Oregon State Football: Analyzing Stanford Matchup

Stanford football won on the road at Washington State with a 10-7 final score. They've clinched a winning record on the road.

Stanford's football team achieved a significant victory last week, defeating Washington State with a final score of 10-7. This win marked the first game of each month this season that Stanford has won, and it was also their first Saturday win of the season. Notably, all three of Stanford's wins in 2023 have come from away games, marking the first time since 2018 that they have clinched a winning record in road games in a non-COVID-19 season.

The defense played a crucial role in the victory against Washington State, holding the Cougars to just seven points and 245 total yards of offense, with a mere 57 yards in the second half. This marked the first time since the 2019 season opener against Northwestern that Stanford's defense held a team to single-digit points, and the last time they held a Pac-12 team to fewer than 10 points on the road was in 2012 against Colorado.

Despite only scoring 10 points, Stanford managed to secure the win, marking the fewest points scored in a Stanford win since the 1998 Big Game vs. California. Additionally, the team's third-down defense, which has been a weak spot, was a significant boost in this game, limiting Washington State to just 5-15 on third downs, the lowest conversion rate allowed by the defense this year.

Quarterback Justin Lamson played a key role in the victory, running in the only touchdown of the game for Stanford with a 1-yard rush in the third quarter. He has now surpassed 20 carries for the second time this season and leads the offense with four rushing touchdowns.

Although Stanford has yet to win a home game in Troy Taylor's first season, they have excelled away from home, boasting a 3-1 record on the road and securing a winning record for the 2023 season. Quarterback Ashton Daniels has been instrumental in their success, completing 100 passes in the last four games and racking up 1,146 passing yards, as well as being an effective runner. In a game against No. 5 Washington, Daniels compiled a total of 448 yards, the second-most total yards in a single game by a Stanford quarterback.

Finally, wide receiver Elic Ayomanor played a significant role in Stanford's dramatic come-from-behind win at Colorado on October 13, finishing the game with 13 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns. This marked the most receiving yards in a game in Stanford history and tied for the second-most receptions in a game by a Cardinal receiver since 2000.

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