photo from gostanford.com: Oscar da Silva’s 25 points lead Stanford over San Jose State.
By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, December 14, 2019
After taking a two-week break from basketball to address final exams, Oscar da Silva was more than ready to return to the hardwood.
Da Silva racked up 25 points and eight rebounds while leading Stanford past San Jose State 78-58 in a non-conference contest at SJSU. Along with an 11 of 17 shooting night, da Silva scored the Cardinal’s first nine points of the second half.
The Cardinal (9-1) continued its hot start, their best since 2011. Stanford has held all 10 of its opponents to under 70 points this season, the first time the Cardinal has accomplished this feat since Dec. 28, 2010 to Jan. 29, 2011.
Nine of the Cardinal’s wins have been by double-digits; last season, Stanford had 10 double-digit wins overall.
Tyrell Tyler scored 11 points, to go with eight rebounds and five assists, and Isaac White added 12 points off the bench.
Stanford outscored the Spartans 52-12 in the paint. And, despite committing 19 turnovers, the Cardinal enjoyed a 21-14 edge in points off turnovers.
Coming up, the Cardinal hosts San Francisco on Tuesday at Maples Pavilion. Next Saturday, Stanford faces San Diego as part of the Al Attles Classic at Chase Center.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State men’s basketball team looked to snap a five-game losing skid with a win over the Stanford Cardinal at the Provident Credit Union Event Center on Saturday evening.
For the Spartans, that was easier said than done as the Cardinal entered the non-conference contest with just one loss, a one-point loss to the #18 Butler Bulldogs 79-78 on November 26, 2019.
The Spartans’ starters were Brae Ivey, Omari Moore, Christian Anigwe, Seneca Knight and Sam Japhet-Mathias.
The Spartans’ Brew and Vine event was in full swing. Fans enjoyed beer and wine tastings. The Battle of the Bay tip-off was underway. Stanford won its first ever game against SJSU 78-73 on December 18, 2018.
Stanford scored the first six points, but SJSU scored the next four points early in the first half. Omari Moore knocked down the Spartans’ first bucket of the evening to cut their deficit to 6-2. The score was 6-4 Stanford at the first media timeout.
Ralph Agee made a big-time block and Seneca Knight moved to get past defenders to make his shots, but the Cardinal held a 10-7 advantage at 13:03. Stanford led 13-9 at the second media timeout. Then, Stanford extended its lead to 19-9 at the under-eight timeout.
SJSU got the looks, but needed shots to fall. Richard Washington ended the Spartans’ scoring drought with a score. The Spartans trailed 32-19 at the halftime break.
— San Jose State Men’s Basketball (@SanJoseStateMBB) December 15, 2019
SJSU had a lot of work to do in the second half.
Oscar da Silva added a lot of points from the get-go and the Cardinal defense played very well in the opening minutes. The Spartans had some shots like Seneca Knight’s fastbreak layup and two-handed jam as well as Brae Ivey’s fastbreak three-pointers, but they trailed 41-29 at the first media timeout.
Zach Chappell made a pair of fastbreak free throws to cut the deficit to 46-33. The Spartans trailed 46-33 at the second media timeout.
Seneca Knight knocked down a jumper with 9:50 left, but the Spartans trailed 53-35 at the third media timeout. The Spartans’ shooting slowed down in the closing minutes, but Caleb Simmons and Craig LeCesne made their respective layups. LeCesne added a fastbreak free throw. After that, Simmons hit a three, which going the crowd going, but it was too little, too late.
SJSU took their final timeout. The clock winded down and Trey Smith had the last score, a jumper, with three seconds left to play, but the Cardinal won 78-58.
With the win, Stanford improved to 9-1, 0-0 Pac-12. With the loss, SJSU fell to 3-8, 0-2 Mountain West.
The Spartans take on the Santa Clara Broncos at the Leavey Center on Wednesday, December 18 at 7 pm PST.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose State men’s basketball team will play host to a South Bay standoff against Stanford at 4 PM on Saturday. The game will be broadcasted on the CBS Sports Network.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game.
BREW AND VINE
The Spartans will have a Brew and Vine beer and wine tasting event on Saturday as part of the Stanford game. Admission is $30 and includes a ticket to both games of the men’s and women’s doubleheader on Saturday, access to the baseline Hardwood Lounge, a custom SJSU tasting glass, pours from a wide selection of breweries and vineyards plus food and snacks.
At the door, tickets to Brew and Vine must be purchased in addition to a game ticket. Save time and money and buy online.
Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com
SAN JOSE STATE SPARTANS (3-7, 0-2 MW)
PPG: 64.7 | FG%: 39.7 | 3FG%: 27.4 | FT%: 65.1
NOTES: The Spartans went 0-2 to open MW play last week, but the record doesn’t tell the story. SJSU battled the top two teams in the league, with Utah State pulling away late and San Deigo State needing a buzzer-beater three to down the Spartans. Seneca Knight is averaging a team-high 12.6 ppg while shooting 44.6% from the floor. Omari Moore has started three of the last four games and has emerged as SJSU’s top defensive guard.
SERIES: SJSU trails, 13-39 (Tied, 9-9, in San Jose)
LAST: SJSU lost last year, 78-73, at Stanford
NOTES: Stanford opened the season with seven straight wins before falling, 68-67, to Butler at a Thanksgiving week tournament in Kansas City. The Cardinal are outscoring opponents by 17.9 points per game this year. Oscar da Silva is averaging a team-high 16.6 points per game, followed by Tyrell Terry’s 15.7 points per game.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: CBS Sports Network with Ed Cohen and Pete Gillen
RADIO: Justin Allegri on the call through TuneIn.com and the TuneIn app. Search for “San Jose St. Basketball”.
HEARTBREAK AT SAN DIEGO STATE
SJSU suffered a heartbreaking loss at SDSU on Dec. 8. Up by a point with five seconds remaining, the Spartans saw the Aztecs’ Malachi Flynn hit a deep three-pointer at the buzzer for the win … Ralph Agee posted his first double-double for the Spartans with 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench … SJSU held SDSU to just 31.7% shooting … SJSU matched a season-low with 11 turnovers.
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 three 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 threes.
BALANCED EFFORT IN WIN OVER SIMPSON
The Spartans had 13 different players score in an 85-60 win over Simpson on Nov. 17 … Zach Chappell came off the bench to score a season-high 14 points, including a pair of threes … Seneca Knight was 6-of-8 shooting for 15 points … Craig LeCesne added 13 points in 19 minutes … Ralph Agee posted 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting … Harminder Dhaliwal made his collegiate debut and had two points and two rebounds in six minutes.
SAN JOSE STATE STUNS HOFSTRA IN SEASON OPENER
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, JC 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 four minutes, including a stretch of three straight threes to put the game away … Craig LeCesne had his first career double-double with a career-high 19 points plus 11 rebounds … It was the Spartans’ first win in a road opener since 2010-11 when SJSU topped Eastern Washington, 67-60 … SJSU snapped a 21-game road losing streak dating back to 2017-18 … The Spartans won on the East Coast for the first time since 2001-02, when SJSU defeated Fairleigh Dickinson at the BCA Tournament hosted by NC State in Raleigh, N.C.
Paulson Adebo shined in a list of eight Stanford Cardinal football student-athletes who earned All-Pac-12 honors on Tuesday. Adebo was a first-team selection, while Drew Dalman, Colby Parkinson and Casey Toohill received second-team recognition.
Thomas Booker, Curtis Robinson, Foster Sarell and Connor Wedington earned honorable mention.
Adebo started the first nine games of the season before missing the final three due to injury. He totaled 33 tackles with four interceptions and 10 pass breakups. His 14 passes defended placed him inside the top 30 nationally, while his 1.6 passes defended per game were third-best nationally. He’s one of just three players nationally with four or more interceptions in each of the last two seasons.
Adebo made his first interception of the season against the Northwestern Wildcats in the season opener and added five tackles and two pass breakups. In the Cardinal win over No. 15 Washington Huskies, he had five tackles and matched his career-high with four pass breakups to earn Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. Against Arizona, he registered his second career two-interception game and earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week and Jim Thorpe Award National Player of the Week honors.
Dalman was a rock on the offensive line, starting all 12 Cardinal games at center. The only offensive lineman to start every game this season, he led an offensive line that featured three true freshmen in the starting lineup for each of the final six games and at least two true freshmen in nine of 12 games.
Parkinson, a captain and semifinalist for the John Mackey Award, made 48 catches for 589 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 12.3 yards per reception and started every Cardinal game at tight end and threw for a touchdown. He was targeted 88 times this season, third-most among tight ends nationally, and did not have a drop.
Toohill, a Cardinal captain, finished the season with 60 tackles while leading the team with 11.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, his eight sacks were tied for fourth nationally among outside linebackers in a 3-4 system, while his 10 quarterback hits were eighth and his 19 quarterback hurries were 18th.
Booker, who’s just a sophomore, finished with 50 tackles, which was good for fourth-most on the team. He had 8.5 tackles for loss, third-most on the team, and four sacks, tied for second-most on the team. He also had three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Robinson, in his first season at inside linebacker, finished second on the team with 64 tackles. He added three tackles for loss and two sacks to go along with three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles.
Sarell, like Dalman, was an integral part in the offensive line leadership this season. He started 11 of 12 games at right tackle, playing alongside three true freshmen for the final six games of the season.
Wedington averaged 28.1 yards per kick return this season, totaling 590 yards on 21 returns. He also added 51 receptions for 506 yards and a touchdown this season.
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.
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 gostanford.com: The Stanford Cardinal Tyrell Terry (3) goes for the throw down in the Cardinal victory over WNC Wilmington at Maple Pavilion on Sunday afternoon
By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Stanford returned to the win column in men’s basketball on Sunday, as the Cardinal defeated UNC-Wilmington 72-54 in non-conference play at Maples Pavilion.
The Cardinal are off to their best start since 2011, when they won 10 of their first 11 contests.
Oscar da Silva netted a career-high 26 points, as the Cardinal bounced back from their only loss of the season. Da Silva was 11 of 14 from the field and grabbed five rebounds despite missing a few minutes early in the second half after taking an errant elbow to the head.
Spencer Jones scored 17 points, including a career-high five f3-pointers for the Cardinal (8-1). Freshman Tyrell Terry was in early foul trouble, but still scored nine points while collecting four rebounds and five assists.
Marten Linssen and Jaylen Sims scored 12 points each to lead the Seahawks, who have not defeated a Pac-12 team since 2006.
Stanford never trailed in the game, leading by as many as 25. It was UNC-Wilmington’s fifth game in 10 days, and, after falling behind 12-0, the Seahawks never caught up. The Cardinal held a 33-30 rebounding edge.
The Cardinal led by 19 in the first half behind the inside-outside games of da Silva and Jones. Jones sank four of his 3-pointers in the first half, as Stanford built a 38-19 lead.
The two head coaches — Jerod Haase of Stanford and C.B. McGrath of Wilmington — were teammates for two years while playing at Kansas, and coached together for 14 seasons at North Carolina.
Stanford has nearly two weeks off before its next game on Dec. 14 at San Jose State.
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.
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 … 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 PROMINENCE
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.
On the Stanford Cardinal podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:
#1 Jerry, talk about the Big Game last Saturday against Cal at Stanford Stadium. For Cardinal quarterback David Mills, he gave it his best, but Stanford fell in a very narrow game.
#2 Cal was able to play successfully on both sides of the football and come up with two touchdowns in the four quarter to get by Stanford by four points in one for the ages as Cal has not won in Stanford since 2009.
#3 In Stanford men’s basketball: A tough loss for Stanford men’s (7-1) fall in their first loss of the season after winning seven straight games to the Butler Bulldogs (7-0) 68-67, a one-point loss.
#4 It seems like Butler can beat up on the big schools with a perfect record so far. Is it fair to say look for them in March?
#5 UNC Wilmington (5-3) is next to face the Cardinal on Sunday at Maples Pavilion. Jerry talks about how he sees this game.
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