Week 2 of the football season saw the Pac-12 go a perfect 9-0 against non-conference competition and a big-time upset in the Conference's first head-to-head matchup of the year. That success bodes well as opposition from the Big Ten and SEC take on Pac-12 squads in week 3. Here's Pac-12 football week 2 in photos.
We're only two weekends into football, but the Cougars have already pulled one of the big shockers of the season, edging the Trojans down at the Coliseum. Neither offense was especially sharp, yet the Washington State defense and Andrew Furney's 41-yard field goal sealed the victory Saturday in Los Angeles. Mike Leach's bunch looks to keep the momentum going this Saturday, Sept. 14 as they take on Southern Utah in Pullman.
Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota got the offense rolling with a TD run of 71 yards on just the third play of the game as Oregon defeated the Cavaliers convincingly in Charlottesville. Mark Helfrich's squad will continue their national speed exhibition when they welcome Tennessee to Autzen on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Last, but not least: The Cardinal's 2013 debut was the last among Pac-12 teams, and David Shaw's bunch stuck with their familiar recipe for success to grind out a win over the Spartans. Running back Tyler Gaffney talked about his return to the gridiron Saturday night following his 104-yard, two-touchdown performance. Stanford now heads to West Point to take on Army Saturday, Sept. 14.
Also making their season debut in week 2 were the Sun Devils, who had their high-octane offense clicking early in a lopsided win over the Hornets. ASU scored a touchdown on each of their first five possessions and Taylor Kelly talked about his opening night performance after the game. Todd Graham and company will regroup as Wisconsin comes to Tempe for a Sept. 14 matchup.
For the first time since 2008, the Buffaloes are 2-0 after outlasting the Bears Saturday at Folsom Field. FCS power Central Arkansas put up a fight, but Jered Bell's 79-yard pick-six helped tie the game early in the fourth quarter and swing momentum to Colorado. Mike MacIntyre looks to start 3-0 with Fresno State coming to Boulder on Sept. 14.
Following a comeback win against Utah State in week 1, the Utes made it look a little easier with a big win against Weber State on Saturday. Quarterback Travis Wilson threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more. Utah's Mike Honeycutt had one of the more impressive defensive plays of the week, literally ripping the ball out of the Wildcats' hands. The Utes jump into conference action against Oregon State on Saturday, Sept. 14 in Salt Lake City.
Quarterback B.J. Denker and the 'Cats were off to the races against the Rebels Saturday in Las Vegas, racking up another one-sided victory. The real story here was the Arizona defense, which was often maligned last season, holding opponents to a combined 13 points in two games. Rich Rodriguez is looking to keep his hot hand going against UT San Antonio this Saturday, Sept. 14 in Tucson on the Pac-12 Networks.
The Golden Bears wound up in more of a dogfight than they probably bargained for, but a strong second half helped them secure Sonny Dykes' first Pac-12 win. In case you missed it, here's Maurice Harris' ridiculous one-handed touchdown catch. Cal will have to use some of the creativity they featured against Northwestern as they welcome Ohio State to Berkeley on Saturday, Sept. 14.
It was another nail-biter at Reser, but the Beavers used a much more sound second half to power past the Rainbow Warriors. Coach Mike Riley gave his traditional "hip hip hooray" cheer during OSU's postgame celebration. The Beavs will try for their first conference win of the year as they head to Salt Lake City to take on Utah on Saturday, Sept. 14.