Utes Remain On Top Of Power Rankings After First Week Of Season
Sep 1, 2019, 6:12 PM | Updated: 6:13 pm
(Steve Griffin, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – After the first week of the college football season, the University of Utah remains on top of the Pac-12 South Division in the power rankings following their 30-12 win on the road against BYU.
Washington’s impressive performance in their season opener has launched them past Oregon in the North Division after the Ducks suffered a disappointing loss to Auburn.
Here’s the KSL Sports Pac-12 Power Rankings after the first week of the season:
NORTH
1. No. 13 Washington Huskies (1-0)
Result: Beat Eastern Washington 47-14 at home.
Recap: Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason was sensational in his debut. He went 27-of-36 passing for 349 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wide receiver Aaron Fuller hauled in 5 receptions for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns. Washington allowed Eastern Washington 274 yards, while racking up 570 yards of total offense. The Huskies scored 28 unanswered points to start the game.
Previous Ranking: 2
𝘿𝙀𝙁𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀
The Dawgs recorded 4⃣ sacks in yesterday's win.#PurpleReign pic.twitter.com/y71y4UZiyq
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) September 1, 2019
Next up: vs. California (1-0), Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on FS1.
2. No. 11 Oregon Ducks (0-1)
Result: Lost to No. 16 Auburn 27-21 at AT&T Stadium.
Recap: The Ducks held a 21-6 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter when Auburn scored 21 unanswered to pick up the win. Oregon was conservative in their play calling when they had a big lead. Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert completed 28 of his 27 pass attempts for 242 yards and one touchdown. Running back C.J. Verdell racked up 76 rushing yards and found the end zone once. Oregon allowed Auburn running back JaTarvious Whitlow to rush for 110 yards on 24 carries.
Previous Ranking: 1
Ducks come up just short in top-25 battle. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/CHRC67Ihhj
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) September 1, 2019
Next up: vs. Nevada (1-0), Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
3. No. 23 Washington State Cougars (1-0)
Result: Defeated New Mexico State 58-7 at home.
Recap: Cougars quarterback Anthony Gordon had a great debut, hitting 29-of-35 passing for 420 yards and 5 touchdowns. Running back Max Borghi had 128 rushing yards on just 10 carries for one touchdown, while wide receiver Dezmon Patmon collected 7 receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown. The game was tied at 7 in the first quarter before the Cougars rattled off 51 straight points.
Previous Ranking: 3
One last look at our 58-7 victory last night in Martin Stadium! #GoCougs #JoinTheHunt pic.twitter.com/1fCDFgYT4C
— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) September 1, 2019
Next up: vs. Northern Colorado (1-0), Saturday at 3 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
4. No. 25 Stanford Cardinal (1-0)
Result: Beat Northwestern 17-7 at home.
Recap: Cardinal quarterback K.J. Costello threw for 152 yards and one touchdown before being knocked out of the game when he was hit in the head. Running back Cameron Scarlett racked up 97 yards on 22 attempts. Jordan Fox recovered a fumble in the end zone for Stanford, putting the game away.
Previous Ranking: 4
1-0 ✅#GoStanford | #NextStartsNow pic.twitter.com/vMHFVval6D
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) August 31, 2019
Next up: at USC (1-0), Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
5. California Golden Bears (1-0)
Result: Defeated UC Davis 27-13 at home.
Recap: UC Davis jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before Cal scored 13 points in the second quarter. UC Davis tied the game early in the third quarter but the Golden Bears scored two touchdowns to seal the win. Cal quarterback Chase Garber finished 16-of-28 passing for 238 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Running back Christopher Brown Jr. had a great performance with 36 carries for 197 yards and one touchdown. Wide receiver Kekoa scored two touchdowns on three catches for 84 yards.
Previous Ranking: 5
1-0#EarnIt pic.twitter.com/vVF2udyRW2
— Cal Football (@CalFootball) September 1, 2019
Next up: at Washington (1-0), Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on FS1.
6. Oregon State Beavers (0-1)
Result: Lost to Oklahoma State 52-36 at home.
Recap: The Beavers had a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but allowed Oklahoma State to score 24 unanswered points. Oregon State quarterback Jake Luton completed 23 of his 42 pass attempts for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running back Jermar Jefferson had 16 carries for 87 yards, while wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins caught 9 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns. The Beavers allowed Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard to go off for 221 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.
Previous Ranking: 6
Tough opener. Final stats, presented by @DriveToyota. pic.twitter.com/KdA6bJcw1q
— Go Beavs (@BeaverAthletics) August 31, 2019
Next up: at Hawaii (1-0), Saturday at 10 p.m. on Facebook.
SOUTH
1. No. 14 Utah Utes (1-0)
Result: Beat BYU 30-12 on the road.
Recap: The Utes had a pick six from both Francis Bernard and Julian Blackmon, while running back Zack Moss rushed for 187 yards on 29 carries to go with his one touchdown. Utah’s defense forced three turnovers to give them their ninth straight win over their rival BYU. Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley completed 13 of his 16 pass attempts for 106 yards.
Previous Ranking: 1
Running into a long weekend like… pic.twitter.com/9HPysz3Geb
— Utah Athletics (@utahathletics) August 30, 2019
Next up: vs. Northern Illinois (1-0), Saturday at 11 a.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
2. USC Trojans (1-0)
Result: Defeated Fresno State 31-23 at home.
Recap: The Trojans had a 31-13 lead going into the fourth quarter when the Bulldogs scored 10 points and had a chance to tie the game before throwing an interception in the end zone. USC quarterback J.T. Daniels threw for 215 yards, one touchdown and one interception but will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL and meniscus. Running back Vavae Malepeai ran in a touchdown on 134 rushing yards. Wide receiver Tyler Vaughns had a big game with 11 receptions for 150 yards.
Previous Ranking: 2
FINAL. 1-0! #FightOn ✌️ pic.twitter.com/BlenFLbeLs
— USC Football (@USC_FB) September 1, 2019
Next up: vs. No. 25 Stanford (1-0), Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
3. Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0)
Result: Beat Kent State 30-7 at home.
Recap: Arizona State true freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns in his college football debut. Star running back Eno Benjamin racked up 102 yards on 22 attempts, while wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had 140 yards and one touchdown on just four catches. The Sun Devils scored 27 straight points before Kent State scored their only touchdown in the third quarter.
Previous Ranking: 3
🎉 SUN DEVILS WIN 🔱
ASU defeats Kent St. for their first win of the 2019 season! pic.twitter.com/uvEshMylkI
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) August 30, 2019
Next up: vs. Sacramento State (1-0), Friday at 8 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
4. Colorado Buffaloes (1-0)
Result: Defeated Colorado State 52-31 in Denver.
Recap: The Buffs took over the game in the second half after holding a 24-21 lead at the half. They outscored CSU 28-10 in the second half. Colorado running back Alex Fontenot ran the ball 19 times for 125 yards and 3 touchdowns. Quarterback Steven Montez threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns, while wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. had 3 rushes for 35 yards and caught 3 passes for 48 yards.
Previous Ranking: 6
👏👏👏
Shoulder to shoulder
We will fight, fight
Fight, fight, fight!#GoBuffs || #RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/nNhH3xSjz6— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) September 1, 2019
Next up: vs. No. 24 Nebraska (1-0), Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on FOX.
5. Arizona Wildcats (0-1)
Result: Lost to Hawaii 45-38 during Week 0 on the road.
Recap: Arizona didn’t play this past weekend because they got a head start to the season during “Week 0.” Hawaii had a 21-7 lead in the early stages of the second quarter before the Wildcats trimmed the lead to 28-21 at halftime. The game was tied at 35 at the half when the Warriors scored 10 straight points to start the fourth quarter. After an Arizona field goal, they had a chance to tie the game but on the last play, quarterback Khalil Tate reached the one-yard line as Arizona fell just short. Tate finished with 361 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, while rushing for 108 yards on 13 carries.
Previous Ranking: 5
Final score from Honolulu.#BearDown pic.twitter.com/2b4bnbL6Om
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) August 25, 2019
Next up: vs. Northern Arizona (1-0), Saturday at 8:45 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
6. UCLA Bruins (0-1)
Result: Lost to Cincinnati 24-14 on the road.
Recap: The Bruins trailed 10-7 at halftime, but allowed two second half touchdowns while only scoring once. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled, completing just 8 of his 26 pass attempts for 156 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Wide receiver Demetric Felton had 91 yards and one score on just two catches.
Previous Ranking: 4
Final in Cincinnati.#GoBruins | #4sUp pic.twitter.com/lztQzE6SE0
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) August 30, 2019
Next up: vs. San Diego State (1-0), Saturday at 2:15 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.