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By Ted Miller
Here's a quick look at Week*9 in the Pac-12.
No team is off. All times are ET. All games are Saturday.
Washington State (3-4, 1-3) at No. 7 Oregon (6-1, 4-0) 3 p.m. FSN: Washington State has lost three games in a row, and quarterback Jeff Tuel is questionable after re-injuring his shoulder. If he can't go, Marshall Lobbestael returns as the starter. Oregon quarterback*Darron Thomas (knee) and running back*LaMichael James (elbow), neither of whom played at Colorado, also are questionable. The Ducks have won four in a row in the series, averaging 52.3 points during the streak. The Ducks lead the series 43-38-7.
Colorado (1-7, 0-4) at No. 21 Arizona State (5-2, 3-1) 6:30 p.m. FSAZ: Arizona State leads the series 2-0. The teams last played in 2007, a 33-14 Sun Devils win.* The Buffaloes have surrendered 500 or more yards in three consecutive games for the first time since 1983. The Buffs have played 15 true freshmen this season. The Sun Devils have forced 20 turnovers, sixth most in the nation. ASU is 5-6 after bye weeks since 2000. It is 60-18-3 (.759) all-time in homecoming games.
California (4-3, 1-3) at UCLA (3-4, 2-2) 7 p.m. Comcast SportsNet Bay Area: California leads the series 50-29-1, including a 35-7 win last year. UCLA ranks 10th or below in the Pac-12 in: scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, total defense, rushing defense, passing offense and turnover margin. The Bruins have just six sacks in seven games.*Cal has 20. The Bruins are 16-of-20 on PATs this season. Cal is 21 of 25 on PATs. Seven Pac-12 teams have missed one or fewer this seaspm.
Oregon State (2-5, 2-2) at Utah (3-4, 0-4) 7 p.m. KJZZ, RSNW: Oregon State leads the series 9-5-1 but the Utes won the past meeting, 31-28 in 2008. After averaging just 16.8 points through the first four games, the Beavers have averaged 36.3 points over the past three. In those three games, redshirt freshman quarterback*Sean Mannion has completed 72 percent of his throws for 949 yards. Utah's run defense ranks third in the conference, yielding just 99. 4 yards per game. It has allowed a conference-low four rushing touchdowns. This will be the Utes fourth-annual "Blackout" game, in which the Utes wear black uniforms. They are 2-1 in previous blackout games, losing to TCU last season. Utah ranks last in the conference in both passing and pass efficiency.
No. 6 Stanford (7-0, 5-0) at No. 20 USC (6-1, 3-1) 8 p.m. ABC: ESPN's "College GameDay" will be in town. Stanford has won 15 in a row, the nation's longest winning streak. It's also won its last 10 by 25 or more points. It also owns a two-game winning streak in the series. The Cardinal is a perfect 38 of 38 in the redzone this year, with 30 touchdowns. USC leads the series 58-27-3. The Trojans defense has allowed 17 or fewer points in five of seven games, including its last two. This is the lowest ranking for a*6-1 USC team since the AP poll began.
Arizona (2-5, 1-4) at Washington (5-2, 3-1) 10:30 p.m. FSN: Washington leads the series 17-9-1, but the Wildcats won 44-14 in Tucson last year. The Wildcats snapped an eight-game conference losing streak -- and 10-game losing streak to FBS foes -- last Thursday against UCLA. It was interim coach Tim Kish's first game since replacing Mike Stoops. The Wildcats scored 42 points in the first half, which is the most they've ever scored in the first half of a conference game (263 games). Huskies running back*Chris Polk needs 128 yards to eclipse 1,000 for a third consecutive season. The only other UW running back to do that is Napoleon Kaufman. After giving up 446 rushing yards to Stanford, the Huskies run defense dropped from third to seventh in the Pac-12. Last week, they gave up 97 yards rushing per game. This week, 146.9. The Wildcats are last in the conference with five sacks.
Originally posted by ESPN.com - Pac-10 Blog
Click here to view the article.
Here's a quick look at Week*9 in the Pac-12.No team is off. All times are ET. All games are Saturday.
Washington State (3-4, 1-3) at No. 7 Oregon (6-1, 4-0) 3 p.m. FSN: Washington State has lost three games in a row, and quarterback Jeff Tuel is questionable after re-injuring his shoulder. If he can't go, Marshall Lobbestael returns as the starter. Oregon quarterback*Darron Thomas (knee) and running back*LaMichael James (elbow), neither of whom played at Colorado, also are questionable. The Ducks have won four in a row in the series, averaging 52.3 points during the streak. The Ducks lead the series 43-38-7.
Colorado (1-7, 0-4) at No. 21 Arizona State (5-2, 3-1) 6:30 p.m. FSAZ: Arizona State leads the series 2-0. The teams last played in 2007, a 33-14 Sun Devils win.* The Buffaloes have surrendered 500 or more yards in three consecutive games for the first time since 1983. The Buffs have played 15 true freshmen this season. The Sun Devils have forced 20 turnovers, sixth most in the nation. ASU is 5-6 after bye weeks since 2000. It is 60-18-3 (.759) all-time in homecoming games.
California (4-3, 1-3) at UCLA (3-4, 2-2) 7 p.m. Comcast SportsNet Bay Area: California leads the series 50-29-1, including a 35-7 win last year. UCLA ranks 10th or below in the Pac-12 in: scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, total defense, rushing defense, passing offense and turnover margin. The Bruins have just six sacks in seven games.*Cal has 20. The Bruins are 16-of-20 on PATs this season. Cal is 21 of 25 on PATs. Seven Pac-12 teams have missed one or fewer this seaspm.
Oregon State (2-5, 2-2) at Utah (3-4, 0-4) 7 p.m. KJZZ, RSNW: Oregon State leads the series 9-5-1 but the Utes won the past meeting, 31-28 in 2008. After averaging just 16.8 points through the first four games, the Beavers have averaged 36.3 points over the past three. In those three games, redshirt freshman quarterback*Sean Mannion has completed 72 percent of his throws for 949 yards. Utah's run defense ranks third in the conference, yielding just 99. 4 yards per game. It has allowed a conference-low four rushing touchdowns. This will be the Utes fourth-annual "Blackout" game, in which the Utes wear black uniforms. They are 2-1 in previous blackout games, losing to TCU last season. Utah ranks last in the conference in both passing and pass efficiency.
No. 6 Stanford (7-0, 5-0) at No. 20 USC (6-1, 3-1) 8 p.m. ABC: ESPN's "College GameDay" will be in town. Stanford has won 15 in a row, the nation's longest winning streak. It's also won its last 10 by 25 or more points. It also owns a two-game winning streak in the series. The Cardinal is a perfect 38 of 38 in the redzone this year, with 30 touchdowns. USC leads the series 58-27-3. The Trojans defense has allowed 17 or fewer points in five of seven games, including its last two. This is the lowest ranking for a*6-1 USC team since the AP poll began.
Arizona (2-5, 1-4) at Washington (5-2, 3-1) 10:30 p.m. FSN: Washington leads the series 17-9-1, but the Wildcats won 44-14 in Tucson last year. The Wildcats snapped an eight-game conference losing streak -- and 10-game losing streak to FBS foes -- last Thursday against UCLA. It was interim coach Tim Kish's first game since replacing Mike Stoops. The Wildcats scored 42 points in the first half, which is the most they've ever scored in the first half of a conference game (263 games). Huskies running back*Chris Polk needs 128 yards to eclipse 1,000 for a third consecutive season. The only other UW running back to do that is Napoleon Kaufman. After giving up 446 rushing yards to Stanford, the Huskies run defense dropped from third to seventh in the Pac-12. Last week, they gave up 97 yards rushing per game. This week, 146.9. The Wildcats are last in the conference with five sacks.
Originally posted by ESPN.com - Pac-10 Blog
Click here to view the article.