Stanford looks onward to Utah after first loss
Stanford ran into a proud program and rival in with a blossoming quarterback in a primetime game and was given a dose of humility.
Notre Dame steamrolled Stanford 38-17 last Saturday in South Bend, Ind., behind a strong performance from quarterback Ian Book. Book threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns, taming a Stanford defense and secondary — including ball-hawking safety Malik Antoine — that hadn’t been touched this way in 2018.
“(Notre Dame) has a quarterback right now that’s outstanding,” Cardinal coach David Shaw said. “He’s athletic enough to get himself out of trouble. Quarterbacks like this, if you don’t get them down on the ground, it’s gonna hurt you.”
For a follow up act, No. 14 Stanford will return to Pac-12 Conference play and host unranked Utah on Saturday night. The Utes (2-2, 0-2 Pac-12) are winless in conference play, and don’t have a prolific quarterback like Book. Utah features Tyler Huntley, who’s thrown for 821 yards with just four touchdowns and two interceptions.
The biggest threat for the Stanford defense to account for will be Britain Covey, who has 27 catches for 248 yards.
Stanford, meanwhile, hopes that senior tailback Bryce Love will be able to devastate Utah as he did last year in Salt Lake City. In 2017, Love buried Utah with a 68-yard touchdown run.
Love left the Notre Dame game with an ankle injury, and Shaw said Tuesday that whether or not he’ll play against Utah is a “late-week decision.” However, Shaw said the ankle injury does not appear to be serious or a long-term hindrance.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham vividly remembers Love’s big-play potential, even after a string of plays where he’s stuffed or picks up minimal yardage.
“That’s the type of back he is; he’s a home-run back,” Whittingham said.
Cardinal quarterback K.J. Costello labored against the Notre Dame defense, completing 15-of-27 passes for just 174 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Love had a 39-yard touchdown jaunt before departing, but his other 16 carries tallied just 34 yards.
“We were forced off our typical timing on the perimeter,” Costello said. “They were doing a decent job changing up their coverage, changing up their looks, but I think we had a great feel for what they were doing. … we’ve just got to play better.”
Stanford’s defense managed two sacks but did not force any turnovers against Notre Dame as the team dropped to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in Pac-12 play.