DRAKE LONDON

Can we finally start Tony Pollard.

The Atlanta Falcons picked up their first win of the season thanks to Marcus Mariota and Drake London. Cordarrelle Patterson added 141 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Drake London spent the past three seasons tearing up college defenses for USC, so football fans in his native Southern California weren't surprised when the big receiver got off to a strong NFL start with the Atlanta Falcons. The Los Angeles Rams fans in that SoCal contingent are hoping their Super Bowl champions can come up with ways to slow down London for just one week when the Falcons visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday for a meeting of teams hoping to avoid 0-2 starts. London caught 160 passes for 2,153 yards and 16 touchdowns in 27 games at USC before the Falcons made him the eighth overall draft pick last spring.

In an NFL draft focused early on stoppers, it was the goers — wide receivers — who stole the spotlight Thursday night.

Kayvon Thibodeaux doesn’t lack any confidence, already proclaiming himself the best player in the NFL draft.

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has been named The Associated Press Pac-12 Coach of the Year for 2021.

Clay Helton’s players hate the fact their head coach’s firing was a cause for celebration for much of Southern California’s vast football fan base.

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)Colorado's Jarek Broussard ran for 301 yards in one game and averaged more than six yards per carry. Oregon State's Jermar Jefferson averaged more than 145 yards per game and scored seven touchdowns. Broussard and Jefferson were voted co-offensive players of the year by a media panel in The Associated Press All-Pac-12 team released Friday. Broussard had the fourth 300-yard game in Colorado history when he went for 301 yards against Arizona on Dec. 5. He added 11 catches for 126 yards and was second among FBS freshmen with 144.6 all-purpose yards per game.

20 USC beat Arizona 34-30 on Saturday. “A lot of teams would like to be in that position.”USC (2-0, 2-0 Pac-12) was outplayed by Arizona State last week before scoring two touchdowns in the final three minutes of a 28-27 victory. Another drive into the red zone, another trip without points. “That's the bottom line.”THE TAKEAWAYUSC played undisciplined at times and was disjointed at times on offense, particularly in the red zone. Against Arizona, the Trojans struggled with penalties and capitalizing in the red zone.

20 Southern California rallied from a late 13-point deficit for a 28-27 victory over Arizona State on Saturday in the Pac-12's long-delayed season opener. Bru McCoy caught a deflected 26-yard TD pass with 2:52 left for the Trojans (1-0), and Max Williams recovered the onside kick. USC's defense then stopped Arizona State (0-1) on downs near midfield with 50 seconds left to preserve an astonishing comeback for perpetually embattled coach Clay Helton's team. New Arizona State co-defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis also was on the verge of a resilient debut before the Trojans broke through. “I don’t think we were out of gas,” Arizona State safety Evan Fields said.