Ducks face big hurdle
No. 12 Oregon is in complete control of the Pac12 North, but its path to a division title will face its biggest obstacle Saturday in Seattle against No. 25 Washington.
The nationally televised contest on ABC is the game of the week in the Pac12. The Ducks (51, 30 Pac12) have won five straight overall for the first time since 2015 on the strength of the thirdbest scoring defense in the country. The Huskies (52, 22) woke up from a sixquarter slumber to score 38 secondhalf points in its 5127 victory over Arizona last week and moved back into this week’s AP Top 25.
Oregon has been rolling since a seasonopening loss to Auburn, racking up five wins behind quarterback Justin Herbert and a balanced offense. The Ducks have held five straight opponents to fewer than 10 points for the first time since 1958.
The other key game in the Pac12 on Saturday is No. 17 Arizona State at No. 13 Utah. The winner will claim a valuable tiebreaker and get a leg up in a heated Pac12 South title chase.
The Sun Devils (51, 21 Pac12) are coming off an impressive win, outlasting visiting Washington State 3834. Freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels led the comeback, orchestrating a late drive and capping it with a 17yard scramble into the end zone. The Utes (51, 21) bounced back from a loss at USC by crushing Washington State and Oregon State by a combined score of 9020. Utah running back Zack Moss returned from a shoulder injury last week against the Beavers, running for 121 yards and two TDs. Comeback nominee: Kentucky linebacker Josh Paschal, a cancer survivor, is one of 30 nominees for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year Award. Winners will be chosen in FBS, FCS and nonDivision I NCAA football, and revealed after the regular season in December.
Paschal is a cancer survivor, having completed treatment in August, about a year after what he thought was a blister on the bottom of his foot turned out to be a malignant melanoma. More than just an inspiration to his teammates, Paschal is a starter and key contributor on the Wildcats’ defense, leading the team with five tackles for loss.
“I learned really just to trust in God and I learned to really just enjoy the little things,” he said.
The only Pac12 nominee is Oregon State quarterback Jake Luton, who is back leading the Beavers after a serious neck injury ended his 2017 season and an ankle injury limited him through most of 2018.