Now that was a shock. Stanford stumbled to its first season-opening loss in eight years with a gut-wrenching defeat to Northwestern on Saturday. The Cardinal will look to get their season back on track when they take on the UCF Knights this coming Saturday in a battle of winless teams.
Who will emerge victorious in this NCAA showdown? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this college football matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Idaho vs. USC and Fresno State vs. Ole Miss.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]UCF Knights vs. Stanford Cardinal Preview
Where: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, California
When: Saturday, September 12, 10:30 PM ET
Line: UCF Knights (+18) at Stanford Cardinal (-18) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: FOXS1
Betting on the UCF Knights
The UCF Knights had their 10-game home winning streak snapped on Thursday with a stinging 15-14 defeat to the FIU Panthers. It was a disappointing loss for the Knights, who squandered an 11-point lead at the halftime break. The Knights struggled mightily in the second half as they were held scoreless by an aggressive Panthers defense. The Knights still had an opportunity to grab the win in the dying seconds, but freshman Matthew Wright’s 47-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Imarjaye Arbury.
[sc:Other240banner ]They will look to get their season back in order when they take on the Cardinal at Stanford Stadium this coming Saturday. For the Knights to record a massive upset, they need quarterback Justin Holman and wide receiver Jordan Akins to carry the scoring load for them.
Holman, who was sacked twice, completed 23 of 34 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns in the first half against the Panthers. Akins, on the other hand, had nine receptions for a career high 104 receiving yards with two touchdowns against FIU.
They will have their work cut out for them, however, against a Stanford defense that allowed just 105 passing yards against Northwestern. That’s the 15th-best mark in the NCAA this season.
The Knights are 8-2 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 road games.
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Betting on the Stanford Cardinal
Stanford’s College Football Playoff hopes took a huge hit on Saturday as it suffered an embarrassing 16-6 defeat to Northwestern at Ryan Field. That six-point output was the Cardinal’s lowest scoring total in the past eight years. Much of the blame for Stanford’s inept offensive performance should be put on starting quarterback Kevin Hogan. He completed just 20 of 35 passes for 155 yards and a costly interception that came in the end zone with a minute to go with Stanford trailing by 10.
Running back Christian McCaffrey had a disappointing outing for the Cardinal as well. A breakout candidate in 2015, McCaffrey rushed for just 66 yards on 12 carries and also committed a costly first-half fumble. To illustrate further the Cardinal’s struggles on the offensive end, Stanford only produced one play of 20 yards or more in this game. They gained just 176 yards over the final 3 ½ quarters as they failed to trouble an opponent that is not known for its stout defense.
The onus is on the Cardinal offense to produce a much better performance this coming Saturday against the UCF Knights. It’s crucial for head coach David Lorenzo that his running backs deliver this time around. The Cardinal were simply atrocious with their ground game against Northwestern, managing just 85 rushing yards against the Wildcats.
The Cardinal are 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Stanford (-18) wins, 27-14.
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