Stanford Football: 5 reasons the Cardinal will upset Washington in Week 11

3. KJ Costello will emerge

With KJ Costello under center, Stanford has a better chance to stick with the big boys of college football. This is no disrespect to Keller Chryst, but the senior gunslinger just doesn’t have the tools that Costello brings to the table.

Stanford needs Costello to play like he did in wins over UCLA and Arizona State and the coaching staff needs to trust him enough to stick with him throughout the entire game like they did against Washington State. Sure, he struggled a bit against the Cougars’ tough defense, but it’s a learning game and he will come back with more fire against the Huskies.

The sophomore will face an equally as daunting defense in Washington this week and he will need to do better than his 9-for-20 with 105 yards showing, and I think he will. He will continue to gain confidence, especially if the coaches show that they believe he can handle the pressure thrown at him. He gives Stanford the best chance to win.