Stanford's Path to a Bowl Game Runs Through Duke
· Yahoo Sports
After Stanford's dominant first three quarters of play against Hawai'i, holding a 23-7 lead entering the final quarter, it looked like the program was going to earn a statement win. Then the Rainbow Warriors went on to score 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, taking a brief lead, before Davis Warren marched the Cardinal down the field.
Stanford ended up winning 37-27, but the path to that final score was filled with drama.
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Then in Week 1, the Miami Hurricanes came to The Farm and rolled the Cardinal 45-6. The final score in that game told the story, but some of the intricacies of the loss — like dropped passes and penalties at inopportune times — weren't highlighted.
That's why this upcoming game against Duke is going to be so important in how this program ends up being viewed. A win on the road will provide legitimate hope that Stanford could go 6-6 and contend for a bowl game appearance. A loss could mean another rebuilding season.
The fact that this game is coming off a bye should help the Cardinal, giving them another week to rest and prepare. Wide receiver Caden High was on a snap count in his season debut against Miami after an injury kept him out in Week 0 against Hawai'i, so this extra week should allow him to have a larger impact on the game.
We should also see the debut of transfer wide receiver Nico Brown in the near future, as injuries have kept him out of the first two games as well.
As for Duke, the Blue Devils have already earned two wins this season, defeating Tulane 17-3 and going into Illinois and walking out with a 31-27 victory. QB Walker Eget was much more efficient in Week 2, completing 15-21 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns.
The key for Stanford will be somehow slowing down running back Nate Sheppard, who racked up another 147 yards on 24 carries Saturday. Against Tulane, Sheppard carried the ball 35 times for 227 yards, giving him a total of 374 yards rushing through two games.
Next weekend's game at Duke will determine whether this is another rebuild season or, as GM Andrew Luck said before the season, a sign that it's time to take steps forward. An in-conference road win against a formidable foe would be a step in that direction.