Stanford football yet to name a starter for game vs. Wake Forest

Getting back into the win column is the only thing on everybody's mind this week.

Oct 19, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Troy Taylor (center) walks along the sideline during the first quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Sitting at 2-5, urgency has risen on Stanford's season, with one or two more losses all but putting a damper on the team's bowl aspirations. This week, a tough opponent will once again march into Stanford Stadium as the Wake Forest Demon Deacons are on the docket. Each and every week leading up to the game, head coach Troy Taylor meets with the media to discuss the state of the program as well as provide any updates before the team begins preparing for the matchup.

Coming off of a 40-10 loss to SMU, emotions are running high and the hunger to get back into the win column burns brightly on The Farm. And as practice commences, here are the key takeaways from Tuesday's media availability.

Getting healthy is top priority

Dealing with injuries for most of this season, the injury woes were even more magnified last week against SMU, especially in the defensive backfield where a number of players deemed 'out' forced the Cardinal to play young guys. And while it was good to get them experience, plays like that 87-yard touchdown that they allowed SMU to score to start the game has the Cardinal eager to get guys back out there.

“Getting healthy is one of them,” Taylor said. “We were very shorthanded, especially in the secondary. We played a lot of young guys and the start was a little rough, which it will be, but I thought they settled in pretty well and continued to play and the game slowed down a bit for our young guys in the secondary.”

It is important that everyone is fully healthy before they return and aren’t rushed back, but with a plethora of talent sidelined with ailments, the program will do whatever it takes to make sure that those guys experience a smooth and fast recovery.

It's possible the defensive back room will have some reinforcements

Stanford was forced to rely on youth for the game against SMU, putting a handful of freshman and inexperienced veterans out there to make up for the players that were unavailable. However, it is possible that the Cardinal will see the return of some of the most important defensive backs that are on the roster this week, depending on how this week of practice goes.

“We’ll see, it is early in the week but we’re hoping to get Aaron Morris back,” Taylor said. “And hopefully Scotty Edwards. So those are a couple of guys that we hope would make a huge impact for us. Got a lot more game experiences this year than in the past so, we’ll see. It's day to day and how much progress they make. It is early in the week, but we’re optimistic that we’ll have those guys back.”

If Morris and Edwards return, that will be huge as the Cardinal will once again have more flexibility and depth at a position group that has struggled to consistently defend the pass. Expecting another pass heavy opponent this week, getting as much defensive back help will be key.

No starter at QB is determined for this week vs. Wake Forest

Is it possible that the quarterback controversy is renewed? It sure sounds like it, as despite strong showings from freshman Elijah Brown whenever he is called upon, incumbent starter Ashton Daniels will continue to get his fair share of first team reps this week, with Taylor saying that either one of them could see action this weekend.

“They’ll both get reps and compete and they’re both available,” Taylor said. “We’ll see how it plays out but as of right now, I don’t have any information for you on that other than there is competition and that they’re both available.”

Both passers have their upside, and while Daniels may have struggled these last few weeks, his knowledge of the scheme and leadership make it hard to completely change course. At the same time, Brown may be the future and has shown his talent. The Cardinal will want to see what they have in both guys.

Stanford’s offensive line will be busy this week against Wake Forest

All season long, the Cardinal have been tested, going up against strong teams and defenses like Clemson, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and SMU. But this week will once again pose a massive challenge, especially for the offensive line, as in first observation of Wake Forest, what they have up in the trenches will be a good test to see how capable Stanford’s offensive line truly is.

“[Their] d-line is really good,” Taylor said. “It’s probably the strength of their defense. They play a lot of zone, they’re very sound, and they have guys that fly around to the ball and they play all four quarters. But I’d say their d-line is their strength [and] their linebackers can both run. They’ve been a little beat up in the secondary, in their corners, but their safeties are tough.”

Despite its record this season, Wake Forest has historically been a strong program, with players such as Sam Hartman, Jessie Bates, Justin Strnad among others having gone on to star there before joining the NFL, and while 2024 has been a challenge for the Demon Deacons, they are not the kind of program anyone should take lightly.

Special teams play has arguably been the backbone of this season’s team

Often overlooked, special teams is one of the most important units for a football team, more times than not dictating starting field position for an offense. And while Stanford has struggled on both offense and defense at times this year, special teams has consistently been able to show up this season, with some of the biggest plays of this season for Stanford coming from special teams.

“It’s huge momentum,” special teams coordinator Bob Gregory said of strong special teams play. “I think you feel the energy. Our guys play off of it, they love it and I think we went back out on kickoff, whatever it was, saying ‘let’s make it happen again.’ And so that’s a great feeling. We have some of the starters, like Tristan [Sinclair], who’s on and then we have really great role players like Ese Dubre, Jayson Raines. I couldn’t do our deal without those guys, those guys are key special teams players and as good of special teamers as I have been around.”

With plays such as Tiger Bachmeier’s 90 yard punt return that happened in the Cal Poly game being some of the season’s biggest moments, the Cardinal embrace what they have on special teams and if the unit is able to keep making plays and doing what they’re doing, it can create major momentum in any game that they play in and help them really compete.