Three things to watch out for in Stanford's first game of 2022

Stanford is heavily favored over Colgate but there are still aspects that fans should be on the lookout for

There will not be much we can learn about how Stanford will do in 2022 based off their Week 1 matchup against Colgate.

For starters, the Cardinal have a 98.3% chance of winning according to ESPN's FPI so this game is expected to be a lopsided one, but it is also the first game of the year. It is pretty rare that any team is looking like a complete product during the first game, because there is typically some rust to knock off. 

When it comes down to it, most people will be watching out for star quarterback Tanner McKee to see how well he does, but there are certainly other aspects of the game that will be interesting. Watching the quarterback will always be one of the main focuses, but there are a few other aspects of this matchup that are worth noting. 

Will the new defensive scheme generate more success?

James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

This is a Colgate team that should not give the defense any issues, they lost some of their key players from a year ago in a season where they finished 5-6. In their lone Power 5 matchup a year ago against Boston College, the Raiders struggled to generate any offense throwing for just 84 yards while rushing for 104. 

It is a team that will look to establish the run, which will give us a sneak peak at whether or not making the switch from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 will help Stanford be more disruptive in the backfield. Stanford was abysmal at stopping the run a year ago, as teams were able to run all over the yard against the Cardinal defense, but with a change in schematics there is hope that will not be the case in 2022. It will also give us a chance to see if the pass rush has improved, as Stanford was home to one of the worst pass rushes in the country a year ago. We will have to take everything with a grain of salt as we know that being more physical than a FCS program won't win any prizes, but considering it is the first test of the season it is still some thing that should be looked out for. 

How good can Tanner McKee be with all of his weapons?

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

While I did say not to solely focus on McKee this game, it is still okay to take a look at the offense which is loaded at receiver and tight end. This will be the first time that McKee has all of his playmakers in the same lineup, which leads me to wanting to see two things.

The first thing of course being, McKee making smart throws. During the second half of last season he would force the issue, force throws that weren't always there. Now that he has had a full season and offseason as the starter, he should have a better understanding of the offense and also what to do if the defense isn't giving him anything. The second thing is probably the least important, but I will be curious to see if there is an emphasis on getting everyone fed. Stanford has en embarrassment of riches with three No. 1 caliber receivers and an elite tight end, so it will be interesting to see if the offense maybe scripts some plays to try and get everyone some touches. The reason this stands out to me is due to the fact that McKee was never working with all of these guys at the same time a year ago, so he may force things or it may just make his life that much easier.  

How good is E.J. Smith going to be as the starter?

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

After being overshadowed on the depth chart by Austin Jones (USC) and Nathaniel Peat (Missouri), it is now time for the E.J. Smith era. Someone that head coach David Shaw has been very high on all offseason, even going as far as to say he will be one of the best running backs in the country. 

Smith was tied for the lead with Peat in yards per carry (5.1), but received far less carrie and touches overall. He was receiving just a hair under six touches per game a year ago in the seven games he played, but now that he is the lead back he has a chance to end the drought of struggles at the running back position that the program has had. I think it will be interesting to see how big of an impact he will have in both the running and passing game, as we saw him make an electric catch in the spring game. If he is as good as Shaw and people around the program have been saying, this will be his coming out party.