Sundays With SoltauSundays With Soltau
Courtesy Sun Bowl
Football

Sundays With Soltau

EL PASO, Texas – Whenever your name is included in the phrase, "The most since John Elway and Andrew Luck," you are doing something special.
 
That has happened frequently this season for Stanford junior quarterback K.J. Costello.
 
"It's incredible to be mentioned in the same sentence with them," said Costello, who will lead the Cardinal against Pitt in the 85th Hyundai Sun Bowl on Monday at 11 a.m. PT at Sun Bowl Stadium. "Then again, it's one of the main reasons I decided to come to Stanford because I figured they were doing something real right."
 
After missing spring practice with an injury, Costello has thrived in the Cardinal's offense. The 6-5, 215-pounder from Coto de Caza, Calif., has thrown for 3,435 yards and 29 touchdowns. He needs 193 passing yards against the Panthers to surpass Luck and Steve Stenstrom for the school's single-season record.
 
In the regular-season finale at Cal, Costello tossed a scoring pass for the 16th contest in a row. Luck was the last to accomplish the feat for Stanford in 2010-11.
 
Luck possesses the Cardinal record for most touchdown passes in a season with 37 in 2011, and his 32 in 2010 ranks second.
 
Costello has posted seven 300-yard passing games this year, accomplishing it in consecutive outings against Washington State, Washington, Oregon State and UCLA. He threw for a career-high 381 against Utah and fired a personal-best five touchdown throws against the Bruins.
 
Playing for Bill Walsh in 1993, Stenstrom amassed a school-record nine 300-yard games. Costello is tied for second with Elway (1982).
 
"It's hard for me to say I really believe it, though I'm a confident guy," Costello said about comparisons to Luck and Elway. "The way Andrew plays the game is unbelievable. John Elway … I was a huge fan. Since I've been at Stanford, I've watched a lot of tape of him – even high school tape. I used to hear about the fastballs he threw on slant routes."
 
This season, Costello ranks No. 10 in the country in passing touchdowns, No. 12 and first in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency (157.9), No. 15 in passing yards, and No. 17 in completion percentage (.664) and total offense (286.2).
 
A political science major, Costello was selected All-Pac-12 second team and repeated as a Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention pick.
 
Asked where Costello has improved the most, sophomore tight end Colby Parkinson said, "The physical skills have always been there. Just that trust that we all have in him in the huddle and going out and making plays. We know he's going to put the ball wherever it needs to be and he's going to take the lead. I think its mutual respect and trust."
 
After redshirting in 2016, Costello made seven starts in 2017, passing for 1,573 yards and 14 touchdowns. He helped the squad close the regular season with three straight wins.
 

 
A team captain, Costello is smart, tough and efficient. He has a good pocket presence and can extend drives with his legs. Costello is also an excellent athlete and a scratch golfer.
 
Rated a five-star recruit by PrepStar, he had a distinguished prep career at Santa Margarita Catholic, compiling 8,222 passing yards to break the school mark set by childhood idol Carson Palmer, who won the 2002 Heisman Trophy at USC and played 15 years in the NFL. Costello also bettered the school standard for touchdown passes with 62.
 
"It's a big deal and an honor," Costello said of besting Palmer. "I'm wearing his jersey up here (No. 3) for that reason. I watched him play in every game and emulated my game after him. He was one of the purest passers in the league (NFL)."
 
Costello grew up in the Los Angeles area and his mother, Annette, attended USC. He was a diehard Trojans' fan until Oct. 6, 2007, when Stanford first-time starter Tavita Pritchard engineered a stunning 24-23 upset of second-ranked USC in the Coliseum. The Trojans were favored by 41 points.
 
Pritchard is now the Andrew Luck Director of Offense/Kevin M. Hogan Quarterbacks Coach.
 
"That was kind of my first peek at Stanford and I started wondering what was going on in the other half of the state," said Costello. "From that point on, I was watching Andrew play and started turning away from USC."
 
Costello came to The Farm to challenge himself and become a student of the game. Often called a gunslinger in high school for his strong arm and fearless mentality, he wanted to become a complete player.
 
"It is pretty spot-on, but I don't necessarily love the term," he said. "At times, you can get a little bit out of control and chaotic, but I don't mind at all. I really wanted to dig deeper and find a way to play this game consistently for a long time while not relying on making this crazy throw in a tight window. I kind of wanted that to turn into something that was in my back pocket."
 
Pritchard has worked closely with Costello to refine all aspects of his game.
 
"We've talked a lot about when it's time to let it rip and when it's time to check down," said Costello. "I think I've grown tremendously in that facet in consistently making positive plays without losing my assertiveness and throwing the ball with conviction."
 
Pritchard is his biggest fan.
 
"I think K.J. has made tremendous growth," he said. "He approaches his game very openly and honestly, and I think that's a critical thing when it comes to learning and progressing. He's done a phenomenal job of pinpointing things each week that he needs to work on and knows how to bounce back. I'm really proud of what he has accomplished."
 


Good times: Stanford chartered to El Paso on Dec. 26 and will conduct its final practice on Sunday. Players say it has been a nice mix of fun and work.
 
"We have things to do all the time and it's very structured," said junior defensive tackle Michael Williams. "Not to the point where you are tired of doing stuff, just to the point where you can have fun."
 
Per Sun Bowl tradition on Wednesday night, players were rewarded with NCAA-approved $350 shopping credits for selected items in a gift suite at the team hotel, ranging from recliners and appliances to electronics and bikes.
 
"I had to get the Oculus headset," fifth-year senior inside linebacker Bobby Okereke said of the virtual reality, 3-D headgear, which many Stanford players have utilized for years.
 
 On Thursday, players visited the Lucchese boot outlet. Each received a generous $200 gift certificate from the Kissick Family toward their purchase. Later, players attended a barbecue at a ranch and participated in line dancing.

 
"A couple of my teammates threw me out in the circle in the middle of the dance floor and I had to answer the bell," said Costello.

Stanford also made a trip to nearby Fort Bliss Army base for a "Day with the Troops" and spent time with the soldiers. Some players posed for photos on tanks and other equipment. 

Players participated in a talent show on Saturday night and about 30 student-athletes visited a local children's hospital on Sunday, where they talked to the kids and distributed t-shirts, stickers and Stanford mini helmets. 
 
The Cardinal is competing in the Sun Bowl for the second time in three years and knows the ropes. Team workouts have been conducted at nearby Eastwood High School.
 
"The week's been outstanding," David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football said Sunday. "It never disappoints. Guys are having a great time and enjoying themselves. Our guys are excited to be here and looking forward to tomorrow's game."
 


Injury update: Several key players will be missing for the Cardinal, including senior running back Bryce Love, senior wide receiver Trenton Irwin, sophomore offensive tackle Walker Little, junior offensive guard Nate Herbig and senior defensive tackle Dylan Jackson. The status of junior tight end Kaden Smith will be announced prior to kickoff.
 
Shaw said Love's absence will be tough but expects good things from senior Cameron Scarlett and juniors Trevor Speights and Dorian Maddox.
 
"With Bryce, it really didn't matter what you ran," he said. "He's going to find a way to make a play. Cameron Scarlett is more than capable and has had some big games throughout his career. We'll play multiple backs as we always do and will rotate those guys and keep them fresh."
 
Irwin and senior JJ Arcega-Whiteside share the team lead in receptions with 60. Freshman wide receiver Michael Wilson and sophomore wide receiver Osiris St. Brown figure to play bigger roles alongside Arcega-Whiteside, whose 13 touchdown catches ranks No. 3 in the FBS.
 
"I'm going to be efficient and get through progressions to allow them to get me to completions," said Costello. "From there, we're going to move the chains and make big plays."
 


Bowl experience: Costello threw for 212 yards and three touchdowns – all to Arcega-Whiteside -- last year in a 39-37 defeat to TCU in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Costello learned a lot and has tried to pass that along to younger players.
 
"I've been challenging the team and myself to be mentally and physically prepared after all this time off to make sure we're in shape to finish this game," he said.
 
The biggest thing, Costello believes, is focus.
 
"I think what wins these bowl games is teams and individuals staying locked in and polished similarly to how they finished the season," said Costello. "One of my goals was trying to make sure we don't have to make time to find our flow."
 

 
Scouting Pitt: The Panthers (7-6, 6-2 ACC) won the Coastal Division and lost to current No. 2 Clemson in the conference championship game, 42-10. Pitt played 11 bowl eligible teams, the most in the country. Their signature win came against No. 25 Virginia. The Panthers also defeated Georgia Tech and Syracuse.
 
Stanford (8-4, 6-3) and Pitt have played one common opponent: AP No. 3 Notre Dame, with both losing in South Bend, Ind. The Cardinal fell, 38-17, while the Panthers lost, 19-14.
 
"They like to run the ball," senior free safety Frank Buncom said of Pitt. "They have a two-headed monster back there. We want to get them in a passing situation and in third and long. You'll never get there if you don't stop the run and win first down."
 
The Panthers' ground attack averages 229.5 yards per game and they are led by Ouadree Ollison and Darrin Hill, who ran for 1,190 and 1,021 yards, respectively. Ollison averages 6.3 yards per carry, 91.54 per game and has tallied 11 touchdowns, while Hill averages 7.5 yards per rush, 78.54 per game and has nine scores.
 
"Game-to-game, it's hard to say who's one and two," said Shaw. "Both guys have had big games. The rarity is when you have two big guys who can run it inside and make big plays against good football teams."
 
Defensively, Pitt has been stingy against the run and has sold out to stop it.
 
"They are very aggressive," Parkinson said. "They'll leave us (receivers) out there to make some plays, so we should have some opportunities. It will be fun to play a different team, which is what these bowl games are all about."



 
Soaring Jet: Junior placekicker Jet Toner missed his first field goal attempt of the season but has converted 14 straight since. Battling his way through an injury, he has also made all 32 extra points and ranks second on the team in scoring with 74 points.
 
"Jet has been awesome," said Shaw. "Very smooth and consistent. I'm excited for his growth the next couple of years. He's going to be one of the best in America."
 
Shaw praised senior punter Jake Bailey for being a great tone setter for the specialists. He averaged 44 yards on 59 attempts, with 19 resulting in fair catches and 21 downed inside the 20. Bailey boomed 16 punts 50 or more yards and set a school record with an 84-yarder against Cal in the regular-season finale.
 
"He deserves a lot of credit," Shaw said. "Jake being the old guy in the room and his steady hand kind of set the work ethic for the group."
 
Extra points … Stanford is making its program-record 10th consecutive bowl appearance and has produced a school-best 10 straight winning seasons … All four losses been against teams ranked in the AP top-20 … Stanford has not faced Pitt since 1932 and trails in the all-time series, 2-1 … The Cardinal is seeking its ninth nine-win season since 2001 …The forecast is for mostly sunny skies and a high of 49 degrees.
 

 
Quotable
"That's been our motto since Day One for me when we took over. When we get a chance to go to bowl games, we're going to enjoy all that the bowl has. When it's time to work, we're going to get to work. We get after it. When it's time to relax, we relax and have fun."– David Shaw