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Pac-12 Football Performance Awards presented by Nextiva – Week Seven

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Press Release
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Colorado mascot "Chip" dances with the dance team during break in action of Southern California at Colorado at Folsom Field on Saturday October 2, 2021. (Laura Domingue / fi360 News)

SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 today announced its 2021 football season’s seventh weekly performance awards, presented by Nextiva. See below for Week Seven’s recognitions across the Conference and keep track of the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year watchlist here: 

OFFENSE:  Cameron Rising, So., QB, Utah (Ventura, CA)

  • Wins the award in back-to-back weeks.  First time a Utah player and seventh time in the Pac-12 era that a player has won this award in consecutive weeks (2020- Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State; 2017- Khalil Tate, Arizona and Bryce Love, Stanford; 2014- Marcus Mariota, Oregon; 2013- Marcus Mariota, Oregon; 2012- Johnathan Franklin, UCLA).
  • Led an incredible second half comeback from a two-touchdown deficit to defeat No. 18 Arizona State, 35-21, on Saturday night.
  • Making his third consecutive start, finishing 21-of-33 passing for 247 yards and two touchdowns against two interceptions.  Additionally rushed himself six times for a career-high 59 yards (9.8 ypc) and another touchdown.
  • First Utah quarterback to rush and pass for a touchdown in consecutive games since Tyler Huntley in 2019 (at Washington, vs. UCLA).
  • In the second half alone, Rising was 13-of-15 passing for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Was never sacked on 69 offensive plays.
  • Led the Pac-12 in this week’s ESPN QBR (91.4) and was No. 10 in the country.  For the season, Rising ranks No. 2 nationally in ESPN’s QBR (88.8). 
  • The Utes found the end zone on their first drives in both the first and second halves.  The last time the squad accomplished that feat was in a comeback win at No. 21 Colorado during 2020.  Utah produced touchdowns on all four of its second-half possessions.
  • 455 yards of total offense were the most by an Arizona State opponent this season.
  • Utah eliminated a two-score deficit to defeat an AP-ranked opponent for the first time since 2008.

Also nominated:  Travis Dye, RB, Oregon; Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA; Jayden de Laura, QB, Washington State; Brendon Lewis, QB, Colorado; Jayden Daniels, QB, Arizona State

Check out the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Watchlist, presented by Nextiva, to learn more. 

DEFENSE:  Devin Lloyd, Jr., LB, Utah (Chula Vista, CA)

  • Second time he has won this award this season, also winning it following Week One.
  • Had a game-high eight tackles, including four TFL (24 yards) and a career-high three sacks (19 yards) in an incredible comeback win over No. 18 Arizona State.  Also contributed a pass breakup.
  • His four TFL tied a career-best, the most by a Ute this season and tied for the most by a Pac-12 player this year.  Lloyd has totaled 10.5 TFL in Utah’s last four games  His first sack, coming in the second quarter, was a third-down stop.  He added a five-yard TFL on ASU’s final drive, then cemented the victory with back-to-back sacks of four yards and 14 yards on the final two plays of the night.
  • Led a defense that shut out ASU in the second half, and held the Sun Devils to 97 yards of total offense in the final 30 minutes.
  • Second in the Pac-12 and is No. 6 in FBS with 10.2 tackles per game.  Lloyd had no fewer than eight stops each game this season.

Also nominated:  Carson Wells, OLB, Colorado; Noah Sewell, ILB, Oregon; Quentin Lake, DB, UCLA; Darien Butler, LB, Arizona State; Ron Stone, Jr., Edge, Washington State

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Trevor Woods, Fr., Safety, Colorado (Katy, TX)

  • In Colorado’s 34-0 win over Arizona, and with the Buffs ahead 6-0 a little over midway in the third quarter, he first blocked a punt, chased it down and then returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. It was CU’s first blocked punt since 2018, and the first blocked punt returned for a TD since 2004.
  • First Colorado player to win this award since 2019 when Kicker Evan Price and Punter Alex Kinney each won it once.

Also nominated:  Camden Lewis, K, Oregon; Joshua Karty, K, Stanford; Eddie Czaplicki, P, Arizona State

OFFENSIVE LINE:  Nick Ford, Jr., C, Utah (San Pedro, CA)

  • Anchored an offensive line that did not allow a sack of QB Cameron Rising on 69 offensive plays, in a comeback win over No. 18 Arizona State.
  • Part of a unit that helped produce 455 yards of total offense, the most by an ASU opponent this season.
  • Second time Ford has won this award, taking it home in the final week of the 2020 season.

Also nominated:  Abe Lucas, OT, Washington State; Ryan Walk, C, Oregon

DEFENSIVE LINE:  Brennan Jackson, RS Jr., Edge, Washington State (Temecula, CA)

  • Wins this award for the second time in the last three weeks.  He is the only Washington State player to win this award since its inception in 2019.
  • Was a disruptive force, putting together his best performance of the season. Despite going up against 2 of the best tackles in the conference, Johnson was productive, not giving the quarterback much time to throw.
  • Recorded six total tackles, three solo, one sack and one fumble recovery in the victory over Stanford. 
  • Jackson was at his best in the fourth quarter as he registered three tackles.  With Stanford leading with under four minutes remaining, Jackson sacked Tanner McKee on 3rd and 6, forcing the Cardinal to punt, with WSU scoring the go-ahead touchdown on the ensuing possession.  With under a minute remaining on third-and-13, McKee was sacked and fumbled, with Jackson pouncing on the recovery to secure the WSU victory.

Also nominated:  Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon; Junior Tafuna, DT, Utah; Tyler Johnson, DL, Arizona State; Trevon Mason, DL, Arizona

FRESHMAN:  Noah Sewell, Fr., ILB, Oregon (Malaeimi, American Samoa)

  • Led Oregon’s defense in a 24-17 win over Cal with 12 tackles while adding a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and a QB hurry.  QB hurry came on Cal’s final offensive play of the game, a 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line, helping force an incompletion to seal Oregon’s win.
  • Recorded a sack for the second straight game, and the fifth of his career.  Reached double-digit tackles for the third straight home game, combining for 36 stops in those contests.
  • Second Oregon player to win this award this season.  LB Justin Flowe was awarded after Oregon’s Week One win.

Also nominated for freshman:  Brenden Rice, WR, Colorado; Faybian Marks, CB, Utah; Devin Kirkwood, DB, UCLA; LV Bunkley-Shelton, WR, Arizona State; Femi Oladejo, ILB, California

Alabama’s Anderson Jr. is Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week

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Press Release
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ALABAMA’S ANDERSON JR. IS BRONKO NAGURSKI NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore linebacker has four sacks in drubbing of Mississippi State

DALLAS (FWAA) – Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. became the first Crimson Tide defender since 1988 to have four sacks in a game and posted six total tackles in a 49-9 win at Mississippi State. For the record performance that puts him alongside names such as Derrick Thomas and Leroy Cook, Anderson earned the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 16, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

This is the eighth time for an Alabama player to earn the Bronko Nagurski Trophy weekly honor and the first since 2018. The Crimson Tide has a rich tradition with the award with finalists in 10 of the last 12 seasons and defensive end Jonathan Allen as the 2016 winner. Anderson was a member of the preseason Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.

The four sacks put Anderson in the FBS lead in tackles for loss with 15, totaling 72 yards in losses on the season. Anderson’s four sacks against MSU accounted for minus-35 yards as Alabama held the Bulldogs to 18.8 points below their season average and 72 yards below their passing average coming into the game. He also broke up one pass and was credited with six quarterback hurries.

The 6-4, 243-pound sophomore from Hampton, Ga., named the Shaun Alexander National Freshman Player of the Year last season by the FWAA after starting every game and leading the SEC and all national freshmen with 7.0 sacks while also adding 10.5 tackles for loss. His 52 total QB pressures were second nationally.

Alabama hosts Tennessee at 6 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN.

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.

About the Charlotte Touchdown Club
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. Since 1990, the club has raised and donated nearly $3 million to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.com.

About LendingTree, Inc.
LendingTree is the nation’s leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, by comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search and choosing the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student refinances, credit cards, insurance and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers’ credit accounts against offers on their network and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. LendingTree’s purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life’s meaningful moments through choice, education and support.

UCLA Takes Down Washington 24-17 in Seattle

By
Aaron Nelson
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Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The UCLA Bruins (5-2, 3-1) ran out the clock on the comeback effort from the Washington Huskies (2-4, 1-2), winning on the road 24-17 at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium on Saturday, October 16th, 2021.

Led by quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the Bruins appeared to have the game in control at multiple points. As a result of faltering defense and sputtering offensive drives, however, they allowed the Huskies a chance to claw their way back on several occasions.

Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

The Huskies scored first on the night with a 25-yard Peyton Henry field goal just over five and a half minutes into the first quarter.

From there, the Bruins bullied their way to a 17-3 lead.

First was a 17-yard touchdown strike from Thompson-Robinson to wide receiver Kam Brown, which gave UCLA their first lead with 29 seconds left in the first.

Then Nicholas Barr-Mira delivered on a 39-yard field goal try to put the Bruins up 10-3.

Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

With 3:33 remaining in the second quarter, Thompson-Robinson found the endzone for the second time on the night, this time on a 1-yard quarterback sneak that the Huskies initially looked to have stood up short.

Despite the apparent momentum disadvantage, the Huskies began their climb back into the game when quarterback Dylan Morris dropped a 26-yard, over-the-shoulder pass to wide receiver Rome Odunze in the back corner of the end zone with less than a minute remaining in the half.

Morris scored again with a 1-yard rushing touchdown of his own in the third quarter, followed by the point-after from Henry to even the score at 17-17.

The teams traded unsuccessful drives in the fourth quarter before UCLA regained the lead, this time for good, with another Thompson-Robinson touchdown pass to tight end Greg Dulcich with 8:19 remaining.

Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

The Huskies’ hopes of another comeback drive ended when Dylan Morris threw his second interception of the game on a deep pass up the middle near the UCLA goal line, giving the Bruins a final possession to wind the remaining time with their potent rushing attack.

Thompson-Robinson finished with 183 yards through the air, along with the two passing touchdowns, on 21-of-26 attempts. He also tallied 87 rushing yards on 12 carries and the rushing touchdown.

Morris, meanwhile, tallied 184 yards on 20-of-30 passing attempts with the lone touchdown through the air and two interceptions, plus a single rushing touchdown.

Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet led the Bruins’ ground attack with 131 yards on 21 carries.

The Bruins return home for a showdown with No. 9 Oregon at the Rose Bowl next week, while the Huskies will head to the desert to take on Arizona in a Friday Night matchup on Friday, October 22nd.

Buffaloes blank Arizona Football 34-0 in Boulder

By
Eric Townsend
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Colorado Brendon Rice (2) takes off up field after completion in fourth quarter of Arizona Wildcats vs Colorado Buffaloes game at Folsom Field on Saturday October 16, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News

Boulder, CU – Despite the defense starting strong, Arizona Football (0-6, 0-3) didn’t have answers as Colorado ran away with the 34-0 victory. 

In a battle of the Pac-12’s football inept, it was Arizona Football that stood out the most as the Wildcats were outgained 365 yards to 280 yards in their lopsided, 34-0 road loss to Colorado.

Arizona Gunner Cruz (9) throw ball just before Colorado Terrance Lang (54) reaches him in third quarter of Arizona Wildcats vs Colorado Buffaloes game at Folsom Field on Saturday October 16, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News

Arizona turned to quarterback Gunner Cruz in this one after the Wildcats lost Jordan McCloud to injury for the rest of the season, and it was a less than stellar day for the sophomore signal-caller.

Finishing his day with 13-22 passing for 82 yards and an interception, Cruz would be pulled in the third quarter, when he apparently had broken his thumb trying to stiff-arm a Colorado defender while evading a tackle.

“Will’s going to be our guy and we’re going to ride with Will,” coach Fisch said. 

Colorado Guy Thomas (1) tackles Arizona Stanley Berryhill III (1) in first quarter of Arizona Wildcats vs Colorado Buffaloes game at Folsom Field on Saturday October 16, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News)

Will Plummer would come in to replace him, throwing 7-17 passes for 71 yards and an interception as well. The Wildcats finished the day with 153 yards passing.

One of the few bright spots on offense was Jalen John. He would finish his day with 71 yards rushing on 11 carries, including a long of 23 yards that put the Wildcats down at the Colorado one. Arizona would not be able to punch it in on four plays.

The Arizona Football defense started strong but faltered down the stretch as the Buffaloes ran away with the victory.

Colorado Brendon Lewis (12) evades tackle by Arizona Gunner Maldonado (9) in second quarter of Arizona Wildcats vs Colorado Buffaloes game at Folsom Field on Saturday October 16, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News)

“need to play better need to coach better really need to improve in every single area.” said coach Fisch.

Despite Arizona’s offensive struggles, the defense held its own as 14 of Colorado’s points came off a pick-six and a blocked punt return for a touchdown.

The Wildcats even held the Buffaloes to just six points in the first half, but when the blocked punt made it 13-0 Colorado, that’s when things got out of hand, and the defense began to run out of steam.

Arizona Gunner Maldonado (9) tackles Colorado Brenden Rice (2) in first quarter of Arizona Wildcats vs Colorado Buffaloes game at Folsom Field on Saturday October 16, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News)

The Game Was Over When:

Trailing 13-0, Cruz threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Carson Wells and returned for a touchdown to make it 20-0. Cruz would be pulled on the next series.

Where does Arizona go from here?

With the loss, the Wildcats fall to 0-6 (0-3) and are staring at a real possibility of going 0-12 on the year, especially as Cruz is now likely done for the season with the broken thumb.

Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell call out to one of his players in fourth quarter of Arizona Wildcats vs Colorado Buffaloes game at Folsom Field on Saturday October 16, 2021. (Photo by Laura Domingue / fi360 News

The Wildcats return home but have a short week, hosting Washington Friday at 7:30 p.m. MT. Colorado will travel to play the California Golden Bears at 12:30pm on Saturday October 23rd.

Carson routs winless Narbonne on the road

By
Brianne Ingram
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Harbor City, CA – The Carson Colts (3-3) offense was bobbing and weaving through the Narbonne Gauchos (0-6) defense all game to lead Carson to a dominating 42-6 win Friday night.

Carson Head Coach Michael Christensen commented on how they were able to bounce back from a tough loss last week against the Banning Pilots.

All Photos by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

“I’m really proud of our kid’s effort. They played really hard. We still made some silly mistakes but we kind of fixed some things that we had screwed up last week. So that’s always a good sign. We’re just trying to get better every week,” said Christensen.

Narbonne only touchdown was scored by senior receiver Brandon Neal for a 67-yard reception to the house at the 2:53 mark to be down by one 7-6 in the first quarter.

This was the closest Narbonne would get as Carson soon responded.

Carson senior Akai Johnson scored on a kickoff return, cutting through the defense on a fearless run to put his team up 14-6 with 2:33 minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Carson’s secondary was on the prowl.

With 27 seconds left, a 60-yard interception by senior Jaden Jones put Carson up 28-6 at the half.

At the top of the third quarter, Carson grabbed another interception out of thin air at the 50-yard line.

Carson Jones turned on the jets with a 40-yard reception to create a 36-point deficit to go up 42-6 with 4:43 minutes left in the third quarter.  

“We have to learn how to be trustworthy in one another,” said Narbonne head coach Malcolm Manuel. “The physicality is there. We just gotta trust each other. When you want to win games, you have to trust the guy next to you. It can’t come from ten guys when there’s eleven guys on the field. I’m still waiting on that trust. Slowly but surely, we’re getting there. Once we learn how to trust each other we’ll be pretty good.”

Austin Dotson who is a former Carson Colt football player, a Gymshark athlete, an ‘All-American’ show actor, and who has amassed almost 400k Instagram followers came out to show his support for both teams.

Dotson reflects on how nostalgic this moment was for him as a former player of Coach Christensen. He is also one of Coach Manuel’s best friends.

“It’s a crazy feeling,” said Dotson. “Because I just remember myself under these lights you know running around playing and giving my all and to the same coach that was coaching me. It’s been twelve years. So, seeing him [Coach Christensen] he looks exactly the same and [coaches] with the same intensity. And then also the head coach of Narbonne was one of my best friends on the field at the same time. It’s just a crazy surreal moment to be out here supporting both teams. I’m just neutral. I support young men being healthy and doing what they love to do.”

Coach Christensen shared some thoughts on Dotson as one of his former players.

“Oh, Austin’s [Dotson] a great kid. He was a great kid when he was with me at Carson. I see his commercials and stuff and he’s always been a pretty boy, so it doesn’t surprise me that he’s doing well. So, it’s always nice. That’s one of the nicest things about coming back to Carson is seeing the former players just coming out to support. It’s pretty cool.”

 Coach Manuel commented on what Austin’s support meant to him. 

“It’s a blast. We’ve literally been best friends since we were about four or five years old. We grew up together around the corner from each other. My freshman year we went to Carson together. We’ve been tight all of our lives. It’s great having him here. He’s taking pictures for us, and he pulls me aside and helps me out here and there. I would not want to have anybody else here other than him. That’s my guy. I’m so happy for his support and I’m thankful for it.”

 The Carson Colts go on the road against the San Pedro Pirates next Friday, October 22nd at 7 pm.

No. 9 Oregon bounces back with 24-17 win over Cal

By
Isabel Gonzalez
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Eugene, OR – The No. 9 Oregon Ducks were able to breathe a sigh of relief after pulling off a 24-17 win over the California Golden Bears on Friday night. This result allowed the Ducks to continue their playoff hopes.

“Well it was just a really gutsy performance. Again it was a battle. I think all conference games are battles and with Cal its been some really tight football games, said Oregon coach Mario Cristobal.

All photos by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

Cal (1-5, 0-3 Pac-12) arrived at Autzen Stadium with a 1-4 record and was looking to gain bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019. The Ducks (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12) were coming off a bye week and were the favorites, but their offense left a lot to be desired for most of the game. Twenty four is tied for the lowest amount of points Oregon has scored this season. 

Part of this was the Golden Bears defense doing a good job. Cal was able to force two turnovers in the first two quarters. That is the same amount of total turnovers the Ducks had in their previous five games. 

Photo by Brianne Ingram / fi360 News

The home team took an early 3-0 lead, but Cal registered the first touchdown of the game and wrapped up the first quarter with a 7-3 advantage. Oregon grabbed its first touchdown of the game with 5:17 left in the second quarter thanks to an 11-yard rush by Travis Dye. 

One of the Ducks’ strengths this season has been rushing. They are one of just three teams in the country to rush for at least 180 yards in each game, and Friday was no different. They picked up 210 rushing yards against Cal, with Dye being responsible for 145 of these. Coming into the game, the junior running back was going to be a key player since CJ Verdell suffered a season-ending injury against Stanford. 

By halftime, Oregon had a small 10-7 lead. The Ducks weren’t able to score in the third quarter, but their defense only allowed a field goal for the Golden Bears. Cal scored first in the last period, but then Oregon finally showed up. 

“So all in all I’m proud of the effort and the toughness to play a game like that and see it through because when you’re backed up that far and they had multiple opportunities to punch it in our defense found a way to get it done,” said Cristobal.

Senior quarterback Anthony Brown didn’t have a great performance during the first three quarters; he redeemed himself in the fourth. Brown threw a 20-yard pass to Jaylon Redd for a touchdown that helped tie the game at 17 points as the clock read 11:23. He then went on to score the winning touchdown with an 11-yard rush with under five minutes remaining. 

It looked like Oregon had it in the bag, but the Ducks were caught celebrating with 10 seconds left on the clock before realizing it was 3rd and goal for Cal. With five seconds remaining, the away team was only two yards away from the game-tying touchdown. Luckily for the Ducks, the Golden Bears last possession resulted in an incomplete pass by Chase Garbers.

“We have worked it really hard, and it has not paid off like we expected it to,” said Cristobal.

Up next, Oregon will take on UCLA on the road on Saturday, Oct. 23.

IOWA’S HANKINS IS BRONKO NAGURSKI NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

By
Press Release
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DALLAS (FWAA) – Cornerback Matt Hankins made a fourth-down stop late in the game and then one of Iowa’s four interceptions as the No. 3 Hawkeyes posted a 23-20 win over No. 4 Penn State. That effort, plus five total tackles that keyed the Hawkeyes’ defense in the come-from-behind win, earned Hankins the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 9, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America.

This is the sixth time for an Iowa player to earn this weekly honor and the 13th time teammates have been honored in the same season. Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell earned the award two weeks ago after the Hawkeyes’ 24-14 win over Colorado State. They are the school’s first weekly honorees since 2017 and have been added to this season’s Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.

Hankins, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior corner from Lewisville, Texas, stopped consecutive Penn State drives in the fourth quarter to help seal Iowa’s win. Iowa had already rallied from a 17-3 deficit to take its 23-20 lead when Penn State took the ball with 6:26 left. After the Nittany Lions drove to the Iowa 47-yard line, Hankins was credited with a solo tackle on a fourth-and-three play with 3:39 left. Then on its next drive deep on its own end, Hankins’ interception, his third of the season, came at the PSU 25 on fourth-and-10.

He had five total tackles, including three solo stops. Hankins, who had two interceptions in Iowa’s earlier win at then-No. 9 Iowa State, has started 22 consecutive games with 33 career starts. Iowa has an FBS-leading 16 interceptions through its six games, and Hankins’ three picks are tied for sixth among individuals. He is tied for eighth at Iowa with 20 total tackles and has one pass break-up.

Iowa hosts Purdue for its sold-out Homecoming game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC.

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.

About the Charlotte Touchdown Club
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. Since 1990, the club has raised and donated nearly $3 million to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.com.

About LendingTree, Inc.
LendingTree is the nation’s leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, by comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search and choosing the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student refinances, credit cards, insurance and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers’ credit accounts against offers on their network and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. LendingTree’s purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life’s meaningful moments through choice, education and support.

Pac-12 Football Performance Awards presented by Nextiva – Week Six

By
Press Release
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Pasadena, CA - UCLA Bruins place kicker Nicholas Barr-Mira (2) kicks a field goal in second quarter of the Fresno State Bulldogs vs UCLA Bruins on Saturday September 18, 2021 at the Rose Bowl. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 today announced its 2021 football season’s sixth weekly performance awards, presented by Nextiva. See below for Week Six’s recognitions across the Conference and keep track of the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year watchlist here:

OFFENSE:  Cameron Rising, So., QB, Utah (Ventura, CA)

  • Powered the Utah offense in the win at USC (Oct. 9) with a 22-of-28 performance for 306 yards (13.9 ypc) and 3 touchdowns, plus a rushing score.  Completions, passing yards and TD scored were all career-highs.
  • Only Pac-12 QB this weekend to score 4 TD.   Led four scoring drives of 75-plus yards on the night, the most this weekend by a Pac-12 team.  After a 3-and-out on Utah’s first series, proceeded to march the Utes forward for touchdowns on five of the team’s next six possessions.
  • 7 of his 22 completions went for 15-plus yards, totaling 192 passing yards.  Connected with Devaughn Vele for a 37-yard touchdown on a perfectly-executed, fourth-down flea flicker with 10 seconds left in the first half, giving Utah a double-digit lead for the rest of the night.
  • 1st Utah QB to pass for 300-plus yards since 2019.
  • The win was Utah’s first road triumph over the Trojans since 1916 and first-ever in the LA Coliseum (opened 1923).
  • Honored this week by the Davey O’Brien Foundation as part of their Great 8 for top quarterback performances across the country.
  • 1st Utah player to win this award since Brant Kuithe won it in the final week of the 2019 season and 1st Utah QB to win it since Tyler Huntley won it twice in 2019.

Also nominated for offense:  Jayden de Laura, QB, Washington State; Drake London, WR, USC; Jayden Daniels, QB, Arizona State, Brittain Brown, RB, UCLA; Deshaun Fenwick, RB, Oregon State

Check out the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Watchlist, presented by Nextiva, to learn more. 

DEFENSE:  George Hicks III, Gr., Safety, Washington State (San Bernardino, CA)

  • Career-high 10 tackles and an interception in WSU’s 31-24 victory over Oregon State.
  • Recorded his 1st interception of the season late in the 1st half ending an Oregon State rally and keeping it a one-score game.
  • Had 7 tackles in the 2nd half, including the final tackle of the game as OSU came up 1 yard short of a first down inside the red zone in the final minute.
  • 1st Washington State player to win this award since Jahad Woods won it in November 2018.

Also nominated:  Jack Jones, CB, Arizona State; Mika Tafua, DE, Utah; Avery Roberts, ILB, Oregon State; Otito Ogbonnia, DL, UCLA; Anthony Pandy, LB, Arizona

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Nicholas Barr-Mira, RS Soph., K, UCLA (Palos Verdes, CA)

  • Connected on both of his field goal attempts and all 4 of his extra points in UCLA’s 34-16 win at Arizona. Barr-Mira hit from 23 and 43-yards out to give him 8 field goals in 10 attempts this season.
  • His 23-yard kick put UCLA up 17-13 in the third quarter and his 43-yard effort put the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter.
  • 2nd UCLA player to win this award this season with Kyle Philips winning for as a kick returner in Week 4.  First UCLA kicker to win this award since Ka’imi Fairbairn in October 2015.

Also nominated:  Ben Griffiths, P, USC; Everett Hayes, PK, Oregon State

OFFENSIVE LINE:  Liam Ryan, Gr., LT, Washington State (Chino Hills, CA)

  • Anchored an offensive line that helped produce 491 yards of total offense in WSU’s 31-24 win over Oregon State.
  • Played a total 71 plays at left tackle, grading out at 96 percent with six knockdowns.  Ryan did not allow a pressure or sack on the afternoon.
  • 2nd time this Ryan has won this award, winning it in Week 1 in 2019 and just the 3rd Cougar to win it since the award began in 2019 (Abe Lucas, November 2019).

Also nominated:  Bamidele Olaseni, LT, Utah; Dohnovan West, C, Arizona State; Nous Keobounnam, OL, Oregon State

DEFENSIVE LINE:  Tyler Johnson, Gr., DE, Arizona State (Temecula, CA)

  • Was a disruptive force, putting together his best performance of the season. Despite going up against 2 of the best tackles in the conference, Johnson was productive, not giving the quarterback much time to throw.
  • Finished with 5 total tackles (4 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in a dominant effort. Johnson was also credited with a key forced fumble, the 3rd of his career, as he punched the ball out to force a turnover while Stanford was driving.
  • Eclipsed the 25 tackles for loss milestone in style, now boasting 26.5 in his career.
  • Now has 3 games in his career with multiple sacks. He sits just 4.5 sacks shy of a spot in the Top-10 in program history in the category.
  • Johnson was the 7th-highest graded defender in Pac-12 overall according to PFF and the 2nd-best among edge defenders (77.8). His 6 QB pressures were the most in the Pac-12 for the week (14th in FBS). Johnson managed to force a pressure on 18.8 percent of his snaps, most in the Pac-12 (18th in FBS).
  • For his efforts, Johnson was named Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week on defense.
  • 2nd time Johnson has won this award, taking it home in December of last year.  It’s also the 2nd time an ASU defender has won the award this year with D.J. Davidson winning it in Week 1.

Also nominated:  Mika Tafua, DE, Utah; Mo Diallo, DL, Arizona; Otito Ogbonnia, DL, UCLA

FRESHMAN:  Kamo’i Latu, Fr., Safety, Utah (Honolulu, HI)

  • Made his 1st career start at safety in Utah’s historic road win at USC (Oct. 9).
  • Produced a career- and team-best 10 tackles, to go with a pass breakup.  7 of Latu’s tackles came in the 1st half, including 5 in the 1st quarter of the game.  It’s the 2nd straight game that a Utah freshman had double-digit tackles.
  • The win was Utah’s first road triumph over the Trojans since 1916 and first-ever in the LA Coliseum (opened 1923).
  • 2nd time a Utah player has won this award this season with Karene Reid winning it in Week 4.

Also nominated for freshman:  Benjamin Yurosek, TE, Stanford; Elijhah Badger, WR, Arizona State; Semisi Saluni, LB, Oregon State

LA Clippers fall 128-100 to Minnesota during preseason finale

By
Isabel Gonzalez
-

Ontario, CA – The Los Angeles Clippers wrapped up preseason with a 1-3 record after a 128-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night’s preseason finale at Toyota Arena.

Since the regular season is approaching, some key players had the night off to rest. Head coach Ty Lue confirmed earlier on Monday that the opening night starting lineup would be Eric Bledsoe, Reggie Jackson, Paul George, Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac. Of those starters, only Bledsoe and Zubac suited up against the Timberwolves.

The beginning of the game was close. The Clippers managed to end the first quarter with a 30-27 advantage after a bad pass by Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russel led to a steal and dunk from Jay Scrubb. However, the Timberwolves found a better rhythm and held a 67-57 lead at halftime. 

The home team started the third quarter with a 10-0 run, but Minnesota answered with a 12-0 run to take the lead again. The Clippers stayed behind the rest of the night.

Los Angeles defense left a lot to be desired on Monday, with 128 being the most points the Clippers allowed in any of the four preseason games. Thirty of those were fast-break points, and head coach Ty Lue pointed out the need to improve in this area during the post game press conference.

“Our transition defense still needs to get better,” Lue said. “I think we are doing a lot of ball watching when the shot goes up instead of getting back.”

The team could’ve also shot better from beyond the arc, as only 26.3% of their three-pointers went in. LA shot at 41.8% from the field with Luke Kennard leading his team with 18 points. Terance Mann followed with 15 points, while Zubac and Scrubb contributed with 10 each.

“Offensively we just need to continue to keep moving the basketball. I thought we got some good shots early on that we didn’t make,” Lue said. “In the second half we got a little stagnant. That’s to be expected without a point guard. We still have a long way to go.”

The Clippers will tip off their regular season on Oct. 21 on the road against the Golden State Warriors.

Mistakes, Penalties, Injuries doom Arizona Football against UCLA

By
Eric Townsend
-
Photo by John Hays / fi360 News

TUCSON, AZ – Despite a competitive start by Arizona Football (0-5, 0-2), the Wildcats fell 34-16 to the UCLA Bruins (4-2, 2-1) on Family Weekend.

Arizona Football gained 362 yards of total offense and even forced two turnovers, but it, unfortunately, wasn’t enough for the Wildcats who came up short in their 34-16 loss to UCLA on Family Weekend.

“I thought the guys competed hard, I mean I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Fisch said. “I thought it was a really good football game.”

Photo by John Hays / fi360 News

And from the start, Arizona looked competitive. Backed by 40,000+ strong in attendance for the Wildcats’ “White Out”, however, it was enough as no amount of gimmicks or preparation seemed to help the Wildcats in this one.

Turning to quarterback Jordan McCloud again after his five-interception performance at Oregon, the former USF transfer would get the start in this one, looking to score the upset.  

On his first drive, he and the Wildcats would get deep into UCLA territory, marching the Wildcats down the field to make it 3-0 after Tyler Loop converted on a 28-yard field goal attempt just minutes into the game.

Photo by John Hays / fi360 News

However, for every positive play by the Wildcats had on Saturday, the Bruins would seemingly have an answer.

Responding with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of their own, UCLA would make it 7-3 after converting on fourth and goal pass from Dorian Thompson-Robinson to Greg Dulcich.

Arizona would exchange scores on the ensuing possession, as they drove down again, ultimately settling for yet another field goal to make it 7-6.

A few series later, UCLA would be leading 14-6, when an interception by the Wildcats set up a bit of trickeration as the Wildcats found the end zone on a double pass, that led to Jamarye Joiner finding the end zone to Michael Wiley that made it 14-13 just before halftime.

Photo by John Hays / fi360 News

However, self-inflicted mistakes and penalties by the Wildcats was the story in this one. Despite trailing by just one point at the half, Arizona would have plenty of opportunities to regain the lead in the second half, or even take control of this game, but the Wildcats finished the evening with 12 penalties for 81 yards.

The Bruins would outscore the Wildcats in the second half 20-3, and the tide seemed to turn for the worst when McCloud went down with an apparent leg injury after taking a nasty hit.

However, at this time, not much is known about the injury, although McCloud was later seen on the sidelines on crutches.

“Until we get the MRI and the X-Ray… I don’t think it’s a real short-term injury,” Fisch said. “I would say emotionally it hurts.”

Photo by John Hays / fi360 News

Gunner Cruz came in as a back-up, but the former Washington State transfer struggled, finishing the day with 4/7 passing with 47 yards, seldomly moving the offense for the Wildcats in his limited play.

Arizona would of course go on to lose 34-16, and with the loss, the Wildcats still hold the nation’s longest losing streak at 17 games that dates back to the 2019 season.

“We got to keep fighting, bounce back, and keep our heads up,” sophomore wide receiver Boobie Curry said.

Arizona will return to action next week against Colorado in Boulder. Cruz will presumably be the starter if McCloud is unable to go.

As for UCLA, the Bruins improve to 4-2 (2-1) and face off with the Washington Huskies. 

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