Only two teams remain in the hunt to reach the Pac-12 Championship game heading into the final week of the regular season. Despite No. 23 Oregon’s impressive 48-28 victory over No. 24 USC, it wasn’t enough to get the team back to its second consecutive championship game.

No. 11 Stanford’s 35-22 defeat of Cal clinched its third Pac-12 North title in four years, and a trip to the championship game to face either UCLA or USC. UCLA kept its title game bid alive with a 17-9 road upset at No. 13 Utah, setting up a winner-take-all matchup with crosstown rival USC next Saturday.

Here’s how the rest of the Pac-12 fared in Week 12:

Arizona State 52 — Arizona 37

Though both teams came into Saturday’s game out of contention for the Pac-12 Championship, the rivalry game still held meaning for in-state bragging rights.

Arizona State (6-5, 4-4) and quarterback Mike Bercovici threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns, while running backs Kalen Ballage and Demario Richards combined for 225 rushing yards.

Arizona (6-6, 3-6) struggled offensively without starting quarterback Anu Solomon, who sat out the game with a concussion. Third-string quarterback Brandon Dawkins threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns, highlighted by a 95-yard bomb to receiver Trey Griffey.

Washington 52 — Oregon State 7

The Huskies faced little opposition on the road from the Beavers in a dominant victory. Freshman quarterback Jake Browning threw four touchdown passes and Washington scored 52 unanswered points before quarterback Marcus McMaryion connected with wideout Victor Bolden for the Beavers’ only points.

Washington (5-6, 3-5 Pac-12) must win against Washington State next Friday to become bowl eligible.

Heading into next Friday’s Civil War against the Ducks at Autzen Stadium, Oregon State (2-9, 0-8) is in danger of finishing its Pac-12 schedule without a win.

UCLA 17 — N0. 13 Utah 9

An up and down season for UCLA (8-3, 5-3) is far from over. Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns, receiver Jordan Payton piled up 105 receiving yards and running back Paul Perkins added 98 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Utah (8-3, 5-3) played without standout running back Devontae Booker, who had knee surgery on Thursday, ending his season prematurely. Quarterback Travis Wilson threw for 110 yards and ran for 67 more, but the Utes were unable to find the end zone during the game as Wilson fumbled on Utah’s final drive.

Despite Utah’s early season surge, the Utes’ loss to UCLA eliminated them from Pac-12 title contention.

No. 11 Stanford 37 — Cal 22

Cal (6-5, 3-5) had plenty of chances in the “Big Game” to take the lead from Stanford (9-2, 8-1), but a combination of inefficiency in the red zone and inability to slow Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey ultimately cost the Golden Bears.

McCaffrey gained a Stanford record 389 all-purpose yards, including 192 rushing and a 98-yard kickoff return just before halftime.

Cal missed several opportunities in the red zone, settling for field goals on three possessions. Quarterback Jared Goff threw for 386 yards and two touchdowns but had three bad throws that were the difference between field goals and touchdowns. The Golden Bears conclude their Pac-12 schedule with a home game against Arizona State next Saturday.

No. 24 Washington State 27, Colorado 3

Though Washington State (7-3, 5-2) won comfortably at home, the game took a serious turn in the third quarter when Cougars quarterback Luke Falk was sacked and hit his head on the turf.

The injury appeared to briefly knock Falk unconscious, and he layed on the field for several minutes after taking the hit. Falk was eventually carted off the field and gave a fist pump to the crowd as he exited. Before the injury, Falk had 199 passing yards and a touchdown.

Colorado backup quarterback Cade Aspay threw for 238 yards in relief of injured starter Sefo Liufau.

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A few days before Oregon faced rival Stanford on the road, senior defensive end DeForest Buckner evaluated the progress of the freshmen and sophomores on the defensive line.

“Some of the young guys are starting to grow up,” Buckner said. “We’re definitely excited to see who stands out in this game.”

The Ducks escaped Stanford with a 38-36 upset win, due in part to Oregon’s D-line standing up to Stanford’s bigger, more physical offensive line. Sophomore Austin Malaota and freshman Rex Manu backed up Buckner’s words and played integral roles in slowing the Cardinal’s rushing attack.

To match their run-heavy sets — sometimes with seven offensive linemen — the Ducks introduced a new five-man front: Buckner, Malaota, Manu, senior Alex Balducci and sophomore Henry Mondeaux. For the most part, the five held their ground.

“To ask three guys, or even four guys, to stand up to their seven was gonna be a difficult task. The rules allow us to match their personnel. We added some more to the equation,” defensive line coach Ron Aiken said of the game plan. “Our guys were just excited to match bigs with bigs, and they were willing to take on the challenge.”

When defensive tackle Arik Armstead left Oregon for the NFL after last season, few defensive linemen besides Buckner and Balducci had extensive playing experience. Once they, along with senior defensive end Tui Talia, depart at the end of this season, the unit will have a completely different look. Mondeaux has established himself as a starter, while players like Malaota and Manu continue to mature. Only USC and Oregon State remain in the Ducks’ regular season schedule, and these games could offer a glimpse into which defensive linemen will fill the vacant spots.

“Some of the redshirts from last year came in with the attitude this year — since Arik Armstead left — that we have to be able to step up and mature,” Malaota said. “I think all the younger guys — Rex, Canton [Kaumatule], Jalen [Jelks] and Gary [Baker] — they’re all learning their way up.”

Buckner, Balducci and Armstead faced similar circumstances in 2012 when the three arrived in Eugene as freshmen. The trio was heralded as the future of the defensive line.

All three played substantial roles by the end of the 2012 season. Buckner and Armstead finished with 29 and 26 tackles respectively, while Balducci earned more playing time late in the season as a result of injuries to key linemen.

This year has been different. Outside of Buckner, Balducci, Mondeaux and Talia, no one on the D-line has more than five tackles. But younger linemen have played important roles in the last couple of games, particularly Manu and Malaota.

“In the Cal ball game, Rex grew up,” Aiken said. “It might’ve only been 10 or 12 plays, but he showed something in that game: that he would go on the field and do what’s necessary to have success.”

Malaota was content playing behind experienced linemen last season as a freshman. This year, however, Malaota entered with a new perspective.

“After experiencing the trip to the [national championship] as a freshman,” Malaota said, “it changes your whole mindset on things.”

Oregon’s D-line depth has improved throughout the season, in large part because freshmen and sophomore linemen have grown up. Aiken now feels comfortable rotating guys like Malaota and Manu into games. He recognizes the importance of getting inexperienced players on the field, especially in a year where several players will be leaving. But Aiken evaluates his players on their ability to apply practice to games — specifically pad level, locking arms and getting off blocks.

“It’s really important to get them on the field when they’re ready to do the right thing,” Aiken said. “To get on the field is one thing, but to get on the field and do it the correct way is more important than anything else. That’s what guys did this past week.”

Aiken is uncertain if Oregon will use its “jumbo” defensive line package against USC. The Ducks likely won’t face another team using seven offensive linemen the rest of the season. However, USC presents a challenge similar to Stanford.

“[USC] might be bigger,” Aiken said. “Those tackles are huge.”

USC right tackle Zach Banner, listed at 6-foot-9, 360 pounds, is arguably the biggest lineman the Ducks have seen this season.

“They’re top-heavy and have a bunch of big, physical players,” Buckner said. “We’ve got to stay low, just like this past game against Stanford.”

After the seniors depart at the end of the season, Oregon’s D-line will only have six combined starts on the unit, all coming from Mondeaux this season. It will be one of the unit’s biggest turnovers in several years. Young defensive linemen recognize their time is quickly approaching.

“Knowing that Tui, DeFo and Alex are all about to leave to the next level encourages me personally to step up and be the older brother to these guys,” Malaota said. “It makes me realize there’s no one left. Once they leave, it’s us.”

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Perhaps Dana Altman gave Baylor too much credit going into Monday’s game.

The Oregon men’s basketball coach held nothing back about his team as it prepared for No. 20 Baylor.

“We’re not ready for that, I’ll just be real honest,” Altman said on Friday after Oregon comfortably defeated Jackson State.

Those words, as it turned out, more accurately described Baylor. Though the Ducks earned a 74-67 win with a balanced offensive attack and consistent defense, the no. 20 Bears put up little fight for long stretches of the game.

“We weren’t sure what we were ready for,” Altman said. “I tried to be honest with the guys. We haven’t played this kind of competition, we’re gonna have to play a different way. I’m not sure we’re ready for that but let’s go swing away and see.”

But in spite of Baylor’s underwhelming play, the Ducks had plenty of positive takeaways. Chris Boucher and Dwayne Benjamin led the Ducks with 15 apiece, and Dillon Brooks, Elgin Cook and Tyler Dorsey all reached double figures. The Ducks matched the Bears’ rebounding with 35 of their own. In addition, the Ducks played consistent defense for most of the game, something they often struggled to do last season.

“Last year was a completely different team,” Cook said. “We’ve got a lot of new guys that we’re trying to work in.”

Oregon held Baylor to just 39 percent shooting for the game and Taurean Prince, the Bears’ biggest offensive threat, scored just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting. Most telling, the Ducks converted 18 Baylor turnovers into 28 points.

Baylor’s zone defense did slow the Ducks early, though. Oregon managed only nine points in the first seven minutes, and players looked timid on offense.

“Those wings are so big, you just can’t simulate their size in practice,” Altman said. “It’s just a big zone, and you got to attack it from the baseline and get it in the paint.”

Altman and his coaching staff called a timeout around the 10 minute mark of the first half and Oregon’s offense reentered the game as a different team. Dorsey found Cook for a layup and a mid range jumper on back to back possessions. The Ducks began to look comfortable against Baylor’s zone.

“We have a great coaching staff,” Cook said. “They just read the zone, did a good job of getting us in our sets and we started making plays for each other.”

The Ducks led by as many as 15 points in the second half, but Baylor fought its way back into the game in the final few minutes. Al Freeman’s three-pointer and a Jake Lindsey layup narrowed the Ducks’ lead 64-61 with three minutes left.

“We ran out of gas,” Altman said. “I’ve gotta get the freshman ready to go – Trevor (Manuel), Roman (Sorkin) and Kendall (Small).”

The five double digit scorers, plus Casey Benson, played all but three of Oregon’s minutes. When Dillon Brooks fouled out with seven minutes remaining, Altman kept the lineup of Benson, Benjamin, Boucher, Cook and Dorsey in for the stretch run. They wouldn’t allow Baylor to get any closer than three, and iced the game in the closing seconds with free throws.

“We rode those six guys pretty hard and they were able to finish it,” Altman said.

Only two games into the season, the Ducks already have a win against a ranked opponent. A “statement win” is a relative phrase in November, but a confidence booster nonetheless. The Ducks know a game like this is something to build on, regardless of how early it is.

“It was a big game,” Benjamin said. “They were a highly ranked team, we knew they were a good team and we just wanted to see where we were compared to them.”

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Head coach Casey Martin signed three golfers to National Letters of Intent on Monday, according to a press release from GoDucks.com.

Martin announced the signing of Kevin Geniza, Roberto Lebrija and Teddy Oitzman to his 2016 recruiting class.

Geniza won back-to-back 5A Oregon state prep championships for Crescent Valley High School. The Corvallis, Oregon native most recently won USGA Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier in Portland last month.

Lebrija, a Mexico City native currently residing in Rancho Santa Fe, California, took home medal honors at the US Amateur qualifying with a 5-under 68 scorecard in July.

Also from Rancho Santa Fe, Teddy Oitzman  carded a 3-under over three rounds to finish fourth at the 2015 High School Champions Invitational in Palm Springs, one of the most elite high school tournaments in the nation. In July, Oitzman sank 10 birdies across two rounds to win by two strokes (-5) at the FCG Challenge Cup in San Diego.

One year after signing Edwin Yi and Sam Foust to National Letters of Intent, Martin has added three golfers to compete for the Ducks in the future.

Oregon begins its spring season Feb. 4 at the Amer Ari Invitational in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

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After practice on Wednesday, Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum was asked what he sees from Stanford running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Christian McCaffrey on film.

“What do I see from Stanford on film?” Pellum asked.

No, when you see McCaffrey on film.

“When I see Stanford on film,” Pellum quipped, “I see an excellent team. McCaffrey is the feature person, but there’s a supporting cast. They’ve got a veteran line that’s really good at what they do. They’ve got big receivers who can create one-on-ones. The other running backs are running the ball well, breaking tackles, and McCaffrey is all over the place.”

While McCaffrey poses a huge threat to Oregon’s run defense, his presence in the Stanford backfield isn’t unique. Past Stanford running backs such as Tyler Gaffney, Stepfan Taylor and Toby Gerhart to name a few, have given the Ducks fits with their big, bruising style of running. The major difference in McCaffrey is his size. The sophomore running back is listed on Stanford’s roster as 6-foot, 201 pounds. His size, or lack thereof, makes him more shifty than the typical Stanford running back.

Still, to Oregon defensive linemen, there’s little difference in facing McCaffrey’s shiftiness instead of the prototypical Stanford power back.

“With the d-line going against their o-line, it’s the same deal,” senior defensive end DeForest Buckner said. “They get low in the run game, try to bully you. We just got to stay low and attack.”

Much of Stanford’s offensive success has been built on the system, not the personnel. Its head-scratching defeat against Northwestern to start the season was a bit of an anomaly.

“At the beginning of the season against Northwestern, they weren’t running their traditional seven linemen on the line, they were running more spread stuff,” Buckner said. “But as the year went on, they went back to their traditional running style.”

Since going back to its power offense, Stanford has returned to its old form. The Cardinal are averaging 228 rushing yards per game, the 15th best mark in the NCAA this season.

Though Stanford’s backfield has some new faces, its quarterback situation is as steady as any in the country. Senior quarterback Kevin Hogan has been the Cardinal starter since 2012, when he led Stanford to an overtime upset against Oregon, ruining its undefeated season and national championship hopes. Hogan is a capable passer, and has enough mobility to keep a defense honest.

“(Hogan)’s seen it all,” Pellum said. “He’s escaping pass rushes, using his legs to extend plays. They’ve done a tremendous job grooming him, and I think this year you’re really seeing the best of Hogan.”

While the Ducks head to Stanford on Saturday as nine-point underdogs, Buckner said the team hasn’t discussed playing “spoiler” to Stanford’s title hopes, a role reversal from the last few seasons. The Ducks know the importance of playing Stanford, no matter where either team currently stands at this point in the season.

“It’s Stanford week,” Buckner said. “Everybody’s focused. We’re just trying to go down there and get a win.”

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An up and down fall season is over for Oregon men’s golf.

Although a season-opening win at the Husky Invitational and Aaron Wise’s individual title at the Jackrabbit were strong starts, Oregon’s fall went south thereafter.

The Ducks finished 10th at the Nike Golf Intercollegiate, an event they co-hosted, and finished 6th at the Gifford Collegiate, their last tournament of the fall.

“I was disappointed a little bit,” head coach Casey Martin said. “I didn’t think we played like we’re capable of.”

This fall was a stark contrast to last fall, when the Ducks won all four of their tournaments and were briefly ranked no. 1 in NCAA men’s golf. But last year’s team took a step back in the spring when it mattered most. This year, the Ducks are hoping to reverse the trend and hit their stride as the stakes get higher. On the horizon, the Ducks have their sights set on the 2016 NCAA Championships, which the Ducks will host at the Eugene Country Club – their home course.

“We just gotta keep working on it,” senior Zach Foushee said. “Our goal is to win the national championship, and that’s what we’re ultimately striving for. These are just little steps. The spring is more important than the fall.”

Before spring season begins, the Ducks now get some much-needed rest. As Martin noted, most of his players have been playing golf frequently since January. After the NCAA season ends in June, many play through the summer in amateur tournaments, with little time in between the start of fall season.

“Honestly, I give the guys a lot of leeway in November – they’re tired,” Martin said. “Pretty much everyone’s been competing since January… This is the time where you hopefully get caught up in school, breathe a little bit and get the batteries recharged.”

But the Ducks certainly have some work to do between now and February, when their spring season begins with the Amer Ari Invitational in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Martin is comfortable with his playing lineup of Wise, Foushee, junior Thomas Lim and redshirt junior Sulman Raza, though the fifth spot is still a question mark. Senior Brandon McIver has dealt with a nagging wrist injury through much of the fall, and didn’t play in the Gifford Collegiate.

“We’ve had some guys, Brandon in particular, whose had some injuries and hasn’t played great when he’s come back,” Martin said. “But we do need Brandon to get healthy and play like he’s capable of, because he’s a big part of what’s happened here the last few years.”

True freshman Edwin Yi replaced McIver at the Gifford, but shot a combined (+11) over three rounds, placing 45th in the tournament.

Oregon’s spring season will be one the most important in the history of the program. In the meantime, the Ducks will enjoy a three-month layoff before regrouping for the stretch run.

“Hopefully this year, even though we’re starting a little slower, guys can make those adjustments and we can get that mojo back in the spring when it counts,” Martin said.

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The Oregon men’s golf team was unable to end its fall season on a high note, finishing sixth out of 15 teams at the Gifford Collegiate Championship in San Diego, California.

The No. 29 Ducks reached as high as third place early in the tournament, but regressed in the final two rounds.

Sulman Raza’s four-under second round on Tuesday was the best round for the team on the tournament. The redshirt junior birdied five holes on the round, including back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th hole. Raza combined to finish three-over for the tournament, good enough for 12th place.

Sophomore Aaron Wise, currently ranked No. 16 overall in the NCAA, finished just ahead of Raza in 11th. Junior Thomas Lim shot a three-under in round one, but like the rest of the team, declined as the tournament went on.

Stanford’s Maverick McNealy, the No. 1 ranked NCAA men’s golfer, took home top honors with a combined four-under scorecard across three rounds. The unranked Washington team won the tournament, shooting a combined six-under.

Oregon also got a good look at both of its true freshmen. Edwin Yi, who replaced senior Brandon McIver in the playing lineup, finished a combined +11, tied with senior Zach Foushee in 45th place. Sam Foust played the tournament as an individual. His second round even-par scorecard was his best of the tournament.

Fall season is now a wrap for the Ducks. The three month layoff comes at a much needed time, as Oregon looks to rebound from a 10th place finish at the Nike Intercollegiate and its most recent finish at the Gifford Collegiate. Oregon’s spring schedule commences with the Amer Ari Invitational, beginning Feb. 4 in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

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Oregon’s defense has consistently struggled against pass-heavy teams this season.

In a loss to Washington State, the Ducks gave up 505 passing yards. When it mattered most, Washington State picked apart Oregon’s defense with ease. Luke Falk and the Cougars’ passing game marched down the field to force overtime, while the Ducks put up little fight.

This week, the Ducks face a Cal offense led by Jared Goff, arguably the best quarterback in the Pac-12. Now a junior, Goff has developed into an NFL-caliber player.

“He makes all the throws,” defensive backs coach John Neal said after Wednesday’s practice. “I look at a couple things. Can he make all the throws? Yes. Is he poised? Yes. Is he really smart? I know he’s smart from talking to Morgan Mahalak, who was his teammate [at Marin Catholic in Greenbrae, California.].”

When the Ducks face Cal on Saturday, the storylines will be familiar. A potent passing-attack coming into Autzen Stadium to test the Ducks’ inferior secondary. With Goff, Cal is more polished than previous opponents. Even more so, their offense has balance.

“The playbooks are similar, the philosophies are similar,” defensive coordinator Don Pellum. “Cal does a better job of emphasizing the run. They have more plays dedicated to it.”

Cal has thrown 328 passes this season compared to 290 rush attempts. Running backs Khalfani Muhamad and Vic Enwere each have over 60 caries this season, complementing the passing game with two legitimate threats. Cal’s running game will keep Oregon’s defense honest.

“They’ve got themselves a two-headed monster,” Neal said.

One thing that could favor the Ducks is the weather. Saturday’s forecast in Eugene includes a 90-100 percent chance of rain throughout the day. While the weather might not be as extreme as 2013’s “monsoon game,” Cal’s last trip to Autzen Stadium, a rainy game could hinder Cal’s passing attack. Goff has been turnover prone this season, already with 11 including five against Utah. But the Ducks know they can’t rely on bad weather to stop Goff and the Bears’ offense.

In recent weeks, the Ducks’s defense has been at their best when the pass rush and secondary help each other. While one doesn’t necessarily come before the other, the Ducks will need a stingy performance from their defense as a whole.

“Just don’t let him get comfortable,” cornerback Arrion Springs said of Goff. “Put some pressure on him and we (the secondary) have to hold our guys so they can’t catch and throw. It’s going to be a big challenge for the whole defense just to slow that one guy down.”

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Oregon remains on the outside looking in when it comes to the AP Top 25 Poll. Though Thursday night’s win at Arizona State gave the Ducks back-to-back victories for the first time this season, they didn’t receive any votes in the top 25.

Stanford dropped one position after its narrow 30-28 defeat against Washington State and sits at No. 9. No. 13 Utah’s rank didn’t change after beating Oregon State 27-12. UCLA jumped two spots from last week, coming back to beat Colorado 35-31, and now ranks No. 22.

For the second straight week, the order of the top five held steady.

No. 1 Ohio State received 39 of the 61 first-place votes, followed by No. 2 Baylor, No. 3 Clemson, No. 4 LSU and No. 5 TCU.

The SEC Conference has the most teams in the top 25 with six, while the Big 12 has four.

Here’s the top 25 in its entirety:

1. Ohio State
2. Baylor
3. Clemson
4. LSU
5. TCU
6. Michigan State
7. Alabama
8. Notre Dame
9. Stanford
10. Iowa
11. Florida
12. Oklahoma State
13. Utah
14. Oklahoma
15. Memphis
16. Michigan
17. Florida State
18. Houston
19. Mississippi
20. Toledo
21. North Carolina
22. UCLA
23. Temple
24. Mississippi State
25. Texas A&M

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– Previously known as “Big play V.A.,” Vernon Adams played a huge role in  Thursday night’s 61-55 triple overtime victory against Arizona State. Facing fourth and goal from the nine yard line with 23 seconds left, Adams heaved a desperation throw towards the end zone that somehow found Dwayne Stanford. Adams’ heroics sent the game into overtime, one of many instances of where he eluded the Arizona State pass rush.

“Now,” Adams said with a smile, “it’s Houdini.”

– Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott spoke with a group of reporters at halftime of Thursday night’s game between Oregon and Arizona State. Among the topics Scott touched on were late start times to Pac-12 games and the conference’s chances of sending a team to this year’s College Football Playoff.

– Nine months after stepping away from Oregon, former Ducks defensive lineman Sam Kamp isn’t regretting his decision to retire. Kamp ended his football playing career early for health reasons. Although the move caught coaches and teammates by surprise, the move was obvious for his well-being, writes Andrew Greif of The Oregonian.

“My knees feel better, my back feels better, my neck feels better,” he said. “It hurts still, but I can still feel myself getting better.”

– When he’s not harassing opposing quarterbacks, Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner enjoys doing art. Buckner’s work is currently featured in Art of the Athlete exhibit at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Buckner’s focus and attention to art has earned him the nickname “Dr. DeFo.”

“It’s doing something different,” Buckner said. “It’s another way to express your feelings.”

– Going into a road match against Utah, Oregon volleyball is 10-9 overall, 4-6 in the Pac-12. Oregon’s blocking will be key against Utah and outside hitter Adora Anae, who had a career-high 27 kills against Cal on Oct. 18.

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