Stanford returns after bye week on losing skid
What a difference a few weeks can make.
Toward the end of September, Stanford was unbeaten, ranked in the Top 10 and headed for a heavyweight fight at Notre Dame. Well, the Cardinal was beaten soundly in South Bend and was upset at home by Pac-12 foe Utah a week later.
That ended an 11-game home winning streak for Stanford.
After a bye week, Stanford (4-2, 2-1 Pac-12) is back. The Cardinal faces Arizona State on Thursday in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona State, guided by former New York Jets coach Herm Edwards, is 3-3 and 1-2 in the Pac-12.
Stanford hasn’t just dropped its past two games, it has done so with a large margin — 38-17 at Notre Dame and 40-21 against Utah. Certainly, it didn’t help that senior running back Bryce Love missed the Utah game with an injury.
Stanford coach David Shaw said Love should be back for Arizona State. That could be a godsend, as the Cardinal was outgained 222-42 on the ground against the Utes.
Whether or not Stanford has Love, it has work to do in getting off to better starts. The Cardinal has allowed the first score of the game in five of their six contests.
“We didn’t start out the way we wanted. It’s unfortunate but it’s been a recurring theme,” Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello said after the Utah loss.
Costello went 26 of 41 for 381 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions against the Utes. He spent a chunk of the evening under pressure as Stanford yielded four sacks.
One of Costello’s interceptions came when he was nearly sacked and threw the ball instead of simply falling on it.
“Can’t throw the ball while we’re getting sacked,” Shaw said.
The Sun Devils stuck with a tough, then-No. 21 Colorado team on the road last time out, falling 28-21. Arizona State has yet to lose at home, and two of its three losses are to ranked teams (Washington, Colorado).
Arizona State quarterback Manny Wilkins is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,446 yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception. The Sun Devils also have a dynamic tailback in Eno Benjamin (715 rushing yards, seven scores). Costello — while he does have 12 TDs and 1,611 yards — is averaging one interception per game.
Shaw does not heed criticism that his offense needs to pass more to fit the modern game. That, Shaw said, is against what has made Stanford a perennial winner the past decade.
“Those people don’t know me. Those people don’t understand this program. Those people don’t understand what it takes to get where we are,” Shaw said. “It’s a proven philosophy.”