It's a playing field with ghosts, of improbable agonies and miracle comebacks, of PAC-12 ref outrages, of big dreams that died young, of graceful runs that ended in a spastic tic.
For years Stanford has been the bugaboo, the Waterloo, the rock in the shoe, the albatross. That ends now, literally, because this is the final year that Oregon and The Cardinal will meet as conference opponents, unless some future round of cash-grab realignment throws them together in the next sweep of the invisible hand.
Four times in the last 14 years the Ducks have come to the game against the Trees as a Top Team ten, only to lose one that got away. Since 2009, the series is 7-7.
Oregon currently owns a win streak of 16 straight games against unranked opponents. They're seeking to become 5-0 for the first time since 2013, Marcus Mariota's sophomore year and Mark Helfrich's first as head coach. That team reached 8-0 and number two in the country before a November 7 game with... number six Stanford.
They lost 26-20 in Palo Alto, then lost again November 23 at Arizona, finishing 11-2 after a 30-7 win in the Alamo Bowl over Texas.
Continued series from @UnfilteredFb
— Sidelines - CFB (@SSN_CollegeFB) March 12, 2022
*Most important game of each season - “Tone setting game” -
2013- (November, 7th)
(5) Stanford vs (3) Oregon
Oregons second half heroics fall short- BCS title hopes are erased. @SSN_Oregon @SSN_Pac12 (Stanford) pic.twitter.com/Ti5ViSK6Mb
On Wednesday Dan Lanning said, “This is a bring-your-own juice game. It’s going to be a different atmosphere. But if you step on the grass and it means something to you, you’re going to step on there and try to perform to a certain level because you have pride in the game.”
If the Ducks do perform to that level it would give them four wins over Stanford (and their iconoclastic band and ghastly tree mascot) in the last five games. That should be enough to retire the supposed curse, more certain than sacrificing a goat.
Blood sacrifice shouldn't be necessary, because The Team That Uncle Phil Built can readily lay claim to what should be some decisive advantages in Palo Alto, 3:30 P.M. Pacific on the PAC-12 Network. Oregon is 4-0, second in the entire country in scoring offense at 54.0 points per game.
By contrast, the Stanford offense is plodding and inept. In their 1-3 start they've scored just 22.5 points a game, 97th in the FBS. In new head coach Troy Taylor's first year their quarterbacks have been sacked 13 times. The once-vaunted Cardinal are 126th in pass defense. 119th in sacks allowed per game. 120th in total defense. They allow 307 yards a game through the air.
Stanford Last 4
DATE OPP RESULT
9/23/23 vsARIZ L21-20
9/16/23 vsSAC L30-23
9/9/23 @USC L56-10
9/1/23 @HAW W37-24
Worse yet, they perform before lackluster and uninspired crowds. These aren't the formidable denizens of intellectual brutality Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw led out of the tunnel. Harbaugh's moved on to Michigan and Shaw retired. In their last four campaigns beginning in 2019 The Cardinal are 4-8, 4-2, 3-9 and 3-9, losing the Big Game to Cal three out of the last four years. As a result they barely draw 30,000 to home games. It will be an echo chamber unless Bay Area Ducks muster a contingent.
Provided Oregon executes and throws off the distractions of last week's emotional victory over Colorado, next week's bye, or the impending dream matchup with 4-0, number 7 Washington and current Heisman Trophy favorite Michael Penix in Husky Stadium on October 14, victory should be simple.
Yet we know it rarely is. The hosts feature a competent running game with three capable backs in EJ Smith IV (son of Emmitt, the NFL's all-time leading rusher), Sedrick Irvin (son of Sedrick senior, former star running back at Michigan State) and Casey Filkins (son of Lake Oswego, Oregon, The Cardinal's best back with 184 yards on 24 carries, 7.7 yards a pop.)
All three can be explosive. Filkins broke a 59-yard run against USC, a 47-yarder against Hawaii. Last week in a 21-20 home loss to Arizona Irvin bolted for 66 yards on 10 carries, including a 45-yard scamper on third and 7 on Stanford's first series of the game.
In 2022 against the Ducks in Autzen Stadium, Filkins gashed them for 80 yards on 19 carries. He also caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from Tanner McKee, though Oregon won 45-27 behind four TDs from Bo Nix, two passing and two on the ground, including an 80-yard touchdown run.
Smith is a senior from Dallas, Texas. Over an injury-riddled college career he's flashed a bit of the ability that made his father an NFL legend, but uncertain health and bad blocking have limited his opportunities. Against Arizona he had just one carry for no gain. The week before in the loss to Sacramento State, 9 rushes for 71 yards. Against USC, 5 for 50. For the young season he's toted the rock 19 times for 135 yards, 7.1 a carry with one touchdown.
Here he is in the opening game of 2022, awaking the echoes for one shining moment. He suffered an injured leg a couple of weeks later, lost for the season. Greatness is a cruel mistress, slipping out the back door to have a cigarette, stubbing out the ash and leaving open the gate:
During their 4-0 start the Ducks have shown some vulnerability to the running game and a running quarterback, something they have to tighten up before future clashes with Washington, Utah and USC, all ranked in the AP Top Ten, an historic first for the conference. Traditional rival Oregon State pounds the ground for 225 yards a game, paced by the league's leader in rushing, tailback Damien Martinez.
A matchup with Stanford wouldn't be complete without a monster tight end in the Red and White. This year's version is 6-6, 242 Benjamin Yurosek, a senior from Bakersfield, California. He wears number 84. In 2023, he's grabbed 15 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown, 15.1 yards a catch.
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