In the marquee matchup in the Pac-12 this past weekend, Oregon came away with a convincing victory over Cal, rebounding from their loss the week before.
In 2018, the Pac-12 is certainly up for grabs, and through the first five weeks of the college football season, only one team is still undefeated. The Colorado Buffaloes kept their undefeated season alive with a win at home against UCLA this past weekend, as the Bruins fell to 0-4 in Chip Kelly’s first season as head coach.
Here are our latest 2018 Pac-12 power rankings.
The UCLA Bruins continue to struggle in Chip Kelly’s first season with the time, and it may get a lot worse before it gets any better. The Bruins had a tall task ahead of them on Friday night, as they went into Colorado to play a Buffaloes team that had yet to lose, and has looked solid on both sides of the ball.
The outcome was pretty much what was to be expected, as Colorado trounced the Bruins, sending Kelly to his fourth straight loss at UCLA. In fact, Kelly is the first head coach to start the season out at 0-4 at UCLA since 1971, which is a stark contrast to the kind of success he had during his time at Oregon.
Freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 139 yards and a score without an interception, as the Bruins hung in for a little over two quarters with the Buffaloes. However, they had no answer for Colorado quarterback Steven Montez in the second half, as Colorado outscored UCLA 24-3.
Another week, another loss for Oregon State, who continues to be one of the worst teams in the Pac-12. The Beavers went up against a very good Arizona State team this past weekend, and was on the losing end of a blowout, as they lost on the road by the score of 52-24, giving Sun Devils head coach Herm Edwards his first Pac-12 victory.
For the Beavers, freshman Jermar Jefferson continues to have a solid first season as the featured back for Oregon State, rushing for over 200 yards against the Sun Devils. With his effort, Jefferson became the third Oregon State running back to ever rush for over 200 yards in a single game, as he finished the contest with 254 yards and two touchdowns.
Quarterback Connor Blount threw for 145 yards and a score, but Arizona State and their explosive running back, Eno Benjamin, was just too much for the Beavers on this day. Oregon State will look to get into the win column next weekend, but they have a daunting task ahead, as they try to stop Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew and the Cougars Air Raid offense in Week 6.