Few teams have been able to successfully slow down Oregon’s offense in recent years, but Stanford has seemed to find a formula. Head coach David Shaw knows what needs to be done, but of course it will be
As a guest on The Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday, David Shaw discussed Stanford’s recruiting philosophy, shared a few thoughts on former Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck and looked ahead to Stanford’s next game. It’s a big one.
Stanford hosts Oregon in the Pac 12’s game of the year next week on a Thursday night. The game will likely determine which team goes on to win the Pac 12 North Division and host the Pac 12 Championship Game at the end of the regular season. The winner will also remain in contention for a shot at a BCS Championship as the college football regular season hits the final stretch toward the finish line. When it comes to Oregon, Shaw is focusing on slowing down one of the leading contenders for this year’s Heisman Trophy, quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Slowing down Oregon’s offense is always much easier said than done, but the Cardinal have just the right kind of team to do it. Stanford has already thrown a brick wall at some potent offenses this season, including Arizona State, UCLA and Oregon State. Stanford also handed Oregon their only loss of the season last year in a 17-14 victory in overtime. At the time the Ducks were the top-ranked team in the country. Stanford held Mariota to 21-of-37 for 207 yards and 89 rushing yards. If Stanford is going to top Oregon this year, they will need similar results next week.
