The Pac-12 performing well in nonconference play to start the season has made its conference games much more crucial in the national landscape. Despite no ranked matchups this weekend (same as last week), three out of the six conference games featured teams with 3-1 records or better facing off against one another. Here are six takeaways from all the action.
Add UCLA to the Pac-12 Contenders List
Despite a 4-0 start to the season, UCLA came into the week unproven. It’s hard to take a team that’s only played Bowling Green, Alabama State, South Alabama and Colorado seriously. However, the Bruins made a statement Friday night against the Washington Huskies.
The Bruins beat the No. 15 Huskies 40-32, and it honestly wasn’t that close. Chip Kelly’s offense flourished against its first real test. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson completed 24 of 33 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 53 yards and a TD. Running back Zach Charbonnet added 124 rushing yards and a TD. As a result, the Bruins converted 10 out of 14 third downs. UW couldn’t get UCLA off the field.
Washington is a good program with offensive firepower, and UCLA beat them at their own game. The Bruins definitely have the talent to contend for the Pac-12 Title.
Back-to-Back FOUR-Interception Games
Chance Nolan had a rough Week 4 with four interceptions in the Beavers’ loss to the USC Trojans. Things didn’t get any better for him and the Oregon State offense against Utah Saturday.
The OSU quarterback threw two more interceptions against the Utes and ended up leaving in the second quarter with a neck strain. Redshirt freshman Ben Gulbranson, who competed for the starting job in the fall, finished the game. Unfortunately, he threw two interceptions of his own as the Beavers fell 42-16 to the Utes.
A bounce back win at Utah after the emotional USC loss was a tough ask for Jonathan Smith’s squad. However, that’s no excuse for the sharp offensive decline. The program hadn’t thrown three interceptions in a game since 2018. They’ve exceeded that mark two weeks in a row now.
Clark Phillips III’s Career Day
Jonathan Smith, Chance Nolan and the entire Beavers offense are going to have nightmares about Clark Phillips III. The AP Preseason All-American cornerback was all over the field Saturday, and he made his presence known early and often.
No. 12 @Utah_Football forces four turnovers, including THREE picks by Clark Phillips III, in 42-16 win over Oregon State. 🙌 #Pac12FB | @TicketSmarter pic.twitter.com/51Qr1JD6hu
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) October 1, 2022
This pick-xix was the second of his three interceptions of the game. He’s first Utes player to get three interceptions in a game since Robert Johnson against Colorado State in 2009, when Utah wasn’t a member of the Pac-12.
Since allowing Florida to score 29 points in its season opening loss, Utah hasn’t given up more than 16 points to an opponent. Standout individual performances, like the one Phillips III just had, are a key reason why.
Don’t Forget About the Pesky Cougars
The Washington State Cougars lost a heartbreaker to the Oregon Ducks in their Pac-12 opener last week. It was a tough task to turn around and beat a surprising 3-1 Cal Golden Bears team. However, the Cougars accomplished just that.
The defense that couldn’t stop Oregon a week ago found ways to get stops against Cal. It held the Bears to three points at halftime and to nine points for the full game. On the flip side, the offense took a while to get going. Star quarterback Cameron Ward threw two interceptions in the endzone that limited the Cougs’ offensive output. However, WSU managed to beat Cal 28-9.
The victory was notable for WSU because the program hadn’t beaten Cal in consecutive seasons since 2001-2002. The Cougs need Ward to limit his mistakes as he has now throw seven interceptions though five games. Luckily, their defense is the real deal. The Cougs will be a tough matchup for any of the top tier teams remaining on their schedule (USC, Utah, and Washington).
Is the Stanford Aura Gone?
For the past decade, Stanford has been the Pac-12 programs no one enjoyed facing. Whether it was USC, Oregon, or Washington, David Shaw and the Cardinal would find ways to overcome a large talent gap and win. Now, it seems like that aura is gone.
Stanford fell to the Oregon Ducks 45-27 Saturday, and it was never competitive. The Ducks were up 31-3 at halftime and never gave the Cardinal an opportunity to spring a comeback. As a result, David Shaw has now lost eight straight Pac-12 games, and hasn’t beaten a FBS level opponent in the last 10 tries.
Stanford isn’t in a rush to move on from Shaw. He is still a highly respected head coach, and still the best match for the program. However, Stanford hasn’t been ranked in the Top 25 since the 2019 season. Their pro, power style of play isn’t catching anybody off guard anymore. Also, the school can’t go on a talent spending spree in the transfer portal due to its high admission standards.
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