Upset City

For a couple of days, my gut has told me that an upset was brewing among our Utah 5.  I wondered if it would be the Aggies with the unknown element in Logan, or if BYU would lay and egg against Georgia Tech.  Perhaps the WSU wildcats would pull a game out against the Cal Poly Mustangs.  But no, it was the Utes catching Stanford without a winning game plan.

That can happen, however, when a team is hungry enough.  This year in the PAC-12, it's been close but no cigar for Utah.  However, today, they were able to hang at the end of the game.

Whether or not this turns out to be the turnaround Ute fans have been expecting remains to be seen.  The Utes have not yet played a game out of the State of Utah.  They are not yet bowl eligible.  There are other surprises in the conference in 2013, and a couple of them appear on Utah's schedule.  They do not have time to sit back and enjoy this as they have a tough game in the desert in Tuscon next week.  It's right back to work and such is life in the PAC-12.

POWs

Utah 27 Stanford 21

RB Bubba Poole
-When a close game is on the line, a good running back not only chews up yards, but chews up clock.

BYU 38 Georgia Tech 20

LB Spencer Hadley
-In the second half, this game turned into a defensive battle until the 4th quarter pick 6.  When your offense can't generate anything more than a 3-and-out, the defense has to come up big. Hadley, just returned from suspension, did just that.

Boise State 34 Utah State 23

WR Travis Reynolds
-Utah State was able to make the game interesting because the quarterbacks had someone sure and steady as a target.

Southern Utah 17 Portland State 7

DB Tyree Mills
-The second quarter interception returned inside the 10 was big.

Cal Poly 47 Weber State 0

None Selected
-WSU continues to underwhelm on both sides of the ball.


Conference Players of the Week

PAC-12

Oregon QB Marcus Mariota
-336 yards in the air, 88 yards on the ground as Oregon defeated Washington.

FBS Indy

Army RB Terry Baggett
-304 yards on 18 carries as the Black Knights smothered Eastern Michigan.

MWC

San Jose State QB David Fales
-Completed 80% of his passes, threw for 431 yards and helped SJSU outlast Colorado State.

Big Sky

Northern Arizona RB Zach Bowman
-196 yards and 2 touchdowns as NAU nipped Sacramento State

Games of the Week

PAC-12

Utah 27 Stanford 21
-Stanford is the first top 5 to go down in defeat in 2013.

FBS Independent

BYU 38 Georgia Tech 20
-This game was close until a 4th quarter pick 6 by Alani Fua

MWC

UNLV 39 Hawaii 37
-The Rebels were almost victims of a Warrior comeback.  They won the game on a 44-yard field goal as time expired.

Big Sky

Northern Arizona 39 Sacramento State 38
-The Lumberjacks erased a late 17 point Hornet lead.


Power Rankings

PAC-12

1.  Oregon
2.  UCLA
3.  Arizona State
4.  Oregon State
5.  Stanford
6.  Utah
7.  Washington
8.  USC
9.  Washington State
10.  Arizona
11.  Colorado
12.  California

FBS Inepdendent

1.  Notre Dame
2.  BYU
3.  Navy
4.  Army
5.  Old Dominion
6.  Idaho
7.  New Mexico State

MWC

1.  Fresno State
2.  Boise State
3.  Utah State
4.  San Diego State
5.  Wyoming
6.  UNLV
7.  Nevada
8.  San Jose State
9.  Colorado State
10. Air Force
11. New Mexico
12. Hawaii

Big Sky

1.  Eastern Washington
2.  Montana State
3.  Cal Poly
4.  Montana
5.  Southern Utah
6.  Northern Arizona
7.  Sacramento State
8.  North Dakota
9.  UC Davis
10. Portland State
11. Northern Colorado
12. Idaho State
13. Weber State

Projected Finishes

BYU
Currently 4-2
Projected Wins: Houston, Idaho State, Nevada, USC (Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl)
Projected Losses: Boise State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame
Projected Finish: 8-5
(Houston is the projected win that could become a loss while Boise State is the projected loss that could become a win.)

Utah
Currently 4-2
Projected Wins: Arizona, USC, Washington State, Colorado
Projected Losses: Arizona State, Oregon, Fresno State (Las Vegas Bowl)
Projected Finish: 8-5
(USC is the projected win that could turn into a loss.  Fresno State is the projected loss that could turn into a win)

Utah State
Currently 3-4
Projected Wins: New Mexico, Hawaii, UNLV, Colorado State, Wyoming, Navy (Armed Forces Bowl)
Projected Finish: 9-4
(UNLV and Wyoming are the most dangerous teams left on USU's schedule.)

Southern Utah
Currently 5-2
Projected Wins: Idaho State, Weber State, Northern Arizona
Projected Losses: Eastern Washington, Montana State
Projected Finish: 8-4
(SUU will need to defeat either EWU or Montana State to make the FCS playoffs.)

Weber State
Currently 1-6
Projected losses: Montana State, Portland State, Southern Utah, Montana, Idaho State
Projected Finish: 1-11

Utah QB Power Rankings

1.  Wilson
2.  Hill
3.  Garretson/Harrison
4.  Kantu
5.  Chippowetti