Takeaways from week 5 of the Pac-12

SALT LAKE CITY — This past weekend the Pac-12 was in full conference play, with all the ranked teams getting big wins. And while most of the games went down without incident, it was USC that stole the headlines as head coach Lane Kiffin was fired.

COLORADO (2-1) vs. OREGON STATE (4-1)

Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion continued his dominant passing abilities as the Beavers beat the Colorado Buffaloes 44-17 at home. Mannion went 27 of 52 for 414 yards and a school record six touchdowns. Mannion got some help from receiver Brandin Cooks who had nine catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Cooks added five carries for 47 yards.

The Buffaloes were not a consistent team for most of the game. Colorado quarterback Connor Wood completed on 14 of 34 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, top receiver Paul Richardson was held to only 70 yards on five receptions after averaging more than 200 yards a game.

Colorado hasn't played a game in three weeks, so a little rust was expected. But the Buffaloes need to get more production out of Richardson if they expect to compete in the Pac-12. The Beavers defense is one of the worst in the conference, so the Buffaloes will have to step up their game to get points on the board.

Despite an early upset, the Beavers continue to ride on their momentum. Colorado is not the toughest opponent on the schedule, but the Beavers only need two more wins to become bowl eligible. They might not be a Top 25 team anymore, but with Mannion as quarterback, the team will certainly make an argument for a top spot in the coming weeks.

• Colorado was 2 of 15 on third down conversion
• Colorado had four turnovers — two interceptions and two fumbles — while Oregon State had two turnovers — one interception and one fumble.
• Beavers kicker Trevor Romaine missed a 42-yard field goal.
• Colorado's next opponent: (2) Oregon (4-0)
• Oregon State's next opponent: BYE

ARIZONA (3-1) vs. (15) WASHINGTON (4-0)

It was the battle of the ground game Saturday as Washington outgained Arizona, winning 31-13 at home. Because of the wind and rain, both teams were forced to rely on their respective running games. Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey, the NCAA's leading rusher last season, was effective in the run game, but it was not enough against Washington's defense. Carey had 132 yards on 30 carries, averaging only 4.4 yards per carry.

Washington turned the game over to running back Bishop Sankey who ran the ball a school-record 40 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. Sankey averaged only 4 yards per carry, but it was enough for a win. Quarterback Keith Price was the most effective of the two quarterbacks, going 14 of 25 for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

Both teams have effective offenses, particularly in the ground game, and should be a lock for a bowl game. Washington continues to climb up the rankings, but will be tested these next two weeks as the Huskies take on (5) Stanford and (2) Oregon back to back. Arizona, however, has an opportunity to take advantage of a USC program that is in turmoil before Utah comes to visit.

• Arizona had two interceptions while Washington had one interception.
• Both quarterbacks had low QBRs — Keith Price had a 59.9 rating and BJ Denker had a 33.3 rating.
• Washington kicker Travis Coons missed a PAT.
• Arizona's next opponent: BYE
• Washington's next opponent: (5) Stanford (4-0)

(5) STANFORD (4-0) vs. WASHINGTON STATE (3-2)

The game was never in question as Stanford won in dominant fashion, beating Washington State 55-17 on the road. The Cardinal had a two-touchdown lead heading into half, but turned it up in the second half, scoring 38 points. Quarterback Kevin Hogan was 16 of 25 for 286 yards and three touchdowns. Hogan's best targets were Devon Cajuste (four receptions for 115 yards) and Michael Rector (two receptions for 93 yards).

Washington State had a rough time putting together an offense in the second half with starting quarterback Connor Halliday going down early in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Austin Apodaca filled in, but was rattled by the Stanford defense on his first play. Apodaca finished the game going 15 of 29 for 138 yards and two touchdowns and one interception.

The Cougars have the talent in the passing game, but weren't able to make the most of their 322 yards. Halliday and Apodaca targeted 13 different players, but couldn't get in the end zone. The Cougars are a much-improved team, but will have a tough road ahead for them if they hope to become bowl eligible.

Stanford continues to look like a legitimate Top 5 team, and has a defense that will make it hard for any opposing team to score. The Cardinal will be tested as they take on (15) Washington in one of the biggest games this weeks.

• Stanford had nine penalties for a total of 67 yards
• Washington State had two interceptions while Stanford had one interception.
• Washington State kicker Andrew Furney missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.
• Stanford's next opponent: (15) Washington (4-0)
• Washington State's next opponent: California (1-3)

(22) ARIZONA STATE (3-1) vs. USC (3-2)

It's the game everyone was talking about this weekend — not necessarily because of the actual game, but because of the firing of USC head coach Lane Kiffin. Following their loss to Washington State earlier in the season, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Kiffin would not survive the rest of the season. While reports out of USC say there was no ill-will toward Kiffin, the program was in shambles.

Arizona State bounced back from their loss to Stanford last week and took advantage of a down Trojans team. Against Utah State, the Trojans defense looked like they were unstoppable. But against the Sun Devils, the Trojans defense had no answer as ASU won 62-41. The 62 points scored tied a record for the most points ever scored against the Trojans.

The Sun Devils are a formidable team and will be a tough opponent in the South Division. However, the past few years ASU has started out on top but has not been able to keep the momentum throughout the season — defense may be the key. If the Sun Devils can be consistent, it's possible they make it to the Pac-12 Championship game — if they can get past UCLA.

The Trojans are hurting after Kiffin was let go from the team; however, the potential loss of Marqise Lee could be even more troublesome. Lee was carted off the field in Saturday's loss from a suspected leg injury. No word has been said to the extent of Lee's injuries. Fortunately for USC, the team has a bye week to organize themselves before taking on a tough Arizona team.

• USC had four turnovers — one fumble and three interceptions — while ASU had only one interception.
• USC kicker Andre Heidari missed a PAT.
• Arizona State's next opponent: Notre Dame
• USC's next opponent: BYE

CALIFORNIA (1-3) vs. (2) OREGON (4-0)

It makes sense that the Oregon Ducks would do well in the rain, beating California 55-16 in soggy conditions. It's even more impressive that Oregon managed to score 55 points on only 381 yards of total offense. The Ducks were led by running backs Byron Marshall and Thomas Tyner, who put up 224 yards on a combined 32 carries and three touchdowns.

Cal put up a valiant effort, but didn't have enough in them to match the Ducks' speed. Coming into Saturday's game, quarterback Jared Goff was averaging more than 400 passing yards, but was quickly replaced for backup quarterback Zach Kline after going 3 of 6 for 11 yards. Kline fared a bit better, but was only 18 of 37 for 165 yards and one touchdown and one interception.

The Golden Bears have only won one game this season and are likely experimenting with the offense. The offense is balanced and is effective — minus the turnovers — but the team has yet to pull off a good win. The schedule certainly hasn't been kind to the Golden Bears, who have faced two Top 5 teams early in the season. The schedule gets a little easier this week against Washington State, but the Cougars' defense could pose some problems for Cal.

Oregon is Oregon and will continue winning games. Their first test should come next week when they face (15) Washington on the road, but it's hard to see them losing.

• Both teams had a lot of penalties — Cal had 11 penalties for 97 yards and Oregon had nine penalties for 83 yards.
• Cal had five turnovers — four fumbles and one interception — while Oregon had two fumbles.
• Both teams missed a PAT.
• California's next opponent: Washington State (3-2)
• Oregon's next opponent: Colorado (2-1)

(12) UCLA (3-0) and UTAH (3-1) had a bye week. They will play each other this Thursday at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.

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