STANFORD, Calif. – The numbers and accolades continue to climb for junior Bryce Love, the nation's leading rusher by 265 yards.
Through five games, he has run for 1,088 yards on 98 carries. Last Saturday against Arizona State, he became the first player this season to surpass 1,000, accomplishing it on 87 attempts. Love's 11.1 yards per carry average is nearly two clear of his closest pursuer.
He has racked up 160 yards or more in every game. His lowest per carry average was 8.8 against UCLA.
Love's rushing total to this point is the fourth most in FBS history. He has romped for 564 yards in the last two games, the third-most in a two-game stretch in the Pac-12 record book. With a school-record 301-yard effort against the Sun Devils, he joined Reggie Bush of USC as the only players in conference history to eclipse 250 yards rushing in consecutive games.
Here's another head scratcher: Love broke 25 tackles against Arizona State.
"I made our guys count," said David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football.
That helps explain why Love has gained 542 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. That total alone would rank No. 7 in the country in rushing.
Much of Love's success has been attributed to his speed, surprising strength and relentless work ethic. As was the case with his predecessor, Christian McCaffrey, Love hates being tackled and seldom goes down on the first hit.
However, he has been quick to credit his coaches, offensive line, receivers and running backs.
"It's a testament to Coach Bloom (Mke Bloomgren, Andrew Luck Director of Offense) and Coach Shaw for seeing different things to exploit," Love said. "The o-line is opening things up for me and the receivers are blocking downfield. Football is a team sport, and the offense moves collectively."
His play has inspired teammates.
"It's definitely contagious," said running back Cameron Scarlett. "We're all fired up to see each other doing well. When he's doing well, that means our offense is usually doing well."
Stanford (3-2, 2-1 Pac-12) plays at No. 20 Utah (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) on Saturday night at 7:15 p.m. PT in Salt Lake City for the first time since 2013. That was Shaw's only visit to Rice-Eccles Stadium (45,807) as a head coach, and the No. 5 Cardinal sustained a late 27-21 defeat. It remains the highest-ranked home opponent Utah has beaten in the last 20 years.
"It's a loud, raucous environment and a team that's known for great defense and known for slowing runners down," said Shaw. "They bring a lot of hats to the party. This is going to be a big challenge for all of us."
The Utes have sold out 46 consecutive home games. The 4,200-foot elevation also requires an adjustment.
While the stadium is a tough place to play, the state has been good to Stanford football. Six current players hail from Utah, second on the roster only to California and Texas.
Much of the credit goes to Lance Anderson, the Willie Shaw Director of Defense, who came to Stanford in 2007 and served as recruiting coordinator until 2011.
"There are lot of factors," said Shaw. "One is the work that Lance has done, recruiting that state for a long time and the relationships that he's built. But also, there are a lot of ideals that match.
"You've got really good football, really good teams and really good schools academically. We've been able to find the guys that fit us and our personality -- tough, physical, athletic -- that have high aspirations in the sport of football and beyond. The guys who have come to Stanford have had really good success and great experiences."
The Cardinal has attracted a top-3 recruit from Utah six of the last eight years, including former team captain Dallas Lloyd and current captain Dalton Schultz. Wide receiver Simi Fehoko, the No. 1 recruit in the state in 2016, will arrive on The Farm next year following a two-year LDS church mission.
Senior quarterback Keller Chryst has been cleared to practice. He was injured in the first quarter against UCLA and sat out last week against Arizona State. Sophomore K.J. Costello received his first career start and performed well in the 34-24 Cardinal win.
Shaw won't name a starter until later in the week, but said both will likely play.
"There's nothing wrong with guys competing," he said. "I love both guys and want them to be successful. We're out there to win football games."
Utah ranks 10th nationally against the run (87.0) and second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (17.3 points per game).
"They've got a great combination of size and athleticism," said Shaw. "They are big and physical up front and hard guys to move. Combine that with some pretty effective disguises, particularly in a place with such noise, where they know you're going to have a tough time communicating. And they run to the football."
Starting offensive guard Nate Herbig, who missed the Arizona State game, is expected to play Saturday. Utah native Brandon Fanaika played well in his absence.
"It's nice to have some depth at that position," Shaw said.
Wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside is doubtful.
With four interceptions, safety Justin Reid is tied for third nationally, one behind the leader. He pilfered two passes against Arizona State, one tipped by linebacker Bobby Okereke.
"Justin's got that athletic ability combined with his instincts," said Shaw. "Combine that with a ridiculous work ethic. When he sees it (ball), he goes so fast he passes his own teammates sometimes and gets there before guys who are closer."
Reid credited veteran defensive backs coach Duane Akina for his ball-hawking mentality.
"Coach Akina always says the hungrier dog gets the bone," Reid said.
Shaw said Reid's biggest strength is his versatility in the secondary. He reminds him of former Cardinal standouts Delano Howell (physicality) and Ed Reynolds (ball skills).
Reid relishes the opportunity to play in hostile environments.
"I love it," he said.
Shaw admitted it is tough for Pac-12 players to receive national exposure with so many night games.
"We don't really worry about the postseason awards, especially right now just barely getting to the midpoint of the season," he said. "But it is significant to say that if you don't play enough games during the day, half of the country doesn't get a chance to see or appreciate you."
Following the recent game at USC, Cardinal punter Jake Bailey sought out Trojan long snapper Jake Olson to congratulate him. Olson, who is blind, successfully snapped for during an extra point for the second time on the season.
"It's a thing we do after games; specialists go say hi to each other," Bailey said. "I saw the holder and kicker and wanted to find Jake. I found him and patted him on the chest, so he knew I was there. I just said, 'Hey, I really appreciate what you did. Great job.' "
Quotable ... "Bryce (Love) is not a track guy. He's a football player." - Justin Reid
