Last week proved to be very exciting as USC suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Washington Huskies.  We profiled this game last week as our PAC 10 game of the week and it definitely lived up to the hype.  There wasn’t a lot of scoring in this one but you have to be happy with Joe McKnight’s (pictured left, thanks Icon SMI) performance- 100 yards and a touchdown.  For Washington, Jake Locker had 237 yards on the air and rushed for a touchdown.  Locker is looking like the top quarterback in the conference with 811 yards passing and 5 touchdowns. 

Don’t forget about Kevin Riley from Cal though.  He has 698 yards and 5 touchdowns so far and plays with all-world running back Jahvid Best (we’ll get to him in a second).  Cal plays Oregon this week in our PAC 10 game of the week.

Here is our top 5 players from the PAC 10 for this week.

1)      Jahvid Best, Cal- 5 touchdowns last week- need I say more?  When you watch him play, he looks effortless.  His combination of speed and power is rare and is earning him serious consideration for the Heisman trophy.  He’s got 9 touchdowns- 8 rushing and one receiving and he’s third in the nation in rushing yards at 412.  Expect a big game from him as Cal looks to make a statement.

2)      Nic Grigsby, Arizona- Nic had a tough time last week against Iowa although he rushed for 75 yards.  Most of his yards came on one play of 58 yards, which showcases his big play ability.  The Wildcats play Oregon State this week in a huge game for both teams.  Arizona wants to show they are for real.  Look for Grigsby to have a big game.

3)      Jake Locker, Washington- As stated in the intro- Jake has put up huge stats and is among the top quarterbacks in the country.  After a stunning defeat of USC, his confidence has to be sky high.  Washington plays Stanford this week in a battle of 2-1 teams that should be very close.  Start Locker in all leagues.

4)      Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State- Rodgers had 73 yards and a touchdown last week as he continues his stellar play.  This week Oregon State plays Arizona in what could be a high scoring game.  Arizona’s defense is middle of the pack in terms of points allowed in the PAC 10.

5)      James Rodgers, Oregon State- I had to include a wide receiver in my top 5.  Rodgers ranks second in the conference in receiving yards at 233 and has 2 receiving touchdowns.  He also has 106 rushing yards- he averages 6.6 yards per carry. 

Game of the Week: California at Oregon

Jahvid Best and Kevin Riley of Cal and Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James of Oregon are all players to have in your lineups this week.  Cal will be looking to solidify themselves as a top 5 program (they’re currently ranked 6^th in the AP Poll).  Look for Best to continue his roll to the Heisman.  Masoli is a threat in the air and especially on the ground.  We will see if Cal can retain that high ranking or if Oregon will play spoiler. 

Notes:

Keep an eye on Ryan Whalen of Stanford.  Whalen leads the conference in receiving yards and has 2 touchdowns.  He’s still under the radar, but someone to watch this weekend as Stanford hosts Washington.  Chris Owusu of Stanford is ranked 3^rd in the conference in receiving yards as well at 197 yards.  Of course, Andrew Luck is the quarterback at Stanford and one of the top quarterbacks in the conference (639 yards and 4 touchdowns).

Also watch LaMichael James of Oregon.  He’s getting more playing time due to the departure of LaGarette Blount.  James had an outstanding game last week against Utah, with 152 yards and a touchdown.

Rob Gronkowski is out for the season.

Related posts:

1. Pac 10 Bookends: Trojans Men
2. Surfing the Pac 10: Shane Vereen vs. Quizz Rodgers, and who plays Wazzou?
3. Pac Ten for Week Eleven: Preview and Projections
4. Catching Up with the Pac 10 Wide Receivers
5. Running Through the Pac 10 Runningbacks

Tags: Pac 10