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Stanford Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Cal in Week 12

By Connor Muldowney

PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 10: K.J. Costello #3 of the Stanford Cardinal in action against the Washington Huskies at Stanford Stadium on November 10, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 10: K.J. Costello #3 of the Stanford Cardinal in action against the Washington Huskies at Stanford Stadium on November 10, 2017 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Stanford football will host Cal on Saturday evening, continuing its quest for a Pac-12 North title. Here’s what you need to know.

Stanford had a rough start to the 2017 season, losing two of its first three games to USC and San Diego State which looked to ruin any hopes of a conference title. However, that hasn’t quite been the case as the Cardinal have since won six of seven games to improve to 7-3 on the year and 6-2 in the Pac-12 North. A loss by Washington State would likely win the Cardinal the division.

Bryce Love has been the breakout star for the Cardinal, rushing for 1,622 yards and 15 touchdowns on 9.0 yards per carry. Although he’s not the same dual-threat back as Christian McCaffrey, he has been every bit as talented of a player. KJ Costello has taken over under center for a struggling Keller Chryst. He will look to win his second straight start.

Beating Cal won’t be a walk in the park like it has been in recent years, though. The Golden Bears are 5-5 on the year with wins over North Carolina, Ole Miss and a blowout of Washington State. They’re one win away from bowl eligibility with a tough road game against Stanford this week and another road battle against UCLA to end the year.

Talented sophomore quarterback Ross Bowers leads the offense with 2,615 yards and 17 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. Although Patrick Laird has been playing well in the backfield lately, the ground game has been nearly non-existent. Junior wide out Vic Wharton III has caught fire lately at receiver, catching 53 passes for 752 yards and five touchdowns.

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Stanford vs. Cal game:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 18
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Stanford, Calif.
Venue: Stanford Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go

Keys to Victory

After a rough game against Washington State on the road, Costello looked human under center. He had received a ton of hype following some early-season performances, but was brought back down to earth. However, he rebounded to upset Washington the following week. In order for Stanford to win yet again, he needs to be the same quarterback he was against the Huskies.

It’s not much of a secret, Cal needs to slow down the Stanford run game. The Cardinal aren’t exactly going to win games with an aerial attack, so slowing down Love on the ground will be top priority. Offensively, riding the hot hand of Laird in the backfield will be important as the Golden Bears need to set up the pass by establishing the run against an average, at best, rush defense. Laird is capable of big things.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round after Week 11 edition

Prediction

Although Cal has been playing much better this season than in years past, the Golden Bears aren’t quite at the level of Stanford and others just yet. The Cardinal are going to have little problem running all over the Cal defense with Bryce Love and he will finish with nearly 200 yards by himself. KJ Costello will have another impressive performance through the air and the Stanford defense will shut down Cal’s offense led by Ross Bowers.

Final Score: Cal 16, Stanford 33

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