Stanford and Oregon State played this weekend's truly close game, but several other Pac-12 teams posted statement wins during the last weekend of October. Here's the rundown for week 9 of the 2013 college football season.
The Cardinal struggled offensively, but another stellar defensive effort secured victory in Corvallis as Stanford held the explosive Oregon State offense to just 3.8 yards per play. The Cardinal can now firmly set its sights on the Ducks, who visit on Nov. 7 after this weekend's bye. Oregon State welcomes USC next Saturday.
It was close for about three quarters. Then, Oregon did what Oregon does: The Ducks ripped off four consecutive touchdowns to send a strong statement to the rest of the nation. The Quack Attack racked up 555 yards of total offense ahead of their Nov. 7 showdown at Stanford. UCLA returns home to face Colorado next Saturday.
A year after racking up a Pac-12 record 366 rushing yards and five touchdowns against Colorado, Ka'Deem Carey scored four times in a 119-yard performance that complemented B.J. Denker's solid game and satisfied Rich Rodriguez. Afterwards, Scooby Wright talked about his team's defensive effort. The Wildcats, now 5-2, travel to Berkeley next weekend to take on Cal. Colorado, meanwhile, will face a stiff test in UCLA at the Rose Bowl.
The Trojans' defense notched another high-quality performance in limiting Utah quarterback Travis Wilson to 51 passing yards (here's Leonard Williams talking QB pressure). USC's Cody Kessler passed for 230 on the other end of that stifling effort while Nelson Agholor flashed his athleticism. Ed Orgeron's club travels to Oregon State next; Utah is off.
The Huskies beat the Bears while paying tribute to their legendary former coach Don James, who passed away this week. Keith Price's 376-yard effort led the way, but Washington may have lost receiver Kasen Williams for the season due to injury. The Huskies have next weekend off, while Cal hosts Arizona.