With the August sun shining and a full season of college football stretching out before us, it was immediately clear that Saturday's game against Northwestern was not about revenge. It had nothing to do with the disappointing loss in 2015 and everything to do with the future of Stanford Football.
Rather than atoning for a bad loss in Evanston four years ago, Coach David Shaw instead seemed intent on erasing the bad memories from just last year, a season which saw the Cardinal lose sight of its run-first identity. Predictably then, the first play of the season was a simple handoff to Cameron Scarlett. Left tackle Walker Little and left guard Devery Hamilton each won his battle at the line, and Scarlett rushed forward for a modest six-yard gain. It was a simple play for a simple gain, but it was beautiful. It was Stanford Football.
The drive continued with eight more yards from Scarlett for a 1st down on the next play, but on the next snap Shaw gave us a peek at a new wrinkle we can expect to see a lot of this season. Wide receiver Connor Wedington lined up in the right slot, then took a quick step back before gathering in a pass from K.J. Costello and heading up field, using blocks from a tight end and another wide receiver to gain an easy 15 yards. Reports out of camp this summer suggested we'd see more quick-hitting plays like wide receiver screens, and with last year's downfield bully, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, plying his trade in the NFL, it makes sense to take advantage of the faster receivers currently on the roster.
A false start two plays later doomed the drive -- there would be many penalties like this on the day -- but it was still a positive start for the offense.
The unit with the most questions, of course, was the defense, so when Northwestern took over on their own 36, Stanford fans might've been a bit nervous, or least highly interested in how things might transpire. The Wildcats hadn't named a starter at quarterback prior to the game, but speculation was that Hunter Johnson would begin under center and eventually claim the job for his own. The one-time five-star recruit had transferred from Clemson last season, and he'd be taking his first snaps against a Cardinal defense that had struggled in 2018. Most around the country expected those struggles to continue, but Saturday's game may have switched that narrative.
After handing off the ball on 1st down for a four-yard gain, Johnson dropped back for the first time, only to be harassed into throwing the ball out of bounds by linebacker Casey Toohill. Johnson was pressured again on 3rd down, but this time he got his pass away over the middle to wide receiver Berkeley Holman. But the ball skipped off Holman's hands and up into the air before settling into the arms of linebacker Andrew Pryts for the interception.
The Cardinal offense failed to take advantage of the fortune, punting after a three-and-out, and the defense was back out on the field again. The Wildcats' second sequence was similar, ending after just three plays, but the 3rd and 2 play was interesting. Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo emerged as one of the top corners in football last season, and he's been either first- or second-team All-America on every list I've seen. Given the choice, most quarterbacks won't challenge him this year. On this series, however, Johnson took a shot. It was a simple route, with the receiver driving at the corner before turning at the sticks for what should've been an easy pitch and catch for the 1st down. But nothing is easy when Adebo is part of the equation. He held his ground, then used his height and length to reach over and around the receiver to knock the ball away. Adebo led all of football in passes broken up last season, and this was his first this year.
With the second quarter already winding down, the Stanford offense put together a drive that still didn't produce any points but was notable for its diversity. Costello laid all his cards on the table, handing the ball to three different backs (including a one-yard run from future star Austin Jones) and throwing to three different wide receivers as he methodically moved his team down the field. A holding call eventually doomed the drive, but there was a play in the middle to file away for future reference. Sophomore wide receiver Simi Fehoko caught only one ball last season after arriving at Stanford following a two-year mission, but coaches have been excited about his potential. On 3rd and 9 from the Stanford 32 he showed why. He took off down the left sideline with one-on-one coverage, and Costello recognized his advantage. At 6'4" and 226 pounds, Fehoko is even bigger than Arcega-Whiteside, so Costello under threw his pass and allowed his receiver to exploit his strength advantage. The play went for a 21-yard gain. Even though it wouldn't lead to any points, this simple play will likely resonate through the rest of the season. Fehoko might not leave his name scattered throughout the Stanford receiving record books the way J.J. did, but he's going to do some of the same things. You can count on it.
The Cardinal's next possession was its best of the day, and once again it was a group effort. Tight end Colby Parkinson caught two balls, wide receiver Michael Wilson caught three, Scarlett ran the ball four times and caught two passes, and running back Dorian Maddox had two runs and a reception. This is what the Stanford offense will look like when it's at its best this season -- devastatingly democratic.
Also, in a sure sign that things are changing a bit, it seems that a huge part of the Stanford offense will be based on getting the ball to athletes who can win one-on-one matchups in space. On this drive alone we saw screen passes to Scarlett and Maddox for big gains, and easy flare passes to Wilson. For those who have been concerned about the simplicity of the Stanford offense, even when things were going well, these have to be welcome changes.
As the drive wound down, we saw something old and something new. Remember when Simi Fehoko was channeling JJAW on the previous drive? On 2nd and 10 from the Northwestern 14 he took his impression to another level and earned a pass interference penalty in the back of the end zone. Two plays later, reminding us that things were changing, Shaw made an interesting call. Wilson lined up tight behind the offensive line, then slipped along the line to the right flat as Costello dropped back to pass. Costello hit his target perfectly in stride, Wilson dove for the pylon, and the Cardinal had its first touchdown of the season and a 7-0 lead.
The Wildcats, this time led by quarterback T.J. Green, produced their best drive yet in response to the Stanford touchdown, but nine plays and 41 yards ended with a 4th down incompletion, and Costello and company took over at their own 34 with 40 seconds left in the first half. With his team roughly thirty yards from field goal range, it made sense that Shaw would push for some points. The Cardinal had thoroughly dominated the first half -- the Wildcats' longest play from scrimmage had been only seven yards -- but the scoreboard didn't reflect the difference in how the two teams had played.
After a 1st down and a timeout, the Cardinal stood at the Northwestern 48 with ten seconds until the break. If Costello could connect for another fifteen yards or so, there'd be a shot at a field goal. But when Costello dropped back to pass, his downfield options disappeared, forcing him to scramble up the middle. He went into a slide at the end of his run, but Northwestern's Earnest Brown flew in and delivered a blow to Costello's helmet with his forearm. A flag was thrown and Brown was assessed a personal foul, but inexplicably there was no call for targeting. Costello was down on the field for several minutes, giving the Big Ten officiating crew more than enough time to review the video, but they ultimately decided against the targeting call.
Such a dangerous hit to the head of Stanford QB K.J. Costello. Somehow Northwestern's Earnest Brown was not ejected. pic.twitter.com/FWfD5YIfok
— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) August 31, 2019
Needless to say, their failure to make the targeting call and eject Brown was universally criticized. The announcing crew and the halftime studio analysts were in agreement, and as the television replay ran over and over, it was difficult to understand any justification for keeping Brown in the game. One prominent voice, former Vice President of Officiating for the NFL and current FOX Sports rules analyst Mike Pereira tweeted his disbelief:
Was watching the Stanford/Northwestern game in a bar(yes, Tito’s) and find it hard to believe that targeting wasn’t called for the hit on Costello. Now I am told it wasn’t even reviewed. What did Vince Lombardi say...”What the hell is.....”
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) August 31, 2019
Once Costello was helped off the field, the ball was marked at the 33, and Jet Toner came in and pounded a 51-yard field goal to give Stanford a 10-0 halftime lead.
Northwestern opened the second half with a promising drive, as T.J. Green led his team all the way to the Stanford 5, but then disaster would strike for the Wildcats. First, Green was sacked by linebacker Curtis Robinson, and then the ball popped loose for a back-breaking turnover. To make matters worse, Green was injured on the play, and he would not return.
Speaking of injured quarterbacks, Costello was out of the game, and backup Davis Mills wasted no time introducing himself to the masses with a downfield strike to Wedington for 35 yards. It should be noted that Mills is no ordinary second stringer. Injuries have slowed his progress at Stanford, but back in 2017 when he signed with the Cardinal he was the top rated pro-style quarterback in the nation and drew comparisons to Andrew Luck. Costello raved about him this summer, saying he had never seen Mills look so good, and Shaw has been complimentary also. The game plan didn't change much with Mills under center, and should he get the start this weekend against USC, the team will still be operating with the complete playbook.
But of course, there are risks that come with inserting a backup quarterback, no matter how talented he might be. Three plays after his nice throw to Wedington, Mills tried to pull a handoff back from Scarlett and ended up fumbling the ball over to the Wildcats, setting them up in Stanford territory. Thankfully they wouldn't cash in, as they weren't able to move the ball and eventually returned possession to the Cardinal after a missed 38-yard field goal.
Two possessions later, something crazy happened. With T.J. Green out of the game with an injury, Northwestern's Hunter Johnson was at the controls, and he chose to challenge Paulson Adebo on a 3rd and 7 from his own 31. The play was a slow-developing out route, and as the receiver broke to the sidelines, Adebo jumped the route and broke to the ball. He leaped high to make the grab, then managed to get one foot in bounds to secure the interception. I suppose someone had to challenge him at some point, but I can't imagine it will happen again, at least not until next fall when he's playing on Sundays.
Toner missed a short field goal five plays later, and then the game settled into a familiar rhythm for Stanford fans as the offense played conservatively and the defense held its ground. On their first possession of the final quarter, aided by an egregious miss of two blatant holding penalties on the punt return, the Wildcats finally got into the end zone. (Or did they? On the play before the touchdown, tailback John Moten had lunged for the goal line, only to have the ball slip out of his hand. Replays showed that it might've hit the pylon, which would have given the ball to Stanford on a touchback, but the officials ruled otherwise.)
So after dominating the game all afternoon, suddenly Stanford was clinging to a three-point lead. But as a friend reminded me afterward, we've seen this movie before, and we know how it ends. The teams traded a couple possessions, with Stanford not doing quite enough to run out the clock and Northwestern not doing quite enough to get into field goal range, until the Wildcats got the ball for one last moment of desperation.
On 1st and 10 from his own 22, Johnson took the snap and rolled away from pressure, desperately searching downfield for an open receiver as Casey Toohill galloped after him. Toohill found Johnson before Johnson found a target; Toohill stripped the ball, Jordan Fox fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown, and that was that. Stanford 17, Northwestern 7.
Few things are better for a college football fan than a win on the opening weekend, but I found myself rather subdued as the final seconds ticked off the clock. First there was the injury to Costello. While he looked better than players sometimes do after sustaining a blow to the head, we didn't see him after he was helped off the field, and I'd guess the team will be cautious about allowing him to return to action.
Next, there was a late injury to left tackle Walker Little. There was no word after the game, but replays seemed to indicate a leg injury, either to his ankle or knee. He didn't put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the field, fueling speculation that he'll be out for the USC game and possibly longer.
It's natural to look at this from the team perspective, as these are certainly the two most important players on the Stanford offense, but we can't forget the personal nature of these injuries. All of these young men are obviously more than just the numbers on their backs. We watch them for three hours each Saturday in the fall, but we can't imagine either the countless hours of work that have come before or the limitless dreams they have for the future. When they step onto the field to play for us, the dreams they've spun hang in the balance as all of us hope that the work they've done will be enough to carry the day.
The reality is that sometimes neither the work nor the dream is enough. Sometimes a tackler will fly in a split second too late, as with Costello, and sometimes a leg will bend the way it shouldn't, as with Little. We don't know when we'll see K.J. or Walker back on the field again, but we can be sure that they're already working to get back there, and that their dreams haven't dimmed in the least.
