#1 The Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr must be seeing double after running all day and avoiding getting sacked by the Tennessee Titans pass rush.
#2 The Raiders just couldn’t get anything going, and as a result, suffered their third straight loss 42-21.
#3 The San Francisco 49ers added more to their exciting season with a last minute drive that got them good field position for a Robbie Gould field goal for the 48-46 win.
#4 How important is it for Cal to stay in the Bay Area for their next game the RedBox Bowl at Levi’s Stadium against the Illinois Illini on Monday, Dec. 30th?
#5 The St. Mary’s Gales had an eight-game winning streak going into Sunday’s game, but it was too much. #19 Dayton sunk the Gales chances with a ten-point win 78-68.
Fifth-year running back Cameron Scarlett received the Irving S. Zeimer Award as the team’s most valuable player while fifth-year outside linebacker Casey Toohill earned the Al Masters Award for leadership and respect from his teammates at Stanford football’s annual banquet at Traitel Hall at the Hoover Institution on Sunday.
Here’s the complete list of awardees.
Irving S. Zeimer Award — Cameron Scarlett Awarded to the 2019 team MVP.
A team-captain, Scarlett finished the season with 840 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, finishing his career tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns (24) and 18th in career rushing yards.
Al Masters Award — Casey Toohill Awarded to the player displaying the highest degree of leadership and respect of his teammates.
Tommy Vardell Award — Casey Toohill Awarded to the junior or senior player who best epitomizes excellence in both academics and athletics. A team captain, Campbell Trophy finalist and CoSIDA Academic All-District recipient, Toohill finished with 60 tackles, including a team-high 11.5 for loss and eight sacks. He also added 10 quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, forced fumble and blocked kick.
Jack Huston Award — Curtis Robinson Awarded to the player exemplifying aggressiveness, exceptional performance, and unheralded efforts. Robinson finished second on the team with 64 tackles, adding two forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
Jim Reynolds Award — Malik Antoine Awarded to the senior player whose courage on the field and devotion to the game are an inspiration to all.
Despite missing the final three games of the season, Antoine–a team captain–continued to lead from the sideline. He finished the season with 31 tackles, four pass breakups and 0.5 tackles for loss.
Gundelach Award — Davis Mills Awarded to the most outstanding junior player. Mills started six games at quarterback and passed for 1,960 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a school-record 504 at Washington State. He completed 158-of-241 (65.6%) of passes on the year.
Deswarte-Eller Award — Simi Fehoko Awarded to the most outstanding sophomore player.
Fehoko led the team with six touchdown receptions, catching 24 passes for 586 yards. He averaged a school-record 23.6 yards per reception and is tops among Power 5 receivers in that category.
Outstanding Freshman Award — Jonathan McGill Awarded to the most outstanding freshman player. McGill started six games at nickelback in 2019 as a true freshman, playing in all 12. He totaled 35 tackles with three for loss. He also added three pass breakups, an interception and a fumble recovery that he returned 28 yards for a touchdown.
Phil Moffatt Awards — Ryan Sanborn and Connor Wedington Awarded to the top two most outstanding special teams performers.
Sanborn was the only true freshman this season to handle primary punting duties for his team while also kicking off at least 20 times (28) and making seven field goals. Following Jet Toner’s season-ending injury against UCLA, Sanborn handled all three phases in the kicking game.
Wedington was a dynamic receiver and return man in 2019. In addition to his 506 receiving yards, he added 590 kick return yards on 21 attempts, averaging 28.1 yards per return.
Team Technician Award — Drew Dalman Awarded to the player demonstrating a positive attitude and a consistent commitment to strength and conditioning.
Dalman’s dedication paid off in a big way in 2019, as he started all 12 games at center. A member of the Cardinal leadership council, he mentored three true freshman offensive lineman who started the last six games alongside him and junior Foster Sarell (right tackle).
The Billy Anderson Commitment to Community Outreach Award (Offense) — Connor Wedington Awarded to the offensive player who demonstrates a special commitment to community outreach.
Wedington is a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team in 2019 for his commitment to starting Hope Given By, a nonprofit organization that builds relationships with the homeless community of San Francisco through passing out items of necessity.
The Chris Draft Commitment to Community Outreach Award (Defense) — Treyjohn Butler Awarded to the defensive player who demonstrates a special commitment to community outreach. Butler has been active in his hometown community as well as also in the greater Bay Area with visits to the Children’s Hospital, reading programs in East Palo Alto and many other community service events. He has also served as the house Academic Theme Associate at Ujamaa.
Frank Rehm Awards — Mike Wilson (offense) and Jovan Swann (defense) Awarded to the most outstanding players in the Big Game
Greg Piers Awards — Dylan Plautz (offense), Jake Lynch (defense) and Levani Damuni (special teams) Awarded to the most outstanding special teams as well as offensive and defensive scout team players.
photo from usatoday.com: Oklahoma Sooner quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a touchdown for the overtime win over the Baylor Bears on Saturday afternoon.
On NCAAF podcast with Michelle:
#1 The Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) beat the Baylor Bears (11-2) by a touchdown 30-23 in overtime. The Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts threw 17-24 for 287 yards, one touchdown and one interceptions.
#2 Appalachian State University (12-1) defeated Louisiana Lafayette (10-3) 45-38, Appalachian State quarterback Zac Thomas threw for 9-17 for 149 yards and two touchdowns.
#3 Ohio State (9-0) basketball: The Buckeyes defeated Penn State (7-2) 106-74. The Nittany Lions Kaleb Wesson led all scorers with 28 points.
This year’s Mountain West Football Championship Game was a battle between the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium on Saturday. For Hawaii, this was their first appearance in the title game, and for Boise State, this was their third consecutive and fourth overall appearance in the title game.
BSU won the toss and elected to receive. The UH defense had a strong start forcing a 3 and out, while its offense took the field with the Rainbow Warriors junior quarterback Cole McDonald behind center.
UH got on the board first, thanks to a 47-yard field goal from Ryan Meskell. The score was 3-0 Rainbow Warriors with 6:44 left in the first quarter.
BSU responded with a 34-yard field goal from Eric Sachse. The Broncos evened the score 3-3 with 30 seconds left in the first. The game was tied 3-3 at the end of the first.
Broncos redshirt senior quarterback Jaylon Henderson threw a 36-yard pass to Khalil Shakir, who ran for the go-ahead touchdown. Eric Sachse kicked the extra point. The Broncos took a 10-3 lead with 1:07 left in the second quarter.
Jaylon Henderson then threw a 36-yard pass to John Hightower, who ran for the touchdown. Eric Sachse kicked the extra point. The Broncos made it a 17-3 game with 14 seconds left in the second. The Broncos carried a 17-3 lead to the locker room at halftime.
BSU put the game out of reach. Khalil Shakir ran for a 4-yard touchdown and Eric Sachse kicked the extra point for a commanding 24-3 lead with 1:09 left in the third quarter.
BSU added to its lead. Jaylon Henderson ran for a 5-yard touchdown and Eric Sachse kicked the extra point to make it 31-3 with just 18 seconds left in the third. The Broncos led 31-3 after three.
UH refused to let the game slip away, but it was too little, too late. Just moments after the rain started pouring in Boise, Idaho, Miles Reed ran for a 21-yard touchdown and Ryan Meskell kicked in the extra point to cut the deficit 31-10 at the 12-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
Ryan Meskell attempted a 21-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter, but it was no good. The score stood at 31-10 in favor of the Broncos. The final play of the game was declared a false start, but it didn’t matter to the Broncos, who became conference championships with a 31-10 win over the Rainbow Warriors.
With the win, BSU improved to 12-1, 9-0 MW. The Broncos are still in the running for a New Years 6 Bowl bid.
With the loss, UH fell to 9-5, 5-4 MW. The Rainbow Warriors are awaiting their bowl game destination.
San Jose State senior quarterback Josh Love, who had one of the best regular seasons by a FBS quarterback in 2019, was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, the conference’s premier passer on the league’s 30-player first-team, and was one of seven Spartans honored with All-Mountain West honors.
Wide receivers Tre Walker and Bailey Gaither, offensive linemen Troy Kowalski and Jack Snyder, linebacker Ethan Aguayo and placekicker Matt Mercurio joined Love as All-Mountain West honorees.
“I am so excited about the All-Mountain West honors our players received. These players worked so hard here at San Jose State and for the conference to recognize them is extremely exciting for them individually and also for us as a program. ‘Spartan Up!” said SJSU football head coach Brent Brennan in response to the conference awards announcement.
Brennan, the 11 other Mountain West head coaches, and a panel of media members cast votes for the conference awards.
Love completed 60.9% of his passes with only eight interceptions for 3,923 yards and 22 touchdowns as the Spartans recorded a 5-7 win-loss record, four more wins than in 2018. All of his season totals were personal bests for the one-time walk-on from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High.
Love became only the third quarterback in conference history to throw for 400 or more yards five games in a season. His six career 400-yard passing games ranks second on the all-time Mountain West list behind Oakland Raiders and Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr, who had 11 in two seasons. His 3,923 passing yards are #6 on the Mountain West’s single-season list and ranks third nationally this season in games played through November 30. He’s also sixth nationally in total offense at 319.6 yards per game.
The numbers complement a year in which the co-captain led the Spartans to game-winning touchdown drives with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of 75 yards at Arkansas for SJSU’s first win in school history against a SEC opponent and 83 yards vs. Fresno State to conclude the season.
Love’s the first Spartan to receive a Mountain West “superlative” postseason award since 2013 when wide receiver Tyler Winston was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year; the first SJSU player to be named Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year; the first Spartan quarterback since Mike Perez in 1987 to be named a conference Offensive Player of the Year; and the first San Jose State signal caller since Ralph Martini in 1990 to be named a first-team all-conference quarterback.
Since 1970 when SJSU aligned itself in a football-playing conference, Steve DeBerg (1976–Pacific Coast Athletic Association), Ed Luther (1979–PCAA), Perez (1986–PCAA and 1987–Big West) and Love (2019–Mountain West) are the four Spartan quarterbacks to garner conference Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Walker, a junior from Los Angeles’ Narbonne High, joined Love as a first-team All-Mountain West honoree. He led the Mountain West in receptions per game and receiving yards per game in the regular season with 79 catches for 1,161 yards and two touchdowns. He currently ranks fifth nationally in receptions per game (7.9) and third in the FBS in receiving yards per game (116.1). Three times, Walker had 10 or more catches in a game and in six games, he had at least 100 yards in pass receptions, many of them from passes by Love.
Aguayo, a senior from Mission Viejo, Calif., and a graduate of JSerra High, was San Jose State’s one second-team All-Mountain West honoree. He led the conference and was fourth nationally in tackles per game at 11.3 in the regular season. For the second consecutive season, he was credited with more than 100 tackles and his 345 career stops is among the top-10 totals by an active FBS player.
Gaither, a senior from Paso Robles, Calif.; Mercurio, a freshman from Salinas, Calif.; and Kowalski, a senior from Glendale, Ariz., and Snyder, a junior from Kentfield, Calif., received honorable mention All-Mountain West honors.
Gaither had personal single season bests of 52 receptions for 812 yards and six touchdowns – one each in six consecutive games to set a school record. Mercurio led the Spartans in scoring with 97 points, was tied for 10th nationally in field made per game converting 20 out of 24 attempts, and was tied for 24th in the FBS for field goal percentage at the end of the regular season (83.3%).
Kowalski and Snyder comprised the left side of the offensive line that was one of the top pass protection quintets in college football. In the regular season, SJSU was tied for eighth nationally yielding just 14 sacks in 12 games, but were third nationally behind Georgia and Clemson for pass attempts (35.6 to 1) per sacks of the quarterback.
Just moments after Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw thanked his fifth-year and departing seniors for their fight and leadership–players, coaches and staff applauding twice–fifth-year senior outside linebacker Casey Toohill urged his teammates to let the disappointment of the year fuel them going forward.
“Nobody did enough,” Toohill said passionately.
The message from Toohill resonated after Stanford’s season-ending 45-24 defeat to #15 Notre Dame (10-2) on Saturday at chilly, breezy and sometimes rainy Stanford Stadium. Playing one of the toughest schedules in the country, the Cardinal finished 4-8, the program’s first losing record since 2008.
“Any team that goes through a season like this never wants to feel this way again,” sophomore defensive end Thomas Booker said. “I know I don’t. Whenever I’m lifting or thinking about putting in extra work, it’s going to be on my mind.”
Junior tight end and team captain Colby Parkinson felt the same.
“If you’re able to brush this off, you don’t care,” Parkinson said. “We are all more than football players and we have lives outside of football. At the same time, if you don’t care about the football game you just lost and think about it, you have some issues. I don’t think we have any of those guys in here. Different things didn’t go our way, but we’ll use it as motivation.”
Stanford stated strong again on both sides of the ball against Notre Dame, claiming leads of 7-0 and 17-7. But miscues–including the first blocked punt since 2014–and missed opportunities, did in the Cardinal, who was outscored 24-7 in the second half.
“You can say a lot of things about this year, the injuries and all that,” said Booker. “But that’s not an excuse and we know that. When the offense and defense are clicking, we can get it going and I think the first half showed that. It’s about sustained effort. When we put all that together in the offseason and get it right, it’s going to be a beautiful thing.”
Coming off a close and emotional loss to Cal last week, Parkinson never doubted players would respond on Senior Day.
“If we had packed it in, that would be a big culture change we had to make in the offseason,” Parkinson said. “But we still have guys who are fighters and giving it their best every play. There’s definitely room for growth, but it was good to see some fire in this game.”
Booker praised the seniors for leadership, attention to detail and resiliency.
“Everyone knows this wasn’t the outcome we wanted, but I can’t be more proud of the senior class,” Booker said.
SENIOR DAY
Prior to the game, the following seniors were introduced: inside linebacker Ryan Beecher; wide receiver Isaiah Brandt-Sims; quarterback K.J. Costello; tight end Scooter Harrington; running back Dorian Maddox; long snapper Richard McNitzky; inside linebacker Andrew Pryts; punter/kicker Colin Riccitelli; quarterback Jack Richardson; running back Cameron Scarlett; defensive end Thomas Schaffer; wide receiver Harry Schwartz; wide receiver Donald Stewart; defensive end Jovan Swann; Toohill; outside linebacker Anthony Trinh; and defensive tackle Michael Williams.
STRONG FINISH
Scarlett ran 13 times for 43 yards, but his last carry was memorable. With 3:12 remaining in the game, he broke tackles up the middle and dove into the end zone to complete a nine-yard scoring burst, his seventh touchdown of the season.
“I saw the opening backside and knew my carries were coming to a close, so I wanted to make sure I finished in the end zone one more time,” Scarlett said.
Scarlett and sophomore wide receiver Simi Fehoko had a friendly competition all season on who would score more touchdowns and were tied coming into the contest.
“So it was a good way to end it,” said Scarlett.
Scarlett finished his Stanford career with 1,676 rushing yards, No. 18 on the school’s all-time list. Scarlett now ranks eighth in program history with 24 rushing touchdowns.
“Every game I was bringing my hard hat,” Scarlett said. “Didn’t matter what linemen were playing, weren’t playing, I came in with the mindset I was going to give it my all every game. And that’s something that was instilled in me from players before. Stanford football is really just a bunch of grimy guys who like to get after it and play good football.”
Scarlett predicts big things for the Cardinal next season.
“Next year’s team is going to be so deep,” Scarlett said. “We weren’t really able to showcase everything we had because we had so many injuries and it’s nothing we can complain about. But we were a really dangerous team coming into that first game and it wasn’t in God’s plan for us to all stay healthy.
“Next year I can tell they’re going to be a dominant unit up front once everybody gets healthy. And the run game is going to be nasty with those two young running backs (freshmen Austin Jones and Nathaniel Peat). And then with the pass game, Davis Mills is a special talent and I think he’s going to show if off next year.”
STEP UP
Scarlett didn’t mention Stanford’s receiving group, which came on strong in the second half of the season. Junior Connor Wedington returns, as do sophomores Michael Wilson, Fehoko and Brycen Tremayne and junior Osiris St. Brown.
Wilson caught a career-high 10 passes for 94 yards on Saturday, including a 27-yard touchdown. Fehoko grabbed a personal-best six for 63 and St. Brown caught three.
Fehoko finished with 24 receptions for 566 yards and established a new school record by averaging 23.58 yards per catch, breaking the old mark of 22.93 set by Devon Cajuste in 2013.
Tremayne had three receptions this season and all resulted in touchdowns. He hauled in a 5-yarder from Mills in the first quarter against Notre Dame.
Earlier this season, Tremayne recovered a blocked punt for a score.
FAST START
In just his sixth collegiate start, Mills completed 28 of 46 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns. The junior started fast, hitting his first six attempts and 10 of his first 12. Mills was also victimized by several drops.
Mills showed good mobility, running seven times for 36 yards.
Photo credit: gostanford.com
HANG IN THERE
Despite the final score, the Stanford defense kept the game within reach until the fourth quarter. In the second and third stanzas, the unit forced three consecutive punts. Notre Dame scored 10 points off turnovers.
“We played great defense in big, long spurts,” said Shaw. “And then a couple of big plays shift the balance. But that’s a really good football team and they made plays at the end of the game.”
Photo credit: gostanford.com
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Twenty true freshmen saw game action this season, with 12 playing more than four games and using a year of eligibility.
Counting punter/kicker Ryan Sanborn, eight true freshmen started at least one game, tied for the fourth-most in the country.
In all, 38 Cardinal players started at least one game, 18 for the first time in their college careers.
INSTANT STUDIES
Once again, three true freshmen–left tackle Walter Rouse, left guard Barrett Miller and right guard Jake Hornibrook–started on the offensive line and held their own against a veteran defensive front.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said junior center Drew Dalman. “I don’t think a lot of people know the mental aspect of the game to kind of get yourself up to speed so you can play in a game like this as an offensive lineman. They got better every week.”
So did Dalman. He was the only offensive lineman to start every game and did an admirable job coordinating the group at the line of scrimmage and tutoring and encouraging the younger players.
SHAW SPECIALTIES
Shaw had special praise for the efforts of Rouse, Sanborn and freshman cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly.
“I would be shocked if we didn’t have three first-team freshmen All-Americans,” Shaw said. “What our punter (Sanborn) did this year as a true freshman is unbelievable. What Kyu Kelly did this entire year is unbelievable. What Walter Rouse did, starting at Game 2 at USC and playing the entire season at left tackle; I want to say maybe gave up two sacks on the year? It’s unreal.”
CHANGEABLE COSTELLO
Shaw met with Costello on Friday and they will convene again to discuss his future. Hampered by injuries all season, Costello played in only five games and has one year of eligibility remaining.
“I just told him that I love him,” said Shaw. “And this entire year, I’ve just felt for him. The aspirations that he had, difficult when you can’t attain them. We’ll see how it goes over the next couple weeks. One thing about K.J., you never question his heart.”
NOTES
The loss snapped a streak of 22 consecutive non-conference home wins and was the first under Shaw (12-1) … The last setback came against Notre Dame in 2007 … Junior strong safety Stuart Head matched his career-high with eight tackles … Stanford recorded eight tackles for loss, 2.5 by junior outside linebacker Gabe Reid … Stanford finished the decade with 98 victories, tied for the eighth-most in college football, and went to nine bowl games … Half of Stanford’s opponents this season finished with seven or more wins … Stanford scored points on its opening possession in eight of 12 games this season (four touchdowns and four field goals) and in seven of its final nine contests … Former Stanford great Toby Gerhart ’10 was recognized as part of the program’s 125-year anniversary of Stanford football. He ran for 3,522 yards, the fifth-most in school history, and his 44 rushing touchdowns rank No. 1. In 2009, Gerhart led the nation in rushing, won the Doak Walker Award and was a unanimous All-American. He played in the NFL for six years and now attends the Stanford Graduate School of Business … Michael McFaul ’86, MA ’86 and a Professor of Political Science at Stanford since 1995, served as the team’s honorary captain. A Rhodes Scholar, he served as Ambassador to Russia for the U.S. State Department from 2012-14 and has been Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute since 2005.
photo from sfgate.com: California tight end Gavin Reinwald, right, makes a catch as UCLA defensive back Darnay Holmes defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, in Pasadena, Calif.
On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:
#1 A huge way to close the 2019 season with a win on the road at UCLA as the Cal Bears defeat the UCLA Bruins 28-18.
#2 Cal quarterback Chase Garbers threw 17 times out of 29 attempts for 230 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
#3 Cal head coach Justin Wilcox says the defense was a huge factor in keeping the Bruins in check.
#4 Also coach Wilcox said it was a great win for the Bears saying it’s tough to win in the Pac-12 and he’s proud the Bears found a way to win.
#5 What will be some of coach Wilcox’s plans for the Bears in the bowl game?
photo from usatoday.com file photo: Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence calls out the audibles against Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl in 2018.
On the NCAA podcast with Michelle Richardson:
#1 The Clemson Tigers (12-0) didn’t hold back in this one on Saturday taking out the South Carolina Gamecocks and early with a 38-3 win. Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw 26 for 36 for 295 yards and three touchdowns.
#2 What will become of the Michigan Wolverines (9-3) head coach Jim Harbaugh? The Wolves took a tough loss in a landslide 56-27 getting knocked by the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes scored two touchdowns in each of their four quarters.
#3 Georgia Bulldogs (11-1) Jake Fromm went 14-29 and threw for 254 yards and four touchdowns in the Bulldogs laugher over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 52-7. The Yellow Jackets avoided getting shutout when Brian Herrien rushed for a touchdown in the second quarter.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — For the San Jose State football team, Saturday night was a little bit more about celebrating 18 seniors on Senior Night. Those seniors were Chandler Hawkins, Zamore Zigler, Sailosi Latu, Jesse Osuna, Brandon Ezell, Josh Love, DeJon Packer, Ethan Aguayo, Christian Webb, Lionell Wiggins, Korey Mariboho, Deano Motes, Troy Kowalski, Bailey Gaither, Brett Foley, Duane Tuatasi, Alex Galland, and Quinn Oseland.
With that said, SJSU had their game faces on when the Fresno State Bulldogs were in town. Senior quarterback Josh Love and the Spartan offense opened the game with the ball. But the Bulldogs struck first as senior quarterback Jorge Reyna threw a 38-yard pass to tight end Jared Rice, who ran for the opening touchdown, and Cesar Silva kicked in the extra point. It was 7-0 Bulldogs with 7:49 left in the first quarter.
Fresno State made it a 14-0 game just 2:41 later. Ronnie Rivers rushed for a 5-yard rushing touchdown and Silva kicked in the extra point.
Junior center Kyle Hoppe suffered an injury and didn’t return. However, SJSU got on the board first as Matt Mercurio kicked a 22-yard field goal to reduce the deficit to 14-3 with 1:13 left in the first. The Bulldogs led 14-3 at the end of the first.
The second quarter looked better for the Spartans. Jay Lenard snagged an interception–his second interception of the season–for the first turnover of the game late in the second.
Just minutes after Cade Hall showed some moves with the strip sack, Justin Rice kicked a 10-yard field goal to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 16-3 with 5:27 left in the second. The Bulldogs led 16-3 at halftime.
SJSU pulled within six to cut the deficit to 16-10 with 9:43 left in the third quarter. Love rushed for a 2-yard rushing touchdown and Mercurio kicked in the extra point. The Spartans continued to trail 16-10 after the third.
DeJon Packer saved the night for the Spartans. Packer rushed for a 10-yard rushing touchdown to put the Spartans up 17-16 with 2:11 left in the fourth quarter. Packer’s touchdown was all the Spartans needed to beat Fresno State 17-16 and keep the Valley Trophy for the first time since 2016.
With the win, SJSU finished the regular season 5-7, 2-6 Mountain West. Fresno State wrapped up the season 4-8, 2-6 Mountain West.
Follow me on Twitter @AnaKieu for San Jose State football offseason updates.
STANFORD — On a cold, windy, rainy day, the Stanford Cardinal met the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the final game of the 2019 season.
The 15-ranked Irish fell behind early in the game 17-7. The Cardinal dominated in all phases of the game for the first 26 minutes of the game. They led in time of possession. They led in yards passing and yards rushing. It appeared that Stanford quarterback Davis Mills would lead his squad to an upset. Everything changed late in the first half when the Irish blocked a Ryan Sanborn punt. Notre Dame scored, and from that point on until late in the fourth quarter, the dominated the Cardinal. They scored 31 unanswered points to lead 38-17. The Cardinal scored with just 1:54 left in the game. With 41 seconds left to play, the Irish stripped Davis Mills of the ball in the end zone. The Irish recovered for the score to win 45-24.
The Cardinal dominated play until late in the first half. Stanford scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game. They went on a 75-yard drive in 3 minutes and 34 seconds to go-ahead 7-0. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish responded with a touchdown of their own. The Irish went 80 yards in five plays to tie the game 7-7. The essential play was a 16-yard pass from Ian Book to Micah Jones for the score.
Stanford went on a long 82-yard drive that consumed 8 minutes and 15 seconds, and all they could come up with was a field goal. They had first, and goal from the two-yard line but could not get the ball across the goal line. Ryan Sanborn made the field goal, and the Cardinal led 17-7. Things were looking good for Stanford until late in the first half. The Irish defense forced the Cardinal to kick, and Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey blocked Sanborn’s put. The ball was recovered on the one-yard line. The ball was moved back to the sixth when the Irish were called for a false start. Quarterback Ian Book connected with tight end Tommy Tremble for the score. The Irish now trailed by three 17-14 with 3:01 left to play in the half.
The momentum had shifted to Notre Dame. The Irish forced Stanford to punt again. They got the ball on their own 24-yard line. Notre Dame went 76-yards in just 21 seconds to score their third touchdown of the game and now led the Cardinal 21-17. The key play was a 41-yard throw from Book to Chase Claypool for the score.
In the second half, the Irish dominated. With the ball on the 7-yard line, they went on a 93-yard drive to up the lead to 28-17. The essential play was a 43-yard pass play from Book to Braden Lenzy. The score came on an 8-yard pass from Book to Claypoole for the score. That was the only score in the third quarter. Just before the quarter ended, Stanford forced the Irish to punt from deep in their territory. Michael Wilson fumbled the catch, and Notre Dame recovered. They cashed in to start the fourth quarter with a 42-yard field goal to go ahead 31-17.
The Irish continued to pour it on. The Irish put another 7 points on the board with a 10-play 72-yard drive to lead 38-17. The Cardinal finally scored when Cameron Scarlett scored on a 9-yard run with 1:54 left in the game. The Irish added another touchdown when they stripped Davis Mills of the ball in the end zone and recovered the fumble for the score. The Irish won 45-24.
Game Notes: With the loss, Stanford drops to 4-8 for the year. It was the first losing season for head coach David Shaw. Notre Dame improved to 10-2.
Total yardage for Notre Dame was 455 yards. Ian Book was 17-for-30 good for 255 yards and four touchdowns. They rushed for 190 yards. Stanford produced 394 yards of total offense. Quarterback Davis Mills was 28-for 46 good for 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Cardinal rushed for 118 yards.
Attendance at Stanford Stadium was sparse due to the weather. The stadium was about half full with Stanford fans. There was a large contingent of rabid and noisy Notre Dame fans in the north end of the stadium. They went home very happy as their team will be playing in a bowl game again this year.
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