After playing pass-first offenses in Washington and Washington State, Stanford fifth-year linebacker Tristan Sinclair is looking forward to facing a different kind of challenge when the Cardinal travel to No. 12 Oregon State Saturday (2:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network).
The Beavers (7-2, 4-2) are 15th nationally at 5.21 rushing yards per attempt, and Damien Martinez is second in the Pac-12 at 97.6 rushing yards a game.
“Every week you have to adapt,” Sinclair said. “We’re facing a big running back and a big-time running game, and that’s just part of the job. As a linebacker, we’re excited to play this team. It’s fun when teams run the ball. It gets boring when it’s all spread out and we’re always just running to the perimeter and chasing down receivers, so we’re juiced up for this one.”
The defense has another reason to be excited – in its previous game, a 10-7 win at Washington State, it held an opponent to seven points for the first time since the 2019 season opener against Northwestern.
The Cardinal (3-6, 2-5) had allowed 42 points in four straight games leading to its performance against the Cougars. Coach Troy Taylor said that the overall philosophy and structure on defense remained the same. He credited the defense’s growth mindset for shaking off the previous results, and said it bodes well for the future of the program.
“The willingness to come out and grow, and get better, and accountability, all of those things are exceptionally strong on this team,” Taylor said. “And that’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about the future. We have the tough stuff – the resiliency, the character, the culture that we’re establishing. We need to continue to do a good job in recruiting, and we’ll be an incredible program.”
The Washington State win was the second time Stanford has won on the road after being shut out in the first half. It overcame a 7-0 deficit in Pullman and a 29-0 deficit at Colorado.
“There’s different ways to win,” Taylor said. “The best way to win is to get out to an early lead and stay on top of your opponent. We have not had that. Hopefully we’ll have those in the future. I think you appreciate all (wins), especially when you’re building a program.”
The win over the Cougars also clinched a winning road record for Stanford in a non-COVID season for the first time since 2018. The Cardinal also won at Hawaii and lost at Southern Cal.
“Going on the road, there’s a lot going against you as far as the crowd, the environment. It’s a little more uncomfortable,” Taylor said. “It displays your mental toughness to know that everything will be against you, and you have to go in and show great resolve, and I’m really proud of our guys.”
Oregon State, a 21-point favorite Saturday, has won 15 of its last 16 at Reser Stadium. That includes a 4-0 mark this season, with wins over No. 13 Utah, UCLA, San Diego State and UC Davis.
THOUGHTS ON PAC-2
In a scheduling quirk, Stanford is playing consecutive games at Washington State and Oregon State – the two teams remaining after the other 10 Pac-12 schools accepted invitations to join other major conferences.
Taylor expressed his disappointment that the Beavers and Cougars face an uncertain future after this season.
“It’s painful,” Taylor said. “It’s very, very sad, disappointing. I really feel for Oregon State and Washington State because they’ve always tried to do things the right way in terms of investing in their programs, especially lately. And so I know they’ll land on their feet, but it’s a bad situation.”