Stanford will attempt to keep away from shedding 10 straight convention video games for the primary time in program historical past when it faces Oregon State Saturday evening at Stanford Stadium (8 p.m., ESPN).
After shedding its final six Pac-12 video games final season, the Cardinal (1-3, 0-3) have opened convention play with losses to USC, Washington and Oregon, all by at the least 13 factors.
“Lots of the stuff you do are outlined by the way you reply to adversity and proper now we’re in that second,” fifth-year linebacker Ricky Miezan stated. “This can be a high-stress state of affairs and on the finish of the day it's important to reply to that. We’re in an trade of outcomes so we now have to start out getting outcomes.”
After three straight video games towards top-20 groups, Stanford at the least will face a fellow winless crew in convention play in Oregon State (3-2, 0-2), which is coming off back-to-back losses towards USC and Utah. Beavers beginning quarterback Likelihood Nolan will miss the sport after struggling a neck damage final week.
However the Beavers are nonetheless seven-point favorites because of the power it confirmed in wins over Boise State and Fresno State, adopted by an in depth loss to the Trojans. Stanford’s solely win got here towards Colgate, an FCS crew.
“We're 1-3. Can’t deny that. We personal that and we take accountability for it,” senior proper deal with Walter Rouse stated. “However we all know throughout the Stanford program that we're so a lot better than this. One-third of the season is completed. We nonetheless have eight-plus extra video games to go. We all know we are able to flip this round.”
The Cardinal additionally misplaced 9 straight convention video games in 2002-03, all by double digits. Right here’s what's going to decide if Stanford suffers a record-setting tenth straight Pac-12 loss on Saturday:
QUICK START
Stanford must keep away from an early gap. The Cardinal threw two INTs on its first two drives towards USC and trailed 14-0; had two turnovers and two punts on its first 4 drives towards Washington and trailed 17-0; and had two first downs complete on its first 4 possessions and trailed 10-0 towards Oregon.
“I don’t know if it’s nerves, I don’t know what the difficulty is,” Stanford coach David Shaw stated. “We gotta discover a technique to begin sooner in all phases to offer ourselves an opportunity to remain aggressive.”
The Cardinal has trailed by a mixed rating of 83-24 at halftime towards FBS competitors earlier than outscoring these opponents 53-43 within the second half.
LATE START
This might be Stanford’s third straight sport beginning at 7:30 p.m. or later. For the earlier two video games, that has meant getting again to The Farm from the Pacific Northwest at round 3:45 a.m. Sunday. Not less than this time the Cardinal are at house, nevertheless it nonetheless means gamers want to control their feelings and vitality as they wait all day to play.
For his half, Shaw stated that video games shouldn’t be allowed to start out later than 7 p.m. on Friday or Saturday and 6 p.m. on Thursday.
“It’s simply actually tough coming again for faculty college students at three and 4 o’clock within the morning to have a possibility to get some relaxation after which get some faculty work performed,” Shaw stated. “I do know it sounds typical coming from a Stanford head coach however I believe that’s the best way it needs to be.”
TURNOVERS
After committing 11 turnovers in its first three video games, Stanford solely turned it over as soon as final week towards Oregon, nevertheless it was nonetheless expensive.
Tight finish Benjamin Yurosek fumbled on the Cardinal’s first play from scrimmage following an Oregon landing and it was returned to the Oregon 4. The Geese scored on the following play and wound up with 14 factors in 23 seconds.
“We haven’t actually had an opportunity to see what we’re totally able to,” Miezan stated. “As a result of if you flip the ball over like that, the statistics don't level in your method.”
The Cardinal have additionally solely pressured two turnovers. Consequently, their turnover margin of minus-2.5 is the worst out of 131 FBS groups.
However this may be Stanford’s likelihood to reverse that pattern. Oregon State has thrown 4 interceptions in every of its final two video games.