Stanford visits Oregon State on win streak over Beavers
Stanford coach David Shaw compared his team to the Rolling Stones — no matter where they’re playing, they’re going to put on a show.
“We’re a traveling band right now,” Shaw said. “You know, just tell us the venue, we’re good. This country, another country, turn the bus around and go back and play the local dive — we’re going to go turn it up. I think our guys are just at that point now, let’s not worry about where it is. Let’s go there and be at our best.”
It worked last week. Forced to uproot to Seattle last Tuesday after Santa Clara County issued a
ban on contact practices and games, the Cardinal (2-2) practiced at Washington’s indoor facility and at Kennedy Catholic High School before conducting its walkthrough at a local park in view of ducks and Washington fans who heckled them with chants of “Go Dawgs!”
The Cardinal then went out and upset No. 23 Washington 31-26 before taking 10 buses Sunday to Corvallis, where it has spent the week preparing for Saturday’s game at Oregon State (2-3).
For sophomore linebacker Levani Damuni, the time away from campus means nightly FaceTime calls with his wife of six months. For sophomore safety Jonathan McGill, it means catching up on ‘ The Mandalorian’ on Disney Plus. For everyone, it means adapting to an unexpected two weeks in the Pacific Northwest while trying to continue a two-game winning streak.
“Washington didn’t care that we had to practice in a park,” McGill said. “Oregon State’s not going to care whatever situation that Santa Clara is going through right now. So we just have to adapt to the situation at hand and continue to make the most of it.”
Here are some keys to making the most of Saturday’s game (7:30 p.m., ESPNU) as Stanford looks to extend its 10-game winning
streak against the Beavers: NFW RFDFIVFRS >> A f ter having to miss the season opener due to a false positive coronavirus test, and then getting out of quarantine just before the second game, quarterback Davis Mills finally seems to be hitting his stride.
“I think Davis is now at full swing after not being able to be himself the first few games,” Shaw said.
But now comes a new test. Leading receiver Michael Wilson and fellow starter Connor Wedington were both injured against Washington, so sophomore Elijah Higgins and junior Brycen Tremayne will be making their first starts Saturday.
Mills, who threw for three TDs in Corvallis last year, may need to rely even more on Simi Fehoko, who had two critical third-andlong catches during Stanford’s game- sealing drive against the Huskies.
“You could tell when those two guys went down it’s almost like (Simi) grew two inches,” Shaw said. “Even practice the other day, jumping up the front of the line and saying ‘Hey, I gotta lead this group.’” KFLPINI MILLS >> The depleted receiving corps won’t be as big an issue if Stanford runs the ball like it did against Washington. Austin Jones ran for a career-high 138 yards and two touchdowns against the Pac-12’s stingiest run defense, becoming the first Cardinal player since Christian McCaffrey in 2016 to record back-to-back games with multiple rushing TDs.