In the 11th week of college football, the Pac-12 enters just the second weekend of its six-game regular season. But COVID-19 is already threatening to cut some seasons short, as last week’s cancellations mean four teams will be debuting on Saturday.
This is what to watch for in week two.
Colorado @ Stanford (Saturday 12:30 p.m.)
Head coach Karl Dorell and the Colorado Buffaloes will go to Stanford after winning a shootout in their opener against UCLA.
Running back Jarek Broussard, in his college debut, was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week after putting up 187 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Bruins. Broussard and quarterback Sam Noyer, who added 64 yards on the ground on top of 257 passing, will need to have a similar performance if they wish to take down the Cardinal.
With that, the Buffs defense must show up against Stanford. They were torched by UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and gave up 42 points to the Bruins, despite forcing four turnovers.
Stanford, on the other hand, is coming off a 35-14 loss to the Ducks in Eugene. The defense got lit up, but there are still reasons for the Cardinal to be hopeful heading into week two.
Starting quarterback Davis Mills and star wideout Conor Wedington are expected to return after missing last week due to COVID-19 protocol. Despite their absences, the Stanford offense looked refined against Oregon. Stanford’s 14 points may not be reflective of their offensive power, given that Cardinal kicker Jet Toner missed all four of his field goal attempts.
The Cardinal defense was without two mainstays in corner Kyu Kelly and linebacker Gabe Reid, who were ruled out days before the game and are week-to-week. The defense forced only one Oregon punt and showed holes on deep balls and option run plays. Like Colorado, Stanford must improve defensively.
If they don’t, you can expect a lot of points in this matchup.
USC @ Arizona (Sat. 12:30 p.m.)
USC enters week two 1-0 after a miracle comeback against Arizona State that involved a tip-drill touchdown and a successful onside kick.
Quarterback Kedon Slovis showed out with 381 yards and two clutch touchdowns, but the Trojans barely stole a win after being down 13 points with three minutes left. Defensively, USC was great in shutting down the passing game, and shouldn’t have a problem going against a much less dangerous Arizona offense.
Arizona head coach Kevin Sumlin was given an extra week to prepare for the Wildcats’ season opener after their matchup with Utah was canceled due to the Utes’ positive COVID-19 tests.
A lot of pressure is on Sumlin, who enters his third season at Arizona on a seven-game losing streak from last season. Grant Gunnell is the presumptive starter at quarterback and attempts to build on last season where he threw nine touchdowns and only one interception in five games.
The Trojans travel to Tucson with momentum and a chance to impress playoff voters with a blowout win.
Oregon @ Washington State (Sat. 4:00 p.m.)
The Ducks trek to Washington State on Saturday in what is forecasted to be a cold, wet night in Pullman.
The Cougars’ freshman quarterback Jayden de Laura was impressive against Oregon State last weekend, tossing for 227 yards and two touchdowns. The Hawaii native also showed he could use his feet, successfully avoiding pressure on numerous occasions and adding 51 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Washington State was without 32 players against the Beavers due to COVID-19 and other injuries. One of those 32 was star running back Max Borghi, although his replacement Deon McIntosh rushed for 147 yards. As of now, it’s unclear if Borghi will play against the Ducks.
Oregon showed flashes of brilliance in their win against Stanford. Despite a Tyler Shough interception and a Cyrus Habibi-Likio fumble in the first half, the Ducks handled the Cardinal with relative ease. One area Oregon needs to shore up is the defense, which gave up 413 yards to an offense missing its starting quarterback and most dangerous weapon at receiver.
Still, de Laura will be facing a much more talented defensive opponent in week two and will need to respond to heavier pressure and tighter coverage from the Ducks.
Utah @ UCLA (Sat. 7:30 p.m.)
In Los Angeles, Utah debuts in a matchup with Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins.
Utah’s worst problems are off the field, as they have had at least six confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one of their players is known to have been hospitalized from the virus.
On the field, the Utes are almost an entirely different team. They replace their quarterback, running back and nine defensive positions. Such turnover usually prompts low expectations, but head coach Kyle Whittingham has proven that he is able to field a competitive team year after year. In addition, the offensive line returns four of five starters and will give solid protection to whomever starts at quarterback. Jake Bentley, Drew Lisk or Cam Rising will start under center for the Utes.
Starting at linebacker for Utah is Nephi Sewell, brother of Oregon’s Penei and Noah Sewell.
UCLA is recovering from fumbling away their opening game to Colorado. Kelly’s Bruins turned the ball over four times and trailed 35-14 by halftime against the Buffs. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson led a charging comeback with 412 total yards and five touchdowns, but UCLA ended up losing 48-42. Thompson-Robinson is known for bulky box scores, and Saturday will be no different against a new-look Utes defense.
Cal @ Arizona State (Sat. 7:30 p.m.)
In the week’s most intriguing matchup, the California Golden Bears make their season debut in Tempe.
A lot of hype surrounds the Golden Bears after an 8-5 season that included a Redbox Bowl victory over Illinois. The COVID-19-related cancellation of last week’s match up with Washington makes this a must-win game for Cal.
With no rescheduling announced, the missed game brings heavy consequences to Cal’s postseason hopes.
Arizona State is coming off a heartbreaking loss against USC in week one. Quarterback Jayden Daniels rushed for a career high of 111 yards, but was unimpressive through the air and was unable to lead a comeback in the closing minutes.
Sun Devils Linebacker Merlin Robertson was awarded Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after finishing with 10 total tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception last week.
The status of the game is uncertain as California deals with COVID-19 issues.
Oregon State @ Washington (Sat. 8:00 p.m.)
In the last matchup of the day, new Washington head coach Jimmy Lake makes his debut hosting Oregon State.
The Huskies have fielded a quarterback competition between four candidates, but it’s likely the job will either be given to Sacramento State grad-transfer Kevin Thomson or redshirt sophomore Jacob Sirmon.
The Beavers are coming off a 38-28 loss to Washington State that never felt close. Junior Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson was impressive with 120 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and five catches for 50 yards.
Losing to a depleted Cougars team is no doubt a shot at the Beavs’ morale, and transfer quarterback Tristan Gebbia must improve to keep the teams’ season alive.
The Huskies have won eight straight against Oregon State, and look to start off their season strong at home.
