Cardinal's inability to run glaring in Big Game
Cal came out on top against rival on Saturday
Stanford's inability to run the ball has been an issue all season, and it played a big role in its third straight Big Game loss.
The Cardinal were playing in front of their first sellout crowd since the 2017 Big Game, facing a Cal defense that allowed an average of 37 points, the fourthworst mark in the FBS.
And it still wasn't enough for the offense to break through against Justin Wilcox. who has held Stanford to 24 points or less in all seven meetings since becoming the coach at Cal.
The Cardinal (3-8, 2-7 Pac-12) reached the red zone only once in a 27-15 loss.
“It all starts with the run game,” Stanford coach Troy Taylor said. “They beat us up front.”
Stanford running backs had eight carries for 21 yards. Without worrying about the threat of a run, Cal (5-6, 3-5) kept two safeties deep, playing soft coverage and making it difficult to create big plays.
With the safeties able to guard against the long pass, quarterback Ashton Daniels was forced to
mainly check down to running back E.J. Smith. Smith was targeted a game-high 12 times and had eight receptions — tied for the fourth-most in a game by an NCAA running back this season — but for only 21 yards.
Meanwhile, top receiver Elic Ayomanor was held to three receptions, matching his season low.
Daniels was able to go deep a few times — a 41yard
touchdown to receiver Tiger Bachmeier on a designed play, and a 31-yard catch by tight end Sam Roush off of a scramble. But those throws weren't enough to keep up with Cal.
Unlike Stanford, which was one-dimensional on offense, the Bears got 166 rushing yards on 36 carries from Pac-12 leading rusher Jaydn Ott in addition to three TDs and 294
yards passing by Fernando Mendoza.
Cal's 47 rushing attempts on Saturday were the most in the Big Game since Stanford ran 50 times in 2016, the season before Wilcox's arrival.
With Smith and fellow senior Casey Filkins, who missed a third straight game Saturday with an undisclosed injury, the Cardinal's running back room were one of their most experienced units entering the season. But playing in front of an offensive line that featured four new starters, Smith, Filkins and backup Sedrick Irvin have combined for 53.5 rushing yards a game and three total TDs.
Most of the team's rushing yards have come from Daniels and backup QB Justin Lamson, while receiver Bryce Farrell also has three rushing TDs on
sweeps.
The game provided a bitter end to Stanford's tenure in the Pac-12. The Cardinal finished with an all-time record of 361-326-21 in the conference.
Though it lost the Axe, Stanford still has one more trophy to play for — the Legends Trophy, which goes to the Notre DameStanford winner. After shocking the Fighting Irish 16-14 in South Bend last year, the Cardinal will look to retain the trophy this Saturday at 4 p.m. at Stanford Stadium.
“There is plenty of motivation there,” kicker Joshua Karty said. “There is the motivation for the trophy, but also just motivation from the guys that we have. They're very intrinsically motivated in the first place. Doesn't take a whole lot for them to want to work and put in as much effort as they possibly can.
It will also be Senior Day, an opportunity to knock off a ranked team and one last chance to win at home, where Stanford is 0-6.
“Definitely trying to end on a high note,” Karty said. “There is a lot to play for in this game, and we need to keep our heads high and act like that.”