Why all four Pacific Northwest schools look like Pac-12 contenders
By Christian Caple, The Athletic, Sept 22, 2022
Say this for Rick Neuheisel’s “Northwest Championship”: It might have been a simple motivational ploy with no trophy and no formal honor conferred upon the winner, but it does have a Wikipedia page.
If you’re unfamiliar with this relatively deep Pacific Northwest football cut, you probably have company. The gist: In 2002, Washington was reeling at 4-5 as it entered the final three weeks of the season, with regional rivals Oregon State, Oregon and Washington State rounding out the schedule. The Huskies couldn’t win the Pac-10, but Neuheisel attempted to rally them by embracing the opportunity to finish with three wins over their PNW foes. They pulled it off, capped by a triple-overtime Apple Cup victory over the No. 3-ranked Cougars.
“It had to be enough,” quarterback Cody Pickett told ESPN at the time. “Everybody left us for dead. We had to rally around something.”
Twenty years later, the distinction of Northwest Champion (yes, uppercase, why not?) might have real significance, if the season’s first three weeks are any indication. The four Pacific Northwest schools are a combined 11-1, the only loss Oregon’s 49-3 blitzing by No. 1 Georgia in Week 1. Three of the schools — Oregon, Washington and Washington State — have a top-25 nonconference victory. Two are currently ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll — Oregon at No. 15 and Washington at No. 18 — and the other two, unbeaten Washington State and Oregon State, each are receiving votes.
With some assistance from Matt Brown, The Athletic’s resident AP top-25 historian, we discovered there has never been a single day on which all four Pacific Northwest programs played games as ranked teams. There is, however, precedent for each being ranked in the same poll. It has happened precisely one time, on Sept. 22, 2002: Oregon at No. 9, Washington at No. 13, Washington State at No. 16 and Oregon State at No. 23. But the Ducks didn’t play that weekend, the Beavers lost to USC, and OSU never made it back into the top-25.
That season marked the beginning of Washington’s decline, as the Huskies fell out of the poll with a 4-3 start, and after dropping from the polls following a five-week stay in 2003, they didn’t crack the top-25 again until a one-week appearance in 2009. Oregon State experienced scant football success prior to the Mike Riley/Dennis Erickson era, and made a bowl last year for the first time since 2013. Oregon has mostly been a top-25 staple over the past 25 years but made it into the poll in only seven seasons from 1960 through 1990. Washington State had a brilliant run from 2001 through 2003 and was a consistent threat under Mike Leach, but otherwise has contended only sporadically.
Point is, the stars rarely align for all four programs to excel at once.
“Good football is being played, and it tells us that we’ve got to be at our best,” UW coach Kalen DeBoer said. “That’s why we’ve got to keep improving, because those games down the road are going to be really big ones, and they’re going to be against good football teams. … We represent each other, in a way, especially when we’re playing these nonconference games. The Pac-12 is very strong. Speaking out of both sides of my mouth here, it’s great to see, but it’s also an understanding that we’re going to have our hands full throughout the entire 12-game season.”
You may have to wait a while to actually see all four PNW teams ranked at the same time, because Oregon and WSU play each other in Pullman this weekend. Forget for a moment about the rankings, though. Through three weeks, there is no reason to write off any of the Pacific Northwest programs as potential Pac-12 contenders, and that is reason enough to take a closer look at the country’s upper left corner as conference play begins.
Oregon
Record: 2-1
Poll love: No. 15 in the AP poll, No. 18 in the coaches
Highlight so far: A 41-20 blowout of then-No. 12 BYU, fresh off its big win over Baylor. The Ducks may not have had the juice needed to hang with No. 1 Georgia, but they proved they’re still capable of dominating a top-15 team that has been among the West’s top programs in recent years.
Biggest strength: Overall team talent, relative to most of the rest of the Pac-12. The Ducks were a nationally competitive recruiting program under former coach Mario Cristobal (and continue to be under Dan Lanning), and they have former blue-chip prospects everywhere. It’s showing up at receiver, where 2021 signee Troy Franklin is off to a great start (15 catches, 202 yards, one touchdown) and at tight end, where Terrance Ferguson has caught five passes in the last two games — four of them touchdowns. The offensive line could be one of the nation’s best; Oregon is one of four FBS teams yet to allow a sack this season. A pair of transfer running backs (Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington) lead the rushing attack. And the defensive front is stocked with talented veterans.
“I think our identity is starting to show that we’re a physical, hard-nosed team,” Auburn transfer quarterback Bo Nix told reporters after Oregon’s win over BYU, “but at the same time, we can get on the perimeter and make some plays at the skill positions, as well.”
Biggest concern: Probably the pass defense, despite Colorado transfer Christian Gonzalez starring at one cornerback spot. The Ducks rank 108th nationally in yards per attempt allowed at 8.2, much of that due to Georgia completing 30-of-37 for 439 yards. They also have only three sacks. Offensively, Nix acquitted himself well against Eastern Washington and BYU after throwing two interceptions against Georgia, and the Ducks need him to continue avoiding turnovers as they navigate Pac-12 play.
Why they’re fun: He’s been relatively quiet thus far, but linebacker Noah Sewell was a preseason All-American, and fellow five-star 2020 signee Justin Flowe has star potential when healthy; he sat out the BYU game with what Lanning termed a minor injury and had 12 tackles the first two weeks. Both are physical, exciting players. Defensive end Brandon Dorlus leads the team with 2.5 tackles for loss, and outside linebacker DJ Johnson, a former Miami transfer, leads the team in tackles. The offense remains a bit of a work in progress, and the defense offered little resistance against Georgia — but whose would? The Ducks have some highlight-makers in that defensive front and will give Pac-12 offenses fits.
Remaining schedule: at Washington State, vs. Stanford, at Arizona, idle, vs. UCLA, at California, at Colorado, vs. Washington, vs. Utah, at Oregon State
Bottom line: We should know plenty about the Ducks’ ceiling before they get their next crack at Utah, which thumped them in two games last season. Get past WSU this weekend, and the schedule sets up well enough to believe Oregon could face the Utes with an unbeaten conference record. To make that happen, the Ducks need to continue developing the offensive identity that Nix spoke of, prove they can hold up defensively against a few veteran quarterbacks and avoid the kind of pitfalls (California, Stanford) that cost them under Cristobal. Ask yourself this: How would you perceive the Ducks if they’d opened with an easy win against a G5 team instead of against Georgia?
Washington
Record: 3-0
Poll love: No. 18 in the AP top-25, No. 24 in the coaches
Highlight so far: A 39-28 victory over then-No. 11 Michigan State that wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicated, before a crowd of 68,161.
Biggest strength: The offense, generally, but most specifically the passing game. A healthy, rejuvenated Michael Penix Jr. looks like one of the nation’s top quarterbacks through three weeks, and he’s taking advantage of the Huskies’ most talented group of receivers in years, headlined by Jalen McMillan (16 catches, 308 yards and three touchdowns), Ja’Lynn Polk (12 catches, 245 yards and four touchdowns) and Rome Odunze (10 catches, 132 yards and a touchdown in two games).
Biggest concern: The Huskies still have a lot of questions to answer in the defensive backfield, especially with two key starters (safety Asa Turner, cornerback Jordan Perryman) banged up the last couple weeks. Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne did end up throwing for 323 yards and three touchdowns against them, and the defensive backs gave up a pair of fourth-down scores they probably shouldn’t have. The Pac-12 has a few quarterbacks who can expose a suspect pass defense.
Why they’re fun: See above. Washington ranked 10th or worse in the Pac-12 in most major offensive categories last season while averaging only 21.5 points per game. Overnight, DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb (and Penix) have turned the offense into must-see television. Penix’s injury history at Indiana made it difficult to know exactly what kind of quarterback the Huskies were getting, but he’s been as good as anyone could have hoped, completing 66 percent of his passes for 1,079 yards (second-best nationally) and 10.2 yards per attempt and 10 touchdowns with a single interception and no sacks.
It helps that he had DeBoer as his offensive coordinator in 2019 at Indiana.
“When we first learning the offense and installing things,” Odunze said, “some of the things (Penix) was saying and his understanding of how defenses are going to play certain things — I think even when we were out here by ourselves in (player-run practices) just chopping it up and talking about the offense, I was like, ‘Damn, he really knows a lot.’”
Remaining schedule: vs. Stanford, at UCLA, at Arizona State, vs. Arizona, at California, idle, vs. Oregon State, at Oregon, vs. Colorado, at Washington State
The bottom line: The Huskies might be favored in all but one remaining game (at Oregon), with neither USC or Utah on the schedule, and their offense will give them a chance to beat anybody in the Pac-12. They’re not going to win every game and aren’t yet built for a Playoff run, but given the schedule and their performance last week, the Huskies might be back to the point where fans can reasonably hope for a 10-win season.
Oregon State
Record: 3-0
Poll love: Receiving votes in the AP poll (No. 32), receiving votes in the coaches poll (No. 29)
Highlight so far: A last-second, 35-32 victory at Fresno State, thanks to a 2-yard run on the final play by wildcat linebacker Jack Colletto. OSU coach Jonathan Smith had originally elected to try a game-tying field goal, but once Fresno State called timeout, he sent Colletto and the offense back out to win a tough road game against the presumed Mountain West favorite.
Biggest strength: The offensive line, though position coach Jim Michalczik told the Oregonian last week that the group expects to play much better than it has. Even so, the Beavers have blocked for a rushing attack averaging 4.9 yards per rush with 11 touchdowns so far. You can include tailback Deshaun Fenwick here, too. He was challenged in spring and camp by true freshman Damien Martinez, but Fenwick leads the team with 204 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries. Chance Nolan has hit some explosive plays, too, averaging 9.9 yards per pass attempt in his second season as the starting quarterback.
Biggest concern: It might still be the pass rush, which has produced only three sacks in three games after struggling to get to the quarterback last year (though OSU’s veteran secondary has snagged six interceptions while allowing a single touchdown). The schedule also doesn’t set up all that favorably, with consecutive games this week and next against USC and Utah, plus a trip in November to Washington, where OSU hasn’t won since 2008.
Why they’re fun: Colletto isn’t a starter and won’t rank among the team leaders in snaps played, but he gives the Beavers a unique wrinkle. Once a quarterback, Colletto moved to linebacker in 2019 and also has carved out a role as a wildcat back in short-yardage situations. He scored two touchdowns against Fresno State and has three this season — on six carries. His website sells branded “Jackhammer” apparel, with 25 percent of proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project.
“My favorite thing to do is play,” Colletto said, “and being on the field and winning.”
He said he was confident when Smith called for the field goal unit late in the Fresno State game, thinking the Beavers would have the advantage in overtime. But when the coach reversed course after the timeout and sent the offense back out, Colletto thought, “Oh, this is awesome.”
“As soon as I walked in and lined up, I was like, ‘OK, we’ve got numbers, this is good,’” he said. “After we scored, I couldn’t tell you what went through my head, because it was a blur.”
Remaining schedule: vs. USC, at Utah, at Stanford, vs. Washington State, vs. Colorado, idle, at Washington, California, at Arizona State, Oregon
The bottom line: This week’s home game against USC will provide a fine measuring stick for the Beavers, who blasted the Trojans in Los Angeles last season. “These are the games that are why you play college football,” Colletto said. Win Saturday, and the Beavers are free to dream as big as they want.
Washington State
Record: 3-0
Poll love: Receiving votes in the AP poll (No. 30), receiving votes in the coaches poll (No. 30)
Highlight so far: A 17-14 victory at then-No. 19 Wisconsin as 17.5-point underdogs. Much was made during the week about coach Jake Dickert returning to his home state to face the program he grew up rooting for, and Fox cameras captured an emotional scene with his family afterward. But the win resonated beyond Dickert’s homecoming.
“It was a rush. It was happiness. It was fun. It was joyful,” senior linebacker Daiyan Henley said. “The heart was pumping. You could feel it in the locker room after the game. We’re all jumping around to their song, ‘Jump Around.’ We came here with the belief that we would win, when no one else believed in us, and it was like we proved something to ourselves and to the people on the outside looking in.”
Biggest strength: The defensive front, which may still be undersized but is a big reason why the Cougars haven’t allowed more than 17 points in a game this season (they lead the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 12.7 points allowed per game). WSU is tied for second nationally with USC in sacks per game, and while Henley leads the way (more on him in a moment), they’re also getting production from edge rushers Brennan Jackson (two sacks), Andrew Edson (1.5), Quinn Roff (one) and 2021 all-conference performer Ron Stone Jr. (one). The Cougars lead the league in yards per rush allowed and haven’t given up a rushing touchdown. The next team to push them around at the line of scrimmage will be the first.
Biggest concern: You knew coming into the season that WSU had a lot of experience to replace on the offensive line, and so far, the Cougars have yielded nine sacks, more than every Pac-12 team except California. Their passing game also has yet to find its stride with touted Incarnate Word transfer Cam Ward at quarterback, but he did take a step forward last week with four touchdown passes. WSU also doesn’t get to play Colorado this year and has road games against USC and Oregon State in consecutive weeks.
Why they’re fun: Meet Daiyan Henley, perhaps the league’s top defensive player through three games. The Nevada transfer has 30 tackles with a league-leading 7.5 tackles for loss and a league-leading four sacks, plus two forced fumbles and an interception that clinched WSU’s dicey season-opening victory over Idaho.
At 6-foot-2 and 232 pounds, Henley played receiver at Nevada before switching to linebacker, and wanted to prove himself at the Power 5 level in his final season. He chose WSU over Washington, USC and Kansas State, in part because Dickert hired Brian Ward, Henley’s defensive coordinator at Nevada, as DC and linebackers coach. Dickert calls Henley the most athletic linebacker he’s ever coached.
WSU’s reputation has long been that of a program that might score 50 points on a given Saturday … but give up 49. Dickert and staff are changing that, and players speak of complementary football that doesn’t favor one side of the ball over the other.
“We’re OK with being underdogs. We’re OK with being overlooked,” Henley said this week. “There’s nothing wrong with that for us. It’s not new to Wazzu. It’s not new to us. We’re always overlooked. That’s just a part of our fight, and that’s why we love it so much, because when you’re overlooked, that just makes the rise that much better.”
Also fun: Former Wisconsin transfer running back Nakia Watson is fourth in the Pac-12 in rushing with 224 yards on 36 carries and fourth in scrimmage yards with 297.
Remaining schedule: vs. Oregon, vs. California, at USC, at Oregon State, idle, vs. Utah, at Stanford, vs. Arizona State, at Arizona, vs. Washington
The bottom line: WSU is going to need more production from Ward and its “Coug Raid” offense in order to make a serious run at the Pac-12 title, but its defense looks feisty and disciplined enough to limit most offenses in the conference. If the offense finds its rhythm, look out.
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