When many teams face off against Google Maps University in the first week of the season, Stanford not only is matched up with a tough "mid-major", but there is the added storyline of the 20-17 loss at San Diego State last year.

Head coach David Shaw offered his thoughts on the game and his own team during the first press conference of the season Monday.

"Guys are excited to play San Diego State for obvious reasons," Shaw said. "We got beaten by them last year. We got outplayed by them. They brought the fight to us. The bottomline for us, though, is still focus on us and make sure we're doing the things we're supposed to do and we can take advantage of the things we can take advantage of. That's our message: For us to be us and play our style of football."

There was "too much talking", according to Shaw, in the first half of the game last year at San Diego State. That led to tension on the field and when the teams were leaving the field for halftime. Shaw did not feel like either team represented college football well in that first half and it has been solved.

During a quick breakdown of the offense and defense, Shaw emphasized that the defensive line is still young and that against this opponent.

"We're either going to show up or not, because these guys are going to run the ball right down our throats if we're not where we need to be."

Stanford will start Dylan Jackson, Mike Williams and Jovan Swann in the 3-4 front. Williams and Swann played limited roles last season. Redshirt freshman Dalyn Wade-Perry is on track to play and back up Williams at nose tackle.

On the other line, redshirt freshman Drew Dalman will make the first start of his career at center.

Shaw said: "He has responded to Kevin Carberry ... he has responded to the other guys on the offensive line and their demands of him and what he needs to do making calls, blocking his guy."

Shaw complimented redshirt junior center Brian Chaffin's work in camp and that he'll likely have a role in the game.

Injuries: Alijah Holder, Jesse Burkett, Curtis Robinson, Brandon Simmons, Jordan Perez and Malik Antoine will be out for the San Diego State game. Holder is "really close" to being back. They will know next Monday if Burkett will be ready for the USC game and the staff likes the progress he has made the past couple weeks.

Other players noted:

Cameron Scarlett: "Is as improved as anyone on this football team between last year and this year. He changed his body. He pushed himself as hard as he's ever pushed himself before."

Connor Wedington: "He's a guy who you love getting the ball in his hands. He has become a much better route runner than he was a year ago as a true freshman. He is in the depth (chart) at all the return positions. At some point, maybe not this game, we'll do what we did a couple times last year and put him in the backfield for a role.

"This is a guy who can do a lot of different things. What we focus with him on is continuing to improve as a wide receiver. He's a guy we'll have a plan for every single week as he continues to develop. We think at some point he'll be an exceptional college football player."

Freshmen: Thomas Booker and Michael Wilson are the most likely to play in the first game.

Does anyone stand out who made big strides from the start of camp to the end?

"Offensively, I like where KJ Costello is (and) I thought he came to camp doing a very good job. I think he emerged from camp ready to play and hopefully at a high level. He has had an outstanding camp.

"I think our left guard competition, which is ongoing, our two competitors (Devery Hamilton and Foster Sarell) there have steadily improved. That has given us a lot of comfort, especially playing a young guy at center. Having one of the best guards in America at right guard, and now having two guys at left guard who have shown really, really steady improvement ... those two guys we feel are playing at a high level. The competition is going to keep going. They're both versatile. They can play guard or tackle. That has been huge to see those guys really grow.

"Paulson Adebo, we have been talking about since last spring. It's great to see him continue to improve. Coach (Duane) Akina does a great job of pushing him to be as good as he can be. The young man has improved a lot.

"Frank Buncom has had a great camp as well. From where he ended the season last year as a starter I think he is a better football player now. He is smarter and you hear him more. He's more vocal on the back end."

Have you seen anything about the personality on this team that has jumped out at you?

"From a year ago about this time there is maybe a larger sense of maturity, which is kind of what happens when you have a more senior-laden football team. We have a lot of guys coming back who have played football. There are a lot of things that we had to worry about last year that we don't have to worry about this year.

"There are a lot of things the team does a better job of taking care of as opposed to us trying to get guys ready to play. I think we have more guys who know what our standard is and are willing to hold themselves and their teammates up to that, as opposed to teaching guys what the standard needs to be."

What has Kevin Carberry brought to the practice field and what do you expect him to bring to the games?

"What's exciting for me is a different perspective on a very similar philosophy. As I've said before, he comes from the Washington Redskins with one of my old mentors, Bill Callahan.

"A lot of our roots are the same. A lot of our beliefs are the same. But he's brought a different perspective even on some of the same plays, different calls and different ways we're going to do certain things. I think he has added a dimension to our guys. I think he has found ways to continue building relationships with the guys. He knows them as well as they're getting to know him. For me, it's just a different perspective."

Stanford lost 20-17 to San Diego State last year in a game that the Cardinal never seemed to assert their will. If not for two long Bryce Love touchdown runs the offense would have been limited to a field goal and there was no other drive that really got close to the end zone.

It was a disheartening loss that dropped Stanford to 1-2 and put the Cardinal in catch-up mode for the rest of the season. Shaw offered his take on the Aztecs and how this matchup will be different.

"(Christian Chapman) is one of the more underrated quarterbacks on the West Coast. They had an outstanding running back last year, Rashaad Penny, just special. I remember I called Doug Baldwin after they (the Seahawks) drafted him. I said, 'I'm glad you got this guy and I'm glad he's out of here.'

"But I don't think the quarterback got a lot of credit for what he did last year. He's more accurate than people give him credit for, even before we played him last year. We watched film and you see him live, he's slippery. This guy gets out of danger. He pushes up in the pocket, he breaks tackles. He made some great throws in crunch time situations against us that are big time college football throws. He's their leader.

"We know what their MO is. They're going to be strong and physical up front. They're going to be dialed into their game plan. They have another running back (Juwan Washington) who is an explosive son of a gun who we have to try to corral.

"What they do program wise I have a lot of respect for. That's football I recognize. That's football for tough guys. That's football for smart guys. They stick to who they are and they have been successful."

What are the things you want to correct or improve upon from last year against San Diego State?

"Without getting into specifics, the mode is really complementary between the two of us. When you have two teams with a similar mode, it makes it that the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins.

"That's what happened last year. They were presented with some very difficult situations and they made plays to get themselves out. We gave up a couple sacks. Their quarterback avoided a couple sacks. He made some big-time throws and we missed some throws. Both running backs made big-time runs.

"Both defenses were stout. Their defense held when they needed to and our defense didn't when we needed to. When you look at the game you see two teams that are fighting hard and playing really well, good football. Whoever blinks, whoever misses an assignment, whoever loses contain, whoever drops coverage ... those are things that change (the game).

"I do think this team is consistently (underrated). I think they're consistently overlooked. When you watch them play this is a tough, physical team that plays well every single year. Why they're not ranked higher I have no idea."