Tag: Stanford Cardinal Football

Breaking: Former Stanford running back EJ Smith commits to Texas A&M in transfer portal

The son of Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith is coming home to the Lone Star State after choosing the Aggies in the transfer portal.

The son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer is coming home to the Lone Star State.

According to a report from Jason Howell of TexAgs, former Stanford senior running back EJ Smith has committed to Texas A&M in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Smith is the son of NFL legend Emmitt Smith who spent most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys and remains the league’s all-time leading rusher (18,355 yards).

The 6-foot, 210-pound halfback entered the portal on Nov. 28 and received an offer from head coach Mike Elko on Dec. 19. Smith was a 4-star recruit in 2020 coming out of Jesuit High School in Dallas.

As noted by Billy Liucci of TexAgs, Smith “was a coveted target” for former coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff four years ago. He will now suit up for the Aggies and play for Elko and running backs coach Trooper Taylor.

Additionally, Smith’s older sister Rheagen Smith played forward and midfielder for the Texas A&M women’s soccer team from 2017 to 2020.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Notre Dame fans could not believe their last 2023 football game was on Pac-12 Network

This went as well as you might expect for Notre Dame football fans … which is to say, it went horribly.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the most famous football program in the United States, ended their 2023 season not on NBC or ABC or Fox, but on Pac-12 Network. We knew this game was going to be on Pac-12 Network, but a lot of casual fans did not. On this Thanksgiving weekend, they were probably visiting family and wanted to settle in on a Saturday and watch their Irish play Stanford. Boy, were they in for a surprise.

Notre Dame fans had to madly scramble for any outlet through which to gain access to Pac-12 Network. They learned about FuboTV. They might have had to go to a sports bar. Some of them, as you will see below, had to just bite the bullet and listen to a Notre Dame radio broadcast.

Just like the 1940s!

The reactions are pure comedy gold, and you can see for yourself:

ACC schools could play neutral-site events in Dallas due to Stanford, Cal move

Gathering East Coast and West Coast #ACC schools in Dallas shows how regional identity has vanished in college sports.

As the Stanford-California-SMU triumvirate joined the ACC last week, one of the ideas in place to ease the travel burden for ACC schools was floated. It still hasn’t been finalized, but it sure sounds as though it will move forward in some form and to some degree. Dallas will become a hub for competitions in several ACC sports.

Dallas could become a centerpiece ACC city. That just sounds wrong. It feels wrong.

Charlotte is an ACC city. Greensboro is an ACC city. Atlanta is an ACC city. Clemson is an ACC locale.

Dallas is a Southwest Conference city turned into a Big 12 and AAC city. There’s nothing “Atlantic” about it. Yet, schools from the two opposite coasts will likely travel there in a lot of different sports? What a mess, to be honest.

There ought to be a better way of arranging all of this. This travel setup doesn’t seem like something which should exist on a long-term basis.

Nearly everyone who is responding to this Dallas plan in the ACC feels the same way. See for yourself:

North Carolina State changed its vote on Stanford, Cal, SMU joining the ACC

Reporting from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! reveals N.C. State changed its vote from no to yes, giving the ACC enough votes to pass the Stanford-Cal-SMU plan.

We mentioned in August that North Carolina State was holding back the Stanford-Cal-SMU expansion vote for the ACC. The conference had 11 yes votes out of 15, but that was short of the 75-percent threshold needed to approve the plan. The ACC needed 12 votes. It had to change an 11-4 vote total to a 12-3 vote total.

Reporting from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports reveals that North Carolina State was indeed the school which changed its position:

“’What does this do to the political landscape of NC State and UNC?’ asks one official working in the state.

“NC State’s football team and athletic administration arrived home after 3 a.m. Friday after playing Thursday night at UConn to open the 2023 season. Four hours later, the school casts the deciding vote.

“’It is insane,’ says one ACC athletic administrator.”

Reaction to the ACC approving the Stanford-Cal-SMU expansion plan was colorful and explosive. In a world of surprises, no one should be surprised about that particular detail:

Stanford Football Schedule 2023: Analysis, Breakdown, 3 Things To Know

Stanford football schedule 2023. Analysis, breakdown, 3 things to know

Stanford football schedule 2023: Who do the Cardinal miss on the Pac-12 schedule and what are 3 things to know?

Stanford Football Schedule 2023: 3 Things To Know

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Aug 26 OPEN DATE

Sept 1 at Hawaii

Sept 9 at USC

Sept 16 Sacramento State

Sept 23 Arizona

Sept 30 Oregon

Oct 7 OPEN DATE

Oct 13 at Colorado

Oct 21 UCLA

Oct 28 Washington

Nov 4 at Washington State

Nov 11 at Oregon State

Nov 18 Cal

Nov 25 Notre Dame

2023 College Football Rankings 1-133: First Look

Stanford Football Schedule What To Know: Who do the Cardinal miss from the Pac-12 slate?

New head coach Troy Taylor has a whole lot of work to do – there aren’t any layups for the Cardinal in the Pac-12, so it’s a plus no matter who they’re missing. Even so, it would’ve been nice to not have to play USC or UCLA from the old Pac-12 South. Considering Arizona State is rebuilding, missing it on the slate hurts. However, missing Utah makes up for it.

Stanford Football Schedule What Really Matters

There aren’t any massive breaks.

Going to Hawaii shouldn’t be a problem to start the season, but that’s a long trip to kick things off on a Friday before having to go to USC the week after. Of course Sacramento State has to be a win for a Pac-12 team, but that’s a dangerous FCS team that won’t be a total layup.

Winning early is a must – the Cardinal have to take care of as many home games as possible with a run of five in six games from September 9th through November 4th because …

Stanford Football Schedule What To Know: What does it all really mean?

Yikes on the finishing kick.

Stanford won’t be a sure thing against Arizona at home, and it’ll likely be the underdog against Oregon, UCLA, and Washington, but it has to find a way to come up with an upset or three in Palo Alto because of the second half after the break.

Along with the home dates against the Bruins and Huskies, going to Colorado, Washington State, and Oregon State will be a problem, and hosting Notre Dame after dealing with Cal won’t be a breeze.

Beat Arizona, though, and there’s a shot to start 3-1. There’s a good chance to piece together three wins the rest of the way to get bowl eligible – with a little bit of luck.

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2023 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Stanford football schedule in 2023 is no picnic, but it’s much better than nasty 2022 gauntlet

David Shaw is out of the picture at Stanford, and the Cardinal have a 2023 schedule which is nowhere near as brutal as last year’s slate.

The Stanford Cardinal will be without David Shaw for the first time in a long time. Troy Taylor came to Palo Alto, and the Cardinal watched quarterback Tanner McKee go to the NFL.

The Cardinal might not win many games, but they do have a comparatively favorable schedule in 2023 when measured against last year (h/t Jon Wilner of The Mercury News).

“Compared to the brutal 2022 schedule, this edition feels like a garden stroll on a warm summer evening,” Wilner wrote. “The bye for new coach Troy Taylor comes in Week Six, not Week Three; Utah is nowhere to be found; and the Cardinal plays seven weeks in a row, not 10. Also, the odd-year rotation means Oregon, Washington, UCLA and Notre Dame are at home, not on the road.”

Stanford lucked out with four of their biggest games being played at home, which definitely helps Taylor and his team.

Still, the Trees probably won’t win many games in 2023. The Cardinal will be a popular pick to finish last in the Pac-12, especially with Arizona and Colorado looking much improved.

Things could’ve been much worse for Stanford’s schedule, so Taylor has to be a little bit relieved as he begins a new journey and tries to change the Stanford program.

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Former Wisconsin coach Ross Kolodziej named as Stanford DL coach

Wisconsin DL coach Ross Kolodziej joins Bobby April on Stanford football’s staff:

On Thursday morning, Stanford football announced that former Wisconsin defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej will take over at the same position with the Cardinal.

Related: Wisconsin Twitter reacts to the Badgers landing QB Tanner Mordecai

Kolodziej spent eight seasons with the Badgers, with the last two as their defensive line coach. He is also a Wisconsin alumnus that started for the Badgers as a defensive tackle from 1998-2000. The Steven’s Point, Wis., native will join former Wisconsin coaches Bobby April and Mark D’Onofrio on Stanford’s staff.

It is unfortunate to see a former Badger leaving the program, but hopefully, he can find success and represent Wisconsin well in his time with Stanford.

Reactions to Stanford hiring Troy Taylor as new head coach

Get national and #Pac12 reactions from writers and analysts after Stanford hired Sacramento State’s Troy Taylor to replace David Shaw.

The Stanford Cardinal were in the head coaching market for the first time in nearly two decades after David Shaw decided to step down following the 2022 season.

A ton of candidates emerged, and former NFL head coach Jason Garrett was even a rumored option to take the Cardinal job.

However, Stanford ultimately decided to go with Troy Taylor, who recently turned around the Sacramento State football program and now stays in Northern California to take over a tough program at Stanford.

The reactions came pouring in, and here are a few of the notable media reactions after Stanford hired Troy Taylor.

Stanford Football Schedule 2022: 3 Things To Know

Stanford football schedule. The 2022 schedule with 3 things to know

Stanford football schedule 2022: Who does Stanford miss on the Pac-12 schedule and what are 3 things to know?

Stanford Football Schedule 2022

Sept 3 Colgate

Sept 10 USC

Sept 17 OPEN DATE

Sept 24 at Washington

Oct 1 at Oregon

Oct 8 Oregon State

Oct 15 at Notre Dame

Oct 22 Arizona State

Oct 29 at UCLA

Nov 5 Washington State

Nov 12 at Utah

Nov 19 at Cal

Nov 25 BYU

2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Stanford Football Schedule What To Know: Who do the Cardinal miss from the Pac-12 South Division?

As it if wasn’t enough of a kick in the teeth to have a schedule full of Power Five teams in 2021, Stanford gets the worst beat in the Pac-12 this year – it misses Arizona and Colorado from the South.

That means the team has to deal with defending Pac-12 champion Utah, USC, Arizona State, and UCLA – the four likely top teams in the South. Worse yet, the Utah and UCLA games are on the road.

If that wasn’t bad enough …

Stanford Football Schedule What To Know: The North isn’t any better

Seriously, Stanford. What did you do to tick off the scheduling gods? Again, last year was brutal enough, and now there’s the problem getting all the top teams against the South, and the conference season opens up against Washington and Oregon … on the road.

The Cal game is on the road, but that’s just up the highway a bit. Oregon State and Washington State as home games is fine, but that means the tougher dates are out of Palo Alto.

Stanford Football Schedule What To Know: What does it all really mean?

No, seriously, Stanford. Who hates you this much? As if that Pac-12 slate isn’t enough, there’s a trip to Notre Dame to make it three road games in four weeks. If that and the Pac-12 season weren’t enough, the regular season ends against BYU.

It’s going to be a fight to get to six wins. Colgate should be a layup, but there aren’t any sure-thing wins the rest of the way.

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2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Stanford Cardinal: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Stanford season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Stanford season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Stanford Schedule Analysis
– Stanford Cardinal Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

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2020 Record: 4-2 overall, 4-2 in Pac-12
Head Coach: David Shaw, 11th year, 90-36
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 31
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 35
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 98

Stanford Cardinal College Football Preview 2021: Offense

– Very. very quietly the Stanford offense had a nice comeback year. The team only played in six games, but it scored 24 or more in five of them after doing that just four times in the 12-game 2019 clunker.

The running game wasn’t special, but new Houston Texan Davis Mills and the passing attack were strong as the O led the Pac-12 in third down conversions and did a great job of controlling the clock. Eight starters should be back for what could be an even better year if …

– The program can get a steady starting quarterback to replace Mills. It’s Stanford, so it has plenty of 6-4, 220ish-pound NFL-looking passing quarterbacks waiting in the wings, but it needs one with more experience.

Jack West is a 6-4, 215-pounder who threw 19 passes last year and was solid when he had his chances, and Tanner McKee is a 6-6, 228-pound former superstar recruit who spent a few years on an LDS Church mission and got his feet wet in the offense last season. McKee has the slightest of edges going into fall camp.

Leading receiver Simi Fehoko is gone to the Dallas Cowboys, but 6-4, 205-pond Brycen Tremayne is back after averaging close to 19 yards per catch and finishing second on the team in yards. Michael Wilson was the second-leading receiver with 19 catches in just four games, and Elijah Higgins makes it three of the top four targets back.

– The offensive line doesn’t have Foster Sarell anymore at tackle and misses Drew Dalman at center, but the group that finished seven in the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed and was okay for the ground game gets back three starters. 6-6, 320-pound Walter Rouse is the main man for the line at left tackle.

The running game wasn’t amazing, but it got back over four yards per carry after a rough few years. Austin Jones worked his way into a team-high 550 yards and nine scores, and Nathaniel Peat averaged over seven yards per carry with 204 yards. The 1-2 punch is back along with 220-pound Justus Woods to add a little thump.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Stanford Schedule Analysis

NEXT: Stanford Cardinal College Football Preview 2021: Defense

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