Barkley and Houston named Pac-10 players of the week

Sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley and senior kicker Joe Houston were named the Pac-10 Offensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for their performances in a dominating 48-14 win over the Cal on Saturday.

Barkley, who received the offensive award, ripped Cal for five touchdowns in the first half, which tied a school record for a single game. The early offensive barrage paired with a dominant defensive effort resulted in a 42-0 halftime lead. He completed 25 of 37 passes for 352 yards and five touchdowns and was replaced by senior Mitch Mustain in the third quarter.

The offense finished with a total of 602 yards against the conference’s top-ranked total (254.8 yards/game) and pass defense (148.8 yards/game.)

In his second year as the starting quarterback, Barkley has demonstrated breakout talent. He ranks second nationally with 20 touchdown passes. His 1,869 passing yards and 167.3 passing effiency rank seventh and eighth in the country respectively. Barkley also threw a five-touchdown game in the first match of the season against Hawai’i.

Houston connected on two 27-yard field goals and went 6-6 on PATs against Cal. He also had a 26-yard pooch punt that landed on the Cal 8.

In his first year as the starting placekicker, Houston has converted 4-8 field goals and 28-28 PATs. The senior was formerly a walk-on and has recently earned a scholarship.