Stanford Beat Writer Answers 5 Questions About Cal's Big Game Foe

We asked the SF Chronicle's Steve Kroner about coach Troy Taylor and QB Ashton Daniels

Stanford coach Troy Taylor / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

We enlisted the help of veteran San Francisco Chronicle writer Steve Kroner to answer our 5 Questions about Stanford in advance of Saturday's 127th Big Game at Memorial Stadium.

Steve actually covers both Cal and Stanford for the Chronicle and will be taking in his 47th Big Game, dating back to his first in 1973 as a high school freshman.

We have printed just a portion of his responses but you can get his full answer by clicking on the videos. Here's what he had to say:

1. How do you explain Stanford, which had lost six in a row and was non-competitive in five of those, rising up to knock off a pretty good Louisville team last week? Were there any signs this might happen?

“To be honest with you, no. It does kind of harken to what Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon said in his news conference (about) the inconsistencies in most college football teams. 

“Stanford had played decently well, certainly early in the season. Played pretty well against Wake Forest. But really hadn’t played well in any other game since then.”

2. How do you think former Cal star Troy Taylor is faring in Year 2 of his rebuild of the Stanford program? Have you seen progress in any specific areas this season and, if so, where has that been?

Kroner said Stanford’s biggest area of improvement has been run defense.

He noted the Cardinal was 3-9 the final two seasons under former coach David Shaw, 3-9 in Taylor’s debut season, and is 3-7 with two games to play this season. 

“It’s hard from the outside to see that much progress,” he said. “I’m sure Troy and people inside the program will tell you there has been a lot of progress and that they’re optimistic for the future. 

“It certainly would help the perception of Stanford football to win at least one more game . . . to at least show a (win-loss) record improvement.”

3. Compared to Cal and pretty much everyone else in the country, Stanford is still not utilizng the transfer portal because of its academic entrance requirements. Will the school relax its stance on that at some point and, if not, what does that mean for Stanford's long-term competitive prospects?

Kroner said he believes Stanford has slightly loosened entrance requirements for transfers in all major sports, at least compared to a few years back.

“I think the school realizes it can’t be so rigid,” he said. “I think the question becomes where do you find the happy or unhappy medium? I don’t know that Stanford, the administration and the athletic department, have found that yet. I certainly think they’re trying to find it.”

4. Ashton Daniels is coming off a performance against Louisville that earned him ACC Quarterback of the Week honors. But he's also been benched (once) in what has been an uneven season for him. What does he do best and what must Cal's defense do to neutralize him?

“He’s had uneven games,” Kroner said. “He can look great for two or three drives and then kind of throw a pick you wouldn’t think he’d throw. 

“I think his biggest attribute, he’s a really good runner. He can make people miss and he can run past people. He’s a big kid but he’s got a lot of speed and with wide receivers Elic Ayomayor and Ethan Mosley V, you’d say that’s a pretty good combination.

“But I think if you’re Cal, the first thing you have to do is make sure Daniels doesn’t beat you with his legs."

5. Stanford's pass defense ranks among the nation's worst and the Cardinal is 118th in points allowed at 34.6 per game What does this mean for the Cal offense and what sort of Big Game are you expecting?

“I would expect a fairly high-scoring game. What it means for the Cal offense, I really do believe what (offensive coordinator) Mike Bloesch said in his news conference, that Cal wants to run the ball.

“Jaydn Ott has had two excellent Big Games. But, as I said earlier, Stanford’s run defense is pretty good and in Cal’s two most recent victories against Oregon State and at Wake Forest, Cal didn’t run the ball really that well but Fernando Mendoza was really good, throwing the ball all over the yard.”

He expects Cal to try to run but won’t be stubborn about it. “I think there’s enough confidence in Fernando Mendoza, his tight ends and his wide receivers that if the running game is stopped . . . the Bears will be putting the ball in the air quite a bit.”