On Monday, Stanford head football coach Troy Taylor spoke at a weekly press conference before Friday’s game against Syracuse.

Taylor opts for youth on the offensive line

On the depth chart released Tuesday, freshman left tackle Khalil House was named to the first string alongside sophomore right tackle Luke Baklenko. Both were named starters over senior left tackle Jack Leyrer and senior right tackle Connor McLaughlin.

House and Baklenko also received starts in Stanford’s 41-7 win against Cal Poly, although the offensive line struggled, allowing nine tackles for loss to an FCS opponent. In addition to House and Baklenko, senior center Levi Rogers, junior left guard Jake Maikkula and sophomore right guard Simione Pale will round out the offensive line. 

Despite the offensive line’s early struggles to get a push against Cal Poly’s defensive line, it appears that Taylor’s priority is to invest in Stanford’s youth offensive linemen, allowing them to take their lumps in order to build for the future. 

Short-handed defensive line

Taylor also said that both graduate student defensive lineman Clay Patterson and fifth-year Tobin Phillips would be game-time decisions for Friday’s game against Syracuse. Phillips was injured in the first quarter of Stanford’s game against Cal Poly, while Patterson did not play at all. Without both veteran defensive linemen, Stanford’s depth at defensive line could be tested against Syracuse. 

Defensive coordinator Bobby April III enjoys switching between a 2-4-5 and a 3-3-5. In the 2-4-5 scheme, expect junior defensive tackle Zach Rowell and senior defensive tackle Anthony Franklin to play the majority of the snaps. However, when April switches to a 3-3-5, sophomore defensive tackle Braden Marceau-Olayinka will sub in for an outside linebacker.

Home field advantage

While many members on the Stanford football team have experience playing in hostile environments, Syracuse will pose a unique challenge for the Cardinal. The Orange play a dome field, which means that the cheers from Syracuse fans will be amplified compared to a regular stadium.

“They say it’s really loud,” Taylor said. “That’s a huge advantage for Syracuse. We’ve been preparing in the bye week and this week, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, being able to communicate and get off on the snap count.”

East Coast road trips

This will be the first of many East Coast ACC road trips that Stanford football will need to take in the coming years. Taylor mentioned that the Cardinal are leaving a day earlier for Syracuse than they normally would for closer road games.

Additionally, despite being scheduled to play a game in Clemson during the following week, the coach said that the team will not stay on the East Coast between games, citing players’ comfort and the need to attend classes.

“Our facilities are here [in Palo Alto]. Our ability to lift, train and eat, and to keep it as normal as possible [is optimized],” Taylor said.