Stanford Football: Can Cardinal blow past Oregon State?

Stanford football has not lost against Oregon State since 2009. Will the Beavers end their drought this year, or will the Cardinal extend their streak to nine games?

It has been a rather disappointing year on the Farm for Stanford. David Shaw’s team entered 2018 with visions of competing for the Pac-12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Instead, they are almost certainly out of the running for any New Year’s Six berth and still need another win just to reach bowl eligibility.

A big reason for the downturn this year has been the inconsistent second act of Bryce Love. Last year, Love was one of the most electric players in all of college football. This season, injuries and other general struggles have knocked the running back off his perch as the top rusher in the FBS. K.J. Costello has somewhat made up for it as one of the 20 best passers in the country, but offensive balance has been difficult to find.

Oregon State had another tough season, and a bowl game is already out of reach with three games left to play. All that is left now for the Beavers is to try to play spoiler against opponents hoping to end the season on a high note.

Defense has been the biggest stumbling block this season for the squad from Corvallis. The Beavers give up on average 16 points more than they manage to score each game. They have at least been good at preventing giveaways when they have the ball on offense.

Every few years, the Beavers pull off an upset that reverberates through the conference and national pictures. Could this be the contest that gives Oregon State their statement upset in an otherwise disappointing season? Here’s how you can watch the Saturday #Pac12AfterDark action between Stanford and Oregon State:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 10
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Location: Stanford, Calif.
Venue: Stanford Stadium
TV: Pac-12 Network
Live Stream: Pac-12 Live | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Most importantly, the Cardinal need a breakout performance from their backfield. Bryce Love doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting, but Stanford needs to rack up far more than 93 yards on the ground to ensure that they aren’t threatened with an upset bid at home.

Oregon State needs to get Stanford off the field when the opportunity arises. The Beavers rank 122nd in the country in first downs allowed, and if the Cardinal manage to move the chains time and time again there simply won’t be enough time for the Beavers to mount their upset bid.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Stanford -24
Over/Under: 61

Prediction

Covering a 24-point spread is probably too much to ask from Stanford, but they will still walk away with their sixth win of the season. Bet the under in this contest, as the Cardinal do a good job of containing the offense of the visiting Beavers.

Final Score: Stanford 31, Oregon State 20