On Saturday at 1:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Network, Stanford football will have their annual Cardinal & White Spring Game at Stanford Stadium. This game will be part of the Cardinalpalooza festivities that will be happening on Saturday throughout the day. A ticket is not necessary to purchase as admission is free.
Stanford is coming off a dismal season in which they went 3-9 overall and 2-7 in the Pac-12. Over the course of their spring practices, Stanford has really been trying to turn the corner and put the frustrations of last season behind them. They feel it’s a new day and that with key players returning to health combined with more experience, they are capable of having a real bounce back 2022. Outside of a few open practices, Saturday’s game will be their opportunity to really showcase what they look like and how they’ve improved from last season.
In terms of the format of the game, I would imagine it’ll be pretty similar to what it was last year, though offensive coordinator Tavita Pritchard when asked about it earlier this week admitted there was a possibility David Shaw mixes things up a bit from last year as Shaw is the one who’ll make final calls on the format. The format last year was a combination of drives beginning on the 50 yard line in the first half with the second half consisting of red zone work with drives starting on the 25 yard line. So, we’ll just have to see.
Last year, the offense donned the “Cardinal” red uniforms while the defense wore white. It wasn’t a game where there was a red team and a white team per se. Offense was one color and defense was another color and with each drive, different players cycled in and out. It wasn’t a normal game.
As far as what to look for, the first thing that comes to my mind is how Tanner McKee looks as the now firmly established starting quarterback. With a season under his belt as the starter and now a full set of spring practices, it’ll be interesting to see how much more confident and poised he is. He has tremendous upside and could have a real break out year in 2022, so it’ll be fun to see what he looks like in this game.
Another thing to look for will be how E.J. Smith looks now that he’s the starting running back. With Austin Jones (USC) and Nathaniel Peat (Missouri) transferring out, it’s Smith’s running back room now and with Casey Filkins being held out, we’ll get to see a lot of E.J. Smith. How he looks will definitely be of key interest.
One other area on offense to watch for will be the offensive line. They’re a year older now and outside of Branson Bragg, who is still rehabbing from last season’s injury, we should see the rest of the offensive line out there and get a feel for how much they’ve progressed.
Switching to defense, it’ll be fun to see how Jonathan McGill looks in the secondary and more specifically whether or not he’ll get an interception off Tanner McKee. They’ve been having some fun battles this spring. Who gets the better of who will be interesting to see.
On both sides of the ball, something to watch for is how the freshmen early enrollees look: David Bailey, Sam Roush, and Mudia Reuben. All three have been getting really good marks this spring. Bailey looking like he could be a real program changer on defense, Roush looking like he’ll be getting snaps at tight end come the fall, and Reuben impressing everyone with his speed and length. How those three guys perform will definitely be something to pay attention to.
Something that’s been talked about in spring practice is things getting chippy and guys getting more physical in practice than in years past. David Shaw had to tell the guys to channel their energy in the right way and not let their emotions get the best of them. The team definitely seems to feel this is overall a good thing as it shows guys are motivated and hungry. Whether or not that chippiness will carry over into the game will be something to look for.
Lastly, with a good chunk of veteran players being held out, this spring game will give us a chance to see some other younger players and second string level guys who we won’t see as much come the fall unless their number is called upon. This will give everyone a chance to get a better feel for the team as a whole and also give Stanford a chance to evaluate their depth.
Overall, this spring game should be a good event for Stanford. They have reasons for optimism and are hoping that if they can channel their energy and passion in the right way, they can surprise people and make more noise in the Pac-12 than people expect.
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