Week 7 Game Matchup: Stanford Cardinal VS. Arizona Wildcats
Stanford Cardinal (4-2) vs. Arizona Wildcats (4-2)
Saturday, October 17, 4:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -3.5
Sam’s Take (28 – 13):
Stanford was humbled in Corvallis last week, while Arizona may have been robbed of a big road win over Washington. So who has the edge in this matchup? I certainly think both teams have a lot to prove, but this is an especially meaningful game for the Wildcats. Arizona may still be fuming over the loss in Seattle, but they also have some unfortunate recent history with the Cardinal. The ‘Cats have lost two consecutive 1-point games to Stanford (21-20 in ’07, 24-23 in ’08), and they probably should have won both of them.
I believe Arizona will get a little payback at the Old Pueblo this year. Oregon State proved that speed kills against Stanford. The Beavers exploited the Cardinal defense by moving laterally, and UA is considerably faster than OSU. ‘Cats QB Nick Foles was very sharp against UW, and I expect to see just as many bubble screens and quick outs this week. The UA receivers have been fantastic lately, and they should dominate an overmatched Stanford secondary.
Toby Gerhart will get his against the UA defense, but I don’t think QB Andrew Luck will find much room in the passing game against an ultra-talented secondary. Chris Owusu may have to do the majority of his damage in the return game, because CB Devin Ross and CB Trevin Wade are going to be tough to shake.
These two teams always play each other tough and I expect another closely contested game. But unlike the last two years, this time I expect the ‘Cats to close out Jim Harbaugh’s club in the fourth quarter.
Prediction: Arizona 30 – Stanford 23
Stanford Player to Keep an Eye On: LB Shayne Skov – Skov is fast enough to track down some of the quick passes that Arizona loves to call, and he will be a key to containing the explosive UA passing game.
Arizona Player to Keep an Eye On: WR David Roberts – Roberts was spectacular last week (12 rec. 138 yards 1 TD) and he should have another big day against a vulnerable Cardinal secondary.
Dave’s Take (31 – 10):
So what do we know about the Pac-10? USC and Oregon look like the teams to beat in the conference, and Washington State looks to be firmly planted in the 10-spot. After that, it’s just a big mess from 3-9.
From what we’ve seen so far, though, these two teams seem to be pretty darn good. Both still have a long road ahead with some tough conference games, but Saturday’s game could very well help sort out the top five in the conference when it’s all said and done, and a win here would be huge for both programs.
It’s hard to pick against Stanford. Andrew Luck has been one of the conference’s most consistent quarterbacks (impressive considering the fact that he’s a redshirt freshman), Chris Owusu has emerged as a star to compliment Ryan Whalen in the WR corps, and Toby Gerhart is among the elite rushers in college football.
But it isn’t the offense I’m worried about. Stanford’s defense has looked fine for the most part this season, but it got completely shredded last week against Oregon State. Considering half of Stanford’s games to this point have come against very bad offenses (108th ranked Washington State, 118th ranked UCLA and 119th ranked San Jose State), they really only have one strong defensive effort under their belt; the home win over Washington.
Since Nick Foles has taken over at quarterback, the offense has been outstanding, averaging 35 points per game. Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin didn’t do much on the ground last week, but if they pick things up this week, the passing attack could be even more dangerous.
I expect both teams to put up points, but defense, home field advantage, and a sprinkle of revenge make Arizona the pick here.
Prediction: Arizona 30 – Stanford 27
Arizona Wildcats, Stanford Cardinal
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Andrew Luck, Chris Owusu, David Roberts, Devin Ross, Football, Game Matchup, Jim Harbaugh, Keola Antolin, Nic Grigsby, Nick Foles, Ryan Whalen, Shayne Skov, Toby Gerhart, Trevin Wade
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