The comparisons were inevitable, and always unfair.
Oregon graduate transfer quarterback Vernon Adams played well at Michigan State on Saturday night, but pretty well didn’t quite cut it. He needed to be “Marcus Mariota great” for the Ducks to win that game, but two interceptions and taking a sack on third-and-6 from the MSU 33 with about a minute left, needing a field goal to tie, didn’t add up to a winning performance.
The Spartans won 31-28.
It’s not easy replacing a Heisman winner when you’ve been on campus for like a month.
“I thought Vernon played well,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said in his postgame press conference.
“I know there will be a lot of things he thinks about tonight, tomorrow and moving forward. In this kind of game the way they play defense, there will be some big plays and some clunkers.”
One play before the third-down sack, Adams missed wide-open Byron Marshall, overthrowing him for what would have been a go-ahead touchdown.
“Wide-open receivers, I gotta be better than that and make those throws and give us a chance win the game,” Adams said. “That could’ve changed everything if I would have put it right on him.”
Oregon actually entered the game as an underdog, the first time that had happened in 46 games, dating to the 2011 season. The loss to the Spartans likely takes away all of the Ducks’ margin of error in terms of getting back to the College Football Playoff, especially if Michigan State remains in the mix, too.
Don’t count out Oregon. The main hurdles left in the regular season could be a game at Arizona State on Oct. 29 (assuming the Sun Devils get their act together) and Nov. 21 against visiting USC.
So while Oregon fans certainly indulged in thoughts of “Mariota would have won that game,” all is not lost. Adams, playing through an injured finger, threw for 309 yards and extended plays with his feet. He has more than two months to settle in before playing the Trojans.
“I’ve got to take care of the ball,” Adams said. “Those two interceptions are unacceptable. I need to take care of the ball and find a way to get a win.”
ARIZONA (2-0, 0-0)
Game: Arizona 44, Nevada 20. Sophomore running back Nick Wilson ran 21 times for 194 yards and three touchdowns, and he also caught two passes for 30 yards, as the Wildcats had an easier-than-expected time on the road. Wilson’s night was done after a carry on the first play of the fourth quarter, or else he likely would have broken his career best of 218 at Utah last season. Quarterback Anu Solomon was efficient, completing 24-of-33 passes for 264 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Takeaway: Wilson probably doesn’t get the national attention he deserves. There are so many good runners at top schools (Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, Alabama’s Derrick Henry, Georgia’s Nick Chubb, Florida State’s Dalvin Cook, LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Oregon’s Royce Freeman, etc.) that Wilson gets a bit lost in the shuffle. It’s hard to pinpoint one thing he does the best, but he has good size, speed, moves … and his vision rivals that of former Arizona All-American Ka’Deem Carey.
Next: vs. Northern Arizona, Sept. 19.
ARIZONA STATE (1-1, 0-0)
Game: Arizona State 35, Cal Poly 21. In an uncomfortably close game against an FCS opponent, ASU finally got some late separation. Tight end Kody Kohl caught a 10-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to put ASU up 28-21 and then the defense stiffened just enough against the Mustangs’ triple-option attack, forcing a punt on fourth-and-6 from the Sun Devils 44. Poly should have gone for it. ASU put the game on ice thanks to receiver Tim White, who accounted for 82 yards on three touches on the ensuing drive, including 59 yards on a run and a 4-yard touchdown reception.
Takeaway: The Sun Devils didn’t do enough to shake off the Texas A&M blues. The offense sputtered too much, coming away with nothing — an interception in the end zone and a missed 28-yard field goal — on two red-zone possessions in the second half. Mike Bercovici, who passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, doesn’t seem the free-wheeling, moxie-filled quarterback he was as an injury-replacement last season.
Next: vs. New Mexico, Sept. 18
CAL (2-0, 0-0)
Game: Cal 35, San Diego State 7. Junior quarterback Jared Goff completed 17-of-24 passes for 320 yards with three touchdowns and one interception as the Golden Bears pulled away in the second half. Goff now needs just 16 yards to break Troy Taylor’s school passing record of 8,126. Goff used his deep receiving corps, including hitting receiver Trevor Davis three times for 138 yards with a 75-yard TD reception. Running back Daniel Lasco, continuing to quietly do good work, rushed 19 times for 123 yards.
Takeaway: Do the Bears have a defense? While Goff continues to excel in coach Sonny Dykes’ “Bear Raid” offense, don’t discount the apparent improvements made on the defensive side of the ball, because holding the Aztecs to a single touchdown is a nice feat. Cal held down standout running back Donnel Pumphrey (86 yards on 21 carries) and allowed just 136 passing yards to Maxwell Smith, a transfer from Kentucky. “I think it means we’re better, but the competition is going to get better week-in and week-out, and we know that,” Dykes said. “But the guys are playing with confidence. We have depth. We can roll out a lot of players. I’m really encouraged with those guys.”
Next: at Texas, Sept. 19
COLORADO (1-1, 0-0)
Game: Colorado 48, Massachusetts 14. Junior Michael Adkins rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown, and senior Christian Powell added 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Buffaloes. Colorado, coming off an opening loss at Hawaii, put up 390 rushing yards against UMass. Adkins snapped a 14-14 tie with a 21-yard scoring dash with 10:29 left in the second quarter to start a run of 34 consecutive Colorado points.
Takeaway: It sure was nice for Colorado to be able to shed a losing streak that had reached nine games, but there is not much to make of a win over UMass, which has a standout quarterback in Blake Frohnapfel but doesn’t much resemble the challenges the Buffs will face in the Pac-12 — or even this week against rival Colorado State. As coach Mike MacIntyre told his assistants after the win: “That keeps the bricks off our backs for about 30 seconds.”
Next: vs. Colorado State (in Denver), Sept. 19
OREGON (1-1, 0-0)
Game: Michigan State 31, Oregon 28. In a tense game between top-10 teams, Oregon closed within a field goal on Vernon Adams’ 15-yard touchdown pass to Byron Marshall with 3:25 remaining. The Ducks got the ball back after forcing a three-and-out and was driving before stalling at the Michigan State 33. Adams missed a wide-open Marshall on second-and-6, took a 10-yard sack on third down and misfired on fourth down. Adams completed 22-of-39 passes for 309 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Takeaway: The Ducks took the loss but it was a close enough game that Oregon will be still be a strong College Football Playoff contender if they run the table and win the Pac-12. You know the Oregon offense will be there … well, at least as long as Adams avoids the turnover bug. The defense didn’t win a lot of critical situations in the first three quarters against Michigan State, but it will be hoping to build on a strong fourth quarter in which it got the ball back to its offense with a chance to win. The Ducks are going to be just fine.
Next: vs. Georgia State, Sept. 19
OREGON STATE (1-1, 0-0)
Game: Michigan 35, Oregon State 7. The Beavers scored first, on a 21-yard pass from Seth Collins to Hunter Jarmon about two minutes into the game, but Michigan started to take control in the second quarter. The Wolverines, in coach Jim Harbaugh’s home debut, led 17-3 at halftime (helped by a bad punt snap that gave Michigan the ball at the 3), and physically dominated the second half. Oregon State had only two yards after the first quarter, finishing with 138 for the game.
Takeaway: Growing pains were expected in coach Gary Andersen’s first season, especially with a freshman quarterback no matter which way he looked. True freshman Seth Collins got the start in the Big House, but coaches said they wanted to get redshirt freshman Marcus McMaryion into the game — and they did in the second half when the game’s outcome was still in doubt. Didn’t do much good, though. Andersen and Oregon State have plenty to work on — tackling, eliminating stupid penalties — but much of the focus will be on the quarterback position.
Next: vs. San Jose State, Sept. 19
SOUTHERN CAL (2-0, 0-0)
Game: Southern Cal 59, Idaho 9. Senior quarterback Cody Kessler passed for a career-best 410 yards, with three touchdowns, as the Trojans routed a Sun Belt Conference for the second consecutive week. Kessler especially targeted sophomore receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who set career-highs with 10 catches for 192 yards. He caught two of Kessler’s TD throws, including a 50-yarder. USC posted 738 yards of offense against one of the worst programs in the FBS.
Takeaway: Kessler, who completed 26-of-31 pass attempts, looked better throwing the deep ball — an ongoing point of emphasis — but, again, the level of competition must be taken into account. That competition gets much stiffer this week, even if Stanford is dealing with inexperience in its back end on defense. But everything is working well for the Trojans right now as they head into a matchup that has produced five consecutive games decided by no more than one score. “We’re expecting a tough ball game from Stanford next week, no doubt,” coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We just need to make sure we execute and play our style of play.”
Next: vs. Stanford, Sept. 19
STANFORD (1-1, 0-0)
Game: Stanford 31, UCF 7. Senior Kevin Hogan completed 17-of-29 passes for a career-high 339 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions, to help the Cardinal bounce back from a season-opening loss at Northwestern. Hogan posted the second 300-yard passing game of his career, and beat his previous career best of 329 yards, set against Cal in 2013. Bryce Love caught two of the passes from Hogan, including a 93-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
Takeaway: Coach David Shaw didn’t like questions about Stanford’s play-calling last week in the loss to Northwestern, in which the Cardinal didn’t score a touchdown. This would be a good time to note that he had to use a flea-flicker to get his team into the end zone for the first time, a 53-yard strike to Michael Rector in the second quarter. So, Stanford does have some life on offense, especially if true freshman Bryce Love is as electric as he appeared in turning a screen pass into a 93-yard touchdown dash. Stanford needs all the speed of Love and sophomore Christian McCaffrey against USC this week. At least the Cardinal will head there with some confidence.
Next: at USC, Sept. 19
UCLA (2-0, 0-0)
Game: UCLA 37, UNLV 3. Paul Perkins rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and linebacker Kenny Young returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown as the Bruins coasted to victory. They led 17-0 at halftime and 34-0 heading into the fourth quarter before finishing with 526 yards of offense. Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen completed 22-of-42 passes for 223 yards, with one touchdown and an interception. The UCLA defense, playing without injured defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes (out for season) and suspended cornerback Ishmael Adams, held the Rebels to a mere 237 yards.
Takeaway: UCLA has put together two complete games, and you could make the case that it is the best team in the Pac-12 right now. An aggressive defense did what it should — take advantage of the absence of UNLV quarterback Blake Decker, who left in the first half because of injury. Quarterback Josh Rosen got road game experience — so that’s good — although many much more hostile environments await.
Next: vs. BYU, Sept. 19
UTAH (2-0, 0-0)
Game: Utah 24, Utah State 14. With starting quarterback Travis Wilson injured, backup Kendal Thompson came off the bench to lead two second-half scoring drives as the Utes held off a pesky Utah State team. Wilson, who left the game with a sprained left shoulder in the second quarter, was 9-of-12 passing for 76 yards. Devontae Booker carries the bulk of the load on offense, running 31 times for 120 yards. Thompson’s 2-yard run midway through the third quarter broke a 14-14 tie.
Takeaway: The Utes can grind with the best of them. After withstanding a physical Michigan attack in the opener, Utah came out tough against the Aggies with offensive at a premium. The Utes forced Utah State into three consecutive three-and-outs right after halftime and picked off Chuckie Keeton twice, including at the Utah 7 late in the game. Freshman receiver Britain Covey is an intriguing addition to an offense that needs help on the perimeter; he leads the team with 11 catches; he also set up a field goal against Utah State with a 30-yard punt return.
Next: at Fresno State, Sept. 19
WASHINGTON (1-1, 0-0)
Game: Washington 49, Sacramento State 0. True freshman running back Myles Gaskins rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns, and true freshman quarterback Jake Browning passed for 326 yards and two touchdowns as the Huskies rolled over the lower-division foe. Running back Dwayne Washington added two rushing scores for Washington, which was coming off a narrow loss at Boise State. The Huskies had a huge edge of 544-212 in total yardage as they began to roll after a scoreless first quarter.
Takeaway: Did we mention true freshmen? Gaskins’ big day included a 78-yard touchdown run, and his 146 yards were the third-most by a true freshman in school history. “Myles is a shifty runner and you can see that,” said coach Chris Petersen. “A couple of times he wasn’t blocked really well but he still fought and got some things done. That is what we have seen out of him all fall camp. If you just keep guys covered up, he has the knack to be pretty patient, which is pretty uncharacteristic of a young guy. That’s a little bit of his style and I think we will keep building on that.” Browning made his second start and gathered more confidence.
Next: vs. Utah State, Sept. 19
WASHINGTON STATE (1-1, 0-0)
Game: Washington State 37, Rutgers 34. Luke Falk passed for 478 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left, as the Cougars rallied to win a wild game after losing at home in the season-opener to lower-division Portland State. It looked as if poor coverage units would cost the Cougars the game, as it allowed a kick return and a punt return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, the latter return giving Rutgers a 34-30 lead with 1:13 to go. WSU marched back 90 yards, with Falk connecting with River Cracraft for the winning score.
Takeaway: The win doesn’t balance the scales after the loss to Portland State, because that setback still means WSU likely will have a hard time reaching the postseason. But a win on the road against a Big Ten team (even one of the lower-division Big Ten teams) builds some confidence and, at least for the moment, takes some heat off coach Mike Leach. The passing game was money, with Falk hitting 47-of-66 attempts. Gabe Marks caught 14 of them for 146 yards.
Next: vs. Wyoming, Sept. 19
NOTES, QUOTES
–Utah quarterback Travis Wilson, who left Friday’s game against Utah State in the first half with a sprained left (non-throwing) shoulder, is expected back for the game at Oregon on Sept. 26, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
–Oregon coach Mark Helfrich is hoping that his Ducks respond to the loss at Michigan State the same way they did to a home loss to Arizona last season. Oregon played its best ball and won its next nine games as it advanced to the national championship game. “We lost a battle, and the next day, it was on,” Helfrich said of last year’s loss. “It galvanized us like never before.”
–The Pac-12 has walked away from its negotiations with DirectTV, the San Jose Mercury News reported first Saturday morning. The sides finally had appeared close to a deal in which DirectTV would carry the Pac-12 Networks, but the deal reportedly fell through because AT&T, which acquired DirectTV this summer, wanted an equity stake in the Pac-12 Networks.
–UCLA true freshman Josh Rosen made more pretty throws in his second collegiate game, but his numbers weren’t eye-popping against UNLV — 22-of-42 passes for 223 yards, with one touchdown and an interception.
“He wasn’t out of sync,” UCLA coach Jim Mora said. “I told you to temper expectations. It ain’t going to be as pretty every week as it was last week. So, it’s just a great learning experience for him, and for us. You saw him learn as the game goes on, and you saw what you expected to see; this amazing poise.
“He was never flustered. He was never frustrated, even when I was feeling frustrated. It’s a sign of his maturity.”
–Oregon wide receiver Bralon Addison is looking good as he has come back from an ACL tear that wiped out his 2014 season. He showed speed and moves on an 81-yard punt return at Michigan State, and he also caught seven passes for 138 yards.
–USC true freshman linebacker Cameron Smith, who has been playing in place of injured Lamar Dawson, has a team-high 13 tackles in two games. Dawson is expected back from broken ribs this week, but Smith has shown he is worthy of playing time.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “He’s certainly going to be one of the great ones to ever play here, if he’s not right now. It’s hard to compare numbers. It’s a different game now; we’re a different offense than guys played in the past. But I’ll tell you this, I wouldn’t trade him for any other quarterback in college football.” — Cal coach Sonny Dykes, on his QB, Jared Goff
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 2 IN THE PAC-12:
1. The L.A. schools are playing the best. Neither UCLA nor USC has had to face a challenge — such as playing Michigan State on the road — but both the Bruins and Trojans have posted impressive performances in all phases of the game. When these teams are good, it helps the reputation of the Pac-12.
2. The Pac-12’s reputation needs some help. The league has lost its most high-profile game in each of the first two weeks — Arizona State to Texas A&M, and Oregon at Michigan State. It would help if Cal could win at Texas this week, but everyone is well aware of the Longhorns’ struggles.
3. Don’t anoint Josh Rosen as the Pac-12’s best true freshman QB just yet. Oh, he was just fine in his second start for UCLA, but so was Washington’s Jake Browning. He completed 17-of-24 passes for 326 yards and a quarterback rating of 212.4.
4. Arizona’s middle linebacker situation is dire. All-American Scooby Wright is expected to be out a couple more weeks with a knee injury. His backup, Cody Ippolito, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Haden Gregory left the Nevada game with an apparent knee injury. Fourth-stringer Tre Taylor, a walk-on redshirt freshman, also left the game in the first half. As a fifth option, Arizona coaches moved outside linebacker Derrick Turituri to the middle. “We had guys playing at that position that had hardly practiced there,” coach Rich Rodriguez said.
5. USC’s Cody Kessler is the league’s top Heisman candidate. Kessler has completed 45-of-57 passes for 650 yards, with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in two games. He’ll begin the non-Sun Belt part of USC’s schedule with an efficiency rating of 215.3, second-best in the nation.