In the postgame afterglow of Stanford’s shocking come-from-behind overtime win at Oregon last Saturday, any Cardinal with a microphone in front of him couldn’t stop taking about how the team’s unshakable belief in their core identity catapulted them to victory.
It was all so very Stanford.
For if there’s one program that revels in its predictability — embraces it even — it is David Shaw’s Stanford Cardinal. Even when it’s the Ǵ.
Such was nearly the case Saturday in Eugene, when Shaw and company stubbornly stuck to the power run game, even as it became increasingly clear their Bill Walton-sized receiving corps could have their way with the Ducks any time they wanted.
If not for an incredibly fortunate botched snap that Stanford returned 80 yards for a touchdown, and some inconceivably poor clock management from Ducks coach Mario Cristobal that produced yet another fumble with a minute left, the Cardinal never would have had a chance at a miracle comeback for the ages.
But Stanford got those breaks, and the rest is history. Or in Oregon’s case, inconsolable despair.
Let's check in on Oregon fans …
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay)
There was a lesson to be learned here. And one can only hope that the Cardinal — after seeing their lives flash before their eyes in Eugene — actually grasped it.
It’s the first of several lessons from a wild Week 4 in the Conference of Champions:
Stanford’s road to the playoff is through the air: The intellectual brutality that the Cardinal cling to like an unopened textbook is not sustainable with this offensive line. If Stanford is going to compete for a playoff spot, Coach Shaw must be more unpredictable and trust K.J. Costello to make plays on first down. The junior quarterback displayed a deft touch against the Ducks and appears well suited for the Cardinal’s jump ball passing game. Lean on that more often and maybe some holes will open up for Bryce Love and the run game.
Oregon QB Justin Herbert is the real deal: After a series of uninspired performances the first three weeks of the season, Herbert was the best player of the field for nearly four quarters Saturday. His first down run with less than two minutes left in regulation should have sealed the game for Oregon. Instead, Coach Cristobal inexplicably kept his foot on the gas pedal and Herbert was robbed of a signature win.
USC’s defense is vulnerable: Maybe we should have been prepared for this after Texas torched the Trojans in Week 2. But it was still shocking to see Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew carve up the USC secondary in a 39-36 Cougars loss last Friday. Think about this: The Trojans are a blocked field goal away from possibly being 1-3.
Arizona’s defense is not a total train wreck: It might not seem like much of an accomplishment to hold one-win Oregon State to 14 points, but the Beavers were averaging more than 30 a game going into Saturday’s 35-14 home loss to the Wildcats. A re-examination of the Wildcats’ schedule reveals that A) losing to BYU is not as bad as originally thought, and B) getting lit up by Houston’s offense is nothing to be ashamed of. Bowl eligibility may be possible after all for Kevin Sumlin’s crew.
The UW choke hold: As complete a team as Washington is, the Huskies simply aren’t capable of blowing opponents out by 20-plus points. Much like Alabama teams of recent vintage, the Huskies win games with a relentlessly suffocating combination of bend-but-don’t-break defense and opportunistic offense. It may be inelegant, but it’s effective. Just ask Arizona State, which only lost 27-20 last Saturday but never felt like a real threat to win.
Steven Montez is licking his lips: Outside of Utah and maybe ASU, the South is a sea of mediocre to moribund defenses. Colorado’s junior quarterback and Laviska Shenault Jr. should feast, starting with the Bruins on Friday.
—, The Denver Post
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What’s on Tap?
- Rockies: Philadelphia Phillies, 6:40 p.m., ATTRM | Pitching matchup |
TV/RADIO: Here’s what sports are airing today
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Scoreboard
MLB: Rockies 10, Phillies 1
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NHL preseason: Avalanche 5, Golden Knights 3
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Parting Shot
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If you see something thatap cause for question or have a comment, thought or suggestion, email me at dboniface@denverpost.com or tweet me .
