Finishing its non-conference schedule with a 2-1 record, Arizona Football begins Conference play as they travel to Northern California to take on Stanford (1-2, 0-1).
And just like that, we are now into week four of the 2023 season as Arizona Football enters conference play.
Wrapping up its non-conference slate of games with a 2-1 record, the Wildcats will return to action this Saturday as they travel to Northern California where they will take on a tough-minded Stanford team.
Coming in, the Cardinal have been reeling, losing big to USC two weeks ago, followed by a shocking loss to Sacramento State at home this past weekend.
However, this is a game the Wildcats cannot overlook, and regardless of Stanford’s record, Arizona will be tested.
With that said, here is our preview of Arizona’s game against Stanford!
Getting to Know the details of Arizona Football’s opponent, the Stanford Cardinal.
Team: Stanford Cardinal
Conference: Pac-12
Head Coach: Troy Taylor enters his 1st season with the Cardinal after taking over for David Shaw. Currently, he is 1-2 as head coach, but before Stanford, Troy was head coach at Sacramento State from 2019-22 (’20 Covid Season excluded) where compiled a 30-8 (23-1) record overall.
2022 Record: Finishing 3-9 (1-8) in 2022, Stanford ended its season with five straight losses including a 35-26 loss to BYU to close out the year.
Key Returners / Starters:
Offense
Using more of a varied style of an Air-Raid/Spread offense, this is a group that is unlike the previous Stanford teams we saw under Coach Shaw.
Coach Taylor likes to give a few different looks, even running a bit of power option while at Sacramento State.
Under center will be a couple of different quarterbacks as the Cardinal like to use both Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson. However, look for Ashton to get more reps.
So far in 2023, Daniels has completed 31-50 passes for 336 yards and three touchdowns to two interceptions.
Coming in, he will look to spread the field, using a variety of pass catchers that includes tight end Benjamin Yurosek, Elic Ayomanor, and John Humphreys most notably.
In the backfield, Wildcat fans will mostly see Casey Filkins and E.J. Smith. Together, the two form a formidable rushing attack, plus, Lamson is always a threat to tuck it and run when under center.
Overall, this is an offense that hasn’t seen a ton of success, scoring an average of 23.3 points per game; however, Arizona cannot overlook Stanford, as they will look to control the clock.
Defense
Defensively, this a group that will look a bit different than we’ve seen from previous, dominant Stanford defenses.
Defensive Coordinator Bobby April III enters his first season with Stanford, and he comes to Palo Alto after spending the last five seasons at Wisconsin.
Overall, this group has struggled to adapt early on, surrendering 457.0 yards and 36.7 points per game.
While Arizona should be able to take advantage, they cannot overlook them either!
Veterans Gaethan Bernadel and Alaka’i Gilman are the most active on defense, leading the team in tackles. But also, the Cardinal has a few playmakers in Anthony Franklin, David Bailey, and Lance Keneley who do a great job of disrupting the backfield.
In the secondary, the Cardinal have been a bit limited, surrendering an average of 342.3 yards per game. Overall, they do have some playmakers in Scotty Edwards, Collin Wright, and Zahran Manley; however, the Wildcat should have the advantage here.
The Wildcats should have the clear advantage coming in, but as we’ve seen early on this season, we just don’t know what kind of Arizona team we will see from the opening kick. If the Wildcats can move the ball and limit the turnovers, I think they will win this one comfortably.
Game information and details for Arizona Football:
When: Saturday, September 23rd, 2023
Time: 4:00 PM MST
Watch: Pac-12 Network
Spread: -10.5 Arizona (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)
Where: Stanford Stadium (aka ‘ The Farm’) – Palo Alto, CA (50,424)
Overall Series Record: 17-14 Stanford. Taking control of their head-to-head series, the Cardinal have won six straight against the Wildcats, including nine of the last 11.
Last Meeting vs. Arizona: The last time these two teams met was at Stanford where the Cardinal came away with a convincing, 41-31 win.
My Prediction: Arizona 31 Stanford 17 – Winning on the road is never easy; however, I think Arizona does just enough in this one. Don’t get fancy or cute, just play smart and to your strengths and I think the Wildcats will come out on top in this one!
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