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QB Todd Husak broke the |
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Football Team Returns to Action After Bye Week.
Stanford to face ASU this weekend.
October 18, 1998
1998 STANFORD FOOTBALL
Stanford (1-5, 0-3) at Arizona State (2-4, 1-2)
THE CARDINAL:
Stanford returns to action this week after a bye last weekend The Cardinal plays a rare Thursday evening game at Arizona State as it attempts to snap a three-game losing streak Stanford (1-5, 0-3) has lost two straight to the Sun Devils and five of the last six The Cardinal last beat ASU in Sun Devil Stadium in 1995 by a 30-28 count ASU entered the 98 campaign a consensus top-10 team, but have lost four of their six games, including the last two to USC and Notre Dame.
INJURY UPDATE:
Stanford has been hit by a number of key injuries of late, including its starting backfield Sophomore RB Coy Wire, who has started the past four games and leads the team in rushing and is third in receptions, suffered a dislocated left thumb in the Cardinals Oct. 10 game vs. Oregon State He underwent surgery on Oct. 13 and is listed as doubtful for Thursdays game Juan-Carlos Lacey will replace Wire in the starting lineup At fullback, senior Maxwell Stevenson suffered a severe nerve stretch in his neck in the OSU game and is also listed as doubtful for Thursdays game Backup FB Byron Glaspie has a hamstring strain and is doubtful for ASU Junior walk-on Emory Brock is listed as Stanfords starter at fullback Freshman CB Brian Taylor, a starter the last three games, has a fractured thumb and will not play at ASU He will be replaced by sophomore Ruben Carter NT Andrew Currie has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but is expected to start at ASU Backup ILB Matt Friedrichs (foot), OLB Brian Toner (knee), FS Jamien McCullum (back) will also return to action at ASU.
HUSAK SETS PASSING RECORD:
Quarterback Todd Husak broke a 20-year old Stanford record for most passing yards in a game when he threw for 450 against Oregon State (Oct. 10) Husak, in his first year as the Cardinals starter, eclipsed the previous record of 430 set in 1978 by Steve Dils Husak completed 26-of-48 against OSU to go along with TD passes of 27 yards to DeRonnie Pitts and 30 yards to Dave Davis.
Top-10 Passing Games 1. Todd Husak, 98 vs. OSU 450 6. John Elway, 82 vs. Ohio St. 407 2. Steve Dils, 78 vs. WSU 430 7. S. Stenstrom, 93 vs. Oregon 407 3. John Elway, 81 vs. Pur. 418 8. S. Stenstrom, 93 vs. OSU 407 4. John Paye, 85 vs. Oregon 408 9. Jason Palumbis, 90 vs. SJSU 387 5. S.Stenstrom, 94 vs. UCLA 408 10. J. Paye, 85 vs. San Diego St. 385HUSAK IN THE PAC-10 RECORD BOOK:
Todd Husak's 450 passing yards against Oregon State is the 10th highest single game total in Pac-10 Conference history Husak also entered the conference record book in the OSU game, but was quickly replaced He ran his string of consecutive passes without an interception to 159, breaking the Pac-10 season record of 150 set in 1996 by Pat Barnes of Cal Later in the game, however, Husaks record was broken by the Beavers' Terrance Bryant, who ran his string to 170 before being intercepted.
THE WALTERS WATCH:
Pre-season All-America FL Troy Walters returned to the lineup last Saturday against Oregon State, catching six balls for 159 yards and moving into ninth on Stanfords career receiving yards list with 1,947 Since suffering an ankle sprain in the first quarter of game two vs. Arizona, Walters did not play in games against North Carolina and Oregon and played just two plays at Notre Dame He has played just two full games this season: the season opener vs. San Jose State and last Saturday against Oregon State
After averaging 14.1 yards per punt return a year ago, including two for touchdowns, Walters has not returned a punt through six games this year He had an 86-reception, 1,206-yard season in 97 and began the 98 campaign as a pre-season First-Team All-America receiver and a First-Team All-America return specialist One publication called him the second most exciting player in college football In the season opener vs. San Jose State, Walters had six receptions for 71 yards, including a 28-yard TD pass from Husak, and three kickoff returns for 71 yards Walters will be among the schools all-time top-10 receivers in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions by the end of the 98 campaign He is two TD's and nine receptions shy of the all-time top-10 Walters, the son of Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Trent Walters, has two years of eligibility remaining (1998, 1999) and could contend for every Cardinal receiving record by the time he leaves The Farm.
HUSAK'S NUMBERS: First-year starting quarterback Todd Husak is putting up numbers that will rank him among the all-time top-10 single season leaders in school history in passing yards, completions and attempts After six games, Husak has completed 137-of-256 for 1,772 yards and 11 TDs He ranks first in the Pac-10 and eighth in the nation in total offense, averaging 289.8 yards per game He has a chance to become only the third QB in school history to pass for over 3,000 yards in a season The other two are Steve Stenstrom, who threw for a school and Pac-10 record 3,627 yards in 1993, and John Elway, who in 1982 threw for a school and Pac-10 record 3,242 yards Husak is on pace to pass for 3,249 yards Husak is also on pace to break the school record for most pass attempts in a season He is averaging 43 attempts per game - 469 over an 11-game season Stenstrom holds the school record of 455 set in 1993 Husaks 1.8 TD passes per game would give him 20 for the season, which would rank among the top five all-time on The Farm Husak had his first 300-yard passing game against North Carolina on Sept. 19 when he completed 23-for-38 for 313 yards In the first half, Husak completed 16-of-24 for 227 yards and one TD His next 300-yard passing game occurred last week vs. Oregon State when he broke the schools single game record by throwing for 450 yards on 26-of-48 Husak placed his name in the Cardinal record book by throwing 54 passes - the sixth highest single game total in school history - and the most under head coach Tyrone Willingham, in his debut as the starter in the season opener vs. San Joe State He completed 29-of-54 for 298 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Spartans Husak was not officially named the Cardinals starter until September 1, just four days before the season opener His 298 yards passing in his starting debut was better than the debuts of the top eight passers in Stanford history, including John Elway in 1980 (250 yards) and Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett in 1968 (277 yards) Husaks father, Dr. Bill Husak, is the athletic director at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Husaks in 1998 (6 games): PC-137 PA-256 Yds-1,772 TD-11 11-game projection: PC-251 PA-469 Yds-3,249 TD-20
In The Record Book (Husak stats are full season projections) Season Passing Season Attempts Season TD Passes 1. Steve Stenstrom, 93 3,627 1. Stenstrom, 93 455 1. Elway, 80 27 2. John Elway, 82 3,242 2. Elway, 82 405 2. Stenstrom, 93 27 3. Steve Dils, 78 2,943 3. John Paye, 85 405 3. Elway, 82 23 4. Husak, 98 3,249 4. Husak, 98 469 4. Dils, 78 22 5. Husak, 98 20
PASSING ATTACK:Stanford's passing attack is on pace to become one of the most prolific in school history As a team, the Cardinal is averaging 24.8 pass completions per game, 46.8 attempts and 320.8 passing yards Those numbers over an 11-game season would give Stanford 515 pass attempts and 3,529 yards The current team record for most pass attempts in a season is 474 set in 1993 Stanfords projected 3,529 passing yards is off record pace (3,709 set in 93), but it would rank second in the record book Stanford currently ranks first in the Pac-10 and ninth in the NCAA in passing offense Stanford has thrown over 40 passes in five of its six games, including two games in which it threw over 50 passes.
Top Passing Teams in Stanford History Year Head Coach / Quarterback Yards 1. 1993 Bill Walsh / Steve Stenstrom 3,709 2. 1994 Bill Walsh / Steve Stenstrom 3,358 3. 1982 Paul Wiggin / John Elway 3,311 4. 1981 Paul Wiggin / John Elway 3,066 ?? 1998 Tyrone Willingham / Todd Husak 3,529 (projected)OVER 1,000: DeRonnnie Pitts and Dave Davis are both on pace to top the 1,000 yard mark for season receiving yards, which would make them the first duo in school history to surpass the 1,000 yard milestone in the same season In fact, only three players in school history have recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season: Troy Walters in 1997 (1,206), Gene Washington in 1968 (1,117), and Justin Armour in 1994 (1,092) Davis 100.7 yards per game average puts him on pace to gain 1,108 for the season while Pitts average of 95.3 per game would give him 1,048 for the season The best duo to date for the Cardinal was Armour and Brian Manning (899 yards) in 1994.
DAVIS DRIVE: Sophomore WR Dave Davis, who redshirted as a freshman a year ago, has caught 40 passes for 604 yards and five touchdowns in his first six games as a Cardinal No player in Stanford history has had a better start to his Cardinal career as a receiver than Davis Those numbers are better than the first six games of each of the top 10 receivers in the Cardinal record book Davis 6.7 receptions per game rank him third in the Pac-10 and 18th nationally and his 100.7 receiving yards per game place him third in the Pac-10 and 21st in the NCAA Those numbers are also the best in the nation for a freshman or redshirt freshman On Oct. 10 against Oregon State, he recorded career bests for both receptions (nine) and receiving yards (151) He has three 100-yard receiving games this season (127 vs. Arizona, 108 vs. North Carolina, 151 vs. Oregon State) and is on pace to become only the fourth player in school history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season He is on pace to catch 73 passes for 1,108 yards The school record for receiving yards in a season is 1,206, set last season by Troy Walters.
PITTS PLACE: In the absence of Troy Walters, junior DeRonnie Pitts has emerged as Stanfords go-to receiver He has registerd three straight 100-yard receiving games and is among the conference and national leaders in receptions per game (7.7) and receiving yards per game (95.3) Pitts had nine catches for 124 yards and one TD vs. OSU on Oct. 10 In his previous two games, he had eight catches for 112 yards at Notre Dame and 10 receptions for 158 yards and one touchdown at Oregon He currently ranks tied for first in the Pac-10 and is tied for seventh in the nation in receptions per game He also ranks sixth in the Pac-10 and 27th in the nation in receiving yards per game Pitts has 27 catches for 394 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Pitts is in his first year as a starter for Stanford He redshirted the 1996 season and was used in a reserve role last year, recording 13 receptions for 195 yards (15.0 ypc) and one touchdown in eight games.
SMITH PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Junior free safety Tim Smith is enjoying an outstanding 1998 after missing the final nine games of 1997 and spring practice because of an ACL injury to his left knee ... Smith ranks second in the Pac-10 with 65 tackles (48 unassisted, 17 assisted), good for an average of 10.8 per game ... On Oct. 10, Smith had a career-high 15 tackles, all unassisted, against Oregon State ... Smith, who redshirted the 1995 season as a quarterback, had 28 tackles, four interceptions and three sacks in 96 as the backup free safety ... Smith recorded four unassisted tackles in 97 before suffering the ACL injury on a special teams play at North Carolina.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Pacific-10 Conference has announced that the Stanford-UCLA game on Oct. 31 in Los Angeles will start at 3:30 pm ... The game will be televised by FX.
TYRONE WILLINGHAM: Cardinal head coach Tyrone Willingham, the 1995 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, has compiled a 20-20-1 record in three-plus years on The Farm (1995-98) He has led the Cardinal to two bowl appearances and is only the third coach in school history to lead Stanford to a bowl game in his first two years on The Farm (the other two are Tiny Thornhill in 1933 and 34 and Bill Walsh in 77 and 78) Willingham spent 17 years as an assistant coach on the college and professional levels - including three as Stanfords running backs coach under Denny Green from 1989-91 - before being named Stanfords head coach on Dec. 9, 1994.
HOWARD MAKES HIS MARK: Junior defensive tackle Willie Howard, the only returning starter on Stanfords defensive line, has continued to establish himself as a force up front ... Howard had 28 tackles (21 unassisted), 2 sacks and two tackles for loss as the starter last season, but has already surpassed that total through the first six games of 1998 ... Howard has 30 tackles (21 unassisted), and also has eight tackles for loss and three sacks ... On Oct. 10 against Oregon State, Howard had seven tackles (three unassisted), two tackles for loss and one sack ... He also added the first blocked field goal of his career in last weeks loss to the Beavers.
STRONG SCHEDULE: Stanfords schedule was ranked prior to the season as the ninth toughest in college football The Cardinal has already played pre-season top-10 North Carolina, #12 Oregon, #14 Arizona and #18 Notre Dame Still ahead are road games at #2 UCLA (Oct. 31) and pre-season top-10 Arizona State (Oct. 22) and a home date with #32 USC (Nov. 7) Seven of Stanfords opponents played in post-season bowl games a year ago.
FRESHMAN IMPACT: Prior to this season, only two true freshman had seen playing time in Tyrone Willinghams three seasons at Stanford Those two included QB Todd Husak in 1996, who was forced to play due to injuries, and RB Juan-Carlos Lacey, who played just one game in 96 and was able to receive a redshirt year In 1998, however, six true freshmen have seen playing time OG Eric Heitmann and RB Brian Allen have played in all six games this year, Brian Taylor has started the last three games at cornerback and DB Tank Williams, ILB Cooper Blackhurst and WR Ryan Fernandez have played in reserve roles Taylor became the first true freshman to start under Willingham when he replaced sophomore Ruben Carter as the starter against Oregon Heitmann has been used extensively as a reserve offensive guard and has seen his playing time increase Allen has been used on kickoffs (8-136-17.0) and as a reserve running back (7-11) Fernandez has one reception for 34 yards in his role as a backup wide receiver while Williams playing time has increased in recent weeks (14 tackles in 98).
YOUTH MOVEMENT: To say that the Cardinal is a youthful team lacking in game experience is an understatement Consider the facts: of the 92 players on Stanfords roster, 54 had never played in a game prior to the start of the 98 season and only five are seniors in their final year of eligibility Nine players (4 offense, 5 defense) made their starting debuts against San Jose State in the season opener and 18 others played in their first collegiate game Making their first career starts against the Spartans were WR DeRonnie Pitts, QB Todd Husak, RB Coy Wire, FB Maxwell Stevenson, DE Sam Benner, NT Andrew Currie, DE Riall Johnson, FS Jamien McCullum and CB Ruben Carter Three of them - Wire, McCullum and Carter - made their college debuts Six true freshman and 18 sophomores (or redshirt freshman) have also played this season In Willinghams three previous seasons at Stanford, only two true freshman had played - and neither one played enough to earn a letter (Todd Husak and Juan-Carlos Lacey in 96) This season, no less than six true freshman have seen extensive playing time.
GAME FACTS
TV and Radio Information TV Live, Oct. 22, 7:00 pm Fox Sports Net (nationally) (Bay TV in Bay Area) Steve Physioc (play-by-play) Tom Ramsey (analyst) Radio KTCT (1050 AM) Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Bob Murphy (color) 6:00 pm pst pre-game KZSU (90.1 FM) - student Stanford (1-5, 0-3) 9/5 San Jose State L 23-35 9/12 Arizona* L, 14-31 9/19 North Carolina (Fox) W, 37-34 9/26 at Oregon* (FSBA) L, 28-63 10/3 at Notre Dame (NBC) L, 17-35 10/10 Oregon State* L, 23-30 10/22 at Arizona State* (Fox) 7:00 pm 10/31 at UCLA* (FX) 3:30 pm 11/7 USC* 12:30 pm 11/14 Washington State* 12:30 pm 11/21 at California* (KGO) 12:30 pm
Arizona State (2-4, 1-2) 9/5 Washington* L, 42-38 9/12 at BYU L, 26-6 9/19 North Texas W, 34-15 9/26 Oregon State* W, 24-3 10/3 at USC* L, 35-24 10/10 Notre Dame L, 28-9 10/22 Stanford* (Fox) 7:00 pm 10/31 at Washington State* TBA 11/7 California* 4:00 pm 11/14 at Oregon* 1:00 pm 11/27 at Arizona* 4:30 pm
Pac-10 Standings Pac-10 Overall UCLA 3-0 5-0 Oregon 2-1 5-1 Arizona 3-1 6-1 USC 3-1 5-2 California 2-1 4-2 Washington 2-1 4-2 Arizona State 1-2 2-4 Oregon State 1-3 4-3 Stanford 0-3 1-5 Washington State 0-4 3-4
THE CARDINAL: Stanford returns to action this week after a bye last weekend The Cardinal plays a rare Thursday evening game at Arizona State as it attempts to snap a three-game losing streak Stanford (1-5, 0-3) has lost two straight to the Sun Devils and five of the last six The Cardinal last beat ASU in Sun Devil Stadium in 1995 by a 30-28 count ASU entered the 98 campaign a consensus top-10 team, but have lost four of their six games, including the last two to USC and Notre Dame.
INJURY UPDATE: Stanford has been hit by a number of key injuries of late, including its starting backfield Sophomore RB Coy Wire, who has started the past four games and leads the team in rushing and is third in receptions, suffered a dislocated left thumb in the Cardinals Oct. 10 game vs. Oregon State He underwent surgery on Oct. 13 and is listed as doubtful for Thursdays game Juan-Carlos Lacey will replace Wire in the starting lineup At fullback, senior Maxwell Stevenson suffered a severe nerve stretch in his neck in the OSU game and is also listed as doubtful for Thursdays game Backup FB Byron Glaspie has a hamstring strain and is doubtful for ASU Junior walk-on Emory Brock is listed as Stanfords starter at fullback Freshman CB Brian Taylor, a starter the last three games, has a fractured thumb and will not play at ASU He will be replaced by sophomore Ruben Carter NT Andrew Currie has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but is expected to start at ASU Backup ILB Matt Friedrichs (foot), OLB Brian Toner (knee), FS Jamien McCullum (back) will also return to action at ASU.
HUSAK SETS PASSING RECORD: Quarterback Todd Husak broke a 20-year old Stanford record for most passing yards in a game when he threw for 450 against Oregon State (Oct. 10) Husak, in his first year as the Cardinals starter, eclipsed the previous record of 430 set in 1978 by Steve Dils Husak completed 26-of-48 against OSU to go along with TD passes of 27 yards to DeRonnie Pitts and 30 yards to Dave Davis.
Top-10 Passing Games 1. Todd Husak, 98 vs. OSU 450 6. John Elway, 82 vs. Ohio St. 407 2. Steve Dils, 78 vs. WSU 430 7. S. Stenstrom, 93 vs. Oregon 407 3. John Elway, 81 vs. Purdue 418 8. S. Stenstrom, 93 vs. OSU 407 4. John Paye, 85 vs. Oregon 408 9. Jason Palumbis, 90 vs. SJSU 387 5. Steve Stenstrom, 94 vs. UCLA 408 10. J. Paye, 85 vs. San Diego St. 385 HUSAK IN THE PAC-10 RECORD BOOK: Todd Husaks 450 passing yards against Oregon State is the 10th highest single game total in Pac-10 Conference history Husak also entered the conference record book in the OSU game, but was quickly replaced He ran his string of consecutive passes without an interception to 159, breaking the Pac-10 season record of 150 set in 1996 by Pat Barnes of Cal Later in the game, however, Husaks record was broken by the Beavers Terrance Bryant, who ran his string to 170 before being intercepted.
THE WALTERS WATCH: Pre-season All-America FL Troy Walters returned to the lineup last Saturday against Oregon State, catching six balls for 159 yards and moving into ninth on Stanfords career receiving yards list with 1,947 Since suffering an ankle sprain in the first quarter of game two vs. Arizona, Walters did not play in games against North Carolina and Oregon and played just two plays at Notre Dame He has played just two full games this season: the season opener vs. San Jose State and last Saturday against Oregon State After averaging 14.1 yards per punt return a year ago, including two for touchdowns, Walters has not returned a punt through six games this year He had an 86-reception, 1,206-yard season in 97 and began the 98 campaign as a pre-season First-Team All-America receiver and a First-Team All-America return specialist One publication called him the second most exciting player in college football In the season opener vs. San Jose State, Walters had six receptions for 71 yards, including a 28-yard TD pass from Husak, and three kickoff returns for 71 yards Walters will be among the schools all-time top-10 receivers in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions by the end of the 98 campaign He is two TDs and nine receptions shy of the all-time top-10 Walters, the son of Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Trent Walters, has two years of eligibility remaining (1998, 1999) and could contend for every Cardinal receiving record by the time he leaves The Farm.
HUSAKS NUMBERS: First-year starting quarterback Todd Husak is putting up numbers that will rank him among the all-time top-10 single season leaders in school history in passing yards, completions and attempts After six games, Husak has completed 137-of-256 for 1,772 yards and 11 TDs He ranks first in the Pac-10 and eighth in the nation in total offense, averaging 289.8 yards per game He has a chance to become only the third QB in school history to pass for over 3,000 yards in a season The other two are Steve Stenstrom, who threw for a school and Pac-10 record 3,627 yards in 1993, and John Elway, who in 1982 threw for a school and Pac-10 record 3,242 yards Husak is on pace to pass for 3,249 yards Husak is also on pace to break the school record for most pass attempts in a season He is averaging 43 attempts per game - 469 over an 11-game season Stenstrom holds the school record of 455 set in 1993 Husaks 1.8 TD passes per game would give him 20 for the season, which would rank among the top five all-time on The Farm Husak had his first 300-yard passing game against North Carolina on Sept. 19 when he completed 23-for-38 for 313 yards In the first half, Husak completed 16-of-24 for 227 yards and one TD His next 300-yard passing game occurred last week vs. Oregon State when he broke the schools single game record by throwing for 450 yards on 26-of-48 Husak placed his name in the Cardinal record book by throwing 54 passes - the sixth highest single game total in school history - and the most under head coach Tyrone Willingham, in his debut as the starter in the season opener vs. San Joe State He completed 29-of-54 for 298 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Spartans Husak was not officially named the Cardinals starter until September 1, just four days before the season opener His 298 yards passing in his starting debut was better than the debuts of the top eight passers in Stanford history, including John Elway in 1980 (250 yards) and Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett in 1968 (277 yards) Husaks father, Dr. Bill Husak, is the athletic director at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Husaks in 1998 (6 games): PC-137 PA-256 Yds-1,772 TD-11 11-game projection: PC-251 PA-469 Yds-3,249 TD-20
In The Record Book (Husak stats are full season projections) Season Passing Season Attempts Season TD Passes 1. Steve Stenstrom, 93 3,627 1. Stenstrom, 93 455 1. Elway, 80 27 2. John Elway, 82 3,242 2. Elway, 82 405 Stenstrom, 93 27 3. Steve Dils, 78 2,943 John Paye, 85 405 3. Elway, 82 23 Husak, 98 3,249 Husak, 98 469 4. Dils, 78 22 Husak, 98 20
PASSING ATTACK: Stanfords passing attack is on pace to become one of the most prolific in school history As a team, the Cardinal is averaging 24.8 pass completions per game, 46.8 attempts and 320.8 passing yards Those numbers over an 11-game season would give Stanford 515 pass attempts and 3,529 yards The current team record for most pass attempts in a season is 474 set in 1993 Stanfords projected 3,529 passing yards is off record pace (3,709 set in 93), but it would rank second in the record book Stanford currently ranks first in the Pac-10 and ninth in the NCAA in passing offense Stanford has thrown over 40 passes in five of its six games, including two games in which it threw over 50 passes.
Top Passing Teams in Stanford History Year Head Coach / Quarterback Yards 1. 1993 Bill Walsh / Steve Stenstrom 3,709 2. 1994 Bill Walsh / Steve Stenstrom 3,358 3. 1982 Paul Wiggin / John Elway 3,311 4. 1981 Paul Wiggin / John Elway 3,066 ?? 1998 Tyrone Willingham / Todd Husak 3,529 (projected)
OVER 1,000: DeRonnnie Pitts and Dave Davis are both on pace to top the 1,000 yard mark for season receiving yards, which would make them the first duo in school history to surpass the 1,000 yard milestone in the same season In fact, only three players in school history have recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season: Troy Walters in 1997 (1,206), Gene Washington in 1968 (1,117), and Justin Armour in 1994 (1,092) Davis 100.7 yards per game average puts him on pace to gain 1,108 for the season while Pitts average of 95.3 per game would give him 1,048 for the season The best duo to date for the Cardinal was Armour and Brian Manning (899 yards) in 1994.
DAVIS DRIVE: Sophomore WR Dave Davis, who redshirted as a freshman a year ago, has caught 40 passes for 604 yards and five touchdowns in his first six games as a Cardinal No player in Stanford history has had a better start to his Cardinal career as a receiver than Davis Those numbers are better than the first six games of each of the top 10 receivers in the Cardinal record book Davis 6.7 receptions per game rank him third in the Pac-10 and 18th nationally and his 100.7 receiving yards per game place him third in the Pac-10 and 21st in the NCAA Those numbers are also the best in the nation for a freshman or redshirt freshman On Oct. 10 against Oregon State, he recorded career bests for both receptions (nine) and receiving yards (151) He has three 100-yard receiving games this season (127 vs. Arizona, 108 vs. North Carolina, 151 vs. Oregon State) and is on pace to become only the fourth player in school history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season He is on pace to catch 73 passes for 1,108 yards The school record for receiving yards in a season is 1,206, set last season by Troy Walters.
PITTS PLACE: In the absence of Troy Walters, junior DeRonnie Pitts has emerged as Stanfords go-to receiver He has registerd three straight 100-yard receiving games and is among the conference and national leaders in receptions per game (7.7) and receiving yards per game (95.3) Pitts had nine catches for 124 yards and one TD vs. OSU on Oct. 10 In his previous two games, he had eight catches for 112 yards at Notre Dame and 10 receptions for 158 yards and one touchdown at Oregon He currently ranks tied for first in the Pac-10 and is tied for seventh in the nation in receptions per game He also ranks sixth in the Pac-10 and 27th in the nation in receiving yards per game Pitts has 27 catches for 394 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Pitts is in his first year as a starter for Stanford He redshirted the 1996 season and was used in a reserve role last year, recording 13 receptions for 195 yards (15.0 ypc) and one touchdown in eight games.
SMITH PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Junior free safety Tim Smith is enjoying an outstanding 1998 after missing the final nine games of 1997 and spring practice because of an ACL injury to his left knee ... Smith ranks second in the Pac-10 with 65 tackles (48 unassisted, 17 assisted), good for an average of 10.8 per game ... On Oct. 10, Smith had a career-high 15 tackles, all unassisted, against Oregon State ... Smith, who redshirted the 1995 season as a quarterback, had 28 tackles, four interceptions and three sacks in 96 as the backup free safety ... Smith recorded four unassisted tackles in 97 before suffering the ACL injury on a special teams play at North Carolina.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Pacific-10 Conference has announced that the Stanford-UCLA game on Oct. 31 in Los Angeles will start at 3:30 pm ... The game will be televised by FX.
TYRONE WILLINGHAM: Cardinal head coach Tyrone Willingham, the 1995 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, has compiled a 20-20-1 record in three-plus years on The Farm (1995-98) He has led the Cardinal to two bowl appearances and is only the third coach in school history to lead Stanford to a bowl game in his first two years on The Farm (the other two are Tiny Thornhill in 1933 and 34 and Bill Walsh in 77 and 78) Willingham spent 17 years as an assistant coach on the college and professional levels - including three as Stanfords running backs coach under Denny Green from 1989-91 - before being named Stanfords head coach on Dec. 9, 1994.
HOWARD MAKES HIS MARK: Junior defensive tackle Willie Howard, the only returning starter on Stanfords defensive line, has continued to establish himself as a force up front ... Howard had 28 tackles (21 unassisted), 2 sacks and two tackles for loss as the starter last season, but has already surpassed that total through the first six games of 1998 ... Howard has 30 tackles (21 unassisted), and also has eight tackles for loss and three sacks ... On Oct. 10 against Oregon State, Howard had seven tackles (three unassisted), two tackles for loss and one sack ... He also added the first blocked field goal of his career in last weeks loss to the Beavers.
STRONG SCHEDULE: Stanfords schedule was ranked prior to the season as the ninth toughest in college football The Cardinal has already played pre-season top-10 North Carolina, #12 Oregon, #14 Arizona and #18 Notre Dame Still ahead are road games at #2 UCLA (Oct. 31) and pre-season top-10 Arizona State (Oct. 22) and a home date with #32 USC (Nov. 7) Seven of Stanfords opponents played in post-season bowl games a year ago.
FRESHMAN IMPACT: Prior to this season, only two true freshman had seen playing time in Tyrone Willinghams three seasons at Stanford Those two included QB Todd Husak in 1996, who was forced to play due to injuries, and RB Juan-Carlos Lacey, who played just one game in 96 and was able to receive a redshirt year In 1998, however, six true freshmen have seen playing time OG Eric Heitmann and RB Brian Allen have played in all six games this year, Brian Taylor has started the last three games at cornerback and DB Tank Williams, ILB Cooper Blackhurst and WR Ryan Fernandez have played in reserve roles Taylor became the first true freshman to start under Willingham when he replaced sophomore Ruben Carter as the starter against Oregon Heitmann has been used extensively as a reserve offensive guard and has seen his playing time increase Allen has been used on kickoffs (8-136-17.0) and as a reserve running back (7-11) Fernandez has one reception for 34 yards in his role as a backup wide receiver while Williams playing time has increased in recent weeks (14 tackles in 98).
YOUTH MOVEMENT: To say that the Cardinal is a youthful team lacking in game experience is an understatement Consider the facts: of the 92 players on Stanfords roster, 54 had never played in a game prior to the start of the 98 season and only five are seniors in their final year of eligibility Nine players (4 offense, 5 defense) made their starting debuts against San Jose State in the season opener and 18 others played in their first collegiate game Making their first career starts against the Spartans were WR DeRonnie Pitts, QB Todd Husak, RB Coy Wire, FB Maxwell Stevenson, DE Sam Benner, NT Andrew Currie, DE Riall Johnson, FS Jamien McCullum and CB Ruben Carter Three of them - Wire, McCullum and Carter - made their college debuts Six true freshman and 18 sophomores (or redshirt freshman) have also played this season In Willinghams three previous seasons at Stanford, only two true freshman had played - and neither one played enough to earn a letter (Todd Husak and Juan-Carlos Lacey in 96) This season, no less than six true freshman have seen extensive playing time.
THE OPPONENT
About Arizona State Location: Tempe, Arizona Enrollment: 44,255 Nickname: Sun Devils Colors: Maroon and Gold Stadium: Sun Devil Stadium (73,379) President: Dr. Lattie F. Coor Athletic Director: Dr. Kevin White Head Coach: Bruce Snyder Record at ASU: 43-31 (7th season) Overall Record: 111-92-5 1998 Record: 2-4 (1-2 Pac-10) 1997 Final Record: 9-3 (6-2) SID: Mark Brand (602) 965-6592
Noting the Sun Devils Arizona State dropped a 28-9 home decision to Notre Dame on Oct. 10 to fall to 2-4 ... The nine points was ASUs lowest total since it was shut out at USC (31-0) in 1995 ... Running back J.R. Redmond rushed for 95 yards and a touchdown to lead Arizona State ... The Fighting Irish racked up 263 yards rushing against ASU, just one week after rushing for 305 yards against Stanford ... The loss was the Sun Devils second in a row, and dropped them to 1-2 at Sun Devil Stadium this season ... Redmond currently ranks third in the nation in all-purpose yards (203.17 pg) and 20th in rushing (108.17 pg) ... Last season, the Sun Devils got off to a 3-2 start but won six of their last seven games, including a 17-7 win over Iowa in the Sun Bowl.
Head Coach Bruce Snyder Snyder has led ASU to back-to-back cowl appearances after going 21-23 in his first four seasons in Tempe ... Despite being picked fifth in the Pac-10 preseason polls in 1996, Snyder led his team to a Rose Bowl appearance (20-17 loss to Ohio State) and an 11-1 record ... Prior to ASU, Snyder was 29-24-4 in five seasons at Cal (1987-91) ... He led the Golden Bears to a 17-6-1 mark in his last two seasons, including a 37-13 victory over ACC champion Clemson in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 1992 ... In his first head coaching stint, Snyder went 39-35-1 in seven seasons at Utah State.
Series History Arizona State leads the all-time series 10-4, including 10 wins in the last 12 meetings ... Stanford is 2-5 all-time at Sun Devil Stadium, but beat ASU 30-28 in their last meeting in Tempe (1995) ... Arizona State has beat the Cardinal each of the last two years at Stanford Stadium - 41-9 in 1996 and 31-14 in 1997.
The Last Time Arizona State broke a 7-7 tie with 24 unanswered points en route to a 31-14 win at Stanford Stadium on Oct. 18, 1997 ... The Sun Devils racked up 259 yards on the ground despite the absence of J.R. Redmond (injury), with Marlon Farlow (13-129) and Michael Martin (23-124) both going over 100 yards ... Troy Walters caught eight passes for 113 yards to lead Stanford.
THE CARDINAL: Stanford returns to action this week after a bye last weekend The Cardinal plays a rare Thursday evening game at Arizona State as it attempts to snap a three-game losing streak Stanford (1-5, 0-3) has lost two straight to the Sun Devils and five of the last six The Cardinal last beat ASU in Sun Devil Stadium in 1995 by a 30-28 count ASU entered the 98 campaign a consensus top-10 team, but have lost four of their six games, including the last two to USC and Notre Dame.
INJURY UPDATE: Stanford has been hit by a number of key injuries of late, including its starting backfield Sophomore RB Coy Wire, who has started the past four games and leads the team in rushing and is third in receptions, suffered a dislocated left thumb in the Cardinals Oct. 10 game vs. Oregon State He underwent surgery on Oct. 13 and is listed as doubtful for Thursdays game Juan-Carlos Lacey will replace Wire in the starting lineup At fullback, senior Maxwell Stevenson suffered a severe nerve stretch in his neck in the OSU game and is also listed as doubtful for Thursdays game Backup FB Byron Glaspie has a hamstring strain and is doubtful for ASU Junior walk-on Emory Brock is listed as Stanfords starter at fullback Freshman CB Brian Taylor, a starter the last three games, has a fractured thumb and will not play at ASU He will be replaced by sophomore Ruben Carter NT Andrew Currie has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but is expected to start at ASU Backup ILB Matt Friedrichs (foot), OLB Brian Toner (knee), FS Jamien McCullum (back) will also return to action at ASU.
HUSAK SETS PASSING RECORD: Quarterback Todd Husak broke a 20-year old Stanford record for most passing yards in a game when he threw for 450 against Oregon State (Oct. 10) Husak, in his first year as the Cardinals starter, eclipsed the previous record of 430 set in 1978 by Steve Dils Husak completed 26-of-48 against OSU to go along with TD passes of 27 yards to DeRonnie Pitts and 30 yards to Dave Davis.
Top-10 Passing Games 1. Todd Husak, 98 vs. OSU 450 6. John Elway, 82 vs. Ohio St. 407 2. Steve Dils, 78 vs. WSU 430 7. S. Stenstrom, 93 vs. Oregon 407 3. John Elway, 81 vs. Purdue 418 8. S. Stenstrom, 93 vs. OSU 407 4. John Paye, 85 vs. Oregon 408 9. Jason Palumbis, 90 vs. SJSU 387 5. Steve Stenstrom, 94 vs. UCLA 408 10. J. Paye, 85 vs. San Diego St. 385 HUSAK IN THE PAC-10 RECORD BOOK: Todd Husaks 450 passing yards against Oregon State is the 10th highest single game total in Pac-10 Conference history Husak also entered the conference record book in the OSU game, but was quickly replaced He ran his string of consecutive passes without an interception to 159, breaking the Pac-10 season record of 150 set in 1996 by Pat Barnes of Cal Later in the game, however, Husaks record was broken by the Beavers Terrance Bryant, who ran his string to 170 before being intercepted.
THE WALTERS WATCH: Pre-season All-America FL Troy Walters returned to the lineup last Saturday against Oregon State, catching six balls for 159 yards and moving into ninth on Stanfords career receiving yards list with 1,947 Since suffering an ankle sprain in the first quarter of game two vs. Arizona, Walters did not play in games against North Carolina and Oregon and played just two plays at Notre Dame He has played just two full games this season: the season opener vs. San Jose State and last Saturday against Oregon State After averaging 14.1 yards per punt return a year ago, including two for touchdowns, Walters has not returned a punt through six games this year He had an 86-reception, 1,206-yard season in 97 and began the 98 campaign as a pre-season First-Team All-America receiver and a First-Team All-America return specialist One publication called him the second most exciting player in college football In the season opener vs. San Jose State, Walters had six receptions for 71 yards, including a 28-yard TD pass from Husak, and three kickoff returns for 71 yards Walters will be among the schools all-time top-10 receivers in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdown receptions by the end of the 98 campaign He is two TDs and nine receptions shy of the all-time top-10 Walters, the son of Minnesota Vikings assistant coach Trent Walters, has two years of eligibility remaining (1998, 1999) and could contend for every Cardinal receiving record by the time he leaves The Farm.
HUSAKS NUMBERS: First-year starting quarterback Todd Husak is putting up numbers that will rank him among the all-time top-10 single season leaders in school history in passing yards, completions and attempts After six games, Husak has completed 137-of-256 for 1,772 yards and 11 TDs He ranks first in the Pac-10 and eighth in the nation in total offense, averaging 289.8 yards per game He has a chance to become only the third QB in school history to pass for over 3,000 yards in a season The other two are Steve Stenstrom, who threw for a school and Pac-10 record 3,627 yards in 1993, and John Elway, who in 1982 threw for a school and Pac-10 record 3,242 yards Husak is on pace to pass for 3,249 yards Husak is also on pace to break the school record for most pass attempts in a season He is averaging 43 attempts per game - 469 over an 11-game season Stenstrom holds the school record of 455 set in 1993 Husaks 1.8 TD passes per game would give him 20 for the season, which would rank among the top five all-time on The Farm Husak had his first 300-yard passing game against North Carolina on Sept. 19 when he completed 23-for-38 for 313 yards In the first half, Husak completed 16-of-24 for 227 yards and one TD His next 300-yard passing game occurred last week vs. Oregon State when he broke the schools single game record by throwing for 450 yards on 26-of-48 Husak placed his name in the Cardinal record book by throwing 54 passes - the sixth highest single game total in school history - and the most under head coach Tyrone Willingham, in his debut as the starter in the season opener vs. San Joe State He completed 29-of-54 for 298 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Spartans Husak was not officially named the Cardinals starter until September 1, just four days before the season opener His 298 yards passing in his starting debut was better than the debuts of the top eight passers in Stanford history, including John Elway in 1980 (250 yards) and Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett in 1968 (277 yards) Husaks father, Dr. Bill Husak, is the athletic director at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Husaks in 1998 (6 games): PC-137 PA-256 Yds-1,772 TD-11 11-game projection: PC-251 PA-469 Yds-3,249 TD-20
In The Record Book (Husak stats are full season projections) Season Passing Season Attempts Season TD Passes 1. Steve Stenstrom, 93 3,627 1. Stenstrom, 93 455 1. Elway, 80 27 2. John Elway, 82 3,242 2. Elway, 82 405 Stenstrom, 93 27 3. Steve Dils, 78 2,943 John Paye, 85 405 3. Elway, 82 23 Husak, 98 3,249 Husak, 98 469 4. Dils, 78 22 Husak, 98 20
PASSING ATTACK: Stanfords passing attack is on pace to become one of the most prolific in school history As a team, the Cardinal is averaging 24.8 pass completions per game, 46.8 attempts and 320.8 passing yards Those numbers over an 11-game season would give Stanford 515 pass attempts and 3,529 yards The current team record for most pass attempts in a season is 474 set in 1993 Stanfords projected 3,529 passing yards is off record pace (3,709 set in 93), but it would rank second in the record book Stanford currently ranks first in the Pac-10 and ninth in the NCAA in passing offense Stanford has thrown over 40 passes in five of its six games, including two games in which it threw over 50 passes.
Top Passing Teams in Stanford History Year Head Coach / Quarterback Yards 1. 1993 Bill Walsh / Steve Stenstrom 3,709 2. 1994 Bill Walsh / Steve Stenstrom 3,358 3. 1982 Paul Wiggin / John Elway 3,311 4. 1981 Paul Wiggin / John Elway 3,066 ?? 1998 Tyrone Willingham / Todd Husak 3,529 (projected)
OVER 1,000: DeRonnnie Pitts and Dave Davis are both on pace to top the 1,000 yard mark for season receiving yards, which would make them the first duo in school history to surpass the 1,000 yard milestone in the same season In fact, only three players in school history have recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season: Troy Walters in 1997 (1,206), Gene Washington in 1968 (1,117), and Justin Armour in 1994 (1,092) Davis 100.7 yards per game average puts him on pace to gain 1,108 for the season while Pitts average of 95.3 per game would give him 1,048 for the season The best duo to date for the Cardinal was Armour and Brian Manning (899 yards) in 1994.
DAVIS DRIVE: Sophomore WR Dave Davis, who redshirted as a freshman a year ago, has caught 40 passes for 604 yards and five touchdowns in his first six games as a Cardinal No player in Stanford history has had a better start to his Cardinal career as a receiver than Davis Those numbers are better than the first six games of each of the top 10 receivers in the Cardinal record book Davis 6.7 receptions per game rank him third in the Pac-10 and 18th nationally and his 100.7 receiving yards per game place him third in the Pac-10 and 21st in the NCAA Those numbers are also the best in the nation for a freshman or redshirt freshman On Oct. 10 against Oregon State, he recorded career bests for both receptions (nine) and receiving yards (151) He has three 100-yard receiving games this season (127 vs. Arizona, 108 vs. North Carolina, 151 vs. Oregon State) and is on pace to become only the fourth player in school history to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season He is on pace to catch 73 passes for 1,108 yards The school record for receiving yards in a season is 1,206, set last season by Troy Walters.
PITTS PLACE: In the absence of Troy Walters, junior DeRonnie Pitts has emerged as Stanfords go-to receiver He has registerd three straight 100-yard receiving games and is among the conference and national leaders in receptions per game (7.7) and receiving yards per game (95.3) Pitts had nine catches for 124 yards and one TD vs. OSU on Oct. 10 In his previous two games, he had eight catches for 112 yards at Notre Dame and 10 receptions for 158 yards and one touchdown at Oregon He currently ranks tied for first in the Pac-10 and is tied for seventh in the nation in receptions per game He also ranks sixth in the Pac-10 and 27th in the nation in receiving yards per game Pitts has 27 catches for 394 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Pitts is in his first year as a starter for Stanford He redshirted the 1996 season and was used in a reserve role last year, recording 13 receptions for 195 yards (15.0 ypc) and one touchdown in eight games.
SMITH PICKS UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Junior free safety Tim Smith is enjoying an outstanding 1998 after missing the final nine games of 1997 and spring practice because of an ACL injury to his left knee ... Smith ranks second in the Pac-10 with 65 tackles (48 unassisted, 17 assisted), good for an average of 10.8 per game ... On Oct. 10, Smith had a career-high 15 tackles, all unassisted, against Oregon State ... Smith, who redshirted the 1995 season as a quarterback, had 28 tackles, four interceptions and three sacks in 96 as the backup free safety ... Smith recorded four unassisted tackles in 97 before suffering the ACL injury on a special teams play at North Carolina.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Pacific-10 Conference has announced that the Stanford-UCLA game on Oct. 31 in Los Angeles will start at 3:30 pm ... The game will be televised by FX.
TYRONE WILLINGHAM: Cardinal head coach Tyrone Willingham, the 1995 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, has compiled a 20-20-1 record in three-plus years on The Farm (1995-98) He has led the Cardinal to two bowl appearances and is only the third coach in school history to lead Stanford to a bowl game in his first two years on The Farm (the other two are Tiny Thornhill in 1933 and 34 and Bill Walsh in 77 and 78) Willingham spent 17 years as an assistant coach on the college and professional levels - including three as Stanfords running backs coach under Denny Green from 1989-91 - before being named Stanfords head coach on Dec. 9, 1994.
HOWARD MAKES HIS MARK: Junior defensive tackle Willie Howard, the only returning starter on Stanfords defensive line, has continued to establish himself as a force up front ... Howard had 28 tackles (21 unassisted), 2 sacks and two tackles for loss as the starter last season, but has already surpassed that total through the first six games of 1998 ... Howard has 30 tackles (21 unassisted), and also has eight tackles for loss and three sacks ... On Oct. 10 against Oregon State, Howard had seven tackles (three unassisted), two tackles for loss and one sack ... He also added the first blocked field goal of his career in last weeks loss to the Beavers.
STRONG SCHEDULE: Stanfords schedule was ranked prior to the season as the ninth toughest in college football The Cardinal has already played pre-season top-10 North Carolina, #12 Oregon, #14 Arizona and #18 Notre Dame Still ahead are road games at #2 UCLA (Oct. 31) and pre-season top-10 Arizona State (Oct. 22) and a home date with #32 USC (Nov. 7) Seven of Stanfords opponents played in post-season bowl games a year ago.
FRESHMAN IMPACT: Prior to this season, only two true freshman had seen playing time in Tyrone Willinghams three seasons at Stanford Those two included QB Todd Husak in 1996, who was forced to play due to injuries, and RB Juan-Carlos Lacey, who played just one game in 96 and was able to receive a redshirt year In 1998, however, six true freshmen have seen playing time OG Eric Heitmann and RB Brian Allen have played in all six games this year, Brian Taylor has started the last three games at cornerback and DB Tank Williams, ILB Cooper Blackhurst and WR Ryan Fernandez have played in reserve roles Taylor became the first true freshman to start under Willingham when he replaced sophomore Ruben Carter as the starter against Oregon Heitmann has been used extensively as a reserve offensive guard and has seen his playing time increase Allen has been used on kickoffs (8-136-17.0) and as a reserve running back (7-11) Fernandez has one reception for 34 yards in his role as a backup wide receiver while Williams playing time has increased in recent weeks (14 tackles in 98).
YOUTH MOVEMENT: To say that the Cardinal is a youthful team lacking in game experience is an understatement Consider the facts: of the 92 players on Stanfords roster, 54 had never played in a game prior to the start of the 98 season and only five are seniors in their final year of eligibility Nine players (4 offense, 5 defense) made their starting debuts against San Jose State in the season opener and 18 others played in their first collegiate game Making their first career starts against the Spartans were WR DeRonnie Pitts, QB Todd Husak, RB Coy Wire, FB Maxwell Stevenson, DE Sam Benner, NT Andrew Currie, DE Riall Johnson, FS Jamien McCullum and CB Ruben Carter Three of them - Wire, McCullum and Carter - made their college debuts Six true freshman and 18 sophomores (or redshirt freshman) have also played this season In Willinghams three previous seasons at Stanford, only two true freshman had played - and neither one played enough to earn a letter (Todd Husak and Juan-Carlos Lacey in 96) This season, no less than six true freshman have seen extensive playing time.
Noting Stanford....
Stanford is 13-0 in games it out-rushes its opponents under Tyrone Willingham (95-98).
The Cardinals starting five offensive lineman have combined to start 114 games over the past four years, including all six in 1998 Leading the way is C Mike McLaughlin, who has started the past 29 games OT Geoff Wilson and OG Andrew Kroeker have started 25 each, OT Jeff Cronshagen has started 21 and OG Joe Fairchild 14.
The Xerox Play of the Game in Saturdays contest with Oregon State was Todd Husaks 22-yard pass to Dave Davis, via DeRonnie Pitts with six minutes remaining in the second quarter ... Pitts deflected the ball three times, with the last going over the head of the OSU defender and right to Davis.
*Stanford ranks first in the Pac-10 in both fewest penalties and fewest penalty yards ... The Cardinal have been penalized just 35 times for 292 yards in six ganes.
Stanfords 537 yards of total offense against Oregon State was the most since it racked up 578 yards in a 58-49 home win over Oregon on Sept. 29, 1997. The Cardinals 450 yards passing against the Beavers was the second highest total in school history ... The school record for passing yards in a game is 581 in a 62-36 home loss to Arizona State in 1981.
Cardinal reveivers Dave Davis, DeRonnie Pitts and Troy Walters all had over 100 yards receiving against Oregon State, marking the first time in school history three receivers have broken that barrier in the same game ... Walters led the way with six catches for 159 yards, followed by Davis (9-151) and Pitts (9-124).
Since breaking into the starting lineup in game #3 vs. North Carolina, strong safety Aaron Focht has recorded 35 tackles and led the team on two occasions (North Carolina and Notre Dame).
Stanford is third in the Pac-10 in first downs with 135 ... The Cardinal also leads the conference with 83 first downs through the air.
Stanfords defense boasts three of the top 12 tacklers in the Pac-10 ... Tim Smith ranks second with 10.8 per game, while Marc Stockbauer is fourth (8.7) and Aaron Focht is 12th (7.8).
Stat Rankings
Stanford Category Avg. NCAA/Pac-10 Rushing Offense 94.5 102 / 9 Passing Offense 320.8 9 / 1 Total Offense 415.3 31 / 4 Scoring Offense 23.7 59 / 6 Rushing Defense 217.3 99 / 10 Pass Eff. Defense 155.2 107 / 10 Total Defense 481.3 109 / 10 Scoring Defense 38.0 107 / 10 Turnover Margin .00 52 (t) / 5
Arizona State Category Avg. NCAA/Pac-10 Rushing Offense 162.8 48 / 4 Passing Offense 218.3 46 / 5 Total Offense 381.2 47 / 5 Scoring Offense 22.5 65 / 7 Rushing Defense 129.8 42 / 2 Pass Eff. Defense 122.7 68 / 8 Total Defense 338.5 44 / 4 Scoring Defense 24.8 58 / 6 Turnover Margin -1.33 106 (t) / 10
Individual Stat Rankings
Stanford
Todd Husak, Total Offense (289.83) 8th NCAA, 1st Pac-10 Todd Husak, Pass Efficiency (121.9) 47th NCAA, 6th Pac-10 DeRonnie Pitts, Receptions/game (7.67) 7th (tie) NCAA, 1st (tie) Pac-10 Dave Davis, Receptions/game (6.67) 19th NCAA, 3rd Pac-10 Dave Davis, Receiving yds/gm (100.67) 18th NCAA, 3rd Pac-10 DeRonnie Pitts, Receiving yds/gm (95.33) 27th NCAA, 6th Pac-10 Kevin Miller, Field goals/gm (1.00) 40th (tie) NCAA, 5th Pac-10
Arizona State
J.R. Redmond, Rushing (108.17) 20th NCAA, 2nd Pac-10 Stephen Baker, Punting (46.42) 3rd NCAA, 1st Pac-10 Ryan Kealy, Pass Efficiency (125.5) 40th NCAA, 4th Pac-10 J.R. Redmond, All-Purpose Yards (203.17) 3rd NCAA, 1st Pac-10 J.R. Redmond, Punt Returns (11.00) 31st (tie) NCAA, 3rd (tie) Pac-10