11-16-2012, 11:07 PM
Over the last couple of years, it feels like Stanford has good and bad weekends. I have no idea if this is actually true but it certainly feels that way. I'm sure I could go back and check but that really goes against my lazy nature.
And this weekend is off to a great start with the women's basketball team's upset of Baylor, the No. 1 women's soccer team advancing to the third round of the NCAAs with a 2-1 win over Santa Clara, and No.1 women's volleyball team winninng on the road at UCLA tonight. Weekends start on Friday so I'm going to ignore the volleyball team's loss to USC on Thursday.
My prediction / fantasy for the football team - Oregon gets the opening kick off and drives 80 yards in 3 plays and 42 seconds. The Ducks go for 2 and get it to go up 8-0. As the Oregon crowd goes crazy, everyone assumes the game is over. Herbstreit and Musburger drone on about the unstoppable Oregon offense and that they are going to the National Championship Game and Stanford doesn't have a chance.
On the sideline, Josh Nunes quietly goes up to Kevin Hogan and says, "Do your job. You got this." The Stanford offense gets the ball at the 20 and proceeds to take 14 plays over 8 minutes, and with a 2-point conversion, ties the game. Then, to the surprise of everyone except for Chip Kelly, Shaw calls for an on-side kick which Oregon recovers at midfield. Oregon, overconfident after their first drive, gets stuffed on the first play and then the second play. On third down, Chase Thomas comes free and sack Mariota for a 12 yard loss. A drive that started at midfield ends up with Oregon punting from their own 36-yard line.
Stanford takes back over its own 10 yard line. This time, Hogan drives the team on a 18 play, 11 minute drive to put Stanford up 15-8. With 8 minutes left in the half, Shaw calls another on-side kick which even Chip Kellly doesn't see coming and Stanford recovers at midfield. Again, behind 8 Stepfan Taylor carries, Stanford drives for another touchdown in 6 minutes to go up 22-8.
Oregon's third drive of the half quickly ends with a 3 and out and they punt the ball back to Stanford with 1:25 left. Hogan is able to get Stanford into field goal range and Jordan Williamson nails a 48-yard field goal to end the half with the Cardinal leading 25-8.
During the halftime show, Jesse Palmer talks about Stanford playing the perfect half but really Oregon has the Cardinal right where they want them. He predicts the Ducks will come out in the second half and go on one of their big runs. Somewhere on the ESPN sideline, Lee Corso is thinking "Not so fast" forgetting that he picked the Ducks earlier in the day on Game Day.
Oregon is set to kick off and everyone on the Stanford sideline is expecting an onside kick which comes and Stanford recovers. With a short field again, Shaw calls a play-action pass and Hogan finds a wide open Ty Montgomery at the 10 yard line and Montgomery walks into the endzone - 32-8 Stanford. One play, 7 second drive.
On the ensuing kick-off, D'Anthony Thomas trying to do too much, brings the ball out 8 yards deep in the endzone. Ronnie Harris lines of Thomas perfectly at the 12 yard line and DAT fumbles the ball and Stanford recovers. Three plays later, Taylor is heading the ball to the back judge for his third touchdown of the game. Stanford 39, Oregon 8 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter.
Now the game falls into the hands of Marcus Mariota. He makes some plays and makes some mistakes driving Oregon to the Stanford side of the field but throws an interception at the Stanford 23 yard line. Hogan engineers another long time consuming drive to the Oregon 6 yard line and Williamson makes a chip shot field goal to put the Cardinal up 42 - 8 with a minute left in the third quarter.
The 34 point deficit is too much for Oregon to overcome in the fourth quarter. They score a couple of touchdowns but give up another long play-action pass touchdown from Hogan to Ertz.
Final Score: Stanford 49, Oregon 22.
The rest of the weekend finishes with the Women's basketball team crushing Hawaii and Tennesse-Martin and the women's soccer team reaches the NCAA quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over Denver on Sunday. It will be a hell of a weekend for Stanford sports.
And this weekend is off to a great start with the women's basketball team's upset of Baylor, the No. 1 women's soccer team advancing to the third round of the NCAAs with a 2-1 win over Santa Clara, and No.1 women's volleyball team winninng on the road at UCLA tonight. Weekends start on Friday so I'm going to ignore the volleyball team's loss to USC on Thursday.
My prediction / fantasy for the football team - Oregon gets the opening kick off and drives 80 yards in 3 plays and 42 seconds. The Ducks go for 2 and get it to go up 8-0. As the Oregon crowd goes crazy, everyone assumes the game is over. Herbstreit and Musburger drone on about the unstoppable Oregon offense and that they are going to the National Championship Game and Stanford doesn't have a chance.
On the sideline, Josh Nunes quietly goes up to Kevin Hogan and says, "Do your job. You got this." The Stanford offense gets the ball at the 20 and proceeds to take 14 plays over 8 minutes, and with a 2-point conversion, ties the game. Then, to the surprise of everyone except for Chip Kelly, Shaw calls for an on-side kick which Oregon recovers at midfield. Oregon, overconfident after their first drive, gets stuffed on the first play and then the second play. On third down, Chase Thomas comes free and sack Mariota for a 12 yard loss. A drive that started at midfield ends up with Oregon punting from their own 36-yard line.
Stanford takes back over its own 10 yard line. This time, Hogan drives the team on a 18 play, 11 minute drive to put Stanford up 15-8. With 8 minutes left in the half, Shaw calls another on-side kick which even Chip Kellly doesn't see coming and Stanford recovers at midfield. Again, behind 8 Stepfan Taylor carries, Stanford drives for another touchdown in 6 minutes to go up 22-8.
Oregon's third drive of the half quickly ends with a 3 and out and they punt the ball back to Stanford with 1:25 left. Hogan is able to get Stanford into field goal range and Jordan Williamson nails a 48-yard field goal to end the half with the Cardinal leading 25-8.
During the halftime show, Jesse Palmer talks about Stanford playing the perfect half but really Oregon has the Cardinal right where they want them. He predicts the Ducks will come out in the second half and go on one of their big runs. Somewhere on the ESPN sideline, Lee Corso is thinking "Not so fast" forgetting that he picked the Ducks earlier in the day on Game Day.
Oregon is set to kick off and everyone on the Stanford sideline is expecting an onside kick which comes and Stanford recovers. With a short field again, Shaw calls a play-action pass and Hogan finds a wide open Ty Montgomery at the 10 yard line and Montgomery walks into the endzone - 32-8 Stanford. One play, 7 second drive.
On the ensuing kick-off, D'Anthony Thomas trying to do too much, brings the ball out 8 yards deep in the endzone. Ronnie Harris lines of Thomas perfectly at the 12 yard line and DAT fumbles the ball and Stanford recovers. Three plays later, Taylor is heading the ball to the back judge for his third touchdown of the game. Stanford 39, Oregon 8 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter.
Now the game falls into the hands of Marcus Mariota. He makes some plays and makes some mistakes driving Oregon to the Stanford side of the field but throws an interception at the Stanford 23 yard line. Hogan engineers another long time consuming drive to the Oregon 6 yard line and Williamson makes a chip shot field goal to put the Cardinal up 42 - 8 with a minute left in the third quarter.
The 34 point deficit is too much for Oregon to overcome in the fourth quarter. They score a couple of touchdowns but give up another long play-action pass touchdown from Hogan to Ertz.
Final Score: Stanford 49, Oregon 22.
The rest of the weekend finishes with the Women's basketball team crushing Hawaii and Tennesse-Martin and the women's soccer team reaches the NCAA quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over Denver on Sunday. It will be a hell of a weekend for Stanford sports.