USC WR JuJu Smith-Schuster violently stiff arms a Utah defender

Yes, the selection committee would probably give the Utes a boost for beating the team (Stanford) that beat the team (Notre Dame) that beat the team (USC) that beat them.

The damage has been done. And while the defense did play well against the Trojans, it couldn’t sustain its intensity with Utah’s offense failing to mount lengthy drives.

And yet losing looked like a strong probability early, when Utah’s Hunter Dimick was chasing USC quarterback Cody Kessler into darkness, and the makeshift offensive line was starting to cave.

And they have no easy answers.

Connor Cook threw for 398 yards and four touchdowns for Michigan State. Falk completed 47 of 62 passes, working the middle of the field as if it were merely a lazy summer afternoon of 7-on-7 drills.

From the block itself, through the well-judged return, which was brilliantly set up by the Georgia Tech blockers, it was yet one more insane special teams ending on a season that seems to have provided a memorable one every week. The former Miami transfer was everywhere, tallying a game-high 17 tackles, 5.5 of which were for minus yards. Utah looks to bounce back after looking unimpressive in their loss against USC. There are 12 unbeaten teams remaining, including three apiece in the American and Big 12, but none in the Pac-12 – which sets it apart from the other Power 5 conferences in an undistinguished way.

Utah’s strength all season had been its defense. The situation could very well get worse.

After winning the Pac-12 South last season, Arizona is now in a full-out race just to get to six wins and become bowl eligible.

He has gone to the bullpen in each of the past two weeks, and Jerrard Randall has provided a spark both times. That total included more than 20 minutes of possession in the second half, when the Trojans expertly protected a double-digit lead.

“You can lose at any point in this conference”, he said.

But sophomore Anu Solomon, who has started 21 games, hasn’t played all that well since suffering a concussion on September 26 against UCLA.

“A lot of the credit goes to [defensive coordinator] Justin Wilcox”, Clay Helton said. “To be able to shut it down and get into the passing game, we thought that was to our advantage”. Utah should be able to move the ball on Oregon State easily but I think Oregon State will cover the spread.

No. 10 Stanford 31, Washington 14: STANFORD, Calif. – Christian McCaffrey caught a touchdown pass, ran for another score and gained 300 all-purpose yards to lead Stanford to its sixth straight victory. Arizona (5-3, 2-3) pulled to within three points in the fourth quarter after Jerrard Randall replaced Anu Solomon at quarterback.

“I don’t know how they were 3-3 going in, but they’re really good”, he said of USC after the game. We’ve been taunting him about it this week.

Perhaps the real difference is when USC plays relaxed.

“Somehow, he got them fired up emotionally, and part of that is because as a defense, you are a little apprehensive”.

Randall ran 10 times for 105 yards. He has four runs of 50-plus yards, the same as LSU running back Leonard Fournette, the Heisman front-runner. As far as college football real estate goes, that’s not exactly the Tenderloin, but the conference’s national title drought will extend to its 11th year.

Holding him back has been knowing where and when to deliver the ball, and then being accurate when he does.