this week in the

INSIDE ONE OF ’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPILED BY PATRICK STEVENS, SPECIAL TO GATEHOUSE MEDIA

BY THE NUMBERS POWER RANKINGS game of the week TEXAS A&M STANDINGS (8-5 in 2016) at UCLA (4-8) Breaking down the Pac-12 (Last season’s final rankings)

NORTH 1. Washington: Team Conf. All T25 When: 4:30 p.m. PDT Sunday Where: Rose Bowl, The defending Washington 8-1 12-2 2-2 Pasadena, Calif. TV: Fox Washington State 7-2 8-5 1-2 league champions Stanford 6-3 10-3 342 have a manage- 265 4-2 5-1 1-2 Oregon State 3-6 4-8 0-5 able nonconference schedule California 3-6 5-7 1-3 before beginning their Pac-12 Oregon 2-7 4-8 1-5 defense. But could it come SOUTH back to bite the Huskies when Team Conf. All T25 playoff berths are doled out? Colorado 8-1 10-4 1-4 USC 7-2 10-3 3-2 Utah 5-4 9-4 1-2 2. Southern Arizona State 2-7 5-7 0-5 California: Sam UCLA 2-7 4-8 0-5 Arizona 1-8 3-9 0-5 Darnold and the Trojans won nine INDIVIDUAL LEADERS in a row to close out last (Last season’s numbers) season, raising expectations PASSING YARDS that this could be the year Player Yds. ALL EYES Southern Cal re-establishes 1. Luke Falk, WSU 4,468 2. Davis Webb, CAL 4,295 itself as a Pac-12 champion — 3. Jake Browning, WASH 3,430 and maybe more. 4. , USC 3,086 5. Troy Williams, UTAH 2,757 ON HIM 3. Stanford (1-0): PASSING Player No. ROSEN KEY TO BRUINS’ HOPES Needed less than 1. Jake Browning, WASH 75 FOR BOUNCEBACK SEASON a minute Down 2. Luke Falk, WSU 38 3. Davis Webb, CAL 37 Under to seize a 4. Sam Darnold, USC 31 lead against Rice it would 5. Justin Herbert, ORE 19 KEYS FOR TEXAS A&M doesn’t alleviate the pres- six victories in 1989-90. A never relinquish. Now, the RUSHING YARDS sure, but it is about all Texas bounceback of some kind is Cardinal gets two weeks to Player Yds. consis- prepare to face Southern Cal. 1. Christian McCaffrey, STAN 1,603 tency. Texas A&M’s quar- A&M can do at this point. on order, and dwelling on 2. Joe Williams, UTAH 1,407 last year’s problems solves 3. Myles Gaskin, WASH 1,373 terback camp competition 4. Utah: Sopho- KEYS FOR UCLA nothing. UCLA needs to 4. Phillip Lindsay, COLO 1,252 dragged deep into August, more Tyler 5. Ronald Jones II, USC 1,082 and it would not come as Establish the run. take advantage of this fresh start and an open- Huntley won the RECEIVING YARDS any surprise if both Jake The quick explanation Utes’ starting QB Player Yds. Hubenak and Nick Starkel for UCLA’s nosedive last ing victory would go a long 1. Chad Hansen, CAL 1,249 way toward moving on. job in camp, besting incum- 2. John Ross, WASH 1,150 saw action in the opener. year was QB ’s bent Troy Williams. 3. JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC 914 Hubenak has started a bowl shoulder injury that cost 4. Gabe Marks, WSU 894 PREDICTION 5. Shay Fields, COLO 883 game (2015 Music City Bowl), him the second half of the 5. Washington and stepped in for an injured season. But the Bruins were Texas A&M 34-31. SCORING State: Before a Player Pts. Trevor Knight late last sea- a mediocre team even with The Aggies won last year’s fascinating Week 1. Cameron Van Winkle, PK, WASH 123 son. Starkel is a redshirt Rosen, and their running meeting 31-24 in College 2 matchup against 2. Matt Anderson, PK, CAL 117 freshman. Regardless of game (which admittedly Station, and it would come 3. John Ross, WR, WASH 114 Boise State, the Cougars get a 4. Zane Gonzalez, PK, ASU 108 who plays, the Aggies need a got worse after Rosen’s as little surprise if a similar visit from Montana State. 5. Matt Boermeester, PK, USC 107 steady hand at the position. injury) was nothing special sort of game unfolded this For when the quarterback was time around. The upside to One step at a time. 6. Colorado: After TEAM STATISTICS those who want the over- healthy. The Bruins need to A&M’s pattern of rising and (Last season’s numbers) last season’s arching season narrative, few become multi-dimensional then falling is that it is usu- breakout year, the TOTAL OFFENSE teams provide one as easy to on offense to take full ally particularly prepared Team Yds./G Pts./G Buffaloes will try Washington 457 41.8 identify as Texas A&M’s. The advantage of Rosen’s gifts. for an opener, though it will to remain in contention in the Washington State 483 38.2 Aggies’ penchant for turn- A brand new season. go into this one without DE USC 477 34.4 Pac-12 South. California 513 37.1 ing 5-0 (or, in one case, 6-0) Things could theoretically Myles Garrett, the top pick Colorado 437 31.1 starts into 8-5 finishes the always get worse for UCLA. in last year’s draft. Both Oregon 492 35.4 last three years is an unset- Still, the Bruins haven’t had teams have plenty to prove, 7. Oregon: The Utah 431 29.8 Ducks should Arizona 413 24.8 tling trend. It’s clearly a big fewer than four losses since and this will be one of the Stanford 367 26.3 year for coach Kevin Sum- 1989 and last had back-to- most fascinating games improve on last Arizona State 391 33.3 year’s debacle UCLA 380 24.9 lin, and winning an opener back seasons with less than of the opening weekend. Oregon State 366 26.2 that cost Mark Helfrich his job. PASSING OFFENSE Team Yds. Yds./G BEST OF THE REST this week’s other top games Washington State 4,713 362.5 8. UCLA: Another California 4,306 358.8 team due an Washington 3,623 258.8 COLORADO (10-4) vs. CALIFORNIA (5-7) at WESTERN MICHIGAN USC 3,593 276.4 COLORADO STATE (7-6) NORTH CAROLINA (8-5) (13-1) at No. 4 USC (10-3) improvement, the Colorado 3,563 254.5 Bruins might face UCLA 3,547 295.6 When: 5 p.m. PDT Friday When: 9:20 a.m. PDT Saturday When: 2:15 p.m. PDT Saturday Oregon 3,183 265.3 the toughest test of any Pac-12 Arizona State 3,111 259.3 Where: Sports Authority Field, Where: Kenan Stadium, Chapel Where: Memorial Coliseum, team in the opening week. Utah 2,817 216.7 Denver Hill, N.C. Los Angeles Arizona 2,137 178.1 TV: TV: TV: Oregon State 2,086 173.8 Pac-12 Networks ACC Network Pac-12 Networks 9. Arizona State: Stanford 2,056 158.2 Notes: Colorado won last Notes: Four years under Sonny Notes: This game would have Bbecoming even year’s meeting 44-7, its most Dykes never yielded a particularly been a lot more fun — and RUSHING OFFENSE the slightest bit Team Yds. Yds./G lopsided victory in the series capable defense, and pairing that dangerous for USC — a year resistant to oppo- Arizona 2,820 235.0 since 1956. The Buffaloes with a 19-30 mark (18-20 over ago, when P.J. Fleck was still the Utah 2,782 214.0 nents with decent passing dropped their the last three visiting Broncos’ Washington 2,774 198.1 attacks tops the list of fixes. Stanford 2,720 209.2 last two games seasons) and coach and (more Oregon 2,717 226.4 a season ago, Dykes’ penchant importantly) USC 2,609 200.7 10. Arizona: The Colorado 2,557 182.6 only mildly for looking for WR Corey Davis Wildcats have a Oregon State 2,300 191.7 spoiling what other jobs led was still around California 1,852 154.3 complicated Week Arizona State 1,578 131.5 had been their to a coaching to catch passes. 2 game against Washington State 1,560 120.0 best year in change. Justin Nonetheless, UCLA 1,011 84.3 Stevens Wilcox Darnold Houston, though they should over a decade. Wilcox takes Southern Cal has get off to solid start. This looks like it could be an over after 11 years as a defensive one of the Pac-12’s most challeng- especially tricky opener since coordinator at Boise State, Ten- ing opening week games, and NUMBER TO KNOW the Rams have already played nessee, Washington, Southern Cal it will be a good barometer for 11. Oregon State their first game, a 58-27 thrash- and Wisconsin, and his first task how coach Clay Helton, QB Sam (0-1): The Beavers ing of Oregon State. QB Nick is to slow down a North Carolina Darnold, TB Ronald Jones and the come in a spot 8 Stevens threw for 334 yards offense that has consistently rest of the Trojans handle the short of originally Preseason ranking for Wash- and three TDs in the rout. produced under Larry Fedora. amplified expectations. planned after their bruising ington in the Associated Press 58-27 loss at Colorado State. poll, its highest starting spot since beginning 1997 at No. 4. ROUNDING IT OUT SATURDAY 12. California: The Only six times in program his- THE REST OF THE MATCHUPS 11 a.m. Portland State at Oregon State Pac-12 Golden Bears head tory have the Huskies began a 5:15 p.m. Southern Utah at Oregon Pac-12 to North Carolina Time (PDT) Matchup TV season ranked higher than No. 7:30 p.m. Montana St. at No. 24 Wash. St. FS1 for their season FRIDAY 8 (1960, 1964, 1982, 1991, 1992 8 p.m. Northern Arizona at Arizona Pac-12 opener. It’s the first game in a 5 p.m. No. 8 Washington at Rutgers FS1 and 1997). considerable rebuilding project.

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