Boulder, Colo. • Besmirch the unblemished Buffaloes all you want, 21st-ranked Colorado proved it belongs in the rankings with a 28-21 win over Arizona State on Saturday.
Knocked for a weak schedule with their opponents a cumulative 1-16 entering the weekend, the Buffaloes (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) delivered big on both sides of the ball.
Laviska Shenault Jr., the nation’s leading receiver, scored four times, twice on receptions, twice on runs.
“He’s a fabulous player,” Arizona State coach Herm Edwards said. “There were times we had doubled him and he still caught the football. They found a way to get him the football and he made a lot of big plays for them.”
Shenault had plenty of company in the clutch performance department.
The Buffaloes’ unheralded offensive line stymied the Sun Devils’ vaunted pass rush and kept Steven Montez so clean, the quarterback declared, “No heat. I didn’t feel anything all game long. That just shows you how good this O-line is.”
Montez, who threw for 328 yards, even brought all his offensive linemen with him to the postgame podium.
He should have brought his entire defense, too.
The Buffs stymied ASU’s ground game in the second half and produced a goal line stand after a 72-yard pass play to the Colorado 3.
The Buffaloes overcame the ejection of star linebacker Nate Landman in the second quarter and stifled Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin in the second half, when the Sun Devils (3-3, 1-2) were stopped on their final five drives, punting four times and turning it over on downs.
The Buffaloes also chewed up 12:34 of the fourth quarter, including the final 7:10 thanks to a pair of third-down grabs by Shenault.
No. 10 Washington 31, UCLA 24 • In Pasadena, Calif., Myles Gaskin rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns, Jake Browning passed for 265 yards and Washington beat. The Huskies led 24-7 at halftime but saw the Bruins climb back within a touchdown twice in the fourth quarter. Washington took a 31-17 lead with a 12-play, 81-yard drive that took 6:45 off the clock and ended with Gaskin’s 1-yard TD on a direct snap with 3:42 remaining.
Joshua Kelley scored on a 2-yard run with 1:38 left, and the Bruins attempted an onside kick, but Washington recovered and ran out the clock.
Washington State 56, Oregon State 37 • In Corvallis, Ore., Gardner Minshew II threw for 430 yards and five touchdowns as Washington State scored 28 straight second-half points to beat Oregon State. Tay Martin had 119 yards receiving and two touchdowns and James Williams added 134 yards from scrimmage and a receiving touchdown for the Cougars (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12).
Jermar Jefferson rushed for 139 yards and four touchdowns for the Beavers (1-5, 0-3).
Washington State stormed out to a 14-0 lead in less than two-and-a-half minutes, thanks in part to a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown.
Arizona 24, California 17 • In Tucson, Ariz., Arizona took advantage of four second-half turnovers by Cal quarterback Brandon McIlwain, turning two of them into touchdowns, and the Wildcats handed California its 14th consecutive Pac-12 road loss.
Scottie Young Jr. had two fourth-quarter interceptions, returning the second one 24 yards for a touchdown to put Arizona up 24-14 with 3:13 to play.
Arizona (3-3, 2-1 Pac-12) beat the Bears (3-2, 0-2) for the fifth straight time.
Cal’s Greg Thomas kicked a 35-yard field goal with 16 seconds to play but the Wildcats recovered the onside kick attempt to preserve the victory.