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It wasn’t pretty, but Stanford coach David Shaw didn’t care. His ultra-conservative play calling in the fourth quarter ended in a 20-13 win over Arizona State, preventing the first three-game losing streak in Shaw’s 7-year tenure with the Cardinal and keeping Stanford’s Pac-12 title hopes alive.
“It’s a formula that wins football games,” Shaw said. “Can’t worry about people calling me names, can’t worry about any of that stuff.”
Here are the four biggest takeaways from Thursday night’s game at Tempe’s Sun Devil Stadium:
WINNING FORMULA
Up 20-6 entering the fourth quarter, Stanford (5-2, 3-1 Pac-12) ran 12 times – including twice on third-and-12 – and passed just once in the final 15 minutes. Though the pass was a 13-yard completion and the runs only totaled 20 yards (with a 10-yard holding penalty thrown in for good measure), Shaw defended his end-game philosophy.
“People call it conservative or not, the goal is to make them use their timeouts, and you see why at the end,” Shaw said. “I applaud our guys for playing to the formula.”
Though Arizona State (3-4, 1-3) got one touchdown back, it had no timeouts for its final possession, which started at the ASU 15-yard line with 2:20 remaining. The Sun Devils got to the Stanford 20 with 12 seconds left, but then threw a 2-yard pass in the middle of the field that allowed the remaining time to expire.
TURNOVERS
Stanford continued its customary slow start – it has now been outscored 41-14 in the first quarter this season after falling behind 3-0 against the Sun Devils.
But it got back in the game thanks to turnovers. Facing a team that led the country with just two giveaways through six games, the Cardinal caused two turnovers in the second quarter – a fumble forced by Bobby Okereke and an interception by Sean Barton on a wide receiver pass.
Both takeaways led to field goals, allowing Stanford to go into halftime with a 6-3 lead.
Redshirt freshman cornerback Paulson Adebo, who entered the game second in the country with 12 pass breakups, had another two pass breakups Thursday and added his first career interception in the fourth quarter as Stanford won the turnover battle 3-0.
Stanford didn’t force any turnovers during its previous losses to Notre Dame and Utah.
RUSHING EDGE
For a team that prides itself on running the ball and stopping the run, the Cardinal had mixed results Thursday.
Arizona State’s Eno Benjamin was coming off three straight 100-yard rushing games – and Stanford’s defense had allowed 100-yard rushers in three straight games – but Benjamin finished with 38 yards on 11 carries.
On the other hand, Stanford was incapable of running out the clock in the fourth quarter, and averaged less than three yards on its 43 total carries. Bryce Love, who missed the previous game with an ankle injury, had 11 rushes for 21 yards before limping off early in the third quarter. Shaw later said that Love wanted to go back in after getting the ankle re-taped, but the coach wouldn’t let him.
Love’s replacements did well in spurts. Trevor Speights had a huge blitz pick-up on the first touchdown pass, while Cameron Scarlett had a 25-yard run and scored from the 1 on Stanford’s other touchdown drive.
STANFORD’S BIG WEAPON
With Love mostly alternating between contained and injured this season, senior receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside has become Stanford’s top playmaker. He scored the game’s first touchdown on a 28-yard catch in the third quarter – his nine receiving TDs are tied for the second-most in the FBS – and he finished with seven catches for 91 yards. He also drew three holding or pass interference penalties, and showed he isn’t just a high flyer by bowling over two ASU defenders on one play.
ASU’s preseason first-team all-conference receiver, N’Keal Henry, also finished with 91 yards on eight catches but was targeted five more times than Arcega-Whiteside (14-9) and threw a costly interception in the red zone.
Credit also goes to Stanford QB K.J. Costello, whose right (throwing) hand was bloodied after it got stepped on by an ASU tackler two plays into the second quarter but still finished 22 of 29 passing for 231 yards.
With the win, Stanford continues to control its own destiny in the Pac-12 North , where everyone has at least one loss. The Cardinal also has extra rest before hosting No. 25 Washington State on Oct. 27.
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