Pac-12 Notes – CSU Week

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Pac-12 Notes – CSU Week

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September 1st

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No. 9 Auburn scores late to defeat No. 6 Washington, 21-16

… Related … “Five impressions from the UW Huskies’ season-opening loss to No. 9 Auburn” … from the Seattle Times

From ESPN … Jatarvious Whitlow ran 10 yards for a touchdown with 6:15 remaining and the Auburn defense came through at the end, leading the No. 9 Tigers a 21-16 victory over No. 6 Washington that provided a big boost to their resume in the very first game of the season Saturday.

Trailing 16-15 after missing a two-point conversion on their opening drive of the game, Auburn drove 76 yards in 10 plays for the winning score. Jarrett Stidhambkept the drive going early with a 12-yard pass to Chandler Cox on third-and-9.

Then, facing third-and-7 deep in Washington territory, Auburn handed off inside to Whitlow, who knocked over a Washington defender as he smashed into the end zone.

Washington drove to the Auburn 37 with plenty of time to pull off the comeback, but Myles Gaskin was thrown for a 3-yard loss and Jake Browningwas stymied by a fierce pass rush on back-to-back plays to preserve the Tigers’ victory.

Both teams squandered scoring chances.

… Continue reading story here …

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No. 15 USC struggles early, pulls away late from UNLV

From ESPN … JT Daniels, the second freshman to start at quarterback in a season opener for Southern California, threw for 282 yards with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown to lead the No. 15 Trojans to a 43-21 victory over UNLV on Saturday.

Daniels was 22 of 35 passing for the Trojans (1-0), with fellow freshman St. Brown making seven receptions for 98 yards. The former Mater Dei High School teammates connected for their first college touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, with St. Brown getting a step behind cornerback Jericho Flowers on a post route to give USC a two-possession lead over the Rebels (0-1).

Aca’Cedric Ware rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown, and Vavae Malepeai scored the first of two touchdowns on a 2-yard run late in the second quarter that gave USC a lead it would not relinquish.

Chase McGrath, another Mater Dei product, kicked five field goals to tie a school record, and outside linebacker Porter Gustin had 1 1/2 sacks and recovered a fumble after undergoing knee surgery on Aug. 8.

UNLV used early big plays to hang with the defending Pac-12 champions for three quarters. Lexington Thomas gained 71 of his 138 yards rushing on a touchdown run after faking a reverse to put UNLV ahead 7-6 late in the first quarter.

Armani Rogers threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Kendal Keys to go up 14-9 after UNLV extended the drive with a 36-yard run by Evan Austrie on a fake punt.

Rogers was 12 of 27 for 97 yards and two touchdown passes, adding 82 yards rushing despite being sacked five times.

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Oregon State falls to Ohio State, 77-31

From ESPN … With coach Urban Meyer serving a suspension, new starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. threw for a record five touchdowns as No. 5 Ohio State routed Oregon State 77-31 in the opener for both teams Saturday.

After a preseason fraught with drama, the Buckeyes shook off Meyer’s first absence from the Ohio State sideline in six years, scoring on five of its first six possessions and overcoming some defensive sloppiness.

Haskins, who took the keys from four-year starter J.T. Barrett, was 22 for 30 for 313 yards. The five touchdowns and yards gained are records for a first-time Ohio State starter. Mike Weber rushed 20 times for 186 yards and three touchdowns for the Buckeyes.

Oregon State quarterback Conor Blount found some holes in the Ohio State defense, throwing for 169 yards and two touchdowns, but he also was sacked five times in the first half, twice by All-American defensive end Nick Bosa. Running back Artavis Pierce ran for two long touchdowns in the second half.

“There’s lots of things to learn from, and be encouraged by,” Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith said. “We were in position to make some plays, we didn’t tackle all that well.”

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No. 13 Stanford relies on defense to defeat San Diego State, 31-10

From ESPN …  Stanford knows defenses are going to do whatever it takes to slow down Bryce Love after his record-setting 2017 season.

Being able to take advantage of that with the deep passing game will be key to the Cardinal’s success this year.

JJ Arcega-Whiteside did just that, getting loose for three long TD catches from K.J. Costello to overcome a slow night by Love and No. 13 Stanford opened the season with a 31-10 victory over San Diego State on Friday.

“That’s what their game plan was, to load up the box and play one-on-ones on the outside,” Arcega-Whiteside said. “That’s what you want and all you can ask for. Now teams know they can’t just load up the box and play one-on-one on the outside.”

Love was held to 29 yards on 18 carries as the Aztecs (0-1) focused their defense on stopping the man who led all Power 5 backs with 2,118 yards rushing last season on the way to a Heisman Trophy runner-up finish.

After a slow start, the Cardinal (1-0) made San Diego State pay for that decision. Costello connected with Arcega-Whiteside on a 38-yard score in the second quarter and then on plays from 19 and 80 yards in the third quarter as the Aztecs defensive backs struggled to contend with Stanford’s big receiver. Arcega-Whiteside finished with six catches for 226 yards.

“It’s no secret Bryce is the best running back in the country,” Costello said. “We all believe it. There were times I came to the line and there were 11 guys coming downhill to light him up. Being able to counter that is what you have to do to be a good offense.”

Costello added a 19-yard TD pass to Colby Parkinson in the fourth quarter to break open what had been a close game for more than a half. Costello finished 21 for 31 for 332 yards and four TDs.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 31st

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Utah overcomes early 10-0 deficit to defeat Weber State

… Related … “Utah defense overwhelms Weber State in 41-10 season-opening victory” … from the Daily Camera

From ESPN … Utah players found themselves down 10-0 and saw its in-state underdog opponents celebrating on the other sideline.

Zack Moss and the Utes turned the tables in a hurry.

“We weren’t nervous. We knew adversity would come at some point,” Utah wide receiver Britain Covey said after his first game since 2015. “We know what we’re capable of.”

After the initial hiccup, Moss rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown and added a receiving score to power Utah to a 41-10 win over Weber State on Thursday night.

“The O-line started getting into a rhythm and I was just being patient … knowing we’d make a play sooner or later,” Moss said.

The big plays suddenly came easy and often as the Utes responded with 587 yards and Moss claimed the fourth-longest run from scrimmage in school history when he ran untouched for an 86-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Utah’s Tyler Huntley overcame an early pick to throw for 253 yards and four touchdowns. The Utes showcased a balanced offense of 294 yards on the ground and 293 through the air.

“Our mindset was that we weren’t going to lose,” Hundley said. “Nobody was nervous.”

The Wildcats stunned Utah with two quick scores, capitalizing on a muffed punt and an interception. The Wildcats players danced and hooted as Utah’s 52nd consecutive sellout crowd went quiet.

“We couldn’t get out of our own way at the start,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “It was a comedy of errors.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Week Three opponent New Hampshire opens with a loss to rival Maine

From ESPN …  Chris Ferguson threw two touchdown passes and Drew Belcher added a 52-yard scoring toss as Maine opened the season beating New Hampshire 35-7 on Thursday night for the Brice-Cowell Musket trophy.

It was the 107th series meeting.

The Colonial Athletic Association schools faced each other in the season opener for the second straight year. It was Maine’s first win over New Hampshire since 2010. New Hampshire escaped with a 24-23 victory in the season opener last year.

Ferguson threw for 199 yards and Belcher tossed just one pass, but he also hauled in five passes from Ferguson for 34 yards. Jaquan Blair grabbed three tosses for 70 yards and a score. Joe Fitzpatrick rushed 17 times for 76 yards and a touchdown for the Black Bears.

Maine jumped out to a 22-0 halftime advantage and eased to the victory.

Christian Lupoli threw for 98 yards and one score to lead New Hampshire.

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August 30th

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Michigan transfer Wilton Speight earns starting nod at UCLA 

From ESPN … The Chip Kelly era at UCLA will begin with Wilton Speight at quarterback.

Speight, a graduate transfer from Michigan, will start for the Bruins in Kelly’s coaching debut Saturday against Cincinnati, the team announced Thursday afternoon. Speight won the job over redshirt sophomore Devon Modster and true freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Kelly said earlier this week that the three had separated themselves from redshirt sophomore Matt Lynch, redshirt freshman Austin Burton and freshman walk-on Josiah Norwood.

Speight started 16 games for Michigan and appeared in 23, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2016. He suffered a back injury early in the fourth game of the 2017 season and did not return. The 6-foot-6, 232-pound Speight has 3,192 career pass yards with 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Modster started two games in relief of Josh Rosen last season for UCLA, while Thompson-Robinson rated as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 34 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, according to ESPN.

Speight isn’t the typical college quarterback for Kelly, as he had negative rushing totals in both years he played for Michigan. But Kelly has broadened his view for quarterbacks after coaching in the NFL, and he plans to incorporate more pro-style elements.

“[Kelly] and I talked a lot about how he ran things with Nick Foles, Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez [in the NFL],” Speight said earlier this month. “The success that he had with those guys. They could move but obviously weren’t dual-threat. I saw the success they had and the things he would tweak for those guys. I saw myself doing the same thing.”

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August 29th

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Former (as in last week) Nebraska quarterback Tristan Gebbia transferring to Oregon State

From ESPN … Former Nebraska quarterback Tristan Gebbia plans to transfer to Oregon State and could enroll in classes as early as next week, a source told ESPN.

Gebbia, a redshirt freshman from Calabasas, California, was granted his release from Nebraska this week after he lost a quarterback competition to true freshman Adrian Martinez. His transfer destination was first reported by Yahoo’s Pete Thamel.

Before choosing Nebraska, Gebbia was recruited by new Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith, while Smith was the offensive coordinator at Washington. During a storied prep career at Calabasas High, Gebbia threw for 13,109 yards — the second-most in state history at the time — and was ESPN’s No. 12-ranked pocket passer in the class of 2017.

Smith announced Monday that senior Jake Luton would open this season as the Beavers’ starting quarterback, after he emerged from a three-man competition with redshirt sophomore Conor Blount and sophomore Jack Colletto.

Gebbia will sit out this season and be eligible to play in 2019.

Gebbia was recruited by former coach Mike Riley to Nebraska. Riley served two stints as the Oregon State coach and is currently listed as an analyst on Smith’s staff at OSU.

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Second true freshman starting quarterback in USC history unfazed by spotlight

From ESPN … The JT Daniels era at USC has begun.

For the first time since officially winning the job on Sunday, Daniels took the practice field as USC’s starting quarterback on Tuesday. It was an important step as the Trojans prepare to open the season Saturday against UNLV, but for Daniels it was business as usual.

“To be honest, it’s not any different,” he said. “I come out with the same mentality every day and that’s just trying to get better and prepare myself for the team, whether it’s first string or eighth.”

While taking the bulk of the first-team reps, Daniels again showed off his natural, fluid throwing motion that helped make him the Gatorade National Player of the Year last year at nearby Mater Dei High School.

And when practice concluded and he addressed the media for the first time since arriving at USC, Daniels’ calm, poised demeanor was also on display. Even with an unusually large media contingent, Daniels appeared in his comfort zone.

“I was very excited [to win the job],” he said. “Super honored that Coach [Clay] Helton gave me the privilege to take ownership of this team, but it still goes back to — I still have a lot of work to do, haven’t played a game yet.”

… Continue reading story here …

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August 28th

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Jon Wilner’s list of impactful newcomers to the Pac-12 includes two Buffs

From the San Jose Mercury News … The Pac-12 experienced momentous turnover from late November (coaching changes) to late spring (graduate transfers), prompting the Hotline’s crack research staff to sort through the list of newcomers and ponder the most influential.

We’ll define newcomers as players who weren’t on their current roster last year and coaches who weren’t on the current payroll.

The five new head coaches were excluded from the discussion — they’re in a class of their own — but coordinators and assistant coaches were considered, along with true freshmen and graduate transfers.

Once a first draft of names was compiled, I evaluated each for potential impact on the team and division, then picked the top 12.

11. Colorado TB Travon McMillian: Grad transfer from Virginia Tech is part of the contingent attempting to replace do-everything running back Phillip Lindsay and provide vital balance to the Buff’s attack. At 210 pounds, McMillian is the best bet for short-yardage duty on third down and in the red zone.

7. Colorado QB coach Kurt Roper: Hired in January, the veteran assistant has been tasked with elevating the play of QB Steven Montez. If Roper succeeds — sometimes, all it takes is a different voice in the QB room — the impact could disrupt the South race. Montez has the raw talent to lead the Buffs into contention.

… Read full list here …

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August 27th

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Pac-12 opening game lines

From 5Dimes …

Utah … a 22-point home favorite over Weber State (Thursday, 7:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)

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No. 13 Stanford  … a 14.5-point home favorite over San Diego State (Friday, 7:00 p.m., MT, FS1)

Colorado … a 7.5-point favorite over Colorado State (Denver, Friday, 7:30 p.m., MT, CBS Sports Network)

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Oregon State … a 39-point road underdog to No. 5 Ohio State (Sat., 10:00 a.m., MT, ABC)

No. 6 Washington … a 1.5-point underdog to No. 9 Auburn (Sat., 1:30 p.m., MT, ABC)

Washington State … a 1.5-point road favorite over Wyoming (Sat., 1:30 p.m., MT, CBS Sports Network)

California … a 7.5-point home favorite over North Carolina (Sat., 2:00 p.m., MT, Fox)

No. 15 USC … a 26-point home favorite over UNLV (Sat., 2:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)

UCLA … a 16.5-point home favorite over Cincinnati (Sat., 5:00 p.m., MT, ESPN)

No. 24 Oregon … a 31.5-point home favorite over Bowling Green (Sat., 6:00 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks)

Arizona State … a 18.5-point home favorite over Texas-San Antonio (Sat., 8:30 p.m., MT, FS1)

Arizona … a 12-point home favorite over BYU (Sat., 8:45 p.m., MT, ESPN)

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Nebraska down to one (true freshman) scholarship quarterback

From ESPN … Nebraska appears down to one available quarterback on scholarship after Tristan Gebbia skipped practice on Monday and withdrew from the university.

Gebbia, a redshirt freshman from Calabasas, California, lost an offseason-long battle for the starting job to true freshman Adrian Martinez over the weekend.

A university official said Monday that Gebbia was no longer enrolled in classes.

First-year coach Scott Frost said he was seeking more information about Gebbia, an ESPN 300 signee in 2017 who threw for the second-most yards in California prep history.

“We want guys who want to be here,” Frost said.

If Gebbia is transferring, the Cornhuskers would be left dangerously thin at the position. Walk-on sophomore Andrew Bunch has fared well in practice, according to coaches, and freshman Matt Masker joined the team in August as a walk-on.

Noah Vedral is ineligible to play this season as a transfer from UCF, where Frost and his entire staff coached the past two years.

… Continue reading story here …

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ESPN: Colorado bowl-worthy in 2018

From ESPN … Pac-12 predictions:

Champion: Washington

Offensive player of the year: Bryce Love, RB, Stanford
Defensive player of the year: Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
Coach of the year: Chris Petersen, Washington
Freshman of the year: JT Daniels, QB, USC
Comeback player of the year: Trey Adams, OT, Washington
Coach on the hot seat: Mike Leach, Washington State
Coordinator on the rise: Tee Martin, offensive coordinator, USC
Team most likely to rise: Arizona
Team most likely to fall: Washington State
Nonconference game of the year: Washington vs. Auburn, Sept. 1 (Atlanta)
Conference game of the year: Stanford at Washington, Nov. 3
Biggest potential upset: Utah over Washington, Sept. 15

TEAM … PREDICTED FINISH

1. Washington 12-0, 9-0 … 2. Stanford 10-2, 8-1 … 3. Oregon 8-4, 5-4 … 4. California … 6-6, 3-6 … 5. Washington State 4-8, 1-8 … 6. Oregon State 2-10, 0-9

1. USC 9-3, 7-2 … 2. Arizona 9-3, 6-3 … 3. Utah 8-4, 5-4 … 4. Colorado 6-6, 4-5 … 5. Arizona State 5-7, 3-6 … 6. UCLA 5-7, 3-6

Pac-12 Bowls …

Orange Bowl (playoff) … Washington v. Clemson

Las Vegas Bowl … California v. Utah State

Cheez-It Bowl … Colorado v. Iowa State

Alamo Bowl … USC v. West Virginia

Sun Bowl … Utah v. Boston College

San Francisco Bowl … Oregon v. Iowa

Holiday Bowl … Arizona v. Penn State

Rose Bowl … Michigan v. Stanford

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USC tabs true freshman to start at quarterback

From ESPN … True freshman JT Daniels is USC’s starting quarterback.

Coach Clay Helton made the announcement Sunday, as the Trojans are set to begin game-week preparations for their season opener against UNLV on Saturday. He beat out redshirt sophomore Matt Fink, redshirt freshman Jack Sears and redshirt sophomore walk-on Holden Thomas to win the job.

“We had a very healthy quarterback competition this year with four incredible young men,” Helton said in a statement. “All are tremendous people, teammates and football players. In the end, JT Daniels has earned the starting position and will be the starter against UNLV.

“As you can imagine JT was excited when we let him know, but his uncanny maturity kept him focused on what is next. Matt, Jack and Holden handled the decision with class and grace as I expected, and I reminded each that they need to keep pushing to be ready to play when called upon.”

The decision has long been expected. Daniels, the 2017 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year, graduated a full year early from nearby Mater Dei High School, where he guided the program to a state title as a junior, throwing for 4,123 yards with 52 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Daniels will replace Sam Darnold, who was drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Jets following two successful seasons at USC.

… Continue reading story here …

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August 26th

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ESPN experts set Heisman watch, with Bryce Love the early favorite

From ESPN …

ESPN experts: Andrea Adelson, Joel Anderson, Edward Aschoff, Kyle Bonagura, David M. Hale, Chris Low, Ivan Maisel, Adam Rittenberg, Mark Schlabach and Jake Trotter

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Nebraska tabs freshman as starting quarterback 

From ESPN … True freshman Adrian Martinez will start the season at quarterback for Nebraska.

Coach Scott Frost made the announcement Sunday with the release of the team’s Week 1 depth chart, selecting Martinez over redshirt freshman Tristan Gebbia. No true freshman has ever opened a season as the top QB for the Cornhuskers.

Nebraska opens the season Saturday at home against Akron.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Martinez was the prize signee in Frost’s first recruiting class last December. He switched loyalty from Tennessee to Nebraska amid coaching upheaval at both schools, picking the Big Ten program after Frost flew cross-country to Fresno, California, to pursue Martinez even as the coach readied UCF for the Peach Bowl.

Martinez and Gebbia waged a race that heated up in March. Both Californians performed well in the spring game, though Martinez gained most of the attention for his four touchdowns and elusive running that appeared a strong fit in Frost’s high-octane offense.

Ranked 103rd in the ESPN 300 for the Class of 2018, Martinez missed his senior season last fall at Clovis West High School in Fresno with a shoulder injury. He returned in January to play in the Under Armour All-America Game.

He will be called to lead an offense deep at running back and receiver amid heightened excitement at Nebraska around the return of Frost, the native son who led the Huskers as a QB to their most recent national championship in 1997.

Nebraska under-performed last year in winning just four games, its worst record since 1961.

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CSU (A 17-point favorite) falls to Hawai’i in season opener, 43-34

… Related … “McDonald leads Hawaii past Colorado State 43-34” … Game story from ESPN

Cole McDonald led the Hawaii Warriors to their first win in Fort Collins since 1988, picking apart Colorado State’s secondary in a 43-34 win over the Rams on Saturday night after nearly blowing a 30-point lead.

McDonald threw for 418 yards and three touchdowns, including a 55-yarder to Cedric Byrd that made it 37-7 late in the third quarter …

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… Related … “Ominous signs for CSU football team after letdown against Hawaii” … From the Coloradoan

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Game story from the Longmont Times-Call … This was not the defensive change being sought.

In fact, there was little change at all for Colorado State as it opened the 2018 season with a new defensive coordinator (John Jancek) and a completely restructured staff on hand. A unit that ranked near the bottom of the country in total defense is off to a similar start after allowing a large underdog in Hawaii to march up and down Lubick Field inside Canvas Stadium to the tune of a 43-34 victory.

It felt like last year, CSU safety Jordan Fogal admitted, but he didn’t want to look back. He felt the biggest problem was the Rams looked too big, too soon — odd for a defense that hasn’t held up consistently for some time.

“I think it was just that we came in a little bit too cocky as a defense,” Fogal said. “We haven’t proven anything. It’s been all talk, all outside talk, and we let it get to our head a bit. Credit to Hawaii. They played their ass off and didn’t stop the whole four quarters.

“It was all on us in our eyes, and we gave them too many points.”

Head coach Mike Bobo may have missed 10 days of camp dealing with a medical issue, but the Rams’ defense missed the boat against Hawaii’s spread offensive attack. Touting more depth in the secondary, CSU opened in a dime package, complete with six defensive backs, but Hawaii quarterback Cole McDonald found plenty of holes, using his right arm and legs to exploit them.

“We got no pressure at all on the quarterback,” Bobo said. “We never made him feel uncomfortable. When you don’t make a quarterback feel uncomfortable, it’s really easy for him to get in a rhythm.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Tags: Mike Bobo
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