Pac-12 Week 6 Power Rankings: Utah Stuns Stanford

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utes put their stamp in the Pac-12, picking up their first conference win of the season in Palo Alto. That win puts Utah back in the conversation as contenders to represent the Pac-12 South Division in the Conference Championship.

Stanford suffered their second straight loss and did it without their star running back Bryce Love, who was out with an ankle injury. The defeat has Stanford going from a College Football Playoff contender to dropping out of the AP Top 25 poll and fighting for top position in the North Division.

Here’s how the Pac-12 schools did in the sixth week of play. Teams are listed by division, in order of their KSL Sports Power Ranking.

NORTH:

1. Washington (5-1, 3-0 Pac-12)

Result: Beat UCLA 31-24 on the road

Recap: It certainly wasn’t easy for the Huskies to get out of the Rose Bowl with a victory. Their 24-7 halftime lead evaporated quickly in the second half when UCLA outscored Washington 17-7. Running back Myles Gaskin sealed the deal for the Huskies on a two yard touchdown run with 3:42 left in the game, he racked up 116 yards on 27 carries for two touchdowns. Quarterback Jake Browning threw for 265 yards and one touchdown while throwing one interception.

Previous Ranking: 1

Next up: at No. 17 Oregon, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on ABC

 

2. Oregon (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12)

Result: Bye week

Recap: With the week off, the Ducks moved up one spot in the AP poll to No. 17. Great time for the off week as they prepare to host Washington in Eugene on Saturday.

Previous Ranking: 3

Next up: vs. No. 7 Washington, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on ABC

 

3. Stanford (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12)

Result: Lost to Utah 40-21 at home

Recap: The Cardinal had to face the physical and aggressive Utah defense without their running back Bryce Love. That forced Stanford to throw the ball more with quarterback K.J. Costello, who completed 26-of-41 passes for 381 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. One of those picks was returned 100-yards for a touchdown. Costello had the support from three receivers who each had over 100-yards, including Kaden Smith (120 yards), J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (103 yards) and Trenton Irwin (100 yards). Love’s absence was shown as the team rushed for 42 yards. Stanford has lost their last two games and dropped out of the AP Top 25 poll.

Previous Ranking: 2

Next up: Bye week

 

4. Washington State (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12)

Result: Beat Oregon State 56-37 on the road

Recap: In a tightly contested game that included four lead changes in the first three quarters, the Cougars pulled out the win by outscoring the Beavers 21-7 in the final quarter. Quarterback Gardner Minshew was impressive, throwing for 430 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Davontavean Martin had 8 receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow wide out Easop Winston added 99 yards on 7 catches. Washington State has won two in a row.

Previous Ranking: 4

Next up: Bye week

Takeaways = Victory#GoCougs | #JointheHunt pic.twitter.com/WtcofJarzM

— WSU Cougar Football (@WSUCougFB) October 7, 2018

 

5. California (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12)

Result: Lost to Arizona 24-17 on the road

Recap: Arizona jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, Cal fought back to take a 14-10 lead at halftime. Arizona scored two touchdowns and held the Golden Bears to just three points. Quarterback Brandon McIlwain had 315 yards passing and 107 yards rushing and two touchdowns, both on the ground. He threw three interceptions all in the second half and two were returned for touchdowns. Those were the only two scores for Arizona in the second half. Cal has now lost two straight games.

Previous Ranking: 5

Next up: vs. UCLA, Saturday at 5 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network

 

6. Oregon State (1-5, 0-3 Pac-12)

Result: Lost to Washington State 56-37 at home

Recap: After standing toe-to-toe through the first three quarters, Oregon State couldn’t come out on top as they were outscored 21-7 in the final quarter. Quarterback Conor Blount had 172 passing yards on 15-of-21 passing. Running back Jermar Jefferson rushed for over 100 yards for the fourth time this season with 138 yards. He found the end zone four times in the loss in Corvallis.

Previous Ranking: 6

Next up: Bye week

 

SOUTH:

1. Colorado (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12)

Result: Beat Arizona State 28-21 at home

Recap: A neck-and-neck game in Boulder had both teams scoring one touchdown in each of the first and second quarters. Colorado scored 14 points while holding ASU to 7 points in the second half and that was the difference in the game. Quarterback Steven Montez connected on 24 of his 33 pass attempts for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Travon McMillian carried the ball 30 times for 136 yards. Wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. accounted for four total touchdowns, two rushing and two receiving to go with 127 yards through the air. The sophomore has reached 100 receiving yards or more in four of Colorado’s five games this season.

Previous Ranking: 1

Next up: at USC, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on FS1.

 

2. Utah (3-2, 1-2 Pac-12)

Result: Beat No. 14 Stanford 40-21 on the road

Recap: Utah stuck to their running attack with Zack Moss, rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Tyler Huntley completed 17-of-21 pass attempts for 199 yards and one touchdown. Utah forced four turnovers, including a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown from cornerback Jaylon Johnson earning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. Kicker Matt Gay took home the Special Teams Player of the Week honor in the conference, nailing all four of his field goal attempts. The Utes held Stanford to 42 rushing yards on their way to their first conference win of the season and snapping their two game losing streak.

Previous Ranking: 4

Next up: vs. Arizona, Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN

The @Utah_Football defense was NOT👏🏽 MESSING👏🏽 AROUND👏🏽 TONIGHT. 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/4etKAqhGuJ

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) October 7, 2018

 

3. USC (3-2, 2-1 Pac-12)

Result: Bye week

Recap: The Trojans hope to keep their two-game winning streak alive as they host No. 19 Colorado. They defeated Arizona 24-20 in their last contest during week five.

Previous Ranking: 3

Next up: vs. No. 19 Colorado, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on FS1.

 

4. Arizona State (3-3, 1-2 Pac-12)

Result: Lost to Colorado 28-21 on the road

Recap: With the halftime score tied at 14, Arizona State scored their only second half touchdown on their first drive in the third quarter. The Sun Devils had a chance to tie the game early in the fourth quarter but turned the ball over on downs at the Colorado 3-yard line. Both teams punted one more time before the Buffs came away victorious. Quarterback Manny Wilkins threw one touchdown pass to go with his 222 yards. Running back Eno Benjamin ran the ball 28 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The Sun Devils have lost two of their last three games.

Previous Ranking: 2

Next up: Bye week

 

5. Arizona (3-3, 2-1 Pac-12)

Result: Beat California 24-17 at home

Recap: The Wildcats won the game in the second half from two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Cornerback Azizi Hearn took his pick 34-yards for the score and safety Scottie Young Jr. ran his interception to house from 24-yards out. Quarterback Khalil Tate threw for 141 yards and one touchdown in the win.

Previous Ranking: 5

Next up: at Utah, Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN

🎥 Highlights of Cats 24-17 win over CAL. #BearDown 🅰️#CALvsAZ pic.twitter.com/1O92yGwzRK

— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) October 7, 2018

 

6. UCLA (0-5, 0-2 Pac-12)

Result:  Lost to No. 10 Washington 31-24 at home

Recap: UCLA stormed back from being down 24-7 but lost by one touchdown. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Joshua Kelley added 125 rushing yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. UCLA is still looking for their first win of the season.

Previous Ranking: 6

Next up: at California, Saturday at 5 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network