Oregon's Marcus Mariota lived up to the Heisman hype in a win against Michigan State on Saturday. After a slow first half, the quarterback took flight in the second, leading the Ducks on four consecutive scoring drives to topple the Spartans 47-26. Mariota's 317 yards and three touchdowns left the highly-touted Spartans defense looking pedestrian.Â
North Carolina defensive back Brian Walker had seven tackles and picked off two passes -- returning one for a 100-yard touchdown -- in a hard fought 31-27 comeback win against San Diego State. A scoreless Tar Heel team was invigorated by Walkerâs second quarter pick-six off a pass intended for tight end Daniel Brunskill. His teammate Tim Scott helped seal the win, intercepting a San Diego pass with 14 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Arguably the best rivalry in the Pac-12 was decided by the legs of USC's Andre Heidari. The kicker launched a 53-yard field goal with time winding down to knock off No. 13 Stanford 13-10. Heidari accounted for seven of USC's 13 points, kicking two field goals and an extra point. The game-winning boot gave USC its second consecutive victory against the Cardinal and broke a defensive deadlock between the two sides.
