Stanford turns to McKee at QB
Cardinal opting to start sophomore signal-caller for game against USC
Stanford will have a new starting quarterback for its Pac-12 Conference opener against USC on Saturday, turning to sophomore Tanner McKee.
Coach David Shaw announced the decision Tuesday at his weekly news conference. Shaw added that the Cardinal does not plan to rotate quarterbacks against the No. 14 Trojans, though he said he did not believe the rotation caused his team’s offensive woes.
McKee came off the bench and alternated with senior Jack West in the Cardinal’s 24-7 season-opening loss to Kansas State over the weekend. McKee completed 15 of 18 attempts for 118 yards and Stanford’s lone touchdown. West started and was 8 of 12 for 76 yards, with two interceptions.
Shaw lamented offensive mistakes, particularly those in the middle of the field that kept the Cardinal off the scoreboard until the game’s final four minutes. He said Monday he’d take the number of miscues as a coaching error, but made the decision to pivot to McKee full-time.
Three big plays missed by McKee, which Shaw mentioned Saturday, were still top of mind.
“There were opportunities we had (against a) three-man rush and gosh, we missed three throws,” Shaw said. “One was potentially a touchdown, another gets us at least inside the 10yard line, if not a touchdown, and another gets us a first down and puts us in scoring position.”
Still, West’s two interceptions apparently disqualified him from the quarterback competition, at least for the time being.
McKee, a native of Corona, was the thirdranked pro-style QB in the Class of 2018. He served a two-year LDS mission in Brazil before enrolling at Stanford in 2020.
As for his message to McKee preparing for his first career start, Shaw said he wants the sophomore to stay within himself.
“I just told him to play. He doesn’t have to take the world on his shoulders. He doesn’t have to do anything other than play quarterback,” Shaw said. “He’s got size, athletic ability, he’s got a strong arm, quick release.”
Running the ball effectively against USC would also be a significant boost to McKee, Shaw said, after the Cardinal rushed for just 39 yards on 22 carries in their opener.