On Saturday at 6:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks and KNBR 1050 AM radio, Stanford football will head to Pullman to battle the Washington State Cougars. Stanford comes in at 2-6 overall and 1-5 in the Pac-12 while Washington State comes in at 4-4 overall and 1-4 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Last week, Stanford fell to #5 Washington at home by a final score of 42-33. Stanford had a chance to go ahead late in the 4th quarter but couldn’t convert on fourth down.
RECAP: Stanford gives #5 Washington a scare before Halloween
On Washington State: The Cougars have had an up and down season. They started 4-0 with wins over then-No. 19 Wisconsin, then-No. 16 Oregon State, Colorado State, and Northern Colorado. As a result, they got ranked #13 in the nation.
Since then, they have been soundly beaten by UCLA, Arizona, then-No.9 Oregon, and Arizona State. So, they’re kind of a hard team to figure out. That said, they do have a lot of talent and are always difficult to beat up at their place.
The Cougars are led by junior quarterback Cameron Ward, who has thrown for 2,532 yards, 16 touchdowns, and three interceptions on a 69.9 completion percentage. He also has rushed for 166 yards and five touchdowns, so he’s a legit dual threat quarterback. Stanford is well aware of his playmaking abilities.
Redshirt senior running back Nakia Watson has rushed for 203 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 3.1 yards per carry, so he’s the top rusher on the team, ahead of Ward. As for receivers, junior Kyle Williams leads the team in receiving yards with 626 to go along with 46 receptions and four touchdowns. Senior Lincoln Victor leads the team in receptions with 53 to go along with 573 yards and four touchdowns. Redshirt junior Josh Kelly leads the team in receiving touchdowns with five to go along with 34 receptions and 475 yards. So, they have a three-pronged attack at wide out.
On defense, their top two tacklers are redshirt junior linebacker Kyle Thornton (60 total tackles) and redshirt senior defensive back Sam Lockett III (55 total tackles). Lockett also leads the team in interceptions with two. So, both of those are guys who the offense needs to pay extra close attention to.
On special teams, redshirt junior kicker Dean Janikowski is 9-10 on his field goals and 2-3 from 50+ yards out. While not related to former NFL star kicker Sebastian Janikowski, he certainly is doing a good job of carrying on the name in the realm of kicking.
Keys to the game: The first thing Stanford has to do is contain Cameron Ward. He’s the engine that makes this Cougars team go. If he has a big night, Stanford will be in trouble. In order to contain him, Stanford is going to have to make more happen in the pass rush and coverage. Those are two areas where they need to the most work and areas that Ward should look to exploit.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is start strong. They can’t get behind early. That’s been a focus all season, but it hasn’t always worked out in their favor. They cannot expect to have another magical comeback if they get down in this game. Playing strong in the first quarter in particular will be key. If they play them well in the first quarter and keep it tight, that will help them build on that and settle in.
Finally, Stanford needs Ashton Daniels to ball out. He played really well against Washington last week and when he’s doing his thing, the entire offense feeds off that. He can make plays with his arm and legs, so he’s a dual threat. Giving him enough protection is going to be crucial. If he has time to make plays, the offense should be fine.
Prediction: This game feels winnable for Stanford given that Washington State has lost four games in a row. I’m going to pick Washington State to win, but not by much. 30-27. Stanford will have their chances and if they follow through on my keys to the game, the score could be reverse.
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