Pac-12 play continues, undefeated team falls


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — Buckle up Pac-12 fans, this season is becoming a wild ride.

Oregon State (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12), USC (3-1, 1-1), Utah (4-0, 1-0) and Washington (2-2, 0-1) took this past weekend off, leaving eight teams to pair off in four games, and what a fun four games they were.

Arizona (3-2, 0-2) at Stanford (4-1, 3-0)

Score: Stanford 55, Arizona 17

Game recap: Quarterback Kevin Hogan and the rest of the 16th-ranked Stanford team got off to a quick start and never gave Arizona a chance to catch up. At halftime, the Cardinal led 27-3. Even a pair of third-quarter touchdowns weren't enough for the Wildcats, who were scoreless in the first and fourth quarters.

Key stat: Hogan earned his career-best completion rate (89.4 percent), finishing 17-of-19 for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

Conference implications: The Cardinal is standing tall five weeks into the season. The offense is explosive with a dominating O-line, a near perfect quarterback and an exquisite running game. Though the season started off shaky, Stanford is leaving the past in the past and is currently leading the Pac-12 North.

What looked promising for the Wildcats in the first three games of the season now looks a little grim. Quarterback Anu Solomon missed the game with a concussion that he suffered last week against UCLA. Luckily, the Wildcats can make a comeback after starting conference competition 0-2 as they gear up for Oregon State and Colorado.

Next opponent: Arizona hosts Oregon State; Stanford enters its bye week and hosts UCLA Oct. 15.

Arizona State (3-2, 1-1) at UCLA (4-1, 1-1)

Score: Arizona State 38, UCLA 23

Game recap: Arizona State outperformed 20th-ranked UCLA and kept the Bruins scoreless in the first and third quarters. At halftime, the Sun Devils led 15-10. They started the second half with back-to-back touchdowns and by the fourth quarter, UCLA was down 19 points. A late push wasn't enough to save the Bruins' undefeated season.

Key stat: The Bruins converted just 3 of 14 third-down attempts.

Conference implications: The fact the Sun Devils took away UCLA's undefeated record isn't earth-shattering. Arizona State knew what it had to do against the Bruins to get the W, and the Sun Devils did just that. A win at the Rose Bowl against an unbeaten team may be just the beginning of what the Sun Devils can do.

UCLA's momentum has stalled for the time being. The Bruins get to spend their bye week convening before they face Pac-12 North leader Stanford.

Next opponent: Arizona State hosts Colorado; UCLA enters its bye week and travels to Stanford Oct. 15.

Oregon (3-2, 1-1) at Colorado (3-2, 0-1)

Score: Oregon 41, Colorado 24

Game recap: The Buffaloes kept up with the Ducks for most of the game and even entered halftime tied at 17. Once Oregon started to take the lead, Colorado crumbled. Three Colorado turnovers resulted in 14 Oregon points, sealing the first conference win for the Ducks.

Key stat: Along with three catches for 32 yards, Oregon running back Royce Freeman scored two touchdowns on 27 carries for 163 yards.

Conference implications: Oregon's running game is good. Oregon's secondary is not. The unit gave up 231 passing yards and 308 total yards to the Buffs. Next for the Ducks is pass-happy Washington State, so it's time for the secondary to pull it together. Otherwise, the Ducks will leave their fans with ruffled feathers.

Reduce turnovers and Colorado would've had a shot beating Oregon. Things are going well for the Buffs this season. Each game they're learning lessons, and it's time to fix those mistakes. It may seem like a long shot, but they are three games away from bowl eligibility.

Next opponent: Oregon hosts Washington State; Colorado travels to Arizona State.

Washington State (2-2, 0-1) at California (5-0, 2-0)

Score: California 34, Washington State 28

Game recap: The 23rd-ranked Bears and Cougars gave a show that would be categorized as a drama if it were a movie. Down 21-13, quarterback Jared Goff rallied California to a 34-28 lead. Then there was the time the Cougars allowed the Bears to convert a third-and-36 on a draw play.

Key stat: Goff completed 33-of-45 passes for 390 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

Conference implications: The Bears are 5-0 for the first time since 2007. While the Goffense — if you will — has looked pretty seamless this season, ranking 10th in the nation for total offense, the Bears are off to compete in the conference's battle of the best. They meet fifth-ranked Utah in Salt Lake City in front of an ESPN "College GameDay" crowd to decide who will remain the only undefeated team in the league.

Refreshed from its bye week, Washington State looked to start its conference play with a win. The Cougars let go of the opportunity, giving up a double-digit lead. They'll have to take advantage of home games because a tough schedule still remains with road trips to Oregon, Arizona and UCLA.

Next opponent: California travels to Utah; Washington State travels to Oregon.


![](http://img.ksl.com/slc/2566/256650/25665074\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: Holli Joyce -----------------------------

Holli Joyce is a University of Utah communications graduate and enjoys keeping up with the Utah Utes, Utah Jazz and Seattle Seahawks. Follow her on Twitter @Holli_Alexa.

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsUtah Utes

ARE YOU GAME?

From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast