Thoughts from the TCU game
We've come down after the Cardinal's
opening win against Oregon State, and it's pretty clear now that this team is going to
have to scratch and claw its way for every victory. Though the game was
closer than the 31-14 final score indicated, TCU outclassed the boys in
red from start to finish.
We were beaten in the trenches, unable to convert on fourth down.
We were beaten by their efficient running attack; the Stanford defense didn't lie down
but Andrew Dalton and Ryan Christian operated with ease most of the day. Heck, we
were even beaten by their 185-pound running
back, Justin Watts, who bulldozed the 225-pound Pat Maynor
in a head-on collision near the goalline. Overall, Saturday's game showed that there's still plenty of
room for improvement.
Reggie Bush in Red and White?
Not
quite, but sophomore wideout Doug Baldwin might be the big-play guy the Cardinal has been
missing in recent years. He finished his 38-yard reverse with a wiggle and shake
that left TCU's defender looking foolish. Then, on the punt return for a touchdown
that was called back after review, he made a move usually reserved for guys like
DeSean Jackson or, well, Bush. Baldwin reversed half the field, backpedaling to
his left before beating TCU to the corner. It was like watching a plodding center bank-in a
22-foot jumper he should only be shooting during warmups. ("No. What are you
thinking? ... No, no, no. ... No. ... Yes! Nice shot! Yes, yes,
yes!".)
In all seriousness though, Baldwin's return showed a bit of
swagger – even if it didn't count. I'm excited to watch him for the next
few years.
Troubles on offense?
We all saw what Toby Gerhart was capable of
against Oregon State, but it's time for the Cardinal to get its act together in
the passing game. Tavita Pritchard – God bless his soul for the rest
of his career after the 24-23 final on October 6, 2007 – has been putting
up numbers that are, well, less than impressive. Pritchard threw for less
than 100 yards in the first two games and has one touchdown to three interceptions
so far this year. Don't forget that one of those picks came at a critical juncture
in the fourth quarter against TCU, which ended up being Stanford's last
real chance to tie the game after Baldwin's impressive
return.
What might be more disconcerting, though, is the
simple fact that the Cardinal's most established playmaker hasn't been getting
the ball.
Richard Sherman has five
catches on the season. He may lead the team in that category, but
that's obviously not enough. His only touchdown this year came on a blocked punt, not
a reception. If he continues to get the ball at that rate, it's going to be a
long season. I can't tell you whether Tavita or Richard is to blame
for Sherman's lack of production, but either way, something has to change.
Kudos where they're
due
While the offense and
defense were outclassed against the Horned Frogs last Saturday, it was the special
teams which kept the team in the game. Baldwin's return for a pseudo-touchdown,
Mark Mueller's blocked punt (one of the cleanest blocks I've seen in a long time)
and David Green's leg were all big against TCU.
And what about Green, the sophomore punter? He's
done more than enough to replace Jay Ottovegio so far this year. It seems like every
kick I watched of his was either a booming punt, downed inside the 20, or both.
Aaron Zagory has also proved to be reliable thus far at placekicker, after taking
over for Derek Belch.
Spartan Test
Saturday's nightcap against the Spartans will be the team's first "official" home
game, with a couple thousand newly-anointed freshman getting their first taste of
Stanford football. By the looks of it, this is Stanford's most winnable game of the
season. Even so, the Cardinal enter as less than 10-point favorites, so the Spartans
should turn in a much better showing than last year's 37-0
debacle.
To put it short: despite the lackluster opponent,
this game is big. If we're not going to beat San Jose State at home, who are we
going to beat this season? And it's not going to be a
cakewalk.
What ever happened to...
The Pac-10. I ended my last column
on a positive note for the conference, but it's pretty clear that my optimism
might have been a little misguided. Sure, we all know how good USC is, but,
unfortunately for the Pac-10, it does feel like they're in a league of their own. Needless to
say or recount, the conference went a mighty 0-4 against the Mountain West last
week and also saw Cal lose to a Maryland team that lost to Middle Tennessee
State. Let's not forget the Bruins' 59-0 game, which rang home for this native of
Southern California.
Either way, the conference is
definitely not second-best the way that I said it might be. The Big-12 has that
covered. At this point, we're probably not even third-best, either: someone
might as well give that title to the Mountain West.
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