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Stanford Football: 3 things we learned from win over Rice

By Justin Dottavio

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 27: Cameron Scarlett #22 of Stanford celebrates a touchdown with team mates during the College Football Sydney Cup match between Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal) and Rice University (Rice Owls) at Allianz Stadium on August 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 27: Cameron Scarlett #22 of Stanford celebrates a touchdown with team mates during the College Football Sydney Cup match between Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal) and Rice University (Rice Owls) at Allianz Stadium on August 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images) /
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PALO ALTO, CA – NOVEMBER 05: Keller Chryst #10 of the Stanford Cardinal drops back to pass against the Oregon State Beavers during the first quarter of their NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on November 5, 2016 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA – NOVEMBER 05: Keller Chryst #10 of the Stanford Cardinal drops back to pass against the Oregon State Beavers during the first quarter of their NCAA football game at Stanford Stadium on November 5, 2016 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

2. Keller Chryst’s knee is fine

There had to be some worry about a quarterback injuring his knee in late December and being ready in time for an August opener in Australia. If you’ve ever injured your knee, sitting on a plane ride for 15-plus hours will cause it to lock up and even swell.

However, Chryst came out and disproved his doubters by throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns early on. He was dissecting the Owls’ defense with improved accuracy from 2016. Chryst hardly played in 2015, and took over half way through the 2016 season before running off six straight wins.

Related Story: Stanford Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017

The Stanford offense doesn’t need an Andrew Luck as Shaw has proven by being successful under multiple QBs entering his seventh year as the head coach. What his offense does need is a quarterback that can — pardon the cliche — manage the game.

Stanford will utilize its tight ends and fullbacks mixed with shifty running backs. A Stanford quarterback needs a good play-action fake and the ability to process multiple reads on every play. Needless to say, Chryst looked fine in the debut but he wasn’t pressured or forced to run which will be more telling about his knee over the course of fifteen weeks.

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