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Quote:Stanford hosts Arizona on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 12:30 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks for Reunion Homecoming weekend.
BC
Solomon Thomas had two solo tackles, one a TFL and one a nice sack for the 49ers in their 20-7 win over the Rams. Levine Toilolo caught one pass for 8 yards and had some nice blocks. Richard Sherman had four tackles, three unassisted.
And this is a little bit schadenfreude-ish, but current Ram/former Cal Bear Jared Goff's QBR was 1.1, per ESPN. No misprint. Lowest yardage total of his career.
Stanford got two well-earned victories on the road in simultaneous games for the men and women, men 1-0 at SDSU and women 5-0 at Oregon.
The men's game had no video or audio feed, so I attempted to follow it by gametracker while watching the women. The lone goal was an Ousseni Bouda finish off a breakaway in the 58th minute, described as top left corner from 25 yards out. Sounds like he bent a ball around a keeper coming out, but it would be nice to see any video.
More generally, it felt like a game I was glad not to see. THIRTY-EIGHT fouls, and 5 yellow cards (only the last one, in the final ten, on Stanford.) But coming up with a two-win roadtrip, after going 0-1-2 the previous three games, was really big. With UW going 4-0 to start in conference, will be interesting to see the result against OSU today in Seattle.
Ah, but the women...
First things first. No Sam Hiatt the entire match, which is a major concern. Ratcliffe started Wesley in her place, as the right center back, in a backline of Harber/Girma/Wesley/Pickett. Also, Doms got the start in place of Greubel.
And another thing - the Ducks came out prepared to bunker the entire game. They lined up in a 5-3-2, with three center backs. And it really worked for them in the first 35 minutes. Stanford looked frustrated, and not as willing as they might have been to shoot from distance. When any shot or pass went into the penalty area, there were EIGHT Ducks field players and a keeper behind the ball - no room to move, shoot, and any shot was going to hit someone.
But the breakthrough was a shot hitting a Duck. Sophia Smith sprang down the left side, and sent a low shot into the near post. The keeper blocked it, but it fell about 3 yards in front of her, and two Duck defenders looked at each other, while Abby Greubel got there and stuck her foot in, popping the ball toward the post... and hitting a defender's hand.
You have to understand, Oregon had offensive possession for about 4, maybe 5 minutes in the entire half to that point. 85%+ of the play had been Stanford possession in the Ducks' half. So the handball PK was deserved, and Macario hit a screamer into the roof of the net for the opening goal.
Smith scored goal #2, barely a minute later. Receiving the ball on the right sideline, she rode out a physical challenge while spinning, then dribbled across the top of the box before splitting the defenders with a left-footed laser into the top left corner. And after all of their desperate defending, the Ducks were down 2-0 heading into the half.
And they didn't really know how to adjust. They stayed in the 5-3-2, and Stanford, with two goals in hand, started to hunt.
The third demonstrated just how special of a player Macario is. Receiving the ball from Haley, in traffic, Catarina got the ball stuck in her feet, directly over the top of it. Instead of looking down, or getting dispossessed, she stepped on the ball and rolled it forward into space, cut it back, and launched a ball from about 20 yards out that split four defenders and found the bottom left corner. Almost any other player would've lost that ball in trying to reestablish control, looking down, trying to back up off the ball to get behind it, and taking time to let the defenders close her down. Not Macario - a simple deft touch, another, and then a clinical finish.
That, by the way, is 18 goals for Macario. Career high. She has 18 goals and 10 assists (more on that in a second), for 46 points. She is close to passing Julie Foudy for fourth on the Stanford career points list. AS A JUNIOR. With a lot of soccer left this season, and having missed substantial time last year due to injury.
Just wow.
The fourth goal showed her connection with Haley. Riding out a challenge on the right side, Macario moved forward, looked up, and measured. Hitting a lofted curling pass forward with her left foot from about 30 yards out. And hitting Madison, who was stride for stride with her defender, in step for Haley to lift her right leg, touch the ball with the outside of her boot, and tuck it just inside the near post to the upper corner.
Stanford, even as the subs started to take over, kept hunting, moving forward with pressure. Sam Tran had a couple of looks, but then got herself free to the endline, and sent a rolling ball across the face of goal about 6 yards out from the right. Malatskey ran right inside her defender and hammered it into the net. That Oregon third center back, who had been having a pretty solid game, NEVER moved to the ball to clear it, letting it roll toward her and giving up the inside lane to Malatskey uncontested. Physical fatigue? Mental fatigue? Whatever it was, it turned what should have been a contested clear into a sitter for Carly, and she didn't miss.
The Cardinal went deep into the bench, with Caetano-Ferraro (at right forward), Paige Rubenstein (at right back), Madison Ayton (at center back for Wesley), and Kattalin Stahl (at left forward) seeing the field for the last 15 minutes or so.
All in all, a really solid win against a team trying like heck to follow the Pepperdine game plan; even the announcers were referencing that game midway through the first half. That bounce for a PK early really made a difference, and the floodgates opened.
Women have a single game next week, and it's a doozy - the suddenly on-form UCLA Bruins at Cagan on Saturday. Then the mountain road trip, before finishing with the Arizonas and Cal at home. But boy, they look good.
Now to worry about Hiatt's condition. Hope she heals fast and well.
VG
Is it a harbinger of bad news to see Lee and Valenzuela not playing in Stanford Tournament? Team minus those two is still in 3rd place, 6 behind Oregon. Our first 3 were all under par going into today's round. If Lee and Valenzuela had teed it up, it would have been a different tournament. Are they at Q School or whatever passes for qualifying for the LPGA? No comment on go Stanford as to where they were.
There is some "buzz" in the press and on USC web sites that Urban Meyer is a done deal/possible choice/??? to replace Clay Helton. I have no idea if Helton is going to be replaced or that Meyer is interested in the position. However, I am interested in what people think is politically acceptable at the moment. I would think nobody would touch Meyer as a coach with a 10 meter pole. However, does winning forgive all sins? I would think at least a "decent interval" would be required, but maybe that is just me.
Sarah is playing in Greece OA Chania with Erika Bean p.g. (University of Utah 2015-2019)
Chania just played AO-Dafni-Agioy-Dimitriou featuring (University of Cal's Mikalya Cowling)
I wouldn’t bet against them to win the whole thing again. I think they have the best coach in college football elite talent all over the place and Lawrence is unbelievable. He is truly a generational talent
17-17. SC has 4th and 3 on Georgia 40. About a minute left. Georgia two time outs. Muschamp elects to try a 57 yard FG. Not close. Three choices. He picked the worst one. Georgia close to FG range but commits penalty. Could have tried 55 yard FG with 8 seconds. Didn’t. Penalty took him out of range. OT.