Stanford vs. Arizona State

By Scouts, Inc

Insider

Tuesday, November 24, 2009



Stanford Offense vs. Arizona State Defense
The Cardinal's ground game paved the way for their 36-28 season-opening victory over Oregon State with RB Toby Gerhart rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns. It was an impressive performance considering he missed most of last year with a knee injury. At 237 pounds, Gerhart is a powerful runner who is tough to bring down in the open field and has deceiving top-end speed. In addition, Anthony Kimble is a capable backup so expect Stanford to show a strong commitment to the running game again when it visits Arizona State. One problem is neither back has the elusiveness or the initial quickness to produce when he doesn't get a seam, so the ability of the Cardinal's offensive linemen to win the battle in the trenches is one of the keys to this game. Considering Arizona State's active front seven combined for nine tackles-for-loss in its victory over Northern Arizona, Stanford's front five has its work cut out for it. The Sun Devils' anchor in the middle is DT David Smith. Though he weighs just 288 pounds he makes up for his lack of size with initial quickness. Meanwhile, the Cardinal are led by C Alex Fletcher, who is a four-year starter. Fletcher is a technician and should have some success neutralizing Smith initially, but don't expect the Stanford backs to break any long runs. OLB Mike Nixon headlines a rangy Sun Devils linebacker corps and look for Arizona State to move SS Rodney Cox up into the box.

Stanford at No. 15 Arizona State
Stanford vs. ASU

When: Sat., Sept. 6, 10 p.m. ET
Where: Tempe, Ariz.
Preview: Can Stanford slow down ASU?
QB Tavita Pritchard won a three-way battle to earn the starting nod against the Beavers in the season opener. He didn't carry Stanford to victory with impressive passing numbers, but he didn't make a crucial mistake that could have lost it for the Cardinal either. Pritchard now faces an Arizona State secondary that fields two first-year starters in Cox and CB Terell Carr. And though the Stanford receivers failed to make a splash in the opener, there is some talent on the perimeter. However the Cardinal's front line must give these receivers enough time to get open and this is easier said than done. DEs Dexter Davis and Luis Vasquez are relentless pass-rushers coming off the edge and Davis is off to a hot start, recording two sacks in Saturday's win. In addition, Sun Devils FS Troy Nolan is the leader of the secondary and brings above-average instincts as well as ball skills to the table. If Pritchard throws over the middle without looking Nolan off, the result could easily be a turnover. As a result, Pritchard must stay poised in the face of pressure and take the sack or throw the ball away when he's unable to locate an open man before the pass rush closes in on him.
   
 
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