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Wednesday, October 20, 2004
A look around the Pac-10
<HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1>By Ted Miller
Special to ESPN.com
Arizona
Facts are facts -- Arizona has the worst offense in the Pac-10. That's why first-year coach Mike Stoops is making a quarterback change from sophomore Kris Heavner to redshirt freshman Richard Kovalcheck, who came off the bench to lead two scoring drives in the loss to Oregon. "We feel like we've given Kris five games to work this out," Stoops said. "We don't feel like he progressed that much."
It's not that Heaver's numbers are terrible. He completed 59 percent of his throws with four interceptions and four touchdowns. He just doesn't make enough plays, often appearing tentative when asked to throw downfield.
Kovalcheck, who was highly recruited out of San Diego two years ago, is a far different bird. "He's kind of a gunslinger," Stoops said. "The situation is not going to intimidate him." Problem is Kovalcheck is so confident that he often tries to do too much and gets himself into trouble. That's why he was mired at No. 4 quarterback at the beginning of the season behind Heavner, Ryan O'Hara and Nic Costa. That cleared up when the latter two left the program.
Kovalcheck's first start is a doozy, squaring off against No. 8 California and the Pac-10's top defense. It won't be like playing against the Ducks reserve defenders. But Stoops wants a guy who is willing to open it up. "Kris, for whatever reason, couldn't pull the trigger," Stoops said. "We've had guys open every game."
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Arizona State[/font]
While there were few brights spots in Arizona State's embarrassing 45-7 folding against USC, one positive was the clearly established future stardom of freshman tight end Zach Miller, who caught eight passes for 102 yards in front of 90,000 folks screaming for his head. One of his receptions came for 7 yards on a fourth-and-6 play on the Sun Devils lone scoring drive. "He's just the ultimate competitor," coach Dirk Koetter said.
On the downside, Miller was responsible for two sacks; he's a game but green blocker who hasn't filled out his 6 foot 4 frame out yet. "I can't wait to see Zach after an off-season with our weight program and strength coach," Koetter said.
The way to beat UCLA is to run the ball, and therein lies a problem for the Sun Devils, whose only healthy tailback, Hakim Hill, is sporting a cast on his right, fractured forearm. That's a big reason why they average only 2.9 yards per rush. But the USC game proved that even quarterback Andrew Walter can't win a game all by himself. The Sun Devils had zero yards rushing in the first half against the Trojans, but, man, that 5.9 yards per carry the Bruins are giving up is tempting. "That's our catch-22 right now," Koetter admitted. Just don't want to lose another tailback ...
Walter has been close to brilliant all season, but USC made him look less than ordinary. He was sacked eight times and failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 10 games. With two picks, he tripled his interception total from the first five games. Still, he became the school's career-leading passer with 8,897 yards.
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California [/font]
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Aaron Rodgers has been helped by a strong running game.[/font]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>There are two types of people in the world. There are Aaron Rodgers folks, who swoon for the Bears quarterback's 75 percent completion rate and quick release. Then there are those who prefer J.J. Arrington, whose 157 yards rushing per game ranks fourth in the nation. Rodgers is on track to break the Pac-10 record for completion percentage (70.7 percent, by Cal QB Rich Campbell in 1980). Arrington broke Chuck Muncie's school record with his fifth consecutive game with over 100 yards rushing. He also is on pace to break Muncie's single-season record of 1,460 yards set in 1975.
Both are legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates. Coach Jeff Tedford said it's too early for such talk, but he has no problem supporting a campaign for both or either. Tedford was Oregon's offensive coordinator when quarterback Joey Harrington became a candidate. "It wasn't a distraction," he said.
So who got the game ball after the Bears piled up 550 yards against UCLA? All five offensive linemen. "I wouldn't say one is standing out," Tedford explained.
Last time Cal and Arizona played, they combined for 528 yards rushing in the Bears 42-14 victory, with Cal accounting for 327 of that. All six Bears touchdowns came on the ground. The crowd of 69,898 for the UCLA game was the largest for a non-Stanford game at Memorial Stadium since 1991, but it's clear that the fans are still learning. A number of Bears players remarked that it didn't seem like the fans knew that they were supposed to make noise when the opponent's offense had the ball. Cal's previous attendance high this year was 58,949, while last year's average was only 38,305.
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Oregon [/font]
It's not smart to write too much meaning into a victory over Arizona, but Oregon may be putting it together for at least a run to an eighth consecutive bowl game after reaching .500 with consecutive victories. While USC and Cal have distinguished themselves at the top of the conference, and Arizona State is a solid No. 3, Oregon could get into the mix if it manages to win at Stanford on Saturday (and vice versa).
Two reasons for hope: defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and receiver Demetrius Williams appear to be finding their rhythm after injury problems. Williams has been hounded by numerous ailments, most prominently a turf toe, but he caught nine passes for 153 yards against the Wildcats and could be the playmaker that coach Mike Bellotti has been clamoring for.
Ngata is simply one of the most talented defensive linemen in the country. He missed all of last year with a knee injury and hasn't blown out of the gate this year, but his eight tackles, with three coming for a loss, last weekend seemed to bode well for the rest of the season. "Haloti is playing his way into game shape," Bellotti said. "I think he has confidence in his body now." In more good news, three other players who've missed action due to injury should be back for the Stanford game: cornerback Marques Binns, offensive lineman Robin Knebel and defensive tackle Matt Toeaina.
On the less impressive side, Oregon continues to be last in the Pac-10 in penalties and rank among the nation's most penalized teams. The Ducks had 11 penalties for 114 yards against Arizona and are averaging 98 yards per game. Last week, Bellotti talked about special punishments for rule breakers, like extra running or stadium steps in Autzen Stadium, but he backed off this week when asked if he had something new planned. "We're playing it under the radar," he said. "It's a focus issue in my opinion."
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Oregon State[/font]
Chop blocks are becoming a near weekly issue in the conference, and the latest team looking back at a pointed finger is Oregon State, where offensive lineman Josh Linehan's low hit from behind on Washington defensive lineman Dan Milsten is proving controversial.
Milsten suffered a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle on the play, but Beavers coach Mike Riley bristled when he heard charges that it was a dirty play. "I know it wasn't a dirty hit," he said. "Josh felt bad about it but in no way was it malicious or dirty." Riley said that Linehan was trying to block Milsten low but the crowded scene and change in the momentum of the play caused him to miss his mark.
Accusations of dirty play might actually feel like a break for Riley, who has seen his program besieged with negativity after a 1-4 start. So a one-game winning streak feels pretty good. "We're trying to make a run; we've got to make up ground," he said.
The Beavers play host to Washington State on Saturday and are trying to sweep the Washington teams for the first time since 1974 during the Dee Andros years. Last year's game with the Cougars might have been the nuttiest of the season. It featured 12 turnovers and three safeties. The teams combined for only 18 yards rushing mostly because of 12 quarterback sacks. Washington State finally prevailed 36-30.
Remember poor old Alexis Serna, who muffed three extra points against LSU? Well he's doing a bit better now after connecting on five field goals in five attempts, setting a school record. Among those boots was a 55-yarder at the end of the first half, the second-longest in school history. "It says a lot about a kid's inner-makeup," Riley said of Serna's return from infamy
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Stanford[/font]
Stanford, averaging 106 yards more in offense this year than last, won its first Pac-10 road game under third-year coach Buddy Teevens and has matched its 2003 win total with five games to play. But it is getting killed in the fourth quarter, which should be a concern with the meet-and-potatoes of the Pac-10 schedule at hand. The Cardinal outscore opponents in every quarter but are getting blitzed 43-23 in the fourth, and 13 of those Stanford points came against BYU. Teevens didn't think his players were getting tired, nor did he have much to say about the lapses, calling them "breakdowns we need to correct."
Revenge didn't work as a motivating force against Notre Dame, but the visit from Oregon offers its own possibilities. Last year, the Ducks stomped the Cardinal 35-0. Teevens said things change from one year to the next but admitted, "Our guys remember that trip up north." On the injury front, it appears the Cardinal dodged one with center Brian Head cleared to play against Oregon after a knee injury knocked him out during the first offensive series against Washington State. Head, who was replaced by Mikal Brewer, missed the last seven games last year with a knee injury.
As for bowl possibilities, Teevens said, "We don't talk about opportunities down the road." That, folks, is why he's a football coach and not an investment banker.
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UCLA [/font]
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Karl Dorrell is hoping his Bruins can avoid a repeat of last season.[/font]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The Bruins should remember last year's game with Arizona State. They used a dominating running game and a stingy defense to win 20-13. It was their fifth consecutive victory and ran their record to 6-2 and 4-0 in the Pac-10. And then ... splat. There would be no more wins for the rest of the season, replaced by the gnashing of teeth, particularly over a terrible offense. That offense is now averaging nearly 32 points a game, while the defense is the worst in the conference.
The offense has changed the past two games, however, since the world learned that diminutive tailback Maurice Drew was not to be trifled with. Teams have ganged up against Drew, who has produced only 64 yards in the last two games after piling up 625 in the previous three. Quarterback Drew Olson has picked up the slack, though. In the past two games, he's completed 61 percent of his passes for 533 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions. "The passing game really has started to blossom," coach Karl Dorrell said.
The passing game should get even saltier with the return of senior receiver Craig Bragg, who is second on the Bruins' all-time receiving list with 169 receptions. Also apparently ready to play this weekend are defensive tackle C.J. Niusulu (ankle) and linebacker Tim Warfield, who has been out since a preseason knee injury. Injuries are part of the reason Dorrell has played a school-record 12 freshmen and a 15 redshirt freshmen.
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Washington [/font]
While coach Keith Gilbertson is being coy, it appears Washington will start its third different quarterback this season when the Huskies visit top-ranked USC on Saturday. Sophomore Isaiah Stanback, just a week ago a subject of controversy because he appeared the odd-man out in the quarterback quandary, came off the bench for an ineffective Casey Paus against Oregon State and made a number of impressive plays with his arm and his feet while tossing a pair of pretty touchdown passes. Of course, he also fumbled twice and threw an interception, but any playmaking represents an improvement for this anemic offense.
Gilbertson wouldn't immediately hand the job to Stanback, though, because redshirt freshman Carl Bonnell might have the most upside of the threesome. Bonnell sat out the Oregon State game with a groin injury. He unseated Paus after the loss at Notre Dame, and Stanback had been invisible since playing terribly in the season opener against Fresno State. "Carl didn't lose the job," Gilbertson said. "Carl got injured. There's a possibility Carl might start."
Defensive end Mike Mapuolesega, who has missed four games with a leg injury, will return this week, but that's about the only good news on the injury front. The Huskies lost offensive tackle Khalif Barnes, a four-year starter, for the season last week with a freak wrist injury during practice, and the defensive tackle Dan Milsten badly broke his leg against Oregon State on a play that the Huskies believed was a dirty hit. That means two true freshmen, tackle Jordan White-Frisbee and end Greyson Gunheim will start on the defensive line against USC and two others will see significant action.
The Huskies are starting just one senior on offense and three on defense and have 16 freshmen or redshirt freshmen on their depth chart. It's abundantly clear that the Huskies streak of 27 consecutive non-losing seasons -- tied for third longest in the nation with Florida State -- is kaput. Here's another to watch: The Huskies haven't been shutout in 271 games, the longest streak in Division I-A.
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Washington State[/font]
Redshirt freshman Alex Brink will be the third conference quarterback making his first career start this weekend, replacing sophomore Josh Swogger, whose lengthy injury list finally includes a problem he can't play through: a broken foot. Swogger, who has passed for 1,283 yards with 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions, will have surgery Friday and is done for the year. "It's tough because he was really just starting to come into his own," coach Bill Doba said.
Brink, 6-2, 204 pounds, is much more mobile than Swogger, and a few observes thought he might win the job outright during the preseason. He played as a backup against Idaho and replaced a struggling Swogger against Colorado. He's completed 13 of 25 passes for 278 yards with a touchdown and an interception and will be making his first start at Oregon State, which is just 40 miles away from his hometown of Eugene (yea, the Ducks home base).
While Brink's athletic ability will allow coaches to call more roll outs, bootlegs and scrambles, he can't afford to get hurt. His backup is freshman Gary Rogers, and after that Doba is holding tryouts.
Brink's task is fairly simple. First, he needs to help end the program's first losing streak (two games) since the 2000 season. Then the Cougars need to find three wins in their final five games to qualify for a bowl for their fourth consecutive year.
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USC[/font]
If Arizona State wants to blame anyone for the 45-7 bludgeoning it suffered last weekend against USC, it should look no further than the media. Apparently, the Trojans, who have been No. 1 the entire season, felt dissed by some mild critiques and casual speculation concerning the close game the previous week against California. "We were challenged by everybody in the media about being able to come back from a big game from the week before," coach Pete Carroll said. "It was important for us to show that we have a balanced focus about us."
Balanced focus? That means the Trojans -- and we feel bad for typing this -- play one game at a time. They do not, however, give 110 percent, because every game is about the same, whether it be consecutive showdowns against ranked, unbeaten conference opponents or Saturday's pitch against hapless Washington. "We have found a way to focus so every game is important to us," Carroll said. "It isn't about the team that's coming in. It's about what we do in preparation, Grasshopper." (OK, he didn't say "Grasshopper.")
That coachspeak will be challenged because most of the season's heavy lifting is done after handing four unbeaten teams -- three presently ranked -- their first loss of the season. The Trojans' six remaining opponents have a combined record of 16-21, thought a visit from Notre Dame doesn't figure to be a walkover.
The Irish might, however, be shocked by the atmosphere of the suddenly brimming Coliseum. USC has produced a pair of crowds exceeding 90,000 the past two weekends, its first back-to-back sellouts since 1947. That's almost SEC-like. "The atmosphere and the environment has been the best we've ever seen us," Carroll said.
It's taken weeks to get official word but, sophomore quarterback John David Booty will redshirt due to nerve injury in his right elbow he sustained in August. That means seniors Matt Cassel and Brandon Hance will be Leinart's backups for the remainder of the season. Booty is so talented that there was considerable speculation last year - even during the midst of a national title run -- that he might beat Leinart out. He still remains the heir-apparent, considering Leinart figures to leave for the NFL a year early.
Ted Miller covers the Pac-10 for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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