Washington Huskies

Taking stock of the third week of games in the Pac-12.

Team of the week: Stanford didn't just beat No. 2 USC, it physically dominated the Trojans in a 21-14 victory, the Cardinal's record fourth consecutive win in the series. First, there was the post-Toby Gerhart Era. Then there was the post-Jim Harbaugh Era. Then there was the post-Andrew Luck Era. Maybe it's just the Stanford Era? The Cardinal is now squarely in the Rose Bowl race. And maybe the national title hunt.

Best game: Utah's 24-21 win over BYU wasn't pretty. It wasn't, really, even deserving of a "best" tag. But it was really weird, particularly the ending, and weird is often noteworthy. On a weekend when four games came down to the fourth quarter, the Holy War had the most breathless finish because it had two breathless finishes.

Biggest play: On third-and-10 from the 50 in the fourth quarter, Stanford QB Josh Nunes was under pressure. He scrambled and found himself bottled up and cut off. Yet a player not exactly known for his athleticism juked the USC defense and cut for a 13-yard gain and a first down. Two plays later, he hit TE Zach Ertz for a 37-yard TD and a 21-14 lead, the final margin of Cardinal victory.

Biggest play II: California had No. 12 Ohio State on the ropes. The score was tied with just under four minutes left in the game, and the Buckeyes faced a third-and-7 from their 28-yard line. QB Braxton Miller was forced from the pocket, but the Bears secondary gagged and let Devin Smith get free behind the coverage. The ensuing 72-yard TD pass provided Ohio State its 35-28 margin of victory.

Biggest play III: BYU had a first-and-10 on the Utah 25-yard line, down 10-7 in the third quarter. Lined up in a shotgun formation, QB Riley Nelson wanted to change the play. While he was barking signals, his center delivered the snap, which rolled past an unaware Nelson. Utah's Mo Lee scooped up the loose ball and rambled 47 yards for a TD. The Utes would need those points in a 24-21 win.

Offensive standout: Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor was the best player on the field against USC. He rushed 27 times for 153 yards and a 59-yard TD and caught five passes for 60 yards and a 23-yard score in No. 21 Stanford's upset win over No. 2 Trojans.

Defensive standout: UCLA CB Sheldon Price matched a school record with three interceptions in the Bruins' 37-6 win over Houston.

Special teams standout: Not a lot to choose from. Oregon's De'Anthony Thomas returned four punts for 87 yards against Tennessee Tech, though he did fumble one.

Smiley face: Cal RB Brendan Bigelow brought life to the Bears by doing his best De'Anthony Thomas at Ohio State, rushing for 160 yards on just four carries -- yes, an average of 40 yards per carry! He had touchdown runs of 81 and 59 yards, and both were spectacular. Might he give the Bears offense a weapon that turns around their season?

Frowny face: Can anyone kick a freaking field goal? USC has no kicker, and Arizona, California, Oregon, Stanford and Utah were a combined 1-for-10, with the Bay Area schools going 0-for-6.

Thought of the week: Two of the Pac-12's five unbeaten teams will go down this weekend because of head-to-head matchups. Arizona travels to Oregon, while UCLA plays host to Oregon State. We'll get a better measure of contenders and pretenders this weekend.

Questions for the week: Is Oregon's Thomas ready to make a Heisman Trophy statement against Arizona? The set-up seems perfect: an ESPN game against a questionable defense. With USC and QB Matt Barkley going down, the Heisman race has opened up. Can Thomas be his fancy self and win the affection of the pundits?

What did we learn in Week 3? Read on.

Barkley's, USC's coronation was premature: There is no certainty in college football, particularly when you're questionable on the line of scrimmage. That's what USC quarterback Matt Barkley found out. His offensive line couldn't block Stanford's defensive front seven, which sacked him four times and harassed him constantly. Barkley, even with elite receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee, completed only 20 of 41 passes with two interceptions in a 21-14 loss. Sure, losing center Khaled Holmes to an ankle injury was a major blow -- the Cardinal exploited his replacement, Cyrus Hobbi -- but the Cardinal's domination up front wasn't about one spot. And that domination was on both sides of the line. The Cardinal, with a first-year starting quarterback, outgained the Trojans 417 yards to 280. Barkley's Heisman Trophy hopes took a major blow, as did the Trojans' hopes for a national title, that bit of unfinished business that brought Barkley back for his senior year.

Luck had nothing to do with it: That was a sign in the crowd at Stanford, duly noted by ESPN analyst Robert Smith. Stanford has billed itself as a physical, run-first team, even when it had Luck. So, without him, it figures the Cardinal would remain themselves. Still, many of us doubted whether the Cardinal would be as physical without now-NFL offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro. They were. Stanford figured out a way to neutralize the Trojans' flash, and then the Cardinal exploited their superiority on both lines of scrimmage. The most telling number? The Cardinal outrushed USC 202 yards to 26. The Pac-12 game of the year still might be Nov. 3 when Oregon visits USC. But if Stanford takes care of business, it might end up being the Cardinal's visit to Oregon on Nov. 17.

Oregon returns to the top: Oregon's 63-14 blowout of Tennessee Tech wasn't terribly relevant. But USC's loss and sudden vulnerability topples it from atop the Pac-12 perception pecking order. Stanford moves up. But the Cardinal can't eclipse the Ducks because Oregon has blown them out in consecutive seasons. USC no longer can be considered a favorite on Nov. 3 when the Ducks visit. But the wiser way to view things is to see a lot of football ahead. The Ducks have yet to play a team with a pulse. It's possible we'll see a few more plot twists before we get to November.

Arizona, UCLA avoid letdown: Arizona and UCLA posted big upset wins over ranked teams last weekend and became ranked teams themselves. Sometimes teams that do that fall flat the next week while still drunk on the past instead of focusing on the present. The Wildcats and Bruins did not. They both rolled big and improved to 3-0. Sure, both played overmatched foes, a convenient bit of scheduling. Particularly the Wildcats against South Carolina State. But both now head into interesting matchups -- UCLA hosts Oregon State and Arizona visits Oregon -- riding plenty of positive momentum, sitting prettier than most had imagined in the preseason.

Arizona State's reinvention remains a work in progress: Arizona State had three turnovers in its first two games. It had four in its 24-20 loss at Missouri. QB Taylor Kelly had zero interceptions in the first two games. He had two against the Tigers. The Sun Devils had five penalties for 35 yards in the first two games combined. They had seven for 54 yards at Missouri. The point: As cleanly as the Sun Devils played in the first two games, their becoming a disciplined team on a consistent basis is still a work in progress. That probably shouldn't be surprising. It's hard to completely reinvent a team culture in just two games. And the Sun Devils' fourth-quarter surge, coming back from a 24-7 deficit, showed backbone. That's a positive.

California and Utah can't be overlooked: Cal lost its opener to Nevada, spoiling the debut of remodeled Memorial Stadium. Utah lost at Utah State in Week 2, ending a 12-game winning streak in the series. Both losses were greeted with gnashing teeth by the respective fan bases. Their performances on Saturday, however, showed that both are certainly not easy outs and could become factors in their Pac-12 divisions. Utah beat a 25th-ranked BYU team that waxed Washington State. The Utes' defense remains formidable, no matter the issues on offense. And the Bears were just a couple of plays away from pulling the upset at No. 12 Ohio State before succumbing 35-28.

SEATTLE – If there was any lingering frustration after last week’s loss at LSU, Washington let it loose on Portland State Saturday as the Huskies cruised to a 52-13 victory at CenturyLink Field.

It was over when: Portland State attempted an onside kick to open the game. The trick play failed and provided Washington with good field position. The Huskies needed just four plays to score and never looked back, tallying touchdowns on their first two drives.

Game ball goes to: There are plenty of players to pick from in this one, but quarterback Keith Price takes home the game ball this week after relieving some pressure by completing 14 of 19 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns.

Stat of the game: Washington matched a school record by scoring 45 points in the first half -- the Huskies also scored 45 points against Oregon State in 1999. Over the first two quarters the Huskies produced four touchdowns on offense -- three passing, one rushing -- one on special teams, one on defense and tacked on a 41-yard field goal from Travis Coons right before the half.

On-field firsts: Sophomore receiver DiAndre Campbell caught his first touchdown pass, while sophomore right tackle Mike Criste and redshirt freshman left guard Dexter Charles made their first starts against Portland State. True freshman offensive lineman Shane Brostek also took the field for the first time, becoming the ninth freshman to play for Washington this season.

What it means: While it is important to keep in mind that the Huskies were playing an FCS team, the good news is Washington has some positive momentum as it heads into the bye week with games against Stanford, Oregon, USC and Arizona looming. The Huskies were able to find a much-needed rhythm on offense, establishing their ground game -- Bishop Sankey rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries -- and building some confidence along an offensive line that is trying to create continuity.

SEATTLE -- After last week’s blowout in the Bayou at the hands of LSU, Washington returned home with plenty to prove. The Huskies made a statement early, scoring on their first two drives and taking a 45-0 lead into the half against Portland State Saturday at CenturyLink Field.

Stat of the half: After being held out of the end zone on offense for seven consecutive quarters, the Huskies found the end zone four times on offense, once on special teams and once on defense in the first half. They tied the school record for points in a half, matching the 45 they posted against Oregon State in 1999.

Player of the half: Quarterback Keith Price. There was a lot of talk this week about taking pressure off the junior and get him back into the rhythm he established last season. He started strong Saturday, completing 12 of 17 passes for 150 yards and three touchdowns against the Vikings.

What’s working for Washington: The offense. After stringing together a total of 183 yards and 12 first downs against LSU last week, the Huskies only needed a half to hit that mark against Portland State, totaling 261 yards and 14 first downs.

Play of the half: Freshman Shaq Thompson blocked a 33-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter. Tre Watson picked it up and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.

Turning point: Portland State attempted an onside kick to open the game, which Washington recovered. The Huskies needed just four plays to find the end zone, with running back Bishop Sankey scoring on a 15-yard run. Washington’s second drive lasted just two plays before Price found DiAndre Campbell for a 20-yard score. It was the first touchdown reception of the sophomore’s career.

Cornerback Travell Dixon, who left Alabama for personal reasons in August, will join Washington’s football program, HuskyNation confirmed Friday.

The 6-foot-1, 191-pound Miami native originally enrolled at Alabama in January after transferring from Eastern Arizona College, where he was an NJCAA first-team All-American. He is expected to enroll at Washington on Monday. Fall quarter classes begin Sept. 24.

Dixon, who picked off four passes as a sophomore at Eastern Arizona, will have to sit out the 2012 season due to NCAA transfer rules but will provide a veteran presence in Washington’s secondary in 2013.