Pac-10: Milestones aplenty on the West Coast

It was a weekend of milestones across the Pac-10, with Arizona becoming bowl eligible for the first time in 10 seasons, Oregon State completing a sweep of the Los Angeles schools for just the second time in school history, Arizona State averting a school-record seventh setback in a row and Washington losing for a school-record 11th consecutive game.

USC didn’t do anything special. The Trojans didn’t need to. They just keep winning, and doing it with defense. They just keep pounding away at conference challengers in an angry and unforgiving manner, squeezing the football life out of anyone who dares get in their way.

California was the latest victim, shoved aside at the Los Angeles Coliseum with a 17-3 defeat, limited to a measly second-quarter field goal by freshman Giorgio Tavecchio after averaging 36.4 points per game coming in. The Golden Bears managed a mere 27 yards rushing. They rolled up just 13 first downs. They were forced to change quarterbacks at halftime. They never really had a fighting chance to do anything except keep the final margin close.

“We still have something to prove from that Oregon State game,” Trojans’ superlative free safety Taylor Mays said after turning in a five-tackle, four-pass deflection performance against Cal.

If only USC (8-1, 6-1 Pac-10) hadn’t lost to Oregon State (6-3, 5-1) on the road a month and a half ago, with the Trojans taking an unexpected header that most likely won’t be repeated again this season.

One reason is Pete Carroll’s Cardinal and Gold teams are 25-0 in November since he took over the program eight years ago.

Another is the presence of the highly intimidating Rey Maualuga in the middle of this fearsome defense.

Yet another is Mays, covering as much ground as the hall of fame centerfielder of the same surname, though doing so in an extra violent manner.

“The defense just played crazy lights-out again,” Carroll acknowledged after a quick check of the unbalanced balance sheet.

The Trojans have permitted just seven touchdowns this season, giving up four of them to Oregon State in their 27-21 upset loss on Sept. 25 in Corvallis, Ore. They allow just 6.7 points per game, tops in the nation.

Cal simply couldn’t move the ball into the end zone. Sophomore tailback Jahvid Best managed only 30 yards rushing on 10 carries, 70-plus below his average. Senior quarterback Nate Longshore was yanked at halftime after completing 11 of 15 passes for a relatively harmless 79 yards. Replacement Kevin Riley, shaking off the aftereffects of a mild concussion suffered the week before against Oregon, was no more productive, hitting just four of 16 attempts for 59 yards.

“We had guys open, we had some chances to do things, but you see the team they’re up against,” Golden Bears coach Jeff Tedford said. “When we got guys open, they didn’t stay open for long. And running the ball, well, I didn’t see many creases out there.”

The outcome marked the first game in 85 in which one of Tedford’s Berkeley teams failed to score a touchdown.

Cal (7-3, 5-2 Pac-10) was the last ranked opponent for USC, which needs considerable help in advancing to the Jan. 8 BCS national championship in Miami, though Alabama and Texas Tech are the only unbeaten teams remaining.

The Trojans’ consolation prize always has been a trip to the Rose Bowl. Even that is no certainty now because of that blip at Oregon State, with the Beavers advancing to Pasadena on New Year’s Day for the first time in 44 years should they win their next three regular-season outings, regardless of what USC does.

Now that would be a milestone moment to remember, unless, of course, you play for USC.

Scoreboard:

Arizona 59, Washington State 28
Arizona State 39, Washington 19
Oregon 35, Stanford 28
Oregon State 34, UCLA 6
USC 17, California 3

Team of the Week: USC

In the featured game of the week, the Trojans turned back another challenger. They treated Cal brusquely, sometimes a little too rudely, drawing 10 penalties for 105 yards, their fifth game in six tries with double-digit infractions. The defense made up for these shortcomings by holding the Golden Bears to 165 yards of total offense, and quarterback Mark Sanchez hit 18 of 29 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions against a team that had a nation-leading 17 entering the fray. “I love the way we’re playing and we’re not going to change a thing,” Carroll said.

Disappointment of the Week: Washington

An elusive victory for the nation’s last winless team was in the crosshairs, with the Huskies holding onto a 19-16 lead in the third quarter. Reality took over, with lame duck Ty Willingham’s team unable to pull the trigger, three times advancing inside the Arizona State 5 and coming away with nothing more than two field goals in a 39-19 defeat. Washington (0-9, 0-6 Pac-10) tried everything, with freshman wide receiver Cody Bruns throwing and completing two passes, one a 6-yard TD toss to redshirt freshman quarterback Ronnie Fouch. The end result was a school-worst 11th consecutive defeat over two seasons, surpassing the previous standard of misery experienced in 1968-69. “Nobody wants to be a part of that,” junior fullback Paul Homer said.

Player of the Week: Nic Grigsby, Arizona, RB

This sophomore speedster has bounced back in a big way from a bad case of fumble-itis that got him benched last month. He rushed for 189 yards and a touchdown in 28 carries in a 59-28 victory over Washington State, a team fast becoming his favorite opponent. Grigsby rushed for 186 yards against the Cougars the year before.

Freshman of the Week: Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State, RB

This first-year running back continues to dazzle, getting loose in a 34-6 victory over UCLA for 144 yards rushing on 31 carries and a touchdown each by running and receiving. Rodgers’ output made him the Pac-10’s most prolific freshman rusher with 1,082 yards, surpassing Stanford’s Darrin Nelson’s 1,069 and Oregon State’s Ken Simonton’s 1,028. “I’m not worrying about records right now,” Rodgers said. “I’m just worrying about wins.”

Pulling up the rear in Pullman

There was momentary rejoicing by Washington State, which easily could be the worst team put together in league history. The Cougars (1-9, 0-7) went out in front of Arizona 7-0, taking their first lead over a conference opponent in seven games. They also scored two second-half touchdowns, after coming up with just one in six previous league games. In the end, however, they became the first Pac-10 team to permit 500 points (502) with three games still left on the schedule.

“We showed some pulse,” junior center Kenny Alfred said. “We need to find our heartbeat.”

The Cougars remain a patchwork team scrambling just to get bodies on the field, let alone stop anyone or beat anyone. They were forced to use a 3-3-5 defense against Arizona because of injuries, giving sophomore Toby Turpin his first collegiate start on the front line. Washington State has had 26 first-time starters this season.

Photo finish blurry

For the second time in three games, the Stanford Cardinal lost on a last-second touchdown. UCLA beat them 23-20 with a 7-yard pass to freshman tight end Cory Harkey with 10 ticks to go. Last Saturday in Eugene, Ore., Oregon pushed across the game-winner, a 3-yard TD run by junior tailback LeGarrette Blount, with six seconds on the clock, for a 35-28 victory.

With 2:18 remaining, Stanford had gone ahead 28-27 on Anthony Kimble’s 3-yard scoring run, a play marked with controversy. Kimble had fumbled the ball on the Oregon 1 before reclaiming it and reaching the end zone. A replay was needed to verify the outcome, sending the Autzen Stadium crowd into a booing frenzy. All was right in Eugene, Ore., again when Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli took his team 74 yards in 11 plays for the response and victory. Masoli had a key play in the winning drive, scrambling for a 25-yard gain to the Stanford 8 on a third-down attempt.

Stanford (5-5, 4-3 Pac-10) not only dropped another one near the final gun, it might have blown its best chance at becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2001. The Cardinal close out against USC and California, teams that will be favored over them. “We’ve just got to find a way to finish,” Kimble said, covering a lot of ground with that comment.

Healed in a hurry

Arizona State was on the verge of a school-record seventh consecutive defeat, trailing winless Washington 19-16 midway through the third quarter, when the Sun Devils righted everything in a hurry, winning 39-19. The game marked the recovery of senior tailback Keegan Herring, who rushed for a season-high 144 yards on 22 carries to overcome an injury-filled season. Senior wide receiver Michael Jones had a career-best 11 catches for 146 yards and two scores.

The outcome proved especially satisfying for Arizona coach Dennis Erickson, who had grown up in nearby Everett, Wash., and had never won a game at Husky Stadium in his previous Pac-10 coaching stops at Oregon State and Washington State. A six-game losing streak also was the longest in his 20-year collegiate coaching career.

“I haven’t been very lucky here, so it was nice to win here,” said Erickson, whose mother, Mary, attended the game. “But the biggest thing was just getting a win for our team.”

Short yardage

Umpire Art Hines worked his final game, retiring as a football official after the Arizona-Washington State match-up, and it was not an uneventful departure. He was knocked to the ground and stayed there for several minutes after colliding with Wildcats tight end Rob Gronkowski. Hines also was stopped when leaving the field afterward by Arizona coach Mike Stoops and handed the game ball as a keepsake. …   Oregon State wide receiver Shane Morales went out on the first series against UCLA with an injured hip and didn’t return. … USC redshirt freshman tailback Broderick Green reportedly has informed the coaching staff he intends to transfer. … Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart’s quest for a 1,000-yard season was slowed by a groin injury against Oregon. He picked up just 21 yards on eight carries before retiring to the sideline, leaving him with 931 yards for the season. … Zach Schlink, an Arizona State true freshman offensive guard, drew his first college start at Washington, but injured a knee and ankle and his availability is in question for this week. … Sun Devils senior free safety Troy Nolan scored against Washington on a 44-yard fumble return, his fourth defensive touchdown in two seasons, and second in two weeks. He had a 41-yard interception return for a score against Oregon State the previous week. … Cal used quarterbacks Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley in the same game for the seventh time in nine games this season.

Del.icio.us | Digg it | Athlon Sports RSS Feeds