STANFORD, Calif. – Replacing four new starters, including All-American Harrison Phillips, seemed daunting for the Stanford defense this season. Early on, the trees are standing tall.
Two games in, the No. 9 Cardinal (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12) is allowing 6.5 points/game heading into Saturday's 11 a.m. home encounter against UC Davis (2-0). Not that head coach David Shaw is surprised.
"During training camp, we saw it coming together," the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football said Tuesday. "We started getting really competitive and guys started disliking each other going against each other every day. You saw the defense really galvanized and we felt the maturity of this team."
After watching film, Shaw was even more impressed with last week's 17-3 win against the Trojans, the fewest points they have scored against Stanford since 1941.
"The only way you can play that well is if everybody is on the same page," he said. "I thought it was the best our front seven has played in a game for a couple years."
Shaw cited junior defensive end Jovan Swann for playing the best game of his career. He also praised junior defensive tackle Mike Williams, senior defensive end Dylan Jackson, and everyone who played.
"I can't help it," Shaw said. "Eleven pass breakups are just outstanding. It's really the entire defense."
The group has experience, passion and feeds off each other.
"Four seniors starting in the back end, four senior linebackers starting, a senior defensive lineman and two junior defensive linemen," he said. "A lot of guys have played a lot of football. You can be more advanced with the things that you do and what you ask of them. They have a sense of responsibility and the games aren't too fast for them. They play fast and play together."
Near-misses: Offensively, junior tight Kaden Smith excelled blocking and catching, while senior wide receiver Trenton Irwin continues to be a spark plug.
"When you go back and watch the film, we're six inches away from big-time runs and big-time passes," said Shaw. "We have to start making up those inches and making big plays."
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Trap game: The last time the Cardinal was ranked this high was in 2016, when it held the No. 7 spot heading to a Sept. 30 road game at No. 10 Washington.
Shaw doesn't expect a letdown against UC Davis. The kickoff is the earliest home start in program history and marks the third consecutive game prior to the start of fall classes on Sept. 24.
"A high percentage of our team are upperclassmen," he said. "They've been doing a real good job of pushing each other. We talk a lot about our Stanford standards and that standard can't change depending on our opponent."
Smith thinks the Cardinal will be ready.
"The only team we can lose to is ourselves," he said. "If we just focus on us, we'll be fine."
Shaw welcomes the morning start.
"I think it's great," he said. "We're adjusting ourselves. The preference between the early game and the late game … I'll take the early game and have the rest of the day for the players and coaches to spend time with their families. Pretty much like most other conferences get every week."
"We don't anticipate Walker and Bryce being extended," Shaw said. "Foster may be a little bit longer."
Shaw expects Love and Little to return next week at Oregon and hopes Sarell will be back before the end of the season.
"We had a lot of guys with bumps and bruises," Shaw said, calling the USC game a "physical battle. A lot of guys are practicing in limited capacity."
Sophomore wide receiver Connor Wedington, junior outside linebacker Curtis Robinson and fifth-year senior strong safety Brandon Simmons are also out but progressing.
After missing the first two games, fifth-year senior center Jesse Burkett has been cleared to play and practiced Tuesday. He will likely share time with sophomore Drew Dalman, who started against San Diego State and USC.
"It was good to see Jesse back out there and get in the huddle with the ones (starters)," Shaw. "He's been taking scout team reps the last two weeks. We'll take it series-by-series."
In the backfield: No starter has been named at running back. Senior Cameron Scarlett and juniors Dorian Maddox and Trevor Speights will likely rotate.
"It's a great opportunity for those guys to step up and emerge as guys we can count on for the rest of the year," said running backs coach Ron Gould. "We're anxious to see how they play under duress."
Here's how he describes their style:
Scarlett: "Elusive and catches the ball really well."
Speights: "Powerful, explosive and runs through tackles."
Maddox: "A combination of both. He's real physical between the tackles."
Close ties: Gould is quite familiar with UC Davis. Prior to joining the Stanford staff in the spring of 2017, he served as head coach of the Aggies for four seasons.
"It's really going to be a special time for me," Gould said. "A lot of these kids I recruited, so it's going to be great to see them."
Gould hopes to catch up with many after the game.
"It's another game and the next opponent up," he said. "We have to focus on that. But I am looking forward to giving the guys a big hug and possibly seeing their parents."
Surprise announcement: Shaw called up sophomore free safety Noah Williams to break down practice on Monday and it turned out to be a lot more.
Shaw awarded the walk-on from Phoenix, Arizona, a full scholarship.
"I thought I was dreaming for about 20 minutes after," Williams said. "It was just out of the blue. I didn't connect the dots. I called my parents and they were ecstatic. They were proud and happy. My mom was in tears."
Players cheered, then hoisted Williams in the air.
"I was so taken back by the way my teammates embraced me," he said. "I think that just shows how close-knit this team is and how much we care for each other."
Non-scholarship players often man the scout teams and play an important role in helping the offense and defense prepare for the next opponent by simulating their plays and personnel. They are appreciated by everyone and form a special bond.
"I'm just happy for all the walk-ons," said Williams. "We're a tight group and all put in a lot of work. It's good to see some recognition."
A moment of a lifetime. @noahw2399 earned it. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/l66w1iwht7
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 11, 2018
Familiar faces: Sophomore tight end Tucker Fisk is from Davis, California. In addition to being a football standout at Davis High, he was also a three-time NISCA All-American in swimming.
Fisk's 400-yard medley and 200-yard medley teams rank first and second, respectively, in school history. He also ranks third in the 100-yard backstroke (50.51) and fifth in the 50-yard freestyle (21.55).
"He has tree trunks for legs," said Smith of the 6-4, 280-pound Fisk. "He doesn't look like the kind of guy who torpedoed through the water."
Fun fact: Senior offensive guard Nick Wilson, a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic first team selection from Milton, Georgia, designed a nozzle and fuel grain to maximize rocket thrust for his 2018 spring quarter class project.
Extra points: Saturday is Cardinal Kids Day. With the purchase of an adult ticket, kids in eighth grade and below can receive a free ticket as part of the Bill Walsh Legacy Game. There will be several pregame activities, including the kids zone as part of fan fest, which is free to the public … Kevin Blue, formerly senior associate athletics director for external relations at Stanford, is now the athletic director at UC Davis.
Quotable: "We're always on the same page." - Kaden Smith and roommate K.J. Costello