Stanford Cardinal Prevail, No Time To Celebrate

The first road test proved difficult for the Stanford Cardinal facing a hostile UCLA environment. A late touchdown proved to be the difference in a 22-13 victory. Stanford’s record remains spotless in hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff.

UCLA had the confidence coming into the showdown against Stanford. In their previous game against BYU, the Bruins defense shined as the team prevailed in a close game. And as we drew closer to a meeting between UCLA and the seventh-ranked Cardinal, both teams knew setting the tone early would be critical.

Stanford took an early advantage by electing to receive the ball first. That allowed Ryan Burns to immediately get into the flow of the game without allowing Josh Rosen to settle in and complete his first series against Stanford’s defense. Burns settled in, but the drive only netted a 37-yard field goal by Conrad Ukropina.

An early turning point  for the Bruins came toward the end of the first quarter. Burns threw an interception right into the hands of a Bruins defenders who returned the pick into Cardinal territory.

With over seventy thousand in attendance at the Rose Bowl, Rosen knew he had to take advantage to keep the home crowd buzzing. The result was a 10-yard touchdown reception to Nate Iese — UCLA’s only touchdown of the game.

This was a big test for Burns as the starting quarterback on the road. His first two games had given him the luxury of playing in the friendly confines of home. The Cardinal’s last game — against USC — tested Burns’ ability against a tough conference opponent. He passed successfully by reading the defense and executing plays.

Against UCLA though, he had the challenge of handling the pressures of executing a successful game plan on the road.

Burns handled himself well, but the early turnover was costly. Like UCLA, Stanford had trouble offensively throughout the game. Christian McCaffrey was unable to break free as the Bruins defense did a great job in minimizing his impact. The Bruins may have taken a 10-3 lead into the locker room at halftime, but that left the Cardinal still within striking distance.

Credit the Bruins defense for turning in another solid effort. Line play was good against passing plays, which prevented Stanford from extending drives. The defensive line outplayed the offensive line which contributed to McCaffrey being contained. Burns would finish the night throwing for just 137 yards.

Burns didn’t let the early interception rattle him and threw his only touchdown of the game when it mattered most. With about two minutes left in the game, Burns led a drive that started at the Stanford 30-yard line.

Completions to Trenton Irwin and JJ Arcega-Whiteside drove Stanford into UCLA territory. On second and goal, Burns lobbed a pass to the corner of the end zone where Arcega-Whiteside came down with the ball.

A sigh of relief came from Stanford coach David Shaw as he knew the team struggled offensively but showed up when the game was on the line.

For most of the game, Stanford struggled to move the ball and relied on the defense to make plays. In front of a national audience, Burns showed he can forget about earlier plays, focus on the situation at hand, and get the job done.

For a quarterback with little experience who patiently waited his chance to play at Stanford, Burns stepped up as a clutch performer. His execution of the game winning drive shows his maturity and perseverance.

The defense stepped up to cap off the night for the Cardinal as Solomon Thomas returned a fumble into the end zone after Rosen was stripped. He was looking to make one last throw into the end zone but to no avail.

Stanford’s defense deserves credit for allowing Burns to execute the game-winning drive. After a three and out on the previous series, the defense was forced to make a stand. With over two minutes left in the fourth, they made a critical stop on third down, forcing UCLA to punt.  The offense, thankful for the chance to get the ball back, would make sure to not disappoint — and delivered.

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Much can be said about the offensive performance by the Cardinal. McCaffrey finished with 138 yards on the ground but did not factor much into the win. However, the two scoring drives which led to field goals by Ukropina in the second half were important.

Burns was able to extend drives, but unable to find the end result of a touchdown. However, the drives kept the clock running and allowed the defense to rest — which certainly helped tip the game in Stanford’s favor.

UCLA head coach Jim Mora executed a perfect defensive game plan focused on stopping Stanford’s offense. Rosen threw for 248 yards, but was unable to pull off the upset. And Mora was left scratching his head as the Bruins fell for the ninth consecutive time to the Cardinal.

This time around, Mora had the personnel to pull off a big win. With expectations not as high as they had been in previous seasons, the team played with a chip on their shoulders, not burdened by the weight of expectation. A victory was in sight for Mora, but his team put in only three and half quarters of play.

However, there is no time for Stanford to celebrate this victory as a short week begins to prepare for another difficult test. Friday will determine the early edge in the Pac-12 as the Washington Huskies await Stanford in Seattle.

Husky Stadium will be rocking as both teams are in the AP Top-10 rankings. The Stanford offense needs to be ready to face a strong Washington defense.

Next: Stanford Face UCLA Bruins in Road Opener

Stanford is the clear favorite to win the Pac-12. Washington, however, will look to assert themselves into the conversation with a victory. When that game is decided one way or the other, the Pac-12 will have a clear favorite between the two.