PAC-12 Football Power Rankings week ending 9/19
Chip Clark
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4. #15 Oregon Ducks (2-1)
Last Game: The Ducks got a measure of redemption on Saturday when they knocked off Brigham Young 41-20 at Autzen Stadium. Their offense was close to 50/50 as UO threw for 222 yards and ran for 212.
Quarterback Bo Nix had his hand in all five Ducks touchdowns. He ran for three and added two more through the air.
Oregon gave up 303 passing yards to BYU but held tough when it mattered. They forced four turnovers on downs.
This Week: Despite Oregon’s offense getting held to just a field goal at Georgia, Nix is having a great season. The Auburn transfer has completed over 70% of his passes for 672 yards and 7 touchdowns. UO’s offense will give Wazzu all they can handle and then some.
3. Washington State Cougars (3-0)
Last Game: After winning at Wisconsin two weeks ago, what would the Washington State Cougars do for an encore? Well, they came back home to demolish Colorado State, 38-7.
Cougs quarterback Cameron Ward had his best game since transferring to the Palouse. He threw to 9 different receivers for 299 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defense was also outstanding, racking up 7 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 2 fumble recoveries, and an interception.
This Week: It’s the next big one for Wazzu. Oregon is coming to Pullman with something to prove.
The Washington State Cougars have something to prove as well. Wazzu is on the verge of cracking the top 25. A win over Oregon should put them on the list for the first time since September 15, 2019.
This could be the Cougs’ year. And not just because they have an exciting Air Raid offense. Under Jake Dickert, their defense has been outstanding so far. Their 12.7 point-per-game allowed is 19th in FBS.
The Cougs will need to bring their best to control Nix. If they can get injured safety Jordan Lee back for this game, it would help greatly.
For the first time in quite a few years, Oregon’s defense can be had. They allow 277 yards and 2.3 touchdowns against the pass. Additionally, the Ducks only have 3 sacks this year.
Look what Wazzu did in Wisconsin. They aren’t intimidated by a good team, and the contest is on their home field. Regardless of the outcome, this game should be lots of fun.