Michigan’s loss to Appalachian State resonated throughout the Pacific-10 Conference, and not just with the Wolverines’ next opponent.
Oregon (1-0) heads to the Big House on Saturday. Ranked No. 5 going into the game, Michigan fell completely out of the AP Poll following the shocking 34-32 loss.
“Somebody told me the final score and I couldn’t believe it,” Arizona coach Mike Stoops said.
Oregon had already started its opener at Autzen Stadium against Houston when the Michigan game became final. Coach Mike Bellotti said he heard the crowd go crazy, but didn’t know that the score had been announced on the PA system until he asked a player what was going on.
The Ducks went on to beat Houston 48-27 and now head to Ann Arbor 1-0.
While Michigan’s loss may be a stunner, Bellotti said those kinds of upsets happen in college football and they can be great teaching tools. He cited his alma mater, UC-Davis, and its 20-17 victory over Stanford a few years back.
“They happen every year, and I think in this day and age you can’t assume anything about your opponent,” Bellotti said.
Stoops agreed. “I don’t think there’s any question. In our situation we can’t overlook anybody.”
Arizona fell to BYU 20-7 last weekend. The Wildcats host Northern Arizona on Saturday night.
USC coach Pete Carroll didn’t take the opportunity to point out the score to the top-ranked Trojans, who are conditioned to always be aware that they could be toppled.
He said that what the game showed was how much better Appalachian State was than we all knew. The team from Boone, N.C., has won consecutive titles in the Football Championship Subdivision – formerly called Division I-AA.
“They showed it man, it was awesome,” Carroll said.
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COUGARS AWAY-HOME GAME: Washington State heads about 290 miles west this weekend for a home game at Seattle’s Qwest Field against San Diego State.
It is the sixth straight season that the Cougars are making the sojourn from Pullman for a home game because of their big fan base on the other side of the Cascade Range.
Washington State is 4-1 at home in Seattle. The Cougars open next season against Oklahoma State there.
“For us, it feels a little bit like a road game until you get into the stadium and all the Cougs are there,” quarterback Alex Brink told reporters after Washington State’s 42-21 loss at seventh-ranked Wisconsin.
It will be the season opener for the Aztecs, who were 3-9 last season.
“Playing on the west side has kind of become second nature to our program,” Washington State coach Bill Doba said. “It’s become bigger than football and bigger than the football team. It’s a university function now. The school of agriculture, the vet school, all the business schools, they all have reunions, luncheons, alumni functions and fundraisers. And they cap it off with the game on Saturday.”
A couple of hours before the game, across town, Washington will host No. 22 Boise State at Husky Stadium.
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: UCLA Quarterback Ben Olson, Arizona State linebacker Robert James and California punt returner DeSean Jackson of California won conference player of the week honors.
Olson completed 16 of 29 passes for 286 yards and five touchdowns in UCLA’s 45-17 victory at Stanford. UCLA’s record is held by Drew Olson, who threw six against Oregon State in 2005.
Ben Olson was also won offensive player honors the first week of last season.
James had 10 tackles, including a sack, and an interception in the Sun Devils’ 45-3 victory over San Jose State.
Jackson had a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Golden Bears’ victory over Tennessee. he holds the conference record for career punt returns for a TD with six.
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EXTRA POINTS: As for the Pac-10 in the Top 25, the Trojans lost a bit of support as the top team in the nation, with a few first-place votes going to LSU. USC was still No. 1, but was hurt by the dull 38-10 victory over Idaho this past weekend. The Trojans have a bye this week. No. 10 California moved up two spots in the poll after a 45-31 victory over Tennessee, and UCLA moved up one place to No. 13 with a 45-17 win over Stanford. … Oregon State has the longest winning streak in the Pac-10 at five games. The Beavers play at Cincinnati on Thursday night in a nationally televised game.
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