PLAYERS TO WATCH
–WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, continues to be the big, talented and reliable receiver Stanford needs. Arcega-Whiteside hauled in 10 catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns against the Cougars — upping his season totals to 47 catches, 743 yards and 11 TDs. Stanford will need him against a defense that did not allow a touchdown to Cal last week.
–QB K.J. Costello has shown an ability to protect the football and have a big game against an overmatched team, but he went nearly throw for throw with Gardner Minshew. Costello was 34 of 43 for 323 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, hitting seven different receivers. This week, he is opposite Washington senior Jake Browning (who was temporarily benched during the Cal upset loss).
–LB Sean Barton is one of David Shaw’s most pivotal veterans on defense. He tied for a team-high 10 tackles against Washington State and had an assisted tackle for a loss. Barton and company, though, need to irritate and rush the reeling Huskies quarterback Browning. Especially in a road environment where Stanford wants to take the crowd out of the game quickly.
–RB Bryce Love showed he still has the big play in him after his ankle injury, taking six carries for 71 yards against Washington State. However, we have yet to see if Love is capable of taking a 20-30 carry load and giving Stanford’s offense a more immediate balance. It’s not often Stanford quarterbacks have thrown as much as K.J. Costello did (43 times) in the tenure of Shaw.
–TE Kaden Smith is a lesser-known weapon for Stanford, and he had nine catches for a team-high 112 yards with a touchdown against Washington State. Smith and Arcega-Whiteside are both big targets that are well-crafted for red zone connections.
SERIES HISTORY: Incredibly, Stanford and Washington have split their first 88 matchups all-time — 42-42-4. Stanford won in 2017. The most lopsided win ever in this series came in Shaw’s first year — a 65-21 victory.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “They called on me early to get us in a rhythm, and I was grateful for that call. We all answered it in a great way. We’ve been asking ourselves to feel that way for eight weeks now, and we finally got in that rhythm early.” — Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello, after going 34 for 43 passing for 323 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-38 loss to Washington State.