Beaten at its own game
Cardinal dominated at line, forced into mistakes by Utah
STANFORD >> Dominate the line of scrimmage and don’t make mistakes.
It has been the standard formula for both Stanford and Utah in recent years, but only the Utes were able to execute it successfully Saturday night.
Playing without Bryce Love, Stanford was outgained 222-42 on the ground and committed the game’s only four turnovers in a 40-21 loss.
Utah (3-2, 1-2 Pac-12) improved to 4-0 all-time at Stanford Stadium and ended the Cardinal’s 11game home winning streak. No. 14 Stanford (42, 2-1) has now lost backto-back games, including last Saturday’s 38-17 loss at Notre Dame.
Here are three big takeaways:
NO CHANGE IN PHILOSOPHY >> K.J. Costello completed 26 of 41 passes for 381 yards, joining Andrew Luck as the only Cardinal since 2000 with three 300yard games in a season. And Kaden Smith (120), JJ Arcega-Whiteside (103) and Trenton Irwin (100) gave Stanford three 100yard receivers for the first time since 1998.
Meanwhile, the Cardinal came in 123rd in the FBS in rushing yardage (94.4 a game) and didn’t even get half that total against the Utes.
But if you thought Saturday’s performance — and consecutive defeats by a combined 39 points — would have Stanford coach David Shaw questioning his run-first approach, think again.
“I’m sure some people in this room will write, and some people outside of this room will write, that change will be due — throw the ball all over the yard,” Shaw said. “Those people don’t know me. Those people don’t understand this program. Those people don’t understand what it’s taken to get where we are, and how many games that we’ve won with the philosophy that we have. It’s a
proven philosophy.”
In that case, the team needs to run the ball better. Shaw said that Love, who appeared to injure his left ankle last week at Notre Dame, “should be raring to go” against Arizona State. That will help, but even with Love, the team has struggled to move the ball on the ground.
Shaw said it’s not the schemes, the new offensive line coach, the personnel, or the opponents. That doesn’t leave much left.
“The biggest issue for me is we’ve made really, really small mistakes that cost you big runs,” Shaw said. ANOTHER SLOW START >> Games at 11 a.m. or 7:30 p.m., at home or on the road — it hasn’t mattered. Stanford continues to fall behind early. Five times in six games the Cardinal have trailed after the first quarter, which is even more surprising considering Shaw always takes the ball to start the game.
“For some reason, we are not playing at a high
level until somebody else scores,” Shaw said. “We have to start the game with a sense of urgency and start playing fast, not missing throws and catches, not running the wrong routes, not being out of coverage or being out of our gaps. Those are the things that happen to us early in games and we have to find an answer.”
Utah raced out to a 21-0 lead behind two touchdown runs by Zack Moss (20 carries, 160 yards) and a 100-yard interception return by cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Moss’ first TD run was set up by a running-intothe-punter penalty by defensive end Jovan Swann, and his second came when he went into the end zone untouched on fourth-and-2 from the Stanford 35.
Stanford trailed at halftime 24-7 for the second time in three weeks — except Utah didn’t self-destruct like Oregon did in Stanford’s 38-31 overtime win.
The Cardinal got within 27-21 late in the third quarter on freshman Michael Wilson’s first career TD, but the early hole proved too much to overcome.
“We’ve played really good quarters,” Costello said. “We’re going to fight like hell to play a complete game.”
COSTLY TURNOVERS >> Stanford had been one of just four teams in the FBS that hadn’t lost a fumble, Costello and Irwin lost fumbles in the fourth quarter that negated any chance of a comeback. Worse, Costello threw two interceptions in the red zone in the second quarter.
The first turnover was especially crushing. Down 7-0, Costello attempted the jump-ball pass to ArcegaWhiteside that had been so effective all season. But it was severely underthrown and Johnson knew it was coming, leading to the first pick-6 allowed by the Cardinal since 2011 against Oregon.
Stanford got back to the Utah 13 on the next drive, but Costello tried throwing the ball away to avoid a sack and instead threw it right to a Utah defensive lineman.
“Can’t turn the ball over twice in the red zone and not (score) points,” Shaw said. “We kick two field goals, it’s a completely different ballgame.”