Week 11
Offensive Player of the Week:
Fr. Nathaniel Matthews RB OSU
42 carries, 293 yards, 7 ypc, 4 TD.
One of the few true running, running backs in the league. Nathaniel is having a great freshman season. This is his second POW, though it was highly contested. His four touchdowns are what distanced him from his competition. Backup RB Steven Beck also had 183 yards on 24 carries, for 2 TD.
UCLA has two players that are up for the Pac12 POY, Alexander Cole and James Russell, that both had monster games against Air Force.
Defensive Player of the Week:
Sr. Michael Collins DT ASU
10 Tackles, 6 sacks, 2 Tackle for Loss.
In a clash of the two top defenders in the Pac12 conference, USC pitted DT Charles Parker against ASU’s Michael Collins.
All season long Parker has garnered the most of the attention of the two stars. USC has had the better season and Parker is a big reason for it, racking up three Player of the Week honors.
Collins has also won the award but so has two other ASU teammates, both lineman. He has had stellar games all season long and been the most consistent player on the team.
Parker looked good adding to his season lead with 2 more sacks. But Michael Collins looked like the better player all day as he took on a stronger O Line and still managed to lead his team with 10 tackles, 6 dominating sacks and two tackles for loss.
With a game like this it will be hard for Collins NOT to win the Pac12 Defensive Player of The Year. Parker must produce against Cal in the Pac12 Championship game to boost his resume.
Special Teams player of the Week:
Sr. John Brown P Oregon
11 punts, 42 yard avg, 6 inside the opponent 20.
Landed a punt inside the one yard line to set up a sack/safety in the first quarter to give Oregon a 2-0 lead over Cal. Landed a punt at the 2-yard line that would lead to a fumble that was recovered by the Oregon defense in the end zone to give Oregon an 9-6 lead heading into the half. Brown was a real difference maker in this game.
Co-ST POW Sr. John Bowman USC ran back his fourth kick of the season. This time it was only a 69 yarder. The return was a critical first strike for USC because they had yet to generate any offense against a stingy ASU defense. Though not ST related, also had 7 Rec for 175 yards and a TD for USC.
Game of The Week:
USC (11-0) with the 38-30 win over ASU (7-4)
USC put together a 1-2 scoring punch to close out each of the first two quarters; a punt return and 10-yard run in the 1st, and two TD passes in the 2nd. The ASU offense started off the game with an interception ending drive and suffered the same fate to end the half down 28-6.
Things were not looking good for ASU. Starting the second half, USC received the ball and drove down the field in methodic fashion. 15 plays later USC took a chance on 4th and 11, completing a pass but only getting 9 yards on the play. It was a YUUUUGE stop for the ASU D. QB Ronald Case would connect on four consecutive passes, the last being a 46-yard bomb on 3rd down that ended with RB Jefferey Sanchez dancing in the end zone. ASU was in business.
We’re going to fast forward to the 4th quarter, 6:38 left. USC had added 10 points to ASU’s 3 making the score 38-16. Ronald Case again drove his team down the field and handed the ball to return specialist Jefferey Sanchez for the 6-yard score bringing the game to 38-22 after a failed 2-point conversion.
ASU was running out of time but would not give up, forcing a three-and-out, and giving Ronald Case another shot with the ball. ASU completed four passes, including a spectacular 42-yard catch by James Miller, to drive down field and score. This time they hit connected on the 2-point conversion.
The game was now at 38-30. As unlikely as a comeback was, Ronald Case did not care. He kept completing passes on third down. He continued to will his team down the field. ASU lined up to kick an onside with 1:15 left and no time outs, trying to get Ronald Case one more shot.
Star USC special teams’ play-maker John Bowman was seen pumping up his shoes on the sideline before the kick, which as everyone knows, adds like 5 feet to a vertical leap. The kick was on point but Bowman was too, jumping above everyone and snagging the ball out of the air and hope from the ASU sideline, sealing the victory and continuing USC’s march towards a second consecutive national championship.
Sim Team of The Week:
Oregon Ducks
The Ducks did a great job against a much more talented Cal team and even lead at the half 9-6. Though they lost the game 21-16, they gave the Golden Bears a run for their money.
12/18/2016 8:03 AM (edited)