In advance of Utah's visit, Oregon State moved up two spots to No. 8 in the AP Top 25, announced Sunday.
The Beavers moved to 5-0 for the first time since 1939 with Saturday's 42-24 win at BYU. Oregon remained No. 2 after being idle and USC stayed at No. 11 after a 24-14 victory at Washington. Stanford fell five spots to No. 22 after losing in overtime at Notre Dame …
The Pac-12's key game this week is a Thursday contest, with Oregon visiting Arizona State, which stands just outside the Top 25.
A closer look at Saturday's games:
UCLA 21, Utah 14
The Bruins were not overwhelming, gaining 354 total yards, but their offense stayed on the field by converting 10 of 17 third-down plays. Utah recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone for its fourth non-offensive touchdown of the season, while the offense finally produced a score late in the game. With freshman quarterback Travis Wilson making his first start, the Utes' 114th-ranked offense barely exceeded its average with 319 total yards.
Oregon State 42, BYU 24
Coach Mike Riley and the rest of the Beavers believed in backup quarterback Cody Vaz, and he certainly delivered. In his first career start, replacing the injured Sean Mannion, Vaz passed for 332 yards and three touchdowns. OSU's offense produced five touchdowns against a BYU defense that had allowed only four TDs in six games – and none in the previous 13 quarters. The Beavers' receivers were outstanding, with Brandin Cooks catching eight passes for 173 yards. OSU racked up 450 total yards, nearly doubling BYU's defensive average.
Notre Dame 20, Stanford 13 (OT)
Unlike the Oregon State-BYU game, this was the kind of defensive battle everyone expected. Stanford's offense failed to reach the end zone all day, most notably in overtime after having a first-and-goal opportunity at the Notre Dame 4. Stepfan Taylor was denied at the goal line on his final carry, after rushing for 102 yards. The Cardinal's Josh Nunes was intercepted twice and his offense posted only 272 total yards. Stanford's defense did a nice job overall, but could not preserve a 13-10 lead in regulation or keep Notre Dame from scoring a touchdown in overtime.
USC 24, Washington 14
After catching at least eight passes in every game this season, including 12 in his last outing against Utah, USC's Marqise Lee was held to two receptions by Washington. Quarterback Matt Barkley completed only 10 passes. But Silas Redd gained 155 of the Trojans' 204 rushing yards, enabling them to control the game. Washington's offense recorded 299 total yards (the Huskies are now 109th nationally) and lost four turnovers.
Cal 31, Washington State 17
The Bears have won two conference games in a row, showing signs of climbing out of the Pac-12's bottom tier. Cal pounded WSU with its running game, gaining 318 yards. C.J. Anderson led the Bears with 112 yards, while quarterback Zach Maynard and two running backs added at least 59 yards each. Jeff Tuel passed for 320 yards as WSU attempted 63 passes to Cal's 23, but the Cougars could not keep up.
– Kurt Kragthorpe
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