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Pac-12 Championship Game: Stanford Players to Watch
Posted On Dec 01 2015
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Given Stanford’s exhaustion on the defensive line, especially after huge running games by OR and Notre Dame, if the Trojans try to run instead of forcing the issue with Kessler, the Cardinal could be running on fumes sooner rather than later. On the receiving game, Stanford has over 350 receiving yards this season thanks to three players. Kevin Hogan had a great game as well, adding 269 yards and four TDs through the air.
McCaffrey ranks second in the Pac-12 in rushing with 1,640 yards and his 136.7 yards/game average ranks seventh nationally. Michael Rector is the leading receiver for Stanford with 474 yards and 5 touchdowns. Meanwhile their counterparts, the Arizona State Sun Devils, lost by the means of a go-ahead field goal up in Berkley, and the two Arizona schools will finish the regular season with a 6-6 record, needing a bowl win for a winning record.
The Pac-12 championship Saturday against USC will be Stanford’s 13th game. Ronald Jones II leads the USC offense with 890 yards and 7 touchdowns. JuJu Smith-Schuster had a quality performance in the victory, pulling in six receptions for 85 yards.
The last time this happened, Stanford had its national title hopes derailed by USC in 2013.
The sophomore has 3,035 all-purpose yards this season, breaking the league record held by one of his childhood idols, USC’s Reggie Bush. This was a back and fourth game, with USC leading late in the third quarter. USC has talent on this team, and they want to show the college football world that they are back.
Remarkably, USC is winless (0-2 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (5-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle. It’ll be tough for Stanford to USC against this season.
The players are on the highest of emotional highs right now after hiring the coach that they’ve played their hearts out for over the last few weeks, and they’re going to be out for blood against the team that ousted them from the playoff conversation so unceremoniously that week in September. But in the end, Stanford is more disciplined and better organized than USC.
