Football scouting report: Stanford
By Andrew Erickson
Oct. 18, 2013 12:28 a.m.
OFFENSE: WR Ty Montgomery (Jr.)
Against Utah, Stanford was held to just 13 first downs the entire game.
The Cardinal compiled 389 yards and were held to just less than five yards per carry on the ground, completing a rather pedestrian night on offense.
The one bright spot for Stanford in the 27-21 loss may have been Ty Montgomery, who caught eight Kevin Hogan passes for a season-high 131 yards.His greatest highlight, though, came on special teams. With seven minutes remaining in the first quarter, he received a kickoff with his foot on the goal line and bounded toward the right sideline, running untouched for a 100-yard return touchdown.
Montgomery is far and away Stanford’s most prolific wide receiver. Through six games, the junior has 31 grabs, with fellow receiver Devon Cajuste hauling in a distant 14. Coach Jim Mora said Thursday that Montgomery is a nightmare to bring down, especially in space.
“Every time he touches the ball, you take a breath and hold it until he’s on the ground, and he’s not always on the ground,” Mora said. “He’s something else. He’s got just tremendous vision to find the hole.”
DEFENSE: LB Shayne Skov (RS Sr.)
Leading a hard-nosed defensive front in Saturday’s game will be Shayne Skov, a redshirt senior linebacker and captain for the Stanford defense.
After missing the majority of his 2011 season with a leg injury, Skov returned in 2012 to terrorize Pac-12 offenses, recording 81 total tackles and earning his way onto the 2012 Butkus Award watch list.
Skov anchors an effective Stanford defense that averages just 22.2 points allowed per game, and so far this season, his physicality has emerged in crunch time. In the Cardinal’s three-point victory over Washington on Oct. 5, Skov recorded 15 total tackles, a season high.
His tough, well-timed play for Stanford’s front seven has even earned him the recognition of the Bruins’ most seasoned offensive player, junior offensive guard Xavier Su’a-Filo, who anticipates toughness and grit being determining factors in Palo Alto this Saturday.
“I’m expecting tough, physical contact, just like the last time we played them,” Su’a-Filo said. “(With Stanford) you’ve got Skov and a good linebacking corps. I’ve played against the guys and I know the guys. They’re good, hard-working players, disciplined, physical, tough all the way around.”
Compiled by Andrew Erickson, Bruin Sports senior staff.
