BeaversEdge takes a closer look at the Stanford Cardinal…
– The Cardinal won on the road last week at Washington State with a 10-7 final score. Stanford has won the first game it has played in every month this season. The win at Wazzu was also the first by Stanford this season on a Saturday
– All three Stanford wins in 2023 have come on the road. With just this week’s game at Oregon State left on the road portion of the schedule, Stanford has clinched a winning record in road games for the first time in a non-COVID-19 season since 2018.
– The defense shined on Saturday at Washington State. The Cardinal limited the Cougars to just seven points and 245 total yards of offense, including just 57 yards in the second half. That is the first time the Stanford defense has held a team to single-digit points since the 2019 season opener against Northwestern. The last time Stanford held a Pac-12 team to fewer than 10 points on the road came in 2012 when the Cardinal blanked Colorado.
– Despite scoring just 10 points, Stanford beat Washington State. It is the fewest points scored in a Stanford win since the 1998 Big Game vs. California (10).
– Third-down defense has been a trouble spot for Stanford in 2023, but it was a big boost on Saturday. Stanford limited Washington State to just 5-15 on third downs, the lowest conversion rate allowed by the defense this year.
– Justin Lamson ran in the only touchdown of the game for Stanford on a 1-yard rush in the third quarter. He eclipsed 20 carries for the second time this season and now leads the offense with four rushing touchdowns.
– Stanford has yet to win a home game in Troy Taylor’s first season on The Farm but they have been great away from home. The Cardinal are 3-1 on the road and have secured a winning record on the road for the 2023 season. In two of the team’s three road wins, Stanford was not leading entering the fourth quarter (trailing at Colorado, tied at Washington State).
– Since leading Stanford to a comeback win at Colorado, quarterback Ashton Daniels has taken the reins as QB1 for the Cardinal. Daniels has completed 100 passes in the last four games, tied for the fifth most in the NCAA since Oct. 11. His 1,146 passing yards in the last four games are the tenth most in the country. Not only is he getting it done with his arm, but Daniels has been an effective runner as of late. Daniels has run the ball 49 times over the last three games, which is eighth-most by an FBS quarterback during that stretch. Against No. 5 Washington, Daniels compiled a total of 448 yards (81 rushing, 367 passing), which is the second-most total yards in a single game by a Stanford quarterback.
– No player had a more significant role in Stanford’s dramatic come-from-behind win at Colorado on October 13 than sophomore wide receiver Elic Ayomanor. Ayomanor was held without a catch in the first half, but finished the game with 13 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns.- Most receiving yards in a game in Stanford history, surpassing the previous mark of 278 yards by Troy Walters on September 25, 1999. – Tied for the second-most receptions in a game by a Cardinal receiver since 2000, trailing only Simi Fehoko’s 16 catches on December 19, 2020. – First game with three receiving touchdowns by a Card since Simi Fehoko on December 19, 2020, one shy of tying the Stanford single-game record.
