Washington State Cougars (1-7) vs. Arizona Wildcats (5-2)
Saturday, November 7, 1:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -31.0
Continue reading 'Week 10 Game Matchup: Washington State Cougars VS. Arizona Wildcats'»
#1 Star: Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Alma Mater: UCLA
Stats (10/28 – 11/2) : 6 for 18, 6 Runs, 5 HRs, 8 RBIs, 1 SB, .333 avg
With the Philadelphia Phillies playing on the biggest stage in baseball, the World Series, they are getting exactly what they need out of their all-star second basemen Chase Utley. Although down in the series three games to two right now, you certainly can’t fault Utley. His five home runs have tied Reggie Jackson’s 1977 record for most in a World Series.
Chase Utley had three multi-hit games (games one, four and five), two multi-home run games (one and five), and three games where he has recorded at least two RBIs (one, four and five). In Game One, in his second at bat against CC Sabathia, Utley homered to right field to give the Phillies a 1 – 0 lead. In his next at bat in the sixth inning, he again blasted one over the right field wall that extended the Phillies lead to 2 – 0 and turned out to be the game winning run.
In game five, with the Phillies down 1 – 0 in the bottom of the first, Utley delivered again, this time a three run shot into right field. The Phillies never looked back, and Utley’s insurance home run in the bottom of the seventh (giving the Phillies a 7 – 2 lead) ended up being the game winning run again.
The Phillies still have a long way to go if they are going to win the World Series, but if anyone is making things difficult on the Yankees, it’s Chase Utley. He is putting together an MVP-like series and would very likely win the award if the Phillies can somehow come back and win it all.
#2 Star: Gilbert Arenas
Alma Mater: Arizona
Stats (10/27 to 10/31): (Per-Game Averages) 28.0 Points, 1.7 Rebounds, 6.7 Assists, 1.0 Steals, 2.3 3-Pointers, 50% FG PCT
The Washington Wizards were a pathetic 19-63 last year (tied for second worst in the NBA) with tons of questions surrounding the team. Will Gilbert Arenas be able to get back to his 2006-07 form after playing a combined 15 games the last two years? Or will the Wizards and Arenas continue to struggle and be one of the worst teams in the league?
Of course the health question cannot be answered in the first week of the season, but so far so good for Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards. The Wizards are 2-1 this season, and Gilbert Arenas has been leading the way. Arenas has led the Wizards in points in all three games this year, and his best game this week came on Halloween Night when he was 9 for 13 shooting, 11 for 12 from the line, 3 for 4 from behind the arc, and had 32 points and 7 assists in a 123 – 104 win over the New Jersey Nets.
The Wizard’s success this season starts and ends with Agent 0. If he can stay healthy for the entire season (knock on wood), the Wizards should be a respectable team throughout the year and be a surprise team in the East after last year’s horrible season.
#3 Star: Steven Jackson
Alma Mater: Oregon State
Stats (11/1): 22 Rushes for 149 Yards, 1 TD, 3 Receptions for 17 Yards
The St Louis Rams were 0-7 going into their week eight match up with the Detroit Lions. Steven Jackson almost single-handedly made sure they didn’t fall to 0-8 with his huge game in the 17 – 10 St Louis Rams victory.
With the game tied at 10 – 10 with 1:38 left in the game, Steven Jackson put an exclamation point on the game when he broke a 25-yard run to the right side to give the Rams a 17 – 10 lead. This was the first Rams rushing touchdown of the season and it provided the game-winning score.
Slowly but surely, Steven Jackson has been putting together one of the most underrated performances of the year. With these 149 yards he is now tied for second in the NFL in rushing (784 yards), and although he only has one touch down, he is still putting up great numbers with a team that everyone knows is going to run the ball as much as possible. The Rams probably wont win many more games this year, but I really respect the effort Steven Jackson has put together all year and am glad that he is at least able to celebrate this one.
Honorable Mentions:
Cal’s Aaron Rodgers (17 for 28, 287 Yards 3 TDs 0 INTs, 5 Rushes 52 Yards, 108.5 Rating)
UCLA’s Maurice Jones-Drew (8 Rushes for 177 Yards, 2 TDs)
USC’s Mark Sanchez (20 for 35, 265 Yards 2 TDs 0 INTs, 4 Rushes 6 Yards 1 TD, 100.3 Rating)
Washington’s Brandon Roy (27.0 Pts, 4.8 REBs, 4.8 ASTs, 2.0 3-Pointers, 39% FG PCT)
Oregon’s Aaron Brooks (21.0 Pts, 3.0 REBs, 8.5 ASTs, 1.0 STLs, 2.3 3-Pointers, 50% FG PCT)
AllPac10.com was excited to accept an invitation to join CBSSports.com’s Blog Poll, which is run by Brian Cook who has a great Michigan blog over at www.mgoblog.com. You can read more about the premise by heading over to the Blog Poll via the link below, but it is essentially like a coaches or media poll except it is made up by top blogs across the country!
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| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida – Does destroying Georgia mean anything this season? | |
| 2 | Texas – The Longhorns laid a beatdown on a very solid Oklahoma State team, and they are now in firm control of their BCS destiny. | |
| 3 | Alabama | |
| 4 | Oregon – Last week I believed USC was the fourth best team in the country, and after watching Oregon hand the Trojans their worst loss of the Carroll-era, I am now convinced the Ducks are worthy of this spot. |  5 |
| 5 | Iowa – Make no mistake about it, this appears to be a flawed team. But 9-0 in the Big Ten still deserves at least some respect, and the Hawkeyes have shown resiliency every step of the way. | 1 |
| 6 | Cincinnati |  1 |
| 7 | TCU | |
| 8 | Boise State – The Broncos may very well be the fourth best team in the nation, but the complete resume does not compare favorably to teams 4-7. | |
| 9 | LSU | 1 |
| 10 | Penn State | 2 |
| 11 | Georgia Tech | 2 |
| 12 | Southern Cal – 47-20!!! An utterly shocking result for the Trojans. Fittingly, Pete Carroll looked like he had seen a ghost in the post game press conference. | 8 |
| 13 | Ohio State | 1 |
| 14 | Miami (Florida) – ‘Canes had to rally late, but Miami was able to improve to 6-2. | 2 |
| 15 | Utah | 2 |
| 16 | Notre Dame | 3 |
| 17 | Arizona – The ‘Cats were off last week, and they don’t figure to be challenged much this week (WSU travels to Tucson). | 3 |
| 18 | Pittsburgh | 3 |
| 19 | Oklahoma State – The Cowboys were simply no match for the Longhorns. | 8 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | 3 |
| 21 | California – The Bears played a terribly sloppy game in Tempe but they found a way to win. | 4 |
| 22 | Virginia Tech – Another disappointing loss for the Hokies now puts them at 5-3 and 3-2 in the ACC. | 7 |
| 23 | Houston | 1 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | |
| 25 | Brigham Young | |
| Last week’s ballot | ||
Arizona Wildcats 5-2 Overall (3-1 Conference)
This Week’s Score: Arizona 27 – UCLA 13
Next Week’s Opponent: BYE
Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 8 Notes and Observations: Arizona Wildcats'»
AllPac10.com was excited to accept an invitation to join CBSSports.com’s Blog Poll, which is run by Brian Cook who has a great Michigan blog over at www.mgoblog.com. You can read more about the premise by heading over to the Blog Poll via the link below, but it is essentially like a coaches or media poll except it is made up by top blogs across the country!
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| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida – Unimpressive win, but a win nonetheless. | |
| 2 | Texas – A big game with Oklahoma State this week. Could be the last legitimate threat on the schedule for the ‘Horns. | |
| 3 | Alabama – Unimpressive win, but a win nonetheless. | |
| 4 | Southern Cal – The Trojans were tested for a second straight week, but found a way. The defense has shown a few chinks in the armor, so it should be interesting to see how the unit performs at Autzen. | |
| 5 | Cincinnati – Even without Tony Pike the Bearcats didn’t skip a beat. | |
| 6 | Iowa – The Hawkeyes looked beaten late but found a way to keep their dream season going. | 3 |
| 7 | TCU – Count me in as a believer of the underrated Horned Frogs. | 4 |
| 8 | Boise State | 1 |
| 9 | Oregon – Dominating performance against the rival Huskies. Now we will see if the Ducks can take the biggest step of all towards becoming Pac-10 champions. | 1 |
| 10 | LSU | 4 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 1 |
| 12 | Penn State | 1 |
| 13 | Georgia Tech | 1 |
| 14 | Ohio State | 1 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech | 1 |
| 16 | Miami (Florida) – Tough loss for the ‘Canes in an entertaining game. | 8 |
| 17 | Utah | 1 |
| 18 | South Carolina | 3 |
| 19 | Notre Dame | 1 |
| 20 | Arizona – The ‘Cats are quietly in the hunt to win the Pac-10, and if the defense can play up to its capabilities, a Rose Bowl birth is possible. | |
| 21 | Pittsburgh - Impressive blowout of a solid USF team | 4 |
| 22 | West Virginia | 1 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | 1 |
| 24 | Houston | |
| 25 | California – Can Jeff Tedofrd’s team win out? The offense is certainly starting to look like itself again. | |
| Last week’s ballot | ||
State of the Program
This past spring, the future of Arizona’s tradition-rich basketball program, as we have come to know it, was in serious jeopardy. Big name coaches were turning the UA job down left and right, and no episode was more embarrassing than the Tim Floyd fiasco.
The momentum that interim coach Russ Pennell left the program with in March (run to the Sweet Sixteen) died quickly, and A.D. Jim Livengood was getting desperate to find Lute Olson’s long-term replacement.
Enter Sean Miller.
Could Miller have done a better job righting the ship so far? In a couple of months, the highly successful coach from Xavier re-energized the fan base and quickly assembled an elite recruiting class full of blue-chippers. Certainly, there will still be growing pains in Tucson, as the roster for ‘09-10 is full of uncertainty (particularly in the frontcourt) and the schedule is extremely challenging. But at long last, ‘Cats fans can close the door on the “Interim Era” in Tucson, and now it’s “Miller Time”.
Continue reading 'Pac-10 Basketball Preview – Arizona Wildcats'»
UCLA Bruins (3-3) vs. Arizona Wildcats (4-2)
Saturday, October 24, 3:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -7.5
Continue reading 'Week 8 Game Matchup: UCLA Bruins VS. Arizona Wildcats'»
Arizona Wildcats 4-2 Overall (2-1 Conference)
This Week’s Score: Arizona 43 – Stanford 38
Next Week’s Opponent: UCLA
Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 7 Notes and Observations: Arizona Wildcats'»
Stanford Cardinal (4-2) vs. Arizona Wildcats (4-2)
Saturday, October 17, 4:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -3.5
Continue reading 'Week 7 Game Matchup: Stanford Cardinal VS. Arizona Wildcats'»
Arizona Wildcats 4-2 Overall (2-1 Conference)
This Week’s Score: Washington 36 – Arizona 33
Next Week’s Opponent: Stanford
Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 6 Notes and Observations: Arizona Wildcats'»
The pecking order in the Pac-10 after USC and Oregon continues to get cloudier instead of clearer the deeper into the season we get. Stanford and Arizona were looking like the “best of the rest”, but both picked up losses this week; Stanford, of course, to Oregon State, who appears poised and ready for their late season run with two convincing victories in a row. With games still to come against Cal, USC, and Oregon, they’ve got ime to prove they are once again for real.
And speaking of Cal, which Cal team shows up fresh off the bye next week in UCLA; Pre-Oregon Cal or Post-Oregon Cal?
Saturday
Oregon 24 – UCLA 10 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Oregon 30 – UCLA 24 (W)
Dave: Oregon 27 – UCLA 23 (W)
Arizona State 27 – Washington State 14 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Arizona State 38 – Washington State 13 (W)
Dave: Arizona State 38 – Washington State 10 (W)
Oregon State 38 – Stanford 28 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Stanford 28 – Oregon State 24 (L)
Dave: Stanford 27 – Oregon State 21 (L)
Washington 36 – Arizona 33 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Washington 30 – Arizona 27 (W)
Dave: Arizona 38 – Washington 27 (L)
Oregon State made both of us pay for picking against them for the second straight week. With Arizona up two scores late in the 4th quarter, it was looking like Sam was going to be on the losing end of our split decision once again, but he and Washington received a twist-of-fate bounce on the pick-6 to get the Huskies the win at home.
Not a single easy one on the schedule next week; should be a fun one.
Sam’s Record: 28 – 13
Dave’s Record: 31 – 10
Arizona Wildcats (3-1) vs. Washington Huskies (2-3)
Saturday, October 10, 7:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -3.0
Continue reading 'Week 6 Game Matchup: Arizona Wildcats VS. Washington Huskies'»
Arizona Wildcats 3-1 Overall (1-0 Conference)
This Week’s Score: Arizona 37 – Oregon State 32
Next Week’s Opponent: BYE
Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 4 Notes and Observations: Arizona Wildcats'»
I’m sorry, were you hoping that Week 4 was going to clear up some of the haziness in the Pac-10?
The list goes on. The only thing that is clear at this point is that we have no idea what to expect this season.
Saturday
Oregon 42 – California 3 (Game Matchup)
Sam: California 35 – Oregon 24 (L)
Dave: Oregon 34 – California 31 (W)
Georgia 20 – Arizona State 17 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Georgia 33 – Arizona State 17 (W)
Dave: Georgia 28 – Arizona State 24 (W)
Arizona 37 – Oregon State 32 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Oregon State 24 – Arizona 21 (L)
Dave: Arizona 24 – Oregon State 20 (W)
Stanford 34 – Washington 14 (Game Matchup)
Sam: Washington 31 – Stanford 27 (L)
Dave: Stanford 34 – Washington 28 (W)
USC 27 – Washington State 6 (Game Matchup)
Sam: USC 52 – Washington State 10 (W)
Dave: USC 52 – Washington State 3 (W)
That’s right! In a week chock full of madness, I went a perfect 5-0 in my predictions, correctly calling the Arizona and Oregon upsets. Some might call it luck. I call it… well, luck I guess.
The Oregon Cal game really is the most surprising of all. Not in that Oregon won, but how Oregon won. They dominated in every facet of the game, leaving us wondering a) Where was this team week one? b) Where was this Jeremiah Masoli the last three weeks?
This upcoming weekend’s USC vs. Cal game was drawn up by many as a battle of undefeateds, the winner taking a stranglehold on the conference. Instead, both teams enter already having lost in the conference, and the loser with two losses will be virtually out of the running for sole possession of the Pac-10 title. Go figure, huh?
Sam’s Record: 22 – 10
Dave’s Record: 25 – 7
Arizona Wildcats (2-1) vs. Oregon State Beavers (2-1)
Saturday, September 26, 4:35 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Oregon State -3.0
Continue reading 'Week 4 Game Matchup: Arizona Wildcats VS. Oregon State Beavers'»
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