Pac-12 Notes – Arizona Week

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Pac-12 Notes – Arizona Week

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October 1st – Game Day

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UCLA makes a statement with a 40-32 win over No. 15 Washington

From ESPN … Dorian Thompson-Robinson had read and heard the comments about UCLA’s unbeaten start not meaning much due to the quality of opponents it played.

On Friday night, Thompson-Robinson and the Bruins made sure to make a statement with their first victory over a top-15 team since 2014.

Thompson-Robinson passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns in UCLA’s 40-32 victory over No. 15 Washington in a matchup of unbeaten Pac-12 teams at the Rose Bowl.

“People were saying all week that we’re the worst 4-0 team out there and writing us off. I think my boys came here with a chip on their shoulder,” said Thompson-Robinson, who had the sixth 300-yard passing game of his career. “I think I told y’all on Monday, see if Washington can run with us, not the other way around.”

The fifth-year senior also ran 2 yards for a score in the third quarter, when he sidestepped defenders Bralen Trice and Jayvion Green, causing them to fall on one another in a heap near the goal line in making it 33-10.

Thompson-Robinson supplied the highlight plays, but plenty of other Bruins contributed to give them their first 5-0 start since 2013.

Zach Charbonnet rushed for 124 yards and a score, Jake Bobo had six receptions for 142 yards and a pair of TDs while the Bruins recorded their first safety in four years and forced a pair of turnovers.

“Our defense did a great job in the first half. For them to stake us that lead when we needed every inch of it,” coach Chip Kelly said. “Dorian was clutch. We have total confidence in everything that he does.”

The Bruins have also won eight straight dating to last season — their longest unbeaten streak since 2005. They have scored at least 40 points in six of those victories.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 30th

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In order to survive, should the Pac-12 go “all in” with Amazon?

From the San Jose Mercury News … As the Pac-12’s pursuit of a media rights contract enters its third month with no end in sight, the Amazon option lingers.

Combine the initial success of the company’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ broadcasts with the Pac-12’s need for competition at the negotiating table, and a courtship makes perfect sense.

But the Hotline isn’t convinced the Pac-12 should limit itself to a media rights deal.

It should consider going all in with Amazon.

Yep, the whole shebang.

Why not partner with Amazon on all business opportunities across the 10 campuses, from food services to cloud storage to merchandise sales to event sponsorships to executive travel to driverless cars.

Don’t gaze at the future. Walk down the aisle with it.

Yes, it’s a radical plan. But the Hotline is comfortable outside the box; in fact, that’s our preferred location.

In the past, we have proposed playing football games at 9 a.m. and scheduling doubleheaders on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. We suggested using Bill Walton as a second commentator on football broadcasts. Three years ago, we made the case for an alliance with the Big 12.

Our Amazon Partnership Plan originated in an exchange with a trusted source, was relayed to two highly-valued sounding boards and polished for your consumption and consideration.

The whole process took five-to-seven business days.

Effectively, the Amazon Partnership Plan would bind the Pac-12 to one of the world’s most innovative and sprawling companies — one that’s located in a Pac-12 city and filled with Pac-12 graduates and, like Apple, depends so heavily on the same tech-savvy, educated, affluent West Coast population that fuels enrollment across the Pac-12 footprint.

Let’s start with the media rights component.

From our vantage point, the Pac-12 has a competition problem. It’s clear ESPN wants to maintain a relationship with the conference. (Fox might, as well.) But are other media companies interested enough to drive up the price? That remains to be seen — it’s the $500 million question.

Meanwhile, Amazon has entered the live sports space. It reportedly paid $1 billion annually to the NFL for exclusive rights to broadcast ‘Thursday Night Football’ and made a serious bid for part of the Big Ten’s football package.

But does the Pac-12, stripped of its biggest market (Los Angeles) and biggest brand (USC), possess enough quality content to bring Amazon to the table with its checkbook in hand?

That’s where the Amazon Partnership Plan comes into play.

Unlike ESPN and Fox, Amazon isn’t a media company. So why should the Pac-12 limit itself to a media deal?

… Continue reading story here …

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September 29th

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Brave New World: Air Force Penalized for Recruiting Violations

… Meanwhile, nothing from the NCAA on Arizona State … 

… From 247 Sports … Air Force football received two years of probation, among other sanctions, stemming from the NCAA investigation into recruiting violations committed by the Falcons football program during the COVID-19 dead period, the NCAA announced Thursday. In its release, the NCAA said the academy and four individuals reached an agreement with NCAA enforcement staff on the violations and that the school will immediately begin serving the penalties.

The Division I Committee on Infraction’s final decision on the case is still pending as several remaining individuals have contested the violations, per the release. Names of individuals directly involved with the violations were not disclosed by the NCAA. New legislation intended to “modernize and expedite the infractions process” was introduced by the NCAA less than two months ago.

“The (committee) appreciates the parties’ efforts in working collaboratively together to reach agreement on the violations, levels, classifications, and significant and meaningful penalties,” said Gary Miller, chief hearing officer for the panel and school president at Akron, said in a statement. “The panel also recognizes that Air Force has gone above and beyond in its overall approach to this case.”

Air Force football, in addition to serving two years of probation, also received the following sanctions: A fine of an undisclosed amount, a reduction of 46 total official visits for the football program during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, a prohibition against unofficial visits in football from Sept. 1 through Oct. 12, 2022, a prohibition against all recruiting communications in football for four weeks during the 2022-23 academic year, a reduction in evaluation days for football by 10 during Spring 2022 and by 34 during Fall 2022, a reduction of the football squad size by 10 for four years, starting with the 2022-23 academic year, and show-cause orders for the individuals who have agreed to their violations and penalties.

Air Forces is in its 16th season under head coach Troy Calhoun. The Falcons won 10 games during the 2021 season and are 3-1 to start the 2022 campaign. Calhoun, who played quarterback at Air Force in the 1980s, is 114-76 all-time in guiding the program and is among the longest tenured active head coaches in the FBS.

Air Force is not the first FBS program to encounter trouble with the NCAA for recruiting violations committed during the COVID-19 dead period. Arizona State is mired in an ongoing NCAA investigation surrounding the same matter, and one that at least partially contributed to the university’s decision to part ways with head coach Herm Edwards three games into the 2022 season. Edwards was under a microscope the past few seasons amid fallout from the investigation before Edwards departed in a “mutual relinquishment of duties” on Sept. 18.

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If Big Ten lands an Amazon deal, it may signal the end of the Pac-12

From CBS Sports … The Big Ten’s continued pursuit of four Pac-12 schools is leading to concern that another round of expansion could collapse the Pac-12, industry sources tell CBS Sports. This as Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren continues to seek an offer from Amazon, or potentially another partner, for additional Big Ten football media rights revenue.

An offer deemed substantial enough would likely convince Big Ten presidents that California, Oregon, Stanford and Washington would be valuable additions to the league from the Pac-12. That figure is believed to be less than $100 million annually.

If the Big Ten makes such a move, it would almost certainly increase the likelihood the Big 12 is able to get some combination of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah from the Pac-12, thus crushing the Pac-12 and hanging Oregon State and Washington State out to dry.

“If that [Big Ten move] happens, I think the other [four Pac-12] schools will want to jump to our league,” said a Big 12 source familiar with the situation.

Without a clear mandate, Big Ten presidents and athletic directors continue to evaluate whether expansion is “financially viable” and potential candidates are a “cultural fit,” conference sources tell CBS Sports. No vote has been taken on expansion at this time.

The Big Ten completed a historic media rights deal last month worth more than $8 billion over seven years beginning in 2023. Amazon reportedly bid more for the Big Ten’s 3:30 p.m. ET and primetime windows compared to other suitors. Those windows went to CBS and NBC, respectively.

If the Big Ten indeed turned down such an offer, the concerns were likely distribution and visibility. Those same concerns would be in play if the Big Ten accepted the four additional Pac-12 schools.

Industry chatter has Oregon State and Washington State moving to the Mountain West if the Pac-12 collapses. At that point, the MWC would replace the Pac-12 as the largest FBS conference completely located in the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones.

Adding to the intrigue, the Big Ten and Big 12 share the same media rights consultant, Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.

CBS Sports reported last month Endeavor was advising the Big 12 about whether it should add Pac-12 programs. Earlier this summer, CBS Sports reported the Big 12 was interested in the aforementioned “Four Corners” programs.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 28th

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Bottoming Out: CU at No. 3 in CBS Bottom 25; No. 2 in ESPN’s Bottom Ten

From CBS Sports … We are staring a fantastic Bottom 25 season directly in the face. I’ve written many times about how much harder it is for a team to go winless at the FBS level than for a team to go undefeated. The 2022 season is no different in that aspect, but the speed at which things are moving is incredible.

It’s not even October, and we only have three winless teams remaining: Colorado, Colorado State and Georgia State. Last year there were seven left at this point, leading to a somewhat dull and predictable Bottom 25 playoff chase. It looks like this season will be much more exciting, and I have no idea which team will be taking home the Bottom 25 title in 2022.

Although, based on current rankings, there’s a decent chance our champion will either reside in the MAC or in a state the Rocky Mountains run through. On to this week’s rankings!

No. 14 … Georgia Tech (only other Power Five school in the Bottom 25) … Geoff Collins became the third Power Five coach to lose his job before October, with the Yellow Jackets losing 27-10 at UCF. You always knew the transition away from an option offense would be difficult, but there should be signs of improvement in the fourth season. There haven’t been. The post-Collins Era begins Saturday at Pitt. (15)

No. 3 … Colorado … I mentioned that Geoff Collins was the third Power Five coach to lose his job already. Well, I’d go with Karl Dorrell if you’re looking to figure out who the fourth will be and don’t want to take the obvious choice in Bryan Harsin. The Buffs were stampeded 45-17 by UCLA, and if they lose this week at Arizona, there’s a significant chance this team could go winless. (3)

No. 1 … Colorado State … When you lose to an FCS program like Sacramento State, it’s one thing. It happens. We see it every year. The little guy bites the bigger guy. What we don’t see every year is FBS teams losing to FCS teams by a score of 41-10. The Rams weren’t even competitive. (1)

… Read full story here …

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From ESPN … College football Bottom 10: A Rocky Mountain low in Colorado

Inspirational thought of the week:

Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up … when September ends

— “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” Green Day

Here at Bottom 10 Headquarters, located somewhere in the middle of a blue-and-red demonstration protesting the absence of the Artists Formerly Known as the Kansas Nayhawks from the AP Top 25, we are staring at the college football standings and wondering aloud how in the wide, wide world of sports that September went down the way that it did. And we mean down in the most literal of senses.

• 3 teams with zero wins

• 27 teams with one win

• 7 teams with four losses

• 31 teams with three losses

• 12 losses by top-15 teams

• All that stuff App State did

• All the stuff App State didn’t do, too

As the autumnal air begins to cool and the hues of the fall foliage ignite their transformation into a kaleidoscope of colors, what lies beneath is a spaghetti pile. While others are focused on the spectacular eye-popping cavalcade of conference champions, College Football Playoff contenders and Heisman Trophy finalists, we instead have dutifully snatched up our rakes to dig down past those annoying fronds, petals and needles. Down to the mulch and mud that makes up the foundation of what makes those others so annoyingly great. Without us, there would be no them. It’s the Circle of Life. We just happen to be the part of the circle that drifts downward from the treetops, destined to be trodden upon by the cleats of others.

Don’t worry. We’ll see them all down here with us at some point. For into every fall some teams must, well, fall. No matter how high they once soared or how tall their stalks once grew. Amirite, Nebraska?

No. 1 … Colorado State … The Rams extended their FBS-worst losing streak to 10 games after a 41-10 loss at home to Sacramento State. For the FCS Hornets of the Big Sky Conference, it marked just their second win over an FBS program in 25 tries, though sources tell the Bottom 10 JortsCenter news desk that a petition has been filed to have that “win over an FBS program” distinction removed because, hey, does Colorado State really qualify?

No. 2 … Colorado … Meanwhile, the Buffs also Ralphie-d up their fourth loss of the year, spurring state officials to explore putting together a last-minute edition of the Rocky Mountain Showdown, which is not being played this season. However, instead of holding the contest inside Empower Field, home of the Denver Broncos, it would be played next door in the parking lot where Mile High Stadium used to be.

No. 10 … Georgia Tech … Georgia Tech leaps over next-door neighbor Georgia State Not Southern to take over this place in the rankings that was occupied by Nebraska two weeks ago and Arizona State one week ago, aka the designated We Just Fired Our Coach In September spot. We checked the Bottom 10 rulebook and once we got the ketchup-saturated pages pulled apart, it did say that a school that fires its coach after a weekend that begins in September but ends in October is still required to take this spot, should such an occurrence take place next week. Oddly enough, that old rulebook, with a sticky note saying “CHECK THIS OUT,” was delivered to us in a box postmarked “Auburn, Ala.”

Waiting list: Georgia State Not Southern, North by Northwestern, Fres-No State, Arizona Skate, Charlotte 1-and-4’ers, US(not C)F, BC Headache Powders, No-braska, Lose-iana Tech, FI(not A)U, Temple of Doom, Utah State Other Other Aggies, Arkansaw State, see earlier note about the MAC.

… Read full story here …

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September 27th

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Stanford running back E.J. Smith (Emmitt’s son) out for the season

From ESPN … Stanford running back E.J. Smith will miss the rest of the season due to an undisclosed injury, coach David Shaw said Tuesday.

Smith, the son of NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, picked up the injury in Stanford’s loss to USC on Sept. 10, and he did not appear in a loss to Washington on Saturday. Initially, Shaw said he expected Smith to return after one or two games, but further evaluation changed the timeline.

“I don’t think there’s an option for him to continue (this season). He’s got to get his body taken care of. Trust me, he wishes it was not this way,” Shaw said. “He told me last week, ‘Coach, I can’t wait to play against Oregon. I’m going to be there for you. I need to get back in there.’ But the doctors are right and it’s wise for him — both now and for his future — to get this taken care of and come back in ’23 bigger, faster, stronger.”

In two games to begin the season, Smith rushed for 206 yards on 30 carries with three touchdowns. Casey Filkins is expected to start in Smith’s absence. He rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries against Washington.

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September 26th

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Latest AP poll has four teams ranked in the Top 15

From CBS Sports … Tennessee cracked the top 10 of the AP Top 25 poll on Sunday for just the second time since 2006, rising to No. 8 after defeating Florida 38-33 in a Week 4 SEC on CBS showdown. The victory improved the Volunteers to 4-0 entering a bye week before they travel to face LSU on Oct. 8. With Tennessee’s rise, the SEC East now has three teams in the top 10 with Georgia retaining the No. 1 spot and Kentucky rising one spot to No. 7.

The Bulldogs maintained a firm grip on the top spot with 55 of 63 first-place votes while No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Ohio State each received four first-place votes. It wasn’t all good news for the SEC, though, as Arkansas dropped 10 spots to No. 20 following its heartbreaking 23-21 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. The Aggies rose six spots to No. 17 after the win.

Among the notable snubs from the poll was Kansas, which finished first among the “others receiving votes” but was left out even after improving to 4-0 with a 35-27 win over a previously unbeaten Duke squad. The Jayhawks also own road wins over Houston and West Virginia. Their Sunflower State companion, Kansas State, did make the AP poll. The Wildcats were slotted at No. 25 after a 41-34 win at Oklahoma on Saturday.

Let’s check out the full top 25 from the AP voters (first-place votes in parenthesis):

1. Georgia (55)
2. Alabama (4)
3. Ohio State (4)
4. Michigan
5. Clemson
6. USC
7. Kentucky
8. Tennessee
9. Oklahoma State
10. NC State
11. Penn State
12. Utah
13. Oregon
14. Ole Miss
15. Washington
16. Baylor
17. Texas A&M
18. Oklahoma
19. BYU
20. Arkansas
21. Minnesota
22. Wake Forest
23. Florida State
24. Pittsburgh
25. Kansas State

Also receiving votes: Kansas (125); Cincinnati (60); Florida (56); Washington State (31); Syracuse (22); Oregon State (16); Texas Tech (11); North Carolina (9); LSU (7); UCLA (3); Tulane (3); TCU (1)

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Georgia Tech becomes the third Power Five school to fire its head coach

From CBS Sports … Georgia Tech fired coach Geoff Collins on Sunday less than a day after a 27-10 road loss to UCF sent the Yellow Jackets to 1-3 in Collins’ fourth season, according to 247Sports’ Bryce Koon and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The loss sent Collins to 10-28 (7-19 ACC) at GT with the program struggling to show any improvement during his tenure.

Upon being hired away from Temple, Collins faced a difficult task: Moving Georgia Tech’s offense away from the option-based attack that Paul Johnson installed during his 11-year run with the program. That provided Collins with some leeway; however, the Jackets never finished better than 10th in the ACC in total offense while winning just three games in each of his first three campaigns, and they struggled mightily to start the 2022 season.

This past offseason saw a wave of transfer portal action with Georgia Tech losing multiple key players, including star running back Jahmyr Gibbs to Alabama, while bringing in contributors to help bolster the roster in a must-improve season for Collins. However, in its three games against FBS opponents (Clemson, Ole Miss, UCF), Georgia Tech has been outscored 110-20.

With the Jackets about to begin a coaching search, the program is considering the future of athletic director Todd Stansbury, who would stand to lead that effort if he remains in power. The Georgia Tech Athletic Association has scheduled a special meeting for Monday where Stansbury’s future and Collins’ buyout will be discussed, according to multiple reports.

Collins is the third Power Five coach who has been fired in the first month of the 2022 season after Nebraska rid itself of Scott Frost and Arizona State parted with Herm Edwards. Both Frost and Edwards were in their fifth years with their respective programs.

… Continue reading story here …

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September 25th 

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Colorado a 17.5-point underdog (Arizona a Pac-12 favorite for first time since 2019)

From VegasInsider.com …

Pac-12 games … 

Friday, September 30th

• Washington at UCLA … 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … UCLA is a 2.5-point home underdog

Saturday, October 1st

• Oregon State at Utah … 12:00 noon, MT, Pac-12 Networks … Utah is an 11.5-point home favorite
• Cal at Washington State … 3:30 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Washington State is a 4.5-point home favorite
• Colorado at Arizona … 7:30 p.m., MT, Pac-12 Networks … Arizona is a 17.5-point home favorite … (How absurd is that number? For a little perspective, Arizona wasn’t favored against anyone in its previous 13 games and had been the underdog in its previous 18 Pac-12 games, dating back to 2019. Wildcats hasn’t been this big of a favorite in a Pac-12 game since 2017 vs. Oregon State). 
• Arizona State at USC … 8:30 p.m., MT, ESPN … USC is a 17.5-point home favorite
• Stanford at Oregon … 9:00 p.m., MT, FS1 … Oregon is a 13.0-point home favorite

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Arizona surrenders 599 yards of total offense in 49-31 loss to Cal

From the Tucson Daily Star … Late in the third quarter of the Pac-12 opener Saturday, Cal tailback Jaydn Ott took a handoff and appeared to be wrapped up at the 13-yard line. But Ott never stopped moving his feet. He bowled into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown.

… Continue reading story here …

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USC survives scare against Oregon State with late touchdown

From ESPN … Caleb Williams found his favorite target when it mattered most.

Jordan Addison caught Williams’ go-ahead 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 left and No. 7 USC overcame a shaky performance for a 17-14 victory against Oregon State on Saturday night.

The Beavers, vying to start 4-0 for the first time since 2012, took the lead on Jam Griffin’s 18-yard touchdown run with 4:41 remaining.

But Williams led an 11-play, 84-yard drive — and even scrambled on a fourth down that preserved it. He connected with Addison for their sixth touchdown of the season.

The Trojans (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) did not look like the team that dominated its first three opponents with 40 or more points per game. Williams threw for a season-low 180 yards. Addison, the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner who transferred from Pitt, caught three passes for 42 yards.

Travis Dye, a transfer from Oregon, caught 19 passes for 136 yards and a score for the Trojans. He never doubted Williams on the final scoring drive.

“He was super composed. He was ready to go after it,” Dye said. “He knew that he was going to get it done.”

But the Trojans relied on defense most of the night, intercepting Beavers quarterback Chance Nolan four times.

“We put ourselves in some really good spots, and we shot ourselves in the foot,” Oregon State offensive lineman Brandon Kipper said. “Against good teams, you’re not always going to come back from that.”

… Continue reading story here …

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David Shaw Hotseat? Stanford loses eighth straight conference game

From the San Jose Mercury News … Wayne Taulapapa rushed for a career-high 120 yards and one touchdown, Washington’s defense sacked Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee eight times and forced two fumbles, and the 18th-ranked Huskies beat the Cardinal 40-22 on Saturday night.

Playing as a ranked team for the first time this season, Washington (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) used a stingy defense and a handful of big plays on offense to win its Pac-12 opener under new coach Kalen DeBoer.

Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 309 yards and second-half touchdowns of 30 yards to Rome Odunze and 21 yards to Giles Jackson on a screen pass. Odunze had eight catches for 161 yards, his first career game over 100 yards receiving.

But Washington’s defense deserved equal recognition for the constant pressure it was able to put on McKee. The Huskies sacked him six times in the first half.

Stanford (1-2, 0-2) lost its eighth straight conference game dating to last season, the longest skid under coach David Shaw.

The Huskies have scored at least 39 points in all four games, and this time they did it without an otherworldly performance by Penix, who still managed to top 300 yards passing for the fourth straight game. Penix was 22 of 37. Will Nixon added a 3-yard touchdown run and Peyton Henry kicked four field goals.

Taulapapa was a less-heralded offseason transfer for Washington but earned the starting nod at running back for a reason. He showed flashes in the first three games but found massive gaps to run through against the Cardinal, averaging 9.2 yards per carry.

… Continue reading story here …

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This post, about the Arizona game, from the 2022 Season, is filed under Article.
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