2020 Pac-12 Football Previews: Week 2

Washington and Arizona, victims of cancellations last week, kick off their first games

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Posted on November 12, 2020


  By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports

In the minds of many college football observers on the East Coast, the only relevant developments in the Conference of Champions over the weekend were the Oregon and USC victories.

Yet, despite the Pac-12 taking the most cautious approach to Coronavirus safety, a third of its games were cancelled on opening weekend. That pattern has repeated itself this week.

Any additional cancellations, especially contests featuring the Ducks or Trojans, would further hamper the Conference’s chances.

Without an attention grabbing matchup this week, UO and SC must win their games convincingly to keep the Pac-12 at the forefront of the Committee Members’ thoughts.

Below, I preview those games, and every other Pac-12 contest, including the Cal-ASU and Utah-UCLA games, which have since been canceled. As always, the picks of our senior football writers appear at the bottom of the page.

Colorado at Stanford

Saturday, Nov. 14
12:30 p.m. PT, ESPN

The Buffs are gushing with momentum after an upset win in Boulder. Sam Noyer played better than most expected, and the senior appears more than capable of leading CU to additional victories. Running back Jarek Broussard figures to build on his record-setting performance against a Stanford run defense that gave up 269 yards on the ground to Oregon.

For the Tree, the status of Davis Mills remains questionable. David Shaw would feel more comfortable if the quarterback is cleared to play, but regardless of who takes the field under center, Stanford must find a way to put up more than 14 points this time around. Based off Week One, Simi Fehoko, Nathaniel Peat, and Austin Jones are the Cardinal’s primary offensive threats for Shaw to emphasize. And while a road victory and a 2-0 start would turn heads, it remains to be seen if Colorado can replicate the same energy away from Boulder.

USC at Arizona

Saturday, Nov. 14
12:30 p.m. PT, Fox

There’s no sugar-coating the Trojans’ opening game performance against the Sun Devils: They were lucky to escape with a win. Fortunately, the Wildcat defense presents a more manageable challenge after being wrecked by transfers. The UA offense, on the other hand, is capable of putting up enough points to keep the game within reach if Clay Helton and company are over-confident.

The X-Factor is Arizona’s heightened motivation to play after its opener with Utah was canceled, and the 1:30 p.m. local time kickoff. The desert sun tends to zap the energy out of the unprepared, even on milder days like the one forecasted for Saturday. For USC to take care of business, they must slow down the Wildcats’ rushing attack and put pressure on Grant Gunnell. But another performance filled with turnovers might create just enough daylight for Kevin Sumlin to pull off the upset.

Oregon at Washington State

Saturday, Nov. 14
4:00 p.m. PT, Fox

Jayden de Laura was the first Cougar true freshman quarterback to start the season opener, and he didn’t disappoint. The Duck defense, though, is in a league of their own. Andy Avalos likely throws the book at de Laura to confuse the young Hawaiian with packages designed to force poor throws and sacks. If the Oregon defense is as elite as most believe it to be, Nick Rolovich’s inexperienced quarterback could find himself in trouble.

The key, arguably, is WSU’s ability to effectively run the ball. Max Borghi’s status remains unknown, but Deon McIntosh appears to fit well in the Run-and-Shoot. At the same time, Tyler Shough faces his first road test as a starter. The redshirt sophomore has plenty of weapons to rely on and CJ Verdell could have a field day against the Cougar defense. Either way, this matchup should be a good bellwether for the strength of both teams.

California at Arizona State

Saturday, Nov. 14
7:30 p.m. PT, ESPN2

UPDATE: THE CAL-ASU GAME HAS BEEN CANCELED

Coming off a game they should have won, the Sun Devils face another quality opponent in the Cal Bears—assuming the City of Berkeley lets them play. Without a Week One game to judge, California is an unknown commodity. Justin Wilcox returns 18 total starters from a team that went 8-5 last year, but lost stars Evan Weaver and Ashtyn Davis. The Arizona State defense will be forced to contend with a healthy Chase Garbers and a Cal offense that returns every starter from the 2019 squad.

But Herm Edwards’ defense is strong under the combined leadership of Marvin Lewis and Antonio Pierce. And ASU’s rushing attack, led by Jayden Daniels, DeaMonte Trayanum, and Rachaad White, is as potent as any in the Pac-12. The clash should arguably result in the Game of the Week in the Conference of Champions, with implications for the bowl season pecking order.

Utah at UCLA

Saturday, Nov. 14
7:30 p.m. PT, Fox

UPDATE: THE UTAH-UCLA GAME HAS BEEN CANCELED

After a slew of positive COVID tests, Utah’s opener was canceled under the Pac-12’s Coronavirus cancellation policy. The positive results threw this game into question as well, and it’s still unclear if the Utes will have the minimum number of players available to play. Kyle Whittingham has already stated they are preparing their walk-ons, but it’s not a certainty that this matchup will take place. If it does, Whittingham must find a way to stop Dorian Thompson-Robinson who put up 5 touchdowns and over 400 total yards in a losing effort in Boulder.

None of that could matter, however, if the Bruin defense surrenders points as easily as they did against CU. Chip Kelly may be able to take some solace from the astounding amount of production the Utes must replace on both sides of the ball this season, but the UCLA defense is the team’s Achilles Heel. Then again, a better than expected showing from Kelly’s defense could be the difference in the game.

Oregon State at Washington

Saturday, Nov. 14
8:00 p.m. PT, FS1

Through no fault of their own, the Dawgs opener was taken from them. If that’s not motivation to make a statement against the Beavers, Jimmy Lake has a problem on his hands. Even with the open question at quarterback, Washington should come out swinging. The Huskies have plenty of weapons at wide receiver and running back to go along with an elite defense.

There’s little reason to think the Beavers can pull off the upset, but stranger things have happened. For Jonathan Smith, a more consistent performance from Tristan Gebbia is a realistic goal for this game. The first half against Washington State was tough to watch at times, and OSU will be hoping for the second-half version of the first-year starter. Jermar Jefferson figures to do Jermar Jefferson things, and a big night from the running back could make this game closer than many expect.

California at UCLA

Sunday, Nov. 15
9:00 a.m. PT, FS1

The Bears take on the Bruins in Pasadena early Sunday morning after both team’s previously scheduled games were cancelled due to COVID-19. The flexibility of the coaches, administration, Pac-12 Conference, and its broadcast partners allowed this game to come together within roughly 24 hours. Everyone involved should be commended for their efforts.

On the field, California finally gets the opportunity to show the country how good they really are. Chase Garbers is healthy and ready to lead a Bear offense that returns every starter. On the other sideline, Dorian Thompson Robinson looks to repeat his stellar performance from last week, but with a faster start. With no time to prepare for each other, it’s anyone’s guess how this one turns out. Either way, it’s #Pac12BeforeBrunch on a Sunday.

Picks from our SportsPac12 Senior Football Writers

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