Tag: Pac-12

All About The Coaching: Cal’s improbable 15-14 upset win over USC rooted in strategy and adjustments

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

How to end a 14-game losing streak in 60 easy steps. If it sounds complicated, that’s because it is.

What isn’t complicated is this: Normally stoic Cal head coach Justin Wilcox richly deserved to cut it all the way loose with his emphatic gesturing as his Bears put the finishing touches on their improbable comeback win at USC Saturday night.

And USC coach Clay Helton might want to skip listening to sports radio on his lengthier than usual drive home after the game.

Wilcox’s Bears ended their 14-game losing streak to USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum with a performance that was literally all over the place. But regardless of the methods, Wilcox predicted it, scripted it and willed it, giving creedence to his mandate that his football team win at least six games this season and go bowling for the first time since 2015.

“I appreciate what it means to be bowl-eligible. It’s hard to win in this conference and it’s hard to win at USC,” Wilcox said. “It’s a big deal for all the Cal Bears out there.”

To make it happen, Cal played dead in the first half, came roaring back into the game in the third quarter, and stay focused–if not productive–to seal the deal in the fourth.

Firstly, kick returner Ashtyn Davis flubbed the opening kickoff, briefly losing the ball, only to recover it at the three-yard line with a knee on the turf where he was ruled down. On the first play from scrimmage, Patrick Laird was dropped after a 2-yard gain, and Chase Garbers threw a pair of incomplete passes, forcing Cal to punt.

Inauspicious start for the Bears? Yes. It would continue.

Confident that it could key on Laird, and stop the Cal receivers in their tracks, the Trojans defense shined in the first half, limiting the Bears to three first downs and 60 yards in total offense. Meanwhile, USC would recover from failing to capitalize on excellent field position afforded by Cal’s poor first position. After seeing a fake field goal turned pass to the kicker blow up in playcaller Helton’s face, the Trojans stayed patient, scoring touchdowns on two of their four second quarter possessions to lead 14-0 at the half.

Helton, who assumed play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Tee Martin following back-to-back losses in the final two games in October, dialed up a pair of touchdowns that overcame the absences of reveiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Stephen Carr. With quarterback J.T. Daniels back from missing a game due to a concussion, the Trojans functioned admirally. After Daniels 23-yard pass to Tyler Vaughns for a touchdown, USC led 14-0 with more than half of the second quarter to go.

But things would change dramatically in the third quarter when a snap over Daniels’ head would result in a safety with Aca’Cedric Ware recovering the ball in the end zone with a pair of Cal defenders in proximity for a possible touchdown. The Bears trailed 14-2 at that point.

But superior field position would set up Cal’s first touchdown, and Traveon Beck’s interception would set up Cal’s second touchdown. After Garbers scampered in from five yards out, the Bears led 15-14 with time remaining in the third.

Over Cal’s next three possessions–all in the fourth quarter–Cal would run just 12 plays and gain 36 yards, jeopardizing their lightning rally in the third. But Cal’s defense made it work, coming up with a pair of sacks and timely pass breakups to keep the Trojans sinking in mud. As soon as USC reached midfield and approaching position for a lead-changing field goal try, Evan Weaver would come up with a sack of Daniels to force a punt.

Weaver would record a game-best 12 tackles and a second sack on USC’s previous possession.

With Cal needing first downs to bleed out the clock, they did just that, running 10 plays that evaporated the game’s final 4:50, and setting off a wild celebration on the Cal sideline while the majority of the Coliseum fell silent.

The Bears improved to 6-4 with games at home against Stanford and Colorado remaining that could turn Cal’s season from encouraging to extraordinary.

Meanwhile, the Trojans again blew a lead, falling to 5-5, and increasing the chatter across Southern California that Helton should be fired. If the Trojans can’t beat UCLA next week and/or Notre Dame after Thanksgiving, the rumblings will grow even louder.

Cardinal rout the Beavers 48-17 on Senior Day at Stanford Stadium

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By: Ana Kieu

PALO ALTO, Calif. — The Stanford Cardinal hosted the Oregon State Beavers in its home finale at Stanford Stadium on Saturday night. Not only that, it was also Senior Day for the Cardinal. Fans in attendance received Christian McCaffrey bobbleheads prior to the 6 pm kickoff.

Denver Broncos quarterback and Stanford alum Kevin Hogan took the field as the Cardinal’s honorary captain. Hogan was a three-time Pac-12 champion, two-time Rose Bowl champion and two-time team captain in his college career.

The Cardinal immediately broke open the scoring, thanks to Bryce Love’s 28-yard rushing touchdown. Collin Riccitelli kicked in the extra point to give the Cardinal a 7-0 lead at the 13:12 mark of the first quarter.

Just 3:04 later, the Beavers tied the score 7-7. Trevon Bradford caught a 63-yard pass from Jake Luton for the game-tying touchdown. Jordan Choukair kicked in the game-tying point.

The Cardinal looked to get ahead and did just that. Colby Parkinson scored a 28-yard passing touchdown off a pass from K.J. Costello with 5:25 left in the first. Riccitelli kicked in the extra point, but it was no good. The Cardinal settled for a 13-7 lead to end the first.

Parkinson worked his magic on the field to open the second quarter. Parkinson scored a 9-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Costello at the 14:17 mark of the second. Riccitelli kicked in the extra point to make it a 20-7 game for the Cardinal.

And, if two touchdowns weren’t enough, Parkinson scored his third touchdown of the game–a 75-yarder–off a pass from Costello. The Cardinal took a 27-7 lead just 1:30 later.

More magic was made as Parkinson scored a five-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Costello. Riccitelli kicked in the extra point to help the Cardinal to a 34-7 lead with 7:51 left in the second.

The Beavers pulled within 20 points with 2:36 left in the second, but they still had a long way to go if they wanted to get ahead of the Cardinal or at least tie the game to force overtime. Noah Togiai scored a 7-yard passing touchdown off a pass from Luton. Choukair kicked in the extra point. The score was now 34-14 in favor of the Cardinal.

Choukair closed out the first half with a 40-yard field goal. The Cardinal, however, continued to lead the Beavers 34-17 at the end of the half.

The Cardinal were back at it to start the second half. Cameron Scarlett ran for a 41-yard rushing touchdown. Riccatelli kicked in the extra point. The Cardinal took a 41-17 lead with 9:32 left in the third quarter.

The Cardinal maintained a 41-17 lead at the end of the third.

The Cardinal continued to soar in the fourth quarter. Dorian Maddox ran for a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Riccatelli kicked in the extra point. The Cardinal took a 48-17 lead at the 13:33 mark of the fourth.

After a second half look, that was all she wrote. The Cardinal routed the Beavers 48-17.

Notes
Tonight’s attendance was 34,671.

The Cardinal welcomed Debra Corrales ’91 as today’s Season Ticket Member of the Game. They thanked her for her six years as a Stanford season ticket member.

Up Next
The Cardinal head to Memorial Stadium to face the Cal Bears for the 2018 Big Game on Saturday, November 17.

Cardinal look to snap out of losing skid, but more importantly, get set for Senior Day

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Ana Kieu

As you may already know, the Stanford Cardinal lost its last two games on the road to No. 8 Washington State and No. 25 Washington, respectively. So the Cardinal are looking to snap out of a losing skid, but more importantly, get set for Senior Day. The soon-to-be Stanford alumni have a lot to celebrate in the coming weeks, including this football game. Congratulations to the Class of 2018!

Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game vs. Oregon State:

By the numbers
Stanford Cardinal (5-4, 3-3)
Oregon State Beavers (2-7, 1-5)

Nov. 10, 2018 at 6:00 pm PT
Stanford Stadium (50,424) in Stanford, Calif.

Television
Live national broadcast on Pac-12 Network with Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Chad Brown (analyst) and Camryn Irwin (sideline).

Radio
Live coverage on Stanford’s flagship station–KNBR 1050 AM–with Scott Reiss ’93 (play-by-play), Todd Husak ’00 (analyst) and John Platz ’84 (sideline). The broadcast begins one hour before kickoff with the Cardinal Tailgate Show and concludes with the postgame Cardinal Locker Room Report. The game can be heard on Stanford student radio–KZSU 90.1 FM–and online at kzsulive.stanford.edu.

Internet
GoStanford.com • OSUBeavers.com • #GoStanford

Tidbits

  • 1 • Stanford is 5-0 this season when forcing at least one turnover, and 0-3 when not forcing a turnover.
  • 1 • Junior Kaden Smith ranks first in the nation among tight ends in receiving yards (601) and receiving yards per game (66.8). He is second in the country—first among Power 5 tight ends—with 44 receptions (only San Jose State’s Josh Oliver has more receptions with 49).
  • 3 • Stanford football players have conducted interviews in three foreign languages this season—JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Spanish), Jesse Burkett (Japanese) and Osiris St. Brown (German). All other Stanford football interviews this year have been done in English.
  • 4 • Stanford’s four losses this season have come against the AP’s current No. 3, No. 10, No. 20 and No. 26th-ranked teams in the nation (Notre Dame, Washington State, Washington, Utah). Those four teams have a combined record of 30-7 (.811) this season.
  • 5 • One of the most disciplined teams in the nation, Stanford has the fifth-fewest penalty yards in the nation this year with just 37.00 per game–also the fewest in the Pac-12.
  • 7 • Don’t expect many points immediately after halftime. Stanford has allowed just one touchdown and never more than seven points in the third quarter this season. The Cardinal has only allowed 25 third-quarter points in its first nine games (2.78). The only touchdown allowed was vs. Washington State.
  • 8 • Stanford has won eight in a row against Oregon State.
  • 8 • Smith has produced three games with 8+ receptions and 100+ yards this season (Utah, Washington State and Washington). The rest of the tight ends in the country have combined for five such games. He is the only tight end to do it more than once and has done it in back-to-back games. Smith is the first tight end to accomplish that feat three times in a season since Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro in 2013 (Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb were the Red Raiders’ quarterbacks).
  • 11 • Senior wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside ranks second nationally–and first among Pac-12 players–with 11 receiving touchdowns. That’s the second-most in a season in Stanford history and the most receiving touchdowns for a Cardinal in 38 years–Ken Margerum had 11 in 1980, while James Lofton set the school record with 14 in 1978.
  • 13 • In addition to his 49 receptions and 754 receiving yards this season, Arcega-Whiteside has drawn 14 penalties this year–12 pass interference and two holding calls for 190 penalty yards (1.6 penalties/game and 21.1 penalty yards/game).
  • 15 • Sophomore cornerback Paulson Adebo ranks second nationally with 15 pass breakups and fourth in the NCAA with 16 passes defended. He ranks atop the Pac-12 in both categories.
  • 20 • Junior quarterback K.J. Costello ranks among the Top 25 nationally in completion percentage (18th), completions per game (19th), passing efficiency (22nd), passing touchdowns (17th), passing yards (13th), passing yards per game (17th) and yards per attempt (21st). He leads the Pac-12 in efficiency (153.1) and is second in the conference in passing yards (2,512) and yards per attempt (8.46).
  • 37 • Sure-handed senior wide receiver Trenton Irwin has at least one reception in 37 consecutive games, a streak that ranks seventh nationally.
  • 100 • Smith is the first Stanford tight end with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Alex Smith did it in three straight games in 2004. Smith had 112 against Washington State and 107 against Washington. Smith is also the first Cardinal tight end since Zach Ertz with three 100-yard receiving games in a season. Smith’s career-high 120 yards receiving against Utah (Oct. 6) were the most by a Stanford tight end since Zach Ertz’s 134 vs. Cal in 2012.
  • 249 • Stanford made a school record 249 consecutive extra-point attempts between Oct. 26, 2013 to Nov. 3, 2018. During the streak: Colin Riccitelli–2-2, Jet Toner–79-79, Conrad Ukropina–108-108, Jordan Williamson– 60-60.
  • 1000 • Smith is the fourth Cardinal tight end with 1,000 career receiving yards (1,015). He joins Coby Fleener (1,543), Zach Ertz (1,434) and Alex Smith (1,291).

Cardinal rout the Seawolves 75-59 in exhibition game at Maples Pavilion

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: gostanford.com

By: Joey Friedman

PALO ALTO–The new 2018-19 season opened Tuesday night at Maples Pavilion for the Stanford Cardinal with an exhibition game against the DII Sonoma State Seawolves. Stanford beat Sonoma State 75-59.

The obvious absence left by the graduate transfer of Reid Travis and the graduations of both Michael Humphrey and Dorian Pickens is leaving much to be desired on the leadership and in-game production fronts. Head coach Jerod Hasse, this exceptionally young Cardinal team, and the fans looked for their first game to help break the ice and find some answers. Senior center Josh Sharma and playmaking sophomores Daejon Davis, KZ Okpala, and Oscar da Silva are expected to be the leaders of this team on and off the court.

Out of the gate, da Silva delivered with a three-pointer on the first play after the tip. Immediately afterward, Josh Sharma showed a spark of energy and leadership when he dove in an all-out effort on the defensive boards which yielded a Stanford possession. Sharma’s was the first floor-burn of the year for the Cardinal which is an official statistic recorded now in the Jerod Hasse era of hustle and heart.

Concerns of inexperience certainly manifested in Stanford’s play early on as sloppy play and turnovers, especially for Okpala, who had 3 in the first half, prevented the Cardinal from pulling away from the Seawolves in the early going. However, glimmers of elite talent emerged from the underclassmen who put together Hasse’s two consecutive highly ranked recruiting classes. Freshman shooting guard Cormac Ryan made a 3-pointer on his first attempt while Okpala and Davis created offense at will by driving to the hoop when they needed to in order to keep Stanford in stride with the Seawolves in the first half. Sonoma State had a 5-point lead with 3 minutes left in the first half, yet Stanford was able to trudge their way to a 36-32 lead by the end of first half regulation which was capped by junior Marcus Sheffield’s first 3-pointer of the game.

Okpala and da Silva shared the team lead in points in the first half; both had 9. da Silva led the team with 5 rebounds. The Seawolves’ sophomore forward Wesley Gilbert led his team with 8 first-half points. Sonoma State lost the turnover game to Stanford in the first half by a 9-6 margin while maintaining an even overall shooting percentage with the Cardinal at 45%. Stanford also outplayed the Seawolves in transition, outscoring them 10-0 in fast-break points.

The second half got off to an energetic start, but the Seawolves kept it within three to five points for the first eight minutes. Defensively, a pair of exciting blocks by Davis and Sharma energized the Cardinal but, again, turnovers and a lack of experience and flow on offensive stunted any serious momentum. Offensively, in the first 10 minutes, a pair beautiful finishes at the rim by Okpala and Davis, a Sharma offensive rebound and slam, and a da Silva three-pointer all combined to inch Stanford up slowly to a lead of 10 points with the score 56-46. Davis hit his first 3-pointer of the season with just over 4 minutes left in the game to push the lead up to 11 points in favor of the Cardinal. Just about 20 seconds later, Okpala did the same with his first 3 of the night to push up the lead to 14 points before the final minutes stretched Stanford’s lead to a 75-59 final.

Okpala and Davis each finished the game with 18 points and 34+ minutes, leading the team in both categories and each collecting a pair of 3s. Oscar da Silva led the team with 9 rebounds and collected 14 points of his own in 29 minutes. Freshman Cormac Ryan debuted with 31 minutes, collected 9 points, and gathered 6 boards.

Stanford outshot Sonoma state by a 53% to 38% and similarly beat Sonoma State in terms of 3-point percentage, going 7/15 while the Seawolves went 7/19. Each team shot near a meager 50% from the free throw line. Sonoma State turned the ball over a total of 14 times compared to Stanford’s 13 turnovers. Stanford out-rebounded Sonoma State 37-28.

Stanford will be in action next when they take on Seattle University next Tuesday, November 6 at 7:00 pm PT inside Maples Pavilion.

Cardinal have to get ready for the Huskies in yet another Pac-12 matchup

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By: Ana Kieu

In case you missed it, the Stanford Cardinal dropped a heartbreaker to the Washington State Cougars 41-38 last Saturday. But the now-unranked Cardinal can’t sulk over that tough loss as they’re set to travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the No. 10 Washington Huskies, who most recently lost 12-10 to the California Golden Bears last Saturday.

Before we get to the must-have facts on the Saturday matchup, we’d like to wish Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper a happy belated birthday. Hooper turned 23 on Oct. 29. Hooper attended Stanford University and De La Salle High School (Concord, Calif.) before becoming a third-round pick at the 2016 NFL Draft. Hooper is a native of San Ramon, Calif.

Here are facts on the Saturday matchup:

The basics
Stanford Cardinal (5-3, 3-2 Pac-12)
#RV/19 Washington Huskies (6-3, 4-2 Pac-12)
Nov. 3, 2018 at 6 p.m. PT
Husky Stadium (70,183) in Seattle, Wash.

Television
Live national broadcast on Pac-12 Network with Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst) and Lewis Johnson (sideline).

Radio
Live coverage on Stanford’s flagship station–KNBR 1050 AM–with Scott Reiss ’93 (play-by-play), Todd Husak ’00 (analyst) and John Platz ’84 (sideline). The broadcast begins one hour before kickoff with the Cardinal Tailgate Show and concludes with the postgame Cardinal Locker Room Report.

The game can also be heard on Stanford student radio– KZSU 90.1 FM–and online at kzsulive.stanford.edu.

Oh, the internet
GoStanford.com

GoHuskies.com

#GoStanford

What should I know?
1 • Stanford is 5-0 this season when forcing at least one turnover, and 0-3 when not forcing a turnover.

3 • Stanford’s three losses this season have come against the AP’s No. 3, No. 10 and No. 16th-ranked teams in the nation (Notre Dame, Utah and Washington State). Those three teams have a combined record of 21-3 (.875) this season–and one of those losses was head-to-head (Washington State over Utah).

6 • One of the most disciplined teams in the nation, Stanford has the sixth-fewest penalty yards in the nation this year with just 38.13 per game–also the fewest in the Pac-12.

7 • Don’t expect many points immediately after halftime. Stanford has not allowed more than seven points in any third quarter this season. The Cardinal has only allowed 20 third-quarter points in its first eight games—currently ranked eighth in the nation in third quarter points allowed, while Washington ranks sixth.

10 • Stanford has won 10 of the last 13 matchups against Washington.

11 • Senior wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside ranks second nationally–and first among Pac-12 players–with 11 receiving touchdowns. That’s the second-most in a season in Stanford history and the most receiving touchdowns for a Cardinal in 38 years–Ken Margerum had 11 in 1980, while James Lofton set the school record with 14 in 1978.

13 • In addition to his 48 receptions and 743 receiving yards this season, Arcega-Whiteside has drawn 13 penalties this year–11 pass interference and two holding calls for 175 penalty yards (nearly two penalties and 22 yards per game).

15 • Sophomore cornerback Paulson Adebo ranks second nationally with 15 pass breakups and third in the NCAA with 2.0 passes defended/game. Adebo ranks atop the Pac-12 in both categories.

20 • Junior quarterback K.J. Costello ranks among the Top 20 nationally in completion percentage (19th), passing efficiency (20th), passing touchdowns (18th), passing yards (16th), passing yards per game (17th) and yards per attempt (20th). He leads the Pac-12 in efficiency (155.9) and is second in the conference in passing yards (2,165) and yards per attempt (8.52).

34 • Costello’s 34 completions against Washington State were the sixth-most in a game in school history, and most since Steve Stenstrom had 37 at Notre Dame in 1994.

36 • Sure-handed senior wide receiver Trenton Irwin has at least one reception in 36 consecutive games, a streak that ranks eighth nationally.

52 • With an Oct. 18 victory at Arizona State, head coach David Shaw earned his 52nd Pac-12 win, surpassing Washington’s James Phelan (1930-41) for 15th-most conference victories. Shaw needed only 65 games to achieve 50 conference wins, tied for second-fastest in Pac-12 history (USC’s Pete Carroll reached the 50-win mark through 60 league games)

90 • Stanford’s 90 wins this decade rank fifth nationally and the most of any private school, ahead of TCU (78), USC (77) and Notre Dame (76).

253 • Senior inside linebacker Ryan Beecher was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma on Dec. 21, 2017. His final chemotherapy session came on June 4, 2018, and he returned to action in Stanford’s season opener against San Diego State on Aug. 31, 2018, a span of 253 days after his diagnosis.

2011 • Since Shaw’s first season in 2011, Stanford has…

• 78 wins represent the winningest stretch in program history

• 78 wins ranks sixth nationally

• .765 winning pct. ranks sixth nationally

• .860 road winning pct. ranks seventh nationally

• .625 winning pct. vs. AP-ranked opponents ranks fifth nationally

• .776 conference winning pct. is the best of any Pac-12 program

• 52 conference wins are the most of any Pac-12 program

3,546 • Senior running back Bryce Love ranks fourth nationally among active players with 3,546 yards rushing. This also ranks fourth on Stanford’s all-time career list.

.900 • Junior kicker Jet Toner’s .900 field goal percentage (9-of-10) ranks 10th in the nation and first among Pac-12 players.

Cal’s come a long way: Defense shines in surprising 12-10 upset win over No. 15 Washington

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, Calif. — Jake Browning passed for nearly 400 yards and six touchdowns on his previous trip to Memorial Stadium. With his pair of fleet receivers repeatedly making big plays, an overmatched Cal defense was completely taken apart, allowing 66 points for only the second time in school history.

Flash forward two years, and Browning’s field of dreams morphed into a house of horrors, as the senior quarterback was intercepted, and benched briefly in Cal’s jaw-dropping, 12-10 upset win.

One touchdown allowed as opposed to nine? Browning on top of the world, then benched in the return engagement? Clearly, Cal’s defense has come a long way in a short period, just ask Coach Petersen and the Huskies.

“Obviously, they had good players and I just think we just did not execute in a lot of stuff,” said UW’s Drew Sample. “We missed some blocks from a tight end perspective. We just, as a whole, were not in good positions so you know it showed. We couldn’t sustain drives. We couldn’t get in rhythm and we had shots at the end. We couldn’t execute.”

Still, Washington led at the half, 7-6, in part due to Cal’s Greg Thomas missing a 41-yard field goal attempt on the final play before halftime. But when Petersen saw his offense sputter on two possessions in the second half, the one-point lead mattered little. Browning, the senior leader with 90 career touchdown passes, was briefly benched.

“That had more to do with me trying to do something to help this offense way more than it did with Jake,” said Petersen. “Jake is a competitor. Jake does everything we ask. But, you know, we got to try help this offense out somehow, someway.”

Instead redshirt freshman Jake Haener helped Cal’s defense. On his second pass attempt, Haener overthrew his man and was picked by Cal’s Evan Weaver. Weaver deftly worked his way to the end zone, reaching for the corner pylon.

Cal assumed the lead, 12-7, add stubbornly held on even as their offense managed just 245 yards the entire game. And that’s after Browning missed just two series before Petersen relented, and put his senior quarterback back in the game.

Cal’s defense never snapped, erased the issues stopping the run they experienced against UCLA, and did it from the start. The Huskies–again without top runner Myles Gaskin–scored just seven points in the opening, their fewest this season. The Bears allowed three points in the second half, the fewest they’ve surrendered after halftime this year.

“It’s a great environment in the locker room as you would expect but I also don’t think anybody’s surprised,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We weren’t perfect but found a way to win.”

Cal embarks on a brief, two-game road trip starting with a Saturday, November 3 matchup against No. 10 Washington State at 7:45 pm PT on ESPN.

Stanford drops heartbreaker to Washington State 41-38

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By: Ana Kieu

The No. 24 Stanford Cardinal had hoped to build a two-game win streak when they returned to Stanford Stadium to welcome the No. 14 Washington State Cougars on Saturday. For the Cardinal, it was Homecoming Reunion weekend and a lot of folks were decked in red and white as they took in all the festivities.

Just moments after the Pac-12 action went underway, Stanford had a strong opening drive with a 1st and 10 on the WSU 22. Then, just like that, K.J. Costello threw a touchdown pass to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who scored an 18-yard touchdown for his 24th career touchdown of the season. Jet Toner kicked in the extra point for the Cardinal for a 7-0 lead at the 11:09 mark of the first quarter.

With the touchdown catch, Arcega-Whiteside moved into a tie with DeRonnie Pitts (1997-2000) for third-most in school history. He also moved past Mike Tolliver (1979-83) for 16th on Stanford’s all-time career receiving yards list (1,821). In addition, he became just the sixth Cardinal with 10 touchdown catches in a season–the most since Ty Montgomery in 2013.

It didn’t take long for the Cougars to tie the game 7-7 with 8:17 left in the first. James Williams ran for a 5-yard touchdown and Blake Mazza kicked in the extra, game-tying point for the Cougars.

The Cougars took a 14-7 lead on a Cardinal turnover just a little over three minutes later. Gardner Minshew II connected with Max Borghi for a four-year touchdown and Mazza kicked in the point for the Cougars.

The Cardinal tied the game 14-14 with just 1:22 left in the first. Cameron Scarlett ran for a 2-yard touchdown and Toner kicked in the extra, game-tying point for the Cardinal.

On the last drive, Bryce Love became the fifth Cardinal with 3,500 career rushing yards. As a result, Love surpassed Toby Gerhart for fourth on Stanford’s all-time career rushing list.

The Cardinal and Cougars were tied 14-14 at the end of the first. Stanford scored the most points (14) in the first this season. Stanford’s previous high was 7 points.

The Cardinal went ahead 21-14 with 9:25 left in the second quarter. Costello threw a touchdown pass to Kaden Smith, who scored a 10-yard touchdown. Toner kicked in the extra point for the Cardinal.

With the touchdown pass, Costello tied his career-high with his 14th touchdown pass of the season. He has 28 for his career. This was his eighth career game with multiple touchdown passes (four this season).

The Cougars, however, reduced the Cardinal’s lead 28-17 as the clock winded down. Mazza kicked a 23-yard field goal to cut the Cougars’ deficit.

The Cardinal doubled its lead 28-17 with 1:04 left in the second. Once again, Costello worked his magic, throwing a pass to Houston Heimuli, who scored a 1-yard touchdown. Toner kicked in the extra point for the Cardinal. With the touchdown reception, Heimuli notched his first career reception and touchdown.

The Cardinal brought a 28-17 halftime lead to the locker room. Stanford’s 28 points in the first half were the team’s most in the first 30 minutes since scoring 38 against Rice in Sydney, Australia on August 26, 2017. ost first half points against a conference opponent since putting up 38 at Oregon on November 12, 2016.

The Cougars struck first in the third quarter. Williams ran for a 3-yard touchdown and Mazza kicked in the extra point to pull within 4 at the 10:32 mark of the third.

The Cardinal responded quickly with a 40-yard field goal from Toner, who gave Stanford a 31-24 lead with 6:16 left in the third.

After running around and forcing 3 and outs, the Cardinal led the Cougars 31-24 at the end of the third. Don’t forget that Stanford has won 52 of its last 54 games when leading after three quarters, dating back to 2012. One of those two losses was at WSU last season.

The Cougars tied the game 31-31 at the 12:26 mark of the fourth quarter. Minshew II threw a touchdown pass to Davontavean Martin, who scored a 7-yard touchdown. Mazza kicked in the extra, game-tying point.

The Cougars snatched a 38-31 lead with 4:28 left in the fourth. Minshew II threw a touchdown pass to Renard Bell, who scored a 3-yard touchdown. Mazza kicked in the extra point.

The Cardinal tied the game 38-38 with 1:25 left in the fourth. Costello threw a touchdown pass to Arcega-Whiteside, who scored a 25-yard touchdown. Toner kicked in the extra, game-tying point.

The game would’ve gone into overtime, but the Cougars grabbed a 41-38 lead with just 19 seconds left in the fourth. Mazza kicked in a 42-yard field goal to seal the Cougars’ 41-38 win over the Cardinal.

Despite the tough loss, Costello became the first Stanford quarterback to record multiple four touchdown passing games in a season since Andrew Luck in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Notes
Senior inside linebacker Ryan Beecher was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma on December 21, 2017. His final chemotherapy session came on June 4, 2018, and he returned to action in the Cardinal’s season opener against San Diego State on August 31, 2018, a span of 253 days after his diagnosis.

Up Next
The No. 24 Stanford Cardinal head to Seattle to take on the No. 15 Washington Huskies next Saturday, November 3.

Wednesday night notes: Cardinal’s Top 25 matchup with WSU on Homecoming

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: bleacherreport.com

By: Ana Kieu

The #24 Stanford Cardinal has a top 25 matchup versus the #14 Washington State Cougars at Stanford Stadium on Saturday night. Not only that, it’ll be a Homecoming game for the home team, so that gives the coaches, players, media members and fans another reason to be excited to be at The Farm on Saturday.

If you haven’t already purchased your tickets for this matchup, you can do so by clicking on the tweet below.

Anyhow, let’s get to the fun stuff regarding Stanford football!

There has been nine clips of nine touchdowns by senior wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside, including the clip in the tweet below.

Whiteside told Stanford football: “You know it’s coming. You can’t stop it.”

Wednesday was a good day for senior running back Bryce Love, who’s a Human Biology major, who was named one of ten finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. Love’s not only a team captain, but also an aspiring pediatrician. Love set the school record with 2,118 rushing yards in 2017 and recently surpassed 4,000 career all-purpose yards. Love’s an unanimous All-American and Pac-12 All-Academic honoree. Moreover, Love’s expected to graduate in December.

Enough about Love. How about senior wide receiver Trenton Irwin? Okay, Irwin may not be the flashiest player on the team nor does he possess blazing speed, but let’s not forget that he has caught at least one pass in 35 consecutive games for the eighth-longest streak in the country.

Last week, Irwin accomplished a few feats at Arizona State. Irwin matched his career-high with seven receptions and was selected Stanford’s Offensive Player of the Game.

Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw told Stanford Football: “I think Trent has been phenomenal … He’s been awesome on third downs, he’s made big plays downfield, he’s made game-changing plays, both with the fumble recovery against San Diego State and a key block in this last game. He’s given us everything he’s got.”

Fun Fact
Irwin likes to collect jerseys–mostly football ones–and has at least 120 of them.

Junior quarterback KJ Costello has been blossoming on the field. Costello has been refining his craft in more ways than one.

Shaw commented on Costello’s performance at Arizona State to Stanford Football: “It was one of his most efficient games … He took care of the football, scrambled for positive yards, checked down a couple times, and was seeing the defense very well. This was a big step for him from an efficiency standpoint and he still was able to make those big throws down the field.”

And, of course, we’ll go over this week’s NFL standouts who were Stanford alumni.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz continued his stellar season with another standout performance in the Eagles’ 21-17 loss against the Carolina Panthers, leading the team in targets (11), receptions (9) and receiving yards (138). Ertz’s 57 catches are the seventh most in NFL history after seven games and, in 2018, lead all other tight ends by 19. He ranks fifth in the NFL in receiving yards (618) and third in targets (78), and is on pace for 130 catches and 1,413 yards, which would pass the previous all-time records set by Jason Witten (110 catches in 2012) and Rob Gronkowski (1,327 yards in 2011), respectively.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck continued his excellent season with a four-touchdown performance in the Colts’ 37-7 rout against the Buffalo Bills. Luck completed 17-of-23 passes for 156 yards and zero interceptions, upping his season total to 20, which ranks second in the NFL. Luck’s four-game run of tossing three or more touchdowns is the longest active streak in the NFL, while his 65 percent completion rate is a career-high.

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle David Parry made three solo tackles on 34 percent of defensive snaps in the Vikings’ 37-17 win at the New York Jets. Parry added two quarterback hurries and two run stops while earning a 74.5 grade from Pro Football Focus, the fifth-highest of any Viking.

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid played all 68 defensive snaps of the Texans’ 20-7 win at the Jacksonville Jaguars, finishing with five solo tackles. Over the course of the Texans’ last three games, Reid has played 186 of 192 possible defensive snaps. On the season, Reid has surrendered just six catches for 74 yards with zero missed tackles.

NFL Season Preview

  • Henry Anderson registered two tackles, including one for loss, two run stops, two quarterback pressures and one pass deflection in the New York Jets’ 37-17 loss against Minnesota.
  • Johnson Bademosi appeared on 18 special teams snaps in Houston’s 20-7 win at Jacksonville.
  • Cameron Fleming was active but did not appear in Dallas’ 20-17 loss at Washington.
  • Joshua Garnett was inactive for San Francisco’s 39-10 loss against the Los Angeles Rams with a toe injury sustained in Week 1.
  • Ryan Hewitt appeared on 26 offensive snaps and 12 special teams snaps in Indianapolis’ 37-7 win against Buffalo.
  • Kevin Hogan was inactive for Denver’s 45-10 win at Arizona on Thursday night.
  • Austin Hooper caught three of four targets for 48 yards in Atlanta’s 23-20 win against the New York Giants.
  • Peter Kalambayi appeared on a team-high 21 special teams snaps in Houston’s 20-7 win at Jacksonville.
  • Josh Mauro made one tackle on 11 defensive snaps in the New York Giants’ 23-20 loss against Atlanta.
  • Quenton Meeks appeared on 18 special teams snaps in Jacksonville’s 20-17 loss against Houston.
  • Christian McCaffrey caught all six of his targets for 51 yards in Carolina’s 21-17 win at Philadelphia, also carrying the ball seven times for 29 yards on all 59 offensive snaps.
  • Trent Murphy recorded two pressures and one tackle in Buffalo’s 37-7 loss at Indianapolis.
  • Andrus Peat was inactive for New Orleans’ 24-23 win at Baltimore with a concussion.
  • Harrison Phillips registered two tackles in Buffalo’s 37-7 loss at Indianapolis.
  • Jordan Richards started and appeared on 24 defensive snaps in Atlanta’s 23-20 win against the New York Giants.
  • Brennan Scarlett made one special teams tackle on 18 special teams snaps in Houston’s 20-7 win at Jacksonville.
  • Dalton Schultz made his NFL debut in Dallas’ 20-17 loss at Washington, catching one of three targets for 12 yards on 19 offensive snaps.
  • Richard Sherman was inactive for San Francisco’s 39-10 loss against the Los Angeles Rams with a calf injury.
  • Michael Thomas made one tackle on 20 defensive snaps and a game-high 22 defensive snaps in the New York Giants’ 23-20 loss at Atlanta.
  • Solomon Thomas made five tackles, including three solo, with three run stops in San Francisco’s 39-10 loss against the Los Angeles Rams while playing 64 percent of defensive snaps.
  • Levine Toilolo appeared on 21 offensive snaps in Detroit’s 33-21 win at Miami.

Byes
Green Bay Packers (Blake Martinez, Ty Montgomery); Pittsburgh Steelers (David DeCastro); Seattle Seahawks (Doug Baldwin)

Cardinal hold off ASU’s late rally for 20-13 win

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, October 18, 2018

A late Arizona State Sun Devils’ rally fell short on Thursday, as the Stanford Cardinal held on for a 20-13 Pac-12 football victory at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

Sun Devils quarterback Manny Wilkins drove the ASU offense into the red zone in the last two minutes and 20 seconds of the fourth quarter. But with no time outs available, ASU could not stop the clock. All of ASU’s losses this season have been by a touchdown.

After the Cardinal (5-2 overall, 3-1 Pac-12) built a 20-6 lead with a big third quarter, ASU (3-4, 1-3) bounced back with seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter when Wilkins capped a 64-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run, cutting the Stanford lead to 20-13.

Stanford snapped a 6-6 deadlock with 7:55 left in the third quarter when quarterback K.J. Costello connected with JJ Arcega-Whiteside for a 28-yard score. Five minutes later, Cameron Scarlett’s one-yard plunge put the Cardinal up 20-6.

Costello completed 22 of 29 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Scarlett ran nine times for 54 yards and a touchdown. Bryce Love ran 11 times for 21 yards.

Arcega-Whiteside and Trenton Irwin each snared seven passes for the Cardinal. Arcega-Whiteside gained 91 reception yards and a touchdown; Irwin gained 79 reception yards. Jet Toner booted field goals of 21 and 31 yards in the first half.

Wilkins threw for 353 yards and a TD while completing 26 of 43 passes. Wilkins also led ASU in rushing with 41 yards on 11 carries. Eno Benjamin gained 38 yards on 11 attempts for the Devils.

Arizona State’s top pass catcher was K’Neal Harry with eight receptions for 91 yards.

The Cardinal return home on Saturday, October 27 for a 3:00 p.m. Pac-12 game against Washington State (5-1).

Cal overwhelmed by UCLA, 37-7, as bowl aspirations take a hit

Published on by moepeaLeave a comment

By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, Calif. — The Cal Bears needed their best performance against the UCLA Bruins at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. Instead, they came up with one of their worst.

The Bruins picked up their first win of the season–after an 0-5 start–throttling the Bears from start to finish, 37-7. Bruins running back Joshua Kelly ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns while Cal’s Brandon McIlwain continued his streak of crippling turnovers.

The Bears fell to 3-3 on the season and 0-3 in the Pac-12. With six games remaining, the Bears appear unlikely to achieve bowl eligibility with Washington, Stanford, USC and Washington State still remaining on their schedule.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly picked up his first collegiate win since 2012 when he left Oregon to coach in the NFL. Ironically, Kelley had won just two of the previous 22 games he had coached after going 2-14 in his one and only year with the 49ers.

And the always stoic Kelly’s response to getting back into the win column?

“Any win is good. 1-0 on Saturday night, that’s what we’re rooting for,” Kelly said in an interview with Pac-12 Network’s Jill Savage.

Cal was beaten in the trenches on both sides of the ball as UCLA took a decidely physical approach on offense, running the ball on 55 of their 70 offensive snaps. That approach took the pressure off freshman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who had started all five games for UCLA but completed just half of his pass attempts and only three touchdowns in his first four starts. Against Cal’s confounding roster of defensive alignments, the Bruins stayed physical and impervious to the Bears’ maneuverings.

“Guys are coming up trying to make a play and we didn’t make them,” coach Justin Wilcox said. “We have to finish better. It’s not a lack of want to but it goes back to accountability and performance. No phase of our team played well enough to win tonight.”

Cal linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk had 22 tackles in the ballgame, the most by a Cal defender since Jerrott Willard recorded 22 in October 1993, but the feat was merely indicative of how the Cal defense couldn’t get off the field, and how poor their defensive line play was against Kelly and the sizeable UCLA offensive line.

Kelly ran for 106 yards in the first half alone as UCLA took a 13-0 lead that could have been worse had a couple of Bruins’ drives not stalled out deep in Cal territory. When Cal sliced the lead to 13-7 midway through the third, the Bears self-destructed with a targeting penalty and unsportsmanlike behavior penalty that allowed UCLA to answer back.

In the fourth quarter, McIlwain’s run of turnovers continued as he was stripped while scrambling which resulted in a 38-yard scoop and score for Kesian Lucier-South.

Cal’s next opponent will be Oregon State. That game has been scheduled for Saturday, October 20 at 1:00 pm PT on PACN.