Quack Fix: Reviewing Stanford, Week 11 in College Football

Just your typical Sunday morning (especially if you’re an Oregon fan):

Football Roundup

• Oh, Oregon. Stanford (7-3, 5-3) blew out the Ducks, 52-27, behind a balanced attack: running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Keller Chryst threw for 258 yards and three TDs in just his third start. With that, the Ducks (3-7, 1-6) are destined to their first losing season since 2004, and they’ll be watching the postseason from home, as they are officially out of contention for a bowl game.
• Looking at next week’s opponent, No. 15 Utah (8-2, 5-2) struggled early against Arizona State (5-5, 2-5) but used big plays to light up the scoring column on the way to a 49-26 victory. Running back Joe Williams opened the second half with an 82-yard TD before capping the Utes’ second-half surge with a 40-yard score in the final frame.
• Around the rest of the Pac-12, No. 20 USC (7-3, 6-2) upset No. 4 Washington (9-1, 6-1), 26-13, leaving the College Football Playoff race even more to the unknown. USC quarterback Sam Darnold out-performed Heisman candidate Jake Browning, throwing for 287 yards and two touchdowns… UCLA (4-6, 2-5) snapped a four-game skid and sent Oregon State (2-8, 1-6) to its fifth straight loss, topping the Beavers, 38-24. Defensive back Randall Goforth iced the win for the Bruins, returning an interception 40 yards with 2:14 remaining… No. 16 Colorado (8-2, 6-1) remains atop the Pac-12 South with a 49-24 victory over Arizona (2-8, 0-7). QB Sefo Liufau passed for three TDs and ran for another to help the Buffaloes to their fourth straight win… No. 23 Washington State (8-2, 7-0) remains the only team undefeated in Pac-12 play after throttling Cal (4-6, 2-5), 56-21, during a record-filled night. The Cougars have opened conference play 7-0 for the first time in program history and have won eight straight for the first time since 1930.
• Across the country, five teams in the AP Top 10 fell last night… No. 2 Clemson dropped its first of the season, falling 43-42 to Pittsburgh. Kicker Chris Blewitt found redemption, drilling a 48-yard field goal in the game’s final seconds for the Panthers became bowl eligible. Hyped is an understatement:

#SwagSurfin’

• Always keep an eye on Iowa teams — they’re sneaky good (even in college hoops). The Hawkeyes handed the Wolverines a 14-13 loss, as No. 3 Michigan completed the trifecta of unbeaten teams in the top four to lose.

#NotSoFunFact

• While Iowa kicker Keith Duncan connected on a 33-yard FG to top Michigan, Gary Wunderlich drilled a 39-yarder with 37 seconds remaining to lift Ole Miss over No. 10 Texas A&M, 29-28… Georgia eliminated No. 8 Auburn from the playoff race after grinding out a 13-7 win. Looks like this year’s Iron Bowl won’t be so grand… Kansas found a way to become relevant on something other than a basketball court: LaQuvionte Gonzalez camouflaged himself in the end zone before running a 34-yard return on this sneaky play:

All-Things Ducks

• Speaking of college hoops, No. 5 Oregon opened the season with a 91-77 win over Army on Friday, behind 21 points from Tyler Dorsey… Just in case you weren’t already ecstatic for basketball season:

• No. 16 women’s volleyball (18-7, 11-5) went 2-1 this week with a 3-2 win at No. 23 Washington State on Sunday, a 3-1 loss versus No. 19 Utah on Wednesday and a 3-1 dub versus Colorado on Thursday. The Ducks beat the Buffs, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 25-16, on Senior Night, as Lindsey Vander Weide hit .381 with 20 kills and a career-high four aces.
• Women’s tennis went 8-1 overall on Day 2 of the Gonzaga Invitational in Spokane, Wash. on Saturday, sweeping doubles for the third straight tournament.
• Men’s tennis will close out the Duck Invitational in the finals on Sunday, as doubles duo Cormac Clissold and Thomas Laurent took down their Nevada and PSU opponents on Saturday, 8-2 and 8-3, respectively.
• No. 10 men’s and No. 11 women’s cross country both finished fourth in the NCAA West Regional Championship in Sacramento, Calif. on Friday. That helped both sides earn at-large bids on Saturday to the NCAA Tournament.

Before I say goodbye, say hello to HI-LIGHTS!