We talked to Ducks Wire about Pac-12 midseason disappointments last week.
This is what we said before the USC-Utah game:
The biggest disappointment has to be Utah. Defending Pac-12 champions. Returning starting quarterback. Lots of pieces coming back.
A veteran, established coaching staff which knows exactly what it wants from its players. This was all supposed to come together, and it hasn’t. I think the specific disappointment on the Utah roster has to be quarterback Cam Rising.
He threw a game-deciding interception at Florida. He threw a crucial early interception against UCLA. He isn’t finishing drives. He isn’t making huge plays in key situations. He has regressed.
Recall Sam Darnold at USC, who — like Rising — came into his first season in late September after not being chosen as the Week 1 starter. Darnold was great in his first full (12-game) season at USC, the one year in which he was the Week 1 starting quarterback.
That was in 2017. He won USC’s most recent Pac-12 title, the Trojans’ only Pac-12 title to date and their only Pac-12 title since 2008. Rising in 2022 has fallen well short of the 2017 Sam Darnold standard.
* * *
Obviously, Utah significantly changed its season. Cam Rising markedly improved and did, in fact, look a lot more like 2017 Sam Darnold and his 2021 self.
So, Utah is no longer the Pac-12’s biggest disappointment one week later.
What’s a better answer after Week 7?
It has to be Washington State.
The Cougars’ offensive line has been bad the past few weeks against USC and Oregon State. Washington State’s offense has repeatedly failed to produce. The Cougars will have to work hard just to finish 7-5, which is not what anyone had in mind for a team picked fourth or fifth in the Pac-12 before the season began.
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