Chryst gets endorsement from Shaw
Cardinal coach gives no indication that junior quarterback’s job is in jeopardy
STANFORD >> Staring at the worst start to a season in his otherwise illustrious tenure, Stanford coach David Shaw endorsed beleaguered quarterback Keller Chryst on Tuesday and also challenged him to start making the plays that win games.
“We have to throw it and catch it,” Shaw said at his weekly press conference.
The Cardinal is 1-2 for the first time since 2008 — three years before Shaw became head coach and the same year it last lost to UCLA, the opponent that visits Stanford Stadium on Saturday — and have strained to generate much offense behind Chryst and a reconstructed offensive line.
The run game has gone nowhere except for a few huge plays from running back Bryce Love, the pass game has flailed amid inaccuracy and spotty pass protection, and the combination has put too much pressure on the defense, which was on the field for an astonishing 42 minutes in a 20-17 loss at San Diego State on Saturday night.
“It’s different,” linebacker Bobby Okereke said. “A lot of us haven’t been on losing teams, like at all, in our playing careers. So you know, we’re just talking about keeping our faith in us. We know we’re a talented team. We just have to execute. There’s a lot of mistakes that are killing us.”
Shaw gave no indication that Chryst’s job is in imminent jeopardy, saying the junior is “great” at making his pre-snap reads and has just as much mobility as he did before a knee injury in the Sun Bowl prematurely ended his season last year.
“I believe we’ve got a quarterback that can take advantage of the athletes that we have outside,” Shaw said. “I love the guys that we have outside, both at the receiver and tight end positions. I think we have some versatility there. We’ve got speed and size and some athleticism. We’ve got to give those guys opportunities to impact the game.”
The coach shuffled his offensive line against San Diego State following a 4224 loss at USC the previous weekend, keeping only senior center Jesse Burkett in the same starting position and giving freshman Walker Little his first start at left tackle.
“Good, not great,” Shaw said. “But positive.”
“Across the board … they all seemed comfortable,” he added. “Once again, not perfect. And a difficult opponent, to have your first game starting in those new spots, with all the different movements and blitzes and stunts. But it was solid. The run blocking I thought was extremely good. The hard part is some of the times we did have to throw, we didn’t complete the ball. And those times we had a couple of guys open, we didn’t have time to throw. Those are the difficulties. That’s what gets you to 1-2. When the great protection meets with the great throw and the great catch, then you get to 2-1 or 3-0.”
In UCLA, the Cardinal will meet a defense that ranks among the worst in the nation, statistically, by allowing 38.3 points and 515 yards per game. That could give it a chance to find some answers offensively — though the Bruins are as potent on offense behind heralded quarterback Josh Rosen as they are generous on defense.
“We have to be that team that says, ‘Hey, you know what? It was a tight throw, but we made it. It was a tough catch, but we made it,’ ” Shaw said. “That’s our challenge, to take that next step, and not just play hard and not just pat ourselves on the back for doing what we should do. … Now it’s time to start making the plays that win football games.”