In a clash between two teams looking to extend their respective winning streaks, the No. 8 Stanford Cardinal (6-1) travel to play the Washington State Cougars (5-2). Both teams are hot, with the Cougars having won three in a row and the Cardinal having won six. This game will feature the nation’s third-leading passer, Luke Falk (2,885 yards, 26 TDs). Players will take the field Saturday, Oct 31 at 10:30 p.m. ET and it will air on ESPN.
Washington State won in a tight one over Arizona 45-42 last week. Luke Falk had a big game throwing the ball in the win, completing 47 of 62 passes for 514 yards and five TDs. Gabe Marks also had a big game with 97 receiving yards and four TDs on eight receptions. Stanford managed to get the win as well, beating Washington 31-14. Austin Hooper had a solid game for the Cardinal, registering three receptions for 50 yards and one TD. Kevin Hogan had a big game as well, totaling 290 yards and two TDs through the air.
Stanford is a 12-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment.
The Cougars enter the game with a record of 5-2 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over their last five games, the Cougars have records of 4-1 for both SU and ATS. The Cougars offense is averaging 514.6 total yards per game during their last five games. Stanford might put Washington State away early because the Cougars are one of the top teams in scoring offense during the fourth quarter. So far this year, they’ve averaged 10.3 fourth-quarter points. The Cougars may rely on Stanford’s special teams as a means for extra yardage in this week’s clash. The Cardinal are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to return yards given up with 109.9 allowed per game.
On the other side, the Cardinal have a record of 6-1 for both ATS and SU. Stanford was unstoppable in its five most recent games, putting up 5-0 SU and ATS records. The Cardinal have averaged 45 PPG over the last five games, above their 37.4 PPG season average. If earlier games are any indication, the Cardinal will run the ball aggressively. They average 221 rushing yards per game, good enough for 18th in Division I. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Stanford defense can dominate if it takes advantage of some favorable matchups. The Cardinal may be able to focus their attention on other areas, because Washington State’s run game has not been reliable this year. The Cougars rank 126th in the nation with 91.1 rushing yards per game. The Cardinal have a habit of starting the second half with the proper adjustments in place. They average 12 points during the third quarter, ranking sixth in Division I. Special teams is usually an area of weakness for the Cougars, giving up 124.1 return yards per game.
Predictions: SU Winner – Stanford, ATS Winner – Stanford
Notes
Washington State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington State’s last 6 games.
Washington State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
Washington State is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Washington State’s last 19 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington State’s last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Washington State’s last 13 games when playing Stanford.
Washington State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Stanford.
Washington State is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Stanford.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington State’s last 7 games when playing at home against Stanford.
Stanford is 6-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Washington State is 4-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Remarkably, Washington State is only 1-2 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (3-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Stanford is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 18th-ranked rushing attack will face the 105th-ranked run defense of Washington State, while its 33rd-ranked run defense will look to contain the 126th-ranked rushing game of the Cougars.
