First look: Washington State visits Stanford for midday tilt between Pac-12 teams in desperate need of win

Nov. 1—What is it? Washington State (4-4, 1-4 Pac-12), stuck in a midseason rut, has a good opportunity to snap its three-game skid when it meets Stanford (3-5, 1-5) for a conference tilt featuring programs that are both in desperate need of a win.

Where is it? The Cardinal will host the Cougars at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California.

When is it? Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Forecasts call for temperatures in the 50s with a 50% chance of rain.

Where can I watch it? The Pac-12 Network will carry the broadcast.

Who is favored? The Cougars opened as 4-point favorites.

How did they fare last week? WSU's offense stumbled for the third consecutive game and another respectable performance from the team's defense went to waste as the Cougars dropped a 21-17 decision at home Thursday against 14th-ranked Utah, which was playing without star quarterback Cameron Rising and its top two tailbacks.

The Cougars, also shorthanded on offense, couldn't overcome negative plays. They surrendered 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks.

"When I watch Utah, I'm going to be honest, I think it was the best tackling team I've maybe ever seen in person, watching the tape," WSU coach Jake Dickert said Monday. "I don't know if we broke too many tackles, and (Utah's) physicality is supreme."

Utah's defense bottled up WSU's quick-passing game and the Ute offense used a persistent rushing attack to rub away at WSU's defense, which yielded 169 yards on the ground. Still, the Cougars defense made a number of stops down the stretch. But WSU's Air Raid offense never caught up after sputtering on five of its first six possessions.

"I've never gone into a game with a game plan that I thought wasn't best for our players and program in that situation," Dickert said Monday when asked about his team's offensive performance, which featured a heavy reliance on screens and short passes that were largely ineffective. "Now, did we execute those plays? No. Was Utah way more physical on the perimeter than us? Yes. You can't throw screens and get negative plays, and that's what we ended up having.

"It starts with us not getting behind the chains," the first-year coach added of the issues plaguing WSU's new offensive system. "I want to simplify, I want to stay the course, I want to do what our guys do well even more. But we've got to stop having negative plays, penalties, holding calls, negative runs, negative screens. Utah out-physicaled us by a mile on Saturday. We can't have that."

Stanford had its two-game winning streak stopped Saturday with a blowout loss to No. 10 UCLA. The Cardinal fell behind by three scores at the half and the Bruins cruised to a 38-13 victory at the Rose Bowl.

UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet piled up 198 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. The Bruins finished with 324 rushing yards. Stanford totaled 270 yards of offense.

Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee, an NFL draft prospect, completed 13 of 29 passes for 115 yards. Deep-reserve Cardinal running backs Caleb Robinson and Brendon Barrow, subbing in due to injuries, combined for 69 yards on 18 carries.

Scouting the matchup

All of the Cougars' losses have come against Pac-12 teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. Stanford faced five of the conference's top six teams, and lost every game.

The Cardinal opened conference play with a difficult four-game stretch, including Pac-12 title contenders USC and Oregon, along with conference notables Oregon State and Washington. The Trojans, Huskies and Ducks posted lopsided wins over Stanford, which suffered a heartbreaking loss Oct. 8 to Oregon State. The Beavers scored on a last-minute, 56-yard touchdown to stun the Cardinal 28-27.

Stanford rallied, leaning on its defense to grind out low-scoring wins over Notre Dame (16-14) and Arizona State (15-14) before its setback in L.A.

For both the Cardinal and the Cougars, a loss Saturday would dampen postseason hopes.

"They want the same thing we do," Dickert said. "Stanford is fighting their tail off to extend their season (attain bowl eligibility)."

Like the Cougars, the Cardinal have been held back by a limited offense. Typically an impressive ground-and-pound outfit under longtime coach David Shaw, Stanford has been forced to change its identity this season. Starting running back EJ Smith is out for the season with an injury. Backup Casey Filkins is sidelined indefinitely due to an injury. The Cardinal promoted two practice-squad players, Robinson and Barrow, to shoulder the reps at tailback.

Stanford ranks ninth in the conference in rushing offense (126.6 yards per game, eight TDs). The Cardinal also sit ninth in the conference rankings in scoring offense (23.6 ppg) and passing offense (255.1 yards per game). WSU's defense ranks in the top half in the conference in every major statistical category and occupies first place in scoring defense (20.8 ppg).

McKee, a second-year starter, is generating NFL buzz, but the 6-foot-6 junior's numbers have been underwhelming. He has completed 61.2% of his passes for 1,972 yards and 11 touchdowns against seven picks.

"He's a big, long kid that can really throw the ball," Dickert said of McKee. "When you think of Stanford's offense, you think of all these big bodies and fullbacks. That's no more."

Stanford doesn't have a game-breaking receiver, but the Cardinal boast length and balance at the pass-catching positions. Their top five targets all stand 6-2 or taller, and each of them has recorded at least 240 yards and a touchdown.

Will McKee have time to deliver the ball? Stanford is tied for 11th in the Pac-12 with 25 sacks allowed. The Cougars are last in that stat column with 30 sacks surrendered.

WSU's pass rush totaled just three sacks in its past three games combined after logging four in an Oct. 1 win over Cal. Against a Stanford offensive line that is giving up pressure at a high rate, the Cougars' defensive front should have an advantage.

The Cardinal defensive front will probably pose some problems for WSU's makeshift offensive line, too. Stanford and WSU are tied at third in the conference with 21 sacks.

It's been a mixed bag on defense for Stanford, which ranks 10th in the Pac-12 in total defense (417 yards per game) and ninth in scoring (28.8 ppg). The pass rush is productive and the passing coverage has been solid, but the Cardinal rushing defense is poor. Stanford has allowed 300 yards on the ground in two games and permitted more than 150 rushing yards in all but one game. The Cardinal are second in the Pac-12 in passing defense (212.5 yards per game). Their senior-laden secondary allowed 150 or fewer yards through the air in each of the past five games. Stanford held Oregon's high-powered passing attack to 164 yards.

WSU's offense might have trouble capitalizing on Stanford's weakness. Like the Cardinal, the Cougars' running back room is depleted due to injuries. WSU is the least-productive rushing team in the Pac-12 at 83.5 yards per game.

The Cougars are leaning on the arm of quarterback Cameron Ward — No. 5 in the Pac-12 at 235 yards per game — but their passing game lacked consistency and explosiveness in the team's three-game losing streak.

WSU averaged 13.6 points per game during its skid. The Cougars' opponents averaged 25 points per game in that stretch.

"We haven't fulfilled some of the expectations we had. We own that, and I think our offensive coaches are in there finding ways to make sure we're getting better each and every week," Dickert said. "We've been at a little bit of a standstill, but I'm excited about what we can do this week and where we're still going."

What happened last time?

WSU and Stanford traded momentum swings during an entertaining nighttime game in Pullman on Oct. 16, 2021. Cougars running back Max Borghi punched in a go-ahead touchdown run with 1:30 left in the game, and WSU edge rusher Quinn Roff sealed the 34-31 result moments later with a strip-sack of McKee. The Cougars, winners of three straight games, showered coach Nick Rolovich with Gatorade at midfield. Two days later, Rolovich and four WSU assistants were fired for failing to comply with a state COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Things to know

1. Running back Jaylen Jenkins and strong safety Jordan Lee sustained injuries against Utah. Dickert didn't have an update Monday when asked whether they would be available Saturday. Jenkins exited the lineup in the second quarter. The true freshman had taken over starting duties Oct. 8, when Nakia Watson went down with an injury against USC. Lee limped off the field in the second quarter versus the Utes after a hard collision. The senior transfer from Nevada missed three games earlier this season with an undisclosed injury. "The most frustrating year of my life by far," Lee tweeted Friday. Redshirt freshman walk-on Dylan Paine will presumably shoulder RB reps if Jenkins is not available, but Dickert isn't making guarantees.

"You might see anyone out there," he said of the running back position, naming several wide receivers who might be in line to take some carries. "Whoever we put back there and however we shape it, we gotta be ready to go. ... Right now, it's not enough. We're not establishing the run enough."

Paine took just two carries against Utah after Jenkins left the field. Lee would be replaced by redshirt freshman Jaden Hicks, who fared well in relief earlier this year.

2. WSU recently made a change to its first-team offensive line, benching right tackle Ma'ake Fifita and calling upon redshirt freshman Fa'alili Fa'amoe, a former defensive lineman who made his second-career start at right tackle Thursday. Dickert told media members Monday he will keep Fa'amoe in the starting lineup.

"There are flashes of what he's going to be," Dickert said of Fa'amoe. "That doesn't mean he's there now. ... His athleticism, we believe, is next-level talent, but he's just scratching the surface."

3. WSU has claimed five consecutive wins in its series against Stanford. The Cardinal topped the Cougars in eight straight meetings between 2008-15. Stanford leads the series 40-30-1.