Shorthanded Cardinal turn to QB West

After a difficult first half of the season, Stanford was finally expected to get a break when UCLA visits Stanford Stadium tonight.

But the Cardinal (3-3, 2-2 Pac12) will be starting its third-string quarterback in front of just six healthy offensive linemen (including four true freshmen), providing additional uncertainty as it goes for a 12th straight win over the Bruins (1-5, 1-2).

Here are the keys to the matchup:

GO WEST? >> With K.J. Costello

ruled out and Davis Mills hobbled after being unable to finish the previous game against Washington, QB Jack West will be making his first start for the Cardinal.

ESPN’s seventh-ranked pocket passer when he came out of Alabama two years ago, West has appeared in three games at Stanford, going 1 for 5 for 4 passing yards and 2 rushing yards. The 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman played the final drive on Oct. 5 against Washington and handed off on every play, a decision that Stanford coach David Shaw said was due to the 2313 score and not any lack of confidence in West.

Shaw praised West’s strong, accurate arm and said he’s had more reps than usual for a third-stringer because of Stanford’s quarterback situation.

Costello, who threw for 344 yards and five TDs in a 49-42 win at UCLA last season, has only played three halves this year because of various injuries. Mills has shown rapid improvement in his time as starter but has had a his

tory of knee issues.

“No major damage but he’s in some pain,” Shaw said of Mills.

Stanford won’t be the only team with uncertainty under center. UCLA starter Dorian Thompson Robinson missed the previous game with an ankle injury and his return is uncertain. Redshirt sophomore Austin Burton, who was 27-of-41 passing for 236 yards and a touchdown and had 15 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown in a 48-31 loss to Oregon State, would make his second career start if Thompson-Robinson can’t go.

NEW O-LINE >> Left tackle Walter Rouse, left guard Barrett Miller and right guard Jake Hornibrook are all true freshmen who have taken over for injured upperclassmen and will start against UCLA, and freshman Drake Nugent is the only healthy backup on the Stanford offensive line.

“We’ve had conversations every week since Week 2 about contingency plans,” Shaw said. “It’s not just about the first guy, it’s what happens when the second, third, fourth guy gets hurt. We’ve got a long line of contingency plans. Some are better than others. Some are drastic. It’s just where we are. It doesn’t matter how we feel about it, it’s what we have to do.”

The lack of healthy bodies is also affecting practice.

“We have to be very careful and cautious with these guys,” Shaw said. “Most of these guys are very young and they need the work, so we need to work on some very specific things to improve during the season so they can get better from week to week without wearing them out.”

Arizona and Arkansas are the only other FBS teams with three true freshman starters on offense.

The Bruins also have an inexperienced O-line, with true freshmen at left tackle (Sean Rhyan) and left guard (Duke Clemens). GETTING A BREATHER >> Despite the Cardinal coming off its best game of the season in the upset over Washington, Shaw was still thankful for the open week last weekend.

“We need this break. We need it bad,” Shaw said. “We probably could have used it three weeks ago. This bye week is coming at a good time, and we’re going to try to take advantage of it because it’s more important than momentum. We need to get healthy.”

The break should especially benefit Pac-12 leading rusher Cameron Scarlett, who had career highs of 33 carries and 151 yards against the Huskies, and inside linebackers Curtis Robinson and Andrew Pryts, who have played practically every snap because of a lack of depth at the position.

The first half of Stanford’s scheduled featured home games against ranked teams Oregon and Washington, and road games against previously ranked teams USC and Central Florida. The second half includes just one ranked team, No. 8 Notre Dame at home on Nov. 30, and the remaining schedule doesn’t seem nearly as daunting — Colorado’s defense hasn’t stopped anyone, Cal has quarterback issues, and Washington State is sliding.

So while Stanford likely can’t make up the deficit to Oregon and win the North Division, it should still be able to have a strong close to the season. But that starts with beating UCLA, which also had extra time to prepare since its last game Oct. 5.

The Bruins overcame a 32-point second-half deficit to beat Washington State for their only win in what has been an otherwise disappointing second year for coach Chip Kelly.

The Bruins have managed more than 500 yards in three of the past four games against Stanford, and this year boasts running back Demetric Felton, who leads the Pac-12 in all-purpose yards (147.7 per game).