Is it possible that Stanford has finally put it all back together, at least on the offensive side? On Saturday against Colgate Junior QB Tanner McKee was hitting on all cylinders connecting on over 80% of his 27 attempts for over 300 yards, 2 TD’s and 1 interception. On the ground, Junior RB E.J. Smith (son of former Cowboy star Emmitt Smith) rushed 11 times for 118 yards and 2 of Stanford’s 3 TD’s on the ground including an 87 run to the house on the Cardinal’s first play of the game. Stanford never trailed leading 7-0 at the end of the 1st Qtr., 28-7 at the break and a 41-10 final score.
Not that there weren’t issues like four Cardinal fumbles with three lost, a muffed punt deep on the first play of the 2nd Qtr, and they still can’t seem to shut down even a weak opponent’s running game. So, they’re not the Stanford of old by any stretch especially considering that they averaged less than three minutes on their 10 drives of the night. Those long clock eating six and seven minute time stealing drives of the past are just that-past. But, if they can clean up their mistakes and crank up that offense every week they should be more competive than they have been recentlly. Not that they stand even a snowball’s chance in hell of beating USC at home this next Saturday.