The Axe is heading back to Berkeley for the first time this decade. The Golden Bears took their first lead of the game with less than two minutes on the clock, and their defense held on for a 24-20 victory.
For Stanford, this is the rotten cherry on top of a nightmare season. Last month David Shaw lost to UCLA for the first time as a head coach. The Cardinal also suffered defeats in each of the last two contests to defenses among the nation’s worst. Today’s loss not only ended a series-long streak, but officially closed the book on Stanford’s bowl eligibility. For the first time since 2008, they will sit at home in December.
Stanford entered the game without the services of 25 players, and they lost Connor Wedington on the opening kickoff return. Still, the ragtag bunch was strong out of the gate, taking just four plays to turn their first drive into a touchdown. Davis Mills found Donald Stewart streaking down the right sideline and hit him in stride for a 40 yard score. It was Stewart’s first reception since 2017.
Chase Garbers was announced as the Bears’ starting quarterback this morning, which very clearly turned the tide for the visitors. They started the season 4-0 before he went down with an injury, and their offense relies on him for any semblance of competence. “This was Chase Garbers’ game,” said David Shaw. “We couldn’t stop him.”
Cal knotted the game up on a 90 yard drive in the first quarter, and Garbers was the star. The Cardinal nearly sacked up back inside his own ten, but he somehow wriggled out of trouble and scrambled for 19 yards. On a third down later in the drive, he threw a dart to a diving receiver to keep the chains moving.
The teams exchanged long field goals before the half, as the Cardinal used a bomb to Simi Fehoko to set up Sanborn’s 48 yard offering. Cal had a field goal attempt before the horn to go up 13-10, but Jovan Swann muscled his way through the line and got a paw on the kick. It fell harmlessly to the turf.
The third quarter was a back and forth affair that saw miscues aplenty. Davis Mills was nearly picked once, and then actually picked twice. He targeted Fehoko deep, but the safety got over and made a spectacular interception on the Cal 1 yard line. As it turned out, the pick may as well have been a coffin corner punt, as the Bears punted it back three plays later with a 20 yard shank.
Stanford used the short field to march down and take a lead late in the third quarter. Michael Wilson took a reception and fought hard to bring the Cardinal just outside the goal line. On the ensuing play, they brought in a heavy run formation and sent Cameron Scarlett airborne and over the goal line. Scarlett ended up in the arms of teammates and foes alike, celebrating the touchdown before ever making contact with the ground.
A few drives later, Garbers had more heroics in him to bring the game back to all square. He hit Nikko Remigio on a pinpoint 40 yard pass over the arms of Kyu Kelly, before connecting again with Remigio to make it a 17-17 stalemate.
But the Cardinal would answer. Davis Mills faced a critical 3rd and 8 from his own 39, finding Colby Parkinson down the seam for 18 yards. It was a big-time throw, over multiple outstretched Cal defenders and into the expectant hands of the big tight end. Another first down later, and the drive stalled as they ran up the middle on 3rd and 4. Freshman Ryan Sanborn came in for a pressure 44 yard field goal, and his leg was true, giving them a 3 point lead with just 2:23 remaining.
That was when Garbers showed his total importance to Cal. He hit Remigio for completions of 14 and 10, before connecting with Trevon Clark for 37 yards. Two plays later and with the clock ticking towards 1 minute, he once again found running room ahead of him, as he rolled to the left and scrambled 16 yards to paydirt and a 24-20 advantage. The Cardinal offense would fail to record a first down, and the streak was over.
Garbers’ legs were more of a story than his arm. He ran the ball 10 times for 84 yards and that touchdown, escaping numerous near sacks for timely yardage. “That’s one of the things we talked about is he makes a difference in games he plays in with his legs,” said Shaw. “That’s the reason why they’ve only lost one game when he plays.” He also went 20-30 for 285 yards and a score, and most importantly 0 interceptions to the 2 of Mills.
With a decade of pent up aggression free to come out, the Cal fans rushed the field. It might have been the first time in history a 4 win team has had an opponent storm their turf.
Davis Mills was 26-35 for 283 yards, a touchdown, and two picks. Michael Wilson led all Cardinal receivers with 6 catches for 63 yards, and Scarlett was the top rusher despite gaining just 31 yards on 12 carries.
“I’m hurting for our seniors,” said Shaw. “I feel like the rest of us let our seniors down, didn’t allow them to finish their careers here with the Axe.”
Comments
What a miserable ending
I knew it was trouble when they had to settle for a FG on that late Stanford drive to take the lead. There was just enough time left on the clock, and Cal still had 3 timeouts (imagine that…). And the defense was going hot and cold. It just felt like a recipe for disaster.
I would have loved for the Cardinal to hold them on that last drive, but hopefully, this result will push Shaw to make some overdue changes on his staff and refocus the team on its identity, whatever he thinks that is now. Personally, I’d love to see the team regain its strength along the lines and become known for physicality and toughness. But I know the game has changed, so I’ll leave that to Shaw. But something needs to be done, starting with the team’s off-season conditioning and recruitment. Probably time for new coordinators as well.
By g8tgod on 11.23.19 6:50pm
I Expected 6 - 6 From This Season
With the caveat that injuries could make it worse. But not 4 – 8 worse. We plain lost this game at home to a team that is arguably less talented than the Cardinal. The defense looked like they lost the game because they gave up two scores at the end for Cal to overcome us. But honestly we should score more than 20 points against Cal. We completely failed to run the ball and left ourselves with limited timeouts to execute a winning touchdown drive at the end (note to Shaw….that’s what timeouts are for, not for assessing what to do on 1st and 10 and then running Scarlett up the middle).
While Shaw has elected to pass more, he has not really figured out how to create a coherent offense out of that approach. It is like….."we’ll try to run the ball and, if that fails, we will pass because we are forced to". There are ball control pass oriented offenses out there.
I suspect that there will be no changes in the off-season as the focus will be on "executing better" next year. The good news is that alot of Freshman saw playing time this year which could serve us well next year. Mills is the real deal. An offseason to create an effective offense for him could reap big rewards.
I will be at the Notre Dame game. But mostly because my son, who attends Notre Dame, is home for Thanksgiving. The stadium will probably be more than 50% ND fans. I think it is going to be ugly for the Cardinal.
By hoyaparanoia on 11.23.19 7:34pm
Agree with the comments above
Stanford needs to re-commit to running the ball and Mills needs to work on his movement skills. It sounds simple, but reading the defense and moving efficiently to hand off the ball isn’t as easy as it looks and he was slow and hesitant getting the ball to the RB often this year, giving the defense more time to adjust and move into position. He also needs to improve his pocket awareness. He’s not totally slow, he just needs to make up his mind what he’s going to do more quickly.
By worldblee on 11.24.19 9:39am
Need lots of changes
I agree on the running and on Mills developing.
We also need to drastically improve the line play on both sides of the ball.
Really, we need new coaches — OC, DC, line, QB, etc. I am skeptical Shaw will make the changes needed. The risk is that because he has so much stored up goodwill at this point that he is basically untouchable, and therefore will not do what needs to be done to move things in a different direction than the year-on-year deterioration we have seen over the past few seasons.
The Cal series is streaky. It would be a shame if this game were the beginning of a 5+ run by Cal in the series. It could be, however, if we don’t make some changes because Wilcox has done exactly that over there, and it’s working.
By Brendan Ross on 11.24.19 10:04am
Very depressing game
I thought Shaw elected to punt at once when the ball was on Cal’s 41 in the first half. I think that was a mistake. And while I think Mills is better than Costello, the last two weeks he has made some bad decisions about who to throw to. So I worry about next year as well.
By brandtjl1 on 11.24.19 10:43am
Say What?
Two delay of game penalties in the first quarter cost two drives – what’s with that? We take so long after lining up to hike the ball, the defense can set and defensive line can move before the snap. I agree that punting on the 41-yard-line when the coach knows our defense sucks was a big mistake. In the WSU-OSU game, OSU was winning by 5 points and had 4th and 7. They were on about WSU’s 40-yard line. OSU went for it and the pass was a tad high. WSU got the ball and ended up scoring with 1 sec left. Sure, OSU lost the game, but the coach knew his defense couldn’t stop WSU so he went for it. Better to lose this way. Also, on our last drive, 3rd and 4 and we run off tackle which hasn’t worked all game. So predictable and boring. In watching multiple CFB games Saturday, our offense is really simple in comparison. No season tickets for me next year unless some coaching changes are made.
By gaffman on 11.24.19 11:26am
Looking forward
We’ve reached the end of a long road. As expected this year’s schedule has proven itself to be one of the toughest in history. I began the season worrying about the offense.. worrying about Costello, our WRs, RBs and more importantly our offensive approach. Shaw is still very conservative but he’s clearly loosened up. Fast fast forward to Nov and the offense is the least of my worries. I honestly had no idea our defense was so darn bad. Yes the secondary continues to get burnt but a strong defense starts upfront in the trenches. If I’m Lance Andersen my focus would be to bring in legitimate juco transfers…guys who are experienced and ready to go. We can use the off season developing the secondary but from what I’ve witnessed the DLine is seriously deficient.
As Mills continues to develop coach Shaw needs to make sure he’s maximizing the skills of his QB. For example On 3rd and 5 or 4th and short call a downfield passing play that gives Mills some options.. sending the WRs downfield will give Mills the option to run.
Although I am excited about next season my attention has turned to the defensive side of the ball. I can’t stand seeing any team give up 500+ yards a game. Upgrade the DLine and everything else should fall into place.
By Slot_Man22 on 11.24.19 1:30pm
Yes
A top team begins with a strong defense. Shaw (and Lance Anderson) have allowed this side of the ball to atrophy during the last five years: this year, Stanford is ranked 95th (out of 130) in yards-allowed per game. In 2014, Stanford was 6th in this same category. I am not convinced Lance Anderson has what it takes to field a nation-leading defense.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 11.24.19 1:52pm
As You Noted, This Is A Continuum Of Downsliding....
…..on both the defensive end and on the offensive line/running game (we rank 123rd out of 130 teams in rushing yardage per game!). Sure, the injuries cost us a little bit this year and yes we had a tough schedule. But we are but a shadow of our former selves. Shaw is passing more out of necessity, and we have quality QBs and receivers. While we are able to amass yardage, we have a harder time picking up first downs consistently and getting to the end zone….particularly when in the red zone. And we are making mistakes that kill our drives. We are currently ranked 110th out of 130 teams in points per game. We are really not very good on either side of the ball unfortunately.
I was not positive on this year coming in, and I have a really hard time seeing where the upside is next year. Mills is a very good QB, but has a history of injuries. Is he going to make it through the year? Who is our back up? Jack West? Or Tanner Mckee coming back after two years off the game? Our receiving corps is still solid, and Mills has found a way to get many more players involved. But after that………..so many questions and so few obvious answers. I don’t expect any changes from Shaw in terms of coaches or his orientation. We passed more this year because (1) we could not run the ball and (2) we got behind early in a number of games. But I would not elevate this to a Shaw shift in strategy.
Do we get to four wins next year? We open up at home against William and Mary but our other non-conference game (other than ND) is BYU……..no pushover.
By hoyaparanoia on 11.24.19 3:43pm
Will your offensive and defensive lines be up to par when the injuries are healed?
Serious question. I haven’t followed Stanford football lately, since we don’t face you for the next 2 years.
By RavenousUte on 11.25.19 3:50pm
who knows because personnel will change by then but...
…I’m not aware of any injuries to the defensive line.
By brandtjl1 on 11.26.19 9:32am
OL can become serviceable
Defensive line was a mess in terms of talent and depth the last 4 yrs but this year they have been brutally exposed for technique and coaching. When they can neither rush the passer nor stop the run, it’s just the will to play physical isn’t there.
Offensive line was brutally injured with 4 upperclassmen lineman going down. The true freshmen who started were extremely promising even if in small spurts. But the run game is non existent and that’s a problem that goes back a year further with the departure of coach bloomgren. They had 4 returning upperclassmen lineman return last year with bryce love and went last in fbs in rushing
By layman on 11.26.19 10:37am
Stanford got beat by a better QB and better coaches
Mills should be fine next year, if he remains healthy. But he’s quite slow, so don’t expect him to run like Garber. The receiving corps will be good to very good. Fehoko is the very good; Wilson the good. But Stanford will be overstocked in wide receivers next year and needs to pull a Richard Sherman, moving one or more to the defense. The offensive line next year will be good if Sarrell, Little, and Hamilton return, but not all that better despite experience if they don’t, unless all offensive linemen improve their upper body strength. Tight end could be a problem; there are bodies on the roster, though none seems all that promising. But as long as Shaw refuses to give up the play calling duties, don’t expect much to change. If Pritchard remains, don’t expect anything to change. Why the two delay of game penalties? Factor in Tavita Prichard relaying his suggestions to Shaw, Shaw looking at his chart (now we’re down to under 20 seconds), Shaw relaying two plays and the QB relaying those same plays (now we’re down to 10 seconds many times). Then the QB has to survey the defense to decide what play to run. Oh, and to the suggestion above about juco players, when Fred Hargedon was dean of admissions and a huge football fan, he allowed John Ralston to admit JC players. Result? Two Rose Bowl wins. But with all due respect to the ones that were admitted, there are pretty much zero JC players with the academic background to get admitted these days. So it is not going to happen.
On defense, Booker is very good, the rest, not so much. Feed one of the d-line until he gets say around 320. Put him in the middle and put somebody quick as the other defensive end. But the 3-4 lives and dies (this year dies) by the linebacker play. Pryts and Toohill gave valiant efforts, but Robinson remained a bust, consistently in the wrong place. And Gabe Reid was equally useless, frequently just running head on into a lineman. There are lots and lots of linebackers on the roster. Start whomever among them is quick and bring in Blake Martinez in the off season to teach them how to play. And if Pryts comes back, move him to safety, please. Stuart Head is a bust. Notre Dame next week will own the middle of the field, as will every team we play next year if Stanford doesn’t shore up the middle.
I don’t expect Shaw to change at all next year, despite the dismal record. So if you’re like me and want to remove some of the stress that’s built up over this football season, just start watching the women’s teams. Stanford women’s soccer has the best player, the best team, and the best coach in the country. Stanford women’s volleyball team has the best hitter, setter, and libero in the country and certainly one of the top two or three teams and top coaches Stanford women’s basketball team has the best coach in the country and one of the best teams. The question with each of them is not whether they’ll lose to teams they should beat or get into the post season, but whether they’ll win a national championship. That’s a lot more fun than Saturday was.
By SU74 on 11.24.19 4:34pm
We Were Hurt This Year By A Number of 5th Year Seniors.....
……who elected not to play – including starters or prospective starters. To me, that was a signal that something was not right in Cardinalville. I would not count on many 5th years coming back next year to play on what will be a bad to average team at best…..though an AM at Stanford is a nice thing to get.
By hoyaparanoia on 11.24.19 5:30pm
Good points
Your analysis of the defense is very much on point. I still cannot fathom how Shaw, who loves slow, high TOP football, could allow the defense to erode the way it has. I recall the 2014 year when our offense was putrid for the first 10 games of the season; and at that point, we were 5-5 and wondering about bowl eligibility. But three of those losses were by a FG in low-scoring affairs (USC, Notre Dame, Utah in 2OT). As frustrating as those losses were, Stanford was in the game to the very end and had a chance to win, thanks to our defense. And once the offense started clicking, we saw a completely different team (victories against top ten UCLA, a middling Cal team and overmatched Maryland to close the season). This year, most of our losses have been by two TDs or more (only our last two losses, against underwhelming offenses, have been close: Colorado by a FG and Cal by four points). In a word, our defense has failed to keep us in any of these games.
And, yes, I do not expect Shaw to change, which is a depressing prospect. He is so convinced of his "system" that he will chalk this year’s miserable season up to injuries and a lack of execution and just keep on keeping on. As you state, there is only so much frustration a fan can take; and, ultimately, this current trajectory will force the few dedicated fans to seek their reward in other activities, whether sports-related or otherwise. The Cardinal men’s basketball team has had a promising start to the season. Let’s see how the showdown with Oklahoma goes this week. The women Bballers are always great to watch. My NFL team has done well this season. Plenty of places to devote fan energy; and Stanford football is slowly becoming a place where it is simply wasted. It’s been a great decade; but the curtains appear to be closing on this stellar run, and I think Shaw is in denial. I would love for him to prove me wrong next year, but I am not going to hold my breath.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 11.25.19 2:31am