The Stanford defense looked better than the offense and the Cardinal's QB competition isn't any more clear after today's Spring Game at Kezar Stadium. Neither of those things should come as much of a surprise.
Loyal reader--and very nice guy--SacCardFan attended the game and was kind enough to provide a rundown of the action. Check out a few more photos and his full (unofficial) play-by-play with commentary after the jump.
In inauspicious beginning, Nunes's pass to Ty Montgomery is dropped. Nunes completes his next pass to Terrell for 1st.
Ricky Seale stuffed for 0 on first run. Nunes scrambles for 1, 3rd and 9. Scrambles again for 5, which crosess the 50. Zychlinsky punts the ball 55 yds for touchback.
Montgomery cathches next pass for 4. Ricky Seale up the middle for 1. Nunes completes to Montgomery for 8 and 1st.
First penalty: false start on Khalil Wilkes.
Seale for 2 off tackle, Thomas and Hemschoot solid. Nunes option scrambles, showing nice presence. Montgomery post can't separate from Browning, incomplete. Long snap for punt sails over Zychlinsky's head.
First Nottingham pass is batted down by Mauro.
Nottingham gets 3 to Meinken, rolling to left. 3rd and 7, complete to Keanu Nelson, gain of 3. 4th and 3. Complete to Davis Dudchock, who has good hands and looks tough.
Draw play to Jackson Cummings gains one, Josh Mauro there. Jackson Cummings takes nice screen for about 10 for first down.
Cummings up the middle for 1, Lancaster on tackle. Nottingham play-action bootlegs to left gains 5. Farthest drive of day, to 29. 6 yd pass over the middle to Dudchock to the 24, 1st down.
Complicated count, lots of motion, earns another false start penalty. 1st and 15 at the 29. Time out.
Debniak pushes around LT for first "sack." Jackson Cummings for about 8.
Nottingham fires a bullet to Keanu Nelson in tight coverage, 1st at the 1.
Gardner stops Cummings plunge. Again, this time Harold Bernard. Third to Cummngs over RG for the score. Williamson misses PAT after nailing his warmups.
Kevin Hogan hits Jordan Pratt to outside for 9.
Kelsey Young bounces outside for 25 to the 29.
Young again over LG for 2.
Hogan shoots over Young's head, 3rd and 8.
Andrew Stutz false start, back to 32.
Long 3rd down pass knocked down by Brent Etiz.
Williamson hits 44 yd FG. O 9, D 5.
Nunes back in. Play action to Young is dropped.
Kelsey Young on reverse for 9, tackled by Wayne Lyons.
Ricky Seale over the top for a 1st.
Young wide open for 35, but can't catch the very catchable ball.
Seale picks his way for 4.
Montgomery separates from Reynolds, but is overthrown by Nunes ((under positioned?).
Nunes's pocket collapses, pressure by Vaughters, pass to Toilolo's feet.
Zach Ertz over the middle, just out of reach.
Seale for 6 over LG, tackle by Vaughters.
Nunes hit Ertz for 10, Ertz visibly shifted when hit by Reynolds.
Nunes 45 yds to wide open Montgomery for TD, late pass makes Ty fight off two defenders.
PAT snap fumbled, no good.
First play to Notingham, fumble recovered by D. 7 pts.
Cummings TFL 2 yds by Ben Gardner.
Cummings picks his way for 8, tackled by Hemschoot.
Quick out to JRpatterson, fights for 1st.
Nottingham fumbles snap, loss of 3.
Long pass to JRP, can't get past Brown.
Nice 19 yd pass to Keanu Nelson, who comes down with ball in heavy traffic.
JRP reverse gains 15 to the 18.
Nottingham pressured, misses Cummings at the 5.
Nottingham beats blitz, completes to Jordan Pratt, who lools more like a TE, for 6.
Nottingham intercepted on a non-called pass interference to end the half, Terrence Brown beating JRP on what would have been a flag if playing USC.
Halftime:O 15, D 17.
Halftime Thoughts:
Overall, the front seven looked pretty solid, and the CB group seems stronger and more present than last year. The offense reminds me of Andrew Luck's first year: lots of gimmicks - reverses, long passes, and little to no gain on power. Not the methodical 1st down after 1st down that Luck spoiled us with. Kelsey Young is as advertised: dangerous when running, but couldn't come down with 2 catchable balls. Montgomery is stronger this year, but still has to improve on separation. Pratt seems like a solid possession receiver. JRP did well running on a reverse, but is not yet a complete receiver. Dudchock is a possession TE, and should see playing time. Nottingham showed the closest to the Luck form of running the offense, but also made the most mistakes. Had the strongest arm, by a little. Nunes shows more poise, and seems like a more serious scrambling threat. Hogan was okay, but a level lower.
Kelsey Young with some nice runs for a 1st. Nottingham's pocket collapses for 1 yd loss. Trent Murphy blows over RT for 9 yd loss.
45 yd pass to Jordan Pratt almost a completion, good effort, but Terrence Brown knocked the ball out.
Quick out to JRP, 3 yds. Nice run over tackle. Murphy offsides.
Then Nottingham sacked by Amanam, Thomas. Zychlinsky punts 50 yds plus, fair caught.
Nunes back in. Seale for 3. Nunes holds pocket, hits Terrell on PI (Vaughters). Nunes underthrows Ertz 20 yds downfield on his next pass.
Nunes goes back to Ertz, but it's broken up by Vaughters. Ertz stays down on the field for a sickening 2 minutes, but walks off.
Nunes throws a little high to Toilolo. 4th and 10. Nunes to Montgomery, who comes down with it on the sideline, but lands out of bounds. Nice grab, though.
Debniak sacks Nunes on next play, 5 yds. Quick out to Ty M gets 4. Nunes scrambles in pocket, steps up, throws high to Montgomery. Rhyne punts it 65 yds in the air, 54 yds net.
Nottingham back in. Shows poise and audibles, to off LT for 0 gain. Henry Anderson sack. Then nice 30-yd to Dudchock, great grab to the 44.
Nottingham sacked for 7 by Gardner.
Nottingham avoids the rush and completes screen to Young, but loses 3 because Tarpley is there. 3rd and 20.
Blitz, JRP underthrown, but Brown called (finally) for holding.
Cummings gains none, gang tackled by Tarpley from behind, others in front. Cummings for 0 up the middle. Ball at 44.
Nottingham to JRP at sideline, caught out of bounds.
4th and 9, offense goes for it, JRP tangled up with Browning, can't come down with it.
Nunes back in. Hewitt leaks over middle, complete for 11, tackled by Lancaster.
Seale shows good timing, blows through tackle for 9. Seale then runs into his blocker, stopped by Vaughters, but 1st down at 42.
False start on Terrell, 1st and 15 on 47. False start by Seale. 1st and 20.
Nunes has JRP, but skips the ball to him. 2nd and 20.
Seale over LG for 7. 3rd 13 at 45.
Nunes goes through receivers, then throws over an open Montgomery.
Finally, Nunes hits JRP for nice completion to the 4 (beats Bernard in fight for the ball).
Nice slant to Montgomery, who was wearing a CB, for the TD. Williamson booms the PAT for what could have been a 40 yd FG.
O 22, D 35.
Evan Crower in at QB, Cummings over RT for 2.
Cummings finds nice hole over LT for 10 yds.
Kelsey Young fights for no gain, Lancaster and 2 others on tackle.
Shotgun, Crower calls TO.
Shotgun, Crower hits Sam Knapp for 17. Leftie QB.
Just behind J Roberts on slant, wide open.
Crower hits Jackson Cummings on deep cross, who runs nicely in for TD. PAT good. 2 in a row! 29 - 35.
Nunes in for next series. Misses a wide-open Toilolo on 35-yd post.
Good blocking on an out to Montgomery, who scampers for 24. Olugbode on force out. Hewitt on good block.
Ricky Seale fights for 3 against Debniak.
Nunes throws it out, Hewitt seems to have words with Richards.
Nunes to Toilolo for 9. 4th and 1 at 32.
Nunes on play-action bootleg outraces OL for 1st down at 31.
Pass over Toilolo's head, covered by Richards.
Ricky Seale for 2.
Blitz sack by Nunes, loss of 2 to 31. Chase Thomas big pressure.
4th down TD pass to JRP, who wasn't really open, broken up to Browning.
Final Score: D 37, O 29.
Final Thoughts
There's lot of work to do. This is not the team that will beat SC, but the defense could give them more trouble than before.
A lot was sloppy (snaps, PAT), but brighter spots included Cummings as a workhorse RB, reminds of a smaller Taylor.
Kelsey Young was another bright spot, but those two dropped passes are a concern. Pratt and Dudchock are keepers, and Montgomery is playing with more confidence. Vaughters made his presence felt on defense, as did Reynolds and Richards. Trent Murphy and Chase Thomas, as well as Debniak, are showing they can't always be stopped.
The QB competition shows little clarity. The best we can hope for is that these QBs work themselves stronger and bigger and smarter over the summer, and that by September there is a hope and prayer offense that has some strengths, but some exploitable weak spots. We're going to have another year like 2009, but a better defense and better balanced offense. There will be no Toby, and there will be no Andrew Luck; but whoever is QB will be better than Pritchard. So I think 8-4 is a reasonable expectation; see you in San Diego or El Paso?
