Stanford head coach Troy Taylor spoke at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s game against Louisville.
Stanford football will play one last home game this season on Saturday against the Louisville Cardinals (6-3, 4-2 ACC). Head coach Troy Taylor is still searching for his first home win against an FBS opponent, and his second home win overall during his young tenure at Stanford.
After a promising 2-1 start to the season, followed by signs of progress against a formidable Clemson team, the young Cardinal team has failed to show considerable improvement or consistency. The defense has given up 40 points in four of the last six games over their current losing streak.
The offense went cold for the first four games of that streak, scoring 14 points or less in each of those games, before heating up to the tune of 24 and 28 point outings the last two contests. Neither of those performances were enough for a win. Seven of the 24 points against Wake Forest were the result of a spectacular defensive play by junior outside linebacker Tevarua Tafiti.
Stanford has shown very small glimpses of improvement during the losing streak and flashes of brilliance from individual players. Tafiti, junior outside linebacker David Bailey and graduate student inside linebacker Tristan Sinclair have been anchors for the defense, while freshman running back Micah Ford, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Elic Ayomanor and junior quarterback Ashton Daniels on the ground have been bright spots on offense. A lack of consistency has been the team’s flaw, and they will have one more chance to find it in front of their home fans this Saturday.
Injury updates
No. 22 Louisville will present a tough test for Stanford. Louisville will be the fourth-best team Stanford faces this season according to the AP Poll. Both teams are well-rested after a bye week, but coming off of drastically different results the week before.
Stanford suffered a heavy loss to North Carolina State in a game that slipped away in the second half, while Louisville pulled off an upset against a previously undefeated Clemson team in conference play. The bye week should give the Cardinal some opportunity to get players back from injury.
Coach Taylor said that Sinclair “is fighting to get back,” and that fifth-year center Levi Rogers “is moving better” and has a chance to play. In addition, Bailey will be available for the full game despite being disqualified in the second half against NC State after kicking a player.
The secondary, however, remains banged up as Taylor revealed fifth-year cornerback Zahran Manley is out for the remainder of the season.
Senior day festivities
Saturday will be senior day for Stanford, marking the final home game of the season. Traditionally, seniors walk onto the field pregame and are honored along with their families. But with the transfer portal and the extra year of eligibility many players received due to the pandemic, senior day celebrations have become more ambiguous.
When asked about senior day, Taylor said that senior players with remaining eligibility will not participate, as he expects them to return next year. However, players who approach him to announce their retirement, whether for medical reasons or other factors, will be allowed to take part.