Takeaways from week 3 of the Pac-12

SALT LAKE CITY — The Pac-12 made a statement last weekend, going 8-1 in non-conference play and 2-1 against ranked opponents. Oregon continues to dominate and looks to be the favorite for the National Championship game against Alabama, but other programs in the conference aren't ready to concede just yet.

ARIZONA (3-0):

Arizona played one of the weaker opponents in a difficult week for the Pac-12, and they took care of business against UTSA with a 38-13 victory. While no one completely stood out for the Wildcats, the team managed 422 yards on offense. Quarterback B.J. Denker went 14 of 21 for 158 yards and one touchdown. He added 90 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Running back Ka'Deem Carey rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

Arizona continues to do well, especially with Denker and Carey leading the charge. The Wildcats have yet to be really tested, but will immediately increase their level of competition starting against (17) Washington in two weeks. We'll know more about Arizona after that.

• Arizona forced two turnovers — one fumble and one interception
• Next opponent: Bye

(23) ARIZONA STATE (2-0):

Arizona State was not without its problems on Saturday, but managed to pull off a bizarre-ending victory, beating (20) Wisconsin 32-30. After a missed two-point conversion, the Badgers still had a shot to win in the final seconds of the game, but some miscommunication resulted in a Sun Devils win. ASU quarterback Taylor Kelly ended the game going 29 of 51 for 352 yards and one interception.

The Sun Devils did not play a perfect game of football, but still managed to put up 468 yards against a ranked opponent and get the win after a slow start. Who knows if the Badgers would have made the field goal at the end to win, but ASU still got a victory against a ranked opponent.

• ASU had two turnovers — one fumble and one interceptions — and forced one fumble.
• ASU rushed for 116 yards, but had 352 passing yards
• A botched snap gave Wisconsin their second touchdown
• Next opponent: (5) Stanford (2-0)

CALIFORNIA (1-2):Cal was the lone Pac-12 member to lose to a non-conference team this week; however, they were playing a difficult (4) Ohio State team. The Golden Bears put up a valiant effort against the Buckeyes, with quarterback Jared Goff just barely missing his third straight game with over 400 yards passing. Goff was 31 of 53 for 371 yards and three touchdowns.

The Golden Bears continue to attack each week with several receivers — Goff threw to 12 total receivers Saturday. And although the passing game is Cal's strength, their run game was efficient Saturday as well, with 132 total rushing yards. While it would be nice to get some wins under their belt, they likely won't come anytime soon, especially with Cal traveling to Oregon after this week's bye.

• Cal had two turnovers — one fumble and one interception
• Next opponent: Bye

COLORADO (2-0):

Severe flooding forced Colorado to postpone their matchup against Fresno State. The game has not been rescheduled at this time, but could be as late as December. The Buffaloes will get another week off with a bye.

• Next opponent: Bye

(2) OREGON (3-0):

Oregon bounced back from their few mistakes last week and completely owned Tennessee, beating the Volunteers 59-14. The first quarter was close, with Oregon only scoring 10 points, before the Ducks turned up the offense. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota was superhuman Saturday as he went 23 of 33 for 456 yards and four touchdowns. Mariota was the first Oregon QB to throw for more than 400 yards since 2005. Needless to say, but Mariota should be in the discussion for Heisman.

Oregon is not slowing down anytime soon. And with two receivers going for more than 100 yards Saturday, the Ducks have more than enough talent to win in a balanced approach. The Ducks generally beat you in the run game with their speed, but adding a very good passing game only makes them better. Is it too early to call the Alabama vs. Oregon National Championship game yet?

• Kicker Alejandro Maldonado missed a 37-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter
• Oregon forced one fumble
• Next opponent: Bye

OREGON STATE (2-1):

Despite several injuries to the Beavers' offensive line, Oregon State managed to give quarterback Sean Mannion the protection he needed to hit his targets. As a result, the Beavers pulled off an overtime win to give them their first Pac-12 victory of the season. Mannion was free to hit his receivers in stride, going 27 of 44 for 443 yards and five touchdowns. Receiver Brandin Cooks was an easy target, catching nine passes for 210 yards.

Although the Beavers managed to pull out an overtime victory, it didn't come as easy as they were hoping. Their run game was stifled all game, and it took three interceptions from Utah quarterback Travis Wilson to get the W. Oregon State looked much improved, but will need to play better defense to keep their early lead.

• The Beavers forced three interceptions, with one being returned for a 37-yard touchdown
• OSU had 10 penalties for 69 yards
• Running back Storm Woods was taken out of the game in an ambulance. Reports say he's out of the hospital and doing well.
• Next opponent: San Diego State (0-2)

(5) STANFORD (2-0):

Stanford came away with a 34-20 victory against Army, but it wasn't as compelling as many expected. The Cardinal struggled in the first half, leading Army by only seven. The team struggled to contain Army's triple option offense in the first half, but managed to halt it in the second half. Stanford put up a balanced attack with just over 200 yards in both the pass and ground game.

Stanford was a huge favorite going into Saturday's game, but underperformed. Chalk it up to a bad week, but at least it shows that Stanford is human.

• Stanford forced one fumble, but had a fumble of their own and one interception
• Next opponent: (23) Arizona State (2-0)

(13) UCLA (2-0):

UCLA started out extremely slow on an emotional day for the Bruins, but turned up the offense in the second half, scoring 31 unanswered points for a 41-21 victory. The emotions were high, but quarterback Brett Hundley answered by putting up 294 yards and three touchdowns in the passing game.

Facing a 21-10 deficit at half, the Bruins didn't stumble or get down on themselves. Instead, UCLA showed they have the drive and commitment to overcome adversity. UCLA is a balanced team that can attack in both the run and pass game, and will likely be a serious contender for the Pac-12 championship game.

• The team dedicated their victory to teammate Nick Pasquale, who died in a car accident last week.
• Kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn missed two of his four field goals — 46- and 55-yard attempts
• Next opponent: New Mexico State (0-3)

USC (2-1):

The Trojans face a difficult opponent in Utah State this week. A loss could bring out the naysayers again, and the seat for head coach Lane Kiffin's will likely get hotter. Utah State is a formidable opponent, but Trojans fans won't see it that way if they lose.

• Tre Madden became the first player to open a season with three 100-yard rushing games in 32 years.
• USC had 10 penalties for a total of 100 yards, while Boston College only had one for five yards
• Next opponent: Utah State (3-0)

UTAH (2-1):

Despite three big turnovers against conference opponent Oregon State, the Utes managed to force the game into overtime, narrowly losing 51-48. Utah's offense stalled early, but turned things around in the second quarter. Quarterback Travis Wilson was 19 of 33 for 279 yards and two touchdowns. He was also the team's leading rusher with 142 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries.

Utah was not turned away by an early deficit, and managed to take the lead late in the game — even with three interceptions. However, Utah's secondary, and defense as a whole, was exposed against a potent quarterback. It won't matter how good the offense is if the defense can't stop the opposing team.

• Utah had more total yards on offense — 539 compared to OSU's 491 — but turnovers cost the Utes the game
• Next opponent: BYU (1-1)

(17) WASHINGTON (2-0):

Washington traveled to Illinois, getting a 34-24 victory, but the game was not perfect. The Huskies put up 31 before watching their lead quickly vanish to a one-score lead. Still, the Huskies managed 615 yards on offense, with quarterback Keith Price going 28 of 35 for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

Washington has a viable run game with running back Bishop Sankey getting 208 yards and one touchdown on 35 carries. The air attack is equally effective, garnering 342 yards lead by Kevin Smith with 104 yards.

• Washington had 12 penalties for 104 yards
• The Huskies had two fumbles, while only forcing one turnover
• Next opponent: Idaho State (2-0)

WASHINGTON STATE (2-1):

The Cougars easy handled Southern Utah, with a 48-10 victory. In fact, it was the best offensive effort during Mike Leach's tenure at Washington State. Quarterback Connor Halliday went 32 of 41 for 383 yards and five touchdowns. Halliday hit 10 different receivers, with Dom Williams bringing down 101 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cougars are having some early success this season, but their run game is concerning. Washington State only had 54 yards on 17 carries. It's good that Washington State beat up on an FCS team, but the competition is only going to get worse. They were fortunate to get a victory over USC, but it's not going to get any easier.

• Washington State forced three interceptions — one was returned for a 72-yard touchdown
• Next opponent: Idaho (0-3)

Related topics