Pac-12 football roundup: USC drops Washington, Cougs cruise, and more

USC shakes up Pac-12’s postseason hopes

Week 11 of the college football season is in the books and the Arizona Wildcats, as we all probably know by now, did not fair too well against the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday. However, it wasn’t much of a surprise to the Arizona Desert Swarm staff as the writers went 8-0 (shameless plug).

Overall, it was a wild, high-scoring night in the Pac-12, and we’ve got you covered with a full recap:

No. 20 USC beats No. 4 Washington 26-13, dashes Pac-12 hopes at making CFB Playoffs

When triple zeros hit in Seattle on Saturday night, the Washington Huskies saw their chance to play in the College Football Playoff become just a twinkle in their eyes. The Huskies were held to a season-low 13 points and Sam Darnold, the Trojans QB, threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Browning had what was likely his worst game of the season, going 17-for-36 with only 259 yards, a touchdown, and two picks.

USC, now holding a six-game winning streak, heads to the Rose Bowl for a match up against rival UCLA. Washington will welcome Arizona State to the Pacific Northwest.

No. 15 Utah (8-2) throttles Arizona State (5-5) 49-26

Thursday started out well for the Sun Devils as they jumped out to a 13-0 lead, but that was as good as the night would go. Over the next three quarters, Utah would go on a 49-13 run, thanks to a 296-yard, four touchdown night from quarterback Troy Williams. Joe Williams, who temporarily retired, also had a big day on the ground, rushing for 181 yards and two touchdowns. On the season, he’s averaging a whopping seven yards a rush and should break the 1,000-yard mark next week while having less than 160 rushing attempts this year.

ASU, who started off 5-1, has dropped their last four games and their defense has been as porous as ever. They are 124th out of 128 schools in yards allowed per game at 511. They also allow nearly seven yards per play. They play at Washington next week while Utah faces Oregon.

No. 23 Washington State routes California 56-21

Luke Falk continued his air traffic control-like precision of the passing game with 373 yards and five touchdowns while completing 72 percent of his passes. Washington State, though, also managed 254 yards of rushing, giving themselves a dangerous combination which could give Colorado and Washington fits over the next two weeks. While California had no trouble passing the ball (Davis Webb had 400 yards and three touchdowns), the Golden Bears did little else on offense versus a Cougar defense that while not great, finds a way to get the job done.

Washington State takes on Colorado next week and can clinch the North division with wins in their last two games. California takes on Bay Area rival Stanford as the Bears look to snap a three-game losing streak.

Stanford crushes Oregon 52-27

Stanford jumped out to a quick 21-6 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Behind an invigorated Christian McCaffrey and his 135 yards and three touchdowns, Stanford is riding a three-game winning streak and wins in four out of their last five. Keller Chryst was also sharp with 258 yards, three touchdowns, and a 73 percent completion percentage. While Oregon didn’t have any trouble moving the ball (500 total yards), the Cardinal defense was able to hold firm when it counted most. Plus, Oregon’s quarterback threw two interceptions (one of wich was in the redzone and the other in Stanford territory).

Stanford takes on California next week while Oregon takes on Utah in hopes that it can finish this uninspiring season on a good note.

UCLA dams Oregon State 38-24

UCLA is one step closer to being bowl eligible after taking down the Beavers in Los Angeles, snapping their four-game losing streak in the process. The Bruins, without starter Josh Rosen, saw a steady performance from quarterback Mike Fafaul (25/47, 281 yards, 1 INT) and a solid job from the rushing attack. The Bruins had 163 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, helping take pressure off the passing game.

Meanwhile, for the Beavers, Artavis Pierce was the lone bright spot, rushing for 73 yards and two touchdowns. The Beavers were able to keep it close with a defensive touchdown early in the third quarter, but were stymied for the last 23 minutes, adding just a field goal seconds before the fourth quarter began.

The Bruins take on USC next weekend while Oregon State gets a visit from the Arizona Wildcats.

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You can follow Alec on Twitter: @UofAlec

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