Tag: Stanford Cardinal

Stanford faces a tough test in season finale against Notre Dame

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

According to Stanford assistant director of communications Mark Soltau, you could’ve heard a mouth guard hit the floor in the Cardinal locker room following Saturday’s 24-20 loss to the Cal Golden Bears in the 122nd Big Game.

Players sat in silence in front of their lockers with heads bowed or stared into space. Most showered quickly and left. That was how painful it was.

“We let down nine senior classes that have won this before and 10 including this one,” said senior inside linebacker Curtis Robinson. “It’s definitely not a good feeling.”

Another near-miss snapped a streak of nine consecutive victories against the Bears–the longest in series history–ending Stanford’s school record of 10 straight trips to the postseason.

“To lose the axe is a tough pill to swallow,” junior tight end Colby Parkinson said. “This one is going to hurt for a while.”

Stanford has battled through injuries all season and took another hit Saturday on the opening kickoff. Junior wide receiver Connor Wedington–one of the top playmakers in the Pac-12–returned it 37 yards, but was hurt on the play and didn’t return.

It has been that kind of season for Stanford, who has been short-handed most of the way due to a number of players getting hurt. The Cardinal has started 38 different players, with 18 seeing their first action, including eight true freshmen.

“I don’t want to blame the injuries,” said Robinson. “Football happens. You hope it doesn’t happen in the massive amount that we’ve had and it’s very unfortunate. But we have never at any point in the season made an excuse and we won’t for the rest of the season.”

LAST SHOT
Stanford (4-7, 3-6 Pac-12) concludes the 2019 campaign on Saturday at home against No. 15 Notre Dame (9-2), who beat Boston College on Saturday, 40-7. The Fighting Irish lead the overall series, 20-13, but the Cardinal has won three of the last four meetings and seven of the last 10, including five straight at home. The winner earns the Legends Trophy.

“It’s going to be a test of our character,” Robinson said. “It would be easy for anyone off the street to just quit because we don’t have a bowl game and we’re not having a great season. Anybody can do that.

“If we come out and we show that we prepared like we would for any other game, with the motivations of any other game, I think that will be a good sign for the program. And I don’t expect anything less from our team.”

Added Parkinson, “We have a group of guys that are strong and willing to fight. And that’s what we’re going to do next week.”

DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS
Senior defensive end Jovan Swann played an inspired game. He finished with five tackles, had a career-high three tackles for loss and a sack. Swann also blocked a field goal late in the second quarter, the first of his career, and the fourth blocked kick by the Cardinal this season.

Senior inside linebacker Andrew Pryts led the unit with a career-high 10 tackles, and the Cardinal produced nine tackles for loss.

BIG GAME DEBUTS
Fourteen true freshmen played against Cal: Wide receiver Elijah Higgins (first start); offensive tackle Walter Rouse; offensive guards Barrett Miller and Jake Hornibrook; cornerbacks Kyu Blu Kelly and Zahran Manley; inside linebacker Aeneas DiCosmo; safeties Brock Jones, Spencer Jorgensen and Jonathan McGill; running backs Austin Jones and Nathaniel Peat; tight end Bradley Archer; punter/kicker Ryan Sanborn.

“This game had all the emotion–much more than all the other games,” said Rouse, who made his 10th consecutive start at left tackle. “I really felt like the seniors and the coaches emphasized that and the importance of this game. I just can’t describe the feeling.”

Sanborn was a questionable participant until late in the week. He rallied to convert a career-long 48-yard field goal in the second quarter and calmly gave Stanford a 20-17 lead with 2:33 remaining in the game on a 44-yarder. Sanborn also punted three times, made both extra point attempts, and two of his four kickoffs went for touchbacks.

“That’s just what we’re here to do,” Sanborn said. “You have to be able to put it through the pipes whenever you’re out there.”

Sanborn said the loss stung.

“Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted,” Sanborn said. “I would have loved to have been able to send our seniors out on the right note. We just have to use it for fuel for the next 364 days.”

SCOUTING THE IRISH
Stanford and Notre Dame have faced one common opponent: USC. The Fighting Irish edged the Trojans, 30-27 in South Bend, Ind., while the Cardinal fell in Los Angeles, 45-20. The latter came in the second game of the season for Stanford and marked junior quarterback Davis Mills’ first collegiate start.

Last year’s game at Notre Dame was the first time in series history that both teams entered with a top-10 AP ranking. The eighth-ranked Fighting Irish defeated the No. 7 Cardinal, 38-17, its first loss to Notre Dame since 2014.

THEME GAME
Saturday is Fan Appreciation and Senior Day for Stanford. Seniors will be recognized on the field prior to the game.

NOTES
Senior wide receiver Donald Stewart grabbed his first career scoring pass from Mills on a 40-yard reception … Sophomore wide receiver Michael Wilson matched his career-high with six catches for 43 yards … Sophomore wide receiver Simi Fehoko made three catches for 55 yards, including a 43-yarder. He has five receptions of 40 or more yards this season … Junior wide receiver Osiris St. Brown had a career-best five catches … Fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett rushed for his 23rd career touchdown, one shy of No. 8 on the career list at Stanford … Ex-Cardinal standout John Lynch, general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, was honored prior to the game as part of the program’s 125-year celebration of Stanford football … Shayne Skov, served as Stanford’s honorary captain. A fearless competitor at inside linebacker and an inspirational leader, Skov was named Associated Press All-America third team and All-Pac-12 first team in 2013. Skov ranks No. 6 on the school’s all-time list for career tackles with 353 and played with four NFL teams, including the 49ers.

QUOTE
“To me, it’s Rivalry Game 2. It’s a way for us to end the season strong.” — Curtis Robinson on playing Notre Dame.

Cal brings the Axe back to Berkeley, defeats Stanford 24-20

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from sfgate.com; California running back Christopher Brown Jr. (34) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 in Stanford, Calif.

By Jeremy Harness

STANFORD – Shortly after 4pm PST, Stanford Stadium became a sea of navy blue and yellow, a sight that had not been seen in a very long time.

Considering the fact that Cal has not won the Big Game since 2009, it’s easy to understand the excitement of the Golden Bear students, fans and alumni after a dramatic 24-20 win over Stanford in the 122nd playing of this rivalry game.

After Stanford took a 20-17 lead on Ryan Sanborn’s 44-yard field goal with 2:23 remaining, sophomore quarterback Chase Garbers led the Cal offense down the field and capped the 75-yard drive when he escaped the pocket and beat the Stanford defense to the corner of the end zone.

Cal’s defense then stopped Stanford cold on fourth-and-one on the ensuing possession to secure a monumental win for the Cal football program, which had not have much to cheer about for the past decade until this season.

“To get a win, to get the Axe back and what that means for the players and our institution, it’s a big deal,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. “It’s huge for our program, for the development of our program.”

Garbers, who has suffered assorted injuries this year – including a separated shoulder that sidelined him for much of this season – and was just cleared to return to the field a few days ago – completed 20 of his 30 passes for 285 yards and a touchdown.

He did more damage with his feet, as he also led the Golden Bears with 72 rushing yards, including the game-winning scamper.

“This was Chase Garbers’ game,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “We couldn’t stop him. He makes a difference in the games he plays in, with his legs.

“We missed about three sacks today,” he continued. “You can’t win games if you let the quarterback out like that.”

The play of Nikko Remigio, Cal’s leading receiver, also proved to be crucial down the stretch. He caught nine passes for 157 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Saturday was a fatal blow to Stanford, not only in losing the Stanford Axe but also to their chances of getting into a postseason bowl game for the 11th straight year. The Cardinal (4-7, 3-6 Pac-12) needed to win Saturday’s game, as well as its final game is against none other than No. 16 Notre Dame next Saturday.

“There should be some pain involved,” Shaw said. “I feel bad for our seniors. I feel like we let our seniors down. It’s something that we’re going to have to live with for 364 days.”

Cal (6-5, 3-5 Pac-12), on the other hand, became bowl eligible with Saturday’s win, and have done so in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2008-09.

In the first two minutes of the game, it appeared that Stanford would not have much of an issue, particularly after the Cal secondary blew its zone coverage on the left side of the field and allowed junior quarterback Davis Mills to find an uncovered Donald Stewart to catch a 40-yard touchdown to give Stanford an early 7-0 lead.

Mills started out sharp, as he completed 16 of his 19 throws for 183 yards and that early touchdown. He finished with 283 yards on 26-of-35 passing, but he was intercepted twice early in the second half, and that seemed to slow down the Cardinal attack significantly.

Cal had an answer late in the first quarter, as the Golden Bears drove 90 yards. Christopher Brown, Jr. punctuated things with a 7-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

After the two teams traded field goals, the Golden Bears got the ball late in the second quarter and proceeded to convert a pair of long third downs. The drive came to a screeching halt when a pass from Garbers to receiver Jordan Duncan, which would have put the ball at Stanford’s 2-yard line, was called back by a holding penalty.

Stanford’s defense eventually held, and when Jovan Swann blocked the ensuing field-goal attempt, the two teams went into their respective locker rooms at halftime tied at 10-10.

The Cardinal defense tightened up again to start the second half and gave the offense a short field late in the third quarter. The Cardinal marched down the field and took a 17-10 lead when Cameron Scarlett went horizontal for a 1-yard touchdown plunge and stayed that way for a moment, as one of his offensive linemen ended up holding him like a groom holding a bride.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Cal got its offense back on track, with receiver Nikko Remigio being the key. Remigio got behind the Cardinal defense for a 40-yard hookup, and three plays later, Garbers found him in the back of the end zone to even the score.

The Cardinal then took the ball and came within inches of a touchdown when Mills’ pass was a bit too high for tight end Colby Parkinson in the back of the end zone. The Cardinal settled for Sanborn’s field goal before Garbers’ heroics on the ensuing drive.

“It’s awesome,” senior linebacker Evan Weaver said. “It would have been (nice) to do it in Berkeley, but to do it here, it’s even better. Just to take it away from them on their field, and to see all those sad fans, it’s perfect.”

Cardinal stretch season-opening win streak to six; beat William & Mary 81-50

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Photo credit: @StanfordMBB

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Thursday, November 21, 2019

Tyrell Terry continued his hot shooting for Stanford on Thursday, as the undefeated Cardinal overwhelmed visiting William & Mary 81-50 in non-conference men’s basketball before an announced crowd of 2,502 at Maples Pavilion.

Terry was 8 of 11 shooting overall, 5 of 7 behind the arc, and finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Oscar da Silva and Daejon Davis each added 14 points for the Cardinal (6-0). Da Silva was 5 of 8 from the floor, and Davis made 8 of 11 field goals (2 of 2 3-pointers).

Terry was averaging 14.0 points per game going into Thursday’s game and leads the Cardinal with 3.4 assists per game.

This is the first time Stanford opened a season with six wins since 2008-09.

Andy Van Vliet led William & Mary (4-2) with 11 points, with Quinn Blair adding 10 points. Nathan Knight, who netted 30 points against Oklahoma, was held to 2 of 4 field goals and five rebounds.

Overall, the Cardinal shot 55 percent (26 of 47 field goals, including 8 of 16 3-pointers), and made 21 of 30 free throws. Stanford outrebounded the Tribe 39-25.

Stanford held the Tribe scoreless for a 4:26 stretch in the first half and closed out the half with an 8-2 run, building a 39-25 halftime lead. The Cardinal outscored William & Mary 49-25 in the second half.

Going into Thursday’s game, the Tribe matched a school record with three straight road wins. W&M started 4-0 for the first time in 27 years, and Dane Fischer is the first Tribe coach to win his first four games since 1943-44.

The Cardinal hit the road next week, when they travel to the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, meeting Oklahoma on Monday.

Stanford freshman RB Austin Jones could break Cal fans’ hearts on Saturday

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

Stanford freshman running back Austin Jones attended Bishop O’Dowd High in Oakland and most of his friends are Cal fans. On Saturday, he will play in his first Big Game and try to help Stanford break their hearts.

“I moved here in seventh grade, so I got to go to a couple games,” said Jones, who moved around a lot growing up. “I didn’t really pull for anybody, but I know it’s a heated, long-term rivalry. I just picked up on the emotion that comes with the game.”

Jones’ phone has been blowing up all week.

“I have a lot of good friends on their team,” Jones said. “We’ve been jabbing at each other a little bit and chopping it up. We’re going to get after each other.”

Neither school has produced the season it envisioned. Both have been racked by injuries as Stanford enters with a 4-6, 3-5 Pac-12 record and Cal enters with a 5-5, 2-5 Pac-12 record. The Cardinal boasts a series-high nine-game winning streak, but season records in the 121-year rivalry, often prove meaningless.

“The records don’t matter,” said senior inside linebacker Curtis Robinson, who will play for the Axe for the fourth time. “We know that we’re going to get their best shot because it’s Big Game week. It’s always that way.”

Stanford junior quarterback Davis Mills grew up in Duluth, Ga. and will experience his first start in the rivalry. He quickly discovered the significance of the contest.

“I kind of felt it right when I stepped on campus,” Mills said. “The Big Game is always circled. It should be fun to finally play in the game and I know there is a bunch of tradition behind it and all the ceremonies.”

For the last nine years, no Cardinal senior has tasted defeat.

“It’s kind of crazy to hear our coaches talking about it’s for the seniors and sitting back thinking, ‘Oh, that’s me,”’ said Robinson. “It’s been crazy to win those games with the senior classes and I’m starting to feel the importance of what this game means.”

Robinson knows he’s playing for more than his teammates.

“It means more to us to win the Axe for the Stanford community as a whole,” Robinson said. “Obviously, it’s very important to our pride as a team. But we understand we’re playing for something bigger.”

In the Stanford football office, the Andrew Luck Auditorium includes a wall of photos of seniors who have won the Big Game.

“We talk about the streak,” said Jones. “We always talk about how we don’t want to let our seniors down and want them to put their pictures on the wall.”

David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, starts off every Big Game week by reminding his team to keep emotions in check, especially the young players.

“This is a different game,” Shaw said. “We have to prepare as well as we can on the X’s and O’s side, but at the same time play with emotion and not let the emotion rule us. It will be a very hotly contested.”

Former Stanford standout Richard Sherman, now playing for the San Francisco 49ers, is pulling for his alma mater.

“The Axe belongs at Stanford,” Sherman said. “There is so much history and it’s such a great rivalry. I feel good about our chances to win it again.”

INJURY UPDATE
Senior quarterback K.J. Costello, senior free safety Malik Antoine, junior cornerback Paulson Adebo and junior tight end Tucker Fisk will not play Saturday. Senior cornerbacks Obi Eboh and Treyjohn Butler are questionable.

Freshman Ryan Sanborn handled kickoffs and field goal/extra points against Washington State but did not punt. He might be available to punt, but Shaw praised the efforts of sophomore Alex Gracey, who downed two of his three kicks inside the 5-yard line last week and could punt again.

“He did a great job,” Shaw said.

Stanford could start three true freshmen in its secondary.

“It’s all-hands on deck,” Shaw said.

MIGHTY MILLS
Mills broke a 21-year-old Stanford single-game passing record at Washington State by throwing for 504 yards.

“Davis had an exceptional game,” said Shaw. “He caught fire, got the protection and a bunch of guys made plays. He broke a record that has been around for a long time. That was a positive for the football team, but we have to do things like that and win.”

Mills made his college debut earlier this year at USC and missed some throws. Shaw said his coming out party was against Oregon State.

“He played a complete game and made some of those throws he missed against USC,” Shaw said. “He almost played better against Washington than he did this past weekend.”

The even-keeled Mills seldom shows much emotion on or off the field. Asked to assess last week’s performance, he said: “I thought overall, I played well. In the end, it would have been nice to get a win.”

Mills credited his line and receivers, and said their hard work was rewarded.

“It really showed what everybody can do,” Mills said. “We’re still chasing perfection.”

Despite all that, Shaw continues to remind himself that Mills only has four college starts.

“He’s still a growing, inexperienced quarterback with a lot of talent,” said Shaw. “He’s much, much closer to his potential, but there’s a lot more up there.”

FRIENDS FOREVER
Last week, Shaw received a text from Sherman with a photo of the two at a recent game between the 49ers and Carolina Panthers. Sherman reminded Shaw that football is only a game and Shaw shared the well-received message with his players after practice.

“It’s the truth,” said Sherman. “At the end of the day, you win some, you lose some and you fight as hard as you can. But once this game is done and the lights are off and the fans are gone, the people that are left are your friends. What’s left are the relationships that you have with the people that you went through the struggles with. Those memories and people are real, and they’ll last you a lifetime.

“At the end of the day, if you win a million championships or lose a million championships, it doesn’t change the relationships and friendship that you have. Those are special, regardless of the outcome of the games or the season.”

WONDERFUL WEAVER
Cal senior inside linebacker Evan Weaver leads the FBS with 151 tackles and averages 15.1 per game. He collected 22 stops against Utah.

Last year, Weaver made 159 tackles, second-most in school history.

“Somehow, Weaver has gotten bigger and faster,” Shaw said. “He’s the best linebacker we’ve seen all year. He just has to be accounted for and he’s hard to block.”

Asked how that can best be accomplished, Shaw said, “First of all, we hope Weaver misses the bus.”

THEME GAME
Every fan who enters Saturday’s game with a paid ticket will receive a long sleeve T-shirt courtesy of Stanford Medicine. Additionally, Stanford will honor local veterans, military, fire and police officers in conjunction with Veterans Day.

The annual Big Game Rally will be held Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium and is open to the public. The Gaieties, dating back to 1911, will be staged Wednesday through Friday at 8 pm.

NOTES
Shaw praised his team Wednesday night after a spirited practice. “I like where we are between the ears,” Shaw said … Stanford leads the overall series, 64-46-11 … Shaw is 8-0 against Cal … Former Cardinal standout safety John Lynch ’92 will be recognized as part of the 125-year celebration of Stanford football. He’s now general manager of the 49ers … Sophomore wide receiver Simi Fehoko has six touchdown catches in his last five games … The Cardinal has played 20 freshmen this season and 18 saw action last week … Saturday’s game will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.

QUOTE
“You have to amp up your energy and your execution to play at your absolute best, but you also have to know where that line is. This is a respectful rivalry.” — David Shaw on playing Cal.

Stanford Cardinal podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Big Game coming, will Cardinal show up against Cal?; Cardinal MBB looks for 5 straight tonight

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On the Cardinal podcast with Jerry Feitelberg:

#1 Jerry, we’ll start with football first. The Cardinal are coming off two loses going into the Big Game at Stanford this Saturday. Are their any concerns that head coach David Shaw should have going into this one?

#2 In the those two losses, the Cardinal were really taken out of their last game with a 49-22 loss to Washington State University. Will defense be a concern for Stanford?

#3 The Cardinal’s quarterback David Mills threw 33 for 50, for 504 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions he got lost of yards against the Cougars. Is this something that could be of an advantage against a struggling Cal team who has lost three of their last four?

#4 The Stanford Cardinal men’s basketball team is racking up the wins they did it again on Tuesday night against Maryland Eastern Shore with a 76-55 win and controlled the offense for most of the game.

#5 The Cardinal host William and Mary Tribe tonight. The Cardinal have now won four straight are undefeated and dominated in their last game. Jerry tells us how Stanford will do in this one.

Jerry Feitelberg is a beat writer for Stanford Cardinal basketball and does the Cardinal podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford Cardinal Overwhelm the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks 76-55

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Photo credit: @StanfordMBB

By Jerry Feitelberg

STANFORD — The Stanford Cardinal had very little trouble beating the visiting team fro Maryland Eastern Shore. The University, part of the University of Maryland system, is a historically Black college with an enrollment of 2862 students. The college is located in Princess Anne, Maryland.

The Cardinal rushed out to a 14-1 advantage early in the first half. The Hawks’ first three points were free throws. They didn’t score their first basket until 8 minutes were played. Stanford continued to dominate play on both ends of the court. The offense finished the first half with a 30-point lead 46-16. Stanford’s Oscar Da Silva led the Cardinal offense.

In the second half, the young men from Maryland Eastern Shore regrouped and made a run to get back in the game. It was not easy as they were down by thirty points. The Hawks came out and went on a 13-3 run. They were helped by Stanford’s sloppy play early in the second half. The Hawk cut the deficit to 49-29. Stanford righted the ship behind the play of Isaac White and Jaiden Delaire. Stanford led again by thirty 69-39. It was at this point in the game that Stanford’s head coach Jerod Haase inserted players from the bench. The Cardinal won their fifth in a row to win 76-55.

Game Notes: The Cardinal improved to 5-0 while Maryland Eastern Shore remained winless, and their record is now 0-5.

The Cardinal had four players in double figures. They were led bt Jaiden Delaire. Delaire had 21, Oscar da Sila 16, Spencer Jones 12, and Tyrell Terry 10.

The Hawks’ Canaan Bartlet led the team with 10. No other player from Maryland Eastern Shore was in double figures.

Up Next: The Cardinal returns to action Thursday night at Maples Pavilion to face the Team from William and Mary University. The game will start at 7 pm.

Stanford and Cal battle for the Axe on Saturday

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Photo credit: californiagoldenblogs.com

By Ana Kieu

The Stanford Cardinal and Cal Golden Bears meet for the 122nd time on Saturday, with the Cardinal leading the all-time series 64-46-11. Stanford has won nine straight in the series, the longest winning streak in series history.

The Big Game is the sixth-most played college football rivalry game. Cal is Stanford’s most common opponent (next is USC with 99 all-time meetings). Stanford’s 64 victories over Cal are its most against any opponent.

Under head coach David Shaw, Stanford is 22-6 against Cal, UCLA and USC. In the six seasons before Shaw, the Cardinal was 7-11 against those three teams. Overall, Stanford is 28-7 against in-state opponents under Shaw.

A total of 20 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. Eighteen true freshmen played in Saturday’s game at Washington State.

A total of 17 Cardinal have made their first career starts so far: Ryan Beecher, Branson Bragg, Henry Hattis, Stuart Head, Houston Heimuli, 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. Thirty-seven different Cardinal have started at least one game for Stanford this season.

Junior quarterback Davis Mills set the school record for passing on Saturday with 504 yards. He was 33-of-50, both career highs, while his three touchdowns tied a career high. He became the first Cardinal QB since Andrew Luck in 2009 to have a 400-yard passing game, breaking Todd Husak’s 21-year record in the process (450 vs. Oregon State on Oct. 10, 1998).

Junior tight end Colby Parkinson was named a John Mackey Award semifinalist on Monday, one of eight up for the nation’s top tight end award. Parkinson has 41 catches for 392 yards and a touchdown on the season, while also throwing for a touchdown against Oregon State.

Both Connor Wedington and Michael Wilson went over 100 yards receiving in Saturday’s game at Washington State. It marked the first time in each of their careers they had surpassed the century mark. Wedington led the team with eight catches for 119 yards and now has a catch in all 27 career games. Wilson had five receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Cal Bears podcast with Morris Phillips: Was it a matter of Modster not getting enough protection or was USC defense just that good?

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photo from sfgate.com: Southern California’s Amon-Ra St. Brown (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against California during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, in Berkeley, Calif.

On the Cal Bears podcast with Morris:

#1 Morris, was it just a matter of not enough offense for the Cal Bears or the USC Trojans just had a great game plan to stop the run on the Bears all day long, crushing them 41-17 at Cal Memorial on Saturday night?

#2 Talk about the job that USC quarterback Kedon Slovis did — throwing for 406 yards, going 29-35, four touchdowns. Was Slovis’ game a game that he realized Cal was going to be relatively easy to throw on?

#3 For Cal quarterback David Modster who took over for starting quarterback Chase Garbers, the Trojan defense kept him running all night. For Modster, he completed 11 out 22 passes, 95 yards, intercepted twice, and no touchdowns.

#4 Cal running back DeShawn Collins kept Cal on the scoreboard at the very least, scoring two touchdowns, carried 15 times for 103 yards and had two interceptions.

#5 Cal has lost five or their last six games. They face the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford, a game that Morris and Jeremy Harness will be covering. Morris sets up The Big Game prediction for us.

Catch Morris Mondays for all the Cal Bears podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Stanford’s Mills joins elite company with record-setting performance

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

The Stanford Cardinal record book is filled with accomplished quarterbacks such as Frankie Albert, John Brodie, Dick Norman, Jim Plunkett, Steve Dils, Guy Benjamin, Mike Boryla, John Elway, Steve Stenstrom, Todd Husak, Andrew Luck and Kevin Hogan.

Add Davis Mills to the record book.

On Saturday in Pullman, Wash., Mills achieved something no other Cardinal signal caller had done. In just his fourth college start, the junior from Duluth, Ga., threw for 504 yards against Washington State, breaking the single-game record of 450 set by Husak against Oregon State in 1998.

“You see the potential, you see the ability,” said Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw. “This kid has a chance to be very special.”

It was the first 400-yard passing game for Stanford since Luck went for 423 at Arizona in 2009.

Mills was subbing for senior starter K.J. Costello, who has now missed four and a half games this season due to injury. Shaw’s game plan wasn’t to air it out or attempt 50 passes, but when the Cardinal fell behind 19-0 early in the second quarter to the top passing team in college football on its home turf, he had little choice.

“Once we were down three scores, we had to throw the ball,” Shaw said.

Mills, who passed for 6,290 yards and 66 touchdowns at Greater Atlanta Christian High, obliged.

Showing poise, patience and accuracy, Mills connected with 10 different receivers for 33 completions, three producing touchdowns in the 49-22 defeat.

With Mills leading the way, Stanford clawed within three points (23-20) with 4:18 remaining in the third quarter on his 10-yard scoring toss to sophomore Simi Fehoko and fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett’s two-point conversion.

Four Stanford players finished with 80 or more receiving yards, led by junior Connor Wedington with eight catches for 119 and sophomore Michael Wilson with five for 114. Fehoko grabbed three for 92 and junior Colby Parkinson collected five for 80.

“We’ve got outstanding receivers,” Shaw said.

Wedington and Wilson recorded career-highs in receiving yards, each topping 100 for the first time. Wedington has a reception in all 27 games at Stanford, while Fehoko registered his second two-touchdown game and has six scoring grabs in his last five contests.

THIN SECONDARY
With junior cornerback Paulson Adebo, the Pac-12 leader in passes defended and No. 5 nationally, and senior captain and free safety Malik Antoine sidelined by injuries, Shaw started true freshmen Jonathan McGill at nickel back and Kyu Blu Kelly at cornerback. The situation became more challenging when senior cornerbacks Obi Eboh and Treyjohn Butler went down.

“Obviously, we were shorthanded,” Shaw said. “We fought hard.”

Unable to mount a pass rush against Cougar quarterback Anthony Gordon, a transfer from San Francisco City College and the nation’s leading passer, Washington State piled up 624 yards — 520 through the air — and never punted.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

BIG GAME
After two road losses, Stanford (4-6, 3-5 Pac-12) looks to regroup at home on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Cal (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12). The Bears lost to USC 41-17 on Saturday night.

Stanford has won a series-high nine consecutive games against Cal. Shaw has grappled with injuries all season and might not know who is available until late in the week.

“We’ve got the talent to hang with them, but we can’t make a lot of mistakes and we don’t have a large margin of error,” Shaw said. “We might have a lot of young guys out there, but we’ll get them ready to battle.”

Last year’s game in Berkeley was postponed due to poor air quality from the Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. It marked the first time in 55 years the game date was moved.

MORE MOTIVATION
Shaw said there is plenty to play for against Cal and Notre Dame. Stanford needs two wins to become postseason eligible.

“We’re not even thinking about a bowl game right now,” said Shaw. “We’ve got two of our big-time rivals at home in November. We have to craft the best game plan possible.”

REMEMBERING RALSTON
A public celebration for former Stanford head coach John Ralston will be held on Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Stanford Memorial Church. Limited parking is available near the Campus Oval, and a shuttle service will run between the Stanford Faculty Club (439 Lagunita Drive) and Memorial Church starting at 4 p.m.

Ralston revived the Stanford football program and led the team to consecutive Rose Bowl victories in 1971 and 1972. Known for his outgoing personality, energy and positive attitude, he coached at Stanford for nine years from 1963-1971 and compiled a 55-36-3 record.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

NOTES
Curtis Robison returned to the lineup and shared game tackling honors with nine. Kendall Williamson and Stuart Head had seven stops … Stanford used nine true freshmen on the kickoff coverage team … Scooter Harrington started at tight end, marking the 37th different player to start for the Cardinal this season … With Bradley Archer, Joshua Pakola and Nicolas Toomer seeing their first game action, Stanford has now used 20 true freshmen this season … Casey Toohill blocked an extra point, the third blocked kick by the Cardinal this season (Eboh on a field goal against Oregon State and Spencer Jorgensen on a blocked punt against UCLA) … Toohill also had a sack, his team-leading seventh of the season, and ranks third in the Pac-12 and 27th nationally … McGill made his first career pass interception to thwart a WSU scoring drive … Alex Gracey punted for the first time as a Cardinal. Two of his three kicks were downed inside the WSU 5-yard line … Jeff Raikes ’80, Chairman of the Stanford University Board of Trustees since 2012 and Co-Founder of the Raikes Foundation, served as Stanford’s honorary captain.

QUOTE
“I like to think it was my tutoring over the summer as he was my intern @CBRE_PaloAlto.” — Husak, the Stanford football radio analyst, on his Twitter account about Mills breaking his passing record.

Stanford wins fourth game in a row, rolls past Broncos 82-64

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gostanford.com: Stanford Cardinal guard Tyrell Terry drives on the Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday night at Maples Pavilion at Stanford.

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, November 16, 2019

The 1-2-3 scoring punch of Tyrell Tyler, Oscar da Silva and Daejon Davis helped Stanford pull away in the second half and hand Santa Clara its first loss of the season on Saturday, as the Cardinal prevailed 82-64 in non-conference men’s basketball at Maples Pavilion.

It was the fourth straight win to open the season for the Cardinal.

Stanford led by as many as 22 in the contest, but the Broncos raced to a 7-0 lead to start the game, as the Cardinal were scoreless in the first 3 ½ minutes.

The Cardinal led 38-32 at halftime, before outscoring the Broncos 44-32 in the second half.

Tyler was 5 of 12 from the floor and sank all 11 of his free throws to lead the Cardinal (4-0 overall) with 21 points. Da Silva was next with 18 points, followed by Davis with 15.

Da Silva and Lukas Kisunas each pulled down 10 rebounds for Stanford.

Forward Josip Vrankic was the only player to score in double figures for Santa Clara (3-1), finishing with 13 points.

Stanford shot 50 percent from the field (26-54, 4-10 3-point), while Santa Clara was held to 38 percent (21-55, 6-21 3-point).

When Maryland-Eastern Shore visits the Farm on Tuesday (7 p.m.), it’s the fifth of six straight home games for the Cardinal.