Pac-12 Football Power Rankings, Week 8: Washington State makes big jump

Typically, it is Oregon and its fans inside Autzen Stadium that bring the noise. But on the road in Pullman, Washington this past week, the Ducks appeared rattled by Washington State.

Justin Herbert threw for 270 yards, but was just 25 of 44 passing, as Oregon fell, 34-20. The Ducks, who had been piling up yards on the ground in recent weeks, were held to just 58 as a team, with 55 of those coming from C.J. Verdell.

Despite falling in a 27-0 hole at halftime, Oregon rallied to make it a one possession game with 20 unanswered points. Herbert directed two touchdown scoring drives and two more that resulted in field goals, but the Duck defense couldn’t get one more stop when they needed it.

Oregon will try to bounce back when they hit the road for a late Saturday night contest at Arizona.

The energy generated by having ESPN’s College Gameday on campus for the first time was evident by the quick start from Washington State, as they claimed a 14-point victory over Oregon. Now, the Cougars must show they are for real and a serious threat by taking care of business on the road.

Washington State can put itself in control of the Pac-12 North with a win at Stanford this week, as they will conclude the regular season against in-state rival Washington. All three have one league loss at the moment.

Gardner Minshew threw three first half touchdown passes vs. the Ducks, finishing 39 of 51 for 323 yards and four touchdowns. His score in the final four minutes to Dezmon Patmon sealed the victory, as Patmon hauled in six passes for 81 yards on the day.

The Cougars also flexed some defensive might, limiting Oregon to 2.4 yards rushing per carry. The Ducks were also just 5-for-16 on third-down conversions in the game.