Arizona State at UCLA (1 p.m. Saturday)
Arizona State comes into the game after humbling 44-21 loss to then-No. 14 Oregon last Saturday. The defense, which had been stout all year, had no answer for LaMichael James and the Ducks offense and gave up 388 total yards (268 on the ground). Quarterback Samson Szakacsy was surprisingly effective coming in for an injured Brock Osweiler. The redshirt sophomore completed 13 of 22 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown, while also running for a touchdown. The Bruins are sporting a modest two-game win streak after picking apart Washington State 43-7. Freshman quarterback Kevin Prince did it all, throwing for 314 yards and running for 76 more with two total touchdowns. The offense racked up 556 total yards, while the defense held the Cougars to just 181 yards and forced
four turnovers.
Key stat: Despite last week’s showing, Arizona State still leads the Pac-10 in total
defense (301.4 yards per game)
No. 20 Oregon State at Washington State (2 p.m. Saturday)
The Beavers are beginning to click, having won three games straight and embarrassed Washington 48-21 last week in Corvallis. Senior quarterback Sean Canfield had another prolific outing, completing 21 of his 29 passes for four touchdowns. Sophomore running back Jacquizz Rodgers was also explosive, gathering 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries. The defense forced two turnovers, and the team managed to avoid penalties for the most part with just three for 15 yards. Washington State, meanwhile, cannot help but be discouraged, as they remain winless in the Pacific-10 Conference. In their most recent 43-7 loss to UCLA, freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel was out with an injury, and his replacement suffered mightily. Sophomore Marshall Lobbestael threw three interceptions before being benched in the second quarter for senior Kevin Lopina. By then, UCLA led 23-0 and it was too late for a comeback.
Key stat: In Pac-10 play this season, Washington State has yet to score more than 17 points
California at No. 14 Stanford (4:30 p.m. Saturday)
The Golden Bears shocked Arizona 24-16 last week, serving notice that they are not to be forgotten about in the Pac-10. Despite the absence of junior running back Jahvid Best, California rushed for 176 yards against the Wildcats. 159 of those yards came from sophomore Shane Vereen, who also scored a touchdown. The Golden Bears outgained Arizona 357-274, and held the Wildcats to their lowest point total of the year. With a narrow 18-16 lead late in the fourth quarter, California stopped the Wildcats on fourth down and sealed the victory with a 61-yard touchdown run by Vereen. No. 14 Stanford is arguably the hottest team in college football after back-to-back 50-point games against Oregon and USC. Running back Toby Gerhart has been the catalyst for the Cardinal’s offense all year, and proved his worth against the Trojans. The senior bulldozed USC for 178 yards and three touchdowns, cementing himself as a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. Freshman quarterback Andrew Luck continued to play well behind his years and finished with 144 yards and two touchdowns, while the defense forced three interceptions from Matt Barkley.
Key stat: The Pac-10’s second best rushing offense (Stanford-222.4 yards per game) faces off with the Conference’s second best rushing defense (California-104.1 yards per game)
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Cal, Stanford meet in annual Big Game Saturday
Daily Emerald
November 18, 2009
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