STANFORD, Calif. – Recruiting visits, practices, locker room speeches and office heart-to-hearts will be floating through David Shaw's mind Saturday when his seniors are introduced for the final time at Stanford Stadium before the 6 p.m. kickoff against Oregon State.
Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, had a hand in all of them coming to The Farm. He's been to their homes, knows their families and has helped players grow on and off the field.
"This game always sneaks up on me," he said Tuesday. "When you see the list of guys, I get nostalgic. I see JJ (Arcega-Whiteside) and it seemed like yesterday he made the big catch against UCLA, which put him on the map as a redshirt freshman. And Trent Irwin's house visit as he's in the living room walking through the route tree and we're talking about footwork. Sitting in Joey Alfieri's living room talking to his dad about what we hoped for Joey. A lot of people still were sending me emails and text messages saying, 'Hey, Joey should still play running back. He rushed for 300 yards a game in high school.' All those things come back to you."
In the last four years, the Cardinal has won 36 games, two Pac-12 North titles, a conference championship, and has played in the Rose Bowl, Sun Bowl and Alamo Bowl.
"I try to remind those guys – some of them don't think about it until this week – this college experience goes really fast," said Shaw. "Sometimes the days are long, but the years are short. You remember moments."
Shaw feels bad for players across the country who rush to the NFL.
"They're missing something special," he said. "It's not just game day, it's every day. It's so fast and fleeting. When these guys leave – no matter what experience they have – whether they caught a bunch of balls or made a bunch of tackles, they look back and say, 'Man, that was a lot of fun. I really miss that.'''
The same thought occurs to Shaw when players walk through the tunnel and sprint onto the field between The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band.
"Gosh, have I done enough to influence this guy to prepare for the next stage of life?" he said.
Irwin expects emotions to flow.
"It's going to be a feeling I probably can't describe," he said. "You've put all that work in with your boys. One last time to just go out on that field and express yourself and play for each other. It's going to be surreal."
It will be the last chance for Stanford fans to watch running back Bryce Love on home turf.
"Great player, great work ethic, great attitude" said Irwin. "He's a great presence on the team. He's always chirping, talking to people, trying to get people going."
Arcega-Whiteside doubtful: Arcega-Whiteside, the team's top receiver and ranked No. 2 in the nation in touchdown catches with 11, is unlikely to play Saturday after sustaining a second-quarter injury against Washington. Shaw is hopeful he will be available for the final two regular season games against Cal and UCLA.
Junior placekicker Jet Toner will not play, while senior inside linebacker Mustafa Branch and junior offensive guard Nate Herbig are questionable. Love, junior running back Trevor Speights and junior offensive guard/tackle Devery Hamilton are day-to-day.
Tough in third: Through nine games, the Cardinal has outscored opponents, 90-25, in the third quarter. The defense has not allowed more than seven points, the lone touchdown coming against Washington State.
Senior inside linebacker Sean Barton credited Lance Anderson, the Willie Shaw Director of Defense, for making great second half adjustments.
"It works almost every single week," said Barton. "Guys can start seeing what teams are doing against us."
Barton said tweaks are made throughout the game to counteract new formations and plays.
"You can't really prepare for everything," he said. "We make a lot of changes on the fly. But at halftime, when everybody comes together, and coach Anderson can come down from the (press) box and tells us what he's seeing, it really helps."
Quicker starts: Stanford has fallen behind in all but two contests.
"We've got to get our players to play our best football when the ball is kicked off," said Shaw. "We've been addressing it."
Shaw cited two quick-fixes: "Intensity and execution."
Plenty of incentive: With the Pac-12 title out of reach, many goals remain for the Cardinal, notably playing a complete game. The rest will take care of itself.
"My goal is just to go 1-0 every week and enjoy my time with my teammates," said Barton. "I'm just hoping to send the seniors out the right way."
Added Irwin, "I think it's a matter of fight. You get pushed in the corner and you have to show some fight. We have the dogs."
Junior quarterback K.J. Costello agreed.
"Stanford football never loses games back to back, let alone three or four times in a five-game stretch, he said. "We have had this feeling a lot in the last month and it's a feeling that no one wants. Our guys have so much passion and response to adversity, and that is what is keeping us up."
National honors: Junior tight end Kaden Smith was selected the John Mackey Award Player of Week for his eight-catch,107-yard performance against Washington. It marked the second straight contest and third of the season he has posted 8+ receptions and 100+ yards.
The rest of the tight ends in the country have accomplished it a combined five times. Smith is the only tight end to manage it more than once.
All heart: Love continues to contribute and inspire at less than 100 percent.
"He's in pain, but the guy is one of the best running backs in America," said Shaw. "He still goes out there and breaks tackles, makes big plays and picks up pass protection. He's not risking his draft status and he's not risking long term injury. He loves this football team and he wants to play his best for this team."
Increased role: With Arcega-Whiteside out, sophomore tight end Colby Parkinson figures to see an increased role. At 6-7, he's an imposing target and can play wide receiver. Parkinson caught five passes for 79 yards against Washington.
"He's going to be a superstar in college football," Shaw said. "He stepped up and made some big-time plays."
Near misses: Finishing tackles continues to be a priority for the Cardinal defense, down the field and behind the line of scrimmage.
"We're trying to flip the switch on that," said Barton.
In the last six games, the defense has generated good pass rushes, registering three sacks against Washington and has 23 on the season. The number could be significantly higher.
"We've had a lot of almost sacks," Shaw said. "We have pressured a lot of quarterbacks, but we haven't gotten them on the ground. Granted, all those teams have slippery quarterbacks, but we when we have an opportunity to get our hands on a quarterback, we've got to get them on the ground."
Fun fact: Fifth-year inside linebacker Bobby Okereke and sophomore outside linebacker Gabe Reid were Eagle Scouts.
Scouting the Beavers: Stanford (5-4, 3-3 Pac-12) has won the last eight meetings against Oregon State (2-7, 1-6), escaping with a 15-14 victory in Corvallis last year. The Beavers' two wins this season have come against Southern Utah and at Colorado two weeks ago in overtime.
"They've got kids that play hard and with heart," said Shaw. "We saw that last year. We won on the scoreboard and they kicked our butts all over the field in all three phases."
Freshman running back Jermar Jefferson has rushed for 1,034 yards and averages 143.6 all-purpose yards per game.
Defensively, redshirt sophomore linebacker Hamilcar Rashed Jr. has nine tackles for loss.
Numbers of note: The Beavers have surrendered 36 sacks and have been outscored in the fourth quarter, 110-59.
Down Under: Guests at Tuesday's practice included the coaching staff and general manager of the Great Western Sydney Giants. The Giants, one of the most successful teams in Australian Rules Football, are on a U.S. education tour. Their visit included facility tours, meetings with members of the athletic staff and an opportunity to attend Stanford Football meetings, lifting sessions and practice.
Memorable moments: The series with Oregon State is Stanford's fifth-oldest and has produced many standout performances. Here are some:
• In 1940, Frankie Albert boomed a 79-yard punt, the longest in school history.
• In 1952, Bill Rogers ran for a 96-yard touchdown in Corvallis, the longest run from scrimmage by a Stanford player.
• In 1980, John Elway threw a program-best six scoring passes in a 54-13 win.
• In 1998, Todd Husak set program marks for passing yards (450) and total offense (447).
• In 2012, Kevin Hogan passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start. He led the team to 10 consecutive wins.
Bobblehead giveaway: The first 10,000 fans through the gates will receive a Christian McCaffrey bobblehead – one per person with a paid ticket. Bobbleheads will be available at Tunnel C, Tunnel D, and at Gates 9 and 12.
Now a standout with the Carolina Panthers, McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders' longstanding, single-season all-purpose yardage record in 2015 with 3,864 and was named the AP College Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. He was also runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. McCaffrey finished his three-year Stanford career with 3,922 rushing yards, 99 pass receptions and 6,987 all-purpose yards, and was the eighth player selected in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Senior Day: In addition to celebrating Stanford seniors, it is also Fan Appreciation and Honor our Heroes Day. Prizes will be awarded throughout the game and a field goal contest will be held at the end of the first half enabling someone to win season tickets. The Army's Golden Knights parachute team will perform prior to the national anthem.
Big Game: The starting time for the 121st meeting between Stanford and Cal in Berkeley on November 17 will be 4:30 or 5 p.m. The game will be televised on Pac-12 Network.
Extra points … Sophomore cornerback Paulson Adebo is No. 2 in the country in pass breakups with 15 and No. 4 in passes defended with 16. Both figures are tops in the Pac-12 … Stanford is the least penalized team in the Pac-12 and ranks fifth nationally at 37.00 yards per game … The Cardinal is 5-0 when creating a turnover this season and 0-4 without one … Costello's 34 completions against Washington State were the sixth-most in a game in program history and the most by a Cardinal quarterback since 1994, when Steve Stenstrom finished with 37 at Notre Dame.
Quotable
"It was awesome to get in the paint." - Trenton Irwin on scoring his first touchdown of the season against Washington