PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Bryce Love has suffered his share of injury issues during the past couple of seasons and was mostly bottled up against Notre Dame except for a 39-yard touchdown run. Love was a nightmare for Utah at times last season, including a 68-yard TD run, and his health and whether or not he can play may determine whether Utah has a shot at an upset.
–CB Paulson Adebo has stepped up alongside senior Alijah Holder, with 30 tackles and a team-high 12 pass deflections. Having Adebo disrupt the Utah passing attack and receivers at the line of scrimmage is critical on Saturday. Adebo is continuing in Stanford’s strong tradition of cornerbacks, including Richard Sherman and Quenton Meeks.
–QB K.J. Costello reverted to a form more like his up-and-down 2017 at Notre Dame, but it was a tough game across the board for the Cardinal. Utah appears to be a lesser team than Notre Dame on paper and a good matchup to regain confidence. Costello has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,230 yards, 11 touchdowns and four picks in 2018.
–WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside will be key in kick-starting the Stanford passing game after a rough week in South Bend. The senior has 22 catches for 438 yards and eight touchdowns. No other Stanford wide receiver has a TD reception this season. Tight end Colby Parkinson has three.
SERIES HISTORY: Stanford and Utah are tied, 4-4.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I don’t think any of us did a good job in the run or pass game tonight. It’s not just the offensive line. It takes all 11 guys — the quarterback getting into the right play, everybody staying on their blocks, tight ends and running backs reading it right, the wide receivers blocking downfield. It’s a whole group.” — Stanford coach David Shaw, on his team’s struggles against Notre Dame in a 38-17 loss in South Bend. Shaw was diverting attention away from placing the blame solely on an inconsistent offensive line.
