WEEK 4:  For the first time this season, the Pac-12 does not face a non-conference opponent that’s currently ranked in the AP Top 25.  Through 3 weeks, the Pac-12 has played 9 non-conference games against Top 25 teams, 2 more than any other conference.  

This week still provides challenges with a 2-1 Arizona from the Big 12 headed to Pullman and 4 Pac-12 teams facing opponents ranked in the Top 95 of SP+ with a combined record of 8-4 (Western Michigan, Toledo, UTSA, and Troy).  

The Pac-12 has 5 teams currently ranked in the Top 33 in ESPN’s Strength of Schedule with Texas State leading the way at #8.  Of the Pac-12’s 24 non-conference games vs. FBS opponents this season, 20 are against teams that were bowl eligible in 2025 including 3 that were in last year’s College Football Playoff.

As a conference, the Pac-12 sits firmly 5th among all FBS conferences in both average FPI (81.5) and average SP+ (82.1).

 

‘ZOO-TOPIA:  While neither team currently sits in the Top 25, both Boise State and Western Michigan are the leading vote getters in the AP poll among teams outside of the autonomous conferences.   Saturday, those 2 teams will face off in Kalamazoo for their 1st ever meeting, a game expected to have a major impact on the race for the College Football Playoff.  

Boise State has won their last 3 road games against opponents from the MAC conference with the last one coming in 2011 at Toledo.  The Broncos are 10-3 all-time against teams from the MAC and won the last meeting with a 55-7 victory over Northern Illinois in the 2015 Poinsettia Bowl.

Western Michigan picked up a 28-21 win at Rice last week to improve to 2-1 on the season with their lone loss coming in controversial fashion, a 13-12 defeat at Michigan in the season opener, when instant replay put 1 second back on the clock in time for the Wolverines to connect on a 47-yard Hail Mary GW TD as time expired.  WMU has only ever faced a Pac-12 school once, a 2017 loss at USC in their 2017 opener, and has faced schools currently in the Pac-12 three times, going 0-3 against Fresno State (1972, 1988) and Utah State (1961).

A-IRING IT OUT:  Oregon State QB Braden Atkinson took home Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week in Week 3 after a 6 touchdown (5 pass, 1 rush) performance in the 52-17 win over Montana.  The last Beaver to put up 6 touchdowns in a game since Jake Luton did it in 2019 against UCLA.  The 2nd year QB amassed 333 pass yards for his 3rd straight game with 300+ pass yards, the first OSU QB to accomplish that since Sean Mannion reached the milestone in each of the first 7 games in 2013.  Atkinson leads the country with 374.0 pass YPG and is 2nd in passing yards with 1,122.

3, THE MAGIC NUMBER:  For the 3rd straight week, Oregon State WR Jesse Legree hauled in Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors as he grabbed 4 passes for 100 yards and a score.   Legree, the nation’s leading in receiving yards (476) and receiving YPG (158.7), is the only FBS player this season and just the 5th player in OSU history to have 3 straight weeks with 100+ receiving yards – the first since Biletnikoff Award winner Brandin Cooks in 2013.  The Baltimore native joins Utah RB Ty Jordan (2020) as the only players to win Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in 3 consecutive weeks.

TOP DOGS:  Matt Entz’s Fresno State squad not only took home the Valley Trophy for the 3rd straight season by beating San Jose State but also claimed their first Pac-12 weekly football awards.

DB Ethan Tierney snagged 2 interceptions, his first career multi-interception game, to earn the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week as Fresno State forced 4 turnovers in the 26-10 victory.  Tierney is the first Bulldog with multiple interceptions in a game since teammate Simeon Harris had 2 last year against San Jose State.  In fact, this is the 3rd straight season that a Fresno State player has had multiple interceptions in a game against the Spartans.

Kicker Manaki Watanabe meanwhile converted 4 of his 5 field goal attempts and scored 14 points to nab Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week.  Watanabe set his D1 career-high with a 52-yard FG, one of two 50+ yarders on the night to give him an FBS-high 3 field goals made from 50 yards or more.  In fact, no other FBS kicker this season has even attempted 3 from that distance and no Fresno State kicker has made three 50+ yard field goals in a season since at least 1996.  He was also named one of the Lou Groza Award Stars of the Week as one of the top 3 performances by a kicker for Week 3.

POWER BACKS:  Week 3 in the Pac-12 saw several outstanding performances at the running back position including 3 of the top 5 rushing yard outputs in FBS from Week 3.

One week after ripping off his 1st career 100-yard game, Texas State’s Torrance Burgess Jr. set a new career-high with an FBS-most 214 yards on the ground in the win over rival North Texas.  He’s the first Bobcat to rush for 200+ yards in a game since Ismail Mahdi in 2023 (216 vs. Nevada) and the first to have 140+ in back-to-back games since Robert Lowe in 2014.  Burgess also had a 76-yard run, the longest by a Bobcat since 2021 and the 12th longest run in FBS this season.  Meanwhile his teammate, Davian Jackson, had 4 touchdowns (3 rush, 1 rec) against the Mean Green to become the first Texas State player with 4 scrimmage TD in a game since Beau Sparks (4 rec TD) did it last year against Eastern Michigan.  The last Bobcat to rush for 3 TD in a game was QB Brad Jackson last season against South Alabama.

Boise State’s Dylan Riley put up 198 yards, 2nd most in FBS in Week 3, with 2 touchdowns to become the first Bronco back with 190+ rush yards and multiple rush TD in a game since Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty did it 4 times in 2024.  Riley, the only back this season with 2 games of 195+ rush yards, ranks 3rd in FBS with 454 rush yards and 151.3 rush yards per game.  The 3rd year player had an 83-yard TD run in the 4th quarter (2nd longest in FBS this season) and is 1 of 2 players in FBS this season, along with CSU’s Mel Brown, with multiple runs of 70+ yards.

With Lucky Sutton out, Javion Kinnard made the most of his opportunity for San Diego State with career-highs of 33 carries and 181 rush yards with a score.  It was the 5th highest yardage output in FBS in Week 3 and he’s the first Aztec to top 180 yards in a game since Marquez Cooper had 224 in the 2024 season opener against East Texas A&M and it’s the first against an FBS team since 2017.  In his previous 12 career games with both SDSU and Colorado State, Kinnard had combined for 32 carries for 183 yards with no touchdowns.  The 2nd year player also added 4 catches for 70 yards and the 251 scrimmage yards are the most by an Aztec since Rashaad Penny had 253 against Hawaii in 2017.

HITTING THE BOOKS: 5 Pac-12 players have been selected as semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, often referred to as the “academic Heisman” as it combines academic success with football performance and leadership.  The Pac-12 semifinalists are Maddux Madsen (Boise State), Merhauti Xepera (Fresno State), Jake Reichle (Oregon State), Beau Sparks (Texas State), and Brevin Hamblin (Utah State).

FOCUS ON THE TRENCHES:  The Pac-12 was well represented on the Pro Football Focus’ College Football Team of the Week.  4 players made the list, accounting for 80% of the offensive line with Boise State’s Stewart Taufa (Center) and Roger Carreon (RG) being joined by Oregon State LT Jacob Anderson and San Diego State RT Dennis Jones.