Pac-12 Football Power Rankings, Week 8: Washington State makes big jump
By Dana Becker
Oregon State fans found out this past Saturday just how important Jermar Jefferson is to the offense.
The talented freshman was limited to just two carries, as the Beavers fell to California, 49-7. One of those attempts was a 33-yard burst, which left Jefferson as the second-leading rusher for the game.
Oregon State’s passing game was limited to just 146 yards and picked off twice, with the ground attack adding 61 yards outside of Jefferson’s two attempts. The Beaver defense also allowed 539 yards and six offensive touchdowns.
Next up for Oregon State will be a visit to Colorado to take on the Buffaloes this Saturday.
With Stanford focusing on taking away Eno Benjamin, Manny Wilkens almost delivered a huge win for Arizona State first-year head coach Herm Edwards this past week. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, it was not meant to be, coming up short, 20-13.
Wilkens completed 26 of 43 for 353 yards, but was held out of the end zone through the air. He did lead Arizona State with 41 yards on the ground, including a rushing score.
Benjamin, who is tied for second in the Pac-12 at 107.6 yards rushing per game, was held in-check, racking up just 38 yards on 11 carries. That total included an 18-yard burst.
Arizona State heads to California to take on a reeling USC this Saturday afternoon.
Year No. 1 under Kevin Sumlin has been a difficult one for Arizona fans to stomach. The Wildcats were tipped by UCLA this past weekend, falling to 3-5 overall with a 31-30 defeat.
Rhett Rodriguez got the start in place of injured star quarterback Khalil Tate, throwing for 231 yards with two touchdowns, but he was also picked off twice. Arizona’s J.J. Taylor and Gary Brightwell ran for a combined 275 yards, but it was not enough.
The Wildcat defense, once a source of pride for the program, was gutted for 460 yards, including 307 through the air by Wilton Speight and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Arizona will be put to the test this week again, as potential 2019 NFL draft pick Justin Herbert comes to town with Oregon.
What’s the best remedy for getting back on track out west? Face Oregon State, which is exactly what California needed this past weekend.
The Golden Bears rolled to 500-plus yards of total offense in a commanding 42-point victory. Patrick Laird broke free for 193 yards and two scores, as Chase Garbers was 17 of 26 passing for 234 with three passing touchdowns to three different receivers, including Laird.
California had the added benefit of not having to face Jermar Jefferson, as the freshman running back was limited to just two carries for the game. The Bear defense allowed just 95 yards on the ground in the win, with much of that coming on a 33-yard run by Jefferson.
The Golden Bears will try to make it two in a row when they welcome Washington to Berkeley on Saturday.