The Pacific-10 Conference enters week three of the schedule with four teams taking on ranked opponents. Last weekend’s LSU and Arizona State match-up was the first time a Pac-10 team faced a ranked opponent. This week is sure to test the overall strength of the conference with No. 11 Louisville, No. 12 Purdue, No. 21 Oklahoma and No. 23 Fresno State all facing Pac-10 teams.
Oregon State (2-0) at No. 11 Louisville (1-0)
Oregon State hits the road for the first time in 2005 after improving to 2-0 in the newly renovated Reser Stadium with a 30-27 comeback win against previously ranked Boise State.
The Beavers’ Alexis Serna kicked a field goal with 1:03 remaining to give Oregon State the lead and eventual victory. First-year starting quarterback Matt Moore passed for 279 yards and a touchdown and Yvenson Bernard rushed for 92 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. Always-reliable Mike Haas had another huge game against Boise State, this time catching 11 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown.
All three will be relied upon to score early and often to help a defense who will be facing one of the nation’s most high-powered offenses.
Louisville ranked first nationally in scoring at 49.8 points per game and first in total yards per game with 539 last season. Even with the departure of starting quarterback Stefan LeFors, don’t expect a drop in production for the Cardinals. Louisville will be led by sophomore quarterback Brian Brohm, who is one of the school’s most celebrated recruits and was named Conference USA’s Freshman of the Year. Brohm will have plenty of weapons, including running back Michael Bush, who gained 128 yards on 27 carries in the Cardinal’s opening season 31-24 victory over Kentucky.
Oregon State is 5-6 against current Big East teams and will face Louisville for the first time Saturday. The Beavers have lost their last six road games against ranked opponents.
Illinois (2-0) at No. 15 California (2-0 , 1-0)
After opening the season with consecutive wins against Rutgers and San Jose State, Illinois will get its first real challenge of the season when it travels to Berkeley to face Jeff Tedford’s Golden Bears.
Cal opened its Pac-10 schedule last weekend, crushing Washington 56-17 behind the stellar play of quarterback Joseph Ayoob, who threw for 271 yards and four touchdowns against the Huskies. Three of Ayoob’s four touchdown passes were caught by wideout Robert Jordan, the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week, who finished with 192 yards receiving.
Unfortunately for California, starting running back Marshawn Lynch broke his left pinkie finger against the Huskies and was sidelined. His condition for Saturday’s game against the Illini was undetermined. The Bears will be in search of their ninth-straight home victory and second consecutive against Illinois, who will ride try to ride its balanced offensive attack (482 yards passing and 447 yards rushing in two games) in hopes of upsetting the favored Golden Bears.
No. 12 Purdue (1-0) at Arizona (1-1)
Both teams are coming off victories against subpar teams. Purdue is growing accustomed to the post-Kyle Orton era and new quarterback Brandon Kirsch is helping to alleviate that loss. In a 49-24 rout of Akron, Kirsch threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns. He has also become a threat to run the ball. Kirsch and running back Jerod Void (10 carries for 101 yards) should have Mike Stoops’ Arizona defense on its heals all day.
The Wildcats have been led in the early season by their three skill position players: quarterback Richard Kovalcheck, tailback Mike Bell and wideout Syndric Steptoe. If Arizona is to have any chance in this game, the Wildcat defense must answer the call and at least slow the Boilermaker attack, while the big three on offense, led by Bell, must have breakout games.
Northwestern (2-0) at No. 18 Arizona State (1-1)
Arizona State looks to rebound from a heartbreaking home loss to No. 5 LSU. In a back-and-forth game in which Sun Devil quarterback Sam Keller had his second impressive game throwing for 461 yards and four touchdowns, it was a late 39-yard touchdown pass from LSU’s JaMarcus Russell to Early Doucet that gave the Tigers the dramatic 35-31 win.
If the hangover from the LSU game does not linger, Arizona State is the favorite to improve to 2-1 on Saturday against Northwestern, which will mark Arizona State’s third straight game of the 2005 season at home. The Wildcats enter the game led by surprising freshman Tyrell Sutton, who has amassed 318 yards and six touchdowns in two games. However, look for Keller to lead the Sun Devils past the Wildcats, who ranked 98th against the pass last season, surrendering 251.8 yards per game through the air.
Arkansas (1-1) at No. 1 USC (1-0)
USC returns home following its bye-week and is well rested after a trip to Hawaii a week earlier that resulted in a 63-17 win for the Trojans. USC, led by Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart and do-it-all Reggie Bush, is gearing up for another day against Arkansas before hiting the road to Eugene and Autzen Stadium.
And barring any upsets of the century, Arkansas should be out-manned in this contest. The Razorbacks, with first-year quarterback Robert Johnson under the helm, most likely will use their bruising backfield combination of tailback De’Arrius Howard (6-foot, 228 lbs) and fullback Peyton Hillis (6-foot-2, 240 lbs) to chew up time and allow the Razorbacks to utilize play action. Arkansas also has the benefit of two tall receivers, Marcus Monk and Anthony Brown, who stand at 6-foot-6. However, USC is favored to win big against Arkansas, a team that ranked 76th in yards allowed last season.
Idaho (0-2) at Washington (0-2, 0-1)
Washington has a golden opportunity against Idaho to pick up its first – and possibly last – win of the season, though the Vandals most certainly should not be overlooked. Idaho has remained competitive in both of its early season losses, losing by 12 to Washington State and by three to UNLV.
Despite a lopsided final score in its home and Pac-10 opener, the Huskies hung with No. 15 Cal early before succumbing to the Golden Bear aerial assault. Washington trailed 28-17 early in the third quarter behind the efforts of quarterback Isaiah Stanback (301 yards, 2 touchdowns) and wide out Sonny Shackelford (6 catches, 124 yards). The two will be relied upon to carry the Huskies against a hungry Idaho team, also searching for its first win.
The Vandals’ Steven Wichman will lead Idaho into Seattle. He has thrown for a combined 533 yards and two touchdowns in two games. If Washington fails to pick up its first win against Idaho, next week’s game against the surging Notre Dame Fighting Irish may demoralize an already distraught Husky team.
Grambling (1-0) at Washington State (2-0)
No Pac-10 team has had an easier schedule in its first three games than the Washington State Cougars who look to improve to 3-0 against Grambling on Saturday in Martin Stadium. The Cougs previously defeated Idaho at home and Nevada on the road.
Despite struggling against Idaho, Washington State won easily on the road against Nevada behind a defense that allowed only 125 yards rushing.
Grambling must depend on its big-play receivers, who turned quarterback Bruce Eugene’s eight completions into 275 yards against Alabama A&M. The receiving corps is led by Henry Tolbert, who had four catches for 174 yards and a touchdown in Grambling’s 44-0 season-opening victory. The Tigers defense allowed a meager 157 total yards to Alabama A&M including 34 total rushing yards.
UC Davis (0-2) at Stanford (1-0)
The Cardinal is coming off a narrow
41-38 victory over Navy in head coach Walt Harris’ debut. A win should come much easier this weekend against the Aggies of UC Davis, who were defeated by Portland State 14-12 last week. Stanford will rely on the strong arm of Trent Edwards, who had 235 yards passing against Navy, a wide array of receivers (four players had more than 25 yards receiving)
and a solid backfield (three running backs had more than 45 yards).
UC Davis yielded only 254 yards to Portland State, but four turnovers proved to be the difference in the Aggies’ second loss.

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