The Cardinal had better hope color and nickname are the only similarities between Kansas State, which visits Stanford Stadium on Friday, and Northwestern, which one year ago handed the Cardinal a loss that haunts it to this day. Combine that with Stanford’s tendency to snooze a little in season openers and I think the Wildcats will come out looking more like the team that’s racked up at least eight wins in four of the last five seasons instead of the one coming off a 6-7 year.
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“It’s something in the back of our head: ‘We learned from this mistake, ‘ ” defensive lineman Solomon Thomas said.
He has yet to throw a pass in college and lacks many proven options at the skill positions.
“We are going on the road and playing one of the Heisman finalists from past year”, he said.
WILD CAFF: McCaffrey did it all previous year, rushing for 2,019 yards, adding a team-high 45 catches for 645 yards and being a dynamic returner. Safety Dante Barnett is one key contributor back after missing almost all of last season and he should provide an immediate boost all over the field.
A pair of freshmen on the defensive line and a sophomore cornerback will make their first starts for the Wildcats on Friday, earning the top nods on the depth chart. Redshirt freshman Scott Frantz and Tyler Mitchell man the left side and C Reid Najvar has played just four career games as a reserve.
“In all reality, he’s been more consistent than the other two”, Snyder said.
NEW LINE PART II: Stanford also has had to retool its line this season after losing three starters from a year ago.
The Wildcats went to the extreme opposite this season.
“We got beat in the first game of the year last year and it wasn’t close”, Shaw said. Stanford’s defense will fare well for most of the game, but will give up a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to bring things within one possession. He’ll be backed up by Joe Hubener, a dual threat who pushed Ertz throughout fall camp after filling in for him while he was injured. Shaw said he plans to rotate six players on the line with Eric Cotton, Jordan Watkins and Luke Kaumatule getting time that should keep the starters fresher. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.
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