NFL 2014 preview: Bengals will take top honors in AFC North

The Bengals will continue to sit on top of the AFC North, but they'll be eager to make more noise in the playoffs after last season's early exit. The Steelers will finish ahead of the Ravens and the offensively challenged Browns could find it difficult improving on last year's 4-12 mark.

The predicted order of finish:

AFC North

1. CINCINNATI
2013 | 11-5, 1st in North
Last year in playoffs | 2013

Going all the way: With Hue Jackson as offensive coordinator, the Bengals won't be paying lip service to the running game as much as they did under Jay Gruden. That means an enhanced role for back Giovani Bernard, and less pressure on quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver A.J. Green. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins anchors a terrific front, and linebacker iVontaze Burfict is a tackling machine.

They're doomed: Everybody's looking to see how the Bengals will do in January, as the team is 0-5 in playoff games under Marvin Lewis. But it would be just as instructive to watch how Cincinnati performs in prime-time games and division games on the road. With Dalton playing all four quarters, the Bengals are 1-7 as visitors in the AFC North, 2-4 in prime time.

Now hear this: "The people who are the critics, they look at all of the negatives. They don't look at all of the stuff that I've accomplished." … All that matters is what everyone believes in this organization and what I believe in myself. That's how I go about my business." — Dalton, via the Cincinnati Enquirer.

2. PITTSBURGH
2013 | 8-8, 2nd in North
Last year in playoffs | 2011

Going all the way: Ben Roethlisberger has shown increasing efficiency in Todd Haley's offense and was sacked only seven times in the final seven games last season. With Mike Munchak on staff, the running game should be improved with bruisers Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount bashing inside. Center Maurkice Pouncey is back after missing all but eight plays last season because of a knee injury. Rising stars on defense are end Cam Heyward and linebacker Jason Worilds.

They're doomed: Despite being younger and quicker on defense, the Steelers haven't proved they can stop the run. The Steelers are ultra-thin at corner. Four of Roethlisberger's top five receivers are essentially new faces to him, the only familiar one being Antonio Brown.

Now hear this: "Hopefully I'm not one of them." — Mike Tomlin, Steelers coach, in reference to having three fired head coaches on his staff: Haley, Munchak and Dick LeBeau.

3. BALTIMORE
2013 | 8-8, 3rd in North
Last year in playoffs | 2012

Going all the way: The run game will be a staple with Gary Kubiak as offensive coordinator. Baltimore was ranked 29th in offense last season. Steve Smith is another capable target for Joe Flacco, and Smith will finally have a quarterback with pinpoint accuracy. The offensive line is improved, although it had nowhere to go but up.

They're doomed: The defense that once had the quintessential center fielder in Ed Reed no longer has a menacing safety patrolling the back end. (Matt Elam is better playing closer to the line of scrimmage.) Pass rushers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil are both on the wrong side of 30. Tailback Ray Rice is suspended for the first two games, critical division games against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

Now hear this: "I expect our offense to be a lot better. We haven't performed up to our standards, statistically. This offense is going to be pretty tough to handle. We've got a lot of weapons and we've got a lot of tough guys. I expect us to be up there at the top of the league." — Flacco.

4. CLEVELAND
2013 | 4-12, 4th in North
Last year in playoffs | 2002

Going all the way: Defensively, the Browns are in good shape. They were ninth in yards allowed last season, and feel they can get more pass-rush productivity from linebackers Paul Kruger and Barkevious Mingo. They have two talented press corners in Joe Haden and rookie Justin Gilbert.

They're doomed: The jury is still out on Johnny Manziel, but his decision making hasn't been stellar. He's attracted the wrong kind of attention for his off-the-field antics, and losing his cool and flipping off Washington players cost him $12,000. Brian Hoyer will start as the No. 1 quarterback, but he's coming off an ACL injury and has little experience. Browns are also minus standout receiver Josh Gordon, suspended for the season for failing a drug test.

Now hear this: "Johnny's still the man. … Johnny being the No. 2, as you want to call it, we got arguably the best No. 2 in the NFL." — Nate Burleson, receiver, on Manziel, to the Akron Beacon Journal.

Times staff writer Austin Knoblauch contributed to this post.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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NFL 2014 preview: Patriots remain top team in AFC East

The Patriots once again will be the beast in the AFC East as long as their dynamic duo of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski stays healthy and productive. The Dolphins are looking good for second place in the division unless Rex Ryan and the Jets can overcome their issues on defense.

The predicted order of finish:

1. NEW ENGLAND
2013 | 12-4, 1st in East
Last year in playoffs | 2013

Going all the way: Tight end Rob Gronkowski is (almost) back; he's still favoring his recovering right knee and is said to be 50/50 for the season opener against Miami. Regardless, Tom Brady finds a way to win. The Patriots addressed their defensive shortcomings with some impressive additions, among them cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. Even with the 26th-ranked defense last season, New England won 12 games.

They're doomed: New England has an aging defensive front, notably with Vince Wilfork coming off surgery for a torn Achilles' tendon. The Patriots' first-round pick, defensive tackle Dominique Easley, suffered ACL tears to both knees during a three-season span at Florida.

Now hear this: "Nah, I ain't changing that one bit. I'm going to go full speed when I'm out there and I'm going to keep smashing and dashing in everything I do." — Gronkowski, on whether he'll change his style after a slew of injuries and surgeries.

2. MIAMI
2013 | 8-8, 3rd in East
Last year in playoffs | 2008

Going all the way: Even though the Dolphins are a so-so 15-17 with quarterback Ryan Tannehill at the helm, he has shown flickers of promise — and that's playing behind a terrible line and without a big, go-to receiver who can help bail him out of trouble. Maybe Knowshon Moreno will be the player he was in Denver last season and resuscitate Miami's running game.

They're doomed: With Mike Pouncey still recovering from hip surgery, the Dolphins will open with five new offensive linemen. While that's a necessity for a team that gave up 58 sacks last season, it's tough to see that group meshing right away. Miami's on its fourth offensive coordinator in five years, and head Coach Joe Philbin has yet to prove he has a winning system.

Now hear this: "I heard a rumor that some people have reported we've made it hard for him on the field. That's on purpose. That's how you build a quarterback. He's coming." — Bill Lazor, offensive coordinator, on Tannehill.

3. N.Y. JETS
2013 |8-8, 2nd in East
Last year in playoffs | 2010

Going all the way: The strength of these Jets is a young, athletic defensive line, and front seven — led by Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson and Damon Harrison — that will smother the run and generate a solid pass rush. Quarterback Geno Smith appears to be a better decision maker than last season (hard to imagine him being worse) and now has the pressure of Michael Vick waiting in the wings.

They're doomed: As good as the defense is up front, it is lousy on the back end. Several injuries hit the secondary, but this unit is suspect even when healthy. The Jets are scrambling for answers in the secondary, with No. 1 corner Dee Milliner injured and rookie Dex McDougle now out for the season (ACL).

Now hear this: "I never said I had to have the best corner in football. That's not it. My defenses work, period. I don't care what it is. We take what we have, and then we work around it." — Rex Ryan, coach

4. BUFFALO
2013 | 6-10, 4th in East
Last year in playoffs | 1999

Going all the way: Buffalo's defensive line will give opponents problems. The front four features three players who made the Pro Bowl last season — Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus — and the one who didn't, Jerry Hughes, had 10 sacks. The Bills also might have the deepest cast of running backs: C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson, Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown.

They're doomed: It has been a steady stream of bad news this off-season. From the death of owner Ralph Wilson, to the cancer battle of Jim Kelly, to the issues that could directly affect the 2014 team — among them the separate arrests of Dareus for illegal car racing and drug possession, and a season-ending ACL injury to second-year defensive star Kiko Alonso.

Now hear this: "We've got a lot to prove.… We haven't been in the playoffs in a long time. We owe it to the fans, our late Hall of Fame owner and everybody in this business." — Doug Whaley, general manager.

Times staff writer Austin Knoblauch contributed to this post.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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'The View' adds Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace to lineup of co-hosts

ABC's latest makeover of "The View" is now complete: actress Rosie Perez and political analyst Nicolle Wallace will join the morning talk show as co-hosts, it was announced Wednesday. 

They will join Whoopi Goldberg, the only co-host to survive the show's latest round of housecleaning, as well as Rosie O'Donnell, who is returning to the program after a seven-year absence, when "The View" launches its 18th season Sept. 15. 

"These are powerful and accomplished women from different walks of life who have had amazing personal and professional experiences. Each brings incredible perspective and information to the table," said newly appointed executive producer Bill Wolff in a news release. "This mix of smart, vibrant and energetic women is unlike anything else on daytime television."

Perez is an Academy Award-nominated actress, choreographer and dancer known for her roles in films including "Do the Right Thing," 'White Men Can't Jump" and "Fearless." She also choreographed the Fly Girls, including a pre-fame Jennifer Lopez, on the early '90s Fox sketch-comedy show "In Living Color." Perez is artistic director of the Urban Arts Partnership, which advocates for arts programs in public schools, and is a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. 

It will be a busy fall for Perez, who is also due to star in Larry David's Broadway play, "Fish in the Dark," which begins previews in Feb.  

Wallace served as White House communications director under President George W. Bush and as a consultant on his reelection campaign in 2004. She also advised on the 2008 McCain-Palin presidential campaign, an experience dramatized in the HBO movie "Game Change," where she was played by Sarah Paulson. More recently, she has made frequent appearances as a political analyst for MSNBC, and written two novels, "Eighteen Acres" and "It's Classified." 

A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Wallace will be the only co-host on "The View" with journalistic credentials. 

The appointment of Wallace in particular signals what could be a shift toward harder, political news and more substantive debate for "The View," which has gone through a protracted identity crisis in recent years and seen increased competition from CBS' "The Talk."

Last year longtime co-hosts Joy Behar, a liberal, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a conservative, both left the show amid reports that viewers had tired of partisan bickering. But the hiring of former Playboy model and anti-vaccine activist Jenny McCarthy, was roundly criticized and ultimately did little to revitalize the program. She was let go in June after just a season, along with Sherri Shepherd, a co-host since 2007.

The most significant change in the show's history arrived in May with the retirement of creator and co-host Barbara Walters, which left "The View" without its figurehead. 

Following the news that Shepherd and McCarthy would not be returning to "The View," ABC announced that it had "made decisions to evolve the show creatively." Last week ABC confirmed the poorly kept secret that Bill Wolff, former executive producer of "The Rachel Maddow Show" and vice president of primetime programming at MSNBC, would replace longtime executive producer Bill Geddie. 

The overhaul also includes a new set, studio and logo. 

What the makeover did not do is bring significantly younger co-hosts to "The View," as some had predicted. At 42, Wallace is now the youngest panel member on the show. 

Follow @MeredithBlake on Twitter.

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Chivas USA's winless streak continues

Obafemi Martins and Andy Rose each scored two first-half goals to lead the Seattle Sounders to a 4-2 victory over Chivas USA on Wednesday night at StubHub Center.

Seattle won its third consecutive game to remain atop the Western Conference. Chivas USA's winless streak reached eight games.

Martins scored off Brad Evans' corner kick in the 11th minute and hit paydirt again five minutes later. Seattle made it 3-0 when Rose redirected in Evans' free kick in the 38th minute. The duo combined on another free kick four minutes later for Evans' third assist of the first half.

Marco Delgado ended Chivas USA's scoreless streak at six games. He headed home a goal in the 51st minute. Ryan Finley scored on a penalty kick in the 60th minute.

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Serena Williams reaches U.S. Open semifinal

Serena Williams continued to power her way through the field in the U.S. Open on Wednesday night, again failing to lose more than three games in any set, as she made her way into the semifinals.

The top-seeded Williams took just over an hour to handle Flavia Pennetta of Italy, seeded 12th, 6-3, 6-2. Pennetta won the first three games of the match, then got blitzed, 12-2, the rest of the way.

Williams is seeking her third straight U.S. Open title and her sixth overall. A victory here would redeem a below-par season in the Grand Slams for Williams, who had yet to get to a major quarterfinal before she got to New York.

"I've been working hard all year," Williams said afterward. "In the losses I had, I just kind of blew up."

Williams' opponent in her semifinal will be Ekaterina Makarova of Russia. Her 6-4, 6-2 victory over Victoria Azarenka of Bulgaria was not a huge upset on the draw sheet. She was seeded one spot below Azarenka at No. 17.

But Azarenka had been to the final the last two years here and had won two Australian Opens, so expectations for her may have been a bit higher. Makarova, who has been in three Grand Slam quarterfinals — including here last year — dominated the return games, getting 12 break points and converting four of them.

Azarenka admitted she had suffered from food poisoning the day before, but didn't want that as an excuse.

"I just want to give credit to my opponent," she said. "She played really well. Am I disappointed? Yes, I'm disappointed, but I feel like I tried my best."

The other women's semifinal was established Tuesday and will pit No. 11 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark against unseeded Peng Shuai of China.

Though the marquee matchup of the day was in the men's singles between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray in the late night match, Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori put on a great lead-in show in the late afternoon.

They battled for 4 hours 15 minutes, before Nishikori of Japan watched Wawrinka's final shot settle into the net in his 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-4 marathon victory over this year's Australian Open champion.

That was even more exceptional because Nishikori had played 4 hours 19 minutes Monday night, finishing at 2:26 a.m Tuesday. That was also a fight-to-the-death five-setter, over Milos Raonic of Canada.

McEnroe stepping down

The director of the U.S. Tennis Assn. Player Development Program, Patrick McEnroe, announced that he would be stepping down from that post, as soon as the new USTA center in Lake Nona, Fla., is completed. McEnroe has held the job for the last six years and was the U.S. Davis Cup captain for 10 years, ending in 2010.

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Djokovic takes next step at U.S. Open with dramatic win over Murray

Two tennis pit bulls sank their teeth into each other on a warm and windless night at the U.S. Open on Wednesday.

It was Novak Djokovic versus Andy Murray. Talk about strong teeth.

Right now, with Rafael Nadal out with an injury, all they needed to make this a showcase of the game's best of the best was Roger Federer in the umpire's chair.

When a couple of Murray's molars started to give way just a bit in the third set — and his back stiffened in the fourth — it opened the door for Djokovic to pull away to a 7-6 (1), 6-7 (1), 6-2, 6-4 victory.

Even with the anticlimactic ending, the tennis stayed on a high level throughout and it would be hard to find a person in the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium who felt deprived of their money's worth. If you had a ticket to this one, it was a golden one.

At 12:30 a.m. Eastern time, on a school night, there were still about 15,000 people in the stands. From the start, the fancy suites had been overflowing with people, as well as expensive liquids.

The match ended at 1:15, and took 3 1/2 hours.

It was a perfect night for this. And expectations were off the charts. In the end, expectations were met.

At one point, after an especially competitive baseline exchange — huge backhands and forehands, slice to slice, topspin angles and changed pace from both players that went on for perhaps 30 strokes — Djokovic gestured to the fans to whoop it up, show some appreciation. He didn't need to. They had all night, on just about every point.

There are four unbelievably great men's players in the tennis world right now, the aforementioned, and it doesn't get much better than a matchup at night in the U.S Open of two of them. Coming in, Djokovic and Murray had played 20 times and Djokovic had won 12.

More significant, Murray's last two wins over the slashing Serb were in Grand Slam finals — the never-to-be-forgotten Wimbledon win last year by Scotland's favorite son that ended the Brits' 77-year drought in men's singles at its most cherished sports event. Then there was the 2012 final here.

Those are Murray's two Grand Slam victories. Djokovic has seven, including the most recent Wimbledon title.

Murray's victory over Djokovic in the 2012 U.S. Open final went five sets. This one felt like it would too. As a matter of fact, after the first two sets, it looked as if the John Isner-Nicolas Mahut long-match record at Wimbledon, where they don't play tiebreakers in the deciding set, might be in danger.

First set. Tiebreaker. Djokovic dominates and wins when Murray can't return a 121-mph serve.

Second set. Tiebreaker. Murray dominates and wins when Djokovic keeps hitting shots into the net, including the last one on set point.

When Murray floated a backhand long for a service break and a 3-1 Djokovic lead in the third set, the match was 2:30 old and British sportswriters were pondering a pool on whether the match would end before the sun came up in London.

An unusual aspect about the match was that it was a quarterfinal. In their 20 previous matches, they had played that early in a tournament only three times. This time, it happened because Murray has struggled of late, recovered slowly from back surgery late last year, and slipped to No.10 in the rankings for a while. He was seeded No. 8 here and on the side of the bracket with No. 1 Djokovic.

Late in the final set, Murray asked for a heat pack for his back. Soon, Djokovic had administered the final treatment — getting him off the court.

On match point, a now-hobbling Murray netted a shot and Djokovic had made his eighth consecutive U.S. Open semifinal.

In the semifinals, he will play Japan's Kei Nishikori, who followed his 4 1/2-hour match Monday night that went into Tuesday with another five-set marathon victory Wednesday, this one over No. 3 Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

And then, on the other side of the bracket, barring upsets, awaits Federer.

A Federer-Djokovic Monday night final?

A rematch of the Wimbledon final that was a classic?

Looks like we may have more great expectations at the U.S. Open.

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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New Republican pitch to female voters: Over-the-counter birth control

Elections have consequences, and those consequences are most acutely felt, it seems, in closely contested elections.

In at least four hot races across the nation, Republican candidates have adopted a new approach to birth control: It should be available over the counter. "More rights, more freedom," Republican Cory Gardner says in a new TV ad airing in Colorado, where he is locked in a tight race with first-term Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Udall.

The strategy is particularly notable because some of the candidates have in the past not exactly been supportive of ready access to birth control.

Gardner has been slapped around for months by Udall and his allies for his past support of "personhood" ballot measures that would have legally established life as beginning at the point of conception. Only this year, when he entered the Senate race, did Gardner renounce the measures, saying that he had belatedly learned that they could restrict some forms of birth control.

Republican Thom Tillis, running against first-term Democrat Kay Hagan for a Senate seat in North Carolina, had previously said that it was within the state's rights to ban birth control altogether -- although he would not say whether he supported such a move. Still, in a debate on Wednesday night, he declared that birth control pills should be available over the counter.

"First, I believe contraception should be available -- and probably more broadly than it is today," said Tillis, the speaker of the state House, adding that "I think over-the-counter oral contraception should be available without a prescription. If you do those kinds of things, you will actually increase the access and reduce the barriers for having more options for women for contraception." 

Previously coming to the same conclusion were Republican Senate candidates Ed Gillespie in Virginia, who made his announcement in a July debate with Democrat Mark Warner, and Mike McFadden, seeking the Senate seat now held by Al Franken in Minnesota.

The moves, which bear the strong scent of election-year choreography, appear intended to blunt criticisms from Democrats that the GOP is engaged in a war on women, as demonstrated by party efforts to, among other things, strip contraceptive coverage from Obamacare and defund Planned Parenthood facilities that offer birth control as part of their services.

Women, not incidentally, are among the most targeted voter groups in the fall midterm elections -- particularly single women, many of whom who have more than a passing familiarity with birth control. (Voting by single women typically drops off in non-presidential years; in the last midterm races in 2010, 22 million fewer unmarried women voted than in 2008 even though the number registered is growing, according to a study by the Voter Participation Center and Lake Research Partners.)

Nationally and in contested states, women have strongly gravitated to Democratic candidates, so their dropoff bodes ill for a party already struggling under an unpopular president and a Republican cast to the states in play this year.

For the moment, the GOP candidates' newly espoused views on contraceptives make them strange bedfellows with women's groups that have in the past advocated over-the-counter release of birth control measures and have fought -- against Republicans -- for the freer release of emergency contraceptives.

Planned Parenthood, for one, was unwilling to play ball.

"If Thom Tillis and others were serious about expanding access to birth control, they wouldn't be trying to repeal the no-co-pay birth control benefit or cut women off from Planned Parenthood's preventive health services. This is simply a cynical political attempt to whitewash his terrible record and agenda for women's health," Melissa Reed, a spokeswoman for the Planned Parenthood Health Systems Action Fund, said in a statement released after the North Carolina debate.

Reed noted the convergence of support for over-the-counter birth control pills by the Republican candidates and Planned Parenthood.

"At the same time, it is important that voters know the truth about these claims by politicians running for office: They are empty gestures. In a desperate attempt to appeal to women voters, Thom Tillis is clearly following in the footsteps of other out of touch candidates like Cory Gardner in Colorado and Ed Gillespie in Virginia," she said.

As Reed underscored, Obamacare has changed the terms of the debate. Under the healthcare law, contraceptives are to be available without a co-pay. If the medication becomes available over the counter, most will not be covered by health insurance, meaning that drugs that have become more affordable would suddenly be less so.

That is not the argument being forwarded by the GOP candidates. In his ad, Colorado's Gardner asserts that "the pill ought to be available over the counter, round the clock, without a prescription -- cheaper and easier, for you."

The congressman cast incumbent Udall as someone who "wants to keep government bureaucrats between you and your healthcare plan. That means more politics and more profits and drug companies."

That represents a turn on its head of the argument that Democrats have long made -- that Obamacare was needed to protect access to services such as contraceptives, which the administration has waged a legal battle to extend in cases brought by organizations asserting religious rights to exclude birth control coverage.

Those organizations have been backed by Republicans, who have cast dozens of votes to repeal the president's signature domestic policy achievement. But for four candidates, at least, the contraceptive component appears to have been brushed off the table, at least until November.  

For political news and analysis, follow me on Twitter: @cathleendecker

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Could Carlos Frias have pitched his way into Dodgers' rotation?

So Carlos Frias, who has pretty much spent eight years flying well under the "hot prospect" radar, makes a spot start for the Dodgers during the stretch and throws six scoreless innings against the Nationals. It means what?

Thanks for the contribution, now back to long relief? We really needed that, but could you kindly return to the shadows?

Or should Roberto Hernandez be feeling just a tad nervous about his rotation security? He best be paying close attention.

Frias went 30-29 with a 3.94 ERA during his first seven seasons in the minors, never advancing beyond double-A. He did not exactly scream can't-miss kid. But this season he went a combined 10-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 21 games spread between double-A and triple-A.

That earned him a call-up last month, and for the most part, he had been fairly impressive in eight relief appearances, though never more than Wednesday afternoon in his first major-league start.

Frias, 24, threw six scoreless innings against the team with the best record in the National League. He allowed only three hits, one walk and struck out four.

"He threw the ball great," said infielder Justin Turner. "He's been throwing the ball good ever since he got here."

Surprise, surprise.

Which leaves the Dodgers in an interesting position: Do they continue to go with Hernandez (2-2, 4.61 ERA) and even Dan Haren (3-6, 5.64 ERA the last two months) down the stretch, or gamble on the relatively unknown product that is still Frias?

"We'll have to see if there's another spot for it," said Manager Don Mattingly. "It was just one thing.

"He's also a valuable guy out of our 'pen. There's a possibility of him helping us out there. It is maybe something we'll talk about, but obviously [this] just happened today."

Outside of one relief appearance, Frias was a starter all season in the minors and appears most comfortable there.

Mattingly at least appears open to going back to Frias, so Hernandez best not continue to struggle as he has in his last three starts (6.46 ERA). Players have precious little time to keep the faith in a September stretch drive.

Either way, figure that we'll see more of Frias this month.

"Where is his value at?" Mattingly asked. "Is it going to be starting or out of the 'pen for us as we go down the stretch? We'll see."

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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Pac-12 football: Cal holds off Northwestern, 31-24

Jared Goff threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns, Jalen Jefferson had a key interception, and California hung on to beat Northwestern, 31-24, Saturday in a season opener at Evanston, Ill.

The Golden Bears looked like they were on their way to an easy victory up 31-7 in the third quarter. Instead, they had to sweat this one out.

Northwestern got two touchdowns in a 25-second span late in the third to pull within 10. Jack Mitchell added a 24-yard field goal with 5:18 left in the game to make it 31-24, and the Wildcats were threatening to score again when Jefferson came up big.

With Northwestern on the California 27, he sacked Trevor Siemian for an 11-yard loss. On the next play, he picked off a tipped pass that was intended for Pierre Youngblood-Ary at the 15, and the Golden Bears came away with the win after dropping 16 straight to FBS opponents.

Coming off a 5-7 season, the Wildcats couldn't slow Cal's up-tempo offense or get anything going when they had the ball.

Goff, who threw for more than 3,500 yards as a freshman, completed 21 of 34 with an interception.

Trevor Davis caught a 76-yard touchdown. California racked up 414 yards to come away with the win after going 1-11 in Coach Sonny Dykes' first season.

No. 3 Oregon 62, South Dakota 13

Marcus Mariota threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns and ran for one more score for Oregon before sitting out the second half in Eugene, Ore.

Running back Byron Marshall was Oregon's top receiver with eight catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman Royce Freeman, a five-star recruit out of Imperial, California, ran for 75 yards and two more scores.

The Ducks have won 10 straight home openers.

Mariota's 62-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Stanford on Oregon's first series of the game gave him the Ducks' career record for touchdowns with 79 (64 pass, 14 rush and one reception), surpassing Joey Harrington.

at No. 11 Stanford 45, UC Davis 0: Ty Montgomery returned a punt for a touchdown and caught five passes for 77 yards and another score, and the Cardinal tuned up for a date with USC next week by routing the Aggies.

The All-American kick returner, who was cleared by team doctors to play earlier this week after off-season surgery on his right shoulder, looked ready to be the Cardinal's do-it-all playmaker again. He ran his first punt back 60 yards for a TD and lined up all over the field, including once as a wildcat quarterback.

Stanford led 38-0 at the half and rested most of its starters the final two quarters.

Kevin Hogan threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns to help the two-time defending Pac-12 champions get off to a mostly smooth start. He completed 12 of 16 passes and had one interception.

Stanford's retooled defense held the Aggies to 115 total yards, forced three turnovers and sacked London Lacy four times to overwhelm the lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision team. UC Davis didn't crossed midfield until the final play of the game.

The Cardinal's first shutout since beating Colorado 48-0 on Nov. 3, 2012 showed just how far it has come since losing 20-17 at home to UC Davis in 2005.

No. 25 Washington 17, Hawaii 16

John Ross scored on a reverse and a 91-yard catch and the Huskies off Hawaii despite a weak second half in Coach Chris Petersen's debut.

The Huskies overcame late pushes from Hawaii and offensive problems late in the game, when their best accomplishment was running out the clock.

Jeff Lindquist threw for 162 yards in his first start for Washington after Cyler Miles was suspended for the game. But most of Lindquist's total came on the big play to Ross.

Washington's defense struggled early, spotting Hawaii a 10-0 lead on its first two possessions. The Rainbow Warriors lost the advantage in one quick second-quarter burst, turning the ball over on downs and then allowing the Huskies' second-longest pass play in school history.

Hawaii's Joey Iosefa rushed for 143 yards and a touchdowns.

at Oregon State 29, Portland State 14: Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion passed for 328 yards and one touchdown and rushed for another score as the Beavers rallied from a 14-13 halftime deficit to avoid a season-opening loss at home to an FCS school for the third time in four seasons.

Oregon State forced turnovers on five of Portland State's first six possessions of the second half and took the lead for good on Garrett Owen's 26-yard field goal with 10:58 to play in the third quarter.

Owens added field goals of 25, 25, 31 and 23 yards, Oregon State's Storm Woods had 16 carries for 126 yards rushing and the Beavers finished with 505 yards of offense to Portland State's 215.

Portland State backup quarterback Paris Penn finished with nine carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings of the Big Sky Conference, who managed only 40 yards offense in the second half.

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Focused Trojans romp past Fresno State in opener, 52-13

USC's new no-huddle offense moved up and down the field with speed and efficiency, veterans and talented freshmen adding spectacular accents.

The Trojans' new defense was mostly stout and created opportunities.

On Saturday at the Coliseum, the No. 15 Trojans looked nothing like an unfocused team after enduring a week of bizarre and inflammatory distractions.

Instead, they gave new Coach Steve Sarkisian his first victory, a 52-13 rout of Fresno State.

"That was fun," Sarkisian said. "Gosh."

Quarterback Cody Kessler passed for four touchdowns as the Trojans' no-huddle offense rolled up 701 yards in 105 plays, a Pac-12 Conference record.

Junior Nelson Agholor caught two touchdown passes and freshman receiver Adoree' Jackson and freshman tight end Bryce Dixon each caught one while freshman JuJu Smith amassed 123 yards in receptions as new players contributed in all three phases.

It should get decidedly more difficult next Saturday when the Trojans travel to Stanford for their Pac-12 opener.

But for a night anyway, the Trojans can bask in the glow of an impressive start.

"The best part," said Kessler, who passed for a career-best 394 yards, "was that it felt like we've been playing with Sark for years.

"It didn't feel like a new era."

Kessler torched Fresno State for a Las Vegas Bowl-record four touchdowns last December, but that was under an entirely different set of circumstances.

Sarkisian, hired earlier that month, had watched that game from the press box and the sideline, itching for his chance to coach the Trojans.

Preparations appeared interrupted this week after cornerback Josh Shaw's tale of sustaining ankle injuries while saving a potentially drowning nephew last Saturday came crashing down, putting NCAA sanctions-free USC back in the national limelight for another off-the-field controversy. Shaw was suspended indefinitely after his admission to school officials that the story was fabricated, and a police investigation into his involvement in an incident last Saturday at a downtown apartment complex that night continues.

A day after Shaw's admission, a post to former player Anthony Brown's Instagram account accused Sarkisian of racism, a charge denounced by several current and former Trojans players.

But the Trojans did not appear distracted Saturday.

"I maybe brought it up to them twice all week," Sarkisian said.

Kessler rushed for a touchdown and passed for three more as USC rolled to a 31-7 halftime lead.

Fresno State scored to start the second half. But for the second time in eight months the Bulldogs were no match for the Trojans.

Sarkisian had hoped that the high-speed attack he brought with him from Washington would allow the Trojans to push the pace and run more plays.

USC started the game with a 90-yard, 17-play drive that featured seven players touching the ball.

Unlike predecessor Lane Kiffin, who often seemed fixated on a laminated, menu-sized play-call sheet, Sarkisian moved freely about the sideline, sometimes taking a crouching position 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

The offense was not perfect — tailbacks Justin Davis and Javorius Allen lost first-half fumbles — but the performance had to give Stanford and the rest of the conference something to think about, especially with so many freshmen seemingly unfazed by the college stage.

It was also the debut of defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox's 3-4 scheme.

With the exception of the first series of the third quarter, the unit appeared aggressive and engaged.

Safety Gerald Bowman, defensive lineman Leonard Williams and linebackers Anthony Sarao and Michael Hutchings intercepted passes.

The Trojans were not distracted by the off-the-field incidents, players said.

"We pushed that to the side," cornerback Kevon Seymour said. "We were just focused."

Twitter: @latimesklein

Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times

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