Tag: Stanford Cardinal

John Ralston (1927-2019) once coached the SJSU Spartans

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Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By Ana Kieu

John Ralston was one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most popular and beloved college and professional sports figures and passed away peacefully in Sunnyvale, Calif., on September 14, 2019.

Ralston’s impact on the Bay Area sports scene spanned 60 years from his days as a linebacker on the 1947 through 1950 University of California, Berkeley football teams playing for legendary coach Lynn “Pappy” Waldorf” into the 21st century as a special assistant to the athletics director at San Jose State University.

HIS FOOTBALL COACHING CAREER: Ralston was best known as a football coach with a positive approach to life that took Utah State University, Stanford University and the Denver Broncos to unprecedented success.

Ralston began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at San Lorenzo (Calif.) High in 1953 and spent two seasons at Mt. Diablo High before returning to Cal. He returned to the University of California in 1956 as an assistant football coach and was on the staff for the 1958 Golden Bears’ team that played in the 1959 Rose Bowl.

Ralston was the head coach at Utah State (1959-62), Stanford (1963-71), Denver Broncos (1972-76), Oakland Invaders (1983-84) and San Jose State (1993-96). Combining his college and pro head coaching records, his teams amassed a 140-126-7 win-loss record.

Ralston’s Utah State teams played in the 1960 Sun Bowl and 1961 Gotham Bowl and his Stanford squads won consecutive Pacific 8 Conference championships and Rose Bowls following the 1970 and 1971 regular seasons. The Broncos’ first winning season in franchise history was in 1973, his second as a NFL head coach.

Ralston’s coaching tree included former NFL head coaches the late Bill Walsh, Dick Vermeil, Jim Mora, Sr., Mike White, the late Rod Rust, the late Jack Christiansen and college head coaches the late Roger Theder, the late Tony Knap, Ed Peasley and Rubin Carter.

Ralston’s best-known players included 1970 Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett at Stanford and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Merlin Olsen at Utah State.

MORE THAN A FOOTBALL COACH: Ralston’s football experiences extended beyond coaching players and his assistants. He was the Broncos’ general manager and head coach. He was a Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach to Vermeil in 1978. He was the vice president of the San Francisco 49ers during the 1979 and 1980 seasons. He was the president of the Portland Breakers in 1984 and 1985.

Ralston scouted for the Seattle Seahawks in 1988 and 1989 and served three years — 1990 through 1992 — as the coordinator for Operation Discovery, a search for foreign-born football players of the World League of American Football. His search took him to the Soviet Union and a short-lived position as head coach of the Moscow Bears, the U.S.S.R’s first pro football team.

Ralston, a one-time Dale Carnegie Courses instructor, also served as an administrator for Major League Volleyball, a pro women’s volleyball league, and the general manager of the Sacramento Capitols team tennis franchise.

Ralston, a Oakland, Calif. native, was born on April 26, 1927, and spent parts of his youth in Norway, Michigan. He graduated from the University of California in 1951.

A World War II veteran, Ralston served in the Marine Corps, achieving the rank of corporal. He was stationed mainly on the S.S. Little Rock in the South Pacific.

SOME HONORS & ACCOLADES: Ralston’s lengthy list of accolades includes induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1996, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, the San Jose Hall of Fame in 2001; and the Sports Halls of Fame for San Jose State, Stanford and Utah State.

As a coach, Ralston was named Stanford’s “Coach of the Century” when the university celebrated its centennial anniversary of football in 1991 and the 1973 United Press International’s American Football Conference “Coach of the Year” in his second season with the Broncos.

Ralston is survived by his daughter, Terry (Ralston) Zaffonato, four grandsons, two granddaughters, and one great granddaughter. He was predeceased by his wife of 46 years, Patty (Ward) Ralston; a son, Larry; a daughter, Sherry (Ralston) Brown, the twin sister of Terry; and Virginia Fanelli, his life partner following the passing of Patty.

A celebration of life for Ralston will be announced in the near future.

No. 17 Central Florida routs Cardinal 45-27

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gostanford.com photo: Stanford Cardinal running back Austin Jones (20) finds day light on this carry against the UCF Knights Saturday September 14, 2019.

By Daniel Dullum
Sports Radio Service
Saturday, September 14, 2019

Stanford’s football trip to Orlando, Fla., was less than satisfying on Sept. 14, as No. 17 Central Florida routed the Cardinal 45-27. It was the Knights’ 28th win in their last 29 games.

Freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel threw for 347 yards and four touchdowns in his second start for UCF (3-0). Gabriel completed 22 of 30 passes; his TD throws were 28 yards to Marlon Williams, 38 yards to Tre Nixon, 38 yards to Gabriel Davis and 1 yard to Jake Hescook.

Greg McCrae gained 109 rushing yards and a touchdown for UCF.

In addition, the Knights scored 30-or more points for the 29th straight game – the longest streak since 1936 in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Cardinal (1-2) surrendered four touchdowns in the first quarter and 413 total offense yards in the first half alone.

Offensively for the Cardinal, K.J. Costello completed 21 of 44 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and an interception that led to a Knights score. Costello sat out the USC game with a head injury.

Cardinal running back Austin Jones scored from 35 yards out and led Stanford with 65 rushing yards.

UCF’s domination included scoring on six of its seven possessions while building a 31-point halftime lead.

This was the first regular season game Stanford has ever played in the state of Florida. The Cardinal have appeared in three bowl games in the Sunshine State – the 1986 Gator Bowl (vs. Clemson), the 1993 Blockbuster Bowl (vs. Penn State) and the 2011 Orange Bowl (vs. Virginia Tech).

Next week, the Cardinal return home to host No. 15 Oregon on Saturday.

Stanford kicks off against #17 UCF on Saturday

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

Backing up two of the most accomplished players in program history wasn’t easy for fifth-year senior and team captain Cameron Scarlett. Well, at least not for a guy who ran for nearly 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns his last two seasons at Central Catholic High in Portland, Oregon.

“When I was behind Christian (McCaffrey) and Bryce (Love), I was just trying to absorb everything I could,” said Scarlett. “I knew they had this out-of-this-world talent and were going to have crazy years. My biggest thing was just trying to fit in where I could and make plays for the team.”

Scarlett became a short-yardage specialist and workhorse in the fourth quarter, helping preserve leads. Last year, he excelled on kickoff returns, his 1,008 return yards ranking first in the Pac-12 and second in the nation. Scarlett brought back 12 kicks for 30 or more yards — the top figure in the country — nearly breaking several.

“I was trying to return every kick for a touchdown knowing that I didn’t have that big of a role,” Scarlett said this week, as the Cardinal (1-1, 0-1 Pac-12) prepares for Saturday’s nationally-televised game against No. 17 UCF (2-0) in Orlando, Florida.

Through two games, Scarlett has rushed for a team-best 179 yards on 39 carries (4.6 average) and recorded a career-high 97 in the opener against Northwestern. Named to the Doak Walker Award watch list, he has 233 all-purpose yards, second-most on the team.

A two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection who earned his degree in science, technology and society last June, Scarlett weighed his options after the 2018 season. His older brother Brennan came to Stanford from Cal in 2016 as a graduate transfer and now serves as a starting outside linebacker with the Houston Texans.

“There were some question marks,” said Scarlett. “It just came down to talking to my family and figuring out what was going to be best for my future. I still felt like I had a lot to prove here. I’ve had some ups and downs, but I’ve never had the opportunity to take over and be the guy. That was my goal when I came here.”

Once Scarlett made the decision to return, he was all in.

“I knew I was going to have to take on more of a leadership role,” Scarlett said. “The offense goes as the running backs go. I changed my mindset of leading by example and being more vocal. Being one of three fifth-year guys, I knew people were looking up to me.”

David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, has been impressed by Scarlett’s work ethic and mentoring with the younger running backs.

“Once he made the decision to come back, he’s pushed himself,” said Shaw. “He’s in phenomenal shape, he’s quicker than he’s ever been, he’s explosive, and he’s taking a lot of pride in it.”

Scarlett, however, is hardly satisfied.

“Just assuming that role as the No. 1 back has given me more confidence,” Scarlett said.

“I put more stress on myself to make plays. I’ve left a lot of yards out there and want to keep improving.”

INJURY UPDATE: Shaw announced Tuesday that quarterback K.J. Costello will return to the starting lineup. He’s missed the last six quarters after taking a late hit against Northwestern.

Junior starting left tackle Walker Little, injured late in the game against Northwestern, won’t return this season.

“We look forward to him coming back full go,” Shaw said.

Freshman Walter Rouse will start for the second straight game in his absence.

“Walter played really well last week,” Shaw said of his showing against USC. “Not perfect, but really hard. He’s only going to grow and improve.”

Additionally, junior right tackle Foster Sarell is doubtful against UCF. Freshman offensive tackle Barrett Miller saw action against USC and is in the mix for Saturday.

The good news is that Stanford has depth on the offensive line and the roster includes five talented freshmen. Shaw won’t make any decisions on his starters until later in the week and will likely rotate players in the hot and humid conditions.

“More young guys are going to get playing time,” Shaw said.

Promising sophomore inside linebackers Ricky Miezan and Jacob Mangum-Farrar are unlikely to play. Miezan is sidelined indefinitely and Magnum-Farrar is doubtful.

SERIES HISTORY: In the only previous meeting against UCF in 2015, Stanford rolled to a 31-7 home victory as Kevin Hogan passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns and McCaffrey had 166 all-purpose yards and scored on a pass reception. Love, a freshman, dazzled the home crowd with a 93-yard catch-and-run, a glimpse of things to come.

CHALLENGING CONDITIONS: The last time Stanford played in Florida was on Jan. 3, 2011, when they beat No. 12 Virginia Tech, 40-12 in the Orange Bowl in Miami. Saturday’s forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms and a high of 85 degrees and 73 percent humidity.

“There are a lot of variables,” said Shaw. “When they line up to play on Saturday, we want to make sure they are properly rested, have proper nutrition and are properly hydrated. And the guys have to buy in and be active participants.”

The team will bring 80 players — the same as a Pac-12 game — and departs Thursday. Stanford will conduct a light, non-contact workout on Friday at UCF’s indoor practice facility.

Given the climate, extra day of preparation and likelihood of rain, the training staff shipped an extra palette of Gatorade earlier this week. The equipment staff packed extra practice gear, rain gear and doubled the balls they usually take, bringing 24.

“You’re packing for a bowl game, but instead of a week it’s two days,” said equipment director Greg Valenzisi. “The biggest thing is if you don’t have it, you’re not going to get it.”

Extra staff will make the trip to distribute water.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS: “They’re very fast and very confident,” Shaw said of UCF. “They’re very aggressive and do a lot on the defensive side. A lot of different coverages and blitzes. This will be the quickest tempo team we’ve played in years. The biggest thing is you have to communicate quickly and get lined up.”

UCF’s no-huddle offense doesn’t give opponents a chance to substitute on defense.

“The guys who are out there have to stay out there,” said Shaw. “But we have to give different guys series’ so they can stay fresh and I think we’re deep enough to be able to do that.”

ELIMINATING ERRORS: Penalties have hampered the offense and Shaw expects the group to reduce them going forward, especially up front.

“Always harping on that,” Shaw said. “We want to go the whole game without saying their names. That’s something we have addressed many times and will continue to address because we don’t want penalties erasing big plays.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

PLAYING TIME: Through two games, eight players have made their first collegiate starts: Henry Hattis (right guard), Houston Heimuli (fullback), Davis Mills (quarterback), Rouse (left tackle) and Sarell (left tackle) on offense, and J.J. Parson (nickel back), Andrew Pryts (inside linebacker) and Curtis Robinson (inside linebacker) on defense. In addition, Ryan Sanborn has handled the punting duties.

FROSH CONTRIBUTORS: In the early stages, 10 first-year student-athletes have contributed: wide receiver Elijah Higgins, running back Austin Jones, safety Brock Jones, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, cornerback Zahran Manley, safety Jonathan McGill, Miller, running back Nathaniel Peat, Rouse and Sanborn.

NOTES: Under Shaw, Stanford is 20-6 coming off a loss … The Cardinal has forced five turnovers in two games and ranks No. 14 nationally … Brock Jones has made two tackles on special teams … The coaching staff will take advantage of the trip to watch potential recruits and visit with counselors in Florida, Georgia and other regions on Friday … Stanford will host Oregon at 4 p.m. PT next Saturday on ESPN. It will mark the fourth contest played before the autumn quarter starts on Sept. 23. Game themes include Hall of Fame Recognition, Set the Expectation and New Student Orientation.

QUOTE: “We have to try and find a way to raise our level of expectations in all three phases against a team that doesn’t give games away.” — David Shaw

Stanford receiver Connor Wedington named to 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

Junior wide receiver Connor Wedington was named to the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team on Thursday. Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the news. A total of 22 student-athletes and one honorary coach were selected to the team after 137 were nominated.

“Because being a student-athlete is about more than their performance on the field, we’re honored to share the stories of these deserving young men who embody the ‘good’ in college athletics,” said John O’Donnell, president of Allstate’s Western Territory. “At Allstate, we are inspired by their positive impact and we unite in this passion to serve local communities.”

Wedington has made an impact in the community through his organization, Hope Given By, that he helped start in January of this year. Hope Given By is a nonprofit organization that aims to foster relationships between Stanford students and San Francisco’s homeless population. Wedington was integral in organizing members of the team to go to the city each weekend during the offseason to provide basic necessities and items to the homeless such as food and clothing items like socks, shoes, pants and jackets.

Hope Given By’s outreach team has been able to serve and connect with more than 1,000 members of the homeless community of the Tenderloin, San Francisco, with many of the items donated and collected by the Stanford football team.

“I’ve had the privilege of not only being a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, but also witnessing firsthand how these young men are able to inspire and ultimately change the lives of those around them,” said Tim Tebow, two-time national champion and former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team member. “Each year, I’m impressed by the way that Allstate and the AFCA share the important stories of these players’ ‘good works,’ and I’m honored to be part of such a special program that has become a source of inspiration in the college football community.”

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be invited to the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl and will join Tebow and Allstate volunteers to give back to New Orleans through a special community service project. Allstate will recognize the team during the halftime show.

Fans are invited to visit ESPN.com/Allstate to vote for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain once per day, now through Nov. 22. The team captain will be honored at the Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN later this season.

The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team was selected by an esteemed voting panel, which includes Tebow, Herbstreit and O’Donnell, along with Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team), Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team), Wes Counts (Middle Tennessee State, 1999 team), media members Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star), and Paul Myerberg (USA TODAY), Frank Solich, 2019 AFCA President and Ohio University head coach, and Joe Taylor, 2001 AFCA president and athletic director at Virginia Union University.

“This is the 12th year that Allstate has partnered with the AFCA to help honor deserving football student-athletes on the Good Works Team,” AFCA Executive Director Todd Berry said. “This award embodies what is great about the human spirit, football student-athletes and coaches from all parts of the country dedicated to one thing, giving of their time and energy to make a difference in their communities.”

Stanford MBB announces 2019-20 schedule

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

Stanford men’s basketball’s complete conference slate and television selections were announced by the Pac-12 Conference on Thursday.

For the first time in 36 years, Stanford will play nine nonconference games at Maples Pavilion during the regular season, including a Dec. 29 matchup with Kansas. The home conference slate opens on Jan. 2 against Cal and also features Maples Pavilion visits from Washington (Jan. 9), Oregon (Feb. 1), Arizona State (Feb. 13) and Arizona (Feb. 15).

Season tickets are on sale now by calling 800-STANFORD (option 2).

After playing more road games than home contests in one of the nation’s toughest nonconference schedules a year ago, Stanford will be at home the first five weekends of the season, including a season-opening six-game homestand.

Stanford will also play in the inaugural Al Attles Classic at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The Cardinal will face San Diego as part of a quadruple header, scheduled for Dec. 21 at the new home of the Golden State Warriors. Tickets in the Stanford section for the first session of this quadruple header are available here.

In addition to its television broadcast schedule, every Cardinal game this upcoming season will again be carried via GoStanford.com‘s audio stream with Scott Reiss on play-by-play and John Platz returning as the analyst.

Here’s the complete schedule:

2019-20 Stanford Men’s Basketball Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time TV
Nov. 1 Sonoma State (Ex.) Stanford, Calif. TBA —
Nov. 6 Montana Stanford, Calif. 7 p.m. PT P12N
Nov. 9 Cal State Fullerton Stanford, Calif. 8 p.m. PT P12N
Nov. 12 Long Beach State Stanford, Calif. 6 p.m. PT P12N
Nov. 16 Santa Clara Stanford, Calif. 7 p.m. PT P12N
Nov. 19 UMES Stanford, Calif. 7 p.m. PT P12N
Nov. 21 William & Mary Stanford, Calif. 7 p.m. PT P12N
Nov. 25 Oklahoma Kansas City, Mo. 6:30 p.m. PT ESPN2
Nov. 26 Butler/Missouri Kansas City, Mo. 4/6:30 p.m. PT ESPN2/News
Dec. 1 UNC Wilmington Stanford, Calif. 1 p.m. PT P12N
Dec. 14 at San Jose State San Jose, Calif. 4 p.m. PT CBSSN
Dec. 17 San Francisco Stanford, Calif. 6 p.m. PT P12N
Dec. 21 San Diego San Francisco, Calif. Noon PT P12N
Dec. 29 Kansas Stanford, Calif. Noon PT TBD
Jan. 2 Cal Stanford, Calif. 8 p.m. PT P12N
Jan. 9 Washington Stanford, Calif. 6 p.m. PT FS1
Jan. 11 Washington State Stanford, Calif. 3 p.m. PT P12N
Jan. 15 at UCLA Los Angeles, Calif. 7 p.m. PT P12N
Jan. 18 at USC Los Angeles, Calif. 3:30 p.m. PT P12N
Jan. 26 at Cal Berkeley, Calif. 3 p.m. PT ESPNU
Jan. 30 Oregon State Stanford, Calif. 8 p.m. PT P12N
Feb. 1 Oregon Stanford, Calif. 3 p.m. PT P12N
Feb. 6 at Utah Salt Lake, City, Utah 7 p.m. PT P12N
Feb. 8 at Colorado Boulder, Colo. 3 p.m. PT P12N
Feb. 13 Arizona State Stanford, Calif. 8 p.m. PT ESPN2/U
Feb. 15 Arizona Stanford, Calif. 7:30 p.m. PT P12N
Feb. 20 at Washington Seattle, Wash. 7 p.m. PT P12N
Feb. 23 at Washington State Pullman, Wash. 5 p.m. PT ESPNU
Feb. 26 Utah Stanford, Calif. 7 p.m. PT P12N
March 1 Colorado Stanford, Calif. 3 p.m. PT ESPNU
March 5 at Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. 6 p.m. PT P12N
March 7 at Oregon Eugene, Ore. 8 p.m. PT FS1

Mills amazes on big stage in Stanford game against USC

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Photo credit: gostanford.com

By Ana Kieu

The last time Davis Mills started was in the state title game during his senior year at Greater Atlanta Christian in 2016 when he sustained a knee injury. Rated the top recruit in Georgia by several publications and the No. 1 pro-style quarterback prospect in the country, he threw for 6,290 yards and 66 touchdowns.

On Saturday night, Mills received his first college start under the bright lights on a big stage in front of a national television audience, quarterbacking No. 23 Stanford (1-1, 0-1 Pac-12) against USC (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12). After missing all but one contest the last two seasons due to knee injuries, the junior held his own in the 45-20 defeat to the Trojans.

“It felt great to get back out there,” said Mills. “It has been a long time. I struggled with a couple injuries my first year out here but getting back on the field always feels great … unfortunate result.”

Replacing injured senior K.J. Costello, Mills completed 22-of-36 passes for 237 yards, the most by a Cardinal signal-caller in their first career start since Kevin Hogan in 2012 (254). Composed and comfortable most of the way, despite a crowd of 62,109, Mills was sharp and tossed his first collegiate touchdown on a perfectly executed screen pass to junior wide receiver Connor Wedington in the first quarter.

Mills missed a few throws and was intercepted once, but he showed confidence, command and fight. He’ll grow from the experience.

“I thought we did pretty well at some things,” Mills said. “Definitely some things we can improve on going into the next couple of weeks. It’s a long season and we have a lot to work on.”

Arguably, Mills’ most impressive pass came on the first series of the third quarter, when he avoided the rush, stepped up and alertly shuffled the ball with is right hand to fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett on third-and-long to prolong the drive.

David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, saw the positives in Mills’ performance.

“I thought he played well,” Shaw said. “It’s just about not missing those opportunities. But I think he’s going to be outstanding. He’s got a great mind for the game. He’s athletic, has a great arm, he’s accurate. He’s going to be really, really good.”

Costello provided input on the sideline.

“He was in my ear pretty much between every possession,” Mills said. “I could bounce some stuff off him because he has all the experience. He was great helping me out throughout the game.”

WORK TO DO: Leading 20-10 with 7:57 remaining in the second quarter, Stanford surrendered 35 unanswered points.

“Honestly, we didn’t come out there and execute,” said fifth-year senior outside linebacker Casey Toohill. “That hurts to say. You never, ever want to look back and realize it was completely on your own execution, that it was completely in your control, but it was. We just didn’t have a good game, didn’t execute.”

Toohill expects the Cardinal to bounce back.

“We got a lot of games left — a lot of football left to be played after this,” he said. “After this, we’ve got to look hard at the film, look at our performance and improve from there. Next week is a new opportunity, a new week, and that’s what we look forward to.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

PLAYMAKERS: Wedington, Scarlett and Colby Parkinson had big nights. Wedington produced a career-high 197 all-purpose yards, catching five passes for 67, ran once for 17, and returned three kickoffs for 103 yards, taking one 60 yards.

“At the end of the day, we had the lead, we just need to play like it’s 0-0 and not get complacent,” Wedington said.

Wedington called his touchdown was a group effort.

“It was a quick screen behind a great block by (junior) Foster (Sarell) on the edge,” Wedington said. “Great toss by Davis, too, and I had great blockers out there.”

Parkinson caught seven passes for 89 yards, while Scarlett ran hard for 82 yards on 17 carries.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

SPECIAL TEAMS: Wedington’s long return and a fumble recovery by sophomore outside linebacker Tobe Umerah on a USC kickoff return forced by junior outside linebacker Thunder Keck were highlights.

Senior kicker Jet Toner converted two field goals but missed from 39 yards and another attempt from 47 yards was tipped. The Trojans came close to blocking freshman Ryan Sanborn’s first punt.

DECEIVING STATS: In the third quarter, Stanford possessed the ball for 11 minutes and didn’t score. The Cardinal finished with a nearly seven-minute time of possession advantage and each team recorded 23 first downs.

Using a new Air Raid, no huddle offense, USC piled up 492 yards behind freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis and a host of talented playmakers. Stanford struggled to generate a pass rush and missed a lot of tackles.

“It didn’t have to do with the air raid or anything, it has to do with us rushing the passer,” said Shaw. “We’ve just got to beat guys one-on-one. We got to him a couple times, but not enough.”

Junior cornerback Paulson Adebo led the Cardinal with eight tackles and broke up two passes.

BROTHERLY LOVE: Stanford junior wide receiver Osiris St. Brown played against his brother, USC sophomore receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and both had their moments. Osiris caught two passes for 19 yards and displayed his athletic ability by leaping over a Trojan defender. Amon-Ra had his way with the Cardinal secondary, grabbing eight receptions for 92 yards and two scores.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

UP NEXT: The Cardinal travels to Orlando, Florida next Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. PST game at Spectrum Stadium (44,206) against No. 17 UCF. The Knights (2-0), who play in the American Athletic Conference, have beaten Florida A&A (62-0) and Florida A&M (48-16).

UCF is 27-1 the last three years and lost to LSU, 40-32, last season in the Fiesta Bowl.

True freshman Dillion Gabriel recorded his first start at quarterback on Saturday and threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. The UCF ground attack eclipsed 300 yards for the second straight week.

NOTES: Costello’s status for Saturday will be determined during the week … Freshman Walter Rouse received his first start at left tackle, becoming the second true frosh to earn the distinction since Walker Little in 2017 … Sophomore strong safety Kendall Williamson equaled his career-high with seven tackles … Freshman running back Austin Jones made his first career reception and caught two passes for 19 years … Stanford has not allowed a first quarter touchdown in five games … The Cardinal continues to hurt itself with holding penalties and mistakes. After two games, Stanford leads the Pac-12 in penalties with 16 for 160 yards … USC compiled 10 tackles for loss … Wedington ranks No. 1 in the conference in kickoff returns (32.0), No. 3 in all-purpose yards (140.5) and No. 5 in receptions (12/136) … Adebo ranks first in the Pac-12 with five passes defended … Toohill rates No. 2 in tackles for loss and No. 4 in sacks … Gene T. Sykes, MBA ’84, managing director at Goldman Sachs, served as the honorary captain. He has been a member of the Stanford Board of Trustees since 2014 and is member of the GSB Advisory Council.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

QUOTE: “It’s definitely going to test us. It’s our first loss of the season, not something we expected. We just have to drive it back, watch the film and keep going.” — Connor Wedington

Stanford Cardinal Saturday game wrap: Trojans ground Cardinal in 45-20 defeat

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sfgate.com photo: Southern California running back Stephen Carr (7) scores a rushing touchdown against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, in Los Angeles

By Pearl Allison Lo

LOS ANGELES — In the 99th matchup between these California rivals, No. 23 Stanford was shut out in the second half as the teams kicked off the Pac-12 season at United Airlines Field Saturday.

Quarterbacks Kedon Slovis (USC) and Davis Mills (Cardinal) also had their first starts of their college careers 99th meeting first Saturday

USC tweeted, “Slovis is the first true freshman in USC history to throw for 2 touchdowns in his first career start.” He went 28 of 33 for 377 yards and three scores.

Mills went 22 of 36 with 237 yards for one score and one interception.

Neither quarterback had a fumble but each were sacked at least once.

Stanford’s leaders were for rushing Cameron Scarlett, 82 yards, 1 TD and receiving Colby Parkinson for 89 yards.

For the Trojans, their leaders for rushing was Vavae Malepeai, 42 yards, 2 TDs and receiving Amon-Ra St. Brown 97 yards, 2 TDs.

The Cardinal started with the momentum even though the Trojans scored first. Stanford scored on every drive, including on a fumble recovery, until 2:21 left to go in the first half. USC’s first touchdown came with 11:29 left in the second and they halted the Cardinal defensively in the end zone after 14:56 left in the second.

In the second half, we saw the first sacks and interception.

Both teams scored on their opening drive.

The Trojans’ first drive was highlighted by a 45-yard pass to Drake London, but Stanford was able to cut them off from a touchdown. The closest USC got was the two yard line, ending the drive with two incomplete passes before Chase McGrath made it 3-0 with a 23-yard field goal.

Connor Wedington was the highlight of the Cardinal’s first drive. He gave them good field advantage with a 60-yard return and two plays after the Trojans were stalled by a holding penalty, he took a 15-yard pass into the end zone, the second pass of the drive.

Both teams combined for 34 points in the second quarter.

Stanford was helped down the field with an illegal use of hands call. A 21-yard pass to Parkinson at the four was then ruled out of bounds before it was called good after review. Scarlett then had two runs in the first and second quarter to make it a 14-3 lead.

With 14:43 left in the half, the Cardinal then forced a fumble off Velus Jones Jr.’s 21-yard return, which was recovered by Stanf Tobe Umerah. Stanford went down the field four straight plays to fourth down and Jet Toner converted a 32-yard field goal to extend the Cardinal’s lead to 17-3.

The Trojans found themselves on third down with 12:54 left, but that was followed by three double-digit plays, the last a 39-yard pass to one of the St. Brown brothers, Amon-Ra, in the end zone for both USC and Slovis’s first touchdown.

One of Stanford’s drives was filled with penalties, two from USC (personal foul and pass interference) and one from the Cardinal (holding). The Cardinal continued scoring with a 37-yard field goal by Toner to double their lead to 20-10.

The Trojans got to within three (20-17) with their second touchdown in a row. The longest plays were a 25-yard return by Jones Jr., a 29-yard pass to Tyler Vaughns and a 25-yard touchdown run to the left by Stephen Carr.

Then Stanford was forced to punt for the first time with 2:21 left.

USC kept rolling with their third straight touchdown that gave them their first lead (24-20) since their opening drive. They had a holding penalty but Vaughns caught a 31-yard pass and the Cardinal had two straight defensive offside penalties. It was their fastest drive, 1 minute and 50 seconds, as the Tronjans went 70 yards.

USC nearly duplicated their first half total in the second half.

The first quarterback sack came with 12:09 left in the third on Mills by Connor Murphy. It was Murphy’s first career sack. Mills was also sacked by Jay Tufele on the same drive. Toner missed his first and longest field goal of the night, 39 yards, in the second half’s opening drive. It was the longest drive of the night in terms of plays (14) and time (7:09).

Slovis was sacked the following drive by Casey Toohill with 7:08 left. It was the shortest drive in terms of plays (three) and yards (one).

Toner then attempted a 47-yard field goal, but he was blocked by Austin Jackson with 3:21 left.

The Trojans made it 31-20 with 44 seconds left in the third. Michael Pittman Jr. accounted for the bulk of the yardage with a total of 61 yards through three plays. Malepeai ran four yards into the end zone to complete the drive.

Mills took the game’s first interception too as he was caught by Greg Johnson with 13:21 left in the game. USC was able to turn it into a touchdown when Malepeai ran six yards for his second score three minutes later. It was the game’s biggest lead at 38-20.

Things continued to look grim as they turned over the ball on downs with 8:21 left. This also went the opposite way as Vaughns had 30 yards, 16 on the scoring reception to make it 45-20. He ended up with the most total yardage in the game with 106.

Up Next: Next Saturday, the Trojans will face BYU at 1:30 pm and Stanford will take on UCF at 12:30 pm

Headline Sports podcast with Barbara Mason: Cal and Stanford get opening day wins; 49ers open in Tampa Bay and Raiders host Denver on MNF; plus more

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On the Headline Sports podcast with Barbara:

#1 For the Cal Bears, getting a victory on opening day last Saturday was an important way to start the 2019 season with a win over UC Davis at Memorial Stadium and what a way to start with running back Christopher Brown Jr. rushing for 197 yards to help lead the team to a 27-13 win.

#2 The Stanford Cardinal defeated Northwestern, but the Cardinal lost their starting quarterback during the game when KJ Costello took a forearm to the head. The Cardinal hung onto win it 17-7. Costello could muster only one strong drive before the injury. The Cardinal are on the road next week to face the USC Trojans next Saturday.

#3 The San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo took Thursday Night Football off last week and the 49ers went with three quarterbacks: Nick Mullins, CJ Beathard, and Nick Speight. Speight and Beathard both saw the most time in the game with Mullens resting. Is that an indication that Nick Mullens, who saw limited time will be the backup, and head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to see if Beathard or Speight will fill the third-string spot?

#4 The Oakland Raiders look as if they had a very solid preseason winning three of their four games. Raider head coach Jon Gruden said he’s happy with the progress of backup quarterbacks Nathan Peterman (out with elbow injury) and Mike Glennon who he’ll really depend on if starting quarterback Derek Carr ever needs a rest.

#5 The Oakland A’s are hosting the LA Angels and Detroit Tigers this week at the Oakland Coliseum. The A’s are 1/2 game back in the AL wild card behind second place Cleveland. It could go right down to the wire for a chance of a wild card birth.

Join Barbara for Headline Sports each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Many Stanford players step up in opening win vs. Northwestern

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By Ana Kieu

With last season’s top receivers JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Trenton Irwin and Kaden Smith departed, Stanford needs youngsters such as Connor Wedington, Michael Wilson and Colby Parkinson to step up.

They did Saturday in No. 25 Stanford’s season-opening 17-7 victory against Northwestern at Stanford Stadium.

Wedington secured a team-high seven receptions, Wilson had six and Parkinson had four. Wedington and Wilson showcased their quickness and athletic ability on quick sideline throws from K.J. Costello and Davis Mills, breaking tackles against single coverage.

“We wanted to take the pressure off the quarterbacks,” said David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. “We have to take advantage of their off-coverage and give those guys a chance. It was probably the most tackles we’ve broken since Ty Montgomery and Doug Baldwin and those guys.”

The 6-foot Wedington, a junior, is a former running back and appeared in only four games last year due to injury. Wilson, a 6-foot-2-inch sophomore who Shaw calls “a complete receiver,” demonstrated his potential a year ago by grabbing 14 passes in 13 games.

“We have threats all over the field,” said fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett.

Wilson scored the first Cardinal touchdown on a four-yard pass from Costello late in the second quarter. The play was installed earlier in the week, with Costello faking a handoff to Scarlett running left, then rolling right and finding Wilson in the flat.

“Coach said there is going to be one man you have to beat or it’s going to be a race to the pylon,” said Wilson.

It turned out to be the latter — Wilson stretching the ball over the goal line.

He said the extra work the receivers and quarterbacks put in during the offseason is paying off.

“We’ve got guys that can go,” Wilson said. “Brycen (Tremayne), Connor, Simi (Fehoko), Osiris (St. Brown). “We’re all going to play a big role and I’m really excited about this year.”

Getting defensive: Stanford suffocated Northwestern in the first half, limiting the Wildcats to 79 yards on 21 plays and only seven minutes in time of possession. Northwestern didn’t reach the Stanford side of the field until late in the second quarter.

With that said Stanford out-gained Northwestern, 365-210, and finished with a nearly 17-minute time of possession advantage.

“It was a lot of fun out there flying around with the guys,” said senior inside linebacker Andrew Pryts, who intercepted his first pass in his first start. “We had great energy and can feed off that all year.”

The unit produced four takeaways and sealed the game with 20 seconds remaining when fifth-year senior outside linebacker Casey Toohill and senior outside linebacker Jordan Fox blasted Wildcat quarterback Hunter Johnson, who fumbled. Fox recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

“We knew they were trying to go down the field to pick up something,” Fox said. “We pinned our ears back and just let it go. Casey made a great first hit on him. I just tried to find the ball. It was a great way to finish the game on the defensive side of the ball. It was high effort all day.”

On its first possession of the third quarter, Northwestern drove to the Cardinal five-yard line, but Robinson and sophomore strong safety Kendall Williamson sacked quarterback TJ Green and forced a fumble, and Williamson recovered at the nine-yard line.

“Our rush was really getting there, and he was just trying to get out of the pocket,” said Williamson. “I saw him spin off a couple guys and just went and pursued it. I really wish I would have scooped and scored, but it was a turnover.”

Many players received their first extended playing time and made it count.

“It was great being out there,” Williamson said. “I got to play with a lot of people in my class who redshirted last year and came up big. I just loved how we were attacking.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Mills steps in: After settling into a nice rhythm, a sliding Costello sustained a blow to the head by Northwestern defensive end Earnest Brown IV on a scramble with two seconds remaining in the half. Brown was called for a personal foul, and Costello walked to the locker room and didn’t return, completing 16-of-20 passes for 152 yards.

Shaw declined to comment when asked if targeting should have been called. “I didn’t see it live,” Shaw said.

Mills, a junior who redshirted in 2017 and saw brief action in one game last season, played the rest of the way and finished 7-of-14 for 81 yards.

“It was a dogfight for most of the game and our defense played extremely well to keep us on top,” said Mills.

After a strong fall camp, Mills was excited to contribute to the win.

“It definitely builds confidence,” Mills said.

Said Shaw, “He can make all the throws and is athletic enough to get out in scrambles for positive yards. If K.J. is healthy, he’ll go back out there (Saturday against USC). He’s our leader and captain. And if he’s not healthy, we have all the faith and confidence that Davis can go out there and win the game.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Big rush: Shaw was especially pleased with the Cardinal running game, led by Scarlett’s career-high 97 yards on 22 carries.

“Give Cam Scarlett the credit,” said Shaw. “We challenged him after the bowl game last year. Multiple times today we had a running back one-on-one with a guy in space.”

Stanford rushed 39 times for 132 yards.

“We can’t block everything perfectly, especially against a really good, big, physical defense,” Shaw said. “I thought our running backs ran through the trash.”

Early contributions: Seven freshmen saw action for Stanford — running backs Austin Jones and Nathaniel Peat, wide receiver Elijah Higgins, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, safety Jonathan McGill, punter Ryan Sanborn and offensive tackle Walter Rouse.

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Extra motivation: Chris Marinelli, an All-American offensive tackle in 2009, served as Stanford’s honorary captain. His father, Jim, was a member of the Local 88, Tunnel Workers Union in Braintree, Massachusetts, for more than 30 years. Chris and his fellow offensive linemen nicknamed themselves the Tunnel Workers Union and the nickname remains in tact.

“It’s an analogy that fits perfectly for the offensive line because we need to open holes and grind no matter how we feel,” said Chris, who made 41 starts during his Cardinal career. “It’s just about having that blue-collar attitude.”

Marinelli gave a stirring motivational speech to the team on Friday night and it carried over Saturday. His father passed away on June 30 at age 60 from cancer.

“It was super impactful for us,” said junior center Drew Dalman. “We still kind of live by the Tunnel Workers Union credo and hopefully for many years to come. We just wanted to make him proud and show him what we could do.”

Shaw heard players talking about the Tunnel Workers Union in the fourth quarter.

“They were running it and being physical,” Shaw said. “Chris put something in their heads and we really started churning.”

Photo credit: gostanford.com

Up next: Stanford begins Pac-12 play on Saturday when it travels to Los Angeles to tackle the USC Trojans at 7:30 p.m. in a contest that will be broadcast by ESPN. Stanford prevailed at home last year, 17-3, and has won four of the last six meetings.

The Trojans opened the season by beating Fresno State on Saturday night, 31-23.

Shaw’s teams have swept USC, UCLA and Cal three of the last four years and six of the last nine.

Notes: Starting offensive tackle Walker Little sustained a late injury and his status in unknown … Toohill led the Cardinal with six tackles, including one sack, two tackles for loss and forced a fumble … Seven Stanford players recorded four or more stops … Stanford has won 12 straight home openers and 21 consecutive non-conference games on home turf … All-American cornerback Paulson Adebo pilfered his first pass of the season … Jet Toner booted a career-best 51-yard field goal to end the first half. The last Stanford kicker to convert from 50-plus yards was Conrad Ukropina, who hit from 52 against Oregon State in 2016 … Former Cardinal standout Richard Sherman, now a starting cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers, attended the game and was recognized as Stanford celebrates its 125th season of football … The next home game for the Cardinal is September 21 against Oregon, time TBD. The 2019 Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame Class, which includes running back/linebacker Bill Tarr ’55, will be recognized.

Quote: “We’re all still learning, but I think this is the start of something big.” — Michael Wilson on the play of the wide receivers.

Stanford and Northwestern fail to meet expectations in the Cardinal’s 17-7 season-opening win

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By Morris Phillips

STANFORD — Stanford wanted to regain their run-first identity, Northwestern wanted to maintain their momentum from 2018, and gain a foothold in the nation’s Top 25.

Those were the plans. But neither came to fruition, and both teams need not only to forge an identity in the coming weeks, they need to overcome some key injuries as well.

Stanford got the win, 17-7, the product of a stingy, first half defensively, but not much else. Quarterback K.J. Costello departed early after taking a forearm to the head near midfield, but could only muster one, credible drive in a half of football before that unfortunate occurrence.

“We’ve got so many veterans on the defensive side,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “So many fourth- and fifth-year seniors, so much leadership that we knew it was going to take those guys keeping us in the game, and they did.”

Northwestern trumpeted the debut of quarterback Hunter Johnson, the transfer from Clemson, but he was ineffective, getting picked off twice, and briefly replaced when the Wildcats couldn’t get anything going offensively in the first half. The Cats managed just 74 yards in four, first half drives, and Johnson finished 6 of 17 passing. Consequently, the questions after the game regarding Johnson’s performance came across harsh.

“This is not an excuse-making business,” Coach Pat Fitzgerald said of Johnson when questioned on the transfer’s preparedness. “He’s got to be a lot better. We’ve got to continue to help him do the things. But I though he responded really well in the second half. That’s why I completely disagree with what you said.”

TJ Green replaced Johnson to start the second half, and helmed Northwestern’s most promising drive of 10 plays that reached Stanford’s five-yard line. But on second-and-goal, Green inexplicably held the ball too long, and was stripped. Not only did Northwestern lose the football, Green suffered a leg injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

With Northwestern struggling to move the football, the Stanford offense was afforded time to find its footing. With NU’s defense effective and physical, that process wasn’t immediate. Eventually Stanford found room outside the harsh marks where they won some key one-on-one scenarios. That process led to Michael Wilson’s two-yard touchdown catch that gave Stanford a 7-0 lead before halftime.

Throughout, the Wildcats were nasty inside, consistently getting a second defender in to finish tackles. With the time of possession nearly two-to-one in Stanford’s favor, Northwestern eventually showed cracks. But they kept their team in the game on the scoreboard, limiting the final, seven Stanford drives to seven plays or less. That kept the score at 10-7, the outcome in doubt, until Johnson was stripped with 20 seconds remaining, a play that resulted in Jordan Fox’s fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown.

Cameron Scarlett led Stanford with 22 carries for 97 yards, and Connor Wedington came up with seven catches for 69 yards, but Shaw was bothered that the production didn’t translate on the scoreboard in a game that didn’t feel as if it should be so tight. Afterwards, Shaw complained his team didn’t take advantage of big play scenarios that arose when Northwestern’s defense gambled.

“When someone drops safeties down or blitzes, like Northwestern did today, that we pick it up. We have an opportunity down the field one-on-one. Mike Wilson was open down the field. Colby Parkinson was open twice down the field. Cyrus. We took one shot. It was kind of a 50/50 ball.”

The Cardinal travel to Los Angeles this week to face USC in a meeting of teams trying to recapture the magic. At press time, the Trojans were in a tight battle with Fresno State in USC’s home opener Saturday night.