CardinalReport.com - Cardinal Closing In On Bowl Bid

October 26, 2009

Yahoo! Sports

INSIDE SLANT

Stanford's 33-14 victory over Arizona State on Oct. 24 left the Cardinal in the best possible situation to tackle its challenging remaining schedule in its bid for a bowl berth.

The Cardinal tore apart what was one of the best defenses in the country statistically, doing it with equal parts running and passing.

And the Cardinal defense, aided by a restructured secondary, had its best game after several poor performances.

Not only did the win erase bad memories of the Cardinal's two-game losing streak, but Stanford now has a bye week to prepare for its final four games against Oregon, USC, California and Notre Dame.

Two of those teams are ranked, and the other two might be ranked by the time Stanford plays them.

The win against Arizona State brought Cardinal within one win of being bowl-eligible, and the performance against the Sun Devils makes it seem possible that Stanford can win one of those four games, especially since three of them are at home.

There had been questions about Stanford's ability to rebound from two tough losses-a blowout loss to Oregon State in which the Cardinal's ability to compete against the conference elite came into question, and a 43-38 loss to Arizona on Oct. 17 in which the Cardinal once again failed to finish off an opponent that seemed to be beaten.

Of all the things Stanford accomplished against Arizona State, perhaps the most important was that it succeeded in finishing off a game. The Cardinal continued to move the ball effectively in the second half after building a 24-0 halftime lead, and when the Sun Devils scored to close the gap to 27-14 with 10:30 left, Stanford responded with a 78-yard touchdown drive to put the game away.

It was an important hurdle for a Cardinal team that has frequently built first-half leads and then let them get away.

The Cardinal re-affirmed its image as a physical running team by rushing for 237 yards against an Arizona State defense that ranked second nationally against the run heading into the game.

And redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Luck continued his improvement with his best game of the season, completing 17 of 28 passes, hitting big pass after big pass, and often avoiding a strong Arizona State pass rush to do it.

"He was spectacular," Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh said. "I think we're seeing something special happening with Andrew Luck."

The Cardinal defense had its best game, too, after getting torn apart the previous two games.

Arizona State is not a good offensive team, particularly in the passing game, so the Cardinal had less to worry about, especially after the Cardinal built an early lead. Still, the Cardinal defense shut out ASU for the first half, and, except for one major error that led to Arizona State's second touchdown, Stanford maintained its efficiency the entire game.

NOTES, QUOTES

? RB Toby Gerhart became the first player this season to rush for more than 100 yards against Arizona State, gaining 125 yards. He seemed completely unaffected by the sprained ankle he sustained late in the Oct. 17 loss to Arizona.

? The Cardinal's 249 rushing yards were by far the most against Arizona State this season. The Sun Devils came into the game ranked second nationally in run defense, yielding just 57.8 yards on the ground.

? Stanford won the sack battle. Arizona State came into the game with 18 sacks, while Stanford had only yielded five sacks. The Cardinal did not allow any sacks against the Sun Devils.

? Stanford started two new cornerbacks-redshirt freshman Quinn Evans and sophomore Johnson Bademosi-and also gave Mike Thomas his first extended playing time at a safety spot. They probably will continue to get a lot of playing time, because they were effective against Arizona State.

? Stanford's physical image was best exemplified by a jarring hit by S Delano Howell on Arizona State's Jamal Miles in the second quarter, producing a fumble from Miles that Stanford recovered.

? Stanford is 4-0 at home this season.

Next Game: Oregon at Stanford , Nov. 7-It is the best possible setup for the Cardinal, which will be coming off a bye, will be at home and will get Oregon the week after the Ducks played USC. The Cardinal is unbeaten at home, but its defense, which lacks speed, will be challenged by the Ducks' potent spread-option attack. Oregon has beaten Stanford seven times in a row, including last season's 35-28 victory in Eugene.

This Week 'S MISSION: The Cardinal must maintain its edge and rhythm through a bye week. Some teams might not want an week off to interrupt their momentum after such a satisfying performance, and now Jim Harbaugh must figure out a way not to lose it while providing the rest needed at this juncture of the season. He planned on giving the team three days off before resuming practice, but it remains to be seen how much hitting there will be in practices. The Cardinal has got this far by building an image as a physical team, and Stanford does not want to lose that attitude. But it also wants to heal all its wounds and not incur any others.

October At A Glance: The month turned out to be a mixed bag for the Cardinal, starting and ending with good wins, but with two rough losses in between. It was seen as the pivotal month for the Cardinal, whose schedule got little tougher after a soft September.

Stanford came out of the month on the upswing and heads into November with the confidence it needs to hold its own against its final four tough opponents. Before the season began, a 6-2 record at this point seemed well within reach, and the Cardinal would have preferred to have a bowl berth wrapped up by now, but 5-3 has to be considered a success, especially the way the month ended.

Quote To Note: "We had almost perfect balance between the run and pass."-Stanford TB Toby Gerhart, to the San Francisco Chronicle, after the Oct. 24 win over Arizona State.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Looking Good: WR Ryan Whalen continued to build his reputation as the Cardinal's clutch receiver. He had seven more receptions against Arizona State for 98 yards, and he is frequently the player Andrew Luck looks for in a critical situation. He and Luck are beginning to form that quarterback-receiver bond that creates a standout passing combination. Whalen, who came to Stanford as a walk-on, has good speed, runs precise routes and almost never drops a pass within reach.

Still Needs Work T he new starting cornerbacks-Quinn Evans and Johnson Bademosi-did well in their starting debuts, but they will need to get better to hold their own against Oregon on Nov. 7. Their inexperience will be a factor with all the things the Ducks can throw at them, and Oregon has a much better offense than Arizona State, whose passing attack is limited. Evans and Bademosi will need to mature in a hurry for Stanford to have a chance in its final four games.

Star Watch: TB Toby Gerhart rushed for 125 yards against the No. 2 rushing defense in the country. He bulled over from 8 yards out in the second quarter to score a touchdown that made it 17-0, muscling through several would-be tacklers on the way. Gerhart has been getting most of his yardage in the first half of games, but against Arizona State's tough run defense, he had 61 yards in the first half, and 64 in the second, when the Cardinal needed to control the ball to protect its lead. This was not Gerhart's season high in yards, but it was his most impressive performance, considering the opponent's defense.

Critical Decision: Defensive coordinator Ron Lynn must figure out a defense that can slow Oregon's potent attack. The Cardinal's lack of speed will be more noticeable against the Ducks, who spread the field and get the ball to athletic players in space. Lynn has two weeks to prepare for an offensive style that is unique within the Pac-10. Lynn must also decide which defensive backs to use. Presumably he will stick with Evans and Bademosi at the corners after their strong performance against Arizona State, but Lynn may have to shuffle defensive backs in and out with all the pressure Oregon will put on them.

Roster Report:

? OT Allen Smith, who had worked his way back into the starting lineup earlier in the month after coming back from a series of knee injuries, left the Oct. 24 game against Arizona State in the first quarter and did not return.

? TB Toby Gerhart is within 6 yards of becoming the second Stanford player to rush for 1,000 yards more than once. Darrin Nelson did it three times.

? Freshman WR Jamal-Rashad Patterson had only one carry against Arizona State, but he scored his first career touchdown on a 21-yard end-around. It was Stanford's first score.

? FB Owen Marecic, known for his punishing lead blocking, had only one rushing attempt on Oct. 24, but it resulted in a 2-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left in the first half.

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