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Coming off their second loss of the season pretty much ends any hope the Stanford Cardinal had of making the first ever College Football Playoff. Stanford is still in the Top 25, ranking No. 25 this week by the AP, but it could take winning out to even have a shot at making it back into the top 10.
It has been quite a while since the Washington State Cougars were legitimate threats in the Pac-12 and it might have to wait a couple more years, but head coach Mike Leach has this program headed in the right direction. With the best passing offense in the nation, Washington State is nothing to mess with.
Kevin Hogan hasn’t quite been the quarterback who Stanford had hoped would show up this season, but the senior signal-caller has been nothing short of solid. The third-year starter has passed for 1,041 yards and eight touchdowns this season with four interceptions to go along with it, averaging just about 208 yards per contest through the air. Ty Montgomery has been the main beneficiary, catching 30 passes for a team-high 287 yards and three scores. Devon Cajuste and Austin Hooper are the next two leading receivers, combining for 412 yards and four touchdowns on 31 catches. The rushing attack isn’t as potent this year as it was a season ago behind Tyler Gaffney as it ranks just 89th nationally. Barry Sanders has done the most with his carries, racking up 167 yards on seven yards per carry, while Remound Wright leads the team with 180 yards and a score.
As stated earlier, Washington State has the best passing attack in the entire nation behind the free-slinging Connor Halliday who has been dominant this season against opposing defenses. Halliday has passed for an astounding 3,052 yards and 26 touchdowns in just six games this season while throwing seven interceptions — he has completed 68 percent of his passes as well. Vince Mayle has been Halliday’s favorite target, catching an impressive 51 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns. River Cracraft and Isiah Myers are the next two in line, combining for 1,150 yards, 13 touchdowns and 88 receptions. Junior wide receiver Dom Williams has also been productive, accounting for 496 yards and six touchdowns on 24 catches. Washington State is not productive in the run game, however, ranking just 125th nationally in rushing yards per game.
Defensively, the Cougars have struggled this season, turning most of their games into shootouts — something they have managed to win only twice this season. Washington State ranks 106th in yards allowed per game while also giving up 438 yards per game — a majority of which have come through the air. Stanford, on the other hand, is one of the best defensive teams in the nation. The Cardinal rank first in the nation in points allowed per contest while also ranking second in total yards allowed, giving up just 107 passing yards per game. It should make for an interesting matchup with the best pass offense in the country. The crowd at Stanford Stadium will be going crazy for this Friday evening matchup.
Washington State will travel to Stanford to take on the Cardinal at 9 p.m. EST on Friday, Oct. 10. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
PREDICTION: Washington State 20, Stanford 28
Want to see the Cardinal host Washington State in week seven? Check out ScoreBig for tickets.
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].
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