Five Big Questions Answered on the Stanford Cardinal
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For the second straight week, we can give Wake Forest fans information on the opponent from inside media members of the team before Saturday's game. Members of the Talking Trees Podcast were nice enough to answer some questions about Stanford's squad going into tomorrow's game. This should give fans a great overview of things to look for in tomorrow's game. Let's dive in!
More Competent Offense
In Year One of head coach Tavita Pritchard, what are some of the biggest differences you have noticed about this Stanford team?
The biggest difference to me is that there are at least flashes of what this team is supposed to look like. It’s obviously still a work in progress, and the Miami and Duke games showed how far the roster still has to go, but they look much more competent offensively, and there seems to be more belief when games get tight. Hawaii was a good example. They blew a fourth-quarter lead and easily could have folded, but responded with a game-winning drive. Then against Georgia Tech, they came back from 10 down and scored touchdowns on three straight second-half drives.
I also think Tavita just understands Stanford. There’s been so much discussion over the last few years about what Stanford football needs to become in the modern era, and having someone who knows the program but has also spent time outside the Stanford bubble is valuable. Offensively, I really like what they’re building. It’s an interesting scheme that pairs tempo and Air Raid concepts with some of the more pro-style elements Stanford fans are used to. The bigger question is whether they can pair that identity with the talent acquisition required to consistently compete in the ACC.
Quarterback with Poise
Davis Warren has seemed like a difference maker for this offense, especially against Georgia Tech. What makes him such a good fit for Stanford?
The biggest thing is his poise. Stanford hasn’t had consistent quarterback play in a while, and Davis gives them an adult at the position. He takes care of the football, is willing to hang in the pocket, and doesn’t seem to get rattled when things go sideways. He has a really good command of the offense and the arm talent to make every throw on the field. He’s been much better than I think a lot of national pundits expected.
You saw all of that against Georgia Tech. He threw for a career-high 396 yards and three touchdowns, but what impressed me most was how he responded once Stanford fell behind. They started pushing the ball downfield; he made some huge throws, including the fourth-and-11 touchdown to Nico Brown, and the entire offense seemed to feed off him. He also opened his Stanford career with 107 straight pass attempts without an interception, so he’s given them stability without sacrificing the ability to create explosive plays.
Fresh Look on Defense
Matt Rose is currently second in the ACC in total tackles. How would you characterize him and this defensive scheme?
Matt Rose is basically the heartbeat of the defense. He’s physical, incredibly productive, and always seems to be around the football. This isn’t a one-year breakout either. He had 106 tackles last season, second-most in the ACC, and has picked up right where he left off.
Schematically, they’ve moved toward a four-down front, and Kris Richard has emphasized building a defense that attacks rather than sits back. Rose fits that perfectly because he plays downhill and is such a reliable tackler. The flip side is that when your linebacker is piling up that many tackles, it can also be a sign that too much is getting to the second level.
Rose has been outstanding, but the defense overall still needs to become much more consistent. It feels like Richard is still adjusting to the college game, and I think there are legitimate questions among the fanbase about whether this scheme and staff are ultimately going to work. There’s still a lot to prove on that side of the ball.
Keys to Road Upset?
Traveling out east has been hard for Stanford, as seen in the Duke game. What is one thing Stanford must do in this one to pull off a massive road upset?
Start fast. More than anything, they can’t spend the first half adjusting to the travel, environment, or physicality of the game. Against Duke, Stanford was constantly playing from behind, and the offense never really established itself, finishing with just 237 total yards in a 35-7 loss.
To pull off a massive road upset, they need to make the game uncomfortable early. Let Warren attack, hit a couple of explosive plays, force a turnover, and give themselves a reason to believe they can win. This team isn’t talented enough yet to fall behind by two or three scores against a good opponent and expect to dig itself out. They need to be the team applying pressure from the start.
Defining Success
How would you define success for this Stanford team this season after rough losses to Duke and Miami but a big win over Georgia Tech?
For me, success isn’t really about hitting some arbitrary win total this year. It’s about finishing the season feeling like Stanford has established a foundation that can actually turn into something.
Miami showed the talent gap at the very top of the conference, and Duke was probably even more concerning because Stanford looked physically overmatched by a program it should eventually be able to compete with consistently. But Georgia Tech showed what the upside can look like when the quarterback is playing well and the team executes.
By the end of the year, I want Stanford to become a team nobody is excited to play. Win a couple of games you’re not supposed to win, be competitive on the road, and show tangible improvement as the season progresses. Most importantly, I want the staff to come out of this season with a clear understanding of how much better the roster still needs to get.
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.