Stanford vs. Arizona Football 2009
Cardinal, Wildcats Look to Bounce Back in Pac-10 Play
Oct 14, 2009
The Cardinal and the Wildcats will both be looking to rebound from tough defeats when they square off in a Pac-10 Conference football game Saturday, Oct. 17, in Tucson, Ariz.
Stanford (4-2 overall, 3-1 Pac-10) had a three-game winning streak snapped last weekend, dropping a 38-28 decision at Oregon State. The loss, which knocked the Cardinal out of the Pac-10 lead, also makes the school's bowl quest considerably more difficult.
Coach Jim Harbaugh's team must play well over its last six games to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2001. After facing Arizona, the Cardinal must play Arizona State, No. 13 Oregon, No. 6 USC, Cal, and No. 25 Notre Dame.
So it's no given that the Cardinal will reach the six wins needed to become bowl eligible. Same goes for Arizona.
The Wildcats reached a bowl for the first time since 1998 last season, beating BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl to cap an 8-5 campaign. To do it again, the Wildcats must also overcome formidable competition. Coach Mike Stoops' team still has to face Oregon, USC, Cal, UCLA and Arizona State as well as Stanford.
But first, the Wildcats must recover from a 36-33 loss at Washington last week. The Wildcats were a few snaps away from being 4-1, but allowed two touchdowns in an 18-second span late in the fourth quarter.
Arizona will also be looking to snap a two-game losing streak to Stanford. The Wildcats lead the series 13-11, but Stanford's won five of the last six.
Saturday's 3 p.m. PST game will be telecast by the Versus Network.
Unlucky Bounce Led to Arizona Defeat
Arizona lost to Washington despite outgaining the Huskies 461 to 256 in total yardage. The pivotal play was an interception on which the ball bounced off the shoe of receiver Delaushan Dean and into the arms of Mason Foster, who returned it 37 yards for a go-ahead touchdown.
But the Wildcats have done a decent job of avoiding turnovers, committing seven. They’re also averaging a healthy 421.8 yards per game along with 28 points. They’ve been putting 34.5 points since Nick Foles took over as starter two games ago.
The sophomore has passed with great accuracy, going 76-of-102 for 737 yards and six touchdowns, with two interceptions. He replaced Matt Scott at QB after the latter struggled in a 27-17 loss at Iowa.
Injuries Slow Wildcat Running Backs
The Wildcats feature a talented cast of runners, including Nic Grigsby. But the junior (420 yards, 3 TDs, 7.6 yards per carry, has been hampered by a bad shoulder. His backup, Keola Antolin, is struggling with an ankle injury.
Arizona could again have to depend on freshman Greg Nwoko, who gained 54 yards on 16 carries vs. Washington. And the Wildcats might again air it out. They passed 53 times last week.
The leading receiver is David Roberts, who had 12 catches for 138 yards and his first TD catch of the season vs. Washington. He has 22 catches for 257 yards on the season. Other threats include Terrell Turner (21 catches, 176 yards, 2 TDs), David Douglas (18 receptions, 175 yards) and Juron Criner, (11 receptions, 149 yards, 3 TDs).
Cornerbacks Are Key For Arizona
Arizona is giving up 23.6 points and only 281.8 yards per game. The strength of its defense is at cornerback, where the Wildcats rely on Trevin Wade and Devin Ross.
Wade has made four interceptions and broken up four other passes. The sophomore is tied for sixth in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision with 1.6 passes defended per game, and also has 25 tackles. Ross is second on the team with 32 tackles, and has an interception and four pass breakups.
Arizona has mounted a solid pass rush, with defensive end Ricky Elmore posting 4.5 sacks among his 22 tackles. Tackle Earl Mitchell has 4.5 tackles for losses, including 2.5 sacks. Linebacker Vuna Tuihalamaka leads Arizona with 35 tackles. Safety Cam Nelson has 29.
Stanford Can’t Afford to Fall Into Early Hole
Arizona’s run defense is solid, allowing 98.8 yards per game, and that’s not good news for the Cardinal – especially if Stanford falls behind early.
The Cardinal trailed 31-7 at halftime vs. Oregon State and that was simply too much for a team that relies so heavily on a bruising, time-consuming ground attack led by Toby Gerhart.
The 6-1, 235-pound senior is gaining 124.3 yards per game, ranking fourth in the FBS. He's for 746 yards and 10 touchdowns, picking up 5.3 yards per carry.
The Cardinals average 30.7 points and 404.2 yards per game, with Andrew Luck showing promise at QB. Luck has completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 1,166 yards and six touchdowns, with two interceptions. The freshman has also run for 170 yards and a TD on 5.7 yards per attempt.
Ryan Whalen remains steady at receiver, hauling in 27 passes for 463 yards and two touchdowns. And Owusu (19 catches, 330 yards, 3 TDs) is a home-run threat. He's scored three other TDS on kickoff returns, and is third in the FBS with a 39.7 average.
Cardinal Defense Shaky at Oregon State
Stanford’s defense was vulnerable to both run and pass last week, yielding season highs in points (38) and yardage (463). The Cardinal did get three sacks, raising its season total to 14, but OSU's Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 190 yards.
One problem was the absence of standout defensive end Erik Lorig, who sat out with a groin injury. Lorig’s not on the depth chart this week, so it could be struggle again.
But Stanford has received strong play from another end, as Thomas Keiser leads the team with 8.5 tackles for losses and eight sacks. And linebacker Will Powers has recorded five tackles for losses, and three sacks.
Linebacker Clinton Snyder paces the team with 51 tackles and safety Bo McNally is second with 39. Safety Delano Howell has 36 tackles and two interceptions for Stanford, which is allowing 20.3 points and 347.7 yards per game.
