Once upon a time the Stanford-Oregon game was prime real estate in the television world, almost always landing in the coveted 5:00 PM Pacific time slot on ABC or even a Thursday night prime time broadcast on ESPN. Things have changed. The game that seemed to decide the Pac-12 North on an annual basis was wished into the cornfield by the Pac-12's broadcast partners, pushed onto a fringe channel and given the latest start time in the continental United States. Viewers (and Heisman voters) on the East Coast could've watched Saturday Night Live, then flipped over to watch the second half. They probably didn't, though, and that's a shame, because the Cardinal certainly made a statement.
There are dozens of reasons why Bryce Love deserves to be Stanford's next Heisman Runner-Up, but first and foremost is the comfort he provides when the offense struggles. Given the final score of this game, it might be hard to imagine there was ever any difficulty, but the Cardinal opened the game with a false start that pushed the offense back to the 18, then followed that with an incomplete pass to bring up 2nd and 15. Cue Love. His first touch of the game was a toss play to the left. With the offensive line playing as it's been over the last few games, Love didn't have to do anything more than he always does -- wait patiently for the hole to open, hit that hole hard, and gobble up the yardage. After breaking around the left edge of the line, Love sprinted past a linebacker who had taken too shallow of an angle, then raced up the sideline for a 34-yard gain.
Two plays later Keller Chryst showed that this new and improved Stanford offense can produce big plays in the passing game as well, dropping a perfect pass into the outstretched arms of J.J. Arcega-Whiteside deep down the right sideline for another 34-yard gain, and just like that the Cardinal was deep in Oregon territory at the 15. From there Love pounded his way towards the end zone with ten tough yards on one carry and five more on the next for the touchdown and a 7-0 Stanford lead.
In years past a 7-0 lead wouldn't have fazed Oregon in the least, but the revolving uniform combinations are the only resemblance these Wounded Ducks bare to the Oregon teams of Marcus Mariota and LaMichael James and De'Anthony Thomas. With starting quarterback Justin Herbert out with a broken collarbone, the Ducks were forced to go with true freshman Braxton Burmeister, and the results were not surprising.
Oregon's opening drive was hindered by a holding penalty and lasted just four plays, gaining only six yards, before the Ducks were forced the punt the ball back to the Cardinal. The Stanford offense would take advantage almost immediately.
Starting at their own 34, the offense came out in a three-receiver set, but Chryst gave the ball to Love on the now-familiar power pitch. Love slid towards the left side of the line, then skipped through the hole to the second level of the defense without being touched. The secret to Love's preposterous yards-per-carry average is this: because defenses have to commit so many resources towards stopping him, there's nothing left when the first wave of defenders fails to contain him. That's pretty much what happened on this play. After Love evaded the oncoming linebackers, Oregon's last hope was a lone safety, but when he was erased with a stifling block from Arcega-Whiteside, there was nothing but green grass in front of Love. Sixty-seven yards later Love was in the end zone with his second touchdown of the game, notching his ninth consecutive game (ninth!) with a run of fifty yards or more, which is completely and utterly ridiculous.
We know now that that score clinched the game for the Cardinal, but the Ducks didn't know it yet, so they mounted a drive of their own in an effort to get in the game, and they rode the legs of tailback Royce Freeman. Freeman was once the second-best running back on the West Coast, but that was two years ago before he was beset by injuries. He looked more like himself on this night, and especially on this drive. He took a handoff on the first play of the series and bounced it to the outside for a Love-like 59-yard gain all the way to the Stanford 26, and three plays later he picked up 22 more yards to the Stanford 1. Burmeister would run it in from there, and the Ducks were back in the game at 14-7.
But they really weren't.
On Stanford's ensuing possession head coach David Shaw and offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren started showing off a bit. Facing a 3rd and 4 at his own 35, Chryst exploited a huge matchup advantage caused by Bryce Love. Because the tailback is in scoring position the moment he lines up in the backfield, safeties have to cheat towards the line of scrimmage, making it almost impossible to double the wide receivers. Arcega-Whiteside was the beneficiary of this all night long, and on this play he made a simple move to get behind his man, and Chryst dropped the ball gently into his hands for a 30-yard gain.
Chryst's reward was a spot on the sidelines as third-string quarterback Ryan Burns ran in to take the next snap. Since the only thing Burns does nowadays is hand the ball off, that's exactly what happened here. He gave the ball to Cameron Scarlett, who ran towards the left side of the line (also known as the Launching Pad), but just as the defense began to flow in that direction, Scarlett pitched the ball to wide receiver Jay Tyler who was sprinting back across the formation from the left slot. It was immediately clear that Tyler, a former high school quarterback, was looking to throw to the right -- and the only man on that side of the field was Burns, who had rolled out into the right flat. Tyler's pass was perfect, and Burns made the grab for an easy sixteen-yard gain. Showing off.
Chryst came back into the game and would eventually seal the drive on 3rd and goal play from the 3 yard line. Again the target was Arcega-Whiteside, but this time the big wide receiver was posting up in the corner of the end zone, sealing out his defender with his left arm and catching Chryst's pass with his right hand; if he'd then executed a drop step and dunked the ball, perhaps Stanford's basketball coach, Jerod Haase would've offered him a jersey, but one sport is probably enough for this Dr. JJ.
The Stanford lead was now 21-7, but the game was decided over Oregon's next three possessions. Trailing by two scores with its defense offering little resistance, the Ducks had no choice but to throw the ball, even with their freshman quarterback. On 2nd and 2 from his own 29, Burmeister dropped back and threw deep down the left sideline. The ball floated for what seemed like forever, long enough for defensive back Quenton Meeks to race over and make an over-the-shoulder interception at the Stanford 36.
The second half of Stanford's Chrystello quarterbacking tandem, K.J. Costello, came in to lead a drive that could've put the game out of reach even though almost three minutes remained in the opening quarter. On 2nd and 7 he found Trenton Irwin for a 30-yard catch and run to the Oregon 31, but just three plays later the Oregon defense stood tall and denied a third down run from Love, creating a 4th and 1 at the 22. Shaw kept his offense out on the field, and while the offensive line did it's job, getting the push that would've allowed for a first down gain, Costello fumbled the snap, dooming the play and turning the ball back over to the Ducks.
It was a reprieve for Oregon, but it was short-lived. On 2nd and 3 from his own 43, Burmeister dropped back to pass for the fourth time and threw his second interception. Linebacker Casey Toohill had joined the pass rush, but then quickly dropped out of it when he sensed a possible short pass. Burmeister tried to dump the ball over him, but Toohill leapt into the air and picked the ball out of the sky, an incredibly athletic feat that was reminiscent of plays made by Trent Murphy once upon a time.
Chryst came back in at quarterback, but once again the offense failed to capitalize on the Oregon gift, and the Ducks got the ball back at their own 22 after a three-and-out and a poor punt from Jake Bailey. And this is when the Ducks began to self destruct. First downs on two consecutive plays were negated by penalties, and Oregon was forced to punt from the 28. Once they saw the Ducks' alignment for the punt, however, the Cardinal took a quick timeout, perhaps eager to exploit an advantage. When the teams returned to the field, the Cardinal special teams unit pounced. Sophomore Curtis Robinson bullied his way through the line and blocked the punt, allowing Brandon Simmons to scoop the ball up and saunter into the end zone.
Three Oregon possessions had ended with two interceptions and a blocked punt for a touchdown, and even though the second quarter wasn't half over, the game was. It was 28-7 Stanford, but the game certainly didn't feel that close.
After the Stanford defense ended Oregon's next series by stoning Freeman for a one-yard loss on 3rd and 1 and then no gain on 4th and 2, the Cardinal took over at the Stanford 39 and continued toying with the beleaguered Duck defense. On 2nd and 19 Chryst found Arcega-Whiteside for 21 yards and a 1st down; three plays later it was a 15-yard pass to Connor Wedington to convert a 3rd and 14. Oregon's only hope was a Stanford mistake, and it came at the most inopportune time for the Cardinal. On 1st and goal from the seven, Chryst looked towards his favorite target, Arcega-Whiteside, and put the ball right on his hands for what should've been another touchdown, but the ball bounced up in the air and into the arms of cornerback Deommodore Lenoir for the interception. The half would end thirty seconds later.
Oregon's first possession of the second half didn't amount to much, and the Cardinal got the ball back quickly. On 1st and 10 from the 25, Chryst handed the ball to Love for a seemingly innocent five yard gain -- but Love got up from the pile limping and calling for a substitution. He hopped off the field, favoring his right ankle. The trainers talked to him on the bench for a bit, but soon enough he was escorted into the medical tent for a thorough examination. He stayed behind the curtain long enough for Cardinal hearts to sink and for his parents to descend from the stands, but even after he emerged, he wouldn't return to the game. His final stat line of 17 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns would've been the lead story on Sports Center if his name were Saquon Barkley or if he played in the SEC, but it should be noted that this was Love's least productive game of the season. Chew on that, Heisman voters.
Meanwhile, the Stanford offense was still rumbling along. Cam Scarlett performed a nice Bryce Love impersonation, rushing four times for 29 yards on the drive, but Chryst was the star of this series. He converted a key 3rd down with a nice 10-yard throw to tight end Kaden Smith, but the highlight was the final play of the drive. On 2nd and 8 from the 12, Chryst rolled out to his right and waited for Dr. JJ as he broke from the slot and ran a corner route. Chryst threw on the run and delivered a perfect strike to a spot where only his receiver had a play, and Arcega-Whiteside cradled it for his second touchdown of the game.
This was the finest game of Arcega-Whiteside's career. He'd finish with six catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns, all career highs, and he compiled those numbers with an ease and confidence that hints at even more productive games in his future. Chryst isn't particular about his targets, but he seems to know what he has in Dr. JJ, and I'd expect that this combination will only improve in the weeks to come.
Speaking of Keller Chryst, no review of this game would be complete without a discussion of the quarterback. Only a week ago Stanford fans were distraught and standing on the ledge in response to Shaw's announcement that a healthy Chryst would return to his starting role. The masses had already decided that K.J. Costello should have the job, so Shaw's faith in Chryst was seen as misguided at best and self-destructive at worst. Over the past two games, however, Chryst has justified Shaw's faith. He outperformed Costello in Stanford's win over Utah last week, but on this night he was even better, looking healthier than he has since last season, throwing with an accuracy we haven't seen from him in a while, and producing the best performance of his career. He was 15 for 21 for 181 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, but remember, that interception should have been his fourth touchdown -- it was a perfect pass. Most believed that by playing two quarterbacks, Shaw would find a true starter, but most believed he'd find Costello. Most of us were wrong.
Those in Camp Costello will argue that K.J. also played well, and that's certainly true. He engineered a touchdown drive on Stanford's final possession, throwing a short post-up touchdown pass to freshman tight end Colby Parkinson (it was Parkinson's second such score), and finished 5 of 6 for 59 yards, but Costello is the clear backup at this point, like it or not.
And so the night ended with the Cardinal on top of the Ducks, 49-7, the widest margin of victory for either team in the 81-game history of this series. More than that, this win announces that the Cardinal is a clear contender in the Pac-12 North and a definite threat to win another conference championship. Certainly the health of Bryce Love will be a factor (David Shaw said afterwards that Love could've gone back into the game if had been necessary, and it should be noted that the Cardinal won't play again for ten days), but with surprising losses this week from the front-running Washington schools, Stanford's four-game winning streak is suddenly the longest in the Pac-12.
Beyond the Pac-12, the rash of upsets across the country on Friday night and Saturday afternoon serves as a reminder that it makes no sense to make plans for January in the middle of October. The college football landscape changes dramatically every seven days, but right now things are looking up for the Cardinal.
