Quack Fix: Reviewing No. 11 Utah, Week 12 in College Football

Could it be?

Nope, just checking.

Football Roundup

• Oregon (4-7, 2-6) pulled off the unthinkable, upsetting No. 11 Utah (8-3, 5-3) on the road, 30-28. Quarterback Justin Herbert found receiver Darren Carrington in the corner of the end zone for a 17-yard TD with two seconds remaining. The refs initially called the pass incomplete, but after review, they ruled that Carrington had indeed tip-toed his feet in the red.

• Looking at next week’s opponent, Oregon State (3-8, 2-6) stomped Arizona (2-9, 0-8), 42-17, in the Pac-12’s battle of the basement dwellers. QB Marcus McMaryion threw for 265 yards and five TDs to help the Beavers snap a four-game skid and send the Wildcats to their eighth straight loss.
• Around the rest of the Pac-12, No. 12 Colorado (9-2, 7-1) handled No. 20 Washington State (8-3, 7-1), 38-24, putting the Buffaloes in position to win the Pac-12 South. QB Sefo Liufau rushed for 108 yards and three TDs and passed for 345 yards to help Colorado to its fifth straight win… Christian McCaffrey broke his own school record with 284 rushing yards and three TDs, as Stanford (8-3, 6-3) powered Cal (4-7, 2-6), 45-31, in the Big Game. This week on the Christian McCaffrey show:

• No. 7 Washington (10-1, 7-1) rolled over Arizona State (5-6, 2-6), 44-18, setting up an epic Apple Cup for the Pac-12 North title next Friday… No. 15 USC (8-3, 7-2) cruised by its crosstown rival UCLA (4-7, 2-6), 36-14, proving to be Los Angeles’ victor for the second straight year.
• Across the country, Houston pulled off its biggest upset since Week 1 (remember Oklahoma?), embarrassing No. 3 Louisville, 36-10, and essentially knocking the Cardinals out of the College Football Playoff conversation… Speaking of the Sooners, No. 8 Oklahoma topped No. 10 West Virginia, 56-28, giving the Big 12 at least a fighting chance of making the CFPs (we’ll see about that though).

This video’s old, but Baker Mayfield’s dancing deserves endless repeats. #AllTheSwag

• No. 2 Ohio State eclipsed Michigan State, 17-16. The Buckeyes halted a two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter, setting up perhaps the biggest game of the regular season against No. 4 Michigan next week… After trailing at the half for the first time all season, No. 4 Michigan came back to top Indiana, 20-10. All this talk of Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State somehow reminds me of Rutgers.

For Rutgers? No.

• No. 5 Clemson secured a spot in the AAC Championship with a 35-13 win over Wake Forest. (Another “Wakey Leaks” on our hands? Probs not.)… Last week, it was that camouflage trick play, and this week it’s an actual dub. Look at Kansas staying relevant in college football! The Jayhawks beat the Texas Longhorns for the first time since 1938, 24-21 in OT.

All Things Ducks

• No. 4 men’s basketball (2-1) went 1-1 during Week 2, falling at Baylor on Tuesday, 66-49, and beating Valparaiso at home Thursday, 76-54. Through three games, Chris Boucher is pacing the pack with 17.0 points on 63 percent shooting. On the defensive end, Jordan Bell is averaging 8.7 boards and 4.3 blocks per contest.

• Women’s basketball (2-0) opened its season with an 84-67 win over Lamar on Sunday and a 77-62 victory over CSU Bakersfield on Friday. Over those two games, Ruthy Hebard came off the bench to average a team-high 13.5 points on 77 percent shooting, adding 14 total rebounds as well.
• Women’s cross country captured its fourth NCAA title on Saturday, edging Michigan by a single point. On the men’s side, Edward Cheserek claimed third place, while the team finished ninth.

• Men’s tennis picked up a pair of wins at the Duck Invitational on Sunday to end the season on a high note. Doubles duo Thomas Laurent and Cormac Clissold took down their Portland counterparts for the doubles title before facing one another in singles. Laurent pulled out the win to remain perfect on the day.
• Women’s tennis (26-6 — 7-2 doubles, 14-4 singles) finished its season at the Gonzaga Invitational in Spokane, Wash. on Sunday. Julia Eshet finished first overall in singles, while the Ducks took the top three spots in doubles. Eshet and Mariou Kluving claimed first overall in doubles, Alyssa Tabita and Shweta Sangwan finished second, and Daniela Nasser and Nia Rose claimed third.
• No. 19 women’s volleyball (19-8, 12-6) split this week, 1-1, with a 3-1 loss at No. 9 UCLA on Friday and a 3-1 dub at USC on Saturday. In the latter, the Ducks hit .406, as four players notched double-digit kills for a 23-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-14 win over the Trojans.

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