A FOOTBALL FIELD NEAR YOU — Football season is finally upon us, meaning fans everywhere spent their Labor Day weekend watching hours of their favorite sport.

As the Pac-12 took the field in Week 1, no team in the conference suffered a loss. Stanford is the only team on a bye, due to playing in Australia last week. Things look promising for most teams, such as Cal’s decent showing with a new coach and quarterback, and Utah with its new offensive scheme.

Here’s a look at how the Conference of Champions performed this weekend, including Stanford’s win from down under.

California (1-0) at North Carolina (0-1)

Score: California 35, North Carolina 30

Game recap: In his first game as Cal’s head coach, Justin Wilcox knocked off North Carolina with a second-half rally. Bears quarterback Ross Bowers led the team to score 21 second-half points in his debut to secure victory. Key plays, including two fourth-down conversions and an 11-play, 70-yard drive that took more than five minutes off the clock, helped Cal take the lead. The Tar Heels scored their last touchdown as the clock struck zero, falling short in their first game of the season.

Key stat: Bowers, who had never thrown a pass in a college game, threw for 363 yards and four touchdowns in his starting debut.

Conference implication: Winning its fourth-straight season-opener, Cal looks to improve this season with a new coach and quarterback leading the team. Wilcox couldn’t have asked for more in the first game, as the offense put up good numbers, and the defense held off its opponent.

Next opponent: Cal hosts Weber State on Saturday.

Colorado State (1-1) at Colorado (1-0)

Score: Colorado 17, Colorado State 3

Game recap: The Rocky Mountain Showdown wasn’t near its anticipated high-scoring shootout. Colorado scored all its 17 points in the first half of the game, then relied on its defense to seal the win. The Buffs’ defense held strong, allowing just one field goal from its in-state rival. The Rams had two touchdowns called back from offensive pass interference and illegal hands to the face penalties.

Key stat: The Buffs' run game is strong with running back Phillip Lindsay, who locked in his seventh 100-yard rushing game. He finished with 140 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Conference implication: This marks a quality win for the Buffs, who are out to prove last year’s 10-win season wasn’t a stroke of luck. They’ll need to work on not turning the ball over and adding scores in every quarter.

Next opponent: Colorado hosts Texas State on Saturday.

Montana State (0-1) at Washington State (1-0)

Score: Washington State 31, Montana State 0

Game recap: Washington State quarterback Luke Falk completed his first nine passes on a drive that ended in an 11-yard touchdown pass. Montana State caught a break, thanks to a recovered fumble, but the Bobcats' Luke Daly missed a 42-yard field goal. The Cougars had a 14-0 lead at halftime and boosted their lead to 21-0 midway through the third. The rest is history.

Key stat: Falk’s three touchdowns of the night put him in sole possession of the program’s career touchdown pass record, with 91. He also completed his first 20 passes, finishing 33 of 39 with 311 yards and three touchdowns.

Conference implication: The Cougars are alive and well. Falk hasn’t missed a beat in the offseason and was able to lead his team to its first season-opener win in six years. The North could be theirs for the taking.

Next opponent: Washington State hosts Boise State on Saturday.

New Mexico State (0-1) at Arizona State (1-0)

Score: Arizona State 37, New Mexico State 31

Game recap: Arizona State got off to a rolling start, up two touchdowns in the first quarter, but New Mexico State tightened the score to 14-13 at halftime. The Sun Devils ignited past the Aggies with the help of quarterback Manny Wilkins’ huge 60-yard pass touchdown and a 20-yard rushing score. New Mexico had a late rally, but time ran out as it collected its last score.

Key stat: The Sun Devils didn’t sub anyone on defense in the first half. The players finally got rest in the game’s latter quarters once the competition got unruly.

Conference implication: The Sun Devils need to play well all four quarters and not let their opponents have a chance to steal the game, especially once unforgiving conference play begins.

Next opponent: Arizona State hosts San Diego State on Saturday.

North Dakota (0-1) at Utah (1-0)

Score: Utah 37, North Dakota 16

Game recap: Despite starting slow, and down 0-3 early in the first quarter, Utah became more comfortable performing its new offensive scheme in the game’s second quarter, scoring on every drive. Quarterback Tyler Huntley displayed his mobility as he scored the Utes’ first touchdown of the season on a 16-yard run. Wide receiver Darren Carrington II followed with a touchdown of his own, helping Utah lead 17-9 at the half. North Dakota couldn’t keep up as Utah piled on four more scores to earn its 10th straight season-opener win.

Key stat: There's a couple of things to note here, so we’ll start with the bad news: Utah committed 11 big-yardage penalties. The Utes forfeited 139 yards, almost as much as North Dakota’s total yards (238).

In better news, Carrington caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Fighting Hawks, reeling in the most receptions by a Utah receiver in a single game in the last two seasons. No Ute receiver on the team earned that many yards in a single game in 2016.

Conference implication: Consider this a new era of Utah football as the offense is clearly more receiver-friendly. Should the Utes keep up a successful offensive game, minus the penalties, they will have a chance to be a true contender in the division.

Next opponent: Utah visits in-state rival BYU on Saturday.

Northern Arizona (0-1) at Arizona (1-0)

Score: Arizona 62, Northern Arizona 24

Game recap: After struggling to slow Northern Arizona, Arizona wide receiver Shun Brown motivated the Wildcats with a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown. Quarterback Brandon Dawkins also scored on his own 66-yard run to help boost Arizona’s score. The Wildcats capitalized off the Lumberjacks’ costly turnovers to reel in a big win to start the season.

Key stat: The Wildcats ran for 506 yards, just 5 yards short of tying the school record, which was set in the 2016 season finale against Arizona State.

Conference implication: There’s still work to do for the Wildcats, especially on defense, which allowed Northern Arizona 562 total yards and 29 first downs.

Next opponent: Arizona hosts Houston on Saturday.

Portland State (0-2) at Oregon State (1-1)

Score: Oregon State 35, Portland State 32

Game recap: After a less-than-impressive opening game last week against Colorado State, a 58-27 loss, Oregon State snuck in a last-minute touchdown to beat Portland State. The Vikings looked to have the win, scoring with two minutes left to play. Instead, the Beavers answered with wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins earning his first career touchdown to get the win. Portland State drove to Oregon State’s 29-yard line and tried a field goal to tie the game, but the attempt sailed wide right as time expired.

Key stat: The Beavers allowed 515 total offensive yards from the Vikings.

Conference implication: It’s improving the little things for Gary Andersen’s team. A win is a win, even if it’s sloppy. The Beavers have a lot of work to do, especially figuring out how to win on the road, for a successful season. They haven’t won a road game since 2014.

Next opponent: Oregon State hosts Minnesota on Saturday.

Rice (0-1) vs Stanford (1-0)

Score: Stanford 62, Rice 7

Game recap: Playing in the Sydney College Football Cup last week, the Cardinal got off to an early lead in both the college football season and the game, scoring its first of eight touchdowns in the game’s first 58 seconds. By halftime, the game was settled as Stanford was up 38-0. Rice didn’t go scoreless with its one touchdown, but it came with six minutes left in the game.

Key stat: Running back Bryce Love looks to fill the void of Christian McCaffrey, who was a first-round pick in the NFL draft. Despite not playing much after the middle of the third quarter, Love finished with 180 yards and a touchdown.

Conference implication: Stanford looks primed to have a great season, especially with Love and quarterback Keller Chryst playing well. Chryst, who tore his ACL in the Sun Bowl in December, showed no sign of injury. He finished with 14-of-24 completions for 253 yards and two touchdowns before being benched as the Cardinal was at a 45-0 advantage.

Next opponent: Stanford travels to USC on Saturday.

Southern Utah (0-1) at Oregon (1-0)

Score: Oregon 77, Southern Utah 21

Game recap: Oregon got things going as soon as the play clock began, as Tony Brooks-James returned the opening kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown. The defense looked suspect, allowing the Thunderbirds to drive 70 yards for a game-tying touchdown. The Ducks settled down, scoring the game’s next 35 points, and from there Southern Utah didn’t have a chance.

Key stat: The Ducks scored the most points in a single game in program history since 1916.

Conference implication: This Oregon team looked like the one we’re used to. The biggest worry for the Ducks is their defense, which they’ll need to perfect before conference play.

Next opponent: Oregon hosts Nebraska on Saturday.

Texas A&M (0-1) at UCLA (1-0)

Score: UCLA 45, Texas A&M 44

Game recap: What if I told you UCLA was down 34 points but had the second-biggest comeback in FBS history to snatch a win? The Bruins were down 38-10 at halftime. However, quarterback Josh Rosen led the Bruins to score a touchdown on five-straight drives over the game’s final 19 minutes. They outscored Texas A&M 28-0 in the fourth quarter. If that doesn’t impress you, his game-winning touchdown came on a fake spike. Once again, #Pac12AfterDark didn’t disappoint.

Key stat: Rosen completed 35-of-59 passes for a career-high 491 yards and four touchdowns.

Conference implication: If the Bruins play like they did in the game’s latter half, they’re a team to be reckoned with. There’s still plenty to work on, but Rosen can lead this team to a winning record.

Next opponent: UCLA hosts Hawaii on Saturday.

Washington (1-0) at Rutgers (0-1)

Score: Washington 30, Rutgers 14

Game recap: For Washington, this game was far too close. Last year, the Huskies beat Rutgers 48-13. This time, Washington didn’t score its first touchdown until the end of the second quarter, leaving the team with a 10-7 halftime lead. The Huskies refueled after the break and tripled their score to get a win.

Key stat: Two things. First, wide receiver Dante Pettis set up the Huskies’ first three scores, including a 51-yard catch that led to a field goal and a 61-yard punt return for a score. Second, the Huskies ran just 54 plays, their fewest number of plays since their 2015 loss to Stanford.

Conference implication: Traveling from Seattle to New Jersey may have taken a toll on Washington, yet the Pac-12 North favorite got into its groove and won as expected. Luckily for the Huskies, this is the easternmost game on their schedule. It should serve as a wakeup call for Washington, especially if it wants to return to the College Football Playoff.

Next opponent: Washington hosts Montana on Saturday.

Western Michigan (0-1) at USC (1-0)

Score: USC 49, Western Michigan 31

Game recap: In surprising fashion, USC couldn’t escape from Western Michigan for most of the game. The score was tied at 14 at halftime, and even at the end of the third quarter at 28. The fourth quarter had the most scoring with four Trojan touchdowns, including a tie-breaking touchdown from running back Ronald Jones. It was that score that rallied USC to a win. The Trojans ended the game with a heart-warming moment when long-snapper Jake Olson, who has been blind since age 12, snapped the ball on the final extra point of the game.

Key stat: Jones ran for 159 yards and three touchdowns.

Conference implication: The South favorite narrowly escaped a win here. Quarterback Sam Darnold failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in USC’s winning streak. There’s not much to worry about. The team is sure to get back into its expected form and pull off a winning season.

Next opponent: USC hosts Stanford next Saturday.

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