The Pac-12 only had eight teams in play this week with USC, Utah, Washington State and Arizona on a bye. Opponents from the former Pac-12 North –– the conference did away with divisions at the beginning of 2022 –– were victorious in each of the four contests. No. 8 Oregon, obviously, won arguably its biggest home game in half a decade. Unfortunately for Duck fans, familiar foes also found success in yet another week of conference play.
Washington (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) earns first road win in 28-21 contest with California (3-4,1-3 Pac-12)
This game was a lot closer than many thought it would be, but there comes a certain point in the season where it doesn’t matter how a team wins, just that they do. As close as this game was, the Huskies never trailed and were often able to play with a lead. Saturday was a huge step for a Washington defense that has had some serious struggles this year. It didn’t force any Cal turnovers, but it limited the Bears to three scoring drives. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took care of the rest. He added 374 passing yards and a pair of touchdown passes. He continues to lead the nation in passing yards. The Huskies have a week off before they host Oregon State (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) on Nov. 4.
Cal’s hot start to the season has quickly fizzled into mediocrity. Everything about the Bears in this game just looked okay. Limiting the Washington offense to its season low in points was impressive, but the offense just failed to capitalize on it. Cal’s 61 rushing yards forced the Bears to rely on the arm of quarterback Jack Plummer. It wasn’t a recipe for success because he had just 245 passing yards as the Bears offense sputtered. Cal has now lost three straight games and next week looks no easier as No. 8 Oregon (6-1, 4-0 Pac-12) comes into Berkeley.
Oregon State (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) rolls past Colorado (1-6, 1-3 Pac-12) with 42-9 blowout win
The Beavers seem to be really good at beating unranked teams. After slaughtering Colorado, Oregon State remains undefeated against unranked opponents in 2022. Beavers’ running back Damien Martinez led the way as he rushed through the night… and the Buffaloes’ defense. The freshman racked up a career high 178 yards on 22 attempts. His three touchdowns alone outscored Colorado. The Beavers’ turnover chain was busy all night. Oregon State forced four Colorado turnovers –– including a pick-6 –– and the Beavers scored 21 points off the Buffaloes’ blunders. The Beavers have a bye week before a huge game with Washington (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12) in week 10.
After a thrilling win over Cal last week, Colorado has returned to the abysmal team it was through the first seven weeks of the season. There’s nothing positive to say about the Buffaloes’ play on Saturday night, and there’s no new way to say they stink. Hosting Arizona State (2-5, 1-3 Pac-12) next week may be Colorado’s last chance for a win in 2022.
Stanford (3-4, 1-4 Pac-12) wins first conference game 15-14 over Arizona State (2-5, 1-3 Pac-12)
This was not a pretty game. But for a Stanford team seeking its first conference win, struggling Arizona State was seen as an opportunity. Quarterback Tanner McKee threw for a season high 320 passing yards as the ground game was rendered ineffective, collecting just 78 rushing yards. The Cardinal couldn’t find the end zone once on Saturday and had to rely on kicker Joshua Karty –– who was 5/5 on the day –– for all their scoring. Stanford travels south next week for a meeting with a No. 12 UCLA (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12) team looking for a bounceback.
Arizona State really got everyone excited with its win over Washington a few weeks back, but this team has no true direction. The Sun Devils had six punts, an interception and a missed field goal. They found the end zone twice in the first half and then had nothing to show for the rest of the day. But 2022 effectively became a punt after Arizona State fired its coach after week three. The Sun Devils head to Boulder next week to play Colorado (1-6, 1-3 Pac-12).
