Stanford was able to hold on for a 23-20 upset of Utah late Saturday night. Here are some important stats from the game and season so far:
5: Interceptions for junior safety Justin Reid this season, who’s tied for first in the nation. Both Reid and junior cornerback Quenton Meeks came down with a pass from Utah quarterback Troy Williams Saturday. Reid also led the Cardinal in tackles Saturday with seven, including one for loss. “I don’t know if there’s another safety playing at his level in America right now,” head coach David Shaw said. Stanford has forced opposing quarterbacks to at least one interception in five of their six games this season, amounting to nine interceptions as a team, making them tied for sixth in the nation.
+7: Turnover margin for Stanford this season, tied for 9th nationally. The Cardinal have turned the ball over just twice in their past three games, while forcing the opposition to 8 turnovers in that stretch, something that has undoubtedly helped Stanford during their three-game win streak.
152: Rushing yards for junior running back Bryce Love Saturday, with nearly half of those yards coming on a 68-yard sprint to the end zone. This was certainly an impressive performance against a stout Utah defense, but a season-low for Love nonetheless. “You’re going to have days where things aren’t going to open up. You’re not going to have 300 yards rushing or 260 or stuff like that. Sometimes, especially against a good team like Utah, you’re going to have to get nitty and gritty and really fight,” Love said after the game.
23: Stanford’s ranking in the Associated Press Poll Sunday. The Cardinal are the only ranked team with two losses. Four Pac-12 teams cracked the Top-25 this week, with Washington moving up a spot to No.5, Washington State jumping three spots to No. 8, USC checking in at 13th and the Cardinal moving back into the poll at 23rd. The Utes dropped out of the poll after being ranked No. 20 last week.
25: First downs for Utah Saturday, compared to just 14 for Stanford. The Utes were able to move the ball effectively, gaining 382 total yards, but their two turnovers and a missed field goal doomed some of their drives.
84: Penalty yards for Stanford in Utah. The Cardinal committed nine penalties, including two targeting calls late in the game on fifth-year outside linebacker Peter Kalambayi and senior defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, each resulting in ejections. The Cardinal have had trouble with penalties this season, averaging 7.3 penalties a game, tied for 99th in the nation.
Contact Sam Curry at currys ‘at’ stanford.edu