STANFORD, Calif. – Nothing UCF did Saturday surprised Stanford head coach David Shaw, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football. As advertised, they were fast, aggressive, well-coached and executed.
Not that he wasn't disappointed with his team's 45-27 loss at steamy Spectrum Stadium in Orlando, Fla., where the energized sellout crowd never let up.
"We tried to slow them down early, but you can't slow them down if you're giving up big passes," said Shaw. "We gave up too many balls over our heads."
The Cardinal defense surrendered 545 total yards and four touchdown passes.
The good news is that Stanford (1-2, 0-1 Pac-12) never quit and allowed only seven points and 132 yards in the second half. Cardinal players hope to build on that Saturday when No. 16 Oregon (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) visits at 4 p.m.
"Obviously, it's motivation to get better," senior inside linebacker Curtis Robinson said. "We know that there are a lot of things that we need to improve on in all three phases of the game. And obviously getting smacked like that hurts. Hopefully, everyone can kind of bring the chip on their shoulder back, and we can use that to keep improving."
The positives: Freshman running back Austin Jones from Bishop O'Dowd High in nearby Antioch showed his speed on a 35-yard scoring run in the second quarter, his first college touchdown. Jones collected a team-best 65 yards on seven carries.
Sophomore wide receiver Michael Wilson made a circus catch for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, coming back for a pass thrown by senior quarterback K.J. Costello near the goal line and outjumping a defender.
With 1:41 remaining in the contest, freshman safety Jonathan McGill alertly scooped up a fumble and sprinted 28 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
Late in the third quarter, senior outside linebacker Jordan Fox and sophomore defensive end Thomas Booker combined to stop UCF's Otis Anderson for no gain on 4th and 1 from the Stanford 25.
Playing shorthanded: Stanford entered the UCF game minus starting junior offensive tackles Walker Little and Foster Sarell. Freshman Walter Rouse earned his second consecutive nod at left tackle and freshman Branson Bragg got his first career start at right tackle. Bragg left the contest with an injury in the first quarter and was replaced by senior guard Henry Hattis, with freshman tackle Barrett Miller moving to right guard.
Senior guard/center Dylan Powell was out with an injury.
Defensively, the Cardinal was already thin at inside linebacker without sophomores Ricky Miezan and Jacob Mangum-Farrar. Early on, senior Andrew Pryts got hurt, then fifth-year senior backup Ryan Beecher went down. True freshman Tristan Sinclair received his first collegiate playing time.
Later in the game, fifth-year senior outside linebacker Casey Toohill, a team captain, limped off. Beecher and Toohill returned to the contest.
Costello back: After sitting out last week's game against USC, Costello started and played most of the way before giving way to junior Davis Mills late in the fourth quarter. Understandably rusty, Costello completed 21-of-44 passes for 199 yards. He was hurried six times and had four passes dropped.
"I didn't feel like I played well," said Costello. "There's certain situations that make the game hard, but there are certain situations where you have to make plays. I made a couple. But compared to what I expect from myself, I didn't play well."
little pregame chit-chat.@kj_costello ?? @TigerWoods #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/M0hoYGi9L0
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 14, 2019
Cardinal support: Prior to the game, Costello, a scratch golfer, met idol and Stanford alum, Tiger Woods, who lives in Florida. His visit was a surprise and he addressed the team in the locker room. Woods reached into his backpack and pulled out the green jacket he received for winning the Masters in April and slipped it on Shaw.
"Tiger's great," said Shaw, who took a Portuguese language class with him during their undergraduate days on The Farm. "He tries to come to at least one game a year and it's been awhile because he's been playing a lot and it's been tough for him to make it out to Stanford."
Players listened intently to the 15-time major champion.
"It was honestly amazing," Robinson said. "That was one of my childhood idols. I grew up in a golf family. He kind of told us what it was like to be a champion, what it takes to be a champion. Obviously, we're listening because he's the greatest golfer ever. He kind of spoke to us on what it takes, how to play with passion and how you put your life and your soul and your passion into everything that you're doing and taking things one day at a time."
Next up: For the third consecutive week, the Cardinal will be featured on ESPN. Contest themes are New Student Orientation, Set the Expectation and Hall of Fame recognition.
The Ducks are coming off a 35-3 victory against Montana on Saturday night. They are led by senior quarterback Justin Herbert, a top contender for the Heisman Trophy. He threw for 316 yards and five touchdowns and has passed for a score in 31 straight games, the longest streak in the nation. Herbert has 11 scoring tosses and no interceptions in three games.
Last year, No. 7 Stanford produced a stunning 38-31 overtime win against No. 20 Oregon in Eugene. Trailing by 17 points at halftime, the Cardinal clawed back when fifth-year senior outside linebacker Joey Alfieri, a Portland native, recovered a bad snap and raced 80 yards for a touchdown with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter.
The Ducks seemingly had the game in hand until the final minute, when senior inside linebacker Sean Barton recovered a fumble on his own 40 with 51 seconds left. Junior Jet Toner kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to force overtime.
Stanford took its first advantage on a 23-yard pass from Costello to 6-foot-7 sophomore tight end Colby Parkinson, who tipped the ball to himself in the end zone. The Cardinal withstood a barrage of Herbert passes and prevailed when fifth-year senior cornerback Alijah Holder deflected a pass in the end zone and fifth-year cornerback Alameen Murphy intercepted.
Herbert misfired only twice in regulation and finished 26-of-33 for 346 yards. Costello answered by hitting 19-of-26 for 327 yards and three touchdowns and was not intercepted.
Extra points … In addition to Bragg and Sinclair, freshman safety Spencer Jorgensen also saw his first college action … Through three games, 13 true freshmen have played for the Cardinal and all participated against UCF. "This is the most freshmen we have played in a game, I think," Shaw said. "These guys haven't blinked." … Bragg became Stanford's ninth first-time starter this season …Toohill shared game tackling honors with eight, while Booker had seven … Senior defensive end Thomas Schaffer recorded two tackles for loss … Freshman punter Ryan Sanborn averaged 41.4 yards on seven attempts and downed three inside the 20 … Senior defensive end Jovan Swann was ejected for targeting ... Parkinson led Stanford in receptions with six for 51 yards. Wilson and fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett each caught five … Wilson wound up with a career-high 71 receiving yards … Junior wide receiver Connor Wedington has caught at least one pass in all 19 games in which he has played … Former Cardinal fullback Casey Moore served as the team's honorary captain. During his four-year career (1999-02), he made 44 consecutive starts and rushed for 961 yards. Moore earned a degree in public policy in 2003.
Quotable
"Like all of the great backs we've had here we're going to continue to give him a little at a time. He knows what to do, and he does it at full speed. Stanford fans, I'd get used to that kid's name." – Shaw on Jones