This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Palo Alto, Calif. • It's been billed as Stanford's chance to avenge last season's startling upset at Rice-Eccles, but neither David Shaw nor Kyle Whittingham believe that's what it's about to the players on the field.
It's another week in the Pac-12.
Stanford's players have had plenty cause to be motivated against No. 3 Oregon, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 15 Notre Dame, and so on.
That said, Utah is an opponent that the Cardinal have learned to take seriously.
On paper, there's not much between them: Both teams are 3-3 in the conference, both are fairly well-rounded and both have most recently been beaten by the Ducks.
Last year, the Utes handed Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan his first-ever loss as a starting quarterback, after 10 consecutive wins. This year, they'll try to stop another 10-game win streak: Shaw's, following a loss.
But what Stanford and Utah seek makes for a less sexy promo than vengeance.
It's the prestige and the cool half-million that comes with moving up a notch in the conference bowl pecking order, needed recruiting momentum and, as always, the memories.
Time, Place and [Radio Waves in] Space • Kickoff is, mercifully, not at 8 p.m. The clash begins at 4 p.m. MT at Stanford Stadium, where Utah has not played since 1996. The game will air on Pac-12 Networks, and on the radio at ESPN 700 AM.
Opposing Coach • Few coaches have had a three-year run as impressive as David Shaw's first three years. Shaw (technically, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football) has led the Cardinal to the Fiesta Bowl and back-to-back Rose Bowls since taking the reins from San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. He reached 30 wins faster than all but three active coaches — in 35 games — and he did so against stiff competition. Before 2014, he was 14-4 against AP top-25 teams. Shaw is also one of the more patient and thoughtful coaches around media, so Go Stanford! (We kid.)
Utah ties • Ties are aplenty. Stanford's roster features three Utah players: Pleasant Grove's Brandon Fanaika (offensive guard) and Dallas Lloyd (quarterback-turned-safety), and Bingham's Dalton Schultz (tight end). Fanaika was lost for the season due to injury, and Schultz is red-shirting. Woods Cross' safety/linebacker Sean Barton committed to Stanford before leaving on an LDS mission to West Africa. All four were recruited by defensive coordinator Lance Anderson, who coached at Utah State and played for one season as a linebacker under Kyle Whittingham at Idaho State. Utah's roster includes 35 Californians, but only one, backup senior wideout Andre Lewis, hails from the Bay Area (San Francisco). Utah junior quarterback Travis Wilson graduated in the same class at San Clemente High School as Stanford junior right tackle Kyle Murphy, and the two lived a stone's throw away growing up.
Pregame Quotable • This has no bearing on Stanford, but asked whether running backs coach Dennis Erickson has missed speaking with media since Whittingham imposed a moratorium on interviewing his assistants, he said: "I've only done 4,580,000 interviews in my coaching career. But I do miss them, because I can BS with the best of them."
Media Guide Nuggets • At Stanford, a player is apparently not allowed to be defined in his media bio by a nonspecific love of movies and music. Senior starting wideout Devin Cajuste plays trumpet, piano and guitar. Junior starting wideout Michael Rector spent the past summer conducting stem cell research. Junior starting left guard Joshua Garnett writes slam poetry. Senior punter Ben Rhyne, with a biomechanical engineering degree in hand, has memorized the periodic table. Senior cornerback Wayne Lyons created his own virtual book club. Etc. And these are all starters. Also somewhat interesting: Stanford has never beaten Utah in Palo Alto. The two teams have split six games against each other, and Utah beat the host Cardinal in 1989 — days after the Bay Area earthquake — and in 1996. Stanford's lone home win, in 1924, was played in Berkeley, Calif.
Telling Stat • Stanford was expected to contend for a College Football Playoff spot. They haven't suffered an unfair share of injuries. Besides Hogan, most Cardinal players appear to have met individual expectations. So what gives? Why 5-4? Look no further than turnover margin: Stanford ranks 114th in the nation, giving away one more than they get per game. They've recovered three fumbles to Utah's six and lost 11 to Utah's seven, and they've intercepted six to Utah's 10 and had seven picked off to Utah's four.
Cardinal Offensive Outlook • In theory, this should be a dynamic offense. Stanford lost running back Tyler Gaffney, who finished with 1,709 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, but they returned: 1. a senior quarterback who had improved from his sophomore to junior years, in Hogan, 2. proven receiving targets in seniors Ty Montgomery and Devon Cajuste, 3. a talented committee of Gaffney successors who include senior Remound Wright and junior Barry Sanders Jr., and 4. an all-junior offensive line replete with NFL talent. That hasn't been the case, though. Stanford has opted for a more high-tempo, pass-heavy approach, and uncharacteristically ranks 93rd in rushing yards per game (140.2). Meanwhile, Hogan has taken a step backward in yards per attempt, touchdown to interception ratio, and sacks — although Stanford has still allowed only 18 (compare to the Utah defense's 43). Stanford has not had a 100-yard rusher in nine games, and Cajuste's 119 yards against Oregon marked the first time a Cardinal receiver has eclipsed 100. And yet Stanford still might've had a prolific offense were it not for one glaring stat: Sixteenth in red zone offense last season, the Cardinal rank second to last among FBS schools, scoring just under 65 percent of the time.
Cardinal Defensive Outlook • What Oregon is to Pac-12 offensive leaders, Stanford is to Pac-12 defensive rankings. There's no one guy who makes it work. Defensive end Henry Anderson, inside linebackers A.J. Tarpley and Blake Martinez, outside linebackers Kevin Anderson and James Vaughters and strong safety Jordan Richards are all among the conference's best at their positions. They're stout against the run — 11th in the nation — and stingier against the pass — sixth nationally. All told, the Stanford defense has allowed just 281.1 yards per game, and opponents have exceeded 17 points only twice: Arizona State, with 26, and Oregon, with 45. Earlier in the week, Whittingham expressed concern that Utah has been one-dimensional on offense. Here's why: Junior running back Devontae Booker may have 1,055 with opponents loading up the box against him, but he hasn't faced an opponent quite like this. Stanford has held opponents to fewer than 50 rushing yards 10 times since the start of 2012.
Cardinal Special Teams Outlook • It's a mixed bag. On one hand, due to Montgomery, Stanford is one of the few schools with a return game as dangerous as Utah's with Kaelin Clay. Montgomery returned a kickoff 100 yards in Salt Lake City last year, and this year he took his first-ever punt return 60 yards to pay dirt. He's since added another punt return score. On the flip side, Rhyne averages just 39 yards on punts, and senior kicker Jordan Williamson — Stanford's all-time career points leader — is having a poor season, connecting on just 11 of 17 field goals for a percentage of .647.
Required Reading
• Hunter Dimick's nickname is "Snacks," but it might become "Sacks" by the time he's done on the hill.
Injury Report • Already without senior wideout Dres Anderson, sophomore cornerback Reginald Porter, and sophomore linebacker Uaea Masina for the remainder of the season, Utah added to the list junior wideout Tim Patrick (lower leg), junior quarterback Kendal Thompson (knee) and senior free safety Tevin Carter (hip/abdomen — will apply for medical redshirt). Whittingham said Monday that he is hopeful nephew Jason will be able to return next week against Arizona, but will not be ready to face the Cardinal. For Stanford, according to San Jose Mercury News writer Jon Wilner, defensive end Aziz Shittu and fullback Patrick Skov will be out, and junior safety Zach Hoffpauir is probable.
Three Big Questions
1. Will anybody score? • The over/under, as of late Friday night, was 42.5. Utah, with its bend-but-don't break tendency and its mistake-forcing pass rush, seems the exact type of defense the Cardinal don't want to see. And to be Stanford, Utah will likely need to balance passing and rushing. They did that against Oregon, but Stanford's defense is a world apart.
2. Will Utah keep Montgomery in check? • Whittingham said "Montgomery" so many times this week that he started to drop a syllable. Montgummy. He's as dangerous as they come: track speed, swiveling hips and the ability to break tackles. Last season, he caught eight passes for 131 yards to compliment his aforementioned 100-yard return. Nobody anywhere can contain him singlehandedly: It will require a collective effort.
3. Will Utah overcome? • The Utes have been through a lot. Five consecutive one-score Pac-12 games and then a fourth-quarter meltdown at home against the Ducks. A spate of injuries, too. Coaches and players will tell you that adversity brings them closer together, and that may very well be so, but adversity can also wear you out. Against Stanford, it's important that the fight be alive and well.
Twitter: @matthew_piper