Hey All,
It's time for the season's first Standard Time edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Craig Fertig.
Summaries
USC 21- Nebraska 17: Lincoln, NE- The Cornhuskers made this one a blackout game. They wore all-black uniforms and the crowd and every Husker fan and cheerleader and staff member was draped in all-black as well. Seemed to fit for them as this game served as a funeral for their CFP hopes. This was an ugly game, fought in weather hovering around 40 degrees. The Children of the Corn forced a 3 and Out on USC's opening drive then just rolled down the field on their first drive to take a 7-0 lead on a 24-yard scoring strike from QB Dylan Raiola to WR Dane Key. The Trojan offense sputtered through the half, but did manage to get within a point in the Huskers on FGs of 24 and 49 yards from PK Ryan Sayeri. However, NU would take a 14-6 lead into the half when RB Emmett Johnson ran untouched 10 yards for a TD with 1:37 left in the second quarter. The Cornhuskers got the ball to start the second half and SC needed to get a defensive stop or the game would easily get away from the Trojans. The much maligned SC defense did just that forcing a 3 and Out. Then Trojan QB Jade Maiava threw one of his head scratcher passes on 1st Down. It went right to Nebraska DB Andrew Marshall at the SC 34-yard line. Once agin NU had a chance to put some distance between themselves and USC. What came next altered the game. On 1st and 10 at the SC 23-yard line, Raiola dropped back and was sacked. He was stripped of the ball. SC DE Kameryn Crawford recovered the ball on the 33-yard line. SC had life and Nebraska was in trouble. On the play, Raiola was injured. He would not return to the game. The next day it was learned that Raiola had suffered a broken fibula on the play. Ok, could SC take advantage of the injury and win the game? It took awhile, but the Men of Troy tied the game at 14-14 on a 16-yard designed run for a TD by Maiava and a nifty little misdirection run by King Miller for the two-point conversion. Thanks to a boneheaded unsportsmanlike penalty by USC CB DeCarlos Nicholson, the Huskers were able to drive for a 39-yard FG from PK Kyle Cunanan. Now trailing,17-14 on the ensuing drive, Maiava hit WR Jaden Richardson with a 43-yard pass on a flea flicker to give the Trojans a 1st an 10 at the Nebraska 32-yard line. 5 plays later, Miller cut up in a hole off the right side and scampered to paydirt. USC now had a 21-17 lead. Could the Trojans hold that lead? They did with a little help from the Huskers. On 4th and 2 at the Nebraska 27-yard line, Johnson took the handoff from backup up QB TJ Lateef. Johnson and Lateef got their feet tangled up. Johnson stumbled and went down short of the line to gain. USC had the ball back with 1:26 to play and Nebraska had no timeouts left. Three kneel down later, the Trojans escaped from Lincoln with the win. Maiava had his worst game as a Trojan passing-wise completing 9 of 23 tosses for 135 yards and an interception. However, he ran for 62 yards on 11 carries and a score. Miller was SC's top back, toting the rock 18 times for 129 yards and a TD and a two-point conversion. For the Huskers, Johnson was the game's leading ground gainer. He racked up 165 yards on 29 carries with a TD. Before the injury, Raiola completed 10 of 15 passes for 91 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: A grounded W; USC ran the ball 38 times for 202 yards and 2 TDs. That was enough for the Trojans to grind out an ugly win.
Ohio State 38- Penn State 14: Columbus, OH- This was supposed to be one of the big games of the year in the Big Ten. However, PSU didn't hold up their end of the bargain and limped into the Horshoe minus a HC with a 3-4 record and winless in league play. The Fighting Paternos showed heart in the first half. They even capitalized on a late Buckeye fumble to close out the half within striking distance of an upset, They trailed just 17-14 at the break. Then TheeeOSU came out for the second half and just throttled the Lions for the final 30 minutes to run away with this one. A 1-yard TD run by RB C.J. Donaldson and a 1-yard TD pass from QB Julian Sayin to TE Bennett Christian gave the Scarlet and Gray a 31-17 lead to start the final stanza. Sayin threw one more TD pass, an 11-yard strike to WR Jeremiah Smith to round out the scoring. Meanwhile, the Buckeye defense rendered the PSU offense inert for the second half to secure the victory. Sayin had a great day completing 20 of 23 passes for 316 yards and 4 TDs. Sayin had two favorite targets on the day. WR Crnell Tate caught 5 balls for 124 yards and a TD while Smith caught 6 passes for 123 yards and 2 scores. For the Lions, RB Kaytron Allen gained 76 yards on 21 carries with a TD.
Telling Stat: 75 is fine; Ohio State shutout Penn State in the Second half. They held the Lions to just 75 total yards in the final two quarters.
Illinois 35- Rutgers 13: Champagne-Urbana, IL- After their great last second win at Purdue last week, the Scarlet Knights looked to keep up their wining ways at Illinois. However, the Rutgers defense just could not stop QB Luke Altmyer. He threw and ran all over the kids from Jersey. The Illini's first possession set the tone for the day. They got the ball on their own 1-yard line after a great punt by RU's Jakob Anderson. Altmyer then led his squad on a 12-play, 99-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead the, He finished the drive with a 7-yard TD toss to wide open RB Kaden Feagin. RU would get a couple of FGs from PK Jai Patel from 26 and 40 yards to pull within a point of the Illini at 7-6. Altmyer then guided his squad to 21-6 halftime lead when he ran for a 3-yard TD and threw for a score to TE Hank Beatty from a yard out. Coming out of the half, the Illini put the game away with a pair of TDs that capped off drives of 75 and 66 yards. Altmyer threw for both scores. Rutgers would get a cosmetic score late when WR K.J Duff caught a 3-yard TD aerial from QB Athan Kaliakmanis. Altmyer had himself a day. He completed 19 of 31 passes for 235 yards and 4 TDs with an interception. He also led all rushers with 88 yards on 7 carries and a score. In the lopsided loss, Kaliakmanis complerted 25 of 45 tosses for 253 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: Then won the middle 8; Illinois turned a 14-6 lead into a commanding 28-6 lead on the final drive of the first half and the first drive of the second half while holding Rutgers to -2 yards.
Indiana 55- Maryland 10: College Park, MD- The Hoosiers got off to a rocky start as QB Fernando Mendoza threw an interception on the first drive of the game. That led to a 24-yard FG by PK Sean O'Haire and a 3-0 lead for the Terps. Indiana then took a 7-3 lead on 7-yard QB Draw for a TD by Mendoza. The play broke so wide open that there wasn't a defender in sight and Mendoza started celebrating with his lead blocker before they crossed the goal line. The Hoosier defense then picked off true frosh QB Malik Washington on Maryland's next two possessions to forge a 17-3 lead on a 20-yard FG from PK Nico Radicic and a 22-yard TD toss from Mendoza to WR Omar Cooper, Jr. Another FG from Radicic, a 40-yarder rounded out the first half scoring and the score stood 20-3 IU at the half. The second half saw the Terps get back into the game when Washington was flushed from the pocket near midfield and dropped a floater of a pass just over the coverage to RB Dejuan Williams who raced the rest of the way for a TD to cut Indiana's lead to 20-10 with 12:54 left in the third quarter. The Terrapins would never get closer. On the ensuing possession IU RB Kaelon Black ran 31 yards around the left end to make the score 27-10. Then on Maryland's next possession, Washington was stripped of the ball on a QB keeper on 3rd and 1 by IU DB Devan Boykin. Boykin scooped up the fumble and took it back 32 yards for a TD. That made the score 34-10 Hoosiers and you could feel the air go right out of SECU Stadium. Things got worse as another Maryland fumble was turned into 16-yard TD jaunt from RB Roman Hemby and 41-10 IU lead. The final period saw the Hoosiers subs scored twice to make the final score 55-10. Fernando Mendoza's title brother Alberto Mendoza only threw twice in 4th quarter but he complerted both with 1 pass going for a TD. On the day, the Mendoza brothers completed 16 of 23 passes for 221 yards, 3 TDs and an interception. The ground game really carried the Hoosiers as they ran for 367 yards on 52 carries with four TDs. Black lead all rushers with 110 yards on 14 carries and a TD. For Maryland, Washington was their offense, completing 16 of 31 passes for 242 yards and a TD. However, he also threw 2 interceptions and fumbled twice.
Telling Stat: Second half shutdown; The Indiana defense caused three fumbles, forced a punt and scored a TD to set the stage for a 35-7 second half beatdown of Maryland.
Minnesota 26- Michigan State 23 OT: Minneapolis, MN- The Spartans gave Minnesota all they could handle under gray Minneapolis skies. MSU HC Jonathan Smith made a QB decision between Aiden Coles and Alessio Milivojevic. Milivojevic got the start and went all the way for the Green and White. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 311 yards and a TD. The Spartans held a 17 10 lead late and an upset seemed to be in the air when the Golden Gophers were indeed golden on a 65-yard drive to tie the score when QB Drake Lindsey got behind his big line and sneaked in from 2 yards out with :29 seconds left. The game went to OT and the refs were intimated by HC P.J. Fleck just like they were v. USC last year. MSU had the ball to start the OT period. On 3rd and 3 at the Minnesota 18-yard line Milivojevic threw a ball near the goal line to WR Rodney Bullard, Jr. Minnesota was flagged for Pass Interference on the play. The call would give a MSU a first and goal. But, then it didn't. Fleck went into temper tantrum on the sideline and went after the refs. Then, suddenly the refs decided to have a conference and overturned the call. Folks, this wasn't a real blatant PI that was called. However it was called and then overturned after a tantrum by Fleck. Watching this felt exactly like last year when Fleck pulled the same BS against USC. MSU was forced to settle for a 36-yard FG. Minnesota got the ball and got a PI call on the Spartans that set up the Gophers with a 1st and Goal. Two plays later Lindsey ran around the left side and reached for the pylon. It was a TD and Minnesota had a 26-20 win.
Telling Stat: 2-0= 2W; P.J.Fleck has been rewarded for 2 tantrums by the refs and Minnesota has an extra win for 2024 and 2025 because of it. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Michigan 21- Purdue 16: Ann Arbor, MI- It was another grinding, ugly win for the Wolverines against a pesky bunch of Boilermakers. It was another game where the Wolverines relied on their running game and a strong defense. It really turned out to be a game of missed opportunities. Michigan had bunch of them to blowout Purdue, but the inconsistent play of true frosh QB Bryce Underwood kept the score down. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers gave the Michigan defense fits, but couldn't ge the big play when they needed it. Several drives stalled when the Wolverines got a sack, pass deflection or run stop to end PU drives. UM broke the seal on this one late in the first quarter when RB Jordan Marshall, starting in place the injured Justice Haynes, sprinted through a giant gap over the left side and went untouched 54 yards for a TD and a 7-0 lead. PU tied the score at 7-7 midday thought the second quarter when RB Antonio Harris squeezed through the defense for a 2-yard TD. Michigan answered that score just before the half when Marshall got his second TD of the day. It was a 3-yard rumble to paydirt to put the Wolverines up 14-7 at the intermission. The only scoring of the third quarter was a 50-yard FG from PU PK Spencer Porath to make the score 14-10. Marshall struck again for UM in the early fourth quarter when he again found the end zone on a 9-yard run for a 21-10 lead. Purdue the got within striking distance of the upset when QB Ryan Browne hit RB Malachi Thomas with a 5-yard TD pass. The two-point conversion failed and Purdue trailed 21-16 with 6:00 left in regulation. The Boilermakers would never get the ball again. Michigan put on a classic display of power football, running the ball nine straight times. Marshall had seven of those carries for 52 yards. The game ended with Underwood taking a knee within the shadow of the Purdue goalpost to run the final seconds off the clock. Marshall was the man for Michigan, lugging the leather 25 times for 185 yards and 3 TDs. For the hard luck Boilermakers, Browne completed 19 of 24 aerials for 133 yards an a TD.
Telling Stat: 11 for the W; The Wolverines got the one big drive they needed to kill the clock and get out with the win. Their final drive covered 63 yards in 11 plays. All the plays were runs.
Observations
...He said it all; Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman on what the issue was with three different ND PK's failing on four different kicks against Boston College, "The issues were every time we kicked the ball it did not go through the goal posts."
...Last week for the AP; The AP Poll becomes somewhat irrelevant on Tuesday as the first College Football Playoff rankings are announced.
...No pressure; Indiana hasn't faced an intense pass rush all year. They may not until the Big Ten title game.
...The pain of youth; Maryland QB Malik Washington is having a truly painful freshman year. Every good play he makes seems to followed by a couple of bad ones.
...Now that's a Doink!; Check out how loud this FG miss by Texas Tech was v K-State. DOINK!!!!
…Never good; The scariest words an athlete can hear are non contact injury.
....Not on our radar; Here's a list of 6 schools that are bowl eligible. UConn, Kennesaw State, New Mexico, Hawaii, Old Dominion and Southern Miss.
...And then there were 2; Sam Houston State and UMass are the only winless teams in the FBS.
...He's gone; Auburn has canned HC Hugh Freeze. Freeze was fired the day after his squad was upset at home, 10-3 by Kentucky. Freeze went 15-19 in a little over 2 seasons at the helm of the Tigers. Freeze asked for a Tammy Wynette during the season instead was shown the door. So Long, Hugh
...It's for a little more now; With Army's last second 20-17 win at Air Force that means the Army-Navy game will be for bragging rights and the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy.
...Leaders of the Pac (2); Oregon State pulled off a 10-7 upset over Wazzu to go 1-0 in Pac 12 play. The two teams meet again on 11/15 to decide the winner of the league.
...Big one in Lubbock; Undefeated BYU travels to one-loss Texas Tech to decide who has the inside track to the B12 title game.
...Quietly making noise; Virginia is 8-1 after beating Cal, 27-17 in Berkeley. They sit alone in first place in the ACC with Georgia Tech falling this week at NC State.
...Captain is in the name; One of Minnesota's team captains is LB Derik LeCaptain.
...In the Ancient 8; Harvard sits atop the league at 7-0, while Yale and Penn are a game off the pace as we come down the stretch in the Ivy League.
...Craziest crowd chant; As #20 Texas was beating #9 Vanderbilt, it was pretty odd the hear the Longhorn faithful chant "Overrated." I've never ever thought of Vanderbilt as overrated.
...Taking the blame; At least Deion Sanders knows when he stinks. Sanders took the full blame for his squad's 52-17 loss at the hands of Arizona. It might be safe to say that he's lost the team at this point. Just Awful
...It has to end; The Big Ten has to crack down on Minnesota HC P.J. Fleck's sideline antics and intimidation of refs. It's not a good look for the league.
...Mean stat of the week; Arkansas (300) and Sam Houston State (327) are the only two teams to have given up 300 or more points this year.
...He ain't wrong; Texas HC Steve Sarkisian on coaching and job security and the playoffs. He is right
Big Ten Overreactions
USC can't beat man coverage.
Nebraska regrets giving an extension to Matt Rhule.
Minnesota whines to win.
Michigan State picked the right QB.
Indiana will go 12-0.
Maryland can't wait for 2026.
Penn State can't wait for 2026 either.
Ohio State's defense is truly elite.
Michigan doesn't need to pass the ball.
Purdue can't buy a break.
Illinois still doesn't know how Indiana blew them out.
Rutgers won't go bowling.
Keeping Up With Your Exes
Arizona is a win away from being bowl eligible after beating the heck out of Colorado, 52-17. It was Colorado's second straight game giving up 50+ points. Cal fell at home to Virginia, 27-17 and Stanford fell at home too. The Cardinal were beaten 35-20 by Pitt and ASU upset Iowa State in Ames, 24-19.
Game Called
Congratulations to Los Angeles Dodgers on winning the 2025 World Series in an exciting 7 games. And just like that, the baseball season is over. Now we fall back to Standard Time and the nights grow longer and colder. We tuck the game away in an empty corner of our minds. Then one day, the game is brought roaring back into our thoughts when we are told that it is time for pitchers and catchers to report to Spring Training. That bit of heart warming news usually arrives right when our souls need it. Funny how it seems to happen that way every year.
CFL Update
Montreal held off a stubborn Winnipeg bunch, 42-33 in the Eastern Semi-Final. Montreal ended Winnipeg's quest for a 6th straight trip to the title game. The Alouettes will travel to Hamilton to face the Tiger-cats in the Eastern Final this week. As for the West, the BC Lions got a late FG to beat Calgary, 33-30 in the West Semi-Final. The Lions take a trip this week to Saskatchewan to face the Roughriders in the West Final. The winner of each game punches their ticket to the Grey Cup which is being held in Winnipeg at Princess Auto Stadium.
Great Uniforms of the Week
The combo of the Bill Parcells era New York Giants throwbacks paired with the classic San Francisco 49ers road kit bathed in fall sunlight MetLife Stadium is just beautiful.
A Chicle of Wisdom
This week's wisdom from the 1935 National Chicle football set comes from card #7 Ken Strong. Coach Eddie Casey does not speak of Strong at all, but rather how players that kick should specialize in being either a placekicker or a punter. That's interesting advice. Hmmmmm
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Spokane, WA- In a pivotal game in the Northwest Conference in D-III, the Pirates of Whitworth University held of the Lutes of Pacific Lutheran, 10-6. A 2-yard TD pass form QB Logan Lacio to TE Dawson Tobeck and 26-yard FG from PK Iden Bone would be enough to win it for the Pirates who now stand just a win away form the Northwest Conference crown and an automatic berth into the D-III playoffs.
Blowout Game of the Week: Searcy, AR- It was Homecoming at Harding University. The Harding Bison had a blast whipping the Bison of Oklahoma Baptist, 69-0. Yes, both teams have Bison for a mascot. Harding turned a 14-0 first quarter lead into. 42-0 lead at the half. Then they cruised from there for the easy win. 12 different Harding backs combined to carry the ball 67 times for 506 yards and 8 TDs. That's a nifty 7.6 yard per carry. Harding is 9-0 on the year and has clinched the Great American Conference title and has earned a bid to the D-II playoff in a couple of weeks.
Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- The Hogs had a 35-21 lead with 13 minutes left in the game and lost 38-35 to Mississippi State. 6 of the Razorbacks 7 losses have been by a total of 25 points. That's painful. The Razorbacks have a week off, then they travel to LSU on 11/15.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Funny how stores move on from Halloween right into Christmas. Thanksgiving gets the short end of the stick.
Sorrento's pizza still rocks.
Standard Time arrives and all of a sudden, chilly winds are blowing, flannel shirts are being worn and fireplaces are roaring to life all over town.
Until next time folks, remember that an ugly win is better than a beautiful loss.
-The Commissioner
