Week 1 didn’t exactly greet the reborn Pac-12 with a clean slate.
The league’s first football weekend in its new eight-team form ended 2-6, and that record looks harsher than it might at first glance. Five of those losses came on the road against ranked opponents, which helps explain why the opening stretch felt more bruising than bleak.
Boise State provided the strongest showing among the conference’s losers, even in a 34-27 defeat at No. 2 Oregon on Saturday. The Broncos grabbed a 10-point lead in the first half and were still hanging around late, with multiple chances in the fourth quarter to find the tying touchdown.
Ducks coach Dan Lanning came away impressed with Boise State and quarterback Maddux Madsen. “They had some good scheme and some good elements that they executed well,” Lanning said of Boise State.
“I think playing that quarterback (Maddux Madsen) tonight, that guy’s going to win a lot of games for their team this year. That team’s going to win a lot of games this year.
He played really, really well, in my opinion, for them.”
Madsen finished 15 of 29 for 181 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Oregon’s Dante Moore, a Heisman Trophy candidate, answered with 378 passing yards and three touchdowns.
Oregon State also made noise away from home in JaMarcus Shephard’s debut as head coach. The Beavers cut No. 23 Houston’s lead to six in the fourth quarter before the Cougars finished off a 33-20 win.
Braden Atkinson, a sophomore transfer from Mercer, gave Oregon State plenty to build on. In his first game with the Beavers, he went 29 of 48 for 376 yards with two total touchdowns and no interceptions.
“We grew today as a football team,” Shephard said after the game. “I thought throughout the game we got a lot of information about our football team and how they will perform throughout the season.”
The Apple Cup also swung in the favor of a ranked Pac-12 team, as No. 17 Washington rolled past Washington State 24-10 on Sunday. The Cougars had a rough outing from highly touted transfer quarterback Caden Pinnick, who passed for 142 yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a rushing score.
Other Pac-12 teams never really got in the fight on the road. No.
14 USC blanked Fresno State 39-0 on Friday night, holding the Bulldogs to just 116 total yards. Afterward, Fresno State coach Matt Entz stood by starting quarterback Jayden Mandal despite the tough day.
The conference did have a few bright spots. San Diego State knocked off Portland State 53-20 behind three touchdown runs from Lucky Sutton. Colorado State used a strong second half to beat Border War rival Wyoming 35-13, with Oklahoma State transfer Hauss Hejny throwing five touchdown passes for the Rams.
Utah State, though, looked like the early concern in the league’s new setup. McCae Hillstead, a transfer from BYU, threw three interceptions in a 29-17 home loss to FCS Idaho State, leaving the Aggies looking like the weak link in Year 1 of the new Pac-12.
In Other News...
Washington State May Be Without Its Most Dangerous Weapon At Kansas State
Washington State may have to head into its game at Kansas State without one of its most explosive playmakers after wide receiver Tony Freeman suffered a knee injury in the Apple Cup. Coach Kirby Moore said Freeman is trending on being out while the Cougars wait on MRI results, a development that would leave them trying to replace a receiver who has been one of the biggest threats in the passing game and on special teams.
Kirby Moores update at least brought some clarity elsewhere on the roster, with cornerback Jalil Tucker and defensive end Ben Beatty expected to be available. But Freemans status is the one that matters most for an offense that will need other receivers and return men to absorb his workload if he cannot go, and the final medical word will shape how Washington State approaches a difficult road matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Faces A Huge Receiver Problem Ahead Of Kansas State
Washington State is heading into its matchup with Kansas State with a concern that could reshape the offense for a week. Wide receiver Tony Freeman is likely to miss the game because of a knee injury, according to head coach Kirby Moore, and his exit from the previous game came early enough to raise immediate questions about the Cougars depth at the position.
Freeman was seen on crutches afterward, which adds to the uncertainty around how quickly Washington State can get back to full strength on offense. There is some better news on the injury front, with cornerback Jalil Tucker and defensive end Ben Beatty expected to be available, but the receiver situation leaves the Cougars with a key issue to sort out before they face Kansas State. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Has Two Costly Problems To Fix Before Kansas State
Washington States 24-10 loss to Washington in the Apple Cup left the Cougars with a familiar kind of frustration: too many stalled drives, too many wasted chances and too little margin for error. Coach Moore and quarterback Caden Pinnick both pointed to the same broad issues afterward, with turnovers and special teams adding to the damage in a game that never really gave WSU a chance to settle in.
The most glaring concern is the offenses inability to stay on the field, a problem that showed up against the Huskies and will loom even larger with Kansas State next on the schedule. Add in the kicking-game hiccups, and the Cougars enter the new week knowing the fix is not about one area alone but about cleaning up several parts of the operation before the competition level rises again. [Read more 🡒]