Washington Huskies

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.

It's Friday and we're chatting. HuskyNation's Mason Kelley will be dropping by SportsNation to talk Washington football this morning.

Send your questions now and join Kelley at 11 a.m. PT.

SportsNation wants to know, if the SEC is nation's top college football conference, which one checks in at No. 2 -- the Pac-12 or Big 12?

Pac-12 blogger Ted Miller makes his case for the conference, citing Arizona's 59-38 victory over Oklahoma State, among others.

David Ubben, on the other hand, presents his pitch for the Big 12, stating that, through two weeks, no league -- top to bottom -- has been better.

Which would you choose? Click here to read more and cast your vote.

Welcome to Week 3. Ted and Kevin both went 7-5 in Week 2. Double yuck. The problem was all picks were identical, and neither picked an upset. Silly Pac-12 bloggers.

For the season, Ted is 16-7 and Kevin is 15-8.

Friday

Kevin: Washington State 35, UNLV 17: Time for the Cougars to get a win over an FBS team. Should happen this week against a UNLV squad that is 0-2 and fell to FCS school Northern Arizona. (Remember them, Arizona State?) If all goes according to plan, the starting offensive linemen should be crushing the buffet at the Rio by the third quarter.

Ted: Washington State 40, UNLV 20: While quarterback Jeff Tuel is decidedly questionable; backup Connor Halliday is experienced and capable. The guess here is things go a little more smoothly on both sides of the ball as new systems start to sink in.

Saturday

Kevin: Ohio State 28, Cal 10: The defense, which was supposed to be the strength of this team, hasn't shown up yet. Nevada quarterback Cody Fajardo rushed for 97 yards -- most of it on zone reads the Bears couldn't stop. What's Braxton Miller going to do?

Ted: Ohio State 30, California 17: During the summer, I believed this was prime upset material. Then Cal played twice.

Kevin: Oregon 49, Tennessee Tech 14: It was De'Anthony Thomas in Week 1 and Kenjon Barner in Week 2. Who is the Duck du jour in what should be the latest Oregon pasting? Fortunately, Oregon's schedule allows for growth with younger players, and it needs that because of all the injuries of late.

Ted: Oregon 50, Tennessee Tech 10: Yawn. The good news is Oregon might have an interesting game the next week when Arizona comes to town. I bet Ducks fans are hungry for a game that at least raises an eyebrow.

Kevin: Washington 31, Portland State 7: Not a lot of time for the Huskies to get right after their ill-fated journey to Baton Rouge, La., with Stanford, USC and Oregon looming in the next three weeks. This might be their last opportunity for a win until late October/early November. They'd better take advantage of it.

Ted: Washington 30, Portland State 20: Will the Huskies be flat after falling flat at LSU? I suspect so. Not flat enough to lose but perhaps flat enough to further frustrate Huskies fans.

Kevin: USC 38, Stanford 24: David Shaw knows how to plan a scheme against USC's defense, so I'd expect the Cardinal to put up some points. But when push comes to shove, Stanford's defense won't get the number of stops needed to slow down the Trojans' passing attack.

Ted: USC 35, Stanford 20: I think it will be close at halftime, but the Trojans will pull away early in the fourth quarter. Eventually, Matt Barkley & Co. will gash the Cardinal secondary, and then Stanford won't be able to answer.

Kevin: Fresno State 31, Colorado 17: The Bulldogs showed a little bite against the Ducks -- enough to suggest they can certainly hang with, and beat, a lower-tier Pac-12 team.

Ted: Colorado 28, Fresno State 27: Why? Because I suspect we're going to see some pride from the Buffs.

Kevin: BYU 35, Utah 27: I think Utah will play inspired football given this week's turn of events. But last week we saw that the offensive line concerns are graver than we all initially thought. Bronco Mendenhall saw it too.

Ted: BYU 28, Utah 24: There's a lot going on at Utah, most notably injury issues. And it's not just quarterback Jordan Wynn. Running back John White and safety Eric Rowe are questionable. But the biggest issue, as Kevin noted, is the disappointing play of the offensive line.

Kevin: Arizona 49, South Carolina State 10: The offense has come together quickly. I'd expect Arizona to use this game to clean some things up before heading to Autzen for a game that suddenly looks very interesting.

Ted: Arizona 42, South Carolina State 20: I suspect that some fumes from the post-Oklahoma State victory celebration will cause the Wildcats to be a bit flat. They are fortunate the opponent will be forgiving.

Kevin: UCLA 48, Houston 21: Houston can't stop the run. UCLA isn't going to abandon the run. Another huge game for Johnathan Franklin and another win for the Bruins.

Ted: UCLA 44, Houston 24: Another possible flat performance, but the Bruins should recall the loss at Houston from 2011 to provide some motivation. Agree with Kevin: Franklin gets another 200, and his Heisman candidacy inches up another notch.

Kevin: Arizona State 38, Missouri 31: OK, ASU. I'll bite. The Sun Devils are second in the nation with six interceptions, and Missouri likes to throw a lot. Vegas likes the Tigers by a touchdown, but I'll throw my confidence behind Todd Graham & Co.

Ted: Missouri 35, Arizona State 27: The Sun Devils have whipped two inferior foes at home. The Tigers are pretty good and are playing at home. The Sun Devils have been impressive, but they are still young. And Missouri quarterback James Franklin is a load.