Pac-12 roundup: Stanford beats Notre Dame, also claims Pac-12 North title

K.J. Costello threw two of his career-high four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and No. 20 Stanford rallied for a 38-20 victory over No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday night in Stanford, California.

The night couldn’t have gone much better for the Cardinal (9-3, No. 21 CFP), who got the help they needed when Washington beat Washington State 41-14 in the Apple Cup to send Stanford to the Pac-12 title game. The Cardinal finished tied for first in the North with the Huskies but won the head-to-head matchup to take the tiebreaker.

Bryce Love ran for 125 yards but Costello was the star of the offense for a change by throwing for 176 yards and delivering the four scores. Stanford has won seven of nine in the series, including the last five at home against the Fighting Irish (9-3, No. 8).

Notre Dame had a meltdown in the fourth quarter with two turnovers in the opening minutes and was dealt a serious blow in its hopes for making a New Year’s Six bowl game.

The game took a dramatic turn in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter as Stanford turned a 20-17 deficit into its 38-20 lead in a span of 3:36 early in the fourth.

It started when Costello found Kaden Smith down the middle for a 19-yard score on third down that gave Stanford the lead for good. Brandon Wimbush then was intercepted by Curtis Robinson on the first play of the ensuing drive.

The Cardinal needed just three plays to turn that into another TD when Costello found Dalton Schultz in the corner of the end zone for a 12-yard score.

C.J. Sanders then fumbled the kickoff for Notre Dame and Cameron Scarlett put the game away with a 3-yard run.

Oregon 69, Oregon State 10: Royce Freeman set a new Pac-12 record for career rushing touchdowns while running for 122 yards and two scores in the Ducks’ (7-5, 4-5 Pac-12) rout of the Beavers (1-11, 0-9) in Eugene.

Freeman has 60, surpassing Oregon State’s Ken Simonton, who ran for 59 touchdowns between 1998-01.

Dylan Mitchell caught six passes for 119 yards and two scores for the Ducks, who set a record for points in a Civil War game.

Utah 34, Colorado 13: Zack Moss ran for a career-high 196 yards and two touchdowns on as the Utes defeated the Buffaloes in Salt Lake City.

Utah becomes bowl-eligible with its sixth win of the season.

The Buffaloes (5-7, 2-7 Pac-12) will miss the postseason and finish last in the Pac-12 South division one year after playing in the conference title game.

The Utes (6-6, 3-6) had one goal after they followed a 4-0 start with four straight losses – send the seniors to a bowl. Utah accomplished that and will now play in a fourth straight bowl game.

Arizona State 42, Arizona 30: Demario Richard ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns, Manny Wilkins threw for three more scores, and the Sun Devils (7-5, 6-3 Pac-12) may have saved coach Todd Graham’s job with a victory over the rival Wildcats (7-5, 5-4 Pac-12) in Tempe, Arizona.

Arizona State came out flat in a game that could determine Graham’s future in the desert, unable to stop the Wildcats and trailing by 10 at halftime.

Once Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate went out with a left shoulder injury, Arizona State roared back in the second half to take back the Territorial Cup. The Sun Devils turned a blocked punt and an interception into two quick scores to snatch the lead, and Richard made it 35-24 with a 6-yard TD run.

Tate threw for 132 yards and scored on a 1-yard run in the first half, but was injured on a Hail Mary the last play. He was replaced by Brandon Dawkins, returned for one series and sat out the rest of the game.

UCLA 30, California 27: J.J. Molson hit a 37-yard field goal with four seconds left after backup quarterback Devon Modster led a clutch scoring drive, and the Bruins (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) secured bowl eligibility under interim coach Jedd Fisch with a victory over the Golden Bears (5-7, 2-7) in a game that ended late Friday night in Pasadena, California.

Modster passed for 191 yards after replacing Josh Rosen at halftime, and he moved the Bruins into scoring position before Molson drilled the eventual winner.

Fisch took over last Sunday after Jim Mora was fired late in his sixth season in Westwood. On Saturday, UCLA hired from Oregon coach Chip Kelly.