2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread

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2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - george - 11-03-2021

Now that my standard glass half-full preamble has been weaponized, I'll move away from records and point out that a winning season is still possible at this point. Shred away...

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - thunder_chik - 11-03-2021

I'm going with Stanford 24, Utah 23. Miracles happen.
I just wish for once we might try some deception, like a fake field goal or anything to liven up the fan experience.
Remember McCaffrey and Hogan doing the fake fumble in the Rose Bowl vs. Iowa? Pure entertainment. Of course, I think we were winning by a goodly margin at the time we ran that play...

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Softball Fan - 11-03-2021

If I'm reading this news article correctly a team Stanford beat is one of the top four currently ranked to be in the College Football Playoff. If that is true (maybe I'm reading it wrong) then Stanford is capable of beating any PAC-12 team.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Austroturf - 11-03-2021

(11-03-2021, 01:35 PM)thunder_chik Wrote: I'm going with Stanford 24, Utah 23. Miracles happen.
I just wish for once we might try some deception, like a fake field goal or anything to liven up the fan experience.
Remember McCaffrey and Hogan doing the fake fumble in the Rose Bowl vs. Iowa? Pure entertainment. Of course, I think we were winning by a goodly margin at the time we ran that play...

We were up 28-0 at the time. Hogan's toss to Rector put us up 35-0 at the half. Hawkeye fans were in meltdown mode.

I don't believe this game is going to end well for the Cardinal.

Even with good teams, Shaw has had a Utah problem. He lost his first game to the Utes in 2013 in Salt Lake City, when he decided to pass twice at the goal line instead of running Gaffney off tackle (as he did against Oregon repeatedly three games later). I will never understand that decision.

His second loss to Whittingham was the 2OT belly-flop in 2014 at home. The game ended 7-7 in regulation, was knotted at 14-14 after the 1st OT and finished at 20-17 after a FG for the Cardinal and a TD for the Utes.

In 2017, Shaw booked a 23-20 win in Salt Lake City on 152 yards rushing from Bryce Love.

Then came a thrashing (40-21) by the Utes in 2018 at home, with Zach Moss rushing for 160 yards.

Over the years, Whittingham has been one of the few Pac-12 coaches with a positive record vs. Shaw, even when his teams have not been objectively better. I predict a thrashing akin to what we experienced in 2018. Why should the result be any better in 2021, especially with McKee potentially out?

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - MV72018 - 11-03-2021

Utah 34 Stanford 13.

P.S. Stanford is not better than it's playing. It's as good as it's playing. The O line and the D line are terrible. How can David Shaw honestly make a statement like he did, claiming that all he has to do is to figure out how to get Stanford's wonderful talent to play better than it is and that that's the major thing he has to improve upon? We could easily lose out from here, including Big Game. After all, Cal beat OSU. If so, my 6-6 prediction would prove to have been too sanguine. Recruiting, play calling, clock management, stopping the undisciplined penalties, and hiring better staff are just five others that come readily to mind.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - teejers1 - 11-03-2021

(11-03-2021, 03:08 PM)Austroturf Wrote: I don't believe this game is going to end well for the Cardinal.

Even with good teams, Shaw has had a Utah problem. He lost his first game to the Utes in 2013 in Salt Lake City, when he decided to pass twice at the goal line instead of running Gaffney off tackle (as he did against Oregon repeatedly three games later). I will never understand that decision.

His second loss to Whittingham was the 2OT belly-flop in 2014 at home. The game ended 7-7 in regulation, was knotted at 14-14 after the 1st OT and finished at 20-17 after a FG for the Cardinal and a TD for the Utes.

In 2017, Shaw booked a 23-20 win in Salt Lake City on 152 yards rushing from Bryce Love.

Then came a thrashing (40-21) by the Utes in 2018 at home, with Zach Moss rushing for 160 yards.

Over the years, Whittingham has been one of the few Pac-12 coaches with a positive record vs. Shaw, even when his teams have not been objectively better. I predict a thrashing akin to what we experienced in 2018. Why should the result be any better in 2021, especially with McKee potentially out?

That one is in the Pantheon of All Time WTF?!? moments from our head coach. Unfortunately, there are WAY too many of them; fortunately, repression is a survival mechanism. On the bright side, the frequency of those moments have been declining.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - gailtate - 11-03-2021

(11-03-2021, 04:30 PM)teejers1 Wrote:
(11-03-2021, 03:08 PM)Austroturf Wrote: I don't believe this game is going to end well for the Cardinal.

Even with good teams, Shaw has had a Utah problem. He lost his first game to the Utes in 2013 in Salt Lake City, when he decided to pass twice at the goal line instead of running Gaffney off tackle (as he did against Oregon repeatedly three games later). I will never understand that decision.

His second loss to Whittingham was the 2OT belly-flop in 2014 at home. The game ended 7-7 in regulation, was knotted at 14-14 after the 1st OT and finished at 20-17 after a FG for the Cardinal and a TD for the Utes.

In 2017, Shaw booked a 23-20 win in Salt Lake City on 152 yards rushing from Bryce Love.

Then came a thrashing (40-21) by the Utes in 2018 at home, with Zach Moss rushing for 160 yards.

Over the years, Whittingham has been one of the few Pac-12 coaches with a positive record vs. Shaw, even when his teams have not been objectively better. I predict a thrashing akin to what we experienced in 2018. Why should the result be any better in 2021, especially with McKee potentially out?

That one is in the Pantheon of All Time WTF?!? moments from our head coach. Unfortunately, there are WAY too many of them; fortunately, repression is a survival mechanism.  On the bright side, the frequency of those moments have been declining.

The "bright side" for me has been my decision to lower my expectations: (1) I don't keep score in golf anymore, (2) I gave up on the Oakland A's after the playoff with KC in 2014 (and trades of Donaldson and Cespedes earlier), and (3) I cashiered Shawball after the Big Game in 2019. Which was, BTW, the last game I attended, a run that began in September, 1965.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Phogge - 11-03-2021

If McKee doesn't play then a shutout. West should be playing for the Coast Guard Academy.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Austroturf - 11-04-2021

(11-03-2021, 04:30 PM)teejers1 Wrote:
(11-03-2021, 03:08 PM)Austroturf Wrote: I don't believe this game is going to end well for the Cardinal.

Even with good teams, Shaw has had a Utah problem. He lost his first game to the Utes in 2013 in Salt Lake City, when he decided to pass twice at the goal line instead of running Gaffney off tackle (as he did against Oregon repeatedly three games later). I will never understand that decision.

His second loss to Whittingham was the 2OT belly-flop in 2014 at home. The game ended 7-7 in regulation, was knotted at 14-14 after the 1st OT and finished at 20-17 after a FG for the Cardinal and a TD for the Utes.

In 2017, Shaw booked a 23-20 win in Salt Lake City on 152 yards rushing from Bryce Love.

Then came a thrashing (40-21) by the Utes in 2018 at home, with Zach Moss rushing for 160 yards.

Over the years, Whittingham has been one of the few Pac-12 coaches with a positive record vs. Shaw, even when his teams have not been objectively better. I predict a thrashing akin to what we experienced in 2018. Why should the result be any better in 2021, especially with McKee potentially out?

That one is in the Pantheon of All Time WTF?!? moments from our head coach. Unfortunately, there are WAY too many of them; fortunately, repression is a survival mechanism.  On the bright side, the frequency of those moments have been declining.

Yes, there was less than one minute to play, and Stanford was on the Utah 6 yard line after a 4 yard ramble by Hogan. It was 3rd and 6 with 1 timeout remaining, and we had a terrific O-line that year. Down 27-21, Stanford had to punch it in to win. Gaffney never touched the ball. Two pass plays fell incomplete. Game over. I was slack-jawed, in complete disbelief. The power run game was abandoned in the moment of truth.

This was akin to the WTF moment by the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 when they were on the 1 yard line with less than a minute to play and trailing the Patriots 28-24. Carroll and his OC decided to pass despite having Marshawn Lynch (Beast Mode) in the backfield. Interception, game over.

On another note, as I write this post, there are fully 7 out of 16 Cardboard members predicting a Cardinal victory tomorrow. Is this pure homerism, or do the 7 of you know something the rest of us are ignorant of? I sure hope Stanford wins. It would be a great upset and set the tenor for the rest of the season (maybe even put us back into bowl contention). But there is no objective data supporting that outcome.

Apart from "miracles happen" (thunder_chik), are there any other observations from the folks predicting a W for Stanford?

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Papa John - 11-04-2021

Stanford last won at home versus Utah in 1902. This year breaks the dry spell and the Stanford Bookstore sells t-shirts that read: "Stanford football at home over Utah. Once every 119 years."

Some of us vote with our hearts, not our brains. McKee plays and throws two TDs. Kelly has a pick-six. Karty makes 3 field goals from 40+.

Stanford 30, Utah 21

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Austroturf - 11-04-2021

(11-04-2021, 08:24 AM)Papa John Wrote: Stanford last won at home versus Utah in 1902. This year breaks the dry spell and the Stanford Bookstore sells t-shirts that read: "Stanford football at home over Utah. Once every 119 years."

Some of us vote with our hearts, not our brains. McKee plays and throws two TDs. Kelly has a pick-six. Karty makes 3 field goals from 40+.

Stanford 30, Utah 21

According to the archives I consulted, that 1902 victory was in Salt Lake City. "Pop" Warner managed to beat Utah 30-0 in the Bay Area in 1924, but for some reason the game was played at Berkeley. https://utahutes.com/sports/football/opponent-history/stanford-university/52

Hope your prediction is right.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Brickcity - 11-04-2021

(11-04-2021, 09:28 AM)Austroturf Wrote:
(11-04-2021, 08:24 AM)Papa John Wrote: Stanford last won at home versus Utah in 1902. This year breaks the dry spell and the Stanford Bookstore sells t-shirts that read: "Stanford football at home over Utah. Once every 119 years."

Some of us vote with our hearts, not our brains. McKee plays and throws two TDs. Kelly has a pick-six. Karty makes 3 field goals from 40+.

Stanford 30, Utah 21

According to the archives I consulted, that 1902 victory was in Salt Lake City. "Pop" Warner managed to beat Utah 30-0 in the Bay Area in 1924, but for some reason the game was played at Berkeley. https://utahutes.com/sports/football/opponent-history/stanford-university/52

Hope your prediction is right.

Utah: 38
Stanford: 6

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Austroturf - 11-04-2021

Here's an interesting read on why that 1924 game against Utah, which Stanford won 30-0, was played in Berkeley. Technically, it was a home game, so this counts as Stanford's last home victory vs. the Utes. The other 3 victories (1902, 1995, 2017) were all played in Salt Lake City. Utah has a total of 5 victories vs. Stanford, and 4 of them have been on the Farm.

https://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2012/3/25/2813279/the-year-usc-caused-stanford-to-play-a-home-game-in-berkeley

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Papa John - 11-04-2021

I get my facts from the Stanford Daily:

https://www.stanforddaily.com/2021/11/03/roundtable-utah/

Quote:The last time Stanford beat Utah at home was Nov. 27, 1902. Can the Cardinal defy the odds?

So what if every other website says otherwise? I like my t-shirt ideas. Kind of like when Stanford returned to the men's NCAA basketball tournament in 1989. Every 47 years...

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Austroturf - 11-04-2021

(11-04-2021, 10:18 AM)Papa John Wrote: I get my facts from the Stanford Daily:

https://www.stanforddaily.com/2021/11/03/roundtable-utah/

Quote:The last time Stanford beat Utah at home was Nov. 27, 1902. Can the Cardinal defy the odds?

So what if every other website says otherwise? I like my t-shirt ideas. Kind of like when Stanford returned to the men's NCAA basketball tournament in 1989. Every 47 years...

Well, the Daily appears to be the only source stating the game was in Palo Alto. All of these (plus the one I cited above) say the game was played in SLC. This is, of course, not meant to imply that your t-shirt idea isn't good. It just may be inaccurate. 97 years also isn't bad (1924-2021) and would make a good t-shirt. Now we just need to win tomorrow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1902_Stanford_football_team

https://www.ruleoftree.com/2017/10/3/16395582/history-of-stanford-utah-football

http://www.winsipedia.com/utah/vs/stanford

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/1902_Stanford_football_team

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - teejers1 - 11-04-2021

(11-04-2021, 02:48 AM)Austroturf Wrote:
(11-03-2021, 04:30 PM)teejers1 Wrote:
(11-03-2021, 03:08 PM)Austroturf Wrote: I don't believe this game is going to end well for the Cardinal.

Even with good teams, Shaw has had a Utah problem. He lost his first game to the Utes in 2013 in Salt Lake City, when he decided to pass twice at the goal line instead of running Gaffney off tackle (as he did against Oregon repeatedly three games later). I will never understand that decision.

That one is in the Pantheon of All Time WTF?!? moments from our head coach. Unfortunately, there are WAY too many of them; fortunately, repression is a survival mechanism.  On the bright side, the frequency of those moments have been declining.

Yes, there was less than one minute to play, and Stanford was on the Utah 6 yard line after a 4 yard ramble by Hogan. It was 3rd and 6 with 1 timeout remaining, and we had a terrific O-line that year. Down 27-21, Stanford had to punch it in to win. Gaffney never touched the ball. Two pass plays fell incomplete. Game over. I was slack-jawed, in complete disbelief. The power run game was abandoned in the moment of truth.

This was akin to the WTF moment by the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 when they were on the 1 yard line with less than a minute to play and trailing the Patriots 28-24. Carroll and his OC decided to pass despite having Marshawn Lynch (Beast Mode) in the backfield. Interception, game over.

My recollection is that it was 3rd and 2 (Stanford could have secured a first down w/o scoring a TD). Over a minute and 1 timeout remaining. [And Stanford had just run for 8 yards on 2 previous plays - and had been running well later in the game, including on that drive. So instead of sensing what's working and sticking with it, Our Guy opted for Pass/Incomplete, Pass/Incomplete, ballgame. Just. Effing. Brutal.].

And yes, the Seahawks' Super Bowl blunder was perhaps even more astounding. But I didn't care nearly as much about that one (only had soft spot for Seahawks due to Baldwin and Sherman - didn't care much for Petey or Lynch, but I certainly wanted them to beat the Patriots).

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - Austroturf - 11-04-2021

(11-04-2021, 10:53 AM)teejers1 Wrote:
(11-04-2021, 02:48 AM)Austroturf Wrote:
(11-03-2021, 04:30 PM)teejers1 Wrote:
(11-03-2021, 03:08 PM)Austroturf Wrote: I don't believe this game is going to end well for the Cardinal.

Even with good teams, Shaw has had a Utah problem. He lost his first game to the Utes in 2013 in Salt Lake City, when he decided to pass twice at the goal line instead of running Gaffney off tackle (as he did against Oregon repeatedly three games later). I will never understand that decision.

That one is in the Pantheon of All Time WTF?!? moments from our head coach. Unfortunately, there are WAY too many of them; fortunately, repression is a survival mechanism.  On the bright side, the frequency of those moments have been declining.

Yes, there was less than one minute to play, and Stanford was on the Utah 6 yard line after a 4 yard ramble by Hogan. It was 3rd and 6 with 1 timeout remaining, and we had a terrific O-line that year. Down 27-21, Stanford had to punch it in to win. Gaffney never touched the ball. Two pass plays fell incomplete. Game over. I was slack-jawed, in complete disbelief. The power run game was abandoned in the moment of truth.

This was akin to the WTF moment by the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 when they were on the 1 yard line with less than a minute to play and trailing the Patriots 28-24. Carroll and his OC decided to pass despite having Marshawn Lynch (Beast Mode) in the backfield. Interception, game over.

My recollection is that it was 3rd and 2 (Stanford could have secured a first down w/o scoring a TD). Over a minute and 1 timeout remaining. [And Stanford had just run for 8 yards on 2 previous plays - and had been running well later in the game, including on that drive. So instead of sensing what's working and sticking with it, Our Guy opted for Pass/Incomplete, Pass/Incomplete, ballgame. Just. Effing. Brutal.].

And yes, the Seahawks' Super Bowl blunder was perhaps even more astounding. But I didn't care nearly as much about that one  (only had soft spot for Seahawks due to Baldwin and Sherman - didn't care much for Petey or Lynch, but I certainly wanted them to beat the Patriots).

Your recollection is correct. It was 3rd and 2 from the 6 yard line after a Hogan run from the 10 (2nd down) and a 4-yard gain by Gaffney on 1st down. The 3rd down play, an incomplete pass, transpired with 51 seconds to play and stopped the clock. Still, Stanford used its final timeout... and PASSED again. That's two plays to make two yards with around a minute left, and then a fresh set of downs to punch it in. Unbelievable. And, yes, Gaffney rushed for over 100 yards that game and was averaging 6.8 yards per carry.

As a Seattle native, I cratered on that play-call, and my son started crying. We were on skiing vacation in the Alps, it was past 04:00 AM, and the Hawks had Brady and Co. on the ropes after relinquishing a 24-14 lead. Carroll and Bevell earned well-deserved infamy in that Super Bowl. I think this play tops the highlight reel for worst play-calls in NFL history. Lynch himself was surprised that he wasn't given the ball; and Sherman is caught going ballistic on the sidelines after the interception. They had three more downs to punch it in, and a pass to the outside might have made sense and been a surprise element. But right into the middle of the field and into traffic? Wilson also got some scorn for not running an audible after he saw the formation.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - george - 11-04-2021

(11-04-2021, 02:48 AM)Austroturf Wrote: On another note, as I write this post, there are fully 7 out of 16 Cardboard members predicting a Cardinal victory tomorrow. Is this pure homerism, or do the 7 of you know something the rest of us are ignorant of?

(11-04-2021, 08:24 AM)Papa John Wrote:
Some of us vote with our hearts, not our brains.

Definitely put me in the "vote with our hearts camp". Interestingly, an early version of the rules proposed that participants should be penalized -10 points for picking against Stanford. But actually, if we care about declaring the person who makes the most accurate predictions the winner, we may need to build in a bulwark against our proclivity for picking the Cardinal even in the face of strong data suggesting they don't have a chance.

Don't want to change the rules mid-season, but next year, we should probably place a larger premium on getting the winning team right. It won't prevent me from picking our beloved squad to win, but I don't think that I should be in 7th place having picked the wrong winner in 5 out of 8 games.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - gailtate - 11-04-2021

(11-04-2021, 02:11 PM)george Wrote:
(11-04-2021, 02:48 AM)Austroturf Wrote: On another note, as I write this post, there are fully 7 out of 16 Cardboard members predicting a Cardinal victory tomorrow. Is this pure homerism, or do the 7 of you know something the rest of us are ignorant of?

(11-04-2021, 08:24 AM)Papa John Wrote:
Some of us vote with our hearts, not our brains.

Definitely put me in the "vote with our hearts camp". Interestingly, an early version of the rules proposed that participants should be penalized -10 points for picking against Stanford. But actually, if we care about declaring the person who makes the most accurate predictions the winner, we may need to build in a bulwark against our proclivity for picking the Cardinal even in the face of strong data suggesting they don't have a chance.

Don't want to change the rules mid-season, but next year, we should probably place a larger premium on getting the winning team right. It won't prevent me from picking our beloved squad to win, but I don't think that I should be in 7th place having picked the wrong winner in 5 out of 8 games.

It's supposed to be about predicting who wins the damn game, not the score. Cheerleaders here have "won" on the basis of guessing numbers, not picking winners (which is total bullshine). The only way this year's team wins (or even scores in the absence of McKee) would be if the Utes take a dive. It's as likely as Stanford winning out.

RE: 2021 Utah vs Stanford Predictions Thread - CardinalSagehen - 11-04-2021

(11-04-2021, 02:11 PM)george Wrote:
(11-04-2021, 02:48 AM)Austroturf Wrote: On another note, as I write this post, there are fully 7 out of 16 Cardboard members predicting a Cardinal victory tomorrow. Is this pure homerism, or do the 7 of you know something the rest of us are ignorant of?

(11-04-2021, 08:24 AM)Papa John Wrote:
Some of us vote with our hearts, not our brains.

Definitely put me in the "vote with our hearts camp". Interestingly, an early version of the rules proposed that participants should be penalized -10 points for picking against Stanford. But actually, if we care about declaring the person who makes the most accurate predictions the winner, we may need to build in a bulwark against our proclivity for picking the Cardinal even in the face of strong data suggesting they don't have a chance.

Don't want to change the rules mid-season, but next year, we should probably place a larger premium on getting the winning team right. It won't prevent me from picking our beloved squad to win, but I don't think that I should be in 7th place having picked the wrong winner in 5 out of 8 games.

I'm voting with my heart, too. And I expect to fall way down the list this week, because Utah is good at everything we're not.

At the same time, the current spread on this board (Utah -10) is even more pessimistic than the Vegas spread (Utah -7.5). If you take out the blatant homers like Papa John, george, and me, the CARDboard spread would probably be something like -17 points.

I ask - is it possible we're predicting irrationally and emotionally not just for our team, but against our team?

I'm -17 in my mind, but I'm +1 in my heart.

Stanford 28, Utah 27.