Tag: Pac-12

Stanford football players already focused on getting better

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

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) โ€ฆ The last setback came against Notre Dame in 2007 โ€ฆ Junior strong safety Stuart Head matched his career-high with eight tackles โ€ฆ Stanford recorded eight tackles for loss, 2.5 by junior outside linebacker Gabe Reid โ€ฆ Stanford finished the decade with 98 victories, tied for the eighth-most in college football, and went to nine bowl games โ€ฆ Half of Stanford’s opponents this season finished with seven or more wins โ€ฆ 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 โ€ฆ 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 โ€ฆ 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.

QUOTE
“I can rest easy knowing there are plenty of great leaders.” — Casey Toohill, on the future of the program.

UCLA downs SJSU 93-64 in Los Angeles

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Photo credit: @SanJoseStateMBB

By Ana Kieu

The San Jose State men’s basketball team wrapped up a 2-game road trip with a non-conference contest against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday. SJSU had hopes to snap a 2-game losing skid.

SJSU had time for a shootaround around Pauley Pavilion. Then, Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau confirmed the starters for Sunday’s game in Brae Ivey, Christian Anigwe, Seneca Knight, Sam Japhet-Mathias, and Craig LeCesne.

UCLA got on the board first, but SJSU responded as Christian Anigwe finished a 3-point play to cut the deficit to 7-5 early in the first quarter.

UCLA led 16-7 when SJSU called a timeout at 15:28. Also, Richard Washington called bank on a shot at 14:18. In addition, there was great ball movement by Omari Moore and company and that led to a Zach Chappell corner 3. However, SJSU trailed 20-12 midway through the first.

Richard Washington doubled up for his second 3 of the night at 10:20. Yet, SJSU trailed 26-17. UCLA then took a 34-22 lead at the under-8 timeout with 7:13 left.

The Spartans went cold, but continued to shoot free throws following the final media timeout of the first. Omari Moore made a great play–a steal that he laid in on the other end–to snap the Spartans’ scoring drought. But SJSU trailed 46-26 at the halftime break, so they had their work cut out for them.

SJSU, however, saw little improvement in the second half. The Spartans trailed 58-35 at the first media timeout of the second at 15:58. The Bruins took a commanding 66-44 lead at the second media timeout at 11:51. The Spartans’ Omari Moore recorded a season-best 11 points and was 4-for-5 from the field at 11:51, too. Then, UCLA went on a 13-0 run, which prompted head coach Jean Prioleau to call a timeout, and extended its lead to 79-46 with 9:01 left in the second. UCLA went on to win 93-64.

With the win, UCLA improved to 6-3. With the loss, SJSU fell to 3-5.

The Spartans return home to host the #15 Utah State Aggies on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 8:15 pm PST.

No. 15 Notre Dame crushes Stanford 45-24

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Photo credit: @StanfordFball

By Jerry Feitelberg

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.ย  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.

San Jose State stops by UCLA on Sunday

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State men’s basketball team will meet their second straight Pac-12 foe on Sunday when SJSU and UCLA tip at 5 pm PST in Pauley Pavilion on the Pac-12 Network.

Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s game.

SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS (3-4, 0-0 Mountain West)
PPG: 66.7 | FG%: 40.1 | 3FG%: 25.3 | FT%: 63.4

NOTES: The Spartans will face their third Pac-12 foe of the young season on Sunday evening at UCLA. SJSU played Arizona on Nov. 14 in Tucson and Oregon State last Wednesday in Las Vegas. Guards Seneca Knight (11.9 PPG) and Richard Washington (10.1 PPG) are also getting after it on the glass, combing for 11.6 rebounds per game. Guard Zach Chappell is averaging 11.8 PPG off the bench over the Spartans’ last four contests.

UCLA BRUINS (5-3, 0-0 Pac-12)
PPG: 71.2 | FG%: 45.1 | 3FG%: 32.3 | FT%: 69.6

SERIES: SJSU is 1-8 all-time vs. UCLA (0-5 in LA)

LAST: SJSU lost, 94-71, on Dec. 11, 1982 in LA

NOTES: UCLA went 1-2 last week at the Maui Invitational, with a win over Chaminade and losses to BYU (78-63) and Michigan State (75-62). The Bruins feature four players averaging double figures in scoring led by Chris Smith’s 12.0 points per game. The Bruins lost to Hofstra, 88-78, while SJSU knocked them off on the road in their season opener 79-71.

BROADCASTS
TV: Pac-12 Network

STREAM: pac-12.com/live with a cable login

RADIO: Justin Allegri on the call through TuneIn.com and the TuneIn app. Search for “San Jose St. Basketball”.

ZEALOUS ZACH
A constant in the Spartans’ last four games has been the play of reserve guard Zach Chappell … Chappell posted a season-high 17 points, including 3-of-3 shooting from deep, iu Saturday’s loss to Portland State … Chappell tallied 14 points in a win over Simpson on Nov. 17, going 5-of-7 from the field including a pair of 3-pointers … The Spartans are shooting just 25.3% from 3 on the season but Chappell is shooting 43.8% from deep.

SAN JOSE STATE STYMIES GRAMBLING STATE
Grambling State entered the game on Nov. 20 with the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense, averaging 114 points over its first 3 games … The Spartans held the Tigers 38 points under their average in an 83-76 win at the Provident Credit Union Event Center … Grambling State was 1-of-10 shooting on 3s.

BEAUTIFUL BALANCE OVER SIMPSON
The Spartans had 13 different players score in an 85-60 win over Simpson on Nov. 17 … Guard Zach Chappell came off the bench to score a season-high 14 points, including a pair of 3s … Guard Seneca Knight was 6-of-8 shooting for 15 points … Forward Craig LeCesne added 13 points in 19 minutes … Forward Ralph Agee posted 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting … Freshman walk-on Harminder Dhaliwal made his collegiate debut and had 2 points and 2 rebounds in 6 minutes.

SAN JOSE STATE STUNS HOFSTRA
SJSU opened the 2019-20 season with a bang, defeating Hofstra on the road, 79-71, on Nov. 6 … Hofstra won 27 games last year, SJSU lost 27 games … In his Spartan debut, JUCO transfer and former Wake Forest guard, Richard Washington, posted a team-high 23 points off the bench on 8-of-13 shooting. He scored 12 of his 23 points in the final 4 minutes, including a stretch of 3 straight 3s to put the game away … Senior forward Craig LeCesne had his first career double-double with a career-high 19 points plus 11 rebounds … It was SJSU’s first win in a road opener since 2010-11 when the Spartans topped Eastern Washington, 67-60 … The Spartans snapped a 21-game road losing streak dating back to 2017-18 … SJSU won on the East Coast for the first time since 2001-02, when the Spartans defeated Fairleigh Dickinson at the BCA Tournament hosted by NC State in Raleigh, N.C.

STARTERS TO STAYย 
The Spartans return seven players who started at least 1 game a season ago … Guard Seneca Knight is the most experienced, as the sophomore started 17 games, including the final 12, of his rookie season … Point guard Brae Ivey was just behind Knight, as the former junior college transfer started 16 games last season … Forward Craig LeCesne and guard Zach Chappell both started 15 games last year … Forward Christian Anigwe, guard Isaiah Nichols and walk-on guard Trey Smith started 1 game apiece.

SIX NEWCOMERS
Spartans head coach Jean Prioleau will have the help of 6 newcomers on the roster in 2019-20 … The Spartans have three new junior college transfers in Richard Washington (Tallahassee CC), Eduardo Lane (Marshalltown CC) and Ralph Agee (East LA College). Washington started his collegiate career at Wake Forest, where he played eight games as a freshman before an injury caused him to miss the entire 2017-18 season … Another Wake Forest transfer will join the Spartans on the floor this season, as center Samuel Japhet-Mathias will be eligible after a redshirt season last year. The former 4-star recruit appeared in 17 games off the bench at Wake Forest as a freshman in 2016-17. He posted 6 points and 4 rebounds at No. 17 Xavier … Prioleau added two freshmen this season in guard Omari Moore and walk-on center Harminder Dhaliwal.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE
SJSU will play 10 games on TV this season, including three at home … SJSU hosts an ESPN networks game this year for the first time since 2010-11, when either ESPN2 or ESPNU will carry the SJSU tip against Utah State on Dec. 4. SJSU will also be on ESPN2 or ESPNU when visiting Utah State on Feb. 26 … SJSU will have four non-conference games on TV, all against Pac-12 competition. The Spartans will be on CBS Sports Network when hosting Stanford at the Provident Credit Union Event Center on Dec. 14. SJSU will battle both UCLA and Arizona on Pac-12 Networks … The Spartans will also have four Mountain West contests on AT&T SportsNet this season — Jan. 15 at UNLV, Jan. 21 at New Mexico, Feb. 8 at Nevada and Feb. 29 vs. UNLV.

Stanford football: Ryan Beecher’s toughest opponent came in the form of cancer

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

When Ryan Beecher runs out of the tunnel into Stanford Stadium on Saturday for the last time, he’ll be met by water works.

It’s Senior Day against No. 15 Notre Dame, so Cardinal players will be recognized before the game and greeted by their families on the field. Emotional, but even more so for Jim and Julie Beecher, and their other children, Annabelle (’17) and Holden.

In December 2017, the night before the team was flying to the Alamo Bowl, Ryan was packing at his home in Fresno, Calif. when he received a phone call from Stanford Hospital. A pathology report had come back about a lump under his armpit and a biopsy revealed he had tested positive for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Scared and uncertain about his future, Ryan stayed home and sought an immediate diagnosis. Steve Schwartz, the father of teammate Harry Schwartz, arranged an appointment with a lymphoma specialist at UCLA. The family was told he had a treatable strain.

“The days before Ryan was officially diagnosed were some of the hardest days of my life,” said Julie. “Suddenly, my young, healthy son had this terrifying word, cancer, hanging over his head and we had no idea what that would mean for him.”

Teammates quickly rallied around Beecher. They signed his No. 43 game jersey and wrote messages, and it arrived at his home the day before the game. On game day against TCU, Beecher wore the jersey and watched the game on television with his family. Many Stanford players wrote his number on their arms and JJ Arcega-Whiteside pointed to it after catching a touchdown pass.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

“From Week 1, it was just an overwhelming amount of love and support,” Beecher said. “I will always be thankful to them.”

The official diagnosis was a rare form of lymphoma called “ALK-positive.” Beecher underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, lost his hair and considerable weight off his 6-1, 230-pound frame.

“The eyebrows took some getting used to,” Beecher said.

Teammate Lewis Burik cooked a big dinner for Beecher and his friends before his first round of chemotherapy. Kaden Smith helped him shave his head.

Beecher was unsure about his football future and missed spring practice and two quarters of school. He never complained and told his mom he wanted to climb Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

“Right before the Spring Game that year, Ryan was at a low point,” said Julie. “It was hard to get him to go because he was completely bald and pretty run down from months of chemotherapy. He decided to go, and as he was walking into the game, Coach (David) Shaw approached him and told him he was being put on scholarship. When Ryan told us after the game, it an was incredible moment. It still makes me cry to think about it.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Beecher was cleared to participate in fall camp in the summer of 2018 and hasn’t missed a beat.

“Getting back out on the field was a goal and dream of mine once it got taken away,” Beecher said. “Football was a huge motivator in the sense that it taught me a lot of mechanisms to respond to that type of adversity. I give a lot of credit to our training staff and coaches for instilling in us the sense of reacting to adversity and staying positive.”

Beecher was initially told to take it easy, especially during wind sprints, but he tuned out the strength and conditioning coach.

“I’m a stubborn guy and didn’t listen as much as I should have,” Beecher said. “I was pretty exhausted after that first workout. But let me tell you, it was so relieving after months and months — the doctors didn’t want me to go into any gym and expose myself to germs — being back. There’s a certain type of energy you get working out, especially with a group of guys you love.”

Cardinal team captain Casey Toohill said Beecher’s attitude and determination inspired everyone.

“The thing that impressed me the most was when he came back for summer runs after just doing the chemo, he made all the times, which is unheard of, because people miss the times anyway,” Toohill said.

Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, wasn’t surprised Beecher sold out.

“Being through something similar with my brother the last couple of years, the appreciation of life is powerful,” said Shaw. “To come back from cancer and say all I have to do is run gassers? That’s it? I’m not going to pull back and I’m going to go as hard as I can and know my body is going to respond.”

Beecher, a former walk-on and now a fifth-year senior, played on special teams in 13 games in 2017 and 2018. This season, he has appeared in every contest and earned his first start against Colorado, collecting a career-high five tackles. Beecher has 16 total stops, one pass breakup and one quarterback hurry.

“To play as well as he’s played, stepping up and contributing at inside linebacker, it’s been amazing to watch,” Toohill said. “I’m just proud to be his friend.”

Shaw said, “He’s a tough guy. And tough guys like being around tough guys. To see a guy fight through what he fought through and be able to get in there and grind with his brothers on the field makes you feel like you’re around someone special.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Beecher isn’t the biggest, strongest or fastest player on the team. If you walked by him on campus, he looks more like a history major — which he is — than a football player.

Looks can be deceiving. Beecher started 32 consecutive varsity games at San Joaquin Memorial High School and made 232 tackles, leading the league in 2013.

“All he thinks about is his job and what he can do,” said Shaw. “His teammates appreciate that. Every time he makes a tackle or a play, the sideline goes crazy. They’re always cheering and rooting for him. To be able to coach a guy like Ryan Beecher makes you feel good about what you do on a daily basis.”

Beecher is cancer-free, but will need follow up scans for the rest of his life.

“Going through something like that, you take things a little more serious now,” Beecher said. “Definitely happier and more thankful for everything โ€ฆ my family, my friends and everyone who was in my corner supporting me. It’s just really easy when you have a bad day to kick yourself out of it because you’ve had worse days for sure.”

INJURY UPDATE
Connor Wedington, K.J. Costello, Paulson Adebo and Malik Antoine will not play against Notre Dame.

PERSEVERANCE LEADS TO PROMINENCEย 
Donald Stewart caught his first career touchdown pass last week against Cal, and it was a feel-good moment for everyone. He has overcome injuries, dipped on the depth chart and has spent much of the season working with the scout team. He never complained, went full speed, remained positive and stepped up last week when Connor Wedington was injured on the opening kickoff.

“Donald has had the entire college football experience from playing early, playing well, from not playing much, playing more and making big catches,” Shaw said. “He’s probably grown as much as anybody on the football team.”

Shaw continued to remind him that nothing is set in stone. If you put in the work, it’ll pay off.

“I commend Donald for trusting us,” Shaw said. “We put him back in the rotation and for the last month, Donald has been ready. It was great in a big moment in a Big Game for him to be open and that was a tough catch. Great to see that for him and guys celebrating for him.”

MAKING MILLS
Davis Mills will make his sixth career start at quarterback against the Fighting Irish (9-2). Due to injuries, he didn’t play in 2017 and saw brief action in one game last season.

“Technically, in my book, you’re still a freshman until you play 12 games,” said Shaw. “We’re still technically in Davis’ freshman year. He’s capable of extreme highs.

SHAW ON HIS DEFENSE
“We’ve had outstanding effort and consistent play from a handful of guys, led by Casey Toohill,” Shaw said about the unit’s showing against Cal. “The guy just pours his heart out every single play. Everybody that stepped out on the field played well.”

Shaw also praised the efforts of Andrew Pryts, Curtis Robinson, Thomas Booker and Jovan Swann.

“As injured as we are, we have the guys on the field that can make the plays,” said Shaw. “And now it’s when we make those plays. If it’s late fourth quarter, we make to make those plays. The same thing about us offensively.”

TIGHTEN UP
Containing mobile quarterbacks remains a challenge. Stanford will encounter another quick, athletic and explosive player in Ian Book on Saturday.

“That’s been a difficult thing the entire year, understanding the integrity of where you need to be,” Shaw said. “The rush lanes containing the quarterback are vital. We’ve struggled with that and must improve.”

SENIOR RECOGNITION
Shaw commended the leadership of his seniors for never letting down this season.

“Even after a couple tough losses, the guys come out and are flying around, practicing hard and pushing each other in a positive way,” said Shaw. “That credit doesn’t go to our coaches; that credit goes to our seniors and our leaders.

“These guys have been outstanding in a year when most people are understandably talking about the record and it’s not what we want it to be. But there have been some moments this year at any point in time where these guys could have packed it in, and their teammates wouldn’t allow them to.”

MUTUAL ADMIRATION
Lynn Swann grew up in Michigan and is not a Notre Dame fan. That being said, he respects what the program has accomplished and knows they are benchmark for success.

“It means a lot to strap up and go against a team like that,” Swann said. “People have dislike for them because they are such a great program. I just happened to be born in Michigan.

“I think they’re a great team and we have a great challenge ahead of us and I’m excited to play against them because when you make plays against teams like that it shows you are a real team and can compete against some of the best in the nation. And I think that’s our mentality this week to play to the best of our ability.”

QUOTE
“Growing pains are called growing pains because they hurt.” — David Shaw on using 20 freshmen this season.

San Jose State suffers 83-48 loss to Oregon State in Las Vegas Classic

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Photo credit: @PickDawgz

By Ana Kieu

The San Jose State men’s basketball team traveled to the Nevada desert to play in the Las Vegas Classic against the Oregon State Beavers at Orleans Arena on Wednesday evening. The game was nationally televised on FS1.

The Spartans’ new-look starting lineup featured Brae Ivey, Omari Moore, Christian Anigwe, Sam Japhet-Mathias and Craig LeCesne. SJSU won the tip and the game went underway in Las Vegas.

SJSU made it rain with buckets early in the first half. Brae Ivey buried one from deep, which was a bright spot even though the Spartans trailed 8-7 at the first media timeout. The Spartans continued to trail at the second media timeout 18-11.

But the Spartans chipped back with back-to-back buckets by Richard Washington and Zach Chappell, and as a result, SJSU cut the deficit to 23-18 midway through the first.

The Beavers continued to lead 28-20 at the under-8 timeout, which wasn’t good for the Spartans, but at least they knew OSU was going to be a tough test. SJSU trailed 45-24 at the break.

Things didn’t get any better for the Spartans, who trailed the Beavers 78-35 with seven and a half minutes left in the second half. OSU outscored SJSU 33-11 at the time, thanks to buckets by Sean Miller-Moore and Payton Dastrup. Miller-Moore also threw down a windmill dunk to make it 83-38 Beavers with under four minutes remaining.

Just minutes before the shot clock winded down, SJSU welcomed back Caleb Simmons, who returned to the hardwood after missing all last season and the first six games this season due to an injury. Also, Sam Japhet-Mathias made the most out of his first start as a Spartan with 10 points and 5 rebounds.

SJSU lost to OSU by a final score of 83-48. The Spartans fell to 3-4, while the Beavers improved to 6-1.

The Spartans head to Los Angeles to take on the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday, December 1 at 5 pm PST. The game will be broadcasted on the Pac-12 Networks.

Cal beats UC Davis 72-66 to end their two-game slide

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, Calif. — The growth process for any college basketball team revolves around dealing with prosperity or handling adversity.

But it’s rare that a team experiences both in the same ballgame. While facing UC Davis on Tuesday, the Cal Bears dealt with the extremes.

In a narrow 72-66 victory over the Aggies, the Bears shot the lights out in establishing an 18-point, first half lead only to go cold in the second half allowing UC Davis to briefly take the lead.

Coach Mark Fox took a philosophical approach to his team’s topsy turvy evening, by pointing to the Bears’ determined finish, allowing them to hold off the Aggies in the final minutes.

“I’m glad the game got to that point because it was important for us to play in a close game,” Fox said. “We got more out of the finish of that game than we would have if we had kept a double-figure lead the whole time.”

Fox is the lesson learning business these days in trying to get his young Bears to gather enough moxie to escape the Pac-12’s cellar after finishing last the previous two seasons. With the season seven games old, those lessons are coming quickly.

In the last seven days, Cal’s been buried by No. 1 Duke, outclassed by a physical Texas team, then pushed by the pesky Aggies.

Fifth-year senior Paris Austin knows the deal. With the score tied 54-54 with 5:33 remaining, Austin locked in. His seven points down the stretch helped Cal put UC Davis away.

“It’s about us as players needing to lock in,” Austin said. “In any game, there are times when other teams make runs and people can get discouraged; we just need to stay together, stay motivated, and play through it.”

Matt Bradley led Cal with 19 points, as he did most of his damage in the first half. Grant Anticevich contributed 14 points, and Kareem South added 13.

Ezra’s Manjon had 21 points for UC Davis, and Stefan Gonzales added 15, on five 3-pointers. Leading scorer Matt Neufeld missed seven of his 10 shot attempts and only grabbed two rebounds.

“Guys made plays, played with confidence and played within our system,” coach Jim Les said ofย  his Aggies. “When we took the fight to them, good things happened.”

The Bears are off until next week for Thanksgiving. They’ll face USF in a rare, Bay Area road game on December 4.

Last-second shot lifts Butler past Cardinal 68-67 for tournament title

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Photo credit: @HOFClassic

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Butlerโ€™s Kamar Baldwin didnโ€™t just take over in the final minutes of the Hall of Fame Classic championship, his 18-foot jumper in the closing seconds gave the Bulldogs a 68-67 win over Stanford Tuesday in Kansas City.

It was the Cardinalโ€™s first loss of the season after seven consecutive victories, and their first game this season against a Power Five school.

Baldwin scored six of his 22 points in the final 1 ยฝ minutes. Bryce Nze scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Bryce Golden added 12 points for the undefeated Bulldogs (7-0).

Stanford (7-1) was led by Tyrell Tylerโ€™s 21 points, followed by Oscar da Silva with 19, Bryce Willis with 12 and Spencer Jones 11.

The Cardinal led 51-48 with six minutes remaining before Butler used a 10-0 run to go up by six. After a Baldwin trey put the Bulldogs up by eight, Stanford used a 9-1 run to tie the game at 62-all at the two-minute mark.

With 41 seconds to play, Baldwin connected on a layup and a jumper, giving the Bulldogs a four-point lead. Stanford responded with a Jones 3-pointer and a dunk by Willis to take a 67-66 lead with 21 seconds to play.

Baldwin hit his game-winner on the next possession.

Stanford made nine 3-pointers, including one by Terry at the first half buzzer that tied the game at 29-all. Butler made six 3โ€™s and converted 12 offensive rebounds into 12 second-chance points. The Cardinal shot 53 percent from the field, but the Bulldogs outrebounded them 31-21.

Butler won despite being without Sean McDermott for much of the game,
McDermott, one of the Bulldogsโ€™ leading scorers, suffered an ankle injury in the first half, but returned in the final minutes.

The Cardinal return home on Sunday, Dec. 1, to host UNC-Wilmington at Maples Pavilion.

Stanford to host #15 Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon

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Photo credit: admin.gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

The Stanford Cardinal football team will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a battle for the Legends Trophy. The Legends Trophy is awarded to the winner. It is named in honor of the 1925 Rose Bowl meeting, which was said by sportswriters to contain more legends on one field than had ever played the game. The trophy was created by the Notre Dame Club of San Francisco Bay Area, appropriately from Northern California redwood with an Irish crystal bowl.

Stanford will take the field for the final time this decade, a decade which saw them post 98 wins (to date), tied for the eighth-most in college football. The Cardinal’s 98 wins are tied for the most in the Pac-12 Conference this decade. After winning just 47 games and making two bowl appearances in the previous 10 years (2000-09), Stanford went to three Rose Bowls, an Orange Bowl and a Fiesta Bowl, in addition to the Sun Bowl (2), Foster Farms Bowl (1) and Alamo Bowl (1) this decade.

Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, David Shaw, is in his ninth season as the Stanford head coach. His 86 wins make him the winningest coach in program history. In the 15 seasons prior to Shaw taking over as head coach, Stanford won just 82 games.

Stanford is 17-0 at home under Shaw in nonconference games. The Cardinal has won its past 22 home nonconference games, with the last loss in 2007 against Notre Dame.

Twenty true freshmen have made their first career appearances so far this season: Bradley Archer, Branson Bragg, Aeneas DiCosmo, Stephen Herron, Elijah Higgins, Jake Hornibrook, Austin Jones, Brock Jones, Spencer Jorgensen, Kyu Blu Kelly, Zahran Manley, Jonathan McGill, Barrett Miller, Drake Nugent, Joshua Pakola, Nathaniel Peat, Walter Rouse, Ryan Sanborn, Tristan Sinclair and Nicolas Toomer. While 20 total true freshmen have played in 132 combined games, a staggering 12 have played in more than four games.

A total of 18 Cardinal have made their first career starts so far: Ryan Beecher, Branson Bragg, Henry Hattis, Stuart Head, Houston Heimuli, Elijah Higgins, Jake Hornibrook, Kyu Blu Kelly, Jonathan McGill, Barrett Miller, Davis Mills, J.J. Parson, Andrew Pryts, Curtis Robinson, Walter Rouse, Foster Sarell, Osiris St. Brown and Jack West. 38 different Cardinal have started at least one game for Stanford this season.

By the way, Stanford ranks fourth nationally and first in the Pac-12 with four blocked kicks this season.

Cardinal remain unbeaten after 73-54 win over Oklahoma; Butler is next

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Monday, November 25, 2019

Stanford extended its menโ€™s basketball season-opening winning streak to seven games on Monday, as the Cardinal defeated Oklahoma 73-54 in the first day of the Hall of Fame Classic at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Freshman Tyrell Terry led Stanford (7-0) with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Spencer Davis was next with 13 points and Bryce Willis finished with 10. Oscar da Silva added nine points while pulling down 11 boards.

Austin Reaves was the Soonersโ€™ top scorer with 17 points, followed by Alondes Williams with 12 points and Brady Manek with 10. Kristian Doolittle led Oklahoma (5-1) with eight rebounds.

The Cardinal opened the game with a 17-0 run and led 37-24 at halftime and never trailed throughout the second half in their first game of the season against a Power Five school. Oklahoma didnโ€™t score until the 14:00 mark of the first half.

A brief 10-0 run pulled the Sooners to within seven midway through the first half, but never got any closer, as Terry had 16 points and nine rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

Although both teams shot 38 percent from the field, Stanford made 10 3-pointers and hit 13 of 19 free throws. The Sooners, meanwhile made four 3โ€™s and struggled at the foul line, making 4 of 13 free throws.

Another factor in the Cardinalโ€™s decisive win was outscoring Oklahoma 15-0 on second-chance points while holding a 51-32 rebounding edge.

On Tuesday, Stanford meets Butler for the Hall of Fame Classic championship.