Five Takeaways from Washington's Upset Over USC

Last night's upset loss to Washington was frustrating not because it was the second straight season USC lost to the Huskies on a last-second field goal, but because of the way USC dropped the game. The contest was poorly coached by Lane Kiffin and his staff, the defense was undisciplined and outmatched, and our starting quarterback disappeared when it counted most. Here are five takeaways I made from 8th row on the 35-yard line:

1. Kiffin's Decision-Making is Suspect

Two weeks ago, after the Trojans escaped Minnesota with a victory, I wrote about how Lane Kiffin's antics were not only confusing me, but also bothering me. More specifically, I cited his now ubiquitous two-point conversion charade that he introduced against Hawaii and his use of timeouts at the end of the first half against the Gophers. Since then, I have come around a bit on the first issue; I think the two-point conversion charade is a nice twist to a part of the game that opposing defensive coordinators may take for granted. However, I am still not sold on Kiffin's laughable use of timeouts versus Minnesota. Although many in the media quickly justified his tactics by saying the coach simply did not want to "leave any timeouts in his pocket," I thought that was a lame excuse for his pathetic behavior. Luckily, that abomination occurred at the end of the first half--not at the end of the game--and did not significantly come back to bite the Trojans.

Well, let's jump to the end of last night's game. At a point when clock management was more important than anything else, Kiffin again butchered an opportunity to use timeouts to put his team in a position to score and salvage a victory. As I sat in the Coliseum watching precious seconds run off the clock, I was completely baffled. In fact, I don't remember ever feeling so confused during a sporting event.

After kicker Joe Houston missed a critical field goal (more on this later) with 2:34 left in the game, Jake Locker and the UW offense took over at their own 23-yard line. The stage was set for a game-winning drive and another UW upset over USC. With the crowd on its side, USC managed to get UW to 4th and 10 before Locker converted for 18 yards to wide receiver D'Andre Goodwin over the left hashmark. Running back Chris Polk then gashed USC on a run for 26 yards and another for 6 yards. With the ball on USC's 33-yard line, it was clear that UW planned on running the ball to get in better field position for a field goal. UW ran three straight times, one of which gained a first down. But after each attempt, Kiffin did not use any of his three timeouts (where have we seen this before?). Why wouldn't Kiffin use his timeouts and force UW to give the ball back to USC with a chance for Barkley to lead his own game-winning drive? Seemed like simple football strategy to me. Instead, Kiffin let UW run the clock down to three seconds, at which point Kiffin tried to ice Husky kicker Erik Folk. Not once. But twice. He tried to ice Folk twice with back-to-back timeouts! I seriously thought I was at the theater watching a comedy. Well, as expected, Folk hit the game-winning field goal, and the joke was on Kiffin and the Trojans.

Kiffin's clock mismanagement bothered me for a couple of reasons. First, the approach went against common football sense. During the game, I had the feeling that the winner would be whoever had the ball last. In such a tight, back-and-forth contest, you have to give yourself a chance to win. And by not saving the clock for Barkley and the USC offense, he left the destiny of the team in hands, or foot, of Erik Folk.

Second, his attempt to instead use the timeouts to ice the kicker was something I would never in a million years see from a coach on a championship-level team. Would Nick Saban, Jim Tressel, or Urban Meyer ever do something like that? Never. Does Kiffin think we're all stupid? Is he even taking his job seriously? I seriously want to ask him those questions. He needs to cut the crap and play football. I am tired of his tough guy act to the media, undisciplined players, and gimmicky offensive strategies. Prepare the boys to play disciplined and motivated football. Do your job.

Finally, from what I learned after the game, Kiffin did not operate with the mindset of a leader and a coach. When asked about Washington's final game-winning drive, Kiffin said, "We weren't going to stop them. We were dead." I'm sorry, what? To be honest, I completely agree with that statement. I knew the defense was not good enough to make a stop in that situation. But for the head coach to think that in the heat of battle is unforgivable. These first five games have raised serious concerns for me regarding Kiffin's ability to coach a big-time program, especially one in which I have lots of pride. He disappointed in the NFL with Oakland, he disappointed with Tenneseee, and I don't have any faith he will be successful at SC.

2. Barkley Progressing Slower than Expected

The second-year quarterback did not have to do too much last night. Allen Bradford ran like a man possessed (more on this later) and Kiffin seemed comfortable with keeping the ball on the ground and controlling the tempo of the game. But in most games, you eventually need to throw the football. Whether you have to throw to convert on the occasional third-and-long or you have to throw just to keep the defense off balance, you have to put the ball in the hands of your quarterback and make a play or two. While Barkley's final numbers look sufficient (14-for-20, 186 yards), he did not step up in the few instances that the team needed him. Shortly into the fourth quarter, USC had the ball on 3rd and 8 at the Washington 10-yard line. The Huskies led 29-28 and the Trojans had a chance to cap off a nice drive with a touchdown. Wide receiver David Ausberry broke loose in the back of the end zone, but Barkley fired a bullet that sailed too high for the 6'4" senior.

Later, on USC's most important drive of the game, Barkley failed again. On 3rd and 5 at the Washington 24-yard line, USC desperately needed a first down. Moving the chains would allow USC to run the clock out and win the game. Barkley dropped back and saw a wide open Jordan Cameron over the right hashmark. And again, Barkley fired a bullet that sailed too high for his wide receiver. The incomplete pass left USC in a dicey predicament. They chose to attempt the field goal, which was evidently shanked by Joe Houston.

I am not saying Barkley should lose his job. But I just want to put forth the idea that maybe Barkley is not going to be what USC fans expect. I know he is only a sophomore and has plenty of time to learn and progress, but to this point in his career, he has not learned much. For someone who until this performance had received minor Heisman consideration, he has been vastly overrated. And when you examine the other quarterbacks in his class in the Pac-10, Stanford's Andrew Luck and Arizona's Nick Foles have developed considerably faster than Barkley.

3. Running-Back-by-Committee? Try Running-Back-by-Bradford

When Kiffin decided to name Marc Tyler as the number one running back on the depth chart instead of Allen Bradford, I questioned his decision. On numerous occasions, I lobbied for Bradford because of his experience, proven track record, and running style. Through the team's first four games, Bradford did not disappoint. But last night the senior tailback put together the most impressive performance of his career and may finally have cemented himself back at the top of the totem pole. The bruising running back carried the ball 21 times en route to 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. He consistently ran for four, six, or eight yards, and had a long of 37 yards. He probably should have had 4 touchdowns on the day because two of those were taken away from him by Tyler in the red zone. That being said, it is clear who USC needs to give the ball to if they want to be a running team.

On a side note, Kiffin fascinated me by his implementation of the wildcat formation into our offense last night. Tyler took the snaps and Barkley lined up wide. I think the wildcat is a nice formation to add to the playbook because it gives the defense another look to worry about. That being said, I hope the short term success of the new formation does not convince Kiffin to lower Bradford's carries out of the regular set.

4. USC Secondary Auditioning for Surprise Season of 'Lost'

I talked about the perpetual overrating of Shareece Wright last week. If he is our best corner, which he is, things in the secondary are not going to be pretty. And we saw that firsthand last night. The USC secondary gave up 310 passing yards to Locker and did not force one interception. By comparison, last week Locker went 4-for-20 for 71 yards and 2 interceptions, at home, against Nebraska. USC's cornerbacks were consistently beat off the line of scrimmage and their safeties were always out of position. Perhaps the most comical example of their poor play was at the start of fourth quarter after Locker exited the game with his apparent injury. UW backup quarterback Keith Price, a true freshman with only one career pass attempt, came in and lobbed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chris Izbicki. The pass was thrown softly over USC safety T.J. McDonald, who had his head and back turned away from the ball. McDonald, in an effort to look like he was defending the pass, jumped into the air and waved his arms. It looked like he was doing jumping jacks in the back of the end zone. USC defensive backs, for years now, have been defending passes with their backs to the ball, yet we think of these guys are legitimate corners and safeties. It astounds me.

5. Joe Houston, You Are the Problem

Ah, I saved the most upsetting observation--at least on the surface--for last. Everyone's out for Joe Houston at this point. The kicker, who up until last night's game was 1-for-4 on field goal attempts, missed what was probably the biggest kick of his life. For the record, I agree with Kiffin's decision to "take the points" at the juncture in the game. A lot of people thought that Kiffin should have gone for it on fourth down, and although I know the defense is an embarrassment, I thought they could have prevented Locker and UW from reaching the end zone. But hindsight is 20/20, and now that I know Houston is incapable of hitting a 40-yard field goal, I would have gone for it on fourth down (Houston is now 0-for-3 on attempts over 40 yards).

Houston's missed field goal is a testament not only to his abilities, but the Trojans special teams as a whole. Our kicking game--field goals, punting, and kickoffs--is a non-factor. Kicker Jacob Harfman did not send a single kickoff past Washington's 5-yard line, which enabled UW to return every kick and give themselves strong starting field position.

Special teams was never a priority under Pete Carroll. At least Kiffin has shown a commitment to special teams by appointing a specific coach for the unit. But until we begin recruiting kickers, USC will never feel confident in close games. And now that the talent disparity in the Pac-10 has shrunk, confidence in close games and a kicker that can convert big kicks are two things that USC will need in order to achieve success.

The Curious Case of Jake Locker

Bringing the House illustration

"If you had to ask me right now who is going to be the number one pick in the 2011 draft, I would say it's etched in stone it's going to be Jake Locker. You can mark that down. Jake Locker, if he's not the number one pick, it's an upset."

ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr., made the above remark during a conference call with reporters this past April, months after Locker passed up a chance at millions of guaranteed dollars by declining to enter the 2010 NFL Draft. Barring a catastrophic injury, everyone believed Locker's decision would pay dividends for both the star and his school. By returning for his senior season, the 6'3" quarterback put himself in a position to:  1) gain another year of experience in a pro-style offense, 2) create a legacy by winning the Heisman Trophy, and 3) help lead the Washington football program to its first winning season and bowl game since George W. Bush's first term in the Oval Office, all while keeping a stranglehold on the number one overall pick.

Well, fast forward to week three of Locker's much-anticipated senior season, and the only thing that looks attainable is a full year of experience leading Steve Sarkisian's offense. Through three games, Locker has not only posted disappointing individual numbers in comparison to other Heisman hopefuls, but he has also buried the Huskies in a 1-2 hole that grows deeper every time the team glances at its upcoming schedule. And unless the Huskies manage to string together several monumental upsets this fall, a winning season will elude them for an eighth consecutive season. But for us in the blogosphere, Locker's draft stock is the most interesting component in all this. And after analyzing Locker's career to date and comparing it to those of other quarterbacks taken in the top ten of the NFL Draft in the past six years, it is clear that Locker does not deserve top pick consideration.

I don't care how Locker measures up physically or athletically. It doesn't matter that scouts says he has great size, speed, and arm strength. Because, at the end of the day, I measure quarterbacks by the number and magnitude of games that they win. And if I need to evaluate further, I look at individual passing statistics. By those numbers--the ones that matter--Locker simply does not measure up.

In the past six NFL drafts, nine (9) quarterbacks have been selected in the top ten:  Matthew Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan, Jamarcus Russell, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Alex Smith, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers. Because some of the aforementioned quarterbacks entered the draft after their junior year and others after their senior season, I took averages of statistics/numbers instead of raw totals to adjust for any discrepancies that may result from sheer number of opportunities.


Winning Percentage

Leinart - 97.2%
Smith - 95.0
Young - 93.8
Sanchez - 86.7
Russell - 81.3
Stafford - 76.5
Ryan - 71.2
Rivers - 65.9
Manning - 62.8

Locker - 29.0

As you can see, each of Locker's predecessors had at least a 60% winning percentage over the course of his career. Meanwhile, Locker's winning percentage currently stands at a paltry 29 percent. He has not even won one-third of his games. No position in sports is measured by winning more than starting quarterback. From this standpoint, Locker not only fails to compare, but he even falls short of mediocrity.

Locker advocates will quickly mention that his supporting cast has not been good enough to help Locker win games. At what point does that excuse become out of style? Unlike the NFL, teams in college football can have decent success by relying on a single game-changing player. And it's not like I expected Locker to lead UW to the Rose Bowl each year; but at the very least I expected a .500 winning percentage. Apparently those expectations were too high.

Bowl Record/Appearances

The nine former first-round picks have a combined 20-4 record in bowl games. That  works out to an 83.3 winning percentage. Meanwhile, Locker has never even reached--and probably will not reach--a bowl game. Those quarterbacks not only played in big games, but they delivered in big games on a consistent basis; each of the nine had at least two (2) bowl victories. Enough said.

Completion Percentage

Smith - 66.0%
Leinart - 64.8
Sanchez - 64.2
Rivers - 63.5
Russell - 62.0
Young - 61.8
Manning - 61.1
Ryan - 60.5
Stafford - 57.2

Locker - 53.0

Again, Locker sits dead last in another statistic. Granted, he does not sit too far behind Stafford, but if you did not win games, then you better have had great statistical accomplishments. Look at Dan Marino. Never won a Super Bowl, but to his credit, he went out and captured major NFL records. Seems like a reasonable give and take. But as you see here, and as you will see in the next few comparisons, Locker does not even put up great numbers as a consolation to his lack of winning pedigree.

Pass Yards/Game

Leinart - 297.0
Rivers - 286.9
Ryan - 282.8
Manning - 268.9
Sanchez - 260.8
Smith - 255.7
Stafford - 225.9
Russell - 206.0

Locker - 193.5

Young - 183.7

Finally, Locker breaks the trend. If he finishes his career at his current rate, he will have gained ten (10) more pass yards per game than Vince Young. While that is a positive note amidst all the negative, I'd like to note that Young made up for his lack of passing by being the most dangerous dual-threat quarterback in college football history. He single-handedly dominated and won games by keeping teams off-balance. By the numbers, Young averaged 92.0 rush yards per game. Locker? About half that (53.4). So for those who want to say, "Locker is a dual-threat quarterback so you should compare apples to apples and find another dual-threat QB," how do you answer the comparison to VY? In terms of total yards, he out-gained Locker by more than 30 total yards per game. And Young was not even the number one pick in his draft.


TD:INT Ratio

Smith - 6.43
Leinart - 4.30
Rivers - 2.79
Sanchez - 2.73
Russell - 2.48
Manning - 2.38
Stafford - 1.56
Young - 1.54
Ryan - 1.50

Locker - 1.50

Tied for last. Pretty self-explanatory.

Ultimately, what more is there to say? Shouldn't on-the-field performance, such as wins and completion percentage, outweigh generic off-the-field measures like height and arm strength? If you spend a top-10 pick on a quarterback, you send a message to your organization, players, and fans that you believe that the player is your franchise quarterback of the future. You commit money, time, and energy to his development. With so much invested, how can you focus solely on potential and ignore history? I couldn't. And I pity the team that inevitably will.

Assessing the Pac-10 After "Measuring Stick Saturday"

 

Coming into this weekend, many thought that the Pac-10 was college football's deepest conference. Through the first two weeks, Pac-10 teams delivered impressive performances. Oregon and Arizona have reached the end zone at will; Oregon put up 72 and 48 points against New Mexico and Tennessee, respectively, and Arizona lit Toledo and Citadel up for 41 and 52 points, respectively. Clearly, the Pac-10 can score. Meanwhile, on the defensive side, Arizona has yet to allow a touchdown and California's defense has only given up 5 points per game. Furthermore, in terms of individual accomplishments, the conference is filled with Heisman hopefuls, especially at the quarterback position; UW's Jake Locker, USC's Matt Barkley, Arizona's Nick Foles, and Stanford's Andrew Luck have all gotten off to quick starts.

But on the flip side, Pac-10 teams have only played cupcakes to this point. While conference play will certainly test each team as it does every season, only tough, non-conference matchups can truly measure where the Pac-10 teams lie in relation to teams in the national picture. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, this weekend provided a slew of difficult out-of-conference challenges. Let's take a look at how the Pac-10 teams measured up.

California 31 - Nevada 52

Measuring Stick Saturday technically commenced on Friday night as the Cal Bears visited the Nevada Wolf Pack. Cal has looked pretty solid thus far, led by senior quarterback Kevin Riley, dynamic running back Shane Vereen, and a tenacious defense that puts pressure on opposing quarterbacks. I had the opportunity to see Cal impressively defeat Colorado last weekend, so my opinion of the team goes beyond highlights on SportsCenter.

The strong pass rush I witnessed against Colorado did not show up against Nevada, mostly because the Wolf Pack kept Cal's front seven on its heels by pounding the ball on the ground with rock-solid Vai Taua. The senior running back rushed 25 times for 151 yards and 1 touchdown. Nevada also let QB Colin Kaepernick utilize his dual-threat abilities as he added another 148 yards on the ground to give the team 316 total rushing yards. With a rushing attack like that, it is no wonder why Cal's front four did not record a sack on Friday night.

On the offensive side of the ball, Kevin Riley had a terrible game. Although he threw for 277 yards, Riley threw 3 interceptions to only 1 touchdown. Cal will definitely need better performances from Riley in the future if they intend to be a factor in the Pac-10 hunt. Meanwhile, on a more encouraging note for Bears fans, Vereen had a great night on the ground rushing for 198 yards and 3 touchdowns.

I would like to note that the final score of this game is a bit misleading. Cal was within one score (down 24-31) with 5:14 left in the third quarter. But from that point on, Nevada outscored them 21-7. I did not expect Cal to put forth such a poor showing, but Nevada is no slouch. Back to drawing board for the Bears as they host a red-hot Arizona team next weekend.

Portland State 0 - Oregon 69

Nobody expected this to game to be close. It certainly wasn't part of the much-advertised Measuring Stick Saturday because Portland State does not qualify as a "tough, non-conference team." Oregon continued its assault on opposing defenses as they nearly put up 70 points for the second time this season. The Ducks put up 668 total yards, with 528 of those coming on the ground. The star of the game was LaMichael James who rushed for 227 yards on only 14 carries (16.2 yards per carry). That's probably the most indicative stat of this blowout. The Ducks travel to Arizona State next weekend, which should be, at the very least, a more competitive game than this.

Washington State 21 - Southern Methodist 35

Sometimes people forget that the Cougars are part of the Pac-10. This was SMU's first win over a team from a BCS conference since the year 2000. Enough said. WSU looks to continue its losing ways in front of its own fans next weekend against USC.

Houston 13 - UCLA 31

This outcome was a particular shock because UCLA has looked more like a Pop Warner team as of late. Houston has won of the more potent offenses in the country and nobody had any idea how Kevin Prince and company would keep up. Well, that is, until reports surfaced that Houston QB Case Keenum was still not fully recovered from last week's concussion. That gave the boys in Westwood a glimmer of hope. If Keenum would be unable to play, then Houston's offense would not be able to operate in its highest gear, and then maybe, if lightning struck, UCLA could make it a game.

It was clear Keenum was not 100% from the get-go. Although he was an accurate 10-for-18, he only passed for 83 yards, which means he only attempted 4.6 yards per pass, far below his season norm. In addition, Keenum threw for 2 interceptions and re-injured himself while chasing down the defender who picked off his second ball. Keenum's backup, Cotton Turner, was also injured, and Houston was forced to strip a freshman (Terrence Broadway) of his redshirt status and throw him in the game. Broadway performed quite well concerning the circumstances, but it was nowhere near enough for the Cougars.

To be fair, UCLA's offense earned this victory. Sophomore running back Johnathan Franklin led the ground attack with 26 rushes for 158 yards and 3 scores. The Bruins had 266 total yards on the ground, which meant that Prince did not have to throw the ball very often. In fact, Prince ended the game with a pathetic line:  9-for-17, 99 yards, 1 interception. If the Bruins intend on making Franklin the main cog in the offensive game plan, then fans better expect opponents to stack the box against him and make Prince throw the ball. So far this season Prince has not shown that he can play quarterback at the college level, despite all the hype coming into his second season. Through three games, Prince is
24-for-54, 258 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT. By comparison, USC's Matt Barkley was 18-for-23, 257 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT in one game versus Hawaii.

USC 32 - Minnesota 21

The Trojans held their own today against the Gophers. Read my complete quarter-by-quarter recap and analysis.

Louisville 28 - Oregon State 35
Are the Beavers the Pac-10's most disappointing team so far? Look, I know they are 1-1 with their lone loss coming in a tough game against a top-5 TCU team on national TV in what was basically an away game. But having a bye week to recover from that loss and then a home game against a middling Louisville squad, you would figure Mike Riley would get his boys to fire on all cylinders. But that was not the case Saturday night in Corvallis.

While the formidable Jacquizz Rodgers did his part (24 carries, 132 yards, 2 TD and 5 catches, 22 yards, 1 TD), the defense disappointed. The Beavers allowed 453 total yards to the Cardinals, including 288 through the air to Louisville QB Adam Froman who only mustered 127 and 219 yards in previous outings versus Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky, respectively. But most disappointing for coach Riley was the fact that the defense allowed the Cardinals to climb back into the game late. The Cardinals scored the final 14 points in the game and came within a touchdown of tying it up. Fortunately, the Beavers managed to pick off a ball late to seal the win.

Arizona State 19 - Wisconsin 20

The Sun Devils kept this contest a lot closer than I thought they would. The game came down to the wire and the 1-point difference was due to a blocked extra point in the fourth quarter (Side note:  Blocked PATs have occurred so often lately and they have such far-reaching repercussions, but most fans simply dismiss them when they happen in real-time).

Arizona State played a very clean ball game on the whole. They did not turn the ball over, but they did not force any turnovers, either. They ran the ball well:  28 team carries for 169 yards. And quarterback Steven Threet went 21-for-33 for 211 yards, but no touchdowns. It was a Big-10 type of game against a Big-10 opponent in a Big-10 stadium. Arizona State does not have the same speed and athleticism that USC, Oregon, Arizona, and Oregon State have. And because of that they came up just short.

The Sun Devils' problems came mostly from not being able to stop Wisconsin running back John Clay and not being able to get any pressure, beyond one sack, on quarterback Scott Tolzien. Wisconsin was missing its top two wide receivers, most notably star wideout Nick Toon. Regardless of whether Toon was in or out, the Sun Devils knew to expect a heavy dose of Clay. And that's exactly what they received. Clay carried the ball 22 times for 123 yards and 1 touchdown. But beyond the numbers, it was Clay's ability to gain yards and burn the clock that hurt ASU. With 4:09 left in the game, Wisconsin had the ball at its own 27 yard line and ASU desperately needed to get the ball back. Clay and company ran the clock out in the following fashion:

• Clay rush for no gain
• Isaac Anderson rush for 5 yards; ASU personal foul penalty
• Clay rush for 5 yards
• Clay rush for 3 yards
• Tolzien pass to Lance Kendricks for 17 yards
• Clay rush for no gain; Timeout ASU
• Clay rush for 10 yards; Timeout ASU
• WISC kneel; Timeout ASU
• WISC kneel
• WISC kneel; End of game

Obviously the personal foul penalty and the 17-yard pass were huge. But ASU just couldn't stop Clay, and thus couldn't stop the clock. I think Clay's effectiveness really exposed a weakness in ASU's defense that teams with great running backs can try to take advantage of (think USC, Oregon State, Oregon). That being said, the Sun Devils proved that they are an underrated team this season and they will be ready for the Ducks next weekend in Tempe.

Wake Forest 24 - Stanford 68

I had no doubts that Stanford would easily handle the Demon Deacons. I think Stanford is one of the best teams in the conference and Wake Forest is not a good enough team to defeat the Cardinal in Palo Alto. A couple things stood out during this game.

First, if you haven't seen Andrew Luck play, then you are missing out. Luck is a great young quarterback who is climbing higher up the Heisman ladder with each performance. Tonight, Luck completed an efficient 17-for-23 passes for 207 yards and 4 touchdowns. On the year now he has thrown 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.

It is also interesting that Luck is completing his passes to many different receivers, which may prevent defenses from focusing on one particular receiver down the line. Against Wake Forest, Luck completed a pass to 11 different receivers. Eleven! The Cardinal also showed their ball distribution on the ground as 8 different people recorded at least two carries. Luck got in on the party in a big fashion with a 52-yard touchdown run halfway through the second quarter. I did not realize Luck had above-average wheels.

Finally, Stanford's pass defense looked really solid. Wake Forest QB Tanner Price only completed 8 of 18 passes for 76 yards, no touchdowns, and 1 interception. In Price's previous start against Duke, he went 12-for-19, 190 yards,  and 3 touchdowns. So they limited the passing game to some degree. In addition, although they allowed 207 yards on the ground, the Demon Deacons only recorded 3.9 yards per carry, so they had to rush a whopping 53 times to gain those yards. I thought it was a solid performance for Stanford all around.

Nebraska 56 - Washington 21

Most of America thought UW did not stand a chance in this game. And I was in that same boat. I know UW has the ability to pull off upsets, especially at raucous Husky Stadium, but sometimes the recipe just isn't right. In this case, it was the recipe, the ingredients, the cook, the tools, and everything else that goes into a complete product. I had the chance to watch the game in its entirety on TiVo, so I want to provide a more in-depth analysis in a subsequent post, but here are a couple takeaways, in short.

First, UW simply cannot stop the run-option. They have trouble with it every season, and to be fair, plenty of teams do. But UW seriously has no chance against it. And Taylor Martinez and the Cornhuskers ran it to perfection earlier today. We already know about Martinez' prior performances, but this was his first road game, and he stepped up in a gigantic way. The young star rushed 19 times for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns. He added 150 yards and another score through the air. Nebraska also had two other players rush for over 100 yards a piece. That means three players rushed for 100 yards each. Is that even possibly in a four-quarter football game? Apparently so.

Second, Jake Locker is overrated. I need to develop an entire column to this topic because it really bothers me like no other in college football today. People say this guy is going to be the number one pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Has there ever been a top overall pick with such a horrendous win-loss throughout his collegiate career? I think the "surrounding talent" argument is overused. At the end of the day, the great quarterbacks make plays, and Locker doesn't do that. He went 4-for-20 today for 71 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 picks. He added 59 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. So you're telling me that NFL scouts want this guy to lead their team? He can't throw! And, as I said, the NFL is a passing league! All this talk of Locker being the number one pick and a Heisman contender just does not add up at the end of the day. Someone from the UW camp must have subliminally messaged the entire college football nation.

Finally, after I watched UW post a handful of victories last season, I bought into some of the hype and thought, perhaps, that UW was on its way back up. But with such a terrible start to the season, a disappointing loss tonight, and a ridiculously tough schedule ahead, I am beginning to think otherwise. I think this season is done for the Huskies. Over the course of the next six weeks, the pups from Washington play at USC, home against ASU, home against Oregon State, at Arizona, home against Stanford, and at Oregon. How many of those do you reasonably see them winning? Maybe the Arizona State game? At least the Seahawks are looking decent.

Iowa 27 - Arizona 34

Perhaps the crown jewel of the night, this matchup was dubbed as the game of the week in college football, and it did not disappoint. Arizona got off to a ridiculous start and was able to do just enough to eek out the upset over the Hawkeyes. I am sure most eyes were on this game tonight, so I will keep my comments brief.

I thought Arizona got really lucky tonight. Its first three scores came as a result of Iowa errors and its own special teams play. That's not to say that Arizona did not indirectly cause some of that to happen, but it's not like Arizona drove the ball down the field three straight times in dominant fashion. Iowa's first possession ended on a blocked punt that gave Arizona the ball on the 5-yard line. Foles dumped a short pass to David Douglas to give the Cats a 7-0 lead. On the next drive, Stanzi threw his first interception of the season, but it was ball that his intended receiver had bobbled/tipped and Arizona cornerback Trevin Wade scooped up and returned 85 yards for a touchdown. 14-0 Arizona. Iowa then responded with a touchdown drive of their own, but on the ensuing kickoff, Arizona's Travis Cobb went 100 yards to give the Cats a 21-7 lead and legitimate "upset" status. Arizona added two more field goals to close out the half, and they went into the locker room up 27-7. Stanzi and Iowa were seriously in a funk at that point.

But then the second half began, and Iowa started to get some of its mojo back. More importantly, however, Arizona lost all of its mojo. I felt like the crowd calmed down a bit and the offense sputtered. In fact, the offense did not score again until 3:57 left in the fourth quarter. They went 26 minutes in the second half without scoring, yet still managed to win the game. They even lost the turnover battle 3 to 1.  They were also penalized 12 times for 103 yards! It was just the perfect storm tonight.

While I think a lot of luck was involved, Arizona's defense stepped up in a big way. The defense completely stuffed Iowa's running game (26 carries for 29 yards). And although Stanzi finished with 278 yards, they forced him into a lot of bad throws and got an insane amount of pressure on the quarterback. The defense's performance was summarized best on Iowa's final drive of the game. Down only one score, Iowa elected to go with what was working up to that point in the game--Stanzi's arm. After he completed a 7-yard pass to bring the team near midfield, Arizona dialed up the pressure like a maniac. First, Justin Washington sacked Stanzi for a loss of 9 yards. Iowa called timeout. On the next play, a blitzed actually flattened a blocker and annihilated Stanzi, but the play was blown dead due to a false start. At that point, I figured Iowa would keep an extra blocker in the backfield, but they didn't, and Ricky Elmore busted through the line and sacked Stanzi for a loss of 8 yards back to the Iowa 22 yard line. And on the final play, the Cats topped off a dominant defensive performance with a third consecutive sack (unofficially the fourth), this time again by Justin Washington! It was like an experienced Madden player calling for the Engage Eight blitz out of the 4-3 defense. Beastly.

Finally, I do have to comment on Arizona QB Nick Foles. I thought he played very well tonight, going 28-for-39, 303 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He made some very nice throws deep and over the middle that impressed me a lot. But I thought at times he forced a lot of balls into tight coverage and was lucky that Iowa did not pick off more passes. His running was completely stifled by the Iowa defense, but in the end it was too little too late for the Hawkeyes.

Overall

As a conference, the Pac-10 went 6-4 during Measuring Stick Saturday/Weekend. Nobody actually includes WSU when talking about the Pac-10 in the national picture, so if we exclude them, the conference went 6-3. The Arizona victory was obviously the biggest in terms of gaining national respect, but it shouldn't shock people that the Pac-10's speed was able to conquer the Big-10's strength. It happens all the time. California was the most disappointing team of the weekend as it delivered a dud against Nevada. And UCLA was probably the biggest surprise for the way it handled Houston.