Stanford Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Washington State in Week 10

Washington State and Stanford will meet this Saturday in some early Pac-12 action. Here’s everything you need to know.

We won’t be given the typical crazy “Pac-12 After Dark” from this one, as it goes down during the day.

However, there is still plenty of intrigue in this Top-25 matchup between two teams who have plenty to play for in the Pac-12 North.

For the Cardinal, the key all week will be if running back Bryce Love is cleared to play. Love missed last Friday’s game with Oregon State, a contest Stanford (6-2, 5-1 Pac-12) rallied to win, 15-14, for its fifth straight victory.

Cameron Scarlett tried his best to replace Love, running for 72 yards on 17 carries. Keller Chryst passed for 141 and a score, but the Cardinal defense was the key to keeping them in it.

The announcement that Love, who averages over 198 yards rushing per game to lead the nation, would miss the game wasn’t made until shortly before kickoff last week. You can bet that Stanford head coach David Shaw will play his status close to the vest once more regarding the injured ankle of his Heisman candidate.

Washington State dropped to 1-2 in its last three with a 58-37 setback at Arizona, as Luke Falk was benched for Tyler Hilinski, who threw for 509 yards and had four combined touchdowns, but also tossed four interceptions.

Earlier this week, Cougar head coach Mike Leach stated that Falk is his starter, but one has to wonder how much of a leash the senior has. Falk has thrown for over 12,000 yards in his career with 112 touchdowns.

Here’s how to watch Saturday’s contest between Stanford and Washington State:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 4
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pullman, Wash.
Venue: Martin Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go

Keys to Victory

It became quite evident that Falk just wasn’t 100 percent against Arizona and Leach noticed, pulling the senior. Hilinski filled in and had plenty of success as evident by his 500-plus yards, but his interceptions kept the Cougars from really making a true comeback attempt.

For all of Falk’s issues within Leach’s system, he has limited the turnovers. Falk has thrown seven interceptions this year in 362 attempts, but had just 11 and eight his two previous seasons while throwing the ball over 600 times each year and recording over 4,400 yards.

If there is something wrong with Falk either physically or mentally, Hilinski should get the reps in practice and the start come Saturday. Leach hasn’t hinted at that happening, so we are to guess that he will be the man to take the ball.

Injuries are also the key for Stanford, as without Love, the Cardinal are not a legit Pac-12 contender. Quarterback play has been less than stellar, and as evident by Scarlett’s struggles vs. Oregon State, he isn’t he back Love is.

We’ve also got two teams that love – no pun intended – playing at home and hate playing on the road. Stanford is 3-0 at home and 2-2 on the road this year, with Washington State going 6-0 at home and just 1-2 on the road.

The weather could be nasty in Pullman, giving the Cougars a huge advantage.

Prediction

If Falk plays and Love sits, this one will be over before it really starts. If Falk and Love both play, the weather could determine it.

Would you rather have a strong ground game with winds and nasty conditions hitting the stadium, or an offense focused on throwing the ball around the field? The obvious answer is the ground attack and Stanford has the edge there.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round after Week 9

Falk should have something to play for, though, after sitting on the sidelines for the majority of last Saturday’s game. He will be playing for a final time at home, as the last two Cougar games are on the road at Utah and Washington.

Final Score: Washington State 40, Stanford 21