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Oregon running back De'Anthony Thomas doesn't expect Stanford to derail the Ducks' national championship hopes for the second year in a row.
"I don't think so," Thomas told Oregon's official website. "I feel like, this team, we should at least put up 40."
Slowing down Oregon's offense will be the top priority for Stanford when the fifth-ranked Cardinal (7-1, 5-1 Pac-12) host No. 3 Oregon (8-0, 5-0) on Thursday night in a matchup of the winners of the past four Pac-12 championships.
Oregon is averaging 55.6 points per game, the second-best in the nation, while Stanford is allowing 19.4 points per game.
To upset the Ducks again, Stanford will have to shut down not only Thomas, who averages more than 7 yards per carry, but also versatile quarterback Marcus Mariota, who averages more than 9.
Almost every week, Stanford coach David Shaw delegates a backup quarterback to the scout team in practice who can best simulate the upcoming opponent. Not this week.
Shaw's search for somebody on the roster to mimic Mariota and Oregon's up-tempo offense was deemed a lost cause. There's nobody who could even come close.
"We have to sign somebody," he joked.
In 21 starts, Mariota has put up video game-like numbers against nearly every team he has faced. That is, except for Stanford.
Last season's loss to Stanford is Mariota's only loss of his career. Stanford's victory ended then-No. 1 Oregon's three-year run as conference champion and dashed the Ducks' national championship dreams -- not to mention Mariota's chances for the Heisman Trophy.
"If our guys use last year as a motivational factor to practice harder ... we'll take it," coach Mark Helfrich told Oregon's official site. "Any external motivation that was used to prepare, great."
Duplicating last season's performance might be even tougher for Stanford.
[h=4]More on Stanford[/h]
For full coverage of the Cardinal, check out the Stanford blog, part of ESPN's College Football Nation. Blog
More:
ā¢ Stanford's clubhouse page
ā¢ ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog
Mariota has thrown for 2,281 yards and 20 touchdowns and run for 587 yards and nine TDs this season. He is completing 64 percent of his passes and, perhaps most impressively, has not thrown an interception. The last time he was picked off was during last season's meeting with the Cardinal.
"I thought last year he was the best quarterback in the nation, and I feel the same way this year," Shaw said. "I don't care about stats. Stats don't mean anything. You watch the film, you see a kid that makes every throw. Every throw is accurate. Twenty touchdowns and no interceptions? Every ball is perfect, every ball is in stride, every ball there's no wobble on it. Everything's pretty.
"As a former receiver, you always appreciate that, a guy that just throws a pretty ball. And then when nobody's open, he just takes off and outruns everybody. You're designing a quarterback, that's what you want."
The secret to Stanford's success against Mariota remains somewhat of a mystery.
The Cardinal credit a physical, gap-plugging 3-4 scheme under defensive coordinator Derek Mason, who emphasizes the most basic fundamentals: tackling and discipline. Since losing 27-21 at Utah on Oct. 12, Stanford has shut down Brett Hundley and UCLA (10 points) and Sean Mannion and Oregon State (12 points) in back-to-back victories.
Now the Cardinal hope to make it three in a row with Mariota up next.
"He's a great player. He's going to make some plays. But we can't just let him take the ball, read what we're doing," said linebacker A.J. Tarpley, who intercepted Mariota last season. "We want to try and mix it up a little bit, whether that's attacking him, try to show something that looks like something but it's actually something else. We'll mix it up. We don't want them to get in their rhythm. Because once they do that, you can't stop them."
[h=4]More on Oregon[/h]
For full coverage of the Ducks, check out the Oregon blog, part of ESPN's College Football Nation. Blog
More:
ā¢ Oregon's clubhouse page
ā¢ ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog
In the first 10 games before last season's meeting, the Ducks seemed unstoppable under Mariota. Oregon led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 54.8 points per game and never scored fewer than 42.
Mariota completed 21 of 37 passes for 207 yards, one touchdown and the one interception against Stanford. Besides a 77-yard run in the first quarter, Mariota netted only 12 yards rushing, often looking flustered under heavy pressure.
"I think a lot times we were hesitating a little bit and we were unsure of some of the fronts we were seeing," Mariota said. "That's the stuff we're really going to have to clean up."
One of the staples of Stanford's defense also is what Mariota avoids most: turnovers.
Stanford has forced a turnover in 33 straight games, the second-longest streak in the country. Being the first team to make Mariota throw an interception this season is a challenge Stanford knows will be difficult, but it's also one it will embrace.
"It's time," cornerback Alex Carter said, "for him to throw one."
Stanford's injury-depleted defense got a boost Monday with news that defensive end Henry Anderson will play against Oregon.
Anderson has been out since mid-September. Stanford's other starting end, Ben Gardner, is out for the rest of the season.
Josh Mauro, who replaced Anderson while he was out, now will fill Gardner's spot.
Oregon running back De'Anthony Thomas doesn't expect Stanford to derail the Ducks' national championship hopes for the second year in a row.
ā
I feel like,
this team, we should at least put up 40.
ā <cite>-- Oregon RB De'Anthony Thomas </cite>
Last year, Oregon lost its only game of the season 17-14 in overtime to Stanford. But Thomas is confident this year's team won't be held to two touchdowns.
this team, we should at least put up 40.
ā <cite>-- Oregon RB De'Anthony Thomas </cite>
"I don't think so," Thomas told Oregon's official website. "I feel like, this team, we should at least put up 40."
Slowing down Oregon's offense will be the top priority for Stanford when the fifth-ranked Cardinal (7-1, 5-1 Pac-12) host No. 3 Oregon (8-0, 5-0) on Thursday night in a matchup of the winners of the past four Pac-12 championships.
Oregon is averaging 55.6 points per game, the second-best in the nation, while Stanford is allowing 19.4 points per game.
To upset the Ducks again, Stanford will have to shut down not only Thomas, who averages more than 7 yards per carry, but also versatile quarterback Marcus Mariota, who averages more than 9.
Almost every week, Stanford coach David Shaw delegates a backup quarterback to the scout team in practice who can best simulate the upcoming opponent. Not this week.
Shaw's search for somebody on the roster to mimic Mariota and Oregon's up-tempo offense was deemed a lost cause. There's nobody who could even come close.
"We have to sign somebody," he joked.
In 21 starts, Mariota has put up video game-like numbers against nearly every team he has faced. That is, except for Stanford.
Last season's loss to Stanford is Mariota's only loss of his career. Stanford's victory ended then-No. 1 Oregon's three-year run as conference champion and dashed the Ducks' national championship dreams -- not to mention Mariota's chances for the Heisman Trophy.
"If our guys use last year as a motivational factor to practice harder ... we'll take it," coach Mark Helfrich told Oregon's official site. "Any external motivation that was used to prepare, great."
Duplicating last season's performance might be even tougher for Stanford.
[h=4]More on Stanford[/h]
More:
ā¢ Stanford's clubhouse page
ā¢ ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog
Mariota has thrown for 2,281 yards and 20 touchdowns and run for 587 yards and nine TDs this season. He is completing 64 percent of his passes and, perhaps most impressively, has not thrown an interception. The last time he was picked off was during last season's meeting with the Cardinal.
"I thought last year he was the best quarterback in the nation, and I feel the same way this year," Shaw said. "I don't care about stats. Stats don't mean anything. You watch the film, you see a kid that makes every throw. Every throw is accurate. Twenty touchdowns and no interceptions? Every ball is perfect, every ball is in stride, every ball there's no wobble on it. Everything's pretty.
"As a former receiver, you always appreciate that, a guy that just throws a pretty ball. And then when nobody's open, he just takes off and outruns everybody. You're designing a quarterback, that's what you want."
The secret to Stanford's success against Mariota remains somewhat of a mystery.
The Cardinal credit a physical, gap-plugging 3-4 scheme under defensive coordinator Derek Mason, who emphasizes the most basic fundamentals: tackling and discipline. Since losing 27-21 at Utah on Oct. 12, Stanford has shut down Brett Hundley and UCLA (10 points) and Sean Mannion and Oregon State (12 points) in back-to-back victories.
Now the Cardinal hope to make it three in a row with Mariota up next.
"He's a great player. He's going to make some plays. But we can't just let him take the ball, read what we're doing," said linebacker A.J. Tarpley, who intercepted Mariota last season. "We want to try and mix it up a little bit, whether that's attacking him, try to show something that looks like something but it's actually something else. We'll mix it up. We don't want them to get in their rhythm. Because once they do that, you can't stop them."
[h=4]More on Oregon[/h]
More:
ā¢ Oregon's clubhouse page
ā¢ ESPN.com's Pac-12 blog
In the first 10 games before last season's meeting, the Ducks seemed unstoppable under Mariota. Oregon led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 54.8 points per game and never scored fewer than 42.
Mariota completed 21 of 37 passes for 207 yards, one touchdown and the one interception against Stanford. Besides a 77-yard run in the first quarter, Mariota netted only 12 yards rushing, often looking flustered under heavy pressure.
"I think a lot times we were hesitating a little bit and we were unsure of some of the fronts we were seeing," Mariota said. "That's the stuff we're really going to have to clean up."
One of the staples of Stanford's defense also is what Mariota avoids most: turnovers.
Stanford has forced a turnover in 33 straight games, the second-longest streak in the country. Being the first team to make Mariota throw an interception this season is a challenge Stanford knows will be difficult, but it's also one it will embrace.
"It's time," cornerback Alex Carter said, "for him to throw one."
Stanford's injury-depleted defense got a boost Monday with news that defensive end Henry Anderson will play against Oregon.
Anderson has been out since mid-September. Stanford's other starting end, Ben Gardner, is out for the rest of the season.
Josh Mauro, who replaced Anderson while he was out, now will fill Gardner's spot.
