USC-Arizona review: The 8 wackiest moments, numbers, and plays

• October 8, 2023

At 2:30 a.m. Sunday, behind a long-deserted Modelo stand, a black cat roamed the hemisphere of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

It did not appear to have an owner. It did not appear to have a home. No cats, explicitly, are permitted on the grounds of the Coliseum, so it was a mystery as to how this particular feline had made its way onto the premises.

It seemed a final summation, a literal black-cat-crossing-path omen, of a truly unhinged final chapter of the Pac-12 After Dark saga, USC besting Arizona 43-41 in three overtimes in a game that seemed destined to continue forever. A testament to Caleb Williams and the Trojans’ fortitude, matching an Arizona team blow-for-blow. And a testament to the amount of weirdness that took place at the Coliseum Saturday, a slew of strange moments revealing plenty about a 6-0 USC team that has nonetheless made its last three games — against inferior teams — seem incredibly difficult.

A breakdown, in descending order, of the eight most bizarre moments and facts from USC’s win Saturday night:

8. Big fat zero

With 12:26 left to play in the second quarter, as Arizona had racked up a 17-0 lead, USC’s offense — gaining just one first down on a penalty — had gained exactly 0 total yards.

Zero.

This was, perhaps, the best unit in the country, led by the best quarterback in the country. But Williams and the offense started unfathomably slow Saturday, in part because of defensive-back-heavy dollar coverages Arizona threw at USC’s receivers.

“Yeah, you got a couple extra defenders out there in the back-end,” receiver Tahj Washington said postgame, “just trying to find those zones, in those spots.”

7. Noah Fifita throws five touchdowns

Arizona’s quarterback Noah Fifita – a name familiar to many in Southern California from banner days at Servite High – was a freshman backup who’d started exactly one game in his collegiate career. And he picked apart USC’s secondary from wire to wire.

“The defense is what got us going,” Riley said postgame, referring to Covington’s pick. “And the defense is what won us this football game.”

The defense also allowed Fifita to throw for five touchdowns.

6. Simmering defense of the defense

Signs of Williams’ discontent with clamor over USC’s defense emerged Saturday, against Colorado, when Riley was asked a question about his trust in Alex Grinch and Williams gave a noticeable eye-roll.

And after Arizona, when Riley was asked a simple question about evaluating the Trojans’ defense through six games, Williams jumped in unprompted after his head coach’s answer.

“We wouldn’t have won that game without defense – we were set up, we were down 17-0,” Williams said. “So this whole … defense thing. Our brothers. The score wouldn’t be 43-41 without ‘em. So, put it simply that way.”

5. Calen Bullock’s desperation

After safety Bullock homing-missled in to swat away a pass on an Arizona two-point conversion attempt in double overtime, the USC safety returned to the sideline so desperate for offensive success that he physically got on his knees for USC’s following two-point conversion attempt, he said postgame.

“Just like, c’mon, you gotta get this,” Bullock said.

4. A winning formation

Williams, indeed, ran in that conversion off one of the strangest formations in the Riley era.

Every single member of the USC offensive line shifted to the far left side of the field, dragging six visibly confused Arizona defenders with them, and Williams suddenly had tight end Lake McRee snapping him the ball and a sort of five-on-five situation to work with.

“We’ve been working it,” Riley said postgame. “Glad we had confidence to get it done.”

3. USC’s special teams vie for fumble in unorthodox effort

This only stands at third because it was ultimately inconsequential, but no moment from Saturday was perhaps stranger than a USC punt in the first quarter, when Prophet Brown, Jac Casasante and Max Williams suddenly gang-rushed punt returner Jacob Cowing – content to simply let the ball lay as it lie – and physically dragged him towards the settling pigskin in a seeming effort to have him touch the ball and thereby force a fumble.

It didn’t work, and felt illegal, even as no flags were called. It also was … genius, if executed properly?

2. The field-goal oopsie

A bad snap led to Denis Lynch kicking a 25-yard field-goal attempt – that would have won the game at the end of regulation – all of about five feet. Brutal.

1. Mason Cobb playing down a rib

After making the game-sealing tackle on Arizona’s final two-point conversion attempt, Cobb hit the postgame podium for USC’s most entertaining interview of the year, utterly wired and dropping two f-bombs and casually letting slip to a room of dumbfounded reporters that he’d played much of the game with a rib that had physically popped out.

He said it as if he’d received a slight booboo. His mother Ruth calls him her “warrior” for a reason.

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Dodgers’ Dave Roberts stands behind Clayton Kershaw despite Game 1 debacle

• October 8, 2023

LOS ANGELES – The day after the worst start of Clayton Kershaw’s career, his manager was unequivocal in saying the veteran left-hander will start again if their National League Division Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks reaches a Game 4.

“For me, that’s the best option, and I see it as the only option,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before an optional workout Sunday attended by nearly the entire team – including Kershaw who went through his normal post-start workout on the field.

Calling Kershaw the only option for a Game 4 start seems hyperbolic.

The Dodgers will start rookie right-hander Bobby Miller in Game 2, leaving veteran Lance Lynn and another rookie Ryan Pepiot available for Games 3 and 4. But the Dodgers have not announced a starter for Game 3 and would probably prefer to pair Lynn and Pepiot together in that game.

“I’m going to manage Game 2 like it’s Game 7. And I’m going to do the same thing for Game 3,” Roberts said. “Could things change? Possibly, yeah. But I’ve still got all the confidence in our guys preventing runs and using them in the right way and the best possible way to win baseball games.

“But, yeah, I think the fallout is Clayton is going to start Game 4”

Asked if that was something that would be re-assessed as the series goes on, Roberts said, “I don’t think so.”

“For me, there’s certain people that get you here that have to get you across the finish line, and this is his role on our ballclub,” Roberts said.

“What I do know is for us to accomplish what we want to this year, we’re going to need Clayton Kershaw to start baseball games. And I’ve got all the confidence in the world that he can do that and he’s going to be just fine.”

Kershaw faced just eight hitters in Game 1 and retired only one. Seven of the eight hitters put balls in play with exit velocities of at least 98 mph and an average of 105.2 mph.

His velocity was actually up from the 88.7 mph his fastball averaged over his final three starts of the regular season – he averaged 90.4 mph on the 17 fastballs he threw before exiting Saturday night. And Dodgers catcher Will Smith said Kershaw’s pitch mix “looked like his normal stuff that it’s been all year.”

“You look at Clayton Kershaw, he’s arguably one of the best pitchers ever,” Smith said. “But he’s human. He makes mistakes. So I expect him to come back in a few days ready to go.”

Kershaw’s unspecified shoulder injury landed him on the Injured List for six weeks at mid-season and limited him after he returned. If he does start in Game 4 on Thursday in Arizona, it will be his first start on only four days’ rest since May 21.

But Kershaw insisted there was “nothing health-related here” that led to his Game 1 performance. Roberts has said he believes Kershaw is in “as good a place” as he’s been since returning from the IL in early August.

“I really don’t believe it’s health. I don’t,” Roberts said again Sunday. “I think sometimes – as Clayton did yesterday – you’ve just got to take your medicine and say I wasn’t good enough in that particular outing.

“If you look at the stuff, everything was actually a tick up from what it’s been. So the recovery, the stuff in-game doesn’t speak to anything with the arm. So for me, it was one of those days that you tip your hat to those guys. And they executed a game plan and we’ve got to learn from it and get better. But it’s nothing to do with the injury to the shoulder, nothing.

“I still stand by the fact that he’s healthy. The stuff played up and now we’ve just got to make better pitches.”

The Dodgers will ask Miller to help them get to the series to a fourth game. The 24-year-old rookie faced the Diamondbacks twice in August, once in Arizona and once at Dodger Stadium. He pitched six scoreless innings at Chase Field then gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings at home.

“He’s ready,” Freddie Freeman said of Miller. “Just from the first start he made this year to where he’s at now, the mound poise, the way he’s commanding the baseball, how he’s attacking hitters – we feel pretty good with him.”

UP NEXT

NLDS Game 2 – Diamondbacks (RHP Zac Gallen, 17-9, 3.47 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Bobby Miller, 11-4, 3.76 ERA), Monday, 6:07 p.m., TBS, 570 AM

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First glance at the Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco matchup

• October 8, 2023

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AT FIRST GLANCE

Mater Dei (7-0, 2-0) vs. St. John Bosco (6-1, 2-0)

At St. John Bosco, Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.

Broadcast: Bally Sports

National rankings

MaxPreps, Oct. 2: Mater Dei (1), St. John Bosco (9)

Calpreps: Mater Dei (1), St. John Bosco (7)

High School Football America: Mater Dei (1), St, John Bosco (6)

Tickets: GoFan will have a link available Monday at 9 a.m.

Notable: Mater Dei and St. John Bosco have played three common opponents, including Kahuku of Hawaii (9-1). Mater Dei defeated Kahuku 55-8 in Santa Ana on Sept. 9 while St. John Bosco was upset by the Red Raiders 30-23 in Hawaii on Sept. 16. It was the Braves’ first nonleague loss since 2017. …

St. John Bosco beat Mater Dei 24-22 in the CIF-SS Division 1 final last season at the Rose Bowl en route to its third national title under coach Jason Negro. The clash marked the final game for longtime Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson, who has been replaced by assistant Frank McManus. …

Senior quarterback Elijah Brown has led Mater Dei to Trinity League victories against St. John Bosco the past three seasons, including a 17-7 triumph in October 2022 at Santa Ana Stadium. The Monarchs have claimed the past four Trinity League titles.

Trinity League Football podcast: Oct. 4 show

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Keegan Jones’ blazing speed helps UCLA get past Washington State

• October 8, 2023

UCLA defensive lineman Carl Jones couldn’t hold back his thoughts as Carson Steele spoke of fellow running back Keegan Jones’ speed.

“He’s so fast,” Carl said to no one in particular during the postgame press conference on Saturday, shaking his head as he scanned the stat sheet, looking for Jones’ numbers.

“We’re just so close,” Carl said. “Seeing everything that he does at practice and him able to get his number called and him do what he what he did today when his number did get called, it’s just a testament to what he does at practice.”

Jones hadn’t had a carry all season, but was handed the ball three times and took it to the house twice in UCLA’s 25-17 win over Washington State on Saturday afternoon. His speed and shiftiness add even more tools to a running back room that’s already deep.

Jones, who was a 200-meter dash Tennessee state champion in high school, was moved to receiver in the spring after showing versatility at the running back position in his first four seasons with the Bruins. He ended 2022 with 320 rushing yards with five touchdowns and 237 receiving yards with four touchdowns.

Currently, Jones is spending time with both the receivers and the running backs during practices.

“It’s hard enough for me to remember all the plays,” Steele said. “I couldn’t imagine him trying to remember all those wide receiver positions and stuff. But him just being able to come in and execute, it’s how we win games.”

Coach Chip Kelly has called on multiple running backs this season during games. TJ Harden (286 yards, two TDs) has been lauded for his vision, while Anthony Adkins (122 yards, one TD) and Colson Yankoff (82 yards, one TD) bring physicality.

Steele shouldered the load on Saturday against the Cougars, running through defenders with rugged determination to reach 140 yards on 30 carries. UCLA totaled 192 yards on the ground.

“We had to get one first down to finish the game,” Kelly said, “and on the first play, he just went through like three guys that just kept going. But I think the fact that TJ can play and Anthony Adkins can really play, Keegan can play and Colson can play. We’re gonna get tested and the fact that we have some depth there is a real positive for us.”

Moore seeking advice from DTR

UCLA almuni Zach Charbonnet and Dorian Thompson-Robinson were both on the sidelines for the Bruins’ Saturday afternoon game against Washington State. Both are on bye weeks with their respective NFL teams, Seattle and Cleveland.

Current freshman quarterback Dante Moore used the opportunity to seek advice from Thompson-Robinson during the third quarter.

“I went up to him and I’m like, ‘Tell me what you’re seeing out there. Tell me what some things I can work on,’” Moore said after the game.

“He just told me, ‘Just go out there, just keep taking a deep breath.’ The defense is doing what they gotta do, they’re getting stops for you. You just have to capitalize, score and get in the end zone,” Moore continued.

On the next play, Moore threw a 14-yard pass to J.Michael Sturdivant for an apparent touchdown, but the catch was ruled incomplete after official review.

Moore completed 22 of 44 passes for 290 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions in the game.

Pro wrestling comes to the Rose Bowl

The first-ever pro wrestling event was held at the Rose Bowl on Saturday afternoon. UCLA and the Rose Bowl hosted PCW Ultra for some pregame professional wrestling and lucha as part of the Los Bruins promotion.

“Who would turn down UCLA to wrestle at the Rose Bowl?” PCW Ultra founder Joseph Cabibbo said.

PCW Ultra had a ring set up near the B Gate of the Rose Bowl and drew crowds of fans who were entering to watch the football game. The wrestling promotion was contacted by UCLA staff after they had attended a PCW Ultra event at Memorial Hall in Wilmington.

“It means a whole lot,” Cabibbo said. “I have a very loyal roster and staff so to have these big wins in a place like the Rose Bowl, it’s really great for morale and really awesome for the entire team. It’s a victory for us.”

The promotion is celebrating its eighth year and will be putting on a show at Urban Con in Ontario on Oct. 22 before hosting a Halloween-themed “Creature Feature” at memorial Hall in Wilmington.

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Sting delivers a night of solo and Police classics during Hollywood Bowl return

• October 8, 2023

As Sting returned to the Hollywood Bowl stage for an encore on Saturday, he claimed to be at a loss: “My only problem,” the singer-bassist said, “is I have no idea what song you want to hear right now.”

He gave a little smile. Most of the 17,000 people in the Bowl laughed and cheered. Were there any in attendance who didn’t expect to hear “Roxanne,” the signature song of Sting’s years in The Police, next?

Sting’s first proper concert in Los Angeles in six years was part of his My Songs tour, named after his 2019 album of new versions of hits across his solo and Police catalog: 24 songs in two hours that felt much faster than that given that almost all of these are the ones you know by heart.

The show kicked off with “Message in a Bottle” from the Police’s second album, “Regatta de Blanc,” its racing rhythms and Sting’s pleading vocals pulling fans out of their seats in an instant. It was followed by “Englishman in New York,” slowing slightly into the jazzy swing of Sting’s second solo album, “… Nothing Like the Sun,” and the pattern for the night fell into place.

The Police songs mostly fell at the start and the finish of the main set, with eight in total, two each from four of that band’s five studio albums. (Sorry, fans of the third album, “Zenyatta Mondatta,” you got nothing.)

Sting remains a musical wonder. His vocals throughout the night felt as strong and crisp as ever, shifting effortlessly early in the set from the rapid-fire delivery of the Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” to the soaring highs of “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free.”

Wearing a headset mic, he roamed the stage singing and playing a well-weathered 1957 Fender Precision bass. And yes, he’s a bit weathered too, but at 72 you’re bound to have a few wrinkles. Unlike Sting, however, you’re probably not going to have a ripped physique to show off in a T-shirt that looked like he’s been wearing it since the Police days. (Note to self: Is it time to start doing crunches?)

The My Songs tour isn’t quite all hits. Two years after the album that gave the tour its name, Sting released “The Bridge,” his 14th studio album, in 2021. Three songs from that record showed up as a mini-suite early in the show, including a pair of love songs that Sting announced he would play and then have a little discussion about.

“So, that was a love song of a type,” Sting said after “If It’s Love,” the first of those two. “The least interesting love song is ‘I love you and you love me.’ It’s very nice but it’s not very interesting. Whereas I love you but you love somebody is painful but it’s interesting.”

Much of the night was full of small stories like that about the songs he’s written over the past 45 or so years.

“I have a little house in the English countryside,” Sting said by way of introducing “Fields of Gold,” a song inspired by the barley fields that surrounded his home. “Well, it’s a castle, but it’s really nice. If you ever go to Stonehenge, just come down the road to my house. Knock on my door and I’ll make you a cup of tea if I’m not on tour.”

The harmonica part on “Brand New Day” was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder, he reminded the crowd, introducing his harmonica player Shane Sager by jokingly wondering whether he could fill Stevie’s shoes.

Sager did a very good take on that song and others throughout the night, as Sting, who has long been surrounded by fantastic musicians going back to guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland in the Police, was accompanied by a typically tight ensemble here.

Guitarist Dominic Miller, who has played with Sting for 30 years now, was a standout throughout the night, his soloing on songs such as “Fields of Gold” and “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying” among the highlights. Backing vocalist Gene Noble got several spotlight turns, including “Shape Of My Heart,” where he sang a bit of the late Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams,” which was built on the Sting song.

The set peaked near the finish with a strong run of Police songs. “Invisible Sun,” from 1981’s “Ghost In The Machine,” was as poignantly moving as ever, its lyrics of a world riven by war, hunger and poverty still relevant today. “So Lonely,” from the Police’s 1978 debut album “Outlandos d’Amour,” was the first Police song I ever heard, stumbling onto while trying to find a radio station on a road trip through Northern California as a teen.

It’s a personal favorite for that reason, but it’s also a fantastic song, its reggae influence clear on the record, and clearer still on Saturday when Sting blended it with Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” which inspired it.

After the solo song “Desert Rose,” with its Middle Eastern accents, the main set wrapped up with “King of Pain” and “Every Breath You Take,” both of them from the Police’s final album “Synchronicity,” both of them guest vocals from Joe Sumner, Sting’s son, who opened the night with a short set of his own songs.

The encore, as noted, kicked off with “Roxanne,” which Sting and the band stretched from its original tight form into a jazzy improvisation, Sting challenging the crowd to follow his lead as he shifted shapes through the familiar chorus.

“It is my custom to finish an evening with something quiet and thoughtful, so you can go home quiet and thoughtful,” Sting said as he swapped his bass for an acoustic guitar and took a seat on a stool at center stage.

“Fragile,” one of the most beautiful and sadly moving songs in his catalog followed, and like the rest of the night, lingers in the memory today, just as Sting hoped.

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Power Trip: AC/DC and Judas Priest do it right in Indio

• October 8, 2023

The members of Australian rock band AC/DC last played together in 2016, but on Saturday night in Indio, they didn’t miss a beat.

It was a rare treat to witness these mighty rock Gods belt out hit after hit during their headlining set at the second day of Power Trip. They played a little over two hours and came to a roaring finish with “T.N.T” and “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You),” which was accompanied by a massive red-and-white fireworks display.

ALSO SEE: Power Trip: Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden kick things off in the desert

“This is why we came here,” one fan shouted in my ear after AC/DC opened with “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” and then “Back in Black.”

The entire vibe of the performance was electric and the crowd fed off of the incredible amount of energy floating throughout the Empire Polo Club. Fans bought up the plastic, red light-up devil horns, which were flashing across the venue as the band blasted through “Demon Fire,” “Shot Down in Flames” and “Thunderstruck.”

In the beginning, vocalist Brian Johnson’s voice seemed a little strained, almost like he wasn’t going to make it through the full set. But much like Guns N’ Roses vocalist Axl Rose, who headlined the evening before, he got better as the show went on. Johnson could audibly be heard clearing out his throat (and lungs) after the first few songs and he must have shaken out the dust.

After playing a biting “Dog Eat Dog,” Johnson strutted down the catwalk — which was quickly added to the stage set up in the changeover between Judas Priest and AC/DC’s turn — during “High Voltage.” With Angus Young ripping on guitar behind him, Johnson flashed a wide smile at the crowd and said “I love it here” as those in the pit screamed along.

In between songs, the band took about 30-second breaks, but there wasn’t a lull in the flow. It gave fans time to prepare themselves for the next hit and reset from singing along loudly, throwing devil horns high into the air, dancing, jumping, playing air guitar or aggressively hugging the people next to them in excitement, all of which happened throughout the show, but definitely during “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

ALSO SEE: Power Trip bassists weigh in on the rock and metal event before it hits Indio

This AC/DC set in the desert was special. It felt history-making as it unfolded in real time, song by song and note by note, the fans devouring every moment.

Unlike Guns N’ Roses, which along with Iron Maiden kicked off the inaugural Power Trip on Friday, Oct. 6, AC/DC and Saturday’s first band, Judas Priest, better understood the assignment of an event like this.

Fans traveled from all around the world to witness six giants of the heavy rock and metal genres (Metallica and Tool play on Sunday, Oct. 8), and while the performances put on by both event-opening acts were tremendous and overall solid, both setlists were a bit oddly organized here and those in attendance seemed to expect more all-killer, no filler-types of sets with additional hits they could sing along to.

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To be fair, Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden have been out touring consistently this year, so their stage shows are absolutely more dialed in at this point. Power Trip served as both Judas Priest and AC/DC’s only shows of the year, which likely allowed for much more flexibility within the sets.

Like AC/DC, Judas Priest, also now enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was incredible at Power Trip. The band came out to Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” a nod to Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who was originally scheduled to perform in that time slot until he had to bow out due to ongoing health issues. The band also announced its 19th studio album at the start of the show, as the album artwork and title, “Invincible Shield,” flashed up on the screen along with the release date of March 8, 2024.

Priest opened with “Electric Eye” and set the pace for the evening with “Riding on the Wind” and “Heading Out to the Highway.” It was also impressive how the newer songs like “Lightning Strike” and “Firepower” fit in so seamlessly in a setlist with classics like the 40-plus year-old song “Breaking the Law,” or the now three decades old “A Touch of Evil.”

After the rousing “Painkiller,” Priest broke into a four-song encore which saw vocalist Rob Halford, who at 72 sounds amazing and remains such a commanding presence on stage, cruising out on a motorcycle and wearing head-to-toe leather with a riding crop clenched between his teeth. This was a fitting look for “Hell Bent for Leather.”

The band also brought out original guitarist Glenn Tipton, who stepped back from touring with the band in 2018 due to complications from Parkinson’s Disease. He joined the group through “Metal Gods,” “Breaking the Law” and closed out the set with “Living After Midnight.”

During the encore, Halford called the event “very special.” And he’s right, though slightly underselling it. Saturday night’s Power Trip performances will undoubtedly go down as some of the most memorable in heavy rock and metal history.

Power Trip

With: AC/DC and Judas Priest

When: Saturday, Oct. 7

Where: Empire Polo Club, Indio

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Pac-12 rewind: USC escapes, Colorado survives in riveting Week 6 as a showdown awaits

• October 8, 2023

Recapping the best and worst of the Pac-12 action …

Theme of the week: Drama

With only four games and no matchups involving ranked teams, the seventh Saturday of the Pac-12 season did not have the look of the most dramatic thus far, but it delivered a series of riveting affairs. Only one of the four games was decided by double digits (Oregon State over Cal), and each of the other three was in doubt with two minutes remaining. We figured it would be difficult to top Colorado’s late escape in Tempe — the Buffaloes kicked the game-winning field goal with 12 seconds left — but then USC-Arizona happened. And it was glorious mayhem.

Theme of the week II: Plot twists

Who figured UCLA would hold WSU’s high-scoring offense to 10 points. Or that USC would manage just 28 points in regulation (about half its season average) against Arizona. Or that ASU quarterback Trenton Bourguet would throw for 100 yards more than Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Or that Arizona freshman quarterback Noah Fifita would play as well as USC’s Caleb Williams. Or that Cal would score 40 points, rush for more than 200 yards and lose by double digits. Week 6 was loaded with the unexpected.

Game of the week: USC 43, Arizona 41 

To this point, USC’s triple-overtime escape stands as the game of the year in the conference. The Trojans trailed 17-0 before finding their rhythm offensively and led 28-20 midway through the fourth quarter. But they couldn’t hold the advantage, then bungled a game-winning, 25-yard field goal in the final seconds of regulation. It took Caleb Williams’ amazing feats, and feet, to escape in the extra periods.

Game of the week II: Colorado 27, Arizona State 24

A sloppy affair filled with sputtering offense ended in pulsating fashion when the Sun Devils went 94 yards in 13 plays for the game-tying touchdown with 50 seconds remaining. That was more than enough time for CU to respond as Shedeur Sanders completed a 43-yard pass that set up a 43-yard, game-winning field goal. The Buffaloes (4-2) are now two wins away from being bowl-eligible and host Stanford on Friday.

Coach of the week: Arizona’s Jedd Fisch

Fisch had the Wildcats ready to play emotionally, and perfectly prepared tactically, in their final scheduled game against USC. The balanced playcalling (42 runs, 35 passes) put freshman quarterback Noah Fifita in positions to succeed and kept USC’s defense guessing. The defensive gameplan was top-notch, as well. Arizona’s three losses this season (to Mississippi State, Washington and USC) have come by a total of 16 points.

Coordinator of the week: UCLA’s De’Anton Lynn

The first-year defensive strategist made maximum use of his extra week to prepare for WSU’s high-octane attack. Lynn unveiled a defensive front in which at least two, and sometimes all three players were in standing positions. The unblockable Bruins forced four turnovers, held WSU’s offense to one touchdown and limited quarterback Cam Ward to 197 yards passing. The Cougars never did figure it out.

Quote of the week I: Arizona’s Fisch

The third-year coach addressed what is typically a verboten topic among coaches, the point spread, following the overtime defeat at USC. “I think the 21-point underdog stuff has got to probably come to an end here soon,” Fisch said. Savvy gamblers hope he’s wrong, because there is money to be made on the Wildcats until the betting lines adjust to the on-field reality.

Quote of the week II: Cal coach Justin Wilcox

After his team allowed Oregon State to score 52 points and gain 499 yards, Wilcox offered the following:  “We’ll find out where the defenders are come next week, because boy — and this is not taking anything away from Oregon State because I really do think those guys do a great job coaching — but, man, ooh, that was bad defense right there by us.”

Offensive player of the week: Oregon State’s DJ Uiagalelei

The transfer quarterback had his best game as a Beaver (especially considering the competition), throwing for five touchdowns and completing 76 percent of his passes against what is typically a well-coached defense. And critically, Uiagalelei did not throw an interception, which separated him from other players we considered for the OPOW honors.

Offensive player of the week (non-QB edition): Arizona’s Jacob Cowing

The senior receiver hauled in 10 catches for 88 yards and four touchdowns against USC, including two scores in overtime. He’s now tied for third nationally in touchdown catches with eight and tied for fifth in receptions with 46. Also considered: UCLA tailback Carson Steele, Oregon State receiver Anthony Gould and ASU receiver Elijhah Badger.

Defensive players of the week: UCLA’s line

It’s not often that the Hotline honors an entire unit, but the Bruins’ defensive front was magnificent from the first snap to the last, often generating pressure with just three rushers. Gabriel Murphy and Laiatu Latu generated much of the chaos but were hardly alone. (Carl Jones Jr. had four tackles and a QB hurry.). A few hours later and several miles across town, Arizona’s line submitted a first-rate effort of its own.

Stat of the week: Washington State

The Cougars converted 60 percent of their third-down opportunities through the first four games of the season, tops in the nation. But they managed just two conversions in 13 attempts Saturday in the Rose Bowl.

Stat of the season: USC

The Trojans finished the first half with a 6-0 mark against teams that have a combined record of 10-24. The record of their next six foes: 26-7.

Stat of the decade: Oregon State

As the existential crisis looms in the background, the Beavers (5-1) have produced their best start since 2013, when they opened 6-1 before slamming into a five-game losing streak. Their next four games: UCLA at home, Arizona and Colorado on the road, then Stanford at home.

Scramble of the season: Cal

The Bears started their third different quarterback, freshman Fernando Mendoza, in an attempt to jump-start a struggling offense. Mendoza had one career pass attempt prior to Saturday but played reasonably well with 200 yards passing and two touchdowns. Justin Wilcox’s program has now played 1.5 seasons since Chase Garber’s departure and has yet to achieve stability at the most important position.

Game of next week: Oregon at Washington

ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ will be on hand as the bitter rivals collide. It’s the third time the popular studio show has made the trek to Montlake and the first time in series history that both teams will carry top-10 rankings into the game. The Huskies are an early 3-point favorite. Our preference for guest picker: UW alum Rainn Wilson. Maybe he can serve Kirk Herbstreit and the ‘GameDay’ crew some beets from Schrute Farms.

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*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline

*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.

​ Orange County Register 

Live updates: Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles

• October 8, 2023

Follow along for live updates from Rams reporter Adam Grosbard before, during and after the Rams’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Tweets by AdamGrosbard https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

How the Rams’ ‘no-name defense’ has found early-season success https://t.co/oVcCfN36RN

— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) October 7, 2023

​ Orange County Register