Week 6 Pac-12 football power rankings

Nathaniel Levin

October 11, 2023

Arizona dog piles at the one yard line in an attempt to rush a touchdown in a close loss against Washington on Sept. 30 in Tucson. The Wildcats lost the game 24-31.

Week 6 of the college football season was action-packed for the Pac-12. No. 9 USC edged past the University of Arizona in an exciting triple overtime game, while the University of Colorado Boulder got back in the win column with a victory over ASU thanks to a last-second field goal. UCLA staged a comeback to beat No. 13 Washington State University, and No. 15 Oregon State University emerged victorious in a high-scoring game against the University of California Berkeley, with both teams combining for over 90 points. The final year of the Pac-12 is certainly living up to the hype, and the remainder of the season should be entertaining.

No. 9 USC 43 – Arizona 41 3OT

No. 9 USC overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Arizona 43-41 in triple overtime to remain undefeated on the season. The Trojans had the opportunity to win the game in regulation, but a botched snap on a game-winning field goal attempt resulted in the game going to overtime.

No. 9 USC (6-0, 4-0 in Pac-12):

The Trojans fell behind early, trailing 17-0 in the first half. However, with a strong performance by their quarterback and reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, the Trojans were able to storm back and outlast the Wildcats in triple OT. Williams was held under 275 yards for the first time this season but still had a strong performance, throwing for 219 yards and 1 touchdown. However, Williams utilized his legs, rushing for 3 touchdowns and the game-winning 2-point conversion in triple OT. The Trojans must address their defensive issues before their next game against the No. 21 University of Notre Dame this Saturday, Oct. 14, at 4:30 p.m.

*Editor’s note: USC dropped to No. 10 in the Week 7 AP Poll.

Arizona (3-3, 1-2 in Pac-12):

Arizona outgained one of the nation’s top offenses in total yards 506-365. Still, the Wildcats could not play clean football, committing 99 yards in penalties, allowing the Trojans to overcome their 17-point early deficit. However, Noah Fifita had yet another strong performance in only his second career start, passing for 303 yards and 5 touchdowns. Wide receiver Jacob Cowling hauled in 10 of his 13 targets for 87 yards while also hauling in four of Fifita‘s five touchdown passes. The Wildcats look to bounce back next weekend when they travel to Pullman, Washington, to face No. 19 Washington State on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m.

UCLA 25 – No. 13 Washington State 17

UCLA staged a comeback in the fourth quarter to beat No. 13 Washington State 25-17, handing the Cougars their first loss of the season.

UCLA (4-1, 1-1 in Pac-12):

The Bruins shut down one of the nation’s top offenses, limiting the Cougars to only 216 yards. UCLA forced four turnovers, including one late in the fourth quarter, which helped seal the win. Quarterback Dante Moore connected on only 50% of his passes while throwing for 290 yards, 1 touchdown and two interceptions. However, the Bruins found success running the ball, as Carson Steele rushed for a season-high 140 yards, while teammate Keegan Jones rushed for 45 yards and 2 touchdowns. UCLA will be tested again when they face No. 15 Oregon State on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 5 p.m.

*Editor’s note: UCLA rose to No. 18 in the Week 7 AP Poll.

No. 13 Washington State (4-1, 1-1 in Pac-12):

The Cougars dropped their first game of the season after winning their first four games. Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward struggled against a good UCLA defense, which limited him to a season-low 197 passing yards and throwing for only 1 touchdown and two interceptions. The Cougars could not find an alternative to the passing game as they could not run the ball, rushing for only 12 total yards. Meanwhile, the defense had some highlights, including an 88-yard pick-six by defensive back Kapena Gushiken in the first half’s closing seconds. The Cougars will look to fix some mistakes before they host Arizona on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m.

*Editor’s note: Washington State dropped to No. 19 in the Week 7 AP Poll.

No. 15 Oregon State 52 – Cal 40

D.J. Uiagalelei’s 5 touchdown passes helped No. 15 Oregon State cruise past Cal 52-40.

No. 15 Oregon State (5-1, 2-1 in Pac-12):

The Beavers found success in their win over Cal in the air and the ground. Uiagalelei connected on 76% of his passes, throwing for 275 yards and 5 touchdowns, which tied his career high. The Beavers were also dominant on the ground, as running backs Damien Martinez and Deshaun Fenwick combined for 165 of Oregon State’s 203 yards on the ground. The offense had one of the best performances of the season, while the defense struggled, giving up 448 total yards and a season-high 40 points. The Beavers will face their third straight top-25 opponent when they host No. 18 UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 5 p.m.

Cal (3-3, 1-2 in Pac-12):

The Golden Bears found plenty of success offensively, but unfortunately came up short against the Beavers. Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza made his first career start, throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 41 yards, albeit with one interception. The Golden Bears efficiently ran the ball, rushing for 241 yards on the night. Cal was led by Isaiah Ifanse and Jaydn Ott, who each rushed for more than 85 yards, with Ifanse rushing for 2 touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Golden Bears allowed 50 points for the second time this season as they began a stretch of five straight matchups against top-25 teams. Their next test will be on the road against the No. 16 University of Utah on Saturday, Oct. 14, at noon.

Colorado 27 – ASU 24

Colorado stunned ASU with a last-second field goal to beat the Sun Devils 27-24, snapping an eight-game conference losing streak.

Colorado (4-2, 1-2 in Pac-12):

After back-to-back losses to open Pac-12 play, the Buffaloes got back in the win column with a narrow victory over ASU. Colorado‘s offense struggled most of the night, managing less than 300 total yards of offense for the second time this season. However, Shedeur Sanders stepped up when the game was on the line, throwing for 239 yards and 1 touchdown on the night while rushing for another score. Surprisingly, Colorado‘s defense played a crucial role in securing the win after being a significant issue throughout the season’s first five weeks. Colorado will look to build on this win when they face Stanford University on Friday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m.

ASU (1-5, 0-3 in Pac-12):

The Sun Devils led most of the game but found themselves behind late in the fourth quarter. However, ASU went 94 yards in the closing minutes to tie the game at 24-24 before Colorado‘s late-game heroics led to a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds. Nonetheless, ASU quarterback Trenton Bourguet had a night, throwing for 335 yards and 1 touchdown while rushing for another. ASU wide receiver Elijhah Badger hauled in a career-high 12 receptions for a season-high 134 yards. Unfortunately, Bourguet’s and Badger’s strong performances were insufficient, as the Sun Devils dropped their fifth straight game. ASU enters the bye week 1-5 and will be tested on the road when they face No. 7 Washington on Saturday, Oct. 21.