Pac-12 Football 

Stephen Vilardo’s Week 12 Matchups by the Numbers

, 11 min read
Oregon's Anthony Brown gets the ball into the end zone against Washington State | Andy Nelson/AP

Posted on November 19, 2021


  By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
The penultimate regular season weekend in the Pac-12 will see the Victory Bell awarded in Southern California and The Axe to the winner in Northern California.

The winner in Salt Lake City will earn a trip to the Pac-12 Championship game and—depending upon what happens in Corvallis—the loser may well be joining them in Las Vegas.

Pac-12And in Corvallis, the winner will still have a chance at the title game if the right team loses in Salt Lake City.

The week gets started with Arizona heading to the Palouse tonight to play a Washington State team that has put up 69 points on them the last two times they’ve met in Pullman.

Washington and Colorado open the slate Saturday and will try and grind it out as neither team has given up big plays this season.

Five Conference teams are bowl eligible (Oregon, OSU, Utah, ASU and UCLA) and Washington State can join them this week. USC, Washington and CAL must win out or will be home for the Holidays.

Arizona football Pac-12Arizona Wildcats at Washington State Cougars

P12N | JB Long and Maurice Jones-Drew | Friday, 6:00pm PT

Series: Arizona leads 27-17 and 11-6 in games in Pullman

• The Cougs have won three of the last four meetings and four of the last six.

• Washington State took a 55-14 lead into halftime the last time the teams met in 2018 in Pullman.

• WSU has outscored Arizona 138-35 in their last two meetings in Pullman.

• Arizona allows just 193.6 passing yards per game, which is second in the Pac-12 and 21st in the nation.

• Kyle Ostendorp is second in the Pac-12 and fifth in the nation, averaging 48.2 yards per punt.

• Nazar Bombata is one of nine players in the country with two blocked punts this season and is the first Wildcat since Michael Jolivette (2002) to block two punts in one season.

•  Stanley Berryhill III has a career-high 595 receiving yards this season with 353 yards after the catch.

• Jayden de Laura leads the Pac-12 with 19 passing touchdowns.

• Arizona’s D.J Taylor is fifth nationally with a punt return average of 13.8.

• Washington State leads the nation with 13 fumble recoveries this season.

• Stanley Berryhill III is second in the Pac-12 with 68 receptions this season which is the 10th most in Arizona single-season history.

• Jayden de Laura has multiple TD passes in seven of the nine games he’s played this season.

• Jahad Woods has 403 career tackles, 4th most in school history.

• Ron Stone is third in the Pac-12 with 10.5 TFL this season.

Washington football pac-12Washington Huskies at Colorado Buffaloes

P12N | Roxy Bernstein and Lincoln Kennedy | 12:00 pm PT

Series: Washington leads 12-6-1, the Huskies are 5-2 in Boulder

• Colorado has failed to score more than 20 points against Washington in four-straight meetings and six of their last seven meetings.

• Washington is looking to win three-straight on the road for the first time since 2017.

• Colorado’s Josh Watts ranks fourth in the nation punting for an average of 48.3 yards.

• Washington leads the nation in passing defense by a good margin allowing 136.3 per game, the next closest is Wisconsin at 155.7.

• Washington has not allowed an opponent to score more than 35 points in 85 consecutive games.

• Washington has only given up 8 plays of 30+ yards this season, the fewest in FBS.

• Brendon Lewis has thrown 83 consecutive passes without an interception, 2nd longest streak by a Colorado freshman, Craig Ochs has the record with 104 in 2000.

• This season Washington has allowed just three plays of 40+ yards, the second fewest in the nation. Colorado has allowed four such plays this year, the third fewest.

• The Buffs are averaging just 8.1 points per first half this season, 122nd in the nation. They have increased that to 15.7 in the last three.

• Colorado is punting the ball 1.8 times per point scored, 118th in the nation.

usc logoUCLA Bruins at USC Trojans

FOX | Joe Davis, Brock Huard, Bruce Feldman | 1:00 pm PT

Series: USC leads 51-37-7 all-time, USC is 25-15-4 as the home team

• The Trojans have a 5-4 edge over the last 9 series meetings, with the winning team averaging 39.4 points per game in those nine victories.

• The Trojans are 41-21-7 all-time vs the Bruins in the Coliseum, regardless of who the home team was.

• USC has won 10 of the last 11 in the series in the Coliseum.

• The Trojans have won five of the last six between the teams.

• This is just the 12th time ever the Trojans have entered this game with a sub-.500 record.

• Greg Dulcich has 564 receiving yards, the 8th most of any TE in the nation.

• Dorian Thompson-Robinson had 7 passing TDs the last 2 years against USC, averaging 365.5 pass YPG and 56.5 rush YPG in those 2 games.

• Keaontay Ingram has rushed for 100+ yards in 3 of the last 5 games, averaging 114.4 YPG in that span.

• UCLA has averaged 244.7 rushing yards per game in their six wins this season and 142.8 in their four losses.

• UCLA has run for at least 200 yards in all their wins this season.

• UCLA has allowed 304 passing yards per game in losses and just 242.7 in their wins.

• UCLA has averaged 20.7 points per game after halftime in their last three games

• USC has  just 8.3 points per game in the second half of their last three. The Trojans are averaging 15.7 in the second half of all games this season.

• UCLA has punted the ball 1.7 times per game in their last three games played, tied with Kentucky for the fewest in the nation over that period.

• UCLA has a 79-32 advantage in the first quarter of games this season and opponents have tallied just 3 TDs in the first quarter of games.

California Golden Bears at Stanford Cardinal

P12N | Ted Robinson and Yogi Roth | 4:00 pm PT

Series: Stanford leads 65-47-11 and the Cardinal are 31-22-1 at home

• This is the sixth most played rivalry in FBS with the teams meeting 123 times.

• The last two between the teams have been decided by four total points.

• Stanford has won 10 of the last 11 in the series.

• Elijah Hicks has an interception in 3 straight games, the first Cal player to do it in 3 straight since Griffin Piatt in 2014. Deltha O’Neal did it in 6 straight games in 1999.

• Cal must finish the season with wins over Stanford, UCLA and USC to become Bowl Eligible. That is something the Bears have not done since 1958.

• In three wins this season Cal has allowed an average of 76.0 rushing yards per game, in their losses it is 158.2 yards per game.

• Last week, Ari Patu became the first true freshman to start at QB for the Cardinal since 1983 and the 4th Stanford starter at quarterback this season, a new school record.

• Benjamin Yurosek is the only Power 5 tight end with 3 games with 90+ receiving yards this season.

• Yurosek has tallied 10 receptions for more than 20 yards on the season. That is the second most among Power Five tight ends.

• 24 of Benjamin Yurosek’s 32 catches this season have gone for first downs or touchdowns.

• Kyu Blu Kelly leads the Pac-12 and is tied for 12th in the nation with 1.2 passes defended per game.

Oregon Ducks Logo Pac-12Oregon Ducks at Utah Utes

ABC | Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge and Molly McGrath | 4:30 pm PT

Series: Oregon leads the series 23-10 with a 10-5 edge in Salt Lake City

• The Ducks are 5-2 against the Utes as Pac-12 opponents.

• Oregon clinches a spot in the Pac-12 Championship games with a win, or an Oregon State loss this week. Utah clinches a spot in the title game with a win or an Arizona State loss in Corvallis.

• Utah is 104-36 (.743) in Rice-Eccles Stadium.

• Oregon is 16-1 when Travis Dye scores a TD.

• Oregon has outscored opponents 82-27 in the third quarter this season.

• Verone McKinley III is tied for the national lead with 5 interceptions per game.

• Utah’s Britain Covey is returning punts at 14.7 yards per return, the third best in the country.

• Devin Lloyd is second in the nation with 2.0 tackles for loss per game this season.

• Tavion Thomas has 14 rushing touchdowns this season, the eighth most in the nation.

• Oregon is converting 516% of their third downs, the fifth best in the nation.

• Utah’s 4.5 penalties per game are the 13th fewest in the nation.

• Four of 4 Anthony Brown’s eight rushing TD this season have come in the 4th quarter.

• Utah has scored at least 34 points and totaled at least 450 yards of offense in their last six games.

• Cole Bishop has 5.0 TFL this season, all in the last 2 games.

• Travis Dye is the only Power-5 player and one of just three players nationally with at least 2,500 rushing yards and 700 receiving yards in their career.

• The Ducks are averaging 297.0 rushing yards per game over the last three contests, surpassing 250 in all three.

• Oregon has rushed for 15 TDs in the last four games.

• Devin Lloyd has 40 TFL since the start of 2019, the most of any power 5 player, Kayvon Thibodeaux is third with 33.5.

• Utah has scored a touchdown on its game-opening drive in five straight games.

• Utah’s defense ranks third in the Pac-12 in total defense (344.1), leading the league in sacks (3.18) and in tackles for loss (7.7) per game. Utah’s tackles for loss per game is tied for third in the FBS.

Arizona State Sun Devils at Oregon State Beavers

ESPN | Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore and Stormy Buonantony | 7:30 pm PT

Series: Arizona State holds a 30-14-1 lead and a 9-8-1 lead in Corvallis

• Oregon State has won 6 of the last 8 home games against the Sun Devils.

• The Beavers are 5-0 at home this season and looking to go 6-0 at Reser Stadium for the first time since 2000.

• Avery Roberts is averaging 11.1 tackles per game for Oregon State, the third most of any player in the country.

• Rachaad White has 14 rushing touchdowns this season, the eighth most in the nation.

• White has 386 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs in the last 2 games. His 386 rushing yards over the past two weeks are the second-most by an FBS player over a two-week span this season.

• Curtis Hodges averages 18.65 yards per reception this season, the second most of any TE in the nation and 23rd overall.

• Arizona State has allowed just one play of 40+ yards this year, the fewest of any team in the country.

• ASU has converted 82.6 percent of its opportunities (19-of-23) with one or two yards to go on third down – sixth-best in the FBS.

• Oregon State is converting 53.1% of their third downs, the fourth best in the nation.

• The Beavs have run for over 200 yards in all 5 home games.

• B.J. Baylor is the 9th player in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

• OSU’s defense allowed 230 yards last week against Stanford the fewest they’ve allowed in a game under Jonathan Smith.

• Rejzohn Wright is averaging 1.00 passes defended per game this season, second in the Pac-12 and 28 in the nation.

• Oregon State has run for 257.7 in wins this season and only 185.0 per game in losses.

• Oregon State is allowing a third down conversion at a rate of 49.66%, the fourth worst in the nation.

• Oregon State is punting the ball 0.5 times per score this season, the 6th best rate in the nation.

• Arizona State has allowed 7.9 points per game after halftime this season, the seventh fewest in the nation.

• Chase Lucas is one of just 6 Pac-12 corners with 200+ coverage snaps to not allow a TD this year, despite being targeted the third-most of any corner in the Pac-12 (18.4%).

• When rushing on third down, Jayden Daniels has picked up a first down or touchdown 55.0 percent of the time (min. 50 attempts) – 8th among FBS quarterbacks since 2019.

Follow Stephen on Twitter @StephenVilardo and his organization @SERCenter.

Visit his website at sercstats.com.



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