Liiiiiive, from the Daily Bruin sports cubicle, inside majestic
Kerckhoff Hall, it’s the First Annual Halfie Awards! So now,
without further ado, here’s your host, Jeff Agase.
Thank you, Charlie, and thank you all for the heartfelt
applause. I just flew in from Roebling Avenue, and boy are my arms
tired.
Please, stop, you’re too kind.
Anyways, the Pac-10 season is already halfway in the books, and
we’ve got a whole slew of awards to dole out. As usual, the
conference has had its share of surprises and disappointments four
games into the schedule, as well as some memorable moments.
Not that you necessarily want to be the recipient of a Halfie.
If we had held the awards last year, UCLA and its players might
have swept the ceremony, what with a 3-0 conference start and
all.
And we all know what happened after that. Seriously folks, by
the end of the season, the Bruins couldn’t have won a game
against the Electoral College.
But before we all keel over with an overdose of hilarity,
let’s get to the awards.
Remember, all votes were tallied under utmost secrecy by
representatives from Arthur Ander ““ hell, who am I kidding? I
came up with these while sitting in poli sci an hour ago.
Biggest Surprise
While we’d like to give the Halfie to Cal for its
unbelievable turnaround from a 1-10 season, we just can’t
ignore Arizona State’s improbable 4-0 start to the Pac-10
season. Picked to finish ninth in the preseason, Dirk
Koetter’s Sun Devils have ridden sophomore QB Andrew
Walter’s 153.3 rating to their best start since the Jake
Plummer era.
The Al Gore “How Can You Fail With So Much Going For
You?” Award
As it typically happens in this wacky conference, one of the
favorites is sputtering early. Washington hobbles in at 1-3 after a
27-16 loss to ASU that wasn’t nearly as close as the score
indicates.
With Rick Neuheisel’s recruiting peccadilloes migrating
from Colorado westward, Husky fans are looking with disdain at the
coach’s ten-year contract.
The Maximum One Pac-10 Team Per Year That Actually Plays Defense
Award
The Halfie goes to (gulp) the Cardinal and Gold across town.
Pete Carroll has USC giving up just over 300 yards per game, good
for 14th in the nation.
Pac-10 history has shown that a team with decent offense and a
capable defense can often skate to the Rose Bowl. The scary thing?
USC’s offense looks good, too.
Worst Game
Was there really any doubt? It’s Stanford’s 16-6
“win” over Arizona two Saturdays ago.
Thankfully, the game wasn’t on television, sparing
Adelphia the distraught calls from tens of angry viewers. It
featured five field goals, four interceptions, one touchdown and a
win handed out only because the rules dictate it happen.
Our Game of the Week
No. 16 ASU (7-2, 4-0) at No. 8 Washington St. (7-1, 4-0), 12:30
p.m., ABC (regional). Are the Sun Devils for real? Heck, are the
Cougars for real? We’ll find out Saturday.
Elsewhere in the Pac-10
UCLA (5-3, 2-2) at Washington (4-4, 1-3), 4 p.m., TBS
(national)
Stanford (2-5, 1-3) at No. 19 Oregon (6-2, 2-2), 12:30 p.m.
Arizona (3-5, 0-4) at Oregon State (5-3, 1-3), 1 p.m.
Before you go …
One last Halfie, for Best Performance By a Punter in a
Placekicking Role.
Sure, the applicant pool was a little thin (as in, one), but the
Halfie goes to …
Nate Fikse of your UCLA Bruins! Five for five on field goals
against Stanford last weekend and the job is now his.