Week one of college football is in the books and the Pac-12 looks strong with five teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Here are a few storylines from last weekend's slate of games, along with our weekly power poll:
Huskies just fine without ASJ
Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins rejoined the Husky starters at practice Monday, after sitting out in the team's rout over Boise St. last weekend. Fans saw how explosive Washington's offense was without their All-American tight end, it can only get better in two weeks when Seferian-Jenkins returns. Sark's biggest concern with Seferian-Jenkins returning? Right now, ASJ is a little out of shape because he's been sitting out with a broken pinky the past two weeks.
Oregon's Mitchell ejected under new targeting rule
Oregon cornerback Terrance Mitchell was ejected from the team's game against Nicholls State in the first quarter for targeting opposing quarterback Beaux Hebert above the neck. Hebert scrambled and slid inbounds toward the sideline, as he slid, Mitchell dove in for the tackle and caused helmet-to-helmet contact. You can view the hit here. While Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti agreed with the 15-yard penalty resulting from the hit, he didn't think the ejection was warranted. Safety is obviously a priority, but is an ejection too much for a hit like Mitchell's?
Who's 'the guy' at USC?
Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin knows who'll start against Washington St. this coming Saturday, but he isn't letting the media or the Cougars in the know. Quarterback Cody Kessler played the entire first half and the first series of the second half, completing 10-of-19 passes for 95 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Max Wittek played the rest of the game, completing 5-of-10 passes for 77 yards.
FCS Blues
Oregon State's offense looked sharp, but it's defense was weaker than a wet napkin as the Beavs did the unthinkable and lost to an FCS team ... again. Coach Mike Riley telegraphed his concerns a week ago when he noted to a beat writer that none of his JC transfers had "separated themselves". Riley is currently counting on JCs to help cover the loss of six defensive linemen from last year's defense. The Beavers get a chance at redemption this week with a home game against Hawaii.
Power Poll:
1. Oregon Ducks (1-0)- New coach, same old Oregon. Mark Helfrich led his team to a 66-3 stomping over the helpless Nicholls State Colonels. This coming week's road game Virginia is moderately more difficult, but expect another blowout.
2. Stanford Cardinal (0-0)- How good can quarterback Kevin Hogan be? After replacing Josh Nunes in week nine last season, Hogan went 5-0 overall, with four wins against ranked squads. Protected by one of the best offensive lines in the country and equipped with more knowledge of Stanford's offensive system, huge progress is expected from Hogan.
3. Washington Huskies (1-0)- Too high, too early? As much as some Husky fans may hate to admit, the Dawgs did a decent job of imitating Oregon last Saturday. The offense was quick, the defense was dominant and the Huskies looked just unstoppable in the second half against Boise St. Washington gets a bye this week before traveling to Chicago for a road game against Illinois in week three.
4. UCLA Bruins (1-0)- Can UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley challenge Oregon's Marcus Mariota for the title of best signal-caller in the Pac-12? Hundley started his sophomore campaign, completing 22-of-33 passes for 274 yards and 2 touchdowns, while piling up 63 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The Bruins get a bye before traveling to Nebraska for a marquee matchup.
5. USC Trojans (1-0)- A team has a lack of clarity at the most important position on the field, yet is somehow able to pull out a convincing 30-13 road victory? This team is probably in good shape, but the fact that both Max Wittek and Cody Kessler looked pedestrian have the locals wondering if it is time to turn to true freshman Max Browne. The Trojans host Washington St. this week to open up conference play.
6. Arizona St. Sun Devils (0-0)- Will the Sun Devils avoid a letdown and not turn out like Oregon St. this weekend? ASU hosts their own FCS opponent, Sacramento St., to open up their season this Saturday. Sacramento St. has taken down its last two Pac-12 opponents, Colorado last season, and Oregon St. in 2011.
7. Arizona Wildcats (1-0)- Running back Ka'Deem Carey returns for the Wildcats this coming weekend after having to sit out against Northern Arizona. The Wildcats' Daniel Jenkins performed fine while he filled in for Carey, running for 139 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. The two could form a nice duo in the backfield for Arizona this season.
8. Oregon St. Beavers (0-1)- It's best not to overreact, but the last time the Beavers lost to an FCS team, the team went 3-9 in 2011. The Beavers' defense looked atrocious against Eastern Washington, forcing the Eagles to punt just one time.
9. Utah Utes (1-0)- Is Dennis Erickson making a difference? The Utes' new co-offensive coordinator saw Utah quarterback Travis Wilson pass for 302 yards in the team's 30-26 victory over Utah State, a sight rarely seen last season. The Utes were the worst passing team in the Pac-12 last season, averaging a measly 190 yards through the air.
10. California Golden Bears (0-1)- Season-opening loss at home? Check. Two pick-sixes? Check. Opponent faked injuries? Check. While the faking of injuries by Northwestern was the main storyline from this game, the Sonny Dykes era did not get off to a good start. However, there was a lot to like with the Cal offense as both of their young wideouts,Chris Harper and Bryce Treggs, went for over 100 apiece. Cal will try to bounce back against Portland St. this weekend.
11. Colorado Buffaloes (1-0)- Win! Win! Win! Speaking of debuts, Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre became only the second Buffaloes head coach to win his debut in the past 81 years. Wow. This was a solid first win for Colorado.
12. Washington State Cougars (0-1)- The bottom five teams are a jumbled mess right now, and I couldn't look at anyone with a straight face and tell them that the Cougars are the worst team in the conference. However, the Cougs have to be disappointed after dropping a very winnable road game against Auburn this past weekend.