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Bob Drebin / isiphotos.com
Football

Sundays With Soltau

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STANFORD, Calif. – Facing a hungry, dangerous team on Homecoming, Stanford gave itself a great chance to escape Colorado with a victory on Saturday but couldn't slam the door.
 
Having lost five consecutive games and allowed 30-plus points to every opponent, the inspired Buffaloes dug in on defense, limiting the Cardinal to one touchdown in the 16-13 victory. On two red zone trips, Stanford settled for a field goal and missed a short attempt.
 
"It had a dramatic effect on the game," said senior quarterback K.J. Costello. "What that does is put stress on your defense countless times to hold them to field goals instead of touchdowns."
 
After allowing an early score, the Stanford defense settled down and played well in the thinner air and unseasonably warm mid-70-degree temperatures. Ultimately, it came down to a final stop, but the Buffaloes chewed up the final six minutes with a 13-play, 61-yard drive culminating in a game-winning 37-yard field goal by Evan Price as time expired.
 
"It's really disappointing," said fifth-year senior outside linebacker Casey Toohill. "At the end, we just weren't good enough. That's a hard pill to swallow, but it's the truth so we have to deal with it."
 
Although no one is looking past Saturday's 1:30 p.m. kickoff against Washington State in Pullman, the Cardinal (4-5, 3-4 Pac-12) needs two wins in its final three outings to become bowl eligible.

Stanford concludes the regular season by hosting Cal on Nov. 23 and Notre Dame on Nov. 30.
 
"The bottom line is we have to play better in the fourth quarter," said Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw.
 

 
Growing pains: As difficult as losses have been, many young players continue to learn on the fly, including three freshmen starters on the offensive line. They are growing with every snap and have bright futures.
 
Through nine games, 17 freshmen have played, seven in starting roles due to injuries. On Saturday, offensive lineman Drake Nugent and inside linebacker Aeneas DiCosmo made their college debuts.

Freshmen running backs Austin Jones and Nathaniel Peat made nice contributions. Jones ran five times for 30 yards and Peat had four carries for 29. Jones also made a 4-yard reception.

Also seeing action for the second time this season was freshman inside linebacker Tristan Sinclair, who made two solo tackles.
 
"They're fast, athletic and made some plays," Shaw said. "We missed a couple things and you know that going in when you're going to have young, inexperienced guys out there against experienced guys on the other side."
 
Additionally, 17 Cardinal have started for the first time in their college careers, with fifth-year senior inside linebacker Ryan Beecher joining the list against Colorado.
 

 
Fehoko ascending: Sophomore wide receiver Simi Fehoko has developed into one of the team's best playmakers. He caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from Costello early in the fourth quarter to give Stanford a 13-10 lead. It was Fehoko's fourth scoring reception of the season and the team's longest since JJ Arcega-Whiteside's 80-yard grab against San Diego State in 2018.
 
"I saw the hole and actually thought the corner was going to peel off and get me," said Fehoko, who caught the ball across the middle, then weaved his way through Colorado defenders and outran them to the end zone.
 
The play energized the team at just the right time.
 
"After I went to the sideline, everybody was a lot more juiced," he said. "We just had to go down and close it."


 
Out of sync: After piling up 472 yards and 41 points against Arizona, the offense struggled against the Buffaloes. Stanford managed only 15 first downs, was 3-of-10 on third down, and committed several costly penalties.
 
"They did a good job in showing us a lot of different looks, but nothing we hadn't seen," said Costello. "It came down to pure execution."
 
He said it was tough watching Colorado consume the last six minutes off the clock.

"I don't know about any other player, but I want the ball in my hands to win the game," Costello said. "It's frustrating."


 
Next up: The Cardinal plays its final road game on Saturday against Washington State (4-5, 1-5 Pac-12) in Pullman. The Cougars lost at Cal on Saturday, 33-20, failing to score 30 or more points for just the second time this season.
 
Washington State head coach Mike Leach loves to air it out. Led by quarterback Anthony Gordon, the Cougars pace the Pac-12 in passing, averaging 37.4 attempts and 411.7 yards per game. Washington State crushed visiting Colorado, 41-10, on Oct. 19, and narrowly lost at Oregon two weeks ago in Eugene on a last-second field goal, 37-35.


 
Extra points … Senior inside linebacker Andrew Pryts led the Cardinal in tackles with seven. He ranks 13th in the Pac-12 in stops with 45 … Stanford recorded five tackles for loss, with Toohill recording a sack. He now has six on the season and five in conference play, the fourth-most in the conference, and ranks 10th in tackles for loss with six … Junior cornerback Paulson Adebo continues to lead the Pac-12 in passes defended with 14 and has four interceptions … Sophomore fullback Jay Symonds caught his second career pass … Costello now has 6,151 career passing yards and became the ninth player in school history to surpass 6,000 … Fifth-year senior running back Cameron Scarlett ran for a team-high 63 yards and moved past 2019 Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Bill Tarr (1953-55) into 20th place on the program's career list with 1,599 … Former Cardinal fullback Ryan Hewitt (2009-13) served as the honorary captain. Tough and versatile, he ran for more than 500 yards and helped lead the Cardinal to consecutive Pac-12 titles and two trips to the Rose Bowl. Hewitt played for six seasons in the NFL.
 
Quotable
"You can feel a little salt in the locker room." K.J. Costello after the loss and how he thinks it will help motivate the team