Pac-12 Football 

Stephen Vilardo’s Week 9 Matchups by the Numbers

, 13 min read
UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Chip Kelly vs Oregon last week. | Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Posted on October 29, 2021


  By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports

Week nine in the Pac-12 may not have the pomp and circumstance that last week’s matchups had, but once again, the matchups offer intrigue.

Both Washington schools will look to pick up wins in locations that have not been kind to them in recent years. The Cougs are 1-7 in their last eight trips to Tempe, while the Huskies have not left Stanford Stadium with a win since 2007.

USC looks to get their first win in the Coliseum since the opener while Arizona just looks for their first win of any kind in the last 24 ½ months.

Oregon looks to extend the nation’s third-longest winning streak at home against a Colorado team that does not give up big plays.

Oregon State heads to the Bay Area with the Pac-12’s best scoring offense, while Cal just might have the hottest defense in the league over the last month.

Utah and UCLA can go a long way in determining whether the south belongs to the Utes or if it is a three-horse race in a matchup that has seen the last four meetings go to Utes by a margin of almost 30 points per contest.

We get you set up for the last Saturday in October with our quick Pac-12 preview. 

WSU Cougars at ASU Sun Devils

FS1 | Cory Provus and Mark Helfrich | 12:00 pm PT

Series: Arizona State leads 27-15-2 and 17-6-2 in Tempe

• The Cougs have won two of the last three meetings.

• Arizona State has won 11 of the last 14 meetings with Washington State and 7 of the last 8 in Tempe

• The Sun Devils’ five wins this season have been by an average of 24.6 points. The two losses have been by 12.0 points per game.

• Washington State is aiming to win four-straight conference games for the first time since a seven-game streak in 2018.

• Arizona State is the only team this season that has not allowed a play from scrimmage of 40 yards or more.

• Travell Harris and Renard Bell have combined for 29 career receiving TDs, the fourth-most of any active Power 5 duo.

• Jahad Woods has forced eight fumbles in his career, the fifth-most of any active player in the nation. Woods also owns 380 total tackles in his career, the second-most of any player in the country.

• Max Borghi has 28 career rushing TDs, the second-most in WSU history

• Jayden de Laura leads the Pac-12 with 15 TD passes. 

• de Laura ranks second in the Pac-12 with 246.3 passing yards per game.

• The Cougars have forced 15 turnovers this season, tied for the 13th-most in the nation.

• Jayden Daniels needs 21 rush yards to reach 1,000 for his career and become the third QB in ASU history with 5,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards, joining Manny Wilkins and Taylor Kelly.

• ASU is ninth in the FBS in allowing just 7.8 second-half points per game against its FBS opponents.

• Arizona State has allowed a quarterback pressure on just 22.0 percent of drop backs this year, the seventh-lowest tally in the FBS.

• Darien Butler’s three interceptions are the most for an ASU linebacker since Mike Nixon had three in 2009. Butler’s three interceptions are tied for the most in the nation this season by a linebacker.

• Jayden Daniels is averaging 53.7 yards rushing per game, the 11th-most of any QB in the nation and the most for a Pac-12 signal-caller.

• ASU averages 3.0 sacks per game, tied for the most in the Pac-12 and 16th in the nation.

• Max Borghi’s 150 career receptions are the most of any RB in the nation.

Oregon Ducks Logo Pac-12Colorado Buffaloes at Oregon Ducks

FOX | Aaron Goldsmith and Brock Huard | 12:30 p.m. PT

Series: Oregon leads 13-9 with a 6-3 edge in Eugene

• The Ducks have won the last four meetings at Autzen Stadium.

• Oregon is 6-1 vs Colorado as Pac-12 opponents, and has averaged 48.6 points in those seven games.

• Oregon has won 16 consecutive games at Autzen Stadium, the third-longest active home winning streak in the nation.

• The Ducks are 19-1 at home under Mario Cristobal.

• Kayvon Thibodeaux is one of just seven FBS players this season to have at least nine tackles, four TFLs and two sacks in a game.

• With two receptions, Johnny Johnson will have 134 in his career and crack the top-10 mark on Oregon’s all-time list.

• Oregon has been outscored 45-44 in the first quarter this season but own a 79-45 edge in the fourth quarter.

• Oregon has gained 500 yards against Colorado in nine straight games, while holding the Buffs to under 300 in four of the last seven.

• Oregon is 13-1 in games in which Travis Dye has scored a TD. 

• Travis Dye is one of five active backs in the nation with at least 2,400 career rushing yards and 600 receiving yards in his career.

• Johnny Johnson and Jaylon Redd have combined for 31 career receiving TDs, the third-most of any active Power 5 duo in the nation.

• Last week, Colorado did not commit a penalty in the first three quarters.

• Noah Sewell has averaged 10.1 tackles per game over the last five games.

• The Buffs have allowed just two plays of 40+ yards this season, the second-fewest in the nation.

• Colorado is getting just 1.14 sacks per game, the ninth-fewest in the country.

• Verone McKinley is tied for second nationally with four interceptions on the season.

• Camden Lewis is one of nine players in the nation who has yet to miss a FG attempt (min of 1 FG attempt per game), going a perfect 7-for-7 on the year for Oregon.

Oregon State Beavers at California Golden Bears

P12N | Ted Robinson and Yogi Roth | 4:00 p.m. PT

Series: Cal leads 38-35 and 22-17 in Berkeley

• OSU has won the last two meetings with Cal by a combined 8 points.

• The Beavers lead the Pac-12 with 35.1 points per game.

• Oregon State averages 244.9 yards per game, the seventh-most in the nation.

• The Beavers are one of six FBS schools ranking in the Top 25 in both rushing offense (244.9 YPG) and rushing defense (116.6 YPG).

• B.J. Baylor has rushed for 100+ yards in four-straight games and five of the last six games. Baylor ranks sixth in the country with 118.6 rushing yards per outing.

• Jack Colletto is one of just two players nationally this season who have caught a TD, run for a TD, and had an interception on defense.

• B.J Baylor leads the Pac-12 and is tied for 10th nationally with 10 rushing touchdowns.

• Cal allowed 104 total yards last week against Colorado, the fewest they’ve allowed in a conference game since at least 1996. 

• The Bears had 12.0 TFL and 6 sacks last week.

• Chase Garbers had 96 rushing yards last week and passed Joe Kapp for the most career rushing yards by a Cal QB.

• Cal is allowing just 19.8 points per game in their last four games.

• Cal has scored on its opening drive in five of its seven games this season.

• Oregon State is converting on 53.66 percent of its third downs this season, the fourth-highest rate in the country. Colorado is allowing a third-down conversion on just 34.02 percent of opportunities, the best defensive mark in the Pac-12.

• Oregon State is allowing a conversion on 48.54 percent of opponents third downs, which ranks 123rd in the nation.

• Rejzohn Wright is tied for the Pac-12 lead and 15th in the nation with 1.14 passes defended per game.

• Avery Roberts is averaging 11.1 total tackles per game, the third-most stops in the nation.

Arizona football Pac-12usc logoArizona Wildcats at USC Trojans

ESPNU | John Schriffen and Rene Ingoglia | 4:00 p.m. PT

Series: USC leads 36-8 and the Trojans have won 20 of 24 meetings at home

• USC is 17-2 in the last 19 games in the series and have claimed the last eight meetings.

• The Wildcats have lost 19-straight games, the longest active streak in the nation. They have lost their last eight road games, the eighth-longest active streak in the nation.

• Arizona’s 16-consecutive Pac-12 losses is tied for the second-longest conference losing streak in the nation. (Kansas also has 16 in the Big 12, while Vanderbilt has lost 17 SEC games in a row.)

• Arizona’s turnover margin of –1.57 per game, the worst in the nation.

• USC has allowed 40.0 points per game in their four losses this season and just 11.7 in their three wins.

• USC has averaged 37.5 points per game in their current eight-game winning streak over Arizona.

• The Wildcats are allowing 176.4 passing yards per game, 13th-best in FBS. USC ranks 13th in the nation in passing offense at 315.6 yards per game.

• Arizona has held two opponents under 100 yards passing twice this season, the first time since 2008.

• Last week the Cats ran for a season high 218 yards.

• This season Jalen John and Stevie Rocker Jr. have combined to average 5.5 yards per carry.

• Drake London has five straight games with 100+ receiving yards, the first Trojan to do that since Marqise Lee in 2012.

• London is averaging 15.5 receptions over the last two games. 

• London is also the first player in Conference history with multiple games with 15+ catches.

• Last week was the first time in his career that Kedon Slovis has completed an entire game without throwing a TD pass.

• 272 of Stanley Berryhill’s 465 receiving yards have come after the catch.

• Kyle Ostendorp ranks second in the Pac-12 and sixth in the nation with 48.4 yards per punt.

• Entering this weekend, Drake London is one of just two players nationally with 1,000 receiving yards on the season with a total of 1,003, the second most in the nation.

• USC’s two defensive TDs this season are the ninth-most in the country.

UCLA Bruins at Utah Utes

ESPN | Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore & Stormy Buonantony | 7:00 p.m. PT

Series: Bruins lead 11-7 and have a slim 5-4 lead in games in Salt Lake City

• The Utes have won four in a row over UCLA.

• Utah has outscored UCLA 190-75 in the last four games between the two teams.

• UCLA has won its last four Pac-12 road games; the most since a stretch in 2013-15 when it won seven straight conference road matchups.

• Utah is 103-36 (.739) in Rice-Eccles Stadium.

• UCLA has outscored opponents 76-18 in the first quarter this season.

• Utah leads the Pac-12 and ranks 11th in the nation with 6.7 TFL per game.

• The Utes 3.0 sacks per game are 16th in the nation and tied for the most in the conference

• Devin Lloyd is second in the nation with a Pac-12-best 1.86 tackles for loss per game.

• Britain Covey ranks third in the nation in punt return average at 17.7 per return. 

• UCLA is allowing just 94.8 yards rushing per game for the 13th-best total in the nation.

• In Utah’s last three games, 11 of Utah’s 17 scoring drives have been for 65+ yards, averaging 63.2 yards and 7.5 plays over the span of those 17 scoring drives.

• Kyle Philips leads the Pac-12 with six receiving TDs this season.

• Greg Dulcich is fifth in the nation among TEs this season with a 17.0-yard average per reception.

• Dorian Thompson-Robinson ranks 17th in the NCAA with a Pac-12 most 120 points responsible for.

• Thompson-Robinson is 107 passing yards from the Top 5 on the UCLA all-time list. He owns 6,771 career yards through the air. 

• DTR is 65 yards away from being the fifth UCLA QB to top 1,000 career rushing yards.

• Britain Covey has caught 16 passes in his career, the most of any active Pac-12 player and 20th-most of any player in the nation.

Washington football pac-12Washington Huskies at Stanford Cardinal

FS1 | Alex Faust & Petros Papadakis | 7:30 p.m. PT

Series: Stanford leads 44-43-4 with a 23-20-3 mark at home

• Washington has not won at Stanford since 2007.

• Stanford is 10-3 in their last 13 games against Washington.

• Since the start of the 2010 season, Stanford is 54-14 (.794) at Stanford Stadium.

• Washington leads the nation with 140.1 passing yards allowed per game. 

• The Huskies are allowing 194.4 on the ground, ranking 108th.

• This season Stanford is 3-0 this when rushing for 100+ yards, 0-4 when held under 100 rushing yards.

• Washington is one of three teams in the FBS that remain perfect in the Red Zone.

• Washington has gone 82 games in a row without allowing an opponent to score more than 35 points; it is the Huskies’ longest such streak since an 83-game streak from 1975-1982. That streak ended on October 23, 1982.

• Washington’s last four games have been decided by seven points or less.

• Casey Filkins ranks fifth in the nation with a 14.9-yard punt return average for Stanford.

• Tanner McKee has six TDs and no INTs in Stanford’s two home games so far this season.

• Benjamin Yurosek has 11 receptions for 217 yards and a touchdown in the last two games.

• Stanford is unbeaten this season when leading at the half, in fact since David Shaw became head coach, the Cardinal is 80-7 when leading at the half, and just 9-29 when trailing after the opening 30 minutes.

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

Visit his website at sercstats.com.



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