10-10-2002, 10:58 PM
This Week In Pac-10 Football
All 10 teams go head-to-head in conference games on Saturday.
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Oct. 6, 2002
THIS WEEK: It is almost all Conference play from here on out and for the first time this season there is a solid slate of five Pac-10 games on the schedule. All of the regular season non-conference games have been played with the exception of the USC-Notre Dame traditional at Los Angeles late in November. League action finds OREGON at UCLA (ABC), OREGON STATE at ARIZONA STATE, ARIZONA at WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON STATE at STANFORD and CALIFORNIA at USC (FSN).
COACHES TELECONFERENCES: Pac-10 head football coaches will be available on a media teleconference every Tuesday during the football season through Nov. 19. Each coach is scheduled to be on the line for 10 minutes with the calls starting at 10:00 a.m. PDT/MST. In addition, a taped replay will be available at 3:00 PT/MT following the call and will be available until the next call. Media members may call the Conference office or any Pac-10 SID office to receive the media-only number for both the live teleconference or the taped replay. Following is the schedule for the teleconferences:
Tuesday Call Schedule (PDT/MST)
10:00 a.m. John Mackovic - Arizona
10:10 a.m. Buddy Teevens - Stanford
10:20 a.m. Dennis Erickson - Oregon State
10:30 a.m. Bob Toledo - UCLA
10:40 a.m. Pete Carroll - USC
10:50 a.m. Mike Bellotti - Oregon
11:00 a.m. Dirk Koetter - Arizona State
11:10 a.m. Mike Price - Washington State
11:20 a.m. Jeff Tedford - California
11:30 a.m. Rick Neuheisel - Washington
PAC-10 SATELLITE FEED: The Pac-10 provides a weekly satellite feed featuring interviews with the coaches and selected players regarding upcoming games along with highlight footage. The half-hour feed airs every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. PDT/MST (2:30 p.m. EDT) beginning Sep. 4 and running through Nov. 20, with a final week run on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Coordinates for the feed are GE 2, Transponder 11 (C-Band). Trouble numbers: Master Control 310-543-1835 or 310-231-3229 or pager 888-423-0095 or Michelle Lockhart at the Pac-10 at 925-932-4411.
DOUBLE COVERAGE: A new one hour radio program devoted to Pac-10 football will air on a national network of radio stations. Double Coverage will air in most markets on Wednesday evenings with a rebroadcast on Saturday mornings on many outlets. Check local listings for the station in your area.
2002 PAC-10 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Aug. 31 Carson Palmer, QB, USC Will Derting, OLB, WSU Michael Jollivette, CB, ARIZ Sep. 7 Reggie Williams, WR, WASH Brandon Chillar, OLB, UCLA Hakim Hill, RS, ASU Sep. 14 Kyle Boller, QB, CAL Troy Polamalu, SS, USC Jemeel Powell, PR, CAL Sep. 21 Steven Jackson, TB, OSU Marquis Cooper, ILB, WASH Mark Jensen, PK, CAL Sep. 28 Jason Gesser, QB, WSU Omar Nazel, DE, USC Ryan Killeen, PK, USC Oct. 5 Kyle Boller, QB, CAL Marcus Reese, MLB, UCLA Drew Dunning, PK, WSU
SERIES NOTES FOR THE GAMES OF OCT. 12:
OREGON (5-0) at UCLA (4-1) - 12:30 PDT - ABC regional telecast - The Series: UCLA and Oregon have met 56 times dating to 1928 with the Bruins leading the series 37-19. Oregon has won the last two to snap a UCLA four-game winning streak in the series. The Bruins have won three of the last four played at Eugene, although not the most recent game. Three of the last four and five of the last 10 games have been decided by five or fewer points. . . . Last Year: Oregon and UCLA met late in the season in front of 78,000+ at the Rose Bowl and the Ducks took over sole possession of first place in the Pac-10 with a hard-fought 21-20 victory. It marked the 500th win in UO history. UCLA had a shot as time expired, but a Chris Griffith 50-yard field goal attempt fell short and wide right. . . . Coaching note: UCLA coach Bob Toledo spent six seasons (1983-88) as an assistant at Oregon and has gone 4-2 against the Ducks since taking the Bruin helm. Current Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti succeeded Toledo as UO offensive coordinator in 1989.
ARIZONA (3-2) at WASHINGTON (3-2) - 12:30 PDT/MST - The Series: Washington and Arizona have met 18 times with the Dawgs leading the Cats 13-4-1. UW has won the last three, six of the last seven and eight of the last 10. It's been close, however, as the last two and three of the last four games have been three-point games. Stated another way, the last four games have been decided by a total of 17 points. Washington leads 8-2 in games played at Husky Stadium, including the last two. . . . Last Year: Washington and Arizona met at Seattle and played a wild one with the Huskies finally prevailing 31-28 in a game neither team ever led by more than seven points. UW QB Cody Pickett was the hero as he passed for a school-record 455 yards and three touchdowns, despite playing with a separated shoulder. Included were TD passes of 78 and 75 yards. But it was Pickett's three-yard run with 13 seconds remaining in the game that capped another last-minute Husky comeback win. Arizona hung with the Huskies the entire game as QB Jason Johnson passed for a pair of early TD passes before leaving the game with a concussion and RB Clarence Farmer pounded out 147 yards and one score.
WASHINGTON STATE (5-1) at STANFORD (1-3) - 2:00 PDT - The Series: Stanford and Washington State have met 52 times dating to 1936 with the Cardinal leading the series 30-21-1. WSU won last year at Palo Alto, but Stanford has taken eight of the last 10 overall and five of the last six at Stanford. . . . Last Year: Washington State (5-0) and Stanford (3-0) were both undefeated when they met at Palo Alto with the Cougars staying that way by virtue of a 45-39 win. The teams combined for 525 yards and 59 points in the first half, but things settled down in the second and WSU controlled the ball on two long scoring drives in the fourth quarter to secure the comeback win. For Washington State, QB Jason Gesser passed for two TDs, including the eventual game-winner and WR Mike Bush had a pair of TD receptions. The Cougars also scored TDs on a blocked punt and an interception return. Stanford pounded out 219 yards rushing, led by RB Brian Allen, who rushed for 133 yards and three TDs.
CALIFORNIA (4-2) at USC (3-2) - 3:30 PDT - Fox Sports Net national cablecast - The Series: 90th meeting between USC and California in an old rivalry that dates to 1915. USC leads the series 55-29-5, although the Golden Bears had won three straight before a Trojan win last year. Plus, Cal has won the last three played in L.A. . . . Last Year: USC and California were headed in opposite directions when they met on a rainy day at Berkeley late in the season with the Trojans scoring a 55-14 win. SC scored on offense, defense and special teams in breaking a three-game losing streak to Cal and sending the Bears to their 12 straight loss. USC featured a balanced attack that produced 448 yards (213 rushing, 235 passing) and the Trojan defense limited Cal to 12 first downs and 223 yards total offense and forced four turnovers.
OREGON STATE (4-2) at ARIZONA STATE (4-2) - 7:00 MST/PDT - The Series: Arizona State and Oregon State have met 28 times with the Sun Devils leading the series 20-7-1. ASU has owned the series of late, winning the last six and nine of the last 10. In 18 games at Tempe, ASU leads 15-3 and has won the last 14 straight. The last Oregon State victory at Tempe came in 1969, back before ASU was a member of the Pac-10. . . . Last Year: Arizona State and Oregon State met at Tempe and the Sun Devils broke open a close game in the fourth quarter and won 41-24 to give coach Dirk Koetter his first Pac-10 win. OSU led 24-20 entering the fourth quarter, but ASU, aided by some good special teams play, scored three TDs in an eight-minute span to salt away the win. The Devils had 522 yards total offense, including 314 yards rushing, as TB Delvon Flowers rushed for a career-high 226 yards. ASU All-Pac-10 WR Shaun McDonald had five catches for 123 yards (24.6), including a 63-yard TD reception. OSU counterpart FL James Newson had eight receptions for 123 yards and one TD.
PAC-10 NOTES:
CURRENT STREAKS: Longest overall winning streak - 10 games - Oregon Longest Conference-game winning streak - 5 games - Oregon Longest home winning streak - 6 games - Oregon Longest road winning streak - 6 games - Oregon
OUT OF OUR LEAGUE: The Pac-10 stands at 29-10 (.744) against non-conference foes, including a 24-10 (.706) against Division I-A opponents. Of the 10 losses Pac-10 teams have suffered, six were on the road to teams that were ranked in the Top 25. The 29 non-conference wins is the most since the league went 29-7 in 1988. Only one regular-season non-conference game remains--the Notre Dame at USC traditional at Los Angeles on Nov. 30.
CONFERENCE RACE: Now that Pac-10 play has begun in earnest, it should be noted that in six seasons a team with two Conference losses has won the league title, most recently in 1993. It should also be noted that no team has ever won the Conference championship after starting out 0-2 in Conference play.
ARIZONA: Wildcats have next two and three of next four on the road. . . . WR Bobby Wade had career high 12 catches for 151 yards vs. Oregon last week. The 12 receptions is most in a game by a Pac-10 receiver this year. With 177 career catches, Wade stands 10th on the Pac-10 career list. Wade leads the league in receptions, receiving yardage and all-purpose yardage. . . . QB Jason Johnson has been picked off just three times in 166 passing attempts. . . . In five games to date, Arizona has allowed just one touchdown in both the first and fourth quarters.
ARIZONA STATE: Junior WR Shaun McDonald has a string of three consecutive 100-yard receiving games going. McDonald went over the 2,000-yard receiving plateau last week vs. North Carolina (2,146). . . . QB Andrew Walter has consecutive 400-yard passing days the last two weeks. He went for a career-high 474 yards vs. North Carolina, following 414 yards against Stanford, for 888 aerial yards in two games. . . . One result of the above is the Devils have amassed 1,009 yards total offense the last two games. . . . ASU defense has 11 interceptions, surpassing the nine compiled all last year. Nine different players have recorded an interception. On the other side, Sun Devils have been picked off just four times. . . . DE Terrell Suggs leads the Pac-10 and the nation with 12 QB sacks for minus-71 yards. . . . ASU has forced 19 turnovers in last four games.
CALIFORNIA: Cal's 34-27 upset win at Washington snapped a number of streaks. Cal had lost 19 consecutive games to the Huskies and had not defeated UW since 1976. Win also snapped Washington's 17-game home winning streak. . . . It also marks the second time this year Cal has beaten a nationally ranked team on the road--No. 15 Michigan State and No. 12 Washington. Cal last knocked off two top 15 teams in one season in 1951. . . . Golden Bear O-line has allowed just seven QB sacks in six games. Cal DE Tully Banta-Cain matches that all by himself with seven QB sacks, second-best total in Pac-10. . . . QB Kyle Boller has passed for 637 yards and eight TDs the last two weeks. . . . Boller now has 52 career TD passes, just two behind Cal record-holder Pat Barnes (54, 1993-96). . . . Bears continue to lead Pac-10 (tied fourth nationally) in turnover margin at +13. (+2.17 per game). Their 19 takeaways is one more than all last season. . . . Cal has outscored opponents 142-38 in the first half.
OREGON: Ducks own all the current streaks in the Pac-10--longest overall winning streak (10 games), longest Conference-game winning streak (5), longest home winning streak (6) and longest road winning streak (6). The 10-game overall winning streak equals the Oregon record set in 1963-64 and is the second-longest current winning streak in the nation behind Miami (27). . . . Ducks have won nine of last 10 road games. . . . Win at Arizona last week marks sixth straight year Ducks have won Pac-10 opener. . . . Ducks are off to a 5-0 start for the third time in five years. . . . TB Onterrio Smith has rattled off five consecutive 100-yard rushing games. That ties the UO record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games (Bobby Moore/Ahmad Rashad, 1971). He leads Pac-10 in rushing at 122.4 yards per game. . . . PK Jared Siegel is second in the country in field goals. He has connected on 11-of-12 attempts and has been good from 52 and 53 yards. His only miss was a 48-yarder. . . . Ducks lead the Pac-10 and rank fifth nationally in rushing defense at 79.4 yards per game. Opponents getting just 2.4 yards per rush. . . . QB Jason Fife has just one interception, lowest total among Pac-10 starters.
OREGON STATE: Soph QB Derek Anderson has a Pac-10-leading 17 TD passes, three short of the OSU single-season record (20 by Jonathan Smith in 2000). . . . TB Steven Jackson has the two longest runs in the league this year--80 yards against UCLA and 75 vs. Fresno State. . . . Beavers are outscoring opponents 68-13 in the first quarter. . . . OSU defense leads the Pac-10 with 12 interceptions. . . . Beavers lead Pac-10 in kickoff coverage. . . . LB Nick Barnett leads the Pac-10 in tackles with 9.7 per game. . . . P Carl Tobey has boots of 63 and 58 yards the last two weeks.
STANFORD: After playing three of first four games on the road, Stanford returns for two home games the next two weeks (WSU and Arizona). . . . Four of Stanford's next five opponents are ranked in the Top 25 this week. . . . Loss at No. 9 Notre Dame last week snapped a three-game Stanford win streak against teams ranked in the top 10. . . . FB Casey Moore's 6.5 yards per carry is top mark among Pac-10 rushing leaders. Moore has started 37 consecutive game for the Cardinal.
UCLA: Game against Oregon this week is Bob Toledo's 75th game overall as Bruin head coach and 50th Pac-10 game. His UCLA mark stands at 46-28 (.622) overall and 29-20 (.592) in league play. . . . With No. 7-ranked Oregon coming to town, UCLA has won 15 of its last 22 games versus ranked opponents dating back to 1997. . . . Bruins have lost just five turnovers in five games. . . . QB Cory Paus, after 378-yard effort at Oregon State last week, has moved into second place on UCLA's career passing list. His 6,432 yards trail just Cade McNown (1995-98). . . . Paus has made tight end Mike Seidman a favorite target. Seidman has 14 receptions for 272 yards the last two weeks. . . . Freshman Tyler Ebell rushed for 203 yards at Oregon State, most ever by a Bruin freshman in a regular season game (Eric Ball had 227 yards vs. Iowa in the 1986 Rose Bowl as a freshman). It's also the top performance by a running back in a Conference game this year. . . . UCLA defense has forced nine turnovers the last two weeks. . . . Bruins are 3-0 this year when opponents score first. . . . P Nate Fikse leads Pac-10 with 44.2-yard average. Only four of his last 20 punts have been returned.
USC: Trojans have won their last five home games, and have posted shutouts in two of their last three home games. Included are blankings of the last two Conference opponents that ventured into the L.A. Coliseum (Oregon State and UCLA). . . . USC leads Pac-10 and is fourth in nation in total defense at 267.2 yards per game. Trojans also lead league in pass defense (143.8). . . . Trojans have allowed a Pac-10-low three TD passes to date and opponents complete just 43.2% of passes. . . . Opponents have converted just 4 of 27 (14.8%) third downs in last two games. For the season, opponents are 0-for-5 on fourth down conversion attempts. . . . Trojans are outscoring opponents 57-21 in the fourth quarter.
WASHINGTON: Huskies conclude a lengthy five-game homestand this week. . . . Loss to Cal last week snapped 17-game home winning streak that dated to 1999 (Arizona State). . . . QB Cody Pickett just missed his third consecutive 400-yard passing game with 399 yards vs. Cal last week. He still has five straight 300-yards games under his belt. . . . Pickett's 66.2% completion percentage tops Pac-10 QBs. . . . With all that, UW leads the Pac-10 and is second in the nation (behind Marshall) in passing offense at 387.6 yards per game. . . . Plus Pickett ranks second in the nation in completions per game at 30.2 (Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech, 33.3). . . . Huskies had a string of seven straight games with an interception snapped with no picks recorded vs. Cal.
WASHINGTON STATE: Heading to Stanford this week, WSU has won five of its last six Pac-10 road games. . . . QB Jason Gesser passed Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf on WSU career total offense list last week. Gesser has 7,278 yards of total offense, trailing just Jack Thompson (7,698) on the Cougar chart. . . . On the Pac-10 charts, Gesser has moved into a tie for 10th place in career TD passes. He has 55 TD passes in 33 career games. He has a streak of 18 consecutive games with a TD pass going. . . . The last two weeks while hurting with a rib injury, Gesser has put up 88 passes, completing 51 for 746 yards and six TDs. . . . Win against USC last week snapped a six-game Trojan winning streak in Pullman and gave coach Mike Price his first home win against SC. Team presented Price with the game ball.
THE QUARTERBACKS: Six Pac-10 quarterbacks rank in the national top 25 in passing efficiency--Andrew Walter, ASU (2), Jason Fife, Oregon (7), Kyle Matter, Stanford (11), Jason Gesser, WSU (19), Cody Pickett, Washington (22) and Cory Paus, UCLA (25). In team rankings, Oregon (9), California (12), Washington State (14), Washington (17), UCLA (19), Arizona State (23) and Oregon State (24) give the Pac-10 seven teams ranked in the national top 25 in passing efficiency.
"I've always felt this was a quarterback's league," said Mike Price, in his 14th year as head coach at Washington State. "Every year it's been that way. Every year it's been pass first and run second in this league."
THE UNDEFEATED: Oregon, at 5-0, is the lone undefeated Pac-10 team. "We've had flashes of brilliance and probably, in some cases, flashes of incompetence," Duck coach Mike Bellotti said. "We want to get rid of the latter and focus on the former."
THE RECEIVERS: Three impressive streaks are in progress as a trio of Pac-10 receivers have long runs of consecutive games catching a pass going. Howry and Kelly are the current national co-leaders. They are as follows:
40 Keenan Howry, Oregon
40 Kareem Kelly, USC
36 Bobby Wade, Arizona
42 Pac-10 record - Dennis Northcutt, Arizona (1996-99)
A LOOK AHEAD: The schedule for Sat., Oct. 19:
WASHINGTON at USC
ARIZONA STATE at OREGON
UCLA at CALIFORNIA
ARIZONA at STANFORD
OREGON STATE and WASHINGTON STATE - open dates
BASKETBALL MEDIA DAYS:
Women: Wed., Oct. 30, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., HP Pavilion at San Jose Men: Wed., Nov. 6, 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Sheraton Gateway Hotel Los Angeles Airport
Bruin senior tight end Mike Seidman grabbed a career high eight receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown, as UCLA defeated Oregon State, 43-35. Seidman's eight catches are the second most by a tight end in school history.
Shop at the Pac-10 FANStore!
All 10 teams go head-to-head in conference games on Saturday.
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Oct. 6, 2002
THIS WEEK: It is almost all Conference play from here on out and for the first time this season there is a solid slate of five Pac-10 games on the schedule. All of the regular season non-conference games have been played with the exception of the USC-Notre Dame traditional at Los Angeles late in November. League action finds OREGON at UCLA (ABC), OREGON STATE at ARIZONA STATE, ARIZONA at WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON STATE at STANFORD and CALIFORNIA at USC (FSN).
COACHES TELECONFERENCES: Pac-10 head football coaches will be available on a media teleconference every Tuesday during the football season through Nov. 19. Each coach is scheduled to be on the line for 10 minutes with the calls starting at 10:00 a.m. PDT/MST. In addition, a taped replay will be available at 3:00 PT/MT following the call and will be available until the next call. Media members may call the Conference office or any Pac-10 SID office to receive the media-only number for both the live teleconference or the taped replay. Following is the schedule for the teleconferences:
Tuesday Call Schedule (PDT/MST)
10:00 a.m. John Mackovic - Arizona
10:10 a.m. Buddy Teevens - Stanford
10:20 a.m. Dennis Erickson - Oregon State
10:30 a.m. Bob Toledo - UCLA
10:40 a.m. Pete Carroll - USC
10:50 a.m. Mike Bellotti - Oregon
11:00 a.m. Dirk Koetter - Arizona State
11:10 a.m. Mike Price - Washington State
11:20 a.m. Jeff Tedford - California
11:30 a.m. Rick Neuheisel - Washington
PAC-10 SATELLITE FEED: The Pac-10 provides a weekly satellite feed featuring interviews with the coaches and selected players regarding upcoming games along with highlight footage. The half-hour feed airs every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. PDT/MST (2:30 p.m. EDT) beginning Sep. 4 and running through Nov. 20, with a final week run on Tuesday, Nov. 26. Coordinates for the feed are GE 2, Transponder 11 (C-Band). Trouble numbers: Master Control 310-543-1835 or 310-231-3229 or pager 888-423-0095 or Michelle Lockhart at the Pac-10 at 925-932-4411.
DOUBLE COVERAGE: A new one hour radio program devoted to Pac-10 football will air on a national network of radio stations. Double Coverage will air in most markets on Wednesday evenings with a rebroadcast on Saturday mornings on many outlets. Check local listings for the station in your area.
2002 PAC-10 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Aug. 31 Carson Palmer, QB, USC Will Derting, OLB, WSU Michael Jollivette, CB, ARIZ Sep. 7 Reggie Williams, WR, WASH Brandon Chillar, OLB, UCLA Hakim Hill, RS, ASU Sep. 14 Kyle Boller, QB, CAL Troy Polamalu, SS, USC Jemeel Powell, PR, CAL Sep. 21 Steven Jackson, TB, OSU Marquis Cooper, ILB, WASH Mark Jensen, PK, CAL Sep. 28 Jason Gesser, QB, WSU Omar Nazel, DE, USC Ryan Killeen, PK, USC Oct. 5 Kyle Boller, QB, CAL Marcus Reese, MLB, UCLA Drew Dunning, PK, WSU
SERIES NOTES FOR THE GAMES OF OCT. 12:
OREGON (5-0) at UCLA (4-1) - 12:30 PDT - ABC regional telecast - The Series: UCLA and Oregon have met 56 times dating to 1928 with the Bruins leading the series 37-19. Oregon has won the last two to snap a UCLA four-game winning streak in the series. The Bruins have won three of the last four played at Eugene, although not the most recent game. Three of the last four and five of the last 10 games have been decided by five or fewer points. . . . Last Year: Oregon and UCLA met late in the season in front of 78,000+ at the Rose Bowl and the Ducks took over sole possession of first place in the Pac-10 with a hard-fought 21-20 victory. It marked the 500th win in UO history. UCLA had a shot as time expired, but a Chris Griffith 50-yard field goal attempt fell short and wide right. . . . Coaching note: UCLA coach Bob Toledo spent six seasons (1983-88) as an assistant at Oregon and has gone 4-2 against the Ducks since taking the Bruin helm. Current Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti succeeded Toledo as UO offensive coordinator in 1989.
ARIZONA (3-2) at WASHINGTON (3-2) - 12:30 PDT/MST - The Series: Washington and Arizona have met 18 times with the Dawgs leading the Cats 13-4-1. UW has won the last three, six of the last seven and eight of the last 10. It's been close, however, as the last two and three of the last four games have been three-point games. Stated another way, the last four games have been decided by a total of 17 points. Washington leads 8-2 in games played at Husky Stadium, including the last two. . . . Last Year: Washington and Arizona met at Seattle and played a wild one with the Huskies finally prevailing 31-28 in a game neither team ever led by more than seven points. UW QB Cody Pickett was the hero as he passed for a school-record 455 yards and three touchdowns, despite playing with a separated shoulder. Included were TD passes of 78 and 75 yards. But it was Pickett's three-yard run with 13 seconds remaining in the game that capped another last-minute Husky comeback win. Arizona hung with the Huskies the entire game as QB Jason Johnson passed for a pair of early TD passes before leaving the game with a concussion and RB Clarence Farmer pounded out 147 yards and one score.
WASHINGTON STATE (5-1) at STANFORD (1-3) - 2:00 PDT - The Series: Stanford and Washington State have met 52 times dating to 1936 with the Cardinal leading the series 30-21-1. WSU won last year at Palo Alto, but Stanford has taken eight of the last 10 overall and five of the last six at Stanford. . . . Last Year: Washington State (5-0) and Stanford (3-0) were both undefeated when they met at Palo Alto with the Cougars staying that way by virtue of a 45-39 win. The teams combined for 525 yards and 59 points in the first half, but things settled down in the second and WSU controlled the ball on two long scoring drives in the fourth quarter to secure the comeback win. For Washington State, QB Jason Gesser passed for two TDs, including the eventual game-winner and WR Mike Bush had a pair of TD receptions. The Cougars also scored TDs on a blocked punt and an interception return. Stanford pounded out 219 yards rushing, led by RB Brian Allen, who rushed for 133 yards and three TDs.
CALIFORNIA (4-2) at USC (3-2) - 3:30 PDT - Fox Sports Net national cablecast - The Series: 90th meeting between USC and California in an old rivalry that dates to 1915. USC leads the series 55-29-5, although the Golden Bears had won three straight before a Trojan win last year. Plus, Cal has won the last three played in L.A. . . . Last Year: USC and California were headed in opposite directions when they met on a rainy day at Berkeley late in the season with the Trojans scoring a 55-14 win. SC scored on offense, defense and special teams in breaking a three-game losing streak to Cal and sending the Bears to their 12 straight loss. USC featured a balanced attack that produced 448 yards (213 rushing, 235 passing) and the Trojan defense limited Cal to 12 first downs and 223 yards total offense and forced four turnovers.
OREGON STATE (4-2) at ARIZONA STATE (4-2) - 7:00 MST/PDT - The Series: Arizona State and Oregon State have met 28 times with the Sun Devils leading the series 20-7-1. ASU has owned the series of late, winning the last six and nine of the last 10. In 18 games at Tempe, ASU leads 15-3 and has won the last 14 straight. The last Oregon State victory at Tempe came in 1969, back before ASU was a member of the Pac-10. . . . Last Year: Arizona State and Oregon State met at Tempe and the Sun Devils broke open a close game in the fourth quarter and won 41-24 to give coach Dirk Koetter his first Pac-10 win. OSU led 24-20 entering the fourth quarter, but ASU, aided by some good special teams play, scored three TDs in an eight-minute span to salt away the win. The Devils had 522 yards total offense, including 314 yards rushing, as TB Delvon Flowers rushed for a career-high 226 yards. ASU All-Pac-10 WR Shaun McDonald had five catches for 123 yards (24.6), including a 63-yard TD reception. OSU counterpart FL James Newson had eight receptions for 123 yards and one TD.
PAC-10 NOTES:
CURRENT STREAKS: Longest overall winning streak - 10 games - Oregon Longest Conference-game winning streak - 5 games - Oregon Longest home winning streak - 6 games - Oregon Longest road winning streak - 6 games - Oregon
OUT OF OUR LEAGUE: The Pac-10 stands at 29-10 (.744) against non-conference foes, including a 24-10 (.706) against Division I-A opponents. Of the 10 losses Pac-10 teams have suffered, six were on the road to teams that were ranked in the Top 25. The 29 non-conference wins is the most since the league went 29-7 in 1988. Only one regular-season non-conference game remains--the Notre Dame at USC traditional at Los Angeles on Nov. 30.
CONFERENCE RACE: Now that Pac-10 play has begun in earnest, it should be noted that in six seasons a team with two Conference losses has won the league title, most recently in 1993. It should also be noted that no team has ever won the Conference championship after starting out 0-2 in Conference play.
ARIZONA: Wildcats have next two and three of next four on the road. . . . WR Bobby Wade had career high 12 catches for 151 yards vs. Oregon last week. The 12 receptions is most in a game by a Pac-10 receiver this year. With 177 career catches, Wade stands 10th on the Pac-10 career list. Wade leads the league in receptions, receiving yardage and all-purpose yardage. . . . QB Jason Johnson has been picked off just three times in 166 passing attempts. . . . In five games to date, Arizona has allowed just one touchdown in both the first and fourth quarters.
ARIZONA STATE: Junior WR Shaun McDonald has a string of three consecutive 100-yard receiving games going. McDonald went over the 2,000-yard receiving plateau last week vs. North Carolina (2,146). . . . QB Andrew Walter has consecutive 400-yard passing days the last two weeks. He went for a career-high 474 yards vs. North Carolina, following 414 yards against Stanford, for 888 aerial yards in two games. . . . One result of the above is the Devils have amassed 1,009 yards total offense the last two games. . . . ASU defense has 11 interceptions, surpassing the nine compiled all last year. Nine different players have recorded an interception. On the other side, Sun Devils have been picked off just four times. . . . DE Terrell Suggs leads the Pac-10 and the nation with 12 QB sacks for minus-71 yards. . . . ASU has forced 19 turnovers in last four games.
CALIFORNIA: Cal's 34-27 upset win at Washington snapped a number of streaks. Cal had lost 19 consecutive games to the Huskies and had not defeated UW since 1976. Win also snapped Washington's 17-game home winning streak. . . . It also marks the second time this year Cal has beaten a nationally ranked team on the road--No. 15 Michigan State and No. 12 Washington. Cal last knocked off two top 15 teams in one season in 1951. . . . Golden Bear O-line has allowed just seven QB sacks in six games. Cal DE Tully Banta-Cain matches that all by himself with seven QB sacks, second-best total in Pac-10. . . . QB Kyle Boller has passed for 637 yards and eight TDs the last two weeks. . . . Boller now has 52 career TD passes, just two behind Cal record-holder Pat Barnes (54, 1993-96). . . . Bears continue to lead Pac-10 (tied fourth nationally) in turnover margin at +13. (+2.17 per game). Their 19 takeaways is one more than all last season. . . . Cal has outscored opponents 142-38 in the first half.
OREGON: Ducks own all the current streaks in the Pac-10--longest overall winning streak (10 games), longest Conference-game winning streak (5), longest home winning streak (6) and longest road winning streak (6). The 10-game overall winning streak equals the Oregon record set in 1963-64 and is the second-longest current winning streak in the nation behind Miami (27). . . . Ducks have won nine of last 10 road games. . . . Win at Arizona last week marks sixth straight year Ducks have won Pac-10 opener. . . . Ducks are off to a 5-0 start for the third time in five years. . . . TB Onterrio Smith has rattled off five consecutive 100-yard rushing games. That ties the UO record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games (Bobby Moore/Ahmad Rashad, 1971). He leads Pac-10 in rushing at 122.4 yards per game. . . . PK Jared Siegel is second in the country in field goals. He has connected on 11-of-12 attempts and has been good from 52 and 53 yards. His only miss was a 48-yarder. . . . Ducks lead the Pac-10 and rank fifth nationally in rushing defense at 79.4 yards per game. Opponents getting just 2.4 yards per rush. . . . QB Jason Fife has just one interception, lowest total among Pac-10 starters.
OREGON STATE: Soph QB Derek Anderson has a Pac-10-leading 17 TD passes, three short of the OSU single-season record (20 by Jonathan Smith in 2000). . . . TB Steven Jackson has the two longest runs in the league this year--80 yards against UCLA and 75 vs. Fresno State. . . . Beavers are outscoring opponents 68-13 in the first quarter. . . . OSU defense leads the Pac-10 with 12 interceptions. . . . Beavers lead Pac-10 in kickoff coverage. . . . LB Nick Barnett leads the Pac-10 in tackles with 9.7 per game. . . . P Carl Tobey has boots of 63 and 58 yards the last two weeks.
STANFORD: After playing three of first four games on the road, Stanford returns for two home games the next two weeks (WSU and Arizona). . . . Four of Stanford's next five opponents are ranked in the Top 25 this week. . . . Loss at No. 9 Notre Dame last week snapped a three-game Stanford win streak against teams ranked in the top 10. . . . FB Casey Moore's 6.5 yards per carry is top mark among Pac-10 rushing leaders. Moore has started 37 consecutive game for the Cardinal.
UCLA: Game against Oregon this week is Bob Toledo's 75th game overall as Bruin head coach and 50th Pac-10 game. His UCLA mark stands at 46-28 (.622) overall and 29-20 (.592) in league play. . . . With No. 7-ranked Oregon coming to town, UCLA has won 15 of its last 22 games versus ranked opponents dating back to 1997. . . . Bruins have lost just five turnovers in five games. . . . QB Cory Paus, after 378-yard effort at Oregon State last week, has moved into second place on UCLA's career passing list. His 6,432 yards trail just Cade McNown (1995-98). . . . Paus has made tight end Mike Seidman a favorite target. Seidman has 14 receptions for 272 yards the last two weeks. . . . Freshman Tyler Ebell rushed for 203 yards at Oregon State, most ever by a Bruin freshman in a regular season game (Eric Ball had 227 yards vs. Iowa in the 1986 Rose Bowl as a freshman). It's also the top performance by a running back in a Conference game this year. . . . UCLA defense has forced nine turnovers the last two weeks. . . . Bruins are 3-0 this year when opponents score first. . . . P Nate Fikse leads Pac-10 with 44.2-yard average. Only four of his last 20 punts have been returned.
USC: Trojans have won their last five home games, and have posted shutouts in two of their last three home games. Included are blankings of the last two Conference opponents that ventured into the L.A. Coliseum (Oregon State and UCLA). . . . USC leads Pac-10 and is fourth in nation in total defense at 267.2 yards per game. Trojans also lead league in pass defense (143.8). . . . Trojans have allowed a Pac-10-low three TD passes to date and opponents complete just 43.2% of passes. . . . Opponents have converted just 4 of 27 (14.8%) third downs in last two games. For the season, opponents are 0-for-5 on fourth down conversion attempts. . . . Trojans are outscoring opponents 57-21 in the fourth quarter.
WASHINGTON: Huskies conclude a lengthy five-game homestand this week. . . . Loss to Cal last week snapped 17-game home winning streak that dated to 1999 (Arizona State). . . . QB Cody Pickett just missed his third consecutive 400-yard passing game with 399 yards vs. Cal last week. He still has five straight 300-yards games under his belt. . . . Pickett's 66.2% completion percentage tops Pac-10 QBs. . . . With all that, UW leads the Pac-10 and is second in the nation (behind Marshall) in passing offense at 387.6 yards per game. . . . Plus Pickett ranks second in the nation in completions per game at 30.2 (Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech, 33.3). . . . Huskies had a string of seven straight games with an interception snapped with no picks recorded vs. Cal.
WASHINGTON STATE: Heading to Stanford this week, WSU has won five of its last six Pac-10 road games. . . . QB Jason Gesser passed Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf on WSU career total offense list last week. Gesser has 7,278 yards of total offense, trailing just Jack Thompson (7,698) on the Cougar chart. . . . On the Pac-10 charts, Gesser has moved into a tie for 10th place in career TD passes. He has 55 TD passes in 33 career games. He has a streak of 18 consecutive games with a TD pass going. . . . The last two weeks while hurting with a rib injury, Gesser has put up 88 passes, completing 51 for 746 yards and six TDs. . . . Win against USC last week snapped a six-game Trojan winning streak in Pullman and gave coach Mike Price his first home win against SC. Team presented Price with the game ball.
THE QUARTERBACKS: Six Pac-10 quarterbacks rank in the national top 25 in passing efficiency--Andrew Walter, ASU (2), Jason Fife, Oregon (7), Kyle Matter, Stanford (11), Jason Gesser, WSU (19), Cody Pickett, Washington (22) and Cory Paus, UCLA (25). In team rankings, Oregon (9), California (12), Washington State (14), Washington (17), UCLA (19), Arizona State (23) and Oregon State (24) give the Pac-10 seven teams ranked in the national top 25 in passing efficiency.
"I've always felt this was a quarterback's league," said Mike Price, in his 14th year as head coach at Washington State. "Every year it's been that way. Every year it's been pass first and run second in this league."
THE UNDEFEATED: Oregon, at 5-0, is the lone undefeated Pac-10 team. "We've had flashes of brilliance and probably, in some cases, flashes of incompetence," Duck coach Mike Bellotti said. "We want to get rid of the latter and focus on the former."
THE RECEIVERS: Three impressive streaks are in progress as a trio of Pac-10 receivers have long runs of consecutive games catching a pass going. Howry and Kelly are the current national co-leaders. They are as follows:
40 Keenan Howry, Oregon
40 Kareem Kelly, USC
36 Bobby Wade, Arizona
42 Pac-10 record - Dennis Northcutt, Arizona (1996-99)
A LOOK AHEAD: The schedule for Sat., Oct. 19:
WASHINGTON at USC
ARIZONA STATE at OREGON
UCLA at CALIFORNIA
ARIZONA at STANFORD
OREGON STATE and WASHINGTON STATE - open dates
BASKETBALL MEDIA DAYS:
Women: Wed., Oct. 30, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., HP Pavilion at San Jose Men: Wed., Nov. 6, 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Sheraton Gateway Hotel Los Angeles Airport
Bruin senior tight end Mike Seidman grabbed a career high eight receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown, as UCLA defeated Oregon State, 43-35. Seidman's eight catches are the second most by a tight end in school history.
Shop at the Pac-10 FANStore!