Tonight at 8:00 PM PT on ESPN and KNBR 1050 AM, Stanford football will take on the Oregon State Beavers. Stanford comes in at 1-3 overall and 0-3 in the Pac-12 while 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Pac-12.
Last time out: Last week, Stanford fell at #13 Oregon by a final score of 45-27. Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee went 19-33 for 166 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
RECAP: Slow start dooms Stanford at #13 Oregon
On Oregon State: The Beavers will be without quarterback Chance Nolan in this one, which is a nice break for Stanford. Nolan has a 136.92 rating on the season, so he’s been playing pretty well this season. Running back Deshaun Fenwick has rushed for 277 yards this season for 4.7 yards per carry and four touchdowns while Jam Griffin has rushed for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns for a 5.8 yard per carry average.
As far as receivers are concerned, Tre’Shaun Harrison has 337 yards and 2 touchdowns while Anthony Gould has 307 receiving yards on the year and 2 touchdowns as well. The Beavers offense has a nice blend of rushing and receiving. A very balanced attack.
On defense, they have a lot of veterans. Stanford offensive coordinator Tavita Pritchard said this week it’s the most experienced defense he’s faced since he’s been at Stanford. A nice blend of 5th year, 6th year, and 7th year guys. They are very disciplined, use their eyes well, and don’t fall for misdirection plays. They really make you earn every yard.
The Beavers come in having lost a close game at home to USC before getting smacked at Utah last week. They see Stanford as an opponent to get back on track against. Stanford will need to play their best football if they are to win.
Keys to the game: The first thing Stanford needs to do is take care of the ball. Turnovers have been their biggest issue this year. If they can shore that up and not give away possessions, especially in the red zone, I like their chances to win.
Secondly, Stanford needs to give Tanner McKee time to throw. If he has time in the pocket to make his reads and throws, the offense should be fine. If he’s under pressure, it’s going to be hard for him to do what he does best.
Finally, Stanford has to stop the run or at least contain it a lot better than they have up to this point. Stanford’s run defense has been abysmal this year. Large gaping holes up the middle and guys on the outside not doing a good job of outside contain. Guys have to know their assignments and do their jobs. Stopping the run is all about discipline and not trying to do too much.
Prediction: I told BeaversEdge.com I see Oregon State winning 34-27 and I’m not changing my prediction at the last minute. Oregon State comes in as the better team and Stanford hasn’t yet shown they are worthy of being picked to win. That said, this game is winnable. Especially with the Beavers’ quarterback being out, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Stanford gets the win. This should be a good game.
To connect with CardinalSportsReport.com on Facebook and Twitter, click here.
To connect with Ben Parker on Facebook and Twitter, click here.
