Sundays With SoltauSundays With Soltau
John Todd/isiphotos.com
Football

Sundays With Soltau

STANFORD, Calif. – After two tough losses, Stanford received words of wisdom from a former star and a rising star to get right for Senior Day.

Kevin Hogan, the winningest quarterback in Stanford history, served as honorary captain and reminded the team about the culture established by Andrew Luck, David DeCastro, Christian McCaffrey and Bryce Love.

Instead of addressing players at the team hotel and asking others to speak, head coach David Shaw changed the routine and only talked in the locker room before the game.

Following the coin toss, junior quarterback K.J. Costello gathered teammates for final thoughts.

"That's between us," he said of the message. "It was time for us to come out and play the type of football we've wanted to play all year."

Costello and his fellow captains felt players have been getting over-hyped before games. Shaw listened and emphasized more togetherness in practice.

For just the third time all season, the Cardinal (6-4, 4-3 Pac-12) scored on its opening possession and never trailed in a 48-17 victory, snapping a two-game losing streak. Stanford is now bowl eligible for the 10th consecutive year.

"We still take a lot of pride in becoming bowl eligible, but it's a low bar," said Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. "The thing is to win as many games as we can. They'll tell us which bowl game to go to. All we're trying to do is build off this game so the guys in the locker room not just think about this win but think about what it took to get the win."

Setting the tone: Shaw considers junior Kaden Smith the best tight end in college football. His backup, sophomore Colby Parkinson, isn't far behind. Shaw mentioned that Tuesday during his weekly press conference.

On cue, Parkinson delivered a breakout performance against the Beavers. He established career-bests with six catches for 166 yards and four touchdowns. The latter equaled the program record set by Ken Margerum against Oregon State in 1980 and matched by Ty Montgomery versus Cal in 2013.

With leading receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside sidelined by injury, Parkinson expected more opportunities against Oregon State, who often employed man coverage in the secondary. He played well last week at Washington when Arcega-Whiteside went down and told him prior to Saturday's game that he would score a touchdown for him.

"After the second one I went up to him and joked about it," Parkinson said. "I knew I would have a few more targets and the ball just happened to come my way and I was able to make a play."

The third was a 75-yard hookup from Costello in the second quarter, the squad's second-longest of the season. In the opener against San Jose State, he teamed with Arcega-Whiteside for an 80-yarder.

"We went in with four tight ends, and they matched that with bringing in their big personnel," said Parkinson. "And we have an explore play where we get out and we'll throw the ball because they have other big people in there. I had an outside linebacker on me and it was the look we wanted."
 
When the ball arrived, the defender fell, and Parkinson cruised into the end zone.
 
"I'm really excited about where Colby is," said Shaw. "As much as anything, we have a special kinship. Wearing 84 (Shaw's number at Stanford), but already in two year's he's made more plays than I made in five."

Parkinson was pleased to give the seniors a good sendoff.

"It was great to see us put together a full game and go out and win for the seniors," he said.

With the win, the seniors finished their careers 20-5 (.800) at home.

National leader: Smith ranks first in the nation among tight ends in receiving yards with (601) and receiving yards per game (66.8). He is second in the country -- first among Power 5 tight ends -- with 44 receptions (only San Jose State's Josh Oliver has more catches with 49).

Smith has a 78 percent catch rate on deep passes of 20+ yards. His seven such deep catches also rank No. 1 among FBS tight ends. 



Love frisky: Battling through an injury most of the season, Love reeled off a 28-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and had pep in his step. He finished with 90 yards on 11 carries.

"That's been the plan the last few weeks is being able to start out fast," Love said. "I feel like we took a big step with that this game. It was a good feeling for sure."

Love soaked it all in.

"It was a surreal, bittersweet moment for me," he said of his final home game. "Just being the last time in that stadium knowing all the work we put in as a unit. It hits you all at once. You're just thankful to be a part of it. For all the memories and bonds that were made … it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing and will last forever."
 


Second-half shutout: The defense held Oregon State scoreless in the second half and came up with a key fourth down stop on the Beavers' first possession of the third quarter.

All told, the group forced five three-and-outs and intercepted a pass.
 
"Still some big plays, so we have to fix those the next two weeks," said fifth-year senior inside linebacker Bobby Okereke. "We shut them down a decent amount and had a great pass rush all night."

Emotion was flowing.

"Great time with my boys," he said. "Running out there it was crazy and nostalgic looking at the fans in the stands."
 


Seniors recognized: The following seniors (31) were introduced before the game: Arcega-Whiteside; outside linebacker Joey Alfieri; punter Jake Bailey; inside linebacker Sean Barton; punter Charlie Beall; inside linebacker Ryan Beecher; inside linebacker Mustafa Branch; wide receiver Isaiah Brandt-Sims; safety Frank Buncom; inside linebacker Lewis Burik; center Jesse Burkett; center Brian Chaffin; offensive tackle Jack Dreyer; safety Ben Edwards; offensive guard Brandon Fanaika; offensive tackle A.T. Hall; cornerback Alijah Holder; Irwin; defensive end Dylan Jackson; wide receiver Sidhart Krishnamurthi; running back Bryce Love; offensive guard Austin Maihen; cornerback Alameen Murphy; Okereke; inside linebacker Jordan Perez; running back Cameron Scarlett; strong safety Brandon Simmons; fullback Ben Snyder; outside linebacker Casey Toohill; fullback Reagan Williams; offensive guard Nick Wilson.

Many reserves received playing time late in the game and were cheered and celebrated by their teammates. After making a tackle, Burik got a hero's welcome coming off the field.

"I love playing on Saturday," said the walk-on. "It's always a treat and super fun."

The best was yet to come.

In the locker room afterward, Shaw asked Burik to lead the team in the C-House cheer done after every win, and he made the most of it. It was also Burik's 22nd birthday.

"I had no idea," said Burik. "I had four years of prep watching. It was fun."

What did the last game mean to him?

"The world," he said. "And not just for me. I have such great relationships. We've been together in this room for so long. To be able to go out and play means the world and is something I will always cherish."
 


Family divided: Alfieri, a fifth-year outside linebacker from Portland, Oregon, was unable to play due to injury. Still, the game had special meaning. Not only was he recognized with his fellow seniors, he watched his younger brother, Michael, a freshman wide receiver at Oregon State, catch an 8-yard pass and heard his name called on the public address system.

Their parents, Phil and Kelly, are Oregon State alums. He played football and she ran track. They wore special t-shirts for the game that said: House Divided.
 


Freshmen contribute: The Cardinal received strong outings from first-year defensive end Thomas Booker and wide receiver Michael Wilson. Booker recorded a sack for the third consecutive contest, while Wilson posted his first multi-catch game, grabbing two passes for 26 yards.

Big Game: The 121st meeting takes place Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley and kicks off at 4:30 p.m. The seventh-longest rivalry among FBS programs, the game will be televised on Pac-12 Network.

The Cardinal owns a 63-46-11 advantage in a series that began in 1892 in San Francisco on the Haight Street Grounds. Stanford has won a series-best eight consecutive Big Games and 10 of the last 12. 

On Saturday night, Cal (6-4, 3-4) beat USC, 15-14, to end a 14-game skid against the Trojans. It was Cal's first victory in Los Angeles in 18 years and made the Bears bowl eligible for the second time in seven seasons.

"We're just trying to go 1-0 every week," Love said. "We know from last year they're a great team and have a great defense. We'll enjoy this for an hour or two and then we're on to Cal."

Last year, Stanford earned a hard-fought 17-14 triumph at home, as Love ran for 101 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown, despite missing most of the fourth quarter with an injury. Costello threw for 185 yards and a score, with Arcega-Whiteside caching seven for 79 yards.

Cardinal safety Ben Edwards sealed the win with an interception.

Patrick Laird rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries to spark the Cal offense.
Starting at 4 p.m. on Monday, a train whistle will blow in White Plaza once an hour leading up to the kickoff. The annual Big Game Rally is set for Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium. 

-- 

For information about all Big Game activities this week, visit GoStanford.com/BigGame.

Extra points … Stanford's four losses this season have come against the AP's current No. 3, No. 8, No. 17 and No. 21-ranked teams in the nation. (Notre Dame, Washington State, Washington, Utah) ... Junior cornerback Obi Eboh led the Cardinal with six tackles … Stanford is now 6-0 this season when producing a turnover. Buncom bagged his first interception of the season and the fifth of his career … Costello had a terrific night, completing 23-of-33 passes for 342 yards and four scores. He also froze the Oregon State defense with a fake handoff and scampered for a career-best 45-yard run in the second quarter. His previous long was a 25-yard run against Rice last year … Junior Henry Hattis earned extended playing time at offensive tackle … Ten Stanford players had at least one reception, eight carried and the ball, and three quarterbacks -- Costello, senior Jack Richardson and freshman Jack West  -- completed a pass ... Sophomore guard/center Drew Dalman and junior tackle Devery Hamilton did not play … In addition to Hogan, whose 36 wins are the most by a Stanford quarterback, former Cardinal standouts Justin Reid, Solomon Thomas and Brennan Scarlett were there for support. Reid and Scarlett play for the Houston Texas and Thomas plays for the San Francisco 49ers.

Quotable
 "You just have to experience it. We're expecting a dogfight." - Bobby Okereke on how to prepare for the Big Game