College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Stanford Cardinal season with what you need to know.
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Stanford Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 4-8 overall, 3-6 in Pac-12
Head Coach: David Shaw, 10th year, 86-34
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 59
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 98
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 35
Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Stanford Cardinal Offense 3 Things To Know
– The Cardinal were obliterated by injuries last year on the offensive side. QB KJ Costello – now with Mississippi State – was hurt throughout the season, the line was decimated from the start with star tackle Walker Little going out for the year in the opener, and it all fell apart from there.
Stanford couldn’t run a lick, struggled to score – coming up with 27 points or fewer in ten games – and missed the downfield passing attack that dominated the previous season.
With the caveat that everyone can get and stay healthy, everything changes if the line is back to normal.
When he’s 100%, Little is among the best offensive tackles in college football, but he’s got to get past his knee injury. Foster Sarrell is a talent at the other tackle spot, and Drew Dalman is an all-star caliber center. It didn’t help that three reserve linemen transferred out.
CFN in 60 Video: Stanford Cardinal Preview
– The transfer portal was an issue this offseason for both sides of the ball, but the biggest loss could be Costello if he’s healthy and rocks for Mike Leach at MSU. However, there’s no looking over the shoulder for Davis Mills, another high-end talent who’s had a problem staying healthy. Between him, Jack West and Tanner McKee, the quarterback situation is more than fine.
It’s Stanford – all the receivers are very big and very physical. TE Colby Parkinson took off early for the NFL, but leading receivers Michael Wilson and Simi Fehoko are back. In all, four of the top five targets are expected to return, and the running backs play roles in the receiving game.
– The running game that was so dominant for years hit the skids in 2018 and crashed even further last season. The Cardinal – mostly due to a banged up O line – averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and ran for a mere 1,266 yards and eight scores. Seven of those touchdowns came from Cameron Scarlett, but he’s done.
Sophomore Austin Jones is back after finishing second on the team with just 227 yards and a score. Nathan Peat is a quick option – he only ran for 57 yards – and EJ Smith is a good-looking recruit who could take over right away.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Stanford Cardinal Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Stanford Cardinal Defense 3 Things To Know
– As disappointing as the offense was last season, the defense was even more of a clunker. Injures were an issue, and the O didn’t provide a lick of help with easy early scores, but the normally dominant D allowed 430 yards and 30 points per game.
And to make matters worse, the transfer portal kicked in.
DT Michael Williams is gone to SMU, DE Jovan Swann left for Indiana, and CB Obi Eboh is now a UCLA Bruin. There are others who bolted – this isn’t a defense that can lose depth – and the top three tacklers from last season are done.
– So where’t the positive? Paulson Adebo might be the nation’s best corner – if he can stay healthy. Kendall Williamson is a good-hitting safety, and helped by a promising young group that got its feet wet last year, the secondary should be stronger after a rough year – allowing just about everyone to bomb away, and with four of the eight picks on the season coming in two games. The pass rush has to help the cause.
– Top backfield playmaker Casey Toohill is done from his outside linebacker spot, and Swann is gone after finishing second in sacks. 6-4, 298-pound junior Thomas Booker is good on one end, and 6-4, 324-pound Dalyn Wade-Perry is a big body for the nose coming off a 12-tackle season.
Along with Toohill, two other parts of the starting foursome in the linebacking corps have to be replaced. Gabe Reid returns at one spot after making 43 tackles, but there’s going to be an overhaul.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Stanford Cardinal Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Stanford Cardinal Players
Best Stanford Cardinal Offensive Player
OT Walker Little, Sr.
Is the knee okay? The 6-7, 320-pounder is the NFL prototype left tackle in body type, frame, and all-around tools, but he missed all of last year after suffering a knee injury in the opener against Northwestern. If and when he’s 100% right, he’ll be among the nation’s best offensive lineman – that’s a big if and when, though.
2. OT Foster Sarrell, Sr.
3. QB Davis Mills, Sr.
4. C Drew Dalman, Sr.
5. WR Michael Wilson, Jr.
Best Stanford Cardinal Defensive Player
CB Paulson Adebo, Sr.
If he’s not the first cornerback off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft, he’ll be second. The 6-1, 192-pounder has the size, the range, and the sub-4.4 speed to be a top 15 overall pick, but first he has to be – potentially – the Pac-12’s best defensive back after making 33 tackles with four picks and ten broken up passes in his nine games of work through an injury-plagued season.
2. DE Thomas Booker, Jr.
3. LB Curtis Robinson, Sr.
4. LB Gabe Reid, Sr.
5. SS Kendall Williamson, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Stanford Cardinal Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Stanford Cardinal Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Stanford Cardinal Offense
The Stanford running game has to be the Stanford running game again. This used to be the West Coast version of Wisconsin when it came to flattening everyone with the ground attack.
The formula was simple – great offensive linemen, great running backs, duh.
The talent has been there over the last few seasons, but injuries have been a killer. Now, the offense that cranked out 2,700+ yard rushing seasons seem automatic didn’t hit 2,700 yards combined over the last two years.
There aren’t any established running backs, but as long as the O line is okay and healthy, everything else will be okay.
Stanford managed to overcome the lack of a ground attack in 2018 with a big play passing game, but last year the team was 1-8 when it ran for fewer than 130 yards.
Biggest Key To The Stanford Cardinal Defense
It would be nice if the D could start forcing more takeaways. As good as that side of the ball has been under David Shaw, forcing turnovers has never really been a thing.
It didn’t matter too much in the past, mainly because the offense was able to do its part to control games – owning the time of possession battle isn’t an issue. Last year, though, the struggling offense could’ve really, really used some help with takeaways leading to better field position and easy scores, but they weren’t there.
The Cardinal came up with two fumble recoveries in the opener against Northwestern and one more in each of the following two games. That was it. There wasn’t another recovered fumble in the final eight games, and there were a mere six interceptions after the season opener.
Key Stanford Cardinal Player To A Successful Season
QB Davis Mills, Sr.
Or Jack West. This isn’t a deep stable of quarterbacks with KJ Costello transferring to Mississippi State – if he can stay healthy to be the main man in the Mike Leach offense, look … out – and Jack Richardson transferring out. And then there’s Tanner McKee, the former star recruit who needs to get used to college life after spending the last few years on a church mission.
The 6-4, 211-pound West has the NFL size and tools to take over, but that might have to wait until next year. The 6-4, 212-pound Mills is a former five-star recruit who stepped in when Costello got hurt and completed 66% of his throws for 1,960 yards with 11 touchdowns and five picks. He can run a little bit, but he’s here for his next-level arm.
He showed glimpses – he hit Washington State for 504 yards and three scores, but who didn’t? – but the offense needs a steady star at the position.
Key Game To The Stanford Cardinal Season
at Arizona, Sept. 12
It’s not the biggest game on the schedule, and it’s not going to be the most important with road games at Oregon, Washington and Notre Dame to deal with, but this needs to be when the Cardinal have everything right.
It’s the second game of the year after tuning up against William & Mary. With USC to follow, and three of the next five games on the road after that, beating Arizona for the seventh time in a row is a must. Lose, and with the schedule ahead, just getting to six wins and a bowl game will be a fight.
– Stanford Cardinal Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Stanford Fun Stats
– Stanford scored 39 total points in the 3rd quarter
– 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 10-of-16 (63%) – Stanford 4-of-13 (31%)
– Fumbles: Stanford 7 (lost 5) – Opponents 7 (lost 4)
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Stanford Cardinal Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Stanford Cardinal Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
There’s just no national interest in Stanford football, and because of it, the greatness of the program under David Shaw was taken for granted over the last decade.
Remembering that this isn’t some giant state school, and it requires a certain type of recruit to fit the overall type, it was amazing how bowl games became automatic and being in the mix for the Pac-12 title every year was a given.
2019’s 4-8 campaign was the first losing season since 2008, and the worst run since winning four games in 2007.
It seemed like everyone was injured – both Stanford and Northwestern never recovered from their brutally-played opener – the offense lost its toughness and mojo, and the defense wasn’t consistently there.
How quickly can that switched be flipped to on?
The offensive backfield has to be settled, far better, and healthy, but that only works if the offensive line is settled, far better, and healthy.
The defense loses a ton of key parts, but that’s nothing new for Stanford. There’s talent and size, but the depth will be put to a test early on.
Set The Stanford Cardinal Regular Season Win Total At … 7
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 5.5
It’s a David Shaw-coached team. It’s going to be okay.
You don’t when nine games or more in seven of your first eight years at a place like Stanford – with eight wins in the other – without knowing how to put a team together that fits a type.
Start with this – Stanford is going to at least get to six wins and go bowling.
However, it’s going to take a few breaks to do a lot more.
There are way too many moving parts on both sides of the ball to think this might be a Pac-12 title-caliber year, and the schedule isn’t going to help the cause with road games at Oregon, Washington, along with a non-conference date at Notre Dame.
Even so, there should be a nice base of wins out of the William & Mary, at Arizona, at UCLA, Colorado, Washington State, Oregon State, BYU bunch.
Demand that Stanford wins at least five of those seven games, comes through against a Cal on the road or USC at home, and expect Stanford under Shaw to start playing like Stanford under Shaw again.
