By Morris Phillips

STANFORD — Stanford wanted to regain their run-first identity, Northwestern wanted to maintain their momentum from 2018, and gain a foothold in the nation’s Top 25.

Those were the plans. But neither came to fruition, and both teams need not only to forge an identity in the coming weeks, they need to overcome some key injuries as well.

Stanford got the win, 17-7, the product of a stingy, first half defensively, but not much else. Quarterback K.J. Costello departed early after taking a forearm to the head near midfield, but could only muster one, credible drive in a half of football before that unfortunate occurrence.

“We’ve got so many veterans on the defensive side,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “So many fourth- and fifth-year seniors, so much leadership that we knew it was going to take those guys keeping us in the game, and they did.”

Northwestern trumpeted the debut of quarterback Hunter Johnson, the transfer from Clemson, but he was ineffective, getting picked off twice, and briefly replaced when the Wildcats couldn’t get anything going offensively in the first half. The Cats managed just 74 yards in four, first half drives, and Johnson finished 6 of 17 passing. Consequently, the questions after the game regarding Johnson’s performance came across harsh.

“This is not an excuse-making business,” Coach Pat Fitzgerald said of Johnson when questioned on the transfer’s preparedness. “He’s got to be a lot better. We’ve got to continue to help him do the things. But I though he responded really well in the second half. That’s why I completely disagree with what you said.”

TJ Green replaced Johnson to start the second half, and helmed Northwestern’s most promising drive of 10 plays that reached Stanford’s five-yard line. But on second-and-goal, Green inexplicably held the ball too long, and was stripped. Not only did Northwestern lose the football, Green suffered a leg injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

With Northwestern struggling to move the football, the Stanford offense was afforded time to find its footing. With NU’s defense effective and physical, that process wasn’t immediate. Eventually Stanford found room outside the harsh marks where they won some key one-on-one scenarios. That process led to Michael Wilson’s two-yard touchdown catch that gave Stanford a 7-0 lead before halftime.

Throughout, the Wildcats were nasty inside, consistently getting a second defender in to finish tackles. With the time of possession nearly two-to-one in Stanford’s favor, Northwestern eventually showed cracks. But they kept their team in the game on the scoreboard, limiting the final, seven Stanford drives to seven plays or less. That kept the score at 10-7, the outcome in doubt, until Johnson was stripped with 20 seconds remaining, a play that resulted in Jordan Fox’s fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown.

Cameron Scarlett led Stanford with 22 carries for 97 yards, and Connor Wedington came up with seven catches for 69 yards, but Shaw was bothered that the production didn’t translate on the scoreboard in a game that didn’t feel as if it should be so tight. Afterwards, Shaw complained his team didn’t take advantage of big play scenarios that arose when Northwestern’s defense gambled.

“When someone drops safeties down or blitzes, like Northwestern did today, that we pick it up. We have an opportunity down the field one-on-one. Mike Wilson was open down the field. Colby Parkinson was open twice down the field. Cyrus. We took one shot. It was kind of a 50/50 ball.”

The Cardinal travel to Los Angeles this week to face USC in a meeting of teams trying to recapture the magic. At press time, the Trojans were in a tight battle with Fresno State in USC’s home opener Saturday night.