Sunday Morning Hangover: News and Notes

AP Photo

ASU is now ranked #14 in the AP and #13 in the USA Today Poll after getting away with one yesterday in Pullman.

Positives from yesterday:

1. The emergence of Brady Conrad as a reliable tight end.
2. Thomas Weber is still perfect.
   
3. Only one real mental mistake by Carpenter on that pick; that was a Keller-esque underthrow.
   
4. Ryan Torain was great again, especially in the second half. Wish we would have switched it up and gone to Keegan more, but we'll take it.
   
5. After seeing that performance by Kyle Williams, I'd have to say we have the most athletic receivers in the Pac-10 next to Cal.
6. Robert James had another 9 tackles. Beast.

Negatives:

1. 7 sacks for -56 yards...I know a lot of you out there are already jumping off the Carpenter bandwagon even though ASU is 6-0, but I really don't want to see him lost to injury. Even when he's not sacked, he's being pressured but still completing passes.
2. Saia Falahola is probably gone for the season after injuring his triceps and elbow again.
3. Petros Papadakis was calling the game. What the hell is FSN thinking with this guy? Stick to Pros vs. Joes and let the washed up, burnt out "ex"-drug user athletes deal with him.
4. Justin Tryon pulling a Deion on that 69-yard touchdown return. Great play to make the pick, but come on man, wait until you're in the CFL to pull that crap.
   

Cal has risen to #2, while USC fell to #10 in the AP after falling to Stanford in the upset of the decade.

USC could be in big trouble after John David Booty broke his middle finger on his throwing hand in the second quarter. He stayed in the game and ended up throwing 4 interceptions. USC is still undecided if backup quarterback and fake ID user Mark Sanchez will start next week against Arizona.

I said in the season preview that Jim Harbaugh would be successful in Palo Alto, I just didn't realize it would be this soon.

Stanford's victory was remarkable for a few reasons:

• Their starting quarterback T.C. Ostrander was out after having a seizure at a local restaurant the day after the ASU game

• Mark Bradford lost his father last week, and came back to his hometown only to catch the game winning touchdown on 4th down.

• 40 1/2 point underdogs!

• We beat this team by 38 last week