was the only roadblock in a dominant 35-6 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The win marked the first time in 19 attempts that an opponent had bested the Utes.

Following a brief delay of game penalty on the first play of the game, Oregon (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) quarterback Bo Nix and his offense relentlessly pursued their path against the Utah defense, setting the tone for a memorable victory. The Ducks employed an uptempo strategy that kept the Utes on their toes, and Nix orchestrated an opening drive, requiring just six plays to find the end zone. A powerful 16-yard rush by running back Bucky Irving set the stage, with Nix finishing the drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown.

Photo by Jason Strother / fi360 News

For Utah (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12), the game never approached a competitive level after the highly anticipated visit from ESPN College GameDay. The Utes simply couldn’t match the firepower of the Oregon team, widely regarded as a contender for a College Football Playoff spot.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham expressed his frustration with the game’s outcome, saying, “Not a lot of positives in that game for us. That’s as thoroughly and soundly we’ve been beaten in a long time, particularly at home here. Give Oregon credit, they are a complete football team.”

Oregon extended their lead with two more scores in the first half, including an 18-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Jordan James and a 3-yard toss to Troy Franklin. Nix showcased his Heisman Trophy contender status and the title of the country’s best quarterback in terms of passing completion percentage.

Photo by Jason Strother / fi360 News

Despite Utah defensive tackle Junior Tafuna’s forced fumble and recovery, and kicker Cole Becker adding a 32-yard field goal, the Utes struggled to generate momentum. Oregon punted twice at the end of the first half but made halftime adjustments to resume scoring in the second half. A 12-play, 76-yard drive was capped by a 9-yard rushing touchdown by Irving, increasing Oregon’s lead to 28-6.

The Utes attempted to gain some traction with a backward pass from Mikey Matthews to Dijon Stanley on a 49-yard return after the ensuing kickoff. However, Utah’s quarterback Bryson Barnes threw an interception on the subsequent drive, allowing Oregon to score once more. Traeshon Holden’s 5-yard run into the end zone concluded a five-play, 52-yard drive.

Bo Nix ended the game with 248 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an additional 1-yard rushing touchdown. On the Utah side, Barnes suffered his first loss as a starter, completing 15-of-29 passes for 136 yards and two interceptions.

Photo by Jason Strother / fi360 News

Coach Whittingham acknowledged Oregon’s dominance, saying, “They’re very deserving of their ranking, and I’ve got a ton of respect for what they’re doing up there. They took it to us today, and so we’ve got to regroup.”

The game left the Utah fans reeling as they faced cold and windy conditions, with many departing before the final whistle. Oregon’s comprehensive victory solidified their position as a formidable force in the college football landscape.

Steelers Rally Over The Rams at SoFi 

By
Christopher Floch
-

INGLEWOOD, CA– 73,471 elated fans at SoFi Stadium watched the Pittsburgh Steelers score 14 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, defeating the Los Angeles Rams 24-17 on Sunday, October 21st. Miscues  once again cost the Rams-turnovers and two missed field goals allowed the Steelers to rally late to notch the victory. 

Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett converted on a fourth-down quarterback sneak at the two-minute warning to ice the game. The controversial spot was a horrible conclusion to an uneven performance by the Rams, who fall to 3-4 on the season frustrating fans by repeating the same fatal errors week after week.

Pickett got that generous spot to convert a fourth-and-1 at the Los Angeles 38, Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris rushed for touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and the Steelers awoke from a quiet offensive day.

Coach Sean McVay was unable to challenge the spot because the Rams were out of timeouts, and the play occurred just outside the window that would have resulted in a booth review.

Cooper Kupp makes a catch. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 231 yards and hit Tutu Atwell for a 31-yard touchdown right before halftime for Los Angeles, which dropped to 1-3 at home this year. Although  T.J. Watt stepped in front of Stafford’s first pass of the second half deep in Rams territory and returned his seventh interception a career-best 24 yards, setting up Pickett’s 1-yard sneak for the Steelers’ first rushing touchdown of the entire season. 

These interceptions are back breaking for the Rams, a common theme from all of their losses this year.

Rookie sensation Puka Nacua had eight catches for 154 yards, but the Rams struggled for consistent offense after halftime, scoring no points on their final three drives and managing only 20 yards while completing no passes in the fourth quarter. Brett Maher also missed two long field-goal attempts and an extra point.

“It’s just execution,” said Stafford, who failed to complete a pass in a fourth quarter with at least four attempts for only the second time in his 15-year NFL career. “We can’t have chances to make plays that are going to change the game one way or the other and not make those. We’ve got to be more consistent, and the only way to do that is to continue to work.”

Puka Nacua (Photo by Jevone Moore)

Stafford went just 14-of-29 for 231 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the loss for the Rams, falling below .500 in the disappointing loss. 

Los Angeles mounted an 88-yard drive shortly before halftime capped by the long TD catch by Atwell, who alertly cut in front of a pass apparently intended for Cooper Kupp from a scrambling Stafford.

The Steelers managed just 91 yards of offense in the first half and failed to convert a third down. They still tied it with 13:49 to play when Diontae Johnson’s 39-yard catch set up Warren’s 13-yard scoring run. Johnson had five catches for 79 yards in his return from injury.

Pickens after a catch. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

George Pickens made four of his five receptions for 107 yards in the second half of Pittsburgh’s first win over the Rams in Los Angeles, where the Steelers had been 0-10. There were terrible towels flailing above there heads, as Steelers Nation was well represented at SoFi. 

Darrell Henderson rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown in his season debut for Los Angeles, and Royce Freeman got 66 yards on his first carries of the season. 

Henderson was released last November after 3 1/2 seasons with the Rams, and the Super Bowl winner was out of the league this fall until LA re-signed him last week when Kyren Williams went on the Injured Reserve list with a  bad ankle after a terrific performance last week against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Rams had one last chance on offense, but Matthew Stafford threw three straight incomplete passes before his team punted the ball away with just more than five minutes left. That was the last time they held the ball.

Rapper Blue Face receives Porter game worn Jersey. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

Up next for the Rams, a visit to AT&T Stadium to face the Dallas Cowboys. Hopefully, the Rams can rebound after the loss and return to their winning over America’s Team. 

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