Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson said he “blacked out” as his 37-yard field goal sailed a few feet inside the left upright. Stanford fans will remember every second of it, as the kick gave the No. 13 Cardinal a stunning 17-14 overtime upset over No. 2 Oregon Saturday night from Autzen Stadium.
With just about everything on the line, three-touchdown underdog No. 13 Stanford (8-2, 6-1 Pac-12) hopes to knock off No. 2 Oregon (10-0, 7-0) tomorrow night. As if the game didn’t have enough of a David-Goliath feel to it, the Cardinal will have to pull off the upset in Autzen, where the crowd noise can grow so loud that the pellets on the turf start to shake.
In part two of a two-part series, Miles Bennett-Smith looks at Oregon’s path to a win. Read part one, on how Stanford could win, here…. Continue Reading »
When Stanford heads up to Eugene for Saturday’s game, it better be ready for a tough test. Unlike overrated USC back in September, the Ducks scare me. I don’t think Stanford is better than Oregon, but I do think Stanford has a better chance in this game than many people — everyone from Vegas odds makers to local media members — think.
Oregon opened as a 24-point favorite on the basis of perhaps the most efficient offense in the last 20 years (this is where Baylor fans and RGIII cry fowl). Without question, the Ducks should win this game on paper.
The mood was surprisingly relaxed at Stanford head coach David Shaw’s weekly press conference yesterday. In many ways, Shaw sounded like he had a team with nothing to lose on Saturday. When casually asked how he was doing as he sat down, he replied, “After the last 48 hours of watching Oregon film, how would you feel?”
At the moment, my conflict centers around the unfortunate truth that the Oregon Ducks football team is the greatest show on turf since “The Greatest Show on Turf.” Chip Kelly has assembled a team of athletic freaks who race up and down the field at an unbelievable clip, and then someone let him recruit a quarterback who can actually throw the ball. Bullocks.