By Publisher, SuperWest Sports
tThe Beavers emerged victorious for the second straight week, but the other three West teams in the Pac-12 and ACC struggled.
Washington State was on the losing end of Oregon State’s good fortune, even though it did so well on the road in previous outings.
Cal let one slip at home against Virginia, and Stanford was outplayed by Pittsburgh on the Farm.
Here’s my take on all four teams heading into Week 10.
doAl’s loss against Virginia seemed to be the end of the Justin Wilcox era.
The Golden Bears played hard against the Cavaliers, but threw a pick-six on their final drive.
California’s schedule gets tough down the stretch, which puts the program in an interesting spot. If the Bears win the rest of their games, they could finish 9-4, including a bowl victory. But they could also finish below .500.
That would be the eighth losing season in nine years under Wilcox.
These next three games will prove vital in deciding whether Ron Rivera decides to keep Wilcox. Cal heads to Louisville this week to take on a bunch of hot birds.
The Cardinals have won their last three games, including a notable victory in Miami in mid-October. UL features a balanced offense that should be able to exploit a Bears defense that allowed 73 points against the two Virginia schools.
California hopes its passing attack can move the ball against Louisville’s passing defense, which ranks 16th in yards allowed per game.
There’s still time, but Wilcox is sitting in a sauna.
Grades
- Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele threw for 2,195 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also added two rushing touchdowns.
- Kendrick Raphael leads the team in rushing with 10 touchdowns and 612 yards.
- Jacob De Jesus leads the team in receptions and receiving yards with 57 and 541. He also has three receiving touchdowns.
- TJ Bush Jr. has 29 tackles, four sacks and 7.5 TFL as a linebacker.
myAlthough Stanford lost to Pittsburgh, they have continued to improve throughout the season. No one expected the Cardinal to compete this year, but they have been decent and notched two wins in the ACC.
The key to the rest of this season will be the development of Elijah Brown. Ben Gulbranson has been a nice rest stop, but now that Stanford likely won’t make a bowl, it’s time to prepare for the future.
What Gulbranson did will likely go unnoticed, but it provided stability in times of uncertainty. And for that he must be applauded.
In theory, the Tree could still make it to a bowl game, but they would have to win their last three contests. It’s possible, but a season finale against Notre Dame seems unlikely.
If Brown can find his rhythm from the jump, Stanford could win in Chapel Hill and reclaim “The Big Game.”
The Tree should be able to compete against North Carolina, which ranks 121st nationally in points scored per contest. The Tar Heels have the better defensive unit, but both teams struggle to score, so it should be a close game.
If the Cardinal continues to fight, they could steal one down the stretch.
Grades
- Ben Gulbranson threw for 1,813 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
- Micah Ford leads the team in rushing, with 425 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
- Sam Roush has 37 receptions and 409 receiving yards. He also has two touchdown receptions.
- Scotty Edwards has 47 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 3.5 TFL as a safety. He also has a forced fumble.
W.Ashington State suffered a terrible loss, but it was a reality check of their program’s current situation.
The Cougars are still at the beginning of the Jimmy Rogers era, but lacking offensive talent outside of Joshua Meredith, WSU doesn’t have skilled position players who can win one-on-one matchups.
And Meredith isn’t a real number one. Oregon State was able to stymie Washington State with man-to-man defense.
To complete the regular season, WSU will need a player like Tony Freeman or Carter Pabst to make some tough plays, or they will need their offensive line to make room.
Kirby Vorhees will likely break out next year, but he doesn’t have the explosive speed yet to be considered a game-changer.
Washington State’s defense has proven it can play with any team in the country, so they should be able to limit their last three opponents. They have only allowed 17 points in their last two outings.
The Cougars could still finish 7-5, but a bowl game would be a solid spot for Rogers in year one. WSU has a bye before hosting Louisiana Tech the following week.
Grades
- Zevi Eckhaus threw for 1,246 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also added 192 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
- Kirby Vorhees leads the team with 397 rushing yards; He also has three rushing touchdowns.
- Joshua Meredith leads the team with 39 receptions and 516 yards passing. He also has two touchdown receptions.
- Isaac Terrell leads the team with 4.5 sacks and 9.5 TFL as a defensive end. He has 18 total tackles.
tThe Beavers didn’t save their season with a win over Washington State, but they made it clear they’re still here.
Oregon State treated its matchup against the Cougars as a rivalry game and gave its fan base hope. If the Beavers can continue to play defense like they did against WSU, they could win.
Their offensive line will also need to continue moving bodies. The Beavs host Sam Houston State this week in a matchup in which they are 19.5-point favorites. They should get the dubbing.
The other plot surrounding the program is the search for its next head coach.
While it seems unlikely that Robb Akey will be the candidate, he is making his case himself. He’ll probably have to win to receive consideration, but winning two of the last three might be enough.
Akey’s quirky energy is bringing Corvallis to life. Oregon State has Senior Night this week against the Bearkats, before traveling to Tulsa and Pullman to complete their schedule.
The beavers continue to float.
Grades
- Maalik Murphy threw for 1,749 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions.
- Anthony Hankerson leads the team with 803 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
- David Wells Jr. leads the team with three receiving touchdowns. He has 293 receiving yards and 28 receptions.
- Aiden Sullivan leads the team with three forced fumbles at linebacker. He also has 56 tackles, 4.5 TFL and a sack.
