Stanford-San Diego State Preview

The Odyssey is eagerly looking forward to one of the most anticipated games in decades at aging Qualcomm Saturday night.  One has to go all the way back to the 1992 opener against USC (a spinetingling 31-31 tie featuring the incomparable Marshall Faulk) for as much pre-game excitement in San Diego for a college game.  To help generate local interest, SDSU has executed a brilliant billboard campaign, “One City, One Team”, to help convert jilted Charger fans into Aztec supporters.

Stanford comes to town, bitterly disappointed in not showing better at the Coliseum last Saturday night, getting gashed by USC, 42-24.  And we do mean gashed as the Trojans went up and down the field to the tune of 622 yards. That Mission Viejo’s finest, stellar QB Sam Darnold, inflicted damage on a talented Stanford secondary was not stunning.  However, USC’s 307 rushing yards against the proud Cardinal defense was man-bites-dog news.

If the Stanford defense was ripped apart by Ronald Jones & Company, what does the Cardinal make of Rashaad Penny?  All Penny did in the desert last Saturday was to run wild with 353 all purpose yards against another Pac12 team in Arizona State. Penny is a dual threat as he returned a kick 99 yards to the house. Penny and WMU’s Darius Phillips are two of the premier kick returners of this generation.  Stanford’s answer to Penny is RB Bryce Love, who has romped for 340 yards in the Cardinal’s first two outings.  Two proud defenses are going to be challenged.

Thankfully, for Stanford, the Cardinal can cheat a Safety to help stop Penny as the Aztecs pass less than virtually every other team not running the triple option.  Before the season, the Odyssey thought the Cardinal would breeze in this game as the Aztecs lost 4 offensive line starters from a terrific 2016 OLine.  The Odyssey still believes the Cardinal will prevail, but if the Aztecs can pull the upset, such an outcome might propel San Diego State to unprecedented heights as long as its underrated 67-year-old coach, Rocky Long, is patrolling the sideline on Montezuma Mesa.

Often a team will have a hangover after a deflating loss such as the one Stanford suffered in the Coliseum.  However, the Odyssey sees little chance of a letdown.  If the Cardinal can run the table, Stanford has everything to play for, including a potential rematch with USC in the Pac12 championship game.

A bizarre element is that the Aztecs’ leading receiver from 2016, Mikah Holder, may be covered by his twin brother, Alijah, Stanford’s starting cornerback.  Given that the twins spent most of their Oceanside upbringing sleeping in the same bed, their feelings will be a bit surreal.

Multiple Odyssey writers will be in attendance, featuring the observations of Tall TJ.  Check out the comment section post-game.