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San Jose State releases 2018 football schedule

Published on March 1, 2018 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @SJSUSpartanFB

By: Ana Kieu

Brent Brennan was a San Jose State assistant football coach the last time the Spartans’ schedule had at least three consecutive home games on the schedule.

There was 2006 when the team went from 3-8 to 9-4 and a New Mexico Bowl victory, thanks to four home games in a row, covering September to mid-October. The next year, Brennan was still on the SJSU coaching staff that had three home games in a row. The Spartans finished that season at 5-7.

Brennan will be the SJSU head coach this time when the Spartans’ 2018 schedule includes three consecutive home games in CEFCU Stadium.

“We play in a very good conference. We’re excited to play the teams on our schedule. We have another tough non-conference schedule that’s going to test us early starting with UC Davis,” said Brennan. “The schedule includes eight teams that played in a 2017 bowl game.”

SJSU opens Mountain West play on September 29 at home against Hawaii. Then, the Spartans take on conference opponent Colorado State on October 6 and conclude three consecutive weeks at home with the team’s first meeting with Army West Point on October 13. SJSU will become the 38th school to play the three military service academies (Air Force, Army, and Navy) when the Spartans and Black Knights take the field.

The remaining three home games start with a Thursday, August 30 season opener with UC Davis, October 27 vs. UNLV and November 17 against Nevada.

SJSU’s road opponents start with Pac-12 non-conference opponents Oregon on September 8 and Washington State on September 15. In conference action, the Spartans travel to San Diego State on October 20, Wyoming on November 4, Utah State on November 11 and close the regular season at Fresno State on November 25.

This year’s schedule concludes the home-and-home cycle with Mountain West Mountain Division opponents Colorado State, Utah State and Wyoming.

Kickoff times and games assigned to the Mountain West television and broadcast partners will be announced in the future.

Season ticket renewals are underway. New season ticket holders can purchase their seats beginning March 24 when the Spartans host their annual Spring Game in CEFCU Stadium starting at 1:15 pm.

Press Release from Stanford regarding endowment for the Quarterback Coach

Published on March 17, 2016March 18, 2016 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

from Stanford Athletics Department

photo credit: Stanford quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard talks strategy with Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan (8) last season

Copy of press release from Stanford honoring Kevin Hogan.

//FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE//
March 17, 2016

Quarterback Coaching Position Endowed
Pritchard named first Kevin M. Hogan Quarterbacks Coach

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford announced Thursday that its quarterbacks coaching position has been endowed by a very generous gift from Kim ’83 and Eddie Poplawski ’81, MBA ’87 in honor of Kevin Hogan ’15.

“I am beyond humbled by this generous gift from Eddie and Kim Poplawski,” said Tavita Pritchard ’09, Stanford’s first Kevin M. Hogan Quarterbacks Coach. “The legacy that Kevin Hogan left on the field can only be eclipsed by the caliber of his character. This gift is a great reminder of what makes our Stanford community so special.”

The commitment reflects the Poplawskis deep respect for Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw ’94, recognition of the Cardinal staff for developing the character of student-athletes as well as their football talents, and their respect for Hogan while recognizing his leadership and impact on the program.

“Our lives have been incredibly blessed by our, nearly four-decade old, connection to Stanford, and it is truly a pleasure and privilege to be able to honor Kevin and his family in this manner,” said Kim and Eddie Poplawski. “In our minds, Kevin has set the gold standard on many different levels for student-athletes. He leads by example with conviction and grace … He competes with intense passion, but always with respect and tremendous humility … He thoughtfully and thoroughly prepares himself for the challenges he faces on and off the field, while remaining keenly focused and concerned about the successes of others not just his own.

“Kevin is a Stanford treasure who will always represent our university in a first-class manner no matter where his life’s journey leads him. It warms our hearts to be able to forever commemorate his legacy on The Farm.

“We sincerely hope that our gift will inspire other alums and friends of the University to consider supporting the incredibly gifted coaches who teach, mentor and guide all of our wonderful student-athletes. Stanford’s phenomenal success in athletic competition is predicated on world-class coaching talent. Fueling coaching positions with endowed resources will allow generations of student-athletes to come to thrive and succeed, on campus and beyond, at the very highest levels.”

“Kevin Hogan’s name is synonymous with winning football games,” said Shaw. “More importantly, Kevin’s perseverance, preparation, and leadership have set an example for future quarterbacks to follow. Kevin has earned this prestigious honor, and deserves to add his name to the list of great Stanford quarterbacks.”

Pritchard, who will continue coaching the wide receivers in addition to quarterbacks, is entering his seventh season on the Cardinal coaching staff and third in a full-time capacity.

A four-year letter winner for the Cardinal from 2006-09, Pritchard made his first career start against USC on Oct. 6, 2007, and engineered an epic 24-23 upset of the second-ranked Trojans in the Los Angeles Coliseum. His 10-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Mark Bradford on fourth down with 0:49 left in the game secured his spot in Stanford football lore.

The Tacoma, Washington, native appeared in 31 career games and made 20 starts, throwing for 2,865 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Under Pritchard’s tutelage, Hogan developed into the winningest quarterback in Stanford history.

“It has been said time and time again that it’s the people that make Stanford the extraordinary place that it is,” Hogan said. “That notion never ceases to amaze me. I am very grateful to Eddie and Kim Poplawski for this extremely kind gift. It is people like the Poplawski family that represents how special the Stanford community is.

“We hope this gift will have an impact on current and future Stanford quarterbacks while they learn, grow, and thrive as I was able to do during my time on The Farm.”

The signal-caller from McLean, Virginia, was thrust into the starting role midway into his sophomore season and led the Cardinal to five straight wins to close the 2012 season, including the program’s first Rose Bowl victory since 1972.

Hogan, a two-time team captain, would post a 36-10 record as Stanford’s starting quarterback while leading the Cardinal to three Pac-12 titles, two Rose Bowl victories and a Foster Farms Bowl win. He is the only Stanford quarterback to start and play in four consecutive bowl games.

Hogan left his mark throughout the Cardinal record book, setting program-bests for career total offense (10,634), season passing efficiency (171.0 – 2015), career rushing yards by a quarterback (1,249) and career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (15). He is second in career completion percentage (.659) and career passing efficiency (154.6), while ranking third with 75 career touchdown passes.

Eddie Poplawski earned undergraduate degrees in economics and human biology from Stanford in 1981, and his MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business in 1987. He is the owner and CEO of Barclay’s Realty & Management Company and the Bellingham Bells, a summer collegiate baseball team that plays in the West Coast League.

Kim (Palmer) Poplawski graduated from Stanford in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in human biology. She enjoyed a lengthy and successful career with Microsoft before retiring.

The couple has three sons: Daniel, Dean ’16 and Matthew.

—
Alan George | @treeSIDjorge
GoStanford.com | c. 574.340.3977

Stanford dominates the stats, but lose the game to the Oregon Ducks

Published on November 14, 2015November 15, 2015 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

photo credit yahoo.com Vernon Adams Jr. Oregon QB

The Oregon Ducks beat the Stanford Cardinal Saturday night by a score of 38-36. The Ducks were finally healthy and were looking to win their fourth game in a row. Stanford had won eight games in a row, and a win over of the Ducks would put the Cardinal in the Pac-12 championship game on December 5th at Levi Stadium. With the loss, the Cardinal will have to beat the University of California next Saturday here at Stanford Stadium to clinch the Pac-12 North title.

The game was a barn burner with the outcome in doubt except for the last ten seconds of the contest. Stanford won most of the stat but still lost the game. They controlled the ball for over 43 minutes. They racked up more total yardage than the Ducks 506 to 436. They ran 86 plays compared to 48 for Oregon but still came up short. The Duck offense was just too fast for the Cardinal defense. The Ducks did not use up much time when they scored their touchdowns. Boom, boom and boom.Give them the ball and they put it in the end zone. Stanford used a ball-control offense and could not come up with the big plays all night long. Stanford is now 8-2 overall and 7-1 in the Pac-12 while Oregon improves to 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the conference.

The Stanford Cardinal took the opening kickoff and drove to the Oregon 14 yard line before the drive stalled. Conrad Ukropina kicked a 33 -yard field goal to give the Cardinal a 3-0 lead with 8:43 left in the first period. The Cardinal controlled the ball for over six minutes but had to settle for the field goal. The Ducks stormed back, driving eighty yards in less than two minutes. Royce Freeman broke free for a 49-yard run. Kani Benoit followed with a big run. The Cardinal was offside, and that gave the Ducks a first and five from the fifteen-yard line. Quarterback Vernon Adams, Jr took the ball down to the three. Benoit scored, and the extra point was good. 7-3 for Oregon with 6:15 left to play in the period. The Cardinal roared back to take a 10-7 lead near the end of the first period. The drive stalled at the Stanford 26 yard line, but the Ducks were called for a personal foul that gave the Cardinal a first down on their own 41. Two passes from Kevin Hogan, one to Bryce Love for 17 yards and one to Michael Rector down to the Oregon 29. After a short gain to the 22. Hogan carried the ball and scored. Stanford leads 10-7. The lead did not last long as the Ducks’ Charles Nelson, on the first play from scrimmage after the kickoff, went 75 yards for the score. 14-10 for Oregon with 1:01 left So far, it’s the conservative Cardinal offense against the Oregon run, run and run. So far, the Oregon way is winning.

The Cardinal played better defense in the second period. The Ducks intercepted a Kevin Hogan pass, but the Cardinal defense stiffened and forced Oregon to punt. The Cardinal took over on their 41-yard line. The key play was a 35-yard pass from Hogan to Michael Rector that put them on the Ducks’ 23-yard line. The Cardinal made a first down at the Ducks’ eleven. On the next play, Christian McCaffrey took it to the house for the score. 17-14 for Stanford with 6:03 left in the half.The Ducks turned over the ball on their next possession. The Ducks were on the move, but the Cardinal’s Brennan Scarlett pressured Vernon Adams to fumble the ball. Linebacker Kevin Anderson caught the ball mid-air and returned it to the Ducks’ nine-yard line. The Oregon defense held and the Cardinal had to settle for a field-goal. Stanford leads 20-14 with 1:59 left in the half. With 48 seconds left, Adams connected with Darren Carrington for a 47-yard touchdown pass. The drive went 75 yards on the drive. The Cardinal trails by one with 48 seconds left to play. They did not run out the clock. They drove to the Oregon 32. With just two seconds left, Conrad Ukropina kicked a 49-yard field goal to put Stanford ahead 23-21 at the half. The first half was as advertised- a real barnburner.

In the first half, Kevin Hogan was 13-for-19 good for 139 yards and running back Christian McCaffrey rushed 19 times for 92 yards. Oregon rushed 17 times for 159 yards and six for six passing for another 109 yards. There was just one punt in the first half. Oregon had nine first downs while the Cardinal had seventeen. Stanford dominated time of possession. They controlled the ball for 21minutes and thirty-two seconds. Oregon had the ball just 8 minutes and twenty-eight seconds, but that is no indication of the score. The Ducks offense has speed and can score very quickly.

The Ducks took the kickoff down the field for their fourth touchdown of the game.The drive was 69yards in a minute and 29 seconds. Royce Freeman scored on a 21-yard run. Ducks lead 28-23. Stanford came back after the kickoff and drove to the Ducks’ 26-yard line, but the offense failed to convert a third and short. Ukropina missed the field goal attempt. Oregon scored again to take a 35-23 on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Adams to Taj Griffin. They went 82 yards in just four plays. Adams is nine for nine passing at this point in the game. The Stanford defense has to find a way to stop Oregon if they are to win this game.

Stanford drove 75 yards on eleven plays to close the gap to 35-30. The drive took 5 minutes and 27 seconds off the clock and 11:18 remains to be played in the game.The key play on the drive was a 17-yard pass from Hogan to Stallworth to put the Cardinal on the Ducks’ 4-yard line. The Cardinal defense stopped the Ducks offense forcing a punt. Stanford started a drive, but Hogan mishandled the snap and lost the fumble. Oregon took over at the Cardinal 48. The Ducks took the ball down to the Cardinal 13 before the drive stalled. Aidan Schneider kicked a field goal to give Oregon an 8-point lead 38-30 with just 5:12 left in the game. Stanford took the ball to the Ducks’ 15-yard line, but Hogan fumbled again to the ball back to Oregon with just 2:06 remaining. The Ducks ran three plays but could not make a first down. They were forced to punt with !:15 left. The Cardinal has the ball on the 50-yard line with just 69 seconds left, and Stanford is out of timeouts. Hogan connected with Trenton Irwin to put the ball on the Oregon 35. On third and ten, Hogan passed to Michael Rector for another first down at the 24. On third and ten from the 24, Hogan threw to Devon Cajuste. The pass was incomplete, but Oregon was called for pass interference to put the ball on the 9. 14 seconds left. Stanford has to score and then make a 2-point conversion to tie the game. Oregon called for illegal substitution, and that puts the ball on the 4. Hogan hit Greg Toroada in the end zone for the score. Stanford could not convert. Hogan’s pass to Austin Hooper was incomplete, and Oregon leads 38-26 with ten seconds left in the game. The Cardinal tried an onside kick, but they were offsides on the play, and Oregon ran out the clock for the win. Oregon wins 38-36.

The Stanford Cardinal pounds the UCLA Bruins, Running back Christian McCaffrey sets rushing record

Published on October 15, 2015 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The game between the Stanford Cardinal and the UCLA Bruins was supposed to be a barn burner. Stanford came into the game ranked fifteenth in the nation while the UCLA was ranked eighteenth. Both teams had identical 4-1 records. Stanford had won four in a row, and UCLA was looking to rebound from a loss to Arizona State. It was no contest. Stanford dominated in all phases of the game. The offense line led by Kyle Murphy, Josh Garnett, and Johnny Caspers pounded the UCLA defense into submission all night. The Cardinal running game was led by a record-setting performance by Christian McCaffrey. UCLA could not crack the Cardinal defense. Blake Martinez and company kept UCLA under control. The Bruins tried, but Stanford stopped them several times at critical times during the game. The defense also picked off two Josh Rosen passes. Final score 56-35 in favor of Stanford.

The Cardinal scored the first touchdown of the night when cornerback Alijah Holder intercepted a Josh Rosen pass and took it back thirty-one yard for the score. UCLA started the drive on the seven-yard line. They made a first down, but an offensive penalty put them in a third and fifteen situation. Rosen didn’t see Holder as he stepped in front of the wide receiver for the pick. The Bruins took the kickoff and marched down to the Cardinal ten-yard line. The key play was a forty-eight yard by their star running back, Paul Perkins. On the next play, Perkins took the ball into the end zone but a penalty negated the score. The drive stalled and UCLA had to settle for a field goal. Stanford leads 7-3 with 7:22 left to play in the first period.

Christian McCaffrey electrified the crowd taking the kickoff from two yards deep in the end zone. The Bruins made a last-ditch effort and stopped him at the four-yard line. Ninety-six yards on the play. On the next play, Kevin Hogan found tight end Austin Hooper all alone in the end zone for the touchdown. The drive took exactly eighteen seconds off the clock. Stanford leads 14-3. UCLA scores eighteen seconds later. Starting on their twenty-nine-yard line, the Bruins’ Josh Rosen connected with wide receiver Darren Andrews wide open down the middle and Andrews took it in for the score. The extra point was good and the Bruins trail by just four points 14-10. There was no more scoring in the period, but Stanford is on a drive and has the ball just inside the Bruin 20-yard line to start the second quarter.

On the first play, McCaffrey went ten yards to give the Cardinal first and goal at the eight-yard line. Hogan connected with Devon Cajuste in the end zone for the score. 21-10 with 14:17 left in the half. Stanford scored again with eight minutes left. The Cardinal pinned the Bruins deep in their zone when the Cardinal downed the ball at the two-yard line. The Bruins could not make a first down and were forced to kick. The punt landed at their forty-two-yard line of the Bruins giving Stanford excellent field position. Hogan pass to tight end Greg Taboada went for twenty-eight yards down to the Bruin fourteen yard line. McCaffrey ran the ball into the end zone for the touchdown. The refs said that McCaffrey went down at the one, but the play was ruled a touchdown after a review. 28-10 in favor of Stanford. Stanford has been relentless on offense. They scored again with 2:13 left to play. They went on a 71-one yard to drive for the score. Christian McCaffrey continued to shine, and he scored his second touchdown of the night to put Stanford up by a score of 35-10. The Bruins refused to quit. They went on an eleven play, eighty-yard drive to score to close the gap to 35-17 with eleven seconds left to play. McCaffrey rushed fourteen times for 118 yards and averaged 8.8 yards per carry and had two touchdowns. Kevin Hogan was seven-for-ten passing and threw for two scores. UCLA’s Paul Perkins had nine carries fo 90 yards and a 9.9 yards per carry average. Quarterback Josh Rosen completed 12 of 19 passes good for 172 yards and one TD.

Stanford scored on a fantastic play to give them a 42-17 lead early in the third quarter. The Cardinal lined up in the Wildcat formation. The snap went to McCaffrey, who pitched the ball to running back Bryce Love. Love then gave the ball to quarterback Kevin Hogan, who spotted wide receiver Francis Owusu on his way to the end zone. Owusu made a fantastic catch with a UCLA defender draped all over him. Owusu somehow held onto the ball for the score. UCLA was called for a pass interference penalty, but the penalty was declined. The play, without question, was the most exciting play of the season for Stanford. UCLA had a chance to narrow the gap after a Kevin Hogan pass was intercepted, but the drive stalled and a false start penalty forced the Bruins to kick a field goal. The Cardinal lined up in the Wildcat formation again. This time, the snap went directly to McCaffrey, and he took it to the house for his third touchdown of the game. McCaffrey has 209 yards rushing so far in the game with more than 20 minutes left. Career high for McCaffrey. Stanford leads 49-20. The Cardinal continued to run the ball. Christian McCaffrey continued to shine. He scored his fourth TD of the night. He set a Stanford single-game rushing record with 243 yards breaking Toby Gerhart’s record of 223. The score is now 56-20. The Bruins scored on a 77-yard drive. The key play was a 38-yard TD pass from Rosen to Thomas Duarte. The Bruins made a two-point conversion. 56-28 with eleven minutes left. The Bruins scored again on a pass from Rosen to Rios. The score is 56-35 with 2:01 left in the game.

Game Notes- With the win, the Cardinal improves to 5-1 overall and 4-0 in the Pac-12. UCLA falls to 4-2 and 1-2 in the Pac-12. Stanford continues the season on October 24th at Stanford Stadium at 7:30 pm against the Washington Huskies.

The Stanford Cardinal vs Arizona Wildcats Preview

Published on October 2, 2015 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Stanford Cardinal (3-1, 2-0 Oac-12) will be hosting the University of Arizona Wildcats (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) Saturday night at Stanford Stadium. Game time will be 7:30 pm and the Pac-12 Network will televise the game.

Stanford enters the game with three straight wins after a loss opening day to Northwestern. The Cardinal is the only team with two wins in the Pac-12 conference so far this season. The Wildcats won their first three games by defeating the University of Texas San Antonio, The University of Nevada Reno and Northern Arizona. UClA handed them their first loss beating them 56-30.

The Wildcats lead the league in scoring averaging 48.2 points per game, total offense (555.5 yards) and rushing(329 Yards). Their running back, Nick Wilson averages 142.5 yards per game and has three-consecutive games 100 yard-games. Their quarterback Anu Solomon suffered a concussion in the game against the UCLA Bruins and is day-to-day. Solomon is fourth best in the conference in passing efficiency. He has thrown eleven touchdown passes without an interception. If Solomon is unable to play, Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez will have to choose between Jarred Russell or Brandon Dawkins. Rodriguez said this about his QBs ” Brandon is faster, and Jerrard is taller. I think he has the strongest arm on the team,.” “Brandon (Russell) is very valuable and brings a lot of energy to the offense.Jerrard, too. He’s so explosive. You don’t know when he is going to pop.”

On the defensive side, the Wildcats will be without the All-American linebacker Scooby Wright III and linebacker Derrick Turituri is banged up. Wright sustained an ankle injury. The Wildcat defense will be challenged to hold down the Stanford offense. Rodriguez said this about Stanford. “They are going to come downhill at you, run the power and pull schemes and stuff like that, but they’ll do it with multiple personnel groupings. They’ll put extra linemen in the game and use multiple tight ends. They have a fifth-year quarterback who is experienced and can make all the throws.”

The Cardinal offense is clicking, and Coach David Shaw had this to say “It starts with the offensive line and our tight ends. Both guys – Dalton Schultz and Austin Hooper are doing a great job blocking. The guy nobody talks about, Daniel Marx, a first-time starter, is having an outstanding year. He’s an NFL prototypical fullback.” Shaw said offensive left tackle Kyle Murphy will start Saturday. Murphy left the game against Oregon State with an injury. David Bright and Brandon Fanaika filled in nicely for Murphy. Shaw said ” Fanaika did very well. At some point, he’s going to be a starter at guard.”

Kevin Hogan will again lead the Cardinal offense. Runnings backs Christian McCaffrey, Barry Sanders, and Remound Wright will handle the running game.The 18th-ranked Cardinal racked up 195 yards running against USC and 325 more in the win over Oregon State.

On defense, The Cardinal are expected to have linemen Brennan Scarlett, and Aziz Shittu available for the game. Linebacker Kevin Anderson will not be available. Redshirt freshman Joey Alfieri will start at outside linebacker in place of Anderson. Alfieri had five tackles and a fumble recovery in the game against OSU.

Should be a great game. The Cardinal wants a win as they head into the showdown with the UCLA Bruins on Thursday. October 15th. The Wildcats want to upset the Cardinal to show everyone that the loss to UCLA was a fluke.

Preview of the Stanford Cardinal-Oregon State Beavers football game in Corvallis

Published on September 24, 2015 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Stanford Cardinal will meet the Beavers of Oregon State University Friday night at 7 pm in Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. The Cardinal will be playing their third road game of the season and have a 1-1 record on the road and a 2-1 record overall. The Cardinal rallied to beat the USC Trojans last Saturday in Los Angeles. The Beavers are 2-1 this year and the game against Stanford will be their first in Pac-12 Conference play. The Beavers beat Weber State in their opener and beat San Jose State last Saturday. Their lone loss came at the hands of Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines in game two of the season. The game will be televised nationally on Fox Sports 1.

There is some question regarding the status of starting quarterback Kevin Hogan. Hogan may not be able to play to a sprained ankle that he suffered in the USC game. Stanford coach David Shaw that they would evaluate his status on Thursday. If Hogan can’t play, either redshirt freshman, Keller Chryst, or redshirt sophomore Ryans Burns will start in his place. Each is listed as second string on the depth chart. Another key player that may not be available is the linebacker, Kevin Anderson. Coach Shaw said that Anderson probably will not play. Anderson is the second leading tackler on the team. Joey Alfieri or Mike Tyler would start in Anderson’s spot.

Coach Shaw was pleased with the performance of the team’s offensive line against USC last week. The line did its job with crisp blocks and goal-line efficiency. Running back Remound Wright scored three touchdowns and Hogan passed for 279 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The offensive lines opened up holes for running back Christian McCaffrey, Barry Sanders, the explosive Bryce Love and Remound Wright. Tight end Austin Hooper had a big game against USC with four catches for 790 yards. Coach Shaw said this about Hooper “it’s all coming together. We felt that it would. It’s just coming faster than we anticipated.” Wide receiver Devon Cajuste is another example of the mismatches that Stanford can create in the passing game. Shaw said “talk to most quarterbacks, and they like big targets. When they’re covered, they’re not really covered. You have a chance to put the ball high and it’s a completion or an incompletion, but there’s no chance to get intercepted.”

The offensive line is led by Guard Josh Garnett, guard Johnny Caspers and tackles Kyle Murphy and Casey Tucker. These young men will have their hands full with the Oregon State defense. The Beavers have creative defenses and varied blitz packages that will challenge the Cardinal’s O-line.

Conrad Ukropina, in his first year as a starter, has been perfect making all five field goals attempted. He made one from 52 yards out against UCF and one from 46 yards against USC.

The Beavers are led by quarterback Seth Collins. Collins has completed 32 passes in 59 attempts good for 306 yards with four touchdowns and one interception to his credit. Collins has carried the ball forty-four times for 294 yards. Storm Woods and Chris Brown are the main rushers out of the backfield. Woods rushed 35 times for 227 yards while Brown ran for 94 yards on 24 carries. Jordan Villain and Victor Bolden are the main targets for Collins. Villain has 10 catches good for 141 yards and two TDs while Bolden nabbed eight passes good for 60 yards and one TD.The OSU offense has had trouble converting on third downs. The Beavers are just 12 for 42 in that department. They also have to cut down on turnovers deep in their own territory. The Beavers had three turnovers in each of the three games played so far and those turnovers have put extreme pressure on the defense.

The Cardinal is ranked 21st in the nation while OSU is unranked. Stanford is meeting OSU for the 82nd time. They are 53-25-3 all-time against the Beavers. The Cardinal has won five straight and six of the last seven. Should be a good game. Coach Saw has said that there are no upsets in college football. Stay tuned and let’s see what happens Friday night in Corvallis.

Stanford vs University of Southern California Preview

Published on September 18, 2015 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Stanford Cardinal will be in Los Angeles Saturday to face the Trojans of the University of Southern California. It will be the first game of Pac-12 Conference play for the teams. The Trojans have won both their games so far this season. They beat Arkansas State and Idaho scoring 114 points while allowing just 15. Stanford, on the other hand, lost the opener to Northwestern but rebounded to beat the University of Central Florida 31-7 behind a stifling defense and a great performance bu quarterback Kevin Hogan. Hogan had a career-best 341 yards passing against UCF.

The Cardinal needs to improve their red-zone offense if they are to beat the Trojans. Stanford’s inefficiency in the red-zone was a problem and so far this season, the Cardinal has scored just two touchdowns and two field goals in seven trips inside the 20-yard line. Last year against USC, Stanford had one touchdown and one field goal in five trips. The Cardinal defense will have to work hard to stop the Trojans’ quarterback Cody Kessler. The Cardinal will need to hard SC hard from the opening drive and swarm to the football as a unit if they are to beat them. Stanford’s punt coverage is excellent, but USC has Adoree Jackson can create big plays handling both kickoff and punt returns.
USC has been able to run the football well as they have a deep corps of running back. Four Trojan backs have scored in the first two games.

Kevin Hogan will handle the quarterbacking duties for Stanford. Hogan had a career game against UCF but did not do well against Northwester. The Cardinal will need him at the top of his game. The Cardinal running game needs to improve as they average just 3.16 yard per carry. Running backs Christian McCaffrey, Daniel Marx, Barry Sanders, and freshman Bryce Love will be challenged by the tough USC defense.

Usc quarterback Cody Kessler has completed 78.9 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. Kessler is in sync with his receivers and has a deep group of runnings backs. The Stanford defense will be Challenged. Blake Martinez, Ronnie Harris are leaders on defense for Stanford.

Stanford-USC games are always intense. Stanford will be in a hostile environment, but coach Shaw will have them prepared. Should be a fierce battle. Look for a close game between the two schools.

Preview of the first game ever between the Stanford Cardinal and the Central Florida Knights

Published on September 11, 2015 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Stanford Cardinal opens its home season against the University of Central Florida Knights Saturday evening at Stanford Stadium. Game time will be a 7:30 pm and the game will be televised on Fox Sports 1.

The Cardinal will be looking to rebound from a huge loss at Northwestern last week. The Cardinal offense struggled and could manage just six points. The Cardinal produced just 240 yards of offense and just 85 yards rushing. Veteran quarterback Kevin Hogan needs to do a better job of getting the ball downfield to his receivers, Michael Rector, and Rollins Stallworth. Running back Christian McCaffrey and fullback Daniel Marx need to be more productive. Veteran receiver Devon Cajuste should be ready for Saturday’s contest. The Cardinal defense will be missing starting tackle Harrison Phillips. Phillips tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. The Cardinal linebackers Blake Martinez and Peter Kalambayi played well last week, and the defensive line consisting of Brennan Scarlett, Aziz Shittu, and Thomas Solomon is strong and, hopefully, the will fill the void left by the loss of Harrison. The cornerbacks are Alijah Holder and veteran Ronnie Harris. Kodi Whitfield is at free safety, and Dallas Lloyd holds the string safety position.

The University of Central Florida Knights was upset by Florida International University last week in their opener. The Knights are coached by George O’Leary. O’Leary coached Georgia Tech from 1994 to 2001. He also was an assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings, Syracuse University, and the San Diego Chargers. O’Leary was the head coach at Notre Dame briefly in 2001. O’Leary utilizes a pro style offense and a basic 4-3 defense.

The Knights feel that their pass protection is adequate, but they need to improve the running game if they are to defeat the Cardinal. Running backs, Dontravious Wilson and Will Stanback combined for just 45 yards rushing on 30 attempts in the loss to FIU. Justin Holman is the quarterback, and the wide receivers are Jordan Akins and Tre’Quan Smith.

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting ever between the two teams. Stanford will be looking to get its offense going The Cardinal still has a strong defense. Cardinal coach David Shaw does not want to start the season 0-2. UCF wants to show that they can compete with the big boys and are primed for an upset. Their offensive line is young and inexperienced and may have trouble with the Cardinal defense. Should be an interesting game.

Stanford kicks off the 2015 season against Northwestern

Published on September 3, 2015 by rxsluggerLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Stanford Cardinal will open the 2015 football season against the Northwestern University Wildcats. The two teams will meet for the first time since 1994. Stanford is rated 21st in the nation by the AP poll and by USA today. Northwestern is not ranked. Kickoff will occur Saturday September 5th at 9am PT. Stanford leads the all-time series 3-1-2.

The Cardinal finished the 2014 record of 8-5 but won its last three games of the season including a 42-21 rout of Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl. Stanford starts the season with the goal of winning the Pac-12 championship and returning to the Rose Bowl again. David Shaw is in his fifth season as head coach and the entire full-time coaching staff has returned for the 2015 season.

Quarterback Kevin Hogan returns for his fourth season as leader of the Cardinal offense. Hogan needs just 45 yards to pass Andrew Luck as number one career rushing QB. Hogan has completed 65 % of his passes and his pass efficiency rating is 148.3 He has churned out 7,431 yards of offense, which is an average of 200.8 yards per game. He has thrown for 6518 yards and 48 touchdowns. Hogan has a record of 24-8 as a starter. Stanford also has four proven tight ends in Austin Hooper, Eric Cotton,Dalton Schultz and Greg Taboada. Sophomore Christian McCaffrey, son of former Stanford wideout, Ed McCaffrey, will be the number one running back. Barry Sanders will also get a chance to show what he can do running the ball. Wide receivers Devon Cajuste, Rollins Stallworth and Michael Rector are ready to show what they can do to help bring the offense back to its former level of dominance. The offensive line has two new starters. Johnny Caspers will be the starter at right guard and Casey Tucker will be at right tackle. Kyle Murphy, Returning starters on the O-line include Kyle Murphy, Joshua Garnett and Graham Shuler.

One of the big question marks for the season will be the defense. Ronnie Harris is the most experienced player in the secondary and he started just three games last year. Alijah Holder and Alameen Murphy are battling it out for the other cornerback slot. It remains to be seen if the defensive backs will be as good as last year. Blake Martinez is returning to the inside linebacker position and other linebackers include Kelvin Palma Jordan Perez and Peter Kalambayi. Defensive lineman include Aziz Shittu, Harrison Phillips and Solomon Thomas.

College football is so hard to predict. Players are lost to graduation and no one knows how the new players are going to do. Stanford has a pretty solid nucleus of returning starters. Hopefully, the new guys will step up. Should be an interesting season.

Stanford vs Oregon Preview

Published on October 31, 2014 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

by Jerry Feitelberg

The Stanford Cardinal (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12) will meet the fifth ranked University of Oregon Ducks (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) at Autzen Stadium in Eugene,Oregon at 4:30 pm PDT on Saturday November 1st. Autzen Stadium is the home of the Ducks and holds 54,000 screaming Duck fans is in generally thought to be a house of horrors for visiting teams.

The Ducks will be seeking to avenge the last two losses to the Cardinal. In 2012, the Cardinal stunned

the fans at Autzen Stadium as they upset the Ducks and went on to the represent the Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl. Stanford again beat the Ducks last year at Stanford Stadium as they controlled the ball for 42 minutes and pressured Heisman trophy candidate Marcus Mariota into making mistakes. Mariota rallied his team in the fourth quarter it was too little, too late.The Cardinal again went to the Rose Bowl as the Pac-12 Champion.

This year is a different story for the Cardinal. The offense has not been able to get untracked but the defense has been stellar. The Cardinal’s three losses have all come against teams ranked in the top 20.

In order for Stanford to win, the defense has to put as much pressure as possible on Mariota as the can muster and the offense has to be able to score to get the crowd out of the game. Oregon has Mariota back and he has been helped out on offense by several freshmen. Royce Freeman is sixth in the nation in rushing TDs with thirteen and has thrown a touchdown pass to Mariota. Other freshmen of note for Oregon are wide receiver Devon Allen with six touchdowns, Charles Nelson and running back Kani Benoit. Byron Marshall was the Ducks’ leading rusher last year but he is now playing in the slot and leads the Ducks in receptions with 38 catches for 521 yards. He is also averaging 8.3 yard per carry as a running back.

This will the 78th meeting between the two teams dating back to 1900 and Stanford leads the series 46-30-1.

The Ducks will be playing for the lead in the Pac-12 North Division while the Cardinal will be trying for n upset and a win will improve their record to 6-3. Kevin Hogan and the Cardinal offense will have their work cut out for them as they will be playing in a very hostile and loud environment.

Kudos to them if they can pull off the upset.