Is it once agains time for the UCLA Football team to have their dreaded matchup with the Stanford Cardinal and to get the low down, GJB talked to the editor for Go Mighty Card about the game.
It is here, ladies and gentlemen. The UCLA Football team is once again preparing for a game against an opponent they have not beaten in nine attempts.
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But things are slightly different this season and to get perspective on the matter, we talked to friend of GJB and Stanford expert, Hank Waddles of GoMightyCard.com.
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Go Joe Bruin: Stanford occasionally loses early in the season and then has a major recovery as the season progresses. Is that possible after starting 1-2 or are dark times on the horizon for the Cardinal?
Go Mighty Card: I am eternally optimistic in most respects, and certainly with respect to Stanford football. As you note, the Cardinal has endured disappointing starts in other seasons only to emerge as strong as ever by the end of the season. That’s certainly possible with this team, as there’s at least as much talent on the roster as any Stanford team in recent memory, but many fans and observers believe otherwise. The problem is that we simply don’t have enough information right now.
Even at the time we knew that the 62-7 win over Rice told us nothing about the team, and the loss to USC was easily explained away. Last week’s loss to San Diego State is much more problematic, though the Aztecs could end up as one of the surprise teams in the nation. This week’s game, then, is critical. My USC people remind me that the Trojans were 1-3 last season before going on their Rose Bowl run, but I worry that a third consecutive loss, with four ranked teams still lying ahead on the schedule, would be difficult to overcome.
GJB: With a two game losing streak, what is Stanford’s mentality heading into the UCLA game (a team they have beat nine straight times)?
GMC: All the quotes from players and Coach Shaw are exactly what you’d expect — the typical reminders that the players still believe in each other and the coaches still have high expectations. Shaw said this week that it’s been a difficult start, definitely not what they wanted or expected, but that he believes they’re making strides. It’s interesting to note, however, that Shaw has been very un-Shaw-ish recently.
He got a little combative with a few reporters during his weekly media luncheon, taking issue with questions about his game strategy, he aggressively confronted the San Diego State coaching staff as the teams crossed paths on the way to the locker room at halftime and there were times during the game when he was all alone on the sideline, yards away from anyone else. I’m not sure what this means, but I’d guess the team has taken notice.
GJB: Do you think Stanford is a bit more at ease knowing they have UCLA next or is their more urgency to get the win?
GMC: I truly hope that no one in the program feels at ease about anything right now. At this point, playing Rice again would be a big game. I don’t think it’s desperation time for the Cardinal, but aside from Bryce Love, there aren’t too many things that can be counted on for sure right now. You could argue, I suppose, that UCLA is the perfect opponent for Stanford right now, but not for the reason you might think. The nine-game winning streak doesn’t guarantee a Stanford victory, but the pressure of that streak could provide the urgency that’s necessary right now. If there’s anything that might put the team at ease it’s that this is their first home game of the season, which will be nice.
GJB: Is QB Keller Chryst having an off year? Was his performance against SDSU an anomaly?
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GMC: It’s hard to say that Chryst is having an off year because we haven’t seen him have an on year. It was a surprise when he didn’t win the starting job for the season opener in 2016, and although he led the Cardinal to five straight wins after taking over for Ryan Burns, he never really looked overly impressive. He managed the game well, scrambled for first downs when necessary, and threw for relatively high completion percentage, but he did so against the five worst defenses on the schedule. He defied all odds in recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the Sun Bowl, but once again he’s been less than what was expected.
Last week was, hopefully, rock bottom: 9 for 20, 72 yards, 2 interceptions, a fumble, 4.8 QBR. It doesn’t get much worse than that. The vast majority of Stanford fans and observers I spoke with following the game were hoping that backup K.J. Costello would be elevated to the starting role this week, but that doesn’t look likely.
Immediately after the game Shaw admitted that Chryst hadn’t played well, but he spent the rest of the week explaining that there were things he had done well. At this point I’d be stunned if Chryst didn’t get the nod on Saturday.
GJB: Bryce Love is an incredible running back (he has the second most rushing yards in the nation) so is Stanford going to put their hopes in him, knowing UCLA does not have a good run game?
GMC: Here’s a UCLA analogy for you. If Christian McCaffrey was Kareem, Bryce Love is Walton. I have argued that McCaffrey is the greatest player in the history of Stanford football, but Love is pretty special in his own right. As you mention, his numbers have been eye-popping this season, but here’s the eye-poppingest number there is — he has a streak of five games in a row with a run of fifty yards or more. Last week he had two, plus another run of 47. He’s just as fast as McCaffrey, and like his predecessor he’s a threat to score any time he touches the ball.
There were some questions about how effective he’d be as an every down back, which is odd because he went over a hundred yards in both of his starts last season, but all doubts have been erased this year. He’s not the Swiss Army knife that McCaffrey was, lining up all over the field; instead he does what he does in a much more conventional way. Most of his runs are between the tackles, with an occasional sweep thrown in just for fun. Considering all that, the answer to your question is yes, Stanford is going to put their hopes in him.
GJB: The Cardinal have a really good secondary, how will they limit Josh Rosen (who has the most passing yards and touchdowns in the nation) and UCLA’s passing game?
GMC: This is the best secondary in the history of Stanford football and quite possibly the best back four in the conference. Cornerbacks Quenton Meeks and Alijah Holder and safety Justin Reid are all bound for the NFL, and there are younger defensive backs who are also contributing and look to have similar futures.
USC’s Sam Darnold threw for over 400 yards against them two weeks ago, but that was more a result of having too much time in the pocket and the ability to make perfect throws. Believe it or not, the secondary played well in that game. So again I’m looking forward to this matchup, but I’m guessing the biggest factor that will determine the defense’s effectiveness against Rosen will be the play of the defensive line.
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GJB: Many critics are saying the Stanford D-line has taken a step back. Is this true and if so, does it worry Stanford that UCLA is making improvements in their run game?
GMC: The biggest loss Stanford has endured hasn’t been the departure of McCaffrey, but that of defensive end Solomon Thomas. (Bruin fans might remember his scoop and score to close last season’s Stanford win over UCLA.) He was a dynamic athlete that really couldn’t be blocked, and there was no way he was going to be replaced. Senior Harrison Phillips has done his best, but even his career-best season hasn’t been enough; he simply doesn’t have any help. The rest of the group is undersized and under experienced, two factors which were exposed over the past two weeks.
As poorly as the offense played against San Diego State last week, the Cardinal had a four-point lead with six minutes to play, and the defense wasn’t able to hold the Aztecs on that final possession. That was largely due to SDSU’s obscene time of possession advantage (41:14 to 18:46), but Shaw still chose to call out the defense and not the offense after the game. Behind the line, the linebackers have played fairly well, though perhaps not quite up to the expectations they brought into the season, and they’ll be without one of the starting inside linebackers, Sean Barton, who suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury last week. So this is definitely a concern. If Stanford isn’t able to get consistent pressure on Rosen, this game could be a struggle.
GJB: What is the perception of David Shaw after losing two games in a row?
GMC: I’m not sure there’s anything David Shaw could do at this point to jeopardize my faith in him. For me, there’s no other coach in America that I’d want leading my school’s football team, both for what he’s achieved on the field as well as his presence as the face of the program.
But naturally there are others who think differently. He’s drawn plenty of criticism during this two-game slide, but it’s nothing we haven’t heard before. Many fans want a wide open offense similar to what see around the rest of the country, even though this is the same offense that’s taken the team to three Rose Bowls in the past five years, and they want more aggressive play calling.
Last week he kicked a field goal on 4th and less-than-a-yard. He’s also seen as stubborn, not just in his refusal to change the offense, but in his reluctance to make a change at quarterback.
There are definitely unhappy people out there and the numbers are growing, but it doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. David Shaw is probably the safest coach in America, just as safe as Nick Saban.
GJB: Who is a player on offense and defense that is flying under the radar that UCLA should worry about?
GMC: I’ll go for two players on offense. First is left tackle Walker Little, a true freshman and along with Foster Sarell one of two elite linemen in Stanford’s 2017 recruiting class. Most services had the two of them as the top two linemen in the country, and Little was ranked the top overall recruit in a few places. Little took over at left tackle last week after getting significant playing time in the first two games, and it will be interesting to watch his development. He’ll be pretty good this year, and dominant in years to come.
The other player to watch on the offense is another true freshman, wide receiver Connor Wedington. How excited are the Cardinal coaches about him? They gave him McCaffrey’s #5. He’s currently Stanford’s leading receiver, but he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. On defense, I suppose you can watch for linebacker Peter Kalambayi. He’s at his best when he’s using his speed to rush the quarterback, so he could be the single most important player in Stanford’s efforts to slow down Josh Rosen.
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Thank you to Hank Waddles for once again chatting with us about UCLA-Stanford. Check out his work at GoMightyCard.com.