Week Four Pac-12 North power rankings

One team moves up a rung in latest edition of conference ranks

SHAWN P. O'CONNOR, Evergreen reporter

Here is how the Pac-12 North teams stack up after week four.

1. No. 7 Stanford University (last: 1)

What a win for the Cardinal. Sophomore quarterback KJ Costello threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns, including two stunners in the fourth quarter and overtime, as Stanford overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit to win 38-31 in overtime over Oregon.

After allowing 24 first-half points, the Cardinal defense clamped down in the second half, allowing only seven points while recovering two fumbles and scoring on an 80-yard fumble recovery touchdown.

Stanford (4-0, 2-0) travels to South Bend, Indiana to take on No. 8 University of Notre Dame next.

2. No. 11 University of Washington (last: 2)

The Huskies’ defense dominated as UW escaped Husky Stadium with a 27-20 win over Arizona State University this weekend.

UW’s defense was all over the field, holding the Sun Devils to 268 total yards. Senior quarterback Jake Browning was efficient, completing 15 of his 22 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Senior running back Myles Gaskin rushed for 86 yards on 21 carries but had to exit the game late with a left arm injury.

The Huskies (3-1, 2-0) hosts No. 20 Brigham Young University on Saturday in its final nonconference game.

3. No. 19 University of Oregon (last: 4)

The Ducks’ defense collapsed as Oregon fell 38-31 in overtime to No. 7 Stanford.

Oregon’s offense was electric, putting up 524 total yards. However, the Ducks sputtered down the stretch, allowing Stanford to outscore them 24-7 in the second half before losing to the Cardinal in the first overtime period. Nonetheless, this game is a huge step forward for the Ducks, who proved they can hang with the elite teams in the division.

No. 19 Oregon (3-1, 0-1) travels to Berkeley, California, next weekend to take on the No. 24 Golden Bears.

4. WSU (last: 3)

Graduate transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew II threw for 344 yards and 3 touchdowns, but the Cougars fell to University of Southern California on Friday 39-36. WSU had issues in the kicking game, missing an extra point on a muffed hold and having a potential game-tying field goal blocked with less than two minutes to play.

The Cougs also had their worst penalty day of the season, committing 11 penalties for 118 yards. However, the story of the game was a missed targeting foul on the final drive of the game, where USC senior outside linebacker Porter Gustin made forcible contact to Minshew’s head well after the ball was released.

If called, the Cougars would have had a fresh set of downs at the USC 13-yard line with under two minutes to play, trailing by only three points. WSU had several opportunities to win this game but fell just short in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

WSU (3-1, 0-1) returns home 3 p.m. Saturday to face University of Utah at Martin Stadium.

5. No. 24 University of California Berkeley (last: 5)

The Cal Golden Bears were on a bye week in week four. Cal (3-0, 0-0) opens conference play by hosting No. 19 Oregon on Saturday.

6. Oregon State University (last: 6)

University of Arizona ran wild in Corvallis as the Beavers fell hard, losing 35-14. Oregon State’s defense allowed 594 total yards while forcing only one punt. The Wildcats had exceptional success on the ground, rushing for 442 yards.

Both passing offenses were clean, with no interceptions thrown and each team throwing for two touchdowns. Oregon State squandered an opportunity for a conference win over a reeling Arizona side and might not find another win this season.

Oregon State (1-3, 0-1) travels to the desert to battle Arizona State on Saturday.