Many coaches believe the biggest improvement a team makes is between Week 1 and Week 2. Stanford is hoping that’s the case.
After getting beaten decisively in its opener against Kansas State, the Cardinal faces what looks like an even tougher assignment Saturday night against No. 14 USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum (7:30 p.m., FOX).
But senior safety Kendall Williamson said the mood was still hopeful for Stanford, which is about to face the first of six Top 25 teams on its schedule.
“We learned a lot of lessons from that (first) game and figured out where we need to make improvements and what’s the next move,” Williamson said. “It’s a long season.”
The Cardinal won’t have the benefit of a home crowd. Stanford is the only Power 5 team that doesn’t play at home in the first two weeks of the season.
“It’s going to be a loud and raucous environment,” Stanford coach David Shaw said. “If you’re a competitor it’s what you look forward to.”
Here are three keys to the game for the Cardinal (0-1) against the Trojans (1-0) in the Pac-12 opener for both schools:
NEW STARTER AT QB
Despite the lopsided loss to Kansas State, Shaw made only one change to the depth chart heading into the USC game. After splitting snaps with senior Jack West in Week 1, sophomore Tanner McKee was named the starting QB on Tuesday and is expected to play the entire game.
McKee was the more productive QB against Kansas State, completing 15 of 18 passes for 118 yards and leading the only scoring drive of the day, while West threw two interceptions. But Shaw said that McKee wasn’t perfect either, particularly on three missed throws—including one that would have been a potential TD, and another that was inside the 10.
Still, the Southern California native showed enough promise that he will now be making his first collegiate start at the Coliseum.
“He doesn’t have to take the world on his shoulders,” Shaw said. “He didn’t have to do anything other than play quarterback. He’s got size, athletic ability, strong arm, a quick release. Plus being able to run the ball will take some pressure off of him in his first start.”
Nick Starkel, San Jose State’s veteran quarterback, was 24 of 46 for 308 yards, two interceptions and no touchdown passes against the USC defense in Week 1.
RUN SUPPORT
The best way to help McKee will be a strong run game. The Cardinal running backs only had 15 carries for 46 yards against the Wildcats.
The Stanford offensive line was supposed to be a strength this year, but the loss of center Drew Dalman (now with the Atlanta Falcons) and tackle Foster Sarell (who went to training camp with the Baltimore Ravens) may have been tougher to overcome.
“We didn’t put our best foot forward, I think that’s pretty obvious,” junior guard Branson Bragg said. “That just comes back to playing as a unit. When one guy misses this block that can kill the whole play even if everyone else does well, and I feel like as an o-line we kind of just took turns dropping the ball on Saturday.”
The run game took a big step forward last season, so Stanford is hoping that Saturday was just an anomaly, though the matchup against the Trojans won’t be easy.
“We all know this defensive front at USC is very formidable,” Shaw said. “But if we play with our leverage and play with great technique and play with great effort we believe we’ve got a talented backfield that can do some pretty nice things.”
SLOWING SLOVIS
The last time these teams played in the Coliseum, USC QB Kedon Slovis completed 28 of 33 passes for three touchdowns and set a program record for a true freshman with 377 yards passing yards—in his first collegiate start.
Slovis threw for a program-record 515 yards against UCLA later that season and beat out JT Daniels to become the established starter at USC. He didn’t face Stanford last year, as the COVID-shortened season put a hold on a rivalry that had been played every year since 1945, so this is the Cardinal’s first chance to see him since his debut.
Stanford did a decent job against Kansas State starter Skyler Thompson, giving up just 144 passing yards and getting a highlight-reel interception in the end zone from Kyu Blu Kelly, though it did allow the QB to have two rushing TDs.
A big key will be containing wide receiver Drake London, whose 12 catches against San Jose State were just one shy of the program record.