Card push forward ahead of contest with Utes

For a man whose team had just been eliminated from Pac-12 championship contention, Stanford head coach David Shaw seemed remarkably optimistic as he spoke to the media on Tuesday.

Junior center Graham Shuler (center) and the Stanford offensive line will look to contend with a physical Utes defensive line that sacked Kevin Hogan twice in the Card’s 27-21 loss to Utah last year in Salt Lake City. (JIM SHORIN/isiphotos.com)

“We put ourselves in this position…but we still have football to play,” Shaw said. “We’re still trying to play our best complete game to date. For us right now it’s about [focusing on] our positives, reminding our guys what we are capable of and continuing to find out about how to put our guys in positions to make plays.”

Stanford is the reigning two-time Pac-12 champion, but was mathematically eliminated from defending its title following its loss to rival Oregon on Nov. 1, and Oregon’s subsequent win over Utah. Shaw is convinced, however, that the missteps so far this season will not affect the Cardinal’s ability to finish their last games strongly.

“The situation doesn’t dictate whether or not [we] play hard. Our guys play hard regardless,” he stated.

Stanford will certainly need to bring everything it has to its remaining matchups if it wishes to continue its season into December. The Cardinal have dropped to a record of 5-4, and now must win at least one of its three remaining matchups in order to achieve bowl eligibility.

“[We’re taking it] one game at a time,” said senior linebacker A.J. Tarpley. “We’re going to try and win each one.”

The first of these challenges will come this Saturday, with the Utah Utes visiting Stanford Stadium. Like Stanford, Utah is a tough defensive team that has often struggled to score in close games.

“We’re both big teams with a physical nature on both sides of the ball,” Shaw said. “I think that they’ve played better over the course of the year than we have…but I think both teams would take it as a compliment to be compared to each other.”

In last year’s matchup, Utah’s physicality got the better of the Cardinal, as the Utes dealt Stanford its first loss of the regular season. A strong defensive effort by the Utes prevented Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan from fully asserting himself, and his offense faltered on a crucial fourth down conversion attempt en route to a 27-21 defeat.

When asked about what he would need to avoid a repeat of last year, Hogan emphasized the importance of building early momentum so the offense can settle into its routine. “[We need to make sure we] get into a rhythm, however that might be,” said the playmaker. “Getting those first couple first downs are huge in [giving us the] confidence to being able to move the ball.”

One of the biggest obstacles for the Cardinal’s offense will be dealing with Utah’s formidable pass rush. Utah leads the nation in sacks, and Hogan described its front seven “one of the best” the Card have seen. The Cardinal’s offensive line, meanwhile, has had some difficulty matching the physicality of its premier opponents this season, but is excited for one more opportunity to prove its worth.

“We have a chance to fight. We have a chance to continue to do what we hang our hat on,” said junior center Graham Shuler. “I think this group is excited about salvaging [our remaining] games and making a season that we can be proud of.

“Winning matters. Winning is what we want. But at the end of the day I get to put my arms around the guys that I’m here with and that’s what matters to me.”

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The Cardinal will be aided in their efforts this weekend by defensive tackle David Parry and free safety Zach Hoffpauir, both of whom have used Stanford’s recent bye week to fully recover from recent injuries. For many of the other starters, the week off has provided a much needed rest.

“We were more beaten up this year than we’ve been in the last two years,” Shaw offered.  “Our injury list hasn’t been as long in the last five years. It hasn’t been guys missing games as much as it has been a lot of bumps and bruises. That’s why this bye week has been so good for us – just to get guys back to…feeling fresh and re-energized.”

Contact Andrew Mather at amather ‘at’ stanford.edu.