Stanford Cardinal Face UCLA Bruins in Road Opener

The Stanford Cardinal, after an impressive win over USC, has put the entire Pac-12 on notice that they are a force to be reckoned with.

A message was sent last weekend that notified the other Pac-12 teams that Stanford, ranked seventh in the nation, is the team to beat. Stanford hits the road for the first time this season, squaring off against UCLA who will be looking for their first win in seven years against the Cardinal.

Stanford quarterback Ryan Burns has waited patiently for his chance to start. He’s had the luxury of learning from Kevin Hogan’s success under center for the Cardinal. By having a positive attitude throughout the process, Burns showed the coaches during camp why he came to Stanford and then won the starting job.

In his first two games this season, Burns has shown composure in the pocket. He’s made plays with his arms and has shown an ability to scramble for yards to extend drives. USC provided Burns an early test to see if the inexperienced quarterback was ready for conference play. He passed the test leading the Cardinal to a 27-10 victory, his first conference win as a starter.

Now comes the challenge of leaving the confines of home to play in hostile environments on the road. Burns will look to carry the early momentum from his home wins onto the field at UCLA.

The Bruins defense has the size and athleticism to apply constant pressure. UCLA also has more defensive depth than the Trojans did meaning strong play by the offensive line will be important.

Burns will need time to execute as he adjusts to unfamiliar surroundings for the first time.

Last week’s return of Bryce Love produced a three-headed monster that diversified Stanford’s offensive attack. Christian McCaffrey carried the bulk of the offense as a threat on the ground and as a receiver.

Love is bruiser who is able to find gaps up the middle and wear down defenders. Michael Rector not only shows speed to haul down long passes but can find the edge quickly on handoffs and then burst down the sideline.

These three will need to step up again against a UCLA squad who has been unable to score a big victory in recent years.

For the past few seasons, the UCLA Bruins entered fall camp as a team to watch out for. Under head coach Jim Mora, the Bruins were considered a dark horse candidate to make the College Football Playoff.

Mora had said the team knows of the expectations and are ready to accept the challenge. However, results on the field did not reflect expectations as the Bruins would beat themselves in conference play.

Over previous seasons, UCLA has been unsuccessful in scoring a big victory over Pac-12 opponents. One factor is substandard quarterback play in critical matchups. Brett Hundley, with his arm strength and athleticism looked like he could be the answer during his tenure as Bruins quarterback.

However, he could not keep up with the competition on the field seen by Heisman winner Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Hogan of Stanford. Hundley could not make the plays late in games, often resulting in a loss.

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As a true freshman last season, Josh Rosen looked like he too, could be the answer for the Bruins in making a run for the playoff. Rosen was off to a great start, grabbing a win over Arizona to begin conference play.

Before last season began, many believed that UCLA were going to be contenders and Mora had the right personnel to get the job done. Those expectations went right out the door after back-to-back losses to Arizona State and number-fifteen Stanford.

UCLA would finish 8-5 capped by a loss to Nebraska in the Foster Farms Bowl.

Expectations this season took a hit after an overtime loss at Texas A&M in the Bruins opener. Rosen had a game to forget, throwing three interceptions. Although he led a late fourth quarter drive to tie the game, he said afterward that his performance should have been better.

After the opening loss, the Bruins have won their previous two games over UNLV and BYU.

If UCLA wants to knock off Stanford, they need a complete effort. Rosen struggled last week in the Bruins’ 17-14 victory over the Cougars. He may have thrown two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception and could not keep the offense on the field.

On the ground, look for Bruins running back Soso Jamabo to carry the workload. He missed last week’s game without an explanation from Mora as to why. In the passing attack, junior wide receiver Darren Andrews will look to make big plays down the field. And tight end Nate Iese will be a target on short plays to keep the attack going for the Bruins.

Solomon Thomas will lead the defensive assault charged with disrupting Rosen’s rhythm. Last week against USC, Stanford’s defense got stronger throughout the game — something that has been a staple of Stanford’s success.

The Cardinal expect to have Harrison Phillips back from injury at nose tackle in efforts to disrupt the Bruins offense.

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This week poses a new challenge for Burns to prove his mettle as Stanford’s quarterback, and it awaits him and the Cardinal in Pasadena. Mora will look to prove his team is the real deal with a win over Stanford.

Head coach David Shaw knows the Cardinal will need to weather the storm early to come away with a victory. Both offense and defense have played soundly and will look to continue their success.

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