Pac 10 Sports Blog

Everyone knew that by facing Cheick Kongo at UFC 99, Cain Velasquez was looking at a large step up in competition. The former Arizona State wrestler has widely been regarded as one of the rising stars of the MMA world competing in the talent-thin heavyweight division. While he took a few shots from Kongo during the fight on Saturday, Velasquez proved to not only be able to take a hard shot but also proved to be superior to Kongo in the ground game. Velasquez showed a dominant ground game, and while he was unable to finish the fight by TKO or submission, the dominance was clear.

In the UFC heavyweight rankings released last week, Velasquez was ranked #10 while his opponent Kongo was ranked #6. There’s no doubt that this win will vault Velasquez in those same rankings as he looks for a possible title shot against the winner of Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir at UFC 100 on July 11.

Former Oregon Ducks wrestler Chael Sonnen made his return to the UFC Octagon at UFC 95 last night, but most everyone knew he had a very tough macthup in Demian Maia who entered the fight 10-0 in his MMA career. Sonnen spent his past three fights in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), but when the WEC’s middleweight division was absorbed by the UFC in December 2008, he found himself back on the biggest stage in Mixed Martial Arts.

Unfortunately for Sonnen, the experts were right about his matchup with Maia at UFC 95. The submission artist Maia was able to latch onto Sonnen with a Triangle Choke forcing Sonnen to tap out at 2:37 in the 1st Round. With the loss, Sonnen’s return to the UFC was spoiled and his record drops to 21-10-1.

What is next for Sonnen depends on his current UFC contract. The loss in UFC 95 makes Sonnen just 1-3 in four UFC fights having lost at UFC 55 & UFC 60 as well. His record outside of the UFC, however, is 20-7-1.

All season long it was said that without USC the Pac-10 was the weakest of the BCS conferences. With bowl season upon us, it was time for Arizona, Cal, Oregon and Oregon State to try an prove the country wrong. Now, heading into New Year’s Days and the Rose Bowl, the only thing that stands between the Pac-10 Conference and a perfect 5-0 bowl season is USC’s matchup with Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions.

Arizona began the bowl season on the right foot defeating #16 BYU 31-21 to improve to 8-5. A week later, Cal edged Miami (FL) 24-17 for their 9th win of the season. Last night, in a matchup of the highly-touted Big 12 and the Pac-10, #17 Oregon picked up an impressive 42-31 win over #13 Oklahoma State. Then the Beavers of Oregon State pulled out a win in a defensive battle beating #20 Pitt 3-0.

Now it is all on #5 USC, a 9-point favorite over Big Ten Champion #8 Penn State in tomorrow’s Rose Bowl, as the Pac-10 looks for a 5-0 bowl season for 2008. Be sure to look to Pac 10 sports fan site Pac10-fans.com for coverage of Pac 10 sports in 2009 and beyond!

College football’s bowl season kicks off on Dec. 20 with a four-game slate that includes the Arizona Wildcats’ matchup in the Las Vegas Bowl against the BYU Cougars.

A total of 34 bowl games will be contested over a 20-day period, beginning with the EagleBank Bowl on the morning of Dec. 20 and culminating with the BCS National Championship Game on the night of Jan. 8.
Along the way, five Pac-10 teams will participate in the post-season. In addition to the Arizona-BYU clash, California will play Miami in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 27, Oregon will line up against Oklahoma State in what figures to be a Holiday Bowl shootout on Dec. 30, Oregon State will take on Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31, and the USC Trojans will go toe-to-toe with the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day in what could turn out to be an epic defensive struggle.

Here is a rundown of the entire bowl schedule, complete with a fearless forecast for each game. All times listed are Eastern standard.

Wake Forest (7-5) vs. Navy (8-4); EagleBank Bowl at Washington, D.C.; 11 a.m. Dec. 20 on ESPN. Prediction: Wake Forest 21, Navy 17

Fresno State (7-5) vs. Colorado State (6-6); New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque, N.M.; 2:30 p.m. Dec. 20 on ESPN. Prediction: Colorado State 20, Fresno State 19

South Florida (7-5) vs. Memphis (6-6); St. Petersburg Bowl at St. Petersburg, Fla.; 4:30 p.m. Dec. 20 on ESPN2. Prediction: South Florida 35, Memphis 24

Arizona (7-5) vs. BYU (10-2); Las Vegas Bowl at Las Vegas, Nev.; 8 p.m. Dec. 20 on ESPN. Prediction: BYU 24, Arizona 17 - Las Vegas Bowl preview

Troy (8-4) vs. Southern Miss (6-6); New Orleans Bowl at New Orleans, La.; 8:15 p.m. Dec. 21 on ESPN. Prediction: Troy 28, Southern Miss 20

TCU (10-2) vs. Boise State (12-0); Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego, Calif.; 8 p.m. Dec. 23 on ESPN. Prediction: Boise State 24, TCU 21

Hawaii (7-6) vs. Notre Dame (6-6); Hawaii Bowl at Honolulu, Hawaii; 8 p.m. Dec. 24 on ESPN. Prediction: Notre Dame 26, Hawaii 21

Central Michigan (8-4) vs. Florida Atlantic (6-6); Motor City Bowl at Detroit, Mich.; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 26 on ESPN. Prediction: Central Michigan 34, Florida Atlantic 20

North Carolina (8-4) vs. West Virginia (8-4); Meineke Bowl at Charlotte, N.C.; 1 p.m. Dec. 27 on ESPN. Prediction: West Virginia 23, North Carolina 20

Florida State (8-4) vs. Wisconsin (7-5); Champs Sports Bowl at Orlando, Fla.; 4:30 p.m. Dec. 27 on ESPN. Prediction: Florida State 24, Wisconsin 16

California (8-4) vs. Miami (7-5); Emerald Bowl at San Francisco, Calif.; 8 p.m. Dec. 27 on ESPN. Prediction: California 23, Miami 16 - Emerald Bowl preview

Northern Illinois (6-6) vs. Louisiana Tech (7-5); Independence Bowl at Shreveport, La.; 8:15 p.m. Dec. 28 on ESPN. Prediction: Northern Illinois 17, Louisiana Tech 14

Rutgers (7-5) vs. North Carolina State (6-6); PapaJohns.com Bowl at Birmingham, Ala.; 3 p.m. Dec. 29 on ESPN. Prediction: North Carolina State 31, Rutgers 27

Missouri (9-4) vs. Northwestern (9-3); Alamo Bowl at San Antonio, Texas; 8 p.m. Dec. 29 on ESPN. Prediction: Missouri 35, Northwestern 13

Nevada (7-5) vs. Maryland (7-5); Humanitarian Bowl at Boise, Idaho; 4:30 p.m. Dec. 30 on ESPN. Prediction: Maryland 35, Nevada 28

Oklahoma State (9-3) vs. Oregon (9-3); Holiday Bowl at San Diego, Calif.; 8 p.m. Dec. 30 on ESPN. Prediction: Oregon 45, Oklahoma State 41 - Holiday Bowl preview

Rice (9-3) vs. Western Michigan (9-3); Texas Bowl at Houston, Texas; 8 p.m. Dec. 30 on NFL Network. Prediction: Rice 30, Western Michigan 27

Houston (7-5) vs. Air Force (8-4); Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Texas; noon Dec. 31 on ESPN. Prediction: Air Force 34, Houston 28

Oregon State (8-4) vs. Pittsburgh (9-3); Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas; 2 p.m. Dec. 31 on CBS. Prediction: Oregon State 23, Pittsburgh 7 - Sun Bowl preview

Boston College (9-4) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6); Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tenn.; 3:30 p.m. Dec. 31 on ESPN. Prediction: Boston College 27, Vanderbilt 24

Kansas (7-5) vs. Minnesota (7-5); Insight Bowl at Tempe, Ariz.; 5:30 p.m. Dec. 31 on NFL Network. Prediction: Kansas 34, Minnesota 21

Georgia Tech (9-3) vs. LSU (7-5); Chick-fil-A Bowl at Atlanta, Ga.; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31 on ESPN. Prediction: Georgia Tech 28, LSU 24

Iowa (8-4) vs. South Carolina (7-5); Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla.; 11 a.m. Jan. 1 on ESPN. Prediction: Iowa 21, South Carolina 17

Georgia (9-3) vs. Michigan State (9-3); Capital One Bowl at Orlando, Fla.; 1 p.m. Jan. 1 on ABC. Prediction: Georgia 31, Michigan State 10

Clemson (7-5) vs. Nebraska (8-4); Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Fla.; 1 p.m. Jan. 1 on CBS. Prediction: Clemson 27, Nebraska 21

USC (11-1) vs. Penn State (11-1); Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif.; 4:30 p.m. Jan. 1 on ABC. Prediction: USC 17, Penn State 10 - Rose Bowl preview

Cincinnati (11-2) vs. Virginia Tech (9-4); Orange Bowl at Miami, Fla.; 8:30 p.m. Jan. 1 on Fox. Prediction: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 17

Texas Tech (11-1) vs. Mississippi (8-4); Cotton Bowl at Dallas, Texas; 2 p.m. Jan. 2 on Fox. Prediction: Texas Tech 38, Mississippi 30

East Carolina (9-4) vs. Kentucky (6-6); Liberty Bowl at Memphis, Tenn.; 5 p.m. Jan. 2 on ESPN. Prediction: East Carolina 30, Kentucky 24

Alabama (12-1) vs. Utah (12-0); Sugar Bowl at New Orleans, La.; 8 p.m. Jan. 2 on Fox. Prediction: Alabama 27, Utah 20

Connecticut (7-5) vs. Buffalo (8-5); International Bowl at Toronto, Ontario; noon Jan. 3 on ESPN2. Prediction: Connecticut 26, Buffalo 20

Texas (11-1) vs. Ohio State (10-2); Fiesta Bowl at Glendale, Ariz.; 8 p.m. Jan. 5 on Fox. Prediction: Ohio State 24, Texas 23

Ball State (12-1) vs. Tulsa (10-3); GMAC Bowl at Mobile, Ala.; 8 p.m. Jan. 6 on ESPN. Prediction: Ball State 28, Tulsa 21

Florida (12-1) vs. Oklahoma (12-1); BCS Championship Game at Miami, Fla.; 8 p.m. Jan. 8 on Fox. Prediction: Florida 41, Oklahoma 38

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

When the dust settled on Sunday and the bowl teams were announced, 5 Pac-10 football teams learned not only their destinations for the 2008 bowl season but also their bowl opponents. The Las Vegas Bowl will feature Arizona facing perennial Pac-10 beater BYU on December 20th to kick off the bowl season for the Pac-10. A week later on the 27th California faces Miami (FL) in the Emerald Nuts Bowl. On December 30th, Oregon face Oklahoma State in an intriguing match-up in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl and Oregon State will play Pittsburgh in the Brut Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Finally to cap off the 2008-2009 bowl season for the Pac-10, the USC Trojans will face off with the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl presented by Citi on New Year’s Day @ 4:30 pm on ABC.

The Pac-10 Conference’s Rivalry Week, Part 2, belonged to the Oregon Ducks.

Seven days after California beat Stanford in the Big Game and Washington State edged Washington for the Apple Cup, the Ducks and their in-state rival the Oregon State Beavers squared off in the annual grudge match known as the Civil War.

It turned out to be no contest.

Propelled by a high-octane offense that produced 37 points in the first half and 28 more after the intermission, visiting Oregon soared to a 65-38 victory last Saturday in Corvallis, foiling Oregon State’s chance to clinch a long-awaited Rose Bowl berth.

As a result, USC now has the inside track to represent the Pac-10 in Pasadena on Jan. 1. The Trojans will line up Saturday against cross-town foe UCLA during the conference’s Rivalry Week, Part 3.

If coach Pete Carroll’s fifth-ranked Trojans prevail over UCLA in the battle for the Victory Bell, they will earn the outright conference championship and will meet Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Here is a look at Saturday’s Pac-10 slate, which includes the rivalry clash between the Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils.

Washington (0-11 overall, 0-8 Pac-10) @ California (7-4, 5-3)
1 p.m. MST Saturday
Tyrone Willingham will coach his final game for the Huskies as Washington attempts to avoid a winless season.
California appears set to accept an invitation to the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. The Golden Bears likely will hand the ball early and often on Saturday to tailback Jahvid Best, who ran for 201 yards two weeks ago against Stanford and has rushed for 1,083 yards on the season.
The Huskies defeated the Golden Bears last year in Seattle, 37-23. Washington hasn’t won since.
Prediction: California 38, Washington 17

USC (10-1, 7-1) @ UCLA (4-7, 3-5)
2:30 p.m. MST Saturday
The Trojans have clinched at least a share of their seventh consecutive conference title. They can win it outright with a victory over UCLA and can consequently earn their fourth consecutive Rose Bowl appearance.
The Bruins will be aiming to duplicate their rivalry performance of two years ago, when they sprang a 13-9 upset over the Trojans, costing USC an opportunity to play in the national championship game.
More likely is a repeat of the type of contest which took place last season, when USC held the Bruins to 168 total yards and forced four turnovers in a 24-7 victory.
This year’s USC team is ranked first in the nation in scoring defense and total defense, allowing just 7.8 points and 210.5 yards per game. The UCLA offense does not figure to have any more success against the Trojans than Notre Dame did last week, when USC romped 38-3, limiting the Fighting Irish to 91 total yards and four first downs.
Prediction: USC 34, UCLA 0

Arizona State (5-6, 4-4) @ Arizona (6-5, 4-4)
6 p.m. MST Saturday
The winner of Saturday night’s Duel in the Desert not only will enjoy statewide bragging rights and possession of the rivalry’s Territorial Cup — they’ll also receive a trip to Vegas.
For the Sun Devils, it’s all or nothing. If they defeat the UA for the fourth consecutive season, the Las Vegas Bowl awaits. If the Sun Devils fold, their season becomes a bust, with a losing record and no offer to participate in any bowl game.
For the Wildcats, the consequences for losing wouldn’t be quite so bad — they’d still receive an invitation to Honolulu to play in the Hawaii Bowl. Nonetheless, this is a case for Arizona where the importance of the victory outweighs the relative value of the reward.
In other words, while the Wildcats certainly have nothing against the premise of spending a week in Hawaiian paradise, they’d much rather experience the sights and sounds of Sin City — if defeating the archrival Sun Devils is the required means to get there.
The outcome of the UA-ASU matchup figures to be decided by what happens throughout the night when the host Wildcats have the ball. While the Arizona offense — featuring quarterback Willie Tuitama, running backs Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin, wide receiver Mike Thomas and tight end Rob Gronkowski — is capable of putting up 30-plus points, the Arizona State defense boasts a cadre of playmakers who possess the ability to shut the Wildcats down. The Sun Devils showed off their defensive skills on Nov. 28 in a 34-9 victory over UCLA, holding the Bruins to three field goals and returning four UCLA turnovers for touchdowns.
If the Duel in the Desert evolves into a shootout, the mundane Arizona State offense will be hard-pressed to keep up. Heading into the season, the Sun Devils had the on-paper look of a juggernaut, but it hasn’t turned out that way. While the passing offense led by fourth-year starting quarterback Rudy Carpenter has been reasonably productive (averaging 229.1 yards per game), the ASU rushing attack has been pathetic (gaining an average of 93.7 yards per contest).
Prediction: Arizona 20, Arizona State 17

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

With their starting quarterback and star running back sidelined with shoulder injuries, the Oregon State Beavers pulled off a last-minute comeback at Arizona. The Beavers’ 19-17 victory kept them on track to earn their first Rose Bowl berth since the 1964 season.
Trailing the Arizona Wildcats 17-16 with 1:19 remaining in their Pac-10 clash in Tucson last Saturday, the Beavers drove from their own 20-yard line to the Arizona 7. The key play in the series was a 47-yard pass from backup quarterback Sean Canfield to receiver Sammie Stroughter.
Canfield, a junior who threw for 224 yards and a touchdown in relief of injured starter Lyle Moevao, found Stroughter alone and beyond the defense along the left side. It was the fifth catch of the night for Stroughter, a senior who finished with 116 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The big play set up a 24-yard field goal attempt for Oregon State sophomore Justin Kahut, whose successful kick sailed through the uprights with no time left, lifting the Beavers to the 19-17 triumph.
At 7-1 in the conference, the Beavers are deadlocked with USC atop the Pac-10 standings. Each of the leaders has one league game remaining, but Oregon State owns the tie-breaker advantage based upon a 27-21 victory over the Trojans on Sept. 25.
Here is a look at this week’s match-ups involving Pac-10 teams, beginning with a rivalry showdown that has direct Rose Bowl implications.

Oregon (8-3 overall, 6-2 Pac-10) @ Oregon State (8-3, 7-1)
7 p.m. EST Saturday
All that stands now between the 17th-ranked Beavers and their first trip to Pasadena in 44 years is one more Pac-10 opponent. That foe, however, is no ordinary adversary. The 19th-ranked Oregon Ducks, who are averaging 39.8 points per game this season to lead the conference in scoring offense, would like nothing better than to spoil the Beavers’ plans in this in-state grudge match known as the Civil War.
The high-powered Ducks, who also lead the league in total offense (at 458.5 yards per game) and rushing offense (with 268.1 yards per contest), feature game-breaking running backs Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount as well as dual-threat quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Johnson (with 863 yards) and Blount (816 yards) are ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Pac-10 in rushing. Masoli has passed for 1,212 yards and has rushed for 559.
Oregon State is ranked fourth in the conference in scoring offense (at 32.4 points per game) and third in total offense (at 414.2 yards per contest), but the Beavers could be without two of their main weapons in Moevao and freshman tailback Jacquizz Rodgers.
Moevao is aiming to come back from the shoulder injury that kept him out last week. If Moevao can’t play, the Beavers will again rely upon Canfield.
Rodgers, the Pac-10’s leading rusher with 1,253 yards, left the game against Arizona in the first quarter with a shoulder sprain. Oregon State head coach Mike Riley said this week that Rodgers is doubtful to play against Oregon.
Rodgers’ brother James Rodgers rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries last week at Arizona. James Rodgers, a sophomore wide receiver, has caught 50 passes for 612 yards this season for the Beavers. His per-game average of 55.6 yards receiving ranks fifth in the Pac-10.
Stroughter is the Pac-10 leader in receiving with 73.4 yards per game, for a season total of 807.
Oregon State holds a statistical edge defensively over Oregon. The Beavers rank second behind USC in the Pac-10 in scoring defense (at 21.4 points per game, tied with California) and second in total defense (allowing 289.6 yards per game). Oregon is rated sixth in the conference in scoring defense (27.1 points per game) and seventh in total defense (375.7 yards per game).
Oregon stands alone in third place in the Pac-10 standings, one game ahead of California, which posted a 37-16 victory last week over rival Stanford (5-7, 4-5). The Cal Golden Bears (7-4, 5-3) will close out their league season on Dec. 6 with a home game against Washington (0-11, 0-8).
Last year’s Civil War game between Oregon and Oregon State was a classic in Eugene, as the visiting Beavers defeated the Ducks, 38-31 in double-overtime. James Rodgers scored the winning touchdown for Oregon State on a 25-yard run in the second overtime.
Saturday’s game at Reser Stadium in Corvallis should be another thriller.
Prediction: Oregon 31, Oregon State 28

UCLA (4-6, 3-4) @ Arizona State (4-6, 3-4)
9:30 p.m. EST Friday
The loser of this night-after-Thanksgiving match-up in Tempe will be eliminated from bowl consideration, while the winner will need to post another victory on Dec. 6 to earn post-season eligibility. Both teams will play in rivalry games on Dec. 6, when Arizona State will travel down Interstate 10 to battle Arizona in the Duel in the Desert and UCLA will host cross-town foe USC.
Arizona State has won two straight after floundering through a six-game losing streak. The Sun Devils blanked Washington State, 31-0, in their most-recent game on Nov. 15, posting their first shutout since a 19-0 triumph over top-ranked Nebraska in 1996.
The Bruins also played stellar defense in their last game, forcing five turnovers in a 27-7 win at Washington on Nov. 15.
Arizona State defeated UCLA last year, 24-20, as tailback Keegan Herring rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Prediction: Arizona State 23, UCLA 17

Notre Dame (6-5) @ USC (9-1)
8 p.m. EST Saturday
The Trojans have won six in a row in their non-conference rivalry against the Fighting Irish. Last year’s game in South Bend was no contest, as Mark Sanchez threw four touchdown passes to lead USC to a 38-0 rout.
The rugged USC defense, which is allowing just 8.3 points and 222.5 yards per game, should dominate the Irish again.
Prediction: USC 31, Notre Dame 3

Washington State (2-10) @ Hawaii (6-5)
11 p.m. EST Saturday
Washington State edged rival Washington last week, 16-13 in double-overtime, as Nico Grasu kicked a 28-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to tie the game and then booted a 37-yarder in the second overtime to win it.
The dramatic victory was the Cougars’ first of the year in Pac-10 competition. Washington State fans stormed the field in jubilation afterward, as the Cougars won the Apple Cup for the second consecutive season.
The Hawaii Warriors, meanwhile, have scored 91 points in their last two games, defeating New Mexico State, 42-30, and Idaho, 49-17.
Washington State has allowed 546 points this season for a per-game average of 45.5.
Prediction: Hawaii 52, Washington State 17

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

The Oregon State Beavers are just two wins away from clinching their first trip to the Rose Bowl in 44 years.
The Beavers took another giant step toward a New Year’s Day invitation to Pasadena last Saturday when they defeated the California Golden Bears, 34-21, in Corvallis. With the victory, Oregon State improved to 6-1 in the Pac-10.
The USC Trojans, who pulled away in the second half Saturday night for a 45-23 triumph over Stanford, currently stand atop the conference at 7-1. Oregon State, however, can leapfrog over the Trojans and into the Rose Bowl if the Beavers (who defeated USC, 27-21, on Sept. 25) win their final two regular-season games, against Arizona this Saturday and against rival Oregon on Nov. 29.
The Oregon Ducks, who hold sole possession of third place in the Pac-10, defeated fourth-place Arizona, 55-45, in a shootout at Autzen Stadium in Eugene last Saturday. Meanwhile, in games last week involving teams in the lower tier of the conference standings, Arizona State shut out Washington State, 31-0, and UCLA defeated Washington, 27-7.
Three games are on the Pac-10 schedule for this Saturday, with the spotlight contest kicking off at 7 p.m. EST in Tucson when Arizona hosts Oregon State.

Washington (0-10 overall, 0-7 Pac-10) @ Washington State (1-10, 0-8)
3 p.m. EST
The Apple Cup rivalry series has produced 64 victories for the UW Huskies and 30 wins for the WSU Cougars, with six ties. Last year’s game, the 100th Apple Cup, was won by Washington State, 42-35.
This season’s match-up is unique in that neither team has posted a victory all year over a Division I-A program.
Washington State’s only win came on Sept. 20 over Division I-AA Portland State. Washington hasn’t beaten anybody and is the only winless team in the FBS. The Huskies should be able to change that Saturday against a Washington State squad that has been outscored 440-61 in eight Pac-10 games.
Prediction: Washington 31, Washington State 24

Stanford (5-6, 4-4) @ California (6-4, 4-3)
3:30 p.m. EST
These northern California rivals have met 110 times in the Big Game since 1892, with Stanford posting 55 victories, Cal winning 44, and 11 contests ending in ties. Total points scored in the series: 1,780 for Cal, 1,755 for Stanford.
The Cardinal prevailed in last year’s grudge match, 20-13. They’ll try to win a similar type of ball-control struggle on Saturday, handing the rock early and often to senior Toby Gerhart, who is the first Stanford running back in 18 years to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. Gerhart, who finished with 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground last week against USC, now has 1,033 rushing yards this year and is just 52 yards away from breaking Stanford’s single-season record, set by Tommy Vardell in 1991.
Stanford needs a victory Saturday in its regular-season finale to qualify for a bowl game.
Cal, which is already bowl-bound, finishes the regular season with two home games. In addition to Saturday’s tussle against Stanford, the Golden Bears also will host Washington on Dec. 6.
Prediction: California 24, Stanford 21

Oregon State (7-3, 6-1) @ Arizona (6-4, 4-3)
7 p.m. EST
The Arizona defense was torched last Saturday by Oregon for 45 points and 411 total yards — in the first half.
The Wildcats rallied to make a game of it in the second half, closing a 45-17 deficit at the intermission to 48-45 on freshman tailback Keola Antolin’s fourth touchdown of the day with 6:38 remaining. The Ducks, however, clinched it on a 40-yard touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount with 3:38 left.
Saturday’s contest between Oregon State and Arizona could develop into another shootout. Oregon State freshman Jacquizz Rodgers leads the Pac-10 in rushing with 1,233 yards, while the Wildcats can counter with the 1-2 punch of sophomore Nic Grigsby (who has 941 yards rushing on the season) and Antolin (who has rushed for 398 yards). The Beavers’ Rodgers and the Wildcats’ Grisby each have run for 11 touchdowns, while the UA’s Antolin has nine rushing TDs.
Junior quarterback Lyle Moevao has passed for 1,967 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Beavers, while UA senior Willie Tuitama has thrown for 18 touchdowns and a conference-leading 2,321 yards.
Prediction: Oregon State 38, Arizona 35

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

The USC Trojans earned another key victory in the Pac-10 title chase last week when they defeated California, 17-3. Oregon State, meanwhile, remained just a half-game behind the first-place Trojans by knocking off UCLA, 34-6.
Elsewhere in the conference last Saturday, Oregon edged Stanford in a 35-28 thriller. Arizona became bowl-eligible by pounding Washington State, 59-28, while Arizona State snapped a six-game losing streak with a 39-19 win over Washington.
Another full slate of Pac-10 action is on this week’s schedule. Here is a look at the five match-ups.

California (6-3 overall, 4-2 Pac-10) at Oregon State (6-3, 5-1)
3:30 p.m. EST
Oregon State controls its own destiny in the race for the Rose Bowl, owning a tie-breaker advantage over USC thanks to a 27-21 victory over the Trojans on Sept. 25. If the Beavers can defeat California, Arizona and Oregon to close out their regular-season schedule, they will be playing in Pasadena on Jan. 1.
Oregon State tailback Jacquizz Rodgers has been a major factor in the Beavers’ success. With 144 yards rushing last week against UCLA, Rodgers increased his season total to 1,089 yards, setting a new Pac-10 freshman record. He is on pace to become the first freshman ever to lead the Pac-10 in rushing.
California will be looking to get its offense back on track after being held to three points and 165 total yards last week against USC.
Prediction: Oregon State 31, California 27

Washington State (1-9, 0-7) at Arizona State (3-6, 2-4)
5:30 p.m. EST
While the Sun Devils’ season has been a disappointment, they can still qualify for a bowl game if they finish with victories over Washington State, UCLA and rival Arizona.
Arizona State should have no trouble with a Washington State team that has allowed 409 points in seven Pac-10 games.
Prediction: Arizona State 49, Washington State 10

Arizona (6-3, 4-2) at Oregon (7-3, 5-2)
6:30 p.m. EST
This game has the makings of an entertaining shootout between two teams that have plenty of offensive firepower.
Oregon is the top rushing team in the Pac-10 with an average of 274.3 yards per game. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli led the Ducks on a buzzer-beating drive last Saturday against Stanford, as LeGarrette Blount scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with six seconds remaining.
Meanwhile, Arizona amassed 531 yards of total offense last week against Washington State. Nic Grigsby rushed for 189 yards and Willie Tuitama passed for 214 for the Wildcats.
In winning their sixth game of the season, the Wildcats have qualified to play in a bowl game. It will be Arizona’s first bowl trip since 1998.
Prediction: Oregon 34, Arizona 31

USC (8-1, 6-1) at Stanford (5-5, 4-3)
7 p.m. EST
This year’s Stanford team is better than the one that went to Southern Cal last season as a 41-point underdog and shocked the Trojans, 24-23.
This year’s USC defense, however, has been dominant in eight of the Trojans’ nine games, with the lone exception being the 27-21 loss to Oregon State in late September. Since that loss, USC has won six straight and has outscored its opponents, 231-23.
For the season, the Trojans lead the nation in scoring defense (at 6.7 points allowed per game) and total defense (206.4 yards per game). They should be able to maintain those rankings by shutting down Stanford’s grind-it-out, ball-control offense.
Prediction: USC 31, Stanford 3

UCLA (3-6, 2-4) at Washington (0-9, 0-6)
10:15 p.m. EST
Rick Neuheisel takes his new team, the Bruins, to Seattle to face the Huskies, a team that he coached from 1999-2002.
While Washington is the only FBS team in the country that has not won a game this season, the losing streak could end on Saturday.
Prediction: Washington 24, UCLA 21

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

The California Golden Bears defeated visiting Oregon, 26-16, in the rain at Berkeley last Saturday, improving to 4-1 in the Pac-10. The Bears trail first-place USC (a 56-0 winner over Washington last week) by a half-game, and the two contenders will face off Saturday night in a showcase matchup in SoCal.
Meanwhile, the Oregon State Beavers are also very much a factor in the conference race at 4-1. With an earlier victory over USC in their pocket, the Beavers kept chopping wood in the title chase by holding on for a 27-25 win over Arizona State last week.
Stanford, Arizona and Oregon each have two losses in the league. The Cardinal posted a 58-0 shutout over Washington State last week, while the UA Wildcats had a bye.

Here is a look at Saturday’s full slate of games in the Pac-10.

Stanford (5-4 overall, 4-2 Pac-10) @ Oregon (6-3, 4-2)
3:30 p.m. EST
The Ducks didn’t take to the water in the California quagmire last week. Oregon’s lengthy list of miscues included two turnovers that led to short touchdown drives for the Golden Bears.
Stanford running back Toby Gerhart needs 89 more yards to become the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher since the player known in Cardinal lore as “Touchdown Tommy” achieved the feat 17 years ago. Tommy Vardell, who went on to a productive NFL career as a first-round draft choice for the Cleveland Browns, churned out 1,084 yards on the ground for Stanford in 1991.
The Ducks won last year’s game over the Cardinal, 55-31. This one figures to be much closer.
Prediction: Oregon 24, Stanford 21

Arizona (5-3, 3-2) @ Washington State (1-8, 0-6)
5 p.m. EST
Arizona is closing in on qualifying for the Tucson school’s first bowl game since 1998. One more win would make the Wildcats bowl-eligible, while two victories would virtually guarantee them a bowl-game invitation.
Meanwhile, in Pullman, an early-season win over Division I-AA Portland State can’t mask the fact that Washington State is having one of the worst seasons ever by a Pac-10 team.
Just how bad have the Cougars been in 2008?
They have lost their six conference games by scores of 66-3, 63-14, 28-3, 66-13, 69-0 and 58-0.
They have scored a total of 33 points in those games.
They have already set a Pac-10 record in defensive futility by allowing 350 points in their conference games, and that total could approach or eclipse the 500-point plateau by the time WSU’s league schedule is complete.
Back on Aug. 30, Arizona hung 70 points on its over-matched opening-night opponent, the Idaho Vandals. A repeat performance for the Wildcats could be in the offing on Saturday.
Prediction: Arizona 63, Washington State 6

Oregon State (5-3, 4-1) @ UCLA (3-5, 2-3)
6 p.m. EST
Oregon State quarterback Lyle Moevao left last week’s game against Arizona State in the second quarter with an injury, but backup Sean Canfield passed for 218 yards and two touchdowns to guide the Beavers to a hard-fought victory over the Sun Devils.
Oregon State tailback Jacquizz Rodgers needs 55 more rushing yards to become the third freshman in Pac-10 history to reach the 1,000-yard mark. He leads the league with 118.1 yards per game and is on pace to become the first freshman ever to win the league rushing title.
UCLA defeated Oregon State last season, 40-14. An approximate reversal of that score sounds about right for Saturday’s game in Pasadena.
Prediction: Oregon State 38, UCLA 10

Arizona State (2-6, 1-4) @ Washington (0-8, 0-5)
7 p.m. EST
In an attempt to provide a spark to their moribund rushing attack, ASU gave junior Shaun DeWitty his first career start at tailback last week against Oregon State. DeWitty responded by rushing for 110 yards on 16 carries, and he’ll aim to surpass those numbers Saturday against winless Washington.
While the Sun Devils have lost six straight, they still can qualify for a bowl game if they win their last four over Washington, Washington State, UCLA and Arizona.
Prediction: Arizona State 34, Washington 14

California (6-2, 4-1) @ USC (7-1, 5-1)
8 p.m. EST
The Golden Bears can shake up the Pac-10 title race by pulling off an upset against the seventh-ranked Trojans. In order to do it, however, No. 21 California will have to solve a USC defense that has allowed more than 10 points in a game just once all season.
Oregon State scored 27 in its stunning victory over the Trojans on Sept. 25. In their other seven games, the Trojans have allowed 7, 3, 10, 0, 0, 10 and 0 points, for a total of 30.
For the season, USC is first in the nation in both scoring defense (at 7.1 points per game) and total defense (211.6 yards per game).
The Trojans will need to be prepared to face either California starting quarterback Kevin Riley, who left the Bears’ game against Oregon last week with a concussion, or backup and sometimes-starter Nate Longshore, who filled in admirably with 136 passing yards, or both.
The Golden Bears stayed close in this matchup last year, losing to the Trojans, 24-17, at Berkeley.
Prediction: USC 27, California 10

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer