Pac-10 Week 12 Wrap Up

Entering the weekend four teams had a shot at winning the conference and earning a trip to the Rose Bowl, but after Saturday’s action there are only two teams remaining and they are both from the state of Oregon. Saturday was a really good day or the conference. The Big Game was a thriller that came down to the final minutes and the Oregon-Arizona game went into double overtime and lived up to all the hype that surrounded it.

Oregon @ Arizona: Wow. The winner of this game gained complete control of their schools Rose Bowl hopes and Jeremiah Masoli proved that he was willing to do whatever it took in order to ensure that Oregon would get the win. The Oregon quarterback was nothing short of miraculous in a double overtime win in which he rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another three. The Ducks jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the surrendered 24 unanswered points. Masoli completed a touchdown pass to Ed Dickson with 6 seconds left in regulation, sending the game to overtime. Both teams scored a touchdown on the first possession, but the Ducks were able to hold U of A to a field goal in the second overtime and then Masoli rushed for a one yard touchdown and gave his Ducks the victory. Jeff Maehl also had a great game with 12 receptions, two touchdowns and 114 yards. The Ducks will begin preparing for the Civil War against Oregon State on December 3rd. The winner will win the conference and go to the Rose Bowl.

ASU @ UCLA: The Bruins are now bowl-eligible. This game did not have vey much offense, but the Bruins defense was able to force 6 ASU turnovers en route to a 23-13 victory over the Sun Devils. UCLA will now shift its focus to USC next week in the always heated rivalry game, whereas ASU will look to end their season on a bright spot with a win over the Wildcats who will be looking to rebound after yesterday’s stunning double overtime loss to Oregon.

Cal @ Stanford: Shane Vereen rushed for three touchdowns, but Stanford’s Toby Gerhart rushed for four. Stanford had a chance to win the game but Cal intercepted Andrew Luck at the three yard line with less than two minutes to go to seal the Golden Bear victory. Cal has beat Stanford seven out of their last eight meetings and the Bears will get greater joy in knowing that they ended Stanford’s hope for a Rose Bowl bid.

Oregon State @ Washington State: Oregon State won 42-10. This result was expected and is shocking to no one. The Beavers executed their game plan and came away with an easy win that was necessary to keep Rose Bowl hopes alive. The Beavers lone remaining game will be a trip to Eugene in two week to face their bitter rivals, the Oregon Ducks. This year’s Civil War will be incredibly important because the winner will play one New Year’s Day in Pasadena.