Dec. 2
California 26 ... Stanford 17
It wasn't Cal's best game, but it was able to get four Tom
Schneider field goals, including the final two scores of the game to
squeak by. Lavelle Hawkins caught a 32-yard touchdown pass and
Syd'Quan Thompson picked up a fumble for a 15-yard score. Stanford
stuck around helped by an eight-yard Richard Sherman touchdown catch
and a 51-yard Evan Moore scoring play, but the offense only finished
up with 269 total yards. Zach Follett and Desmond Bishop combined
for 20 tackles for the Bears.
Player of the game ... California WR DeSean Jackson
caught seven passes for 127 yards
Stat Leaders: Stanford - Passing: T.C.
Ostrander, 15-31, 204 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 12-45. Receiving:
Richard Sherman, 6-81, 1 TD
California - Passing: Nate Longshore,
14-31, 217 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Justin Forsett, 11-75 Receiving:
DeSean Jackson, 7-127
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The long nightmare of a season is over with a decent performance
against Cal. The defense kept the Bears relatively under wraps doing
a good job of forcing field goals and keeping the home run hitters
from exploding. There was even a little bit of offense, but it was
bittersweet as Evan Moore showed off the big play ability the team
could've used all year long from its injured star.
|
2006
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
5-7
2006 Record:
1-11
Preview
2005 predicted wins |
| 9/2 |
at Oregon L 48-10 |
| 9/9 |
at San Jose St
L 35-34 |
| 9/16 |
Navy
L 37-9 |
| 9/23 |
Washington St
L 36-10 |
|
9/30 |
at UCLA L 31-0 |
| 10/7 |
at Notre Dame L 31-10 |
| 10/14 |
Arizona
L 20-7 |
| 10/21 |
at Arizona State L 38-3 |
| 11/4 |
USC L 42-0 |
| 11/11 |
at Washington W 20-3 |
| 11/18 |
Oregon State
L 30-7 |
| 12/2 |
at California L 26-17 |
|
|
2005
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
3-8
2005 Record: 5-6
Preview
2005 predicted wins |
| 9/10 |
at Navy
W 41-38 |
| 9/17 |
UC Davis
L 20-17 |
|
10/1 |
Oregon L 44-20 |
| 10/8 |
at Wash State W 24-21 |
| 10/15 |
at Arizona W 20-16 |
| 10/22 |
Arizona State W 45-35 |
| 10/29 |
UCLA
L 30-27 OT |
| 11/5 |
at USC L 51-21 |
| 11/12 |
at Oregon St W 20-17 |
| 11/19 |
California L 27-3 |
| 11/26 |
Notre Dame L 38-31 |
|
Nov. 18
Oregon State 30 ... Stanford 7
Oregon State held Stanford to 210
yards of total offense and just a 36-yard Anthony Kimble touchdown
run. Down 7-0, the Beavers rolled with 30 unanswered points on two
Matt Moore touchdown passes, a Moore scoring run and Alexis Serna
field goals from 29, 31 and 18 yards out. Yvenson Bernard helped the
Beavers hold the ball for 39:16 with 168 rushing yards while the
defense sacked T.C. Ostrander five times.
Player of the
game ...
Oregon State QB
Matt Moore was 15-of-24 for 176 yards and two touchdowns and added a
four yards and a rushing touchdown on six carries.
Stat Leaders: Oregon State - Passing: Matt
Moore, 15-24, 176 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Yvenson Bernard, 36-168 Receiving: Brandon
Powers, 6-58, 1 TD
Stanford - Passing: T.C. Ostrander, 9-25, 125
yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 8-78, 1 TD Receiving: Richard
Sherman, 5-90
Whoopty doo. What does it all
mean Basil? ...
Stanford was able to beat Washington last week with a great game
against the run and timely offense. Against Oregon State, the
defensive front got beaten on with a slow, methodical ground attack
and just enough passing to get by. The Cardinal offense is nowhere
near productive enough to mount any sort of big comeback, and when
T.C. Ostrander is under consistent pressure, like he was against the
Beavers, the results aren’t going to be good.
Nov. 11
Stanford 20 ... Washington 3
Stanford stunned Washington with 20 unanswered points on a
49-yard Bo McNally interception return for a touchdown and a 74-yard Richard
Sherman scoring catch in the fourth quarter. Washington started off the scoring
with a 28-yard field goal, but the Cardinal tied it as time ran out at the end
of the half on a 29-yard Aaron Zagory field goal. The Huskies only gained 161
yards.
Player of the game ... Stanford WR Richard Sherman
caught six passes for 177 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Washington - Passing: Carl
Bonnell, 10-35, 118 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Kenny James, 13-23. Receiving:
Quintin Daniels, 4-40
Stanford - Passing: T.C. Ostrander,
11-20, 206 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 11-35 Receiving:
Richard Sherman, 6-177, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Considering how horrible Stanford has been all season long on both
sides of the ball, the defensive performance against Washington was special with
the front doing a terrific job against the run. For weeks, the Cardinal
desperately looked for one big play to provide a spark, and it got it with
Richard Sherman's touchdown. To have any shot against Oregon State next week,
the secondary has to keep forcing turnovers and the offense has to take
advantage of every opportunity. To have a little more running game would be
nice.
Nov. 4
USC 42 ... Stanford 0
John David Booty threw three touchdown passes in the second
quarter and Chauncey Washington ran for a 15-yard score in an easy
rout. Stanford's best chance to score can on a third quarter field
goal attempt, but USC's Sedrick Ellis blocked it and Terrell Thomas
scooped it up for a 71-yard touchdown. Backup Trojan QB Mark Sanchez
finished things off with a four-yard touchdown run. The Cardinal
only gained 208 yards of total offense.
Player of the game ... USC QB John David Booty
completed 12 of 21 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: USC - Passing: John David
Booty, 12-21, 203 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Chauncey Washington, 12-74, 1 TD. Receiving:
Dwayne Jarrett, 5-118, 1 TD
Stanford - Passing: T.C. Ostrander,
16-30, 178 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 15-22 Receiving:
Richard Sherman, 3-58
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
It's going to be a common theme throughout the rest of the year:
there just aren't any offensive players who can do anything. Without
QB Trent Edwards and with no receiver to rely on, Stanford had no
hope of hanging around with USC for more than a quarter. Washington
is the last team left that Cardinal might be able to play with, so
it'll be time to pull out all the stops. Getting some semblance of a
running game will be vital; there was none to speak of against the
Trojans to take the pressure off QB T.C. Ostrander.
Oct. 21
Arizona State 38 ... Stanford 3
Arizona State had no problems with a punchless Stanford attack
holding it to 145 yards of total offense with just a 35-yard Aaron
Zagory field goal breaking up the perfect game. ASU QB Rudy
Carpenter just missed on one pass, while Ryan Torian and Keegan
Herring each won twice on the way to a 31-0 lead. Dimitri Nance
closed things off with a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game ... Arizona State QB Rudy Carpenter
completed 14 of 15 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Arizona State - Passing:
Rudy Carpenter, 14-15, 160 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Ryan Torian, 17-90, 1 TD. Receiving:
Zach Miller, 4-32
Stanford - Passing: T.C. Ostrander, 7-25,
66 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 11-83 Receiving:
Richard Sherman, 3-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Stanford isn't just going to go 0-12, it's going to be blasted in
every game along the way with no offensive playmakers to rely on.
Now it should be about getting all the young players more playing
time. T.C. Ostrander is the best starting option, but he doesn't
help the offense right now get better for the future.
Sophomore Tavita Pritchard needs all the reps now, ready or not. Can
the Cardinal get out of USC with anything less than 50-point
blowout? It's up to the Trojans.
Oct. 14
Arizona 20 ... Stanford 7
Arizona got a 16-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the
game from Chris Jennings and got a 18-yard second quarter scoring
run on the way to an easy win. The Wildcats outgained the Cardinal
220 yards to -6 on the ground, while the defense didn't allow a
point, gave up just four first downs, and allowed 52 total yards of
offense. Stanford got its only points on a 72-yard interception
return from Wopamo Osaisai. Nick Folk connected on field goals from
45 and 24 for the Wildcats.
Player of the game ... Arizona RBs Chris Henry and Chris
Jennings combined for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries
Stat Leaders: Arizona - Passing: Adam
Austin, 6-9, 63 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Henry, 16-91, 1 TD, Receiving:
Syndric Steptoe, 5-21
Stanford - Passing: T.C. Ostrander, 8-13,
58 yds
Rushing: Emeka Nnoli, 3-12 Receiving: Toby
Gerhart, 3-18
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Uh oh.
It'll take a minor miracle for Stanford to win a game this year with
the way it played against Arizona. The loss of QB Trent Edwards to a
foot injury early on didn't help, but that was only part of the
problem with a run defense that managed to make the Wildcats look
like West Virginia, and T.C. Ostrander only leading the offense to
four first downs. This might be rock bottom, so it'll be all about
getting the young players some work over the final five games to see
who might be able to contribute next year.
Oct. 7
Notre Dame 31 ... Stanford 10
Notre Dame had few problems putting away the struggling
Cardinal getting three Brady Quinn touchdown passes and a 32-yard
Darius Walker touchdown run. Sanford didn't get into the end zone
until the fourth quarter on a 57-yard touchdown pass to Kelton Lynn,
but the Irish answered with a one-yard John Carlson scoring run. The
Irish outgained the Cardinal 436 yards to 226.
Player of the game ... Notre Dame RB Darius Walker ran
25 times for 153 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 45
yards.
Stat Leaders: Stanford - Passing: Trent
Edwards, 7-13, 68 yds
Rushing: Anthony Kimble, 15-63. Receiving:
Kelton Lynn, 4-86, 1 TD
Notre Dame - Passing: Brady Quinn, 27-37,
232 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Darius Walker, 25-153, 1 TD. Receiving:
Jeff Samardzija, 7-50, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Even with
the 0-6 start and yet another blowout loss, there were signs of
improvement. Notre Dame's offense had few problems moving the
chains, but there were a few decent stops by the defense and Anthony
Kimble wasn't all that bad running the ball. Next week comes the
real test, at home against Arizona, to see if the team is actually
able to come up with a decent performance. One positive is LB
Michael Okwo, who's making tackle after tackle, but now he has to
come up with more big plays.
Sept. 30
UCLA 31 ... Stanford 0
UCLA's offense wasn't sharp, but the defense held Stanford to
166 yards and forced five turnovers. The Bruin special teams drew
the first blood with Eric McNeal returning a blocked punt for a
touchdown. Chane Moline ran for two short scores and Kenneth Lombard
returned a fumble for a five yard touchdown in a 17-point fourth
quarter to put the game away. Stanford quarterbacks were sacked
seven times.
Player of the game ... UCLA DE Bruce Davis made 5.5 tackles, 2.5
sacks, three tackles for loss, and forced one fumble.
Stat Leaders: Stanford - Passing: Trent
Edwards, 12-23, 117 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Toby Gerhart, 12-32,. Receiving:
Richard Sherman, 4-50
UCLA - Passing: Ben Olson, 20-37, 219 yds,
2 INT
Rushing: Chris Markey, 18-88 Receiving: Ryan
Moya, 4-64
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Stanford's offensive line has to do something to keep QB Trent
Edwards upright. UCLA's defense had a picnic in the Cardinal
backfield wreaking havoc on anything the offense wanted to do. With
the issues in the receiving corps, Edwards needs another half-second
to throw that he's not getting. With no running game to help things
out, the attack has gotten ugly. Notre Dame gives up big plays, so
the Cardinal has to find a way this week to get its receivers deep.
Sept. 23
Washington State 36 ... Stanford 10
Washington State dominated on both sides of the ball as
Mkristo Bruce came up with a school-record five sacks and Mike
Graise returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown for the
defense, Jason Hill blocked a punt on special teams, and caught a
seven-yard scoring pass. Alex Brink threw two touchdown passes and
ran for another. The Stanford points were helped by turnovers with
Aaron Zagory hitting a 34-yard field goal and Kelton Lynn catching a
25-yard touchdown pass.
Player of the game ... Washington State DE Mkristo
Bruce made seven tackles and five sacks
Stat Leaders: Washington State - Passing:
Alex Brink, 21-33, 228 yds, 2 TD
Rushing:
Dwight Tardy, 17-97, 1 TD
Receiving:
Cody Boyd, 5-72
Stanford - Passing: Trent Edwards, 14-23,
159 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Kible, 11-40 Receiving:
Kelton Lynn, 5-65, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
The hope was for Stanford to be able to
stay in games with an explosive offense and lots of big plays, but
its missing its receiving punch and Trent Edwards isn't able to make
anything happen. The offensive line was awful with no answer for
Mkristo Bruce and the Cougar pass rush, while there wasn't any room
for the running game to work. At the moment, this is the worst team
in the Pac 10 by far with 0-12 a distinct possibility unless there's
a miraculous discovery for the offensive game plan.
Sept. 16
Navy 37 ... Stanford 9
Navy was the Navy offense rolling for 368 rushing yards and
running for four scores to spoil the opening of Stanford's new
stadium. The Midshipmen broke the game open in the second quarter
with Reggie Campbell first of two touchdown runs to go along with
the second of two Brian Hampton scoring dashes. Stanford's offense
turned it over three times and only managed a 22-yard Aaron Zagory
field goal and a two-yard Anthony Kimble touchdown run.
Player of the game ... Navy RB Reggie Campbell ran 13
times for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Stanford - Passing: Trent
Edwards, 23-35, 226 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Toby Gerhart, 9-40. Receiving:
Kelton Lynn, 6-72
Navy - Passing: Brian Hampton, 8-11, 74
yds
Rushing: Adam Ballard, 26-120. Receiving: Tyree
Barnes, 3-35
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... You knew
this was going to happen. Stanford couldn't stop San Jose State's
running game, and it had no chance whatsoever against the Navy
ground attack. The linebackers were never able to get in the right
spots, while the line was battered up the middle by Adam Ballard and
the Navy power game. Trent Edwards has too much receiving talent
around him to be as pedestrian as he's been over the first three
games. This is a team that's lost its confidence at the worst time.
With Washington State, at UCLA and at Notre Dame ahead, 0-6 is very
possible unless the passing game starts to kick in.
Sept. 9
San Jose State 35 ... Stanford 34
San Jose State ran for 342 yards led by a career-high 184 from
Yonus Davis and a breathtaking 42-yard touchdown run from WR James
Jones midway through the third quarter for what turned out to be the
game-winner. Stanford got up 34-14 late in the second quarter on
Evan Moore's second touchdown catch of the game, and then the
Spartans scored 21 unanswered points starting off with an 11-yard
touchdown catch from James Callier in the final minute of the first
half. The San Jose State defense held firm in the second half
shutting out the high-powered Cardinal offense.
Player of the game ... San Jose State RB Yonus Davis
ran 23 times for 184 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Stanford - Passing: Trent
Edwards, 18-28, 233 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Toby Gerhart, 13-82. Receiving:
R. Sherman, 6-71, 1 TD
San Jose State - Passing: Adam Tafralis,
14-16, 110 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Yonus Davis, 23-184, 1 TD. Receiving:
James Jones, 7-82
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
This is bad. Really bad. Stanford
allowed 298 rushing yards against Oregon last week and gave up 342
against San Jose State. San Jose State?! Who's up next week? Navy.
Uh oh. The Cardinal offense couldn't get any points on the board in
the second half against a porous Spartan D. Trent Edwards and his
receiving corps are way too good to not be bombing away against
mediocre teams for a full sixty minutes. Things might get a lot
worse before they get better since this is supposed to be the easy
part of the schedule.
Sept. 2
Oregon 48 ... Stanford 10
Oregon rolled up 534 yards of total offense with 298 yards on
the ground thanks to a 168-yard, two touchdown performance from
Jonathan Stewart. The two teams traded field goals in the first
quarter before Oregon broke through with a one-yard Stewart
touchdown run and a 15-yard scoring grab from Jaison Williams.
Stanford answered with a 26-yard touchdown catch from Mark
Bradford, and then the rout was on as the Ducks scored 31 unanswered
points finished off by a 72-yard touchdown off a blocked field goal
by A.J. Tuitele.
Player of the game ... Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart ran
22 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Stanford - Passing: Trent
Edwards, 20-34, 224 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Toby Gerhart, 16-55. Receiving:
Mark Bradford, 9-108, 1 TD
Oregon - Passing: Dennis Dixon, 21-30,
236 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jonathan Stewart, 22-168, 2 TD. Receiving:
Garren Strong, 6-78
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Stanford
had better get used to playing in shootouts. The defense didn't do
anything to slow down the Oregon offense, and when Trent Edwards and
the Cardinal attack couldn't keep up the past, things got ugly.
Edwards has to be better on third downs and the running game has to
average more than 2.9 yards per carry. San Jose State's running game
isn't going to be an issue, but the Navy game in two weeks could be
brutally ugly if things don't change in a hurry.
2006 Stanford Preview
Stanford Preview |
Offense |
Defense |
Depth Chart |
Further Analysis
Considering Stanford was picked to finish at or near the
bottom of the Pac 10 in the first year under head coach Walt Harris,
the team had a very solid 5-6 season.
It could even be argued that Harris deserved considering for Pac 10
Coach of the Year considering the team's talent level and a 4-4
conference record with the losses coming to Oregon, UCLA, USC and
Cal teams that finished with a combined 40 wins. But more fans will
only remember the 2006 Cardinal for one thing.
UC Davis 20, Stanford 17.
The Aggies were a mediocre D-IAA team finishing the year 6-5, and
their stunning upset over the Cardinal proved to be the difference
between a bowl bid and sitting at home for Harris's club.
Getting up for every game was one of the knocks on Harris's
Pittsburgh teams, and for Stanford to keep its head above water in
the improving Pac 10, it's going to have to win every close game and
beat every team it's supposed to.
Because of
the academic restrictions, Stanford will never get the talent level
within 100 miles of where other Pac 10 teams can get to, but that
doesn't mean the program can't be successful. With a ton of returning
experience and the coaching staff settled into its second season,
there's no reason the program can't come up with its first winning
season since 2001.
Stanford will never have a top defense, but that's O.K. playing in the
Pac 10; no one outside of the UCLA basketball team can play D. However,
the offense has to be good enough to hang 30 on the board on a regular
basis, and Stanford couldn't do that last year with only five games with
24 or more points. In those five games, the Cardinal won three with the
two losses coming on last-second miracle comebacks by UCLA and Notre
Dame. In other words, a more potent offense will mean more wins. It's
that simple.
And a better attack should be an almost certainty with senior QB Trent
Edwards possibly being this year's version of Jay Cutler and becoming a
rising favorite among the NFL scouts. There's no depth in the receiving
corps, but the combination of Mark Bradford and Evan Moore will arguably
be second in the league only to USC's dynamic duo of Dwayne Jarrett and
Steve Smith. The line is very big and very experienced, but it has to
keep Edwards clean after allowing 83 sacks in the last two seasons and
getting no push whatsoever for the running game. The backs aren't good
enough to make plays on their own.
It'll be a fun second season under Harris with at least one major upset
and plenty of exciting shootouts. Most importantly, there's no UC Davis
on the schedule.
The Schedule: Only
having five home games might not seem that pretty, but two of the
road games are against San Jose State and Cal. Even so, it's not a
slate conducive for a big season having to go on the road to face
Oregon right off the bat and with trips to UCLA, Notre Dame and
Arizona State. This wasn't a bad road team last year going 4-1, so a
win at Washington is a possibility along with a few upsets. Forget
about going through the home slate cleanly with USC coming to
Stanford Stadium, but there's no reason the Cardinal can't go 4-1
beating Navy, Washington State, Arizona and Oregon State.
Best
Offensive Player: Senior QB Trent Edwards. It's his time to step
up and be the league's best quarterback. It's asking a lot in a
conference with Arizona State's Sam Keller and USC's John David
Booty (or Mark Sanchez), but he has all the tools and talents to be
a difference maker in at least two wins over bigger name programs.
Best
Defensive Player: Senior SS Brandon Harrison. There are other good
veterans on the Cardinal D from linebackers Michael Okwo and Mike
Silva, to defensive backs Nick Sanchez and Trevor Hooper, but
Harrison is the steadiest all-around playmaker and the tone-setter
for the secondary.
Key
player to a successful season: Offensive tackles Jon Cochran, Jeff
Edwards and Allen Smith. Stanford finished last in the Pac 10 in
total offense and last in rushing offense because of an offensive
line that finished 116th in the nation in sacks allowed and paved
the way for a mere 2.6 yards per carry. The tackles have size and
experience, and now they have to produce to allow the skill players
time and room to work.
The
season will be a success if ... Stanford wins seven games. It's a
better team than last year when it won five games and came within a
loss to UC Davis from going to a bowl game. Improving by another two
games isn't asking for too much considering all the returning
experience.
Key
game:
September 2nd at Oregon. The Ducks ripped through
the Cardinal 44-20 last season, but these two play in the season
opener this season. If you're going to pull off an upset, the best
chance to do it is the first game of the season when neither team
has had any game experience. While Oregon has plenty of veterans
returning, a great showing in Autzen Stadium would do wonders with
three winnable games (at San Jose State, Navy and Washington State)
ahead. A blowout loss wouldn't send up panic flares, but it wouldn't
be a good sign.
2005
Fun Stats:
- Fourth quarter scoring: Opponents 116 - Stanford 50
- Rushing touchdowns: Opponents 23 - Stanford 8
- Fourth down conversions: Opponents 9 of 16 (56%) - Stanford 1 of 7
(14%)
The Last Time Stanford…
…played in a bowl game…2001 (Seattle
Bowl vs. Georgia Tech)
…missed a bowl game…2005
…pitched a shutout…1996 (Michigan State)
…was shutout…2004 (UCLA)
…scored 50 points…2002 (San Jose State)
…went undefeated…1940
…won a conference title…1999 (Pac-10)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…1998 (Todd Husak)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…1991 (Tommy Vardell)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…1999 (Troy Walters)
…had a first-round draft choice…2003 (OT Kwame Harris)