Stanford dominated the Rice Owls 62-7 in Sydney, Australia in the season opener. Here are a few of the eye-popping numbers from the game:
62: Number of rushing yards junior running back Bryce Love ran for on his first carry of the game. Love didn’t wait to make an impact on the game. He would finish with 180 yards on 13 carries in basically one half. Also, it is the number of points Stanford scored in the game which is the most the Cardinal have scored in a season opener in 49 years.
4: Number of true freshman who played in the game. Tight end Colby Parkinson scored the first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard pass from Keller Chryst, and he ended the game with two scores and 40 receiving yards. Wide receiver Connor Wedington was the quarterbacks’ favorite target as he led the team with 82 yards on six receptions. Offensive tackles and former five-star recruits Foster Sarell and Walker Little both played in the tackle spots in the second half.
95: Number of passing yards allowed by the Stanford defense. It’s hard for any quarterback to perform well in their first start. It’s harder when you have to play against an experienced secondary and linebacker group. Rice quarterback Sam Glaesmann was 7 of 18 for 69 yards and one interception.
3: Number of total touchdowns hauled in by the tight ends. Stanford – or Tight End U – always seems to have productive tight ends. Parkinson, just from the first game, has been Chryst’s go-to end zone target with two touchdowns. His 6-foot-7 frame allows him to reach over the top of linebackers to snag the lobs thrown by the quarterbacks. Sophomore Kaden Smith grabbed the other touchdown and had the most receptions and receiving yards of any of the tight ends with 55-yards on four catches. The veteran of the group senior Dalton Schultz contributed with two catches and 41 receiving yards.
100: Percentage of sophomore kicker Jet Toner on field goals and extra points. Toner has the tall task of replacing one of the best kicker’s in the nation last season in Conrad Ukropina. He nailed all eight of his extra point attempts and converted field goals of 40 and 34 yards. Having a reliable kicker is an underrated part of college football and Toner started as well as he could have. Toner needs to show he can hit field goals when under pressure, and he can get his chance against USC on Saturday.
1: Number of punts Stanford hit all game. Junior Jake Bailey didn’t have to warm up his punting muscles too much because the Stanford offense didn’t let it get to fourth down often. Bailey did have to punt in the third quarter after a rare Stanford three-and-out.
Contact Jose Saldana at jsaldana ‘at’ stanford.edu.