Highlights & Overview of Week Nine 2019 Games
Week Nine of the 2019 season saw 10 teams in action with Washington State visiting No. 11 Oregon, Cal at No. 12 Utah, UCLA hosting No. 24 Arizona State, Arizona at Stanford and Colorado hosting USC. Oregon State and Washington had a bye week.
Oregon’s CJ Verdell and Camden Lewis, and Stanford’s Paulson Adebo were the Pac-12 Players of the Week.
You’ll find a list of the teams ranked at the end of the week, and a table of the week’s complete results at the bottom of the page.
UCLA 42, No. 24 Arizona State 32
The Bruins pulled off their second upset over a ranked team in Week 9, taking down the No. 24 Sun Devils. But unlike their historic comeback against Washington State in Week 4, UCLA took control of the game early, jumping to a 42-10 lead before giving up 22 straight points. In recording their second-straight double-digit win, the Bruins seem to have hit their midseason stride. The rushing attack had produced more than 200 yards in four consecutive games, with Joshua Kelley grinding teams up the middle for 340 yards and five touchdowns in the last two games. The UCLA defense played much better as well, capitalizing on its newfound pass rush, and getting respectable performances from its defensive backs.
No. 11 Oregon 37, Washington State 35
The Ducks survived a scare against the Cougars, winning on Camden Lewis’ 26-yard field goal as time expired. While the victory didn’t clinch the Division, it gave Oregon a nearly air-tight lock on the North. The Duck offensive line, anchored by two mid-season AP All-Americans, opened up gaping holes for sophomore running back CJ Verdell. And the numbers he put up—257 yards and three touchdowns—were mind-boggling. Defensively, Oregon seemed to take a step backward, with Wazzu quarterback Anthony Gordon dissecting UO linebackers and defensive backs for 406 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with under two minutes left. But then, the Coug Air Raid had a way of making most defenses look bad.
No. 12 Utah 35, Cal 0
After their early-season loss to USC in the Coliseum, the Utes had looked flawless. That trend continued in Week 9 with a 35-0 manhandling of the Golden Bears for Utah’s first Pac-12 shutout in program history. Third-string Cal quarterback Spencer Brasch couldn’t have been dealt a more difficult debut opponent: The true freshman was held to 39 yards passing, and lost 23 yards on the ground. Granted, the Bears were banged up and vulnerable, but the Utah steamroller seemed poised to crush any team in its path.
USC 35, Colorado 31
The Trojans traveled to Colorado with a pedestrian overall record and looked every bit the part. Until the fourth quarter. In the last 15 minutes, wideout Michael Pittman Jr. took over the contest, catching touchdown passes of 44 and 37 yards, and securing the win on his second score with 2:15 left. As often was the case last season, the Trojans didn’t play up to their potential, relying on depth and talent to bail them out in the end. It was Troy’s first road win of the season. True freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis played well enough, but committed some untimely mistakes. His interception in the first half shifted momentum to the Buffs, and his fumble in the red zone could have proved disastrous, if it hadn’t been recovered by a teammate.
Stanford 41, Arizona 31
Stanford got a big boost with the return of K.J. Costello, who threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns. In fact, his performance may have precipitated the firing of Wildcat defensive coordinator Marcel Yates.
Pac-12 in AP Rankings After Week 9
| Team | Rank |
| Oregon | 7 |
| Utah | 9 |
Complete Week 9 Pac-12 Football Results
|
Date |
Visitor |
Home team |
Result |
|
10/25 |
USC |
Colorado |
USC 35-31 |
|
10/26 |
Arizona |
Stanford |
Stan 41-31 |
|
10/26 |
No. 24 Arizona State |
UCLA |
UCLA 42-32 |
|
10/26 |
Cal |
No. 12 Utah |
Utah 35-0 |
|
10/26 |
Washington State |
No. 11 Oregon |
Ore 37-35 |
—Staff