Pac-12 Round Up: Week 3

September 15, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Brigham Young Cougars punter Riley Stephenson

The Pac-12 had another winning weekend, finishing 7-4. Here’s how it happened:

Washington State (2-1) held off a late push from UNLV to win 35-27. WSU quarterback Connor Halliday threw four first half touchdowns in relief of the injured Jess Tuel. It seemed like the Cougars were in control with a 15-point lead late in the fourth, but UNLV scored a late TD and got the ball back with just under a minute left and a chance to tie.

California (1-2) took Ohio State to the brink at The Horseshoe but couldn’t finish their upset. losing 35-28. Back up running back Brendan Bigelow ripped off two long touchdown runs but it wasn’t enough to overcome OSU QB Braxton Miller’s four touchdown passes, including the game winning 72-yard score with four minutes remaining.

Oregon (3-0) smashed FCS Tennessee Tech, 63-14. Marcus Marriota continued his strong start to the season going 21-28 for 307 yards and three touchdowns. De’Anthony Thomas had a rushing and receiving touchdown but also fumbled twice.

Washington (2-1) hammered their own FCS team in Portland State, 52-13. The Huskies returned a blocked punt and an interception for first half scores on route to the big victory in which QB Keith Price tossed three touchdowns.

Arizona State (2-1) couldn’t complete a comeback against Missouri, falling 24-20 on the road. The Sun Devils trailed by 17 at the start of the fourth quarter before Marion Grice punched in two touchdowns early in the quarter to make it a four-point game. However, the Tiger defense held onto the lead with a fourth down stop and an interception on the two remaining drives.

Colorado (0-3) had their bell rung in a 69-14 drubbing by Fresno State. Bulldog running b ack Robbie Rouse ripped off four touchdowns in the first quarter alone, including a school-record 94-yard scoring scamper. After the game there was talk of identifying “quitters” among the Buffalo ranks.

Utah (2-1) squandered a 17-point lead going into the fourth but survived a wild finish to complete the upset of #25 BYU, 24-21. BYU was given second life when officials determined there was one second left on the clock after a desperation heave fell incomplete. They were given third life when a 51-yard game-tying field goal was blocked, but Utah fans stormed the field with the ball still live and a penalty was assessed. However, the extra chance (and 15 yards) didn’t matter as the 36-yard kick hit the uprights.

Arizona (3-0) battered FCS South Carolina State, 56-0. QB Matt Scott led the Wildcats in the rout with 288 yards passing and 61 yards rushing. He tallied three passing and one rushing touchdown.

UCLA (3-0) avoided the letdown by handling Houston in a 37-6 victory. Brett Hundley threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns, but also gave up two interceptions. Running back Jonathan Franklin rushed for 110 yards and the defense asserted themselves in a dominating performance that featured a fumble return for a touchdown.

Oregon State (1-0) had a bye week.

Poll Position: The Pac-12 still boasts five teams in the national rankings. Four of the five rose in this week’s polls, while USC dropped after their upset loss to Stanford.

• AP  – #3 Oregon, #9 Stanford, #13 USC, #19 UCLA, #22 Arizona.
• USA Today – #3 Oregon, #11 Stanford, #12 USC, #19 UCLA, #21 Arizona.