Best of the West Week 4 in the Pac-10 - 2010 PAC-10 Football

Best of the West: Week 4 in the Pac-10

Written by Erik Lord

Tuesday, 28 September 2010 20:12

Best game:

UCLA 34

Texas 12

RB Johnathon Franklin [Ronald Martinez, Getty Images]

Texas got caught looking ahead to the Red River Rivalry...and the Bruins made them pay. In dominating fashion, UCLA came into Austin and made a statement. Offensive coordinator Norm Chow made some adjustments over the past two weeks, opting for a pistol formation, run-heavy attack and it worked to perfection. Led by sophomore RB Johnathon Franklin, the Bruins racked up 264 rushing yards and controlled the clock for more than 35 minutes. Texas was able to move the ball, outgaining the Bruins 349 – 291 in total offense, but they turned the ball over 5 times and managed just 12 points and 85 rushing yards. The UCLA win marks the second consecutive week that a Pac-10 team has taken down a top 10 non-conference foe (Arizona beat #9 Iowa last week).

Player of the week:

USC FB Stanley Havili (win over Washington State, 50-16)

4 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD

5 catches, 107 yards, 1 TD

Call me old-fashioned, but I love to see a blocking fullback get a few carries to reward the hard-nosed pounding he takes on every play opening lanes for the feature backs. Havili is one of the best in the business, and he got his reward by getting 9 touches in a decisive win over the Cougars. The most amazing part is what he did with those touches – 187 yards and 2 touchdowns. Not too shabby for a big bruiser.

Pac-10 Power Rankings

Rank	Last Week	Team	Record	Summary
1	1	Oregon	4-0	The Ducks are the best team in the Pac-10 until proven otherwise. Stanford may prove otherwise this weekend when they visit Autzen Stadium.
2	3	Stanford	4-0	The Cardinal boasts one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the entire nation (223 rushing yards per game, 234 passing yards per game). And QB Andrew Luck is getting plenty of Heisman attention. Take down the Ducks on Saturday, and Stanford will be in the National Championship discussion.
3	2	Arizona	4-0	The Wildcats came away with a win on Saturday, but taking down California 10-9 doesn't instill much confidence in this team. The Cats will get a week off before facing Oregon State at home on October 9
4	4	USC	4-0	USC has done what they've needed to do in every game this season – win. But the wins haven't been very convincing, and the Trojans have slid from 14
5	7	UCLA	2-2	After taking down ranked opponents in consecutive weeks, Neuheisel's boys are proving they can play some football. They should have no problem beating Washington State in an easy home game this weekend.
6	5	Oregon State	1-2	Oregon State is probably the best 1-2 team in the nation right now. Despite losses to TCU and Boise State, Oregon State can still compete for a Pac-10 title but they're going to need QB Ryan Katz to improve.
7	6	Arizona State	2-2	ASU had a chance to take down the Ducks on Saturday, but they beat themsevles with turnovers (7, including 4 interceptions thrown by QB Steven Threet).
8	8	California	2-2	After a shootout loss against Nevada, Cal responded with better defensive play last week against Arizona...yielding just 10 points. Unfortunately the Bears only scored 9 and lost the game.
9	7	Washington	1-2	Perhaps it's not fair that the Huskies dropped two spots without even playing this past weekend. The Huskies have a chance to move up my list if they can take down USC this weekend. But the game is in the Colosseum, so my money is on the Trojans.
10	10	Washington State	1-2	I hate to say it this early in the season, but there's a pretty good chance the Cougars won't win another game in 2010.

Pacific Coast QB Club:

Name	Team	W-L	Comp.%	Yards	TD	INT
Andrew Luck	Stanford	4-0	62.7	912	11	2
Matt Barkley	USC	4-0	65.1	941	12	4
Nick Foles	Arizona	4-0	74.5	1089	6	4
Darron Thomas	Oregon	4-0	54.7	822	10	3
Kevin Riley	California	2-2	60.7	848	8	4

Stat of the week:

12^th

Arizona State is 12^th in the nation in total offense, averaging 495 yards per game. It's a mind-blowing jump from last season when the Devils were 90^th, putting up a measly 334 yards per game.