Los Angeles Times - 21.09.2019

Hank Bachmeier threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, Robert Mahone rushed for a pair of scores in the fourth quarter, and No. 20 Boise State pulled away in the second half for a 30-19 victory over Air Force on Friday night at Boise, Idaho. Bachmeier’s arm made up for a Broncos running game that was ineffective until the fourth quarter. He hit CT Thomas on a 36-yard touchdown pass in the first half while getting crunched by a defender, and added a 28-yard touchdown toss to tight end John Bates late in

the third quarter to give the Broncos a 17-13 lead. Mahone added a pair of 10-yard touchdowns runs in the fourth as the Broncos (4-0, 1-0 Mountain West) won their 20th straight conference opener. Bachmeier completed 19

of 26 passes in another im- pressive performance by the freshman in only his fourth start. Air Force quarterback Donald Hammond III had an eight-yard touchdown run in the first half and threw a 31-yard score to Ger- aud Sanders late in the fourth quarter. Taven Bir- dow led Air Force (2-1, 0-1) with 67 yards rushing, but the second-best rushing at- tack in the country was held to 242 yards, more than 100 yards under its average. Bachmeier also got help from his receivers. Thomas, who had a career-high 119 yards receiving, made a div- ing 29-yard catch to set up Eric Sachse’s 40-yard field

goal in the first half. John Hightower made a juggling reception surrounded by two defenders on a key third- down in the fourth quarter, and Mahone scored on a 10- yard run on the next play to give the Broncos a 23-13 lead.

at Louisiana Tech 43, Florida International 31: Justin Henderson rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns, Bailey Hale tied a program record with five field goals and Amik Rob- ertson ran an onside kick 30 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory for Louisi- ana Tech (3-1). James Mor- gan threw for 394 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for FIU (1-3).

ROUNDUP

Freshman quarterback leads No. 20 Boise State

associated press

LATIMES.COM/SPORTS D7

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

undone in the fourth quarter
Friday by two fourth-quarter
hits and a magical fling that
gave USC a 30-23 victory and
placed this impossibly con-
fusing Trojans season into a
rather improbable place.
They’re 2-0 in the Pac-12,
they’re 3-1 overall, and they’ve
somehow slowed the linger-
ing narrative of change,
transforming it into a song of
hope.
The game began with
backup-turned-starting
quarterback Kedon Slovis
being flattened, helped from
the field, and lost for the
game with a head injury.
The game ended with
third-stringer Matt Fink, a
two-year bench-warmer who
nearly transferred to Illinois
last summer, throwing for 351
yards and three touchdowns.
The night began with
cheers for coach Urban Mey-
er, fans screaming, “H-ire
Ur-ban.”
The night ended with
much louder chants of, “We
Are S.C.”
For once, they were, and
maybe they will be again, and
maybe it’s good that new
university president Carol L.
Folt was at midfield for the
coin toss and then stuck
around to see the potential of
this place.
“This is a mentally tough
bunch,” Helton said after-
ward. “It is, ‘What are you
going to do? Are you going to
make excuses or are you
going to get the job done?’ ”
They could have started
making excuses in the fourth
quarter with Fink struggling
and the Trojans defense on
the brink of folding. The
Trojans had led 21-10 shortly
after halftime, then Fink
threw a reckless interception
that led to a Utah touchdown,
and now the energized Utes
were sitting third-and-goal
from the one-yard line with
one plunge needed to take the
lead.
Not on this night. Safety
Isaiah Pola-Mao broke
through and pulled down
quarterback Tyler Huntley in
the backfield for a sack, the
Utes settled for a field goal to
pull them to within 21-20, and
the momentum turned.
On the Utes next pos-
session, Drake Jackson
forced Huntley into an inten-
tionally grounded pass from
the end zone for a safety, the
Trojans led 23-20, and now it
was time for the dagger.
That came on the Trojans’
next possession, with Fink on
third down flinging a perfect
pass that Michael Pittman Jr.
pulled down in stride for a
42-yard gain that stole the
Utes’ breath and caused the
Coliseum to shake with a roar.
Three plays later, Markese
Stepp scored on a four-yard
run and the game was essen-
tially over, the only remaining
exercise being an examina-
tion of the incredible num-
bers.
The Trojans won a game
in which they gained 13 yards
rushing. They won a game in
which they committed 1 17
yards worth of penalties.
They won a game in which
their already graduated
quarterback threw three
times as many touchdown
passes as in his previous two
years on the team combined.
“The definition of fight
on,” Helton said. “And don’t
know how to quit.”
Nobody epitomized that
more than Fink, a guy who
just last spring had entered
the transfer portal and nearly
bolted. But even though he
had played in just seven
games in two seasons on the
bench, throwing only 18
passes, he decided to stay on
the team.
Then Friday night, finally
given a meaningful chance, he
decided to win the game.
“In today’s world, things
don’t go always your way,”

said Helton of Fink. “He lived through adversity. He said, ‘You know what, when my opportunity comes up, I’ll make the most of it.’ In a world where everybody goes different places, this one stayed for this family, waiting for his moment, waiting for his memory, and what a memory it was tonight.” Fink confirmed he stayed for his Trojans family because, well, it’s a brotherhood of pretty talented football players. “This team is stacked, you have the best players in the nation here, why would I go somewhere else and play with lesser athletes?” he said. “SC is on the rise. We have guys who are going to push us to the top here.” And to think, the night started so awkwardly for so many different Trojans. About 40 minutes before the game, several dozen fans were sitting adjacent to the end zone where coaching legend Meyer was offering commentary on Fox Sports 1. Soon enough, staring Meyer in his expressionless face, they added their own opin- ions, chanting for him to be hired. Later, on the FS1 broad- cast, USC legend Reggie Bush ripped the Trojans’ pregame appearance. “I see too many guys from USC out here warming up with their shirts off, other guys with shirts on their heads,” he said. “It doesn’t look like a team. This is a team sport. Put your shirt on. You’re not undefeated. Put some clothes on and look like a football team.” Fans responded later by chanting, “Reg-gie, Reg-gie” Then the game began and things got worse, Slovis smothered by Leki Fotu on the second play of the game, stunning the crowd into silence just three weeks after watching starter JT Daniels knocked out with a season- ending knee injury. Have no fear, the flinging Fink is here! He lofted his second pass to Tyler Vaughns for a dozen yards, his third pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown for 15, his fourth pass to Pittman for eight, while his fifth pass was lofted 29-yards to Vaughns for a touchdown. That silence quickly erupted in cheers, but Fink was just getting started. On his second possession, he hit Pittman for 26 yards on third down, scrambled and hit Josh Falo for a dozen, then shook off a seemingly sure sack by Devin Lloyd and hit St. Brown between two defenders for 31 yards and a touchdown. Crazy, right? It was even crazier on their first possession of the second half when, on third down deep in Trojans territory, he heaved the ball into the evening air. It was caught at the 30 by Pittman, who sprinted into the end zone for a 77-yard score that gave USC a 21-10 lead. “Just doing my job,’’ said Fink. “I don’t think this moment was too big for me.” He came back to earth late in the third quarter when Utah’s Terrell Burgess picked off his horribly misguided toss around midfield and returned it to the USC 14. A silly taunting penalty against head-butting Austin Jackson moved the ball to the Trojans

Three plays later, Utah
scored.
But this time, the Trojans
didn’t break. This time, they
walked their talk.
Before the game, the
Coliseum scoreboard showed
a corny promotional video in
which a narrator intoned, “No
matter what they put in front
of us, we always fight on.”
Turns out, on this night
anyway, he was right.

USC DEFENSIVE LINEMANDrake Jackson forces
Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley into a safety.

Luis SincoLos Angeles Times

USC lives to fight

yet another day

[Plaschke, from D1]

MATCHUPS

UCLA (0-3) at

No. 19 Wash. St. (3-0) Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Martin Stadium, Pullman, Wash. TV: ESPN. Radio: 1150.

Marquee matchup Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon vs. the UCLA sec- ondary. The Bruins are going from one prolific quarterback to another after getting gouged by Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts for 439 yards and four touchdowns last week. At least they don’t have to worry about Gordon hurting them nearly as much with his legs as Hurts did while running for 150 yards. But Gordon, a redshirt senior who had played sparingly before this season, may be a better pure passer than his Oklahoma counterpart. He leads the nation with 12 touchdown passes, 1,324 yards passing and 441.3 yards passing per game.

Getting offensive 8 UCLA (263.3 ypg, 14 ppg):The Bruins made some gains in their running game last week, collecting a season-high 110 yards, but they’re going to have to generate a lot more mileage to score more than 14 points for the first time in 2019. A big part of the offense’s problem has been its eight turnovers, which have led to 31 points for the opponents. 8 Washington State (567 ypg, 49.3 ppg):The Cougars have given new meaning to the spread as part of their Air Raid offense, with eight players catching touchdown passes in just three games. Receiver Brandon Ar- conado is tied for the Pac-12 Conference lead with 23 receptions and ranks third with 308 yards receiving. Easop Winston Jr. isn’t far behind with 16 catches for 234 yards.

Getting defensive 8 UCLA (467 ypg, 31.7 ppg):The next points the Bruins score off turnovers this season will be their first. The team has forced just two turnovers and none since its opener against

Cincinnati. UCLA is also seeking any sort of pass rush after logging just four sacks, the third-fewest in the Pac-12. Linebacker Keisean Lucier-South could help in that department if he makes his season debut after completing an aca- demic suspension. 8 Washington State (346.3 ypg, 16 ppg):The Cougars’ “Speed D” defense doesn’t get nearly the atten- tion of the Air Raid but can be just as influential in the team’s success. Washington State has forced nine turnovers, ranking fifth nation- ally, including seven fumble recoveries. The Cougars also lead the Pac-12 in passing defense, allowing just 162.7 yards per game.

Something special Australian punter Wade Lees, who at 31 is the second-oldest player in the Pac-12, has been a joy for the Bruins beyond the old-man jokes and kangaroo quips; his average of 44 yards per punt ranks No. 32 nation- ally.

Of note Washington State is 15-1 at Martin Stadium over the last three seasons, with its only loss coming against rival Washington in the 2018 Apple Cup.

Injury report The status of UCLA receiver Theo Howard, safety Quentin Lake and guard Michael Alves re- mained uncertain after they were not observed on the field Wednesday during the portion of practice open to reporters. ... Washington State linebacker Dillon Sherman could miss his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury. Cougars running back Clay Markoff is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury and receiver Jamire Calvin will miss his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury. Linebacker Domi- nick Silvels could miss his fourth straight game because of personal issues.

By Ben Bolch

PULLMAN, Wash. — Mike Leach had to worry about weights before wins. When he arrived at Wash- ington State before the 2012 season, eager to revive a football program that had not been to a bowl game in nearly a decade, some players were surprised to learn their new coach expected them to work out year-round. “I don’t know who was more stunned, me or them,” Leach said this week during a telephone interview, “because I’m [thinking], every high school in America does this, every Division II team in America does this, every Divi- sion I-AA team in America does this. Every Division I team damn sure does this — or so I thought.” The Cougars started the Leach era as if they were pinned on a bench beneath a 500-pound bar. Their early strain resulted in nothing more than a 3-9 record his first season, followed by 6-7 in 2013 and 3-9 in 2014. Five years later, the Cougars are punching above their weight in the Pac-12 Con- ference, going to a school- record four consecutive bowl games and annually compet- ing for the North Division ti- tle. It’s a get-there-eventually model that UCLA can only hope to replicate as the win- less Bruins (0-3), coming off a 3-9 inaugural season under coach Chip Kelly, prepare to face No. 19 Washington State (3-0) on Saturday night at Martin Stadium in both teams’ conference opener. The comparisons aren’t exact. Washington State, lo- cated in what might be de- scribed as the end of the Pac-12 earth, has some inher- ent recruiting disadvantages compared with its conference brethren, and a history that included just seven bowl ap- pearances in the 30 years before Leach’s arrival. But the Cougars had an identifiable Air Raid offense they could recruit to once Leach undertook the usual change-in-coach player purge — something Kelly recently completed by shedding more than 30 players, a handful of whom medically retired. Leach said the departures are mutually beneficial when players don’t share a coach’s vision. “You need guys who buy in and guys who really love football,” Leach said, “and in the interim there can be a certain number that whether they’re playing as much as they’d like or doing as much as they’d like to, there’s a certain amount of selfishness that can set in, and then in some cases they trade the desire to win for everybody having fun and it’s a glo- rified social club.” Some players didn’t mask their priorities, Leach said, telling him they wanted to do other things besides football in the offseason and enjoy a robust social life. “Have whatever social life you want,” Leach said of his retort, “but you’re going to lift and run. I mean, I read an arti- cle that said a college Division I scholarship translates to about $80,000 a year when you add all the benefits and perks in there. Well, I mean, if some- body’s got an $80,000-a-year

job, lifting and running’s not that much to ask, really.” Leach eventually ben- efited from the necessary buy- in among his players. Whether Kelly will get it remains to be seen, though some players have spoken of increased ac- countability since his arrival. The Bruins weren’t bereft of talent when Kelly replaced Jim Mora, whose recruiting classes were regularly among the best in the conference, making fans wonder why the early results haven’t been better. And there’s no debating that UCLA has failed to se- cure a modest portion of the top prospects available in its Southern California back- yard. Kelly has not been able to sell recruits on the blur offense that made him one of the nation’s most coveted coaches while going 46-7 in four seasons at Oregon, ex- plaining that he doesn’t have the veteran players or depth needed to utilize a dizzying tempo. He said he would tailor his offense to his players, but the pro-style scheme he has run has produced just 14 points in every game this season. Player development has been part of the problem. Sophomore quarterback Do- rian Thompson-Robinson has not improved in areas that were obvious weaknesses last season, such as decision- making or making touch passes while on the run. Soph- omore running back Martell Irby has fallen out of the rota- tion after a strong finish to last season. Sophomore guard Christaphany Murray has been getting manhandled after more than holding his own as a freshman. Kelly defended his staff ’s player development but ac- knowledged it could be a lengthy process. “I’ve watched a lot of our kids grow as players since they’ve been here and see how they develop and continue to get better on a daily basis,” Kelly said. “The problem with a young team is that people want to it from one day to the next day and that’s not very feasible.” One strong parallel between the rebuilds of Leach and Kelly is the widespread criticism each faced early in the process. At one point Leach looked like the worst hire among the four coaches who entered the Pac-12 before the 2012 season, given that Mora guided the Bruins to 29 wins in his first three seasons and Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez and Arizona State’s Todd Graham each took their schools to the Pac-12 champi- onship game within three years. Among the four, only Leach remains. He said fans disappointed in his early failures couldn’t seem to comprehend how much more deeply the losses stung players and coaches. “It’s like breakfast,” Leach said. “The chicken’s involved but the pig’s committed. We’re the pigs, you know?” Leach said UCLA is talented enough to start winning any week now, making him fret that the breakthrough could come Saturday. “They’ve got some good players,” Leach said between labored breaths, pausing to note he was climbing a mas- sive hill on his nightly walk home. Realizing the topic, he quickly seized upon the meta- phor. “See, you’ve got to get better,” Leach said, “keep climbing the hill.”

UCLA hopes to replicate

Leach’s success in Pullman

The Bruins and Kelly

see that the Cougars coach’s long-term plan

is paying dividends.

By Ben Bolch

MIKE LEACHposted losing records at Washington State in his first three seasons as the head coach.

Eric Christian SmithAssociated Press

WEST USC 30, Utah 23 EAST Assumpton 19, Southern Connecticut State 7 Johns Hopkins 41, Moravian 0 MIT 13, Becker 6 St. Lawrence 32, SUNY Morrisville 22 SOUTH Louisiana Tech 43, Florida international 31 ROCKIES Boise State 30, Air Force 19

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Los Angeles Times - 21.09.2019

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