No. 5 Washington clinches Pac-12 championship berth with 22-20 victory over No. 10 Oregon State
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Michael Penix Jr. threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 5 Washington remained undefeated and clinched a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a 22-20 victory over No. 10 Oregon State on Saturday. It was the final Pac-12 game at Reser Stadium as the conference currently stands. The Pac-12 collapsed over the summer, leaving Oregon State and Washington State as the lone remaining teams. Rome Odunze caught seven passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns for the Huskies, who have won 18 straight games.
Mendoza hurt, returns to lead Cal past Stanford 27-15 in Big Game
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Fernando Mendoza threw for 294 yards and a season-high three touchdowns, Jaydn Ott ran 36 times for 166 yards and a score, and California beat Stanford 27-15 in the annual Big Game. Mendoza, the redshirt freshman making his sixth straight start after beginning the year buried on the depth chart, overcame a big hit by Stanford linebacker Tristan Sinclair early in the second quarter and returned to lead the Bears (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) to a second consecutive win that keeps Cal’s postseason hopes alive. Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels was 18 of 35 for 188 yards passing and a touchdown, and added another 68 yards rushing for Stanford (3-8, 2-7).
Nix throws for 404 yards, 6 TDs as No. 6 Oregon rolls to 49-13 win over Arizona State
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Bo Nix threw for 404 yards and a career-high six touchdowns, Patrick Herbert and Troy Franklin both caught two touchdown passes and No. 6 Oregon rolled to a 49-13 win over Arizona State on Saturday. The Ducks buried the Sun Devils with an avalanche of offense on the way to a 42-0 lead, scoring touchdowns on their first six offensive drives and gaining 444 total yards. Nix had touchdown passes of 23, 49, 16, 45, 71 and 16 yards. Oregon came into the game with the nation’s No. 1 offense, averaging more than 46 points per game.
UCLA routs spiraling USC 38-20 in Los Angeles’ crosstown showdown
LOS ANGELES (AP) — UCLA trounced spiraling Southern California 38-20 in the 93rd edition of their crosstown showdown. T.J. Harden rushed for a career-high 142 yards and scored two touchdowns and Hudson Habermehl made two TD catches for the Bruins, who probably improved coach Chip Kelly’s tenuous job security by reclaiming the Victory Bell with their second straight blowout win in the Coliseum. Caleb Williams passed for 384 yards on his 22nd birthday in the final game of a calamitous regular season for the Trojans, who have lost five of six after starting 6-0 and being ranked No. 5 entering the year.
Ward leads Washington State to 56-14 romp over Colorado; Sanders exits with injury
PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Cameron Ward threw for 288 yards and accounted for four touchdowns, Brennan Jackson had two scoop-and-score touchdowns and Washington State beat Colorado 56-14 to snap a six-game losing streak and end the Buffaloes’ hopes of a bowl game in the first year under Deion Sanders. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders left the game in the second quarter after taking a big hit on a botched snap. Colorado (4-7, 1-7 Pac-12) and “Coach Prime” were the darlings of college football after a 3-0 start, but the team has lost seven of eight since. Washington State (5-6, 2-6 Pac-12) kept its hopes for a bowl game alive with the victory, but the Cougars will need to find a way to topple rival Washington next week in the Apple Cup.