Shayne Skov Knee Injury Ends His Season; Can The Stanford Defense Recover?

As feared, the Stanford Cardinal have lost their best defender for the season. Inside linebacker Shayne Skov landed awkwardly. The knee injury (which has yet to be disclosed) will end his season according to head coach David Shaw.

It is a tough loss, but all is not totally lost for Stanford. The Cardinal showed considerable resilience and battered Arizona throughout the second half. True freshman James Vaughters proved he will be a formidable defender in his own right with some huge pass rushes. Jarek Lancaster filled in for Skov and provide a yeoman's effort. And senior leader Chase Thomas is still back to anchor the Cardinal front seven.

However, considering how much Stanford's offense has struggled off the bat, there is justified cause for concern as to whether the Cardinal defense can shut down better Pac-12 offenses like Oregon, Washington and USC. The thin line between winning and losing is stretching that much thinner, as Stanford cannot afford too many critical injuries in the trenches.

For more on Stanford football, discuss the Cardinal at Rule of Tree.

Stanford Football News: Shayne Skov Leg Injury Could Be Season-Ending

Right now, the status of Stanford Cardinal linebacker Shayne Skov is uncertain, but the injury he suffered when making a hit on Juron Criner did not look good at all. Skov immediately went to the ground and could not put any weight on his leg. Skov was carted off the field, was supposedly screaming in pain on the sideline, and spent most of the second half on his back, staring at the stars, perhaps as distant as Stanford's fading national championship hopes. Head coach David Shaw said after the game that there was no news yet on Skov's injury.

The loss of Skov (who figures to be out awhile, if not the entire season) puts a serious cramp on the experience of the Cardinal linebacking corps. Skov was the mainstay of the inside linebacking corps (perhaps the best linebacker in the Pac-12) to complement Chase Thomas on the outside, and was absolutely solid in all aspects of the game. Although Stanford's defense clamped down in the second half, Arizona is probably one of the weakest teams in the Pac-12 this season.

Promising young freshman linebacker James Vaughters did emerge and make some big plays in Skov's absence, but this is now a very inexperienced corps anchoring the middle, and some fierce contests against solid Pac-12 quarterbacks await. Luckily, the Cardinal have a bye and then lowly UCLA, so Stanford will have plenty of time to recuperate and retool for Skov's absence, but Stanford might have to revise their expectations for this season as their defense is likely to drop down a notch.

For more on Stanford football, head to Rule of Tree.

Stanford Routs Arizona Late As Andrew Luck, Stepfan Taylor Dominate

The Stanford Cardinal bounced back from a tough first half to dominate the Arizona Wildcats and emerge with a 37-10 victory in their Pac-12 season opener. Andrew Luck threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns while Stepfan Taylor led a dominant Cardinal rushing attack that put together 242 yards on the ground at a 6.2 yards per carry clip. The Cardinal defense struggled at times against Arizona QB Nick Foles, but they settled down enough to contain him.

At times, Stanford appeared able to move the ball at will on the ground as they averaged over seven yards per carry in the first half. Stepfan Taylor rushed for 153 yards on 22 carries as the Stanford offensive line had its way with Arizona for long stretches of the game.

The problem was that they couldn't punch it into the end zone as they had to settle for three Jordan Williamson field goals in the first half. Stanford went into the half up 16-10, but Arizona seemed to have some momentum on their side as Nick Foles was looking solid against the Stanford secondary.

Foles finished the game 24/33 for 239 yards and a touchdown, but the Arizona offense could not generate sufficient consistency to put points on the board. They missed two field goals that would have tied them game and mixed in too many three and four play series that resulted in a punt. Stanford handed them several opportunities to make this a ball game and Arizona simply could not take advantage.

The Cardinal finally broke the game open in the fourth quarter with an Andrew Luck passing touchdown and a Jeremy Stewart rushing touchdown. The Stewart touchdown capped a 12 play, 91 yard drive that took 6:55 off the clock and sucked the life out of Arizona, even if the Cardinal had only come away with a field goal.

It wasn't the prettiest of victories but Stanford now stands 1-0 in conference and will host in two weeks on The Farm following a bye. With Auburn's loss earlier Saturday, Stanford now holds the longest active win streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 11 in a row. The Cardinal will likely move up a spot in the rankings to number five following Florida State's loss to Oklahoma.

Stanford vs. Arizona Score Update: Andrew Luck Gets Second TD, Barely Avoid Crazy Juron Criner TD

The Stanford Cardinal appear to have busted open their Pac-12 opener against the Arizona Wildcats as Andrew Luck has completed back-to-back touchdown passes to give the Cardinal a 30-10 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Cardinal were in a dogfight well into the third quarter, but they appear to finally be asserting their authority. Arizona looked to get back into it, but a crazy Juron Criner touchdown was called back as his elbow was down.

After grabbing a 23-10 lead, the Stanford defense forced Arizona to punt after four plays. The Cardinal then methodically moved down to the Arizona 34 as the third quarter expired. Andrew Luck then threw a touchdown pass to a wide open Levine Toilolo for the 30-10 lead. The touchdown drive was keyed by an offsides penalty against Arizona on 4th and 3 that gave Stanford new life.

Arizona looked like they were about to blow right back into the game as Juron Criner caught a little hitch and bounced off a player mid-tackle to eventually score what appeared to be an 80-yard touchdown. Fortunately for the Cardinal, Criner's elbow hit the ground as he rolled over a Stanford defender. The touchdown was called back and Arizona now has to make their way down the field. Down by three scores, the called back touchdown puts Stanford in a position to end this thing.

Stanford vs. Arizona Score Update: Andrew Luck Connects With Zach Ertz Giving Cardinal 23-10 Lead

The Stanford Cardinal have found themselves in a dogfight down in Tuscon, but they are doing what they can to put away a tough Arizona Wildcats squad. The Cardinal have been fortunate this evening as Arizona has missed a pair of field goals that if made would have tied the game at 16. The Cardinal finally made Arizona pay for the misses as Andrew Luck connected with Zach Ertz for his first touchdown of the evening.

Luck has put up decent enough numbers passing the ball, but the offense had previously stalled out  repeatedly in Arizona territory, having to settle for multiple field goals. This most recent drive they finally cashed in big as Luck rolled out on 3rd and 8 and connected with Ertz on a nice touchdown.

The Cardinal defense appears to be following that up with a return to form as they just forced an Arizona punt with 2:54 left in the third quarter. Andrew Luck and company return to the field looking to put this game away.

Stanford vs. Arizona Score Update: Nick Foles Keeps Wildcats Close

The Pac-12 opener between the Stanford Cardinal and Arizona Wildcats has turned into a fairly interesting matchup as Arizona QB Nick Foles is doing everything he can to keep his Wildcats in the ballgame. After Stanford took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, Arizona has clawed its way back and trails 16-10 at halftime. Jaime Salazar had a chance to cut the lead to three at the half but pulled a field goal wide left.

As Nick Foles drags his Wildcats along kicking and screaming, Andrew Luck has been the beneficiary of a monster rushing attack. The Cardinal rushed for 147 yards in the first half, averaging 7.7 yards per rush, but the score does not reflect this dominance in the trenches. They've come up short on three separate drives, having to settle for Jordan Williamson field goals. It's enough to maintain the lead, but Arizona is not going away and gets the ball to start the second half.

Arizona appeared to be developing some consistency in the second quarter as they put together a pair of solid drives that netted them the touchdown and missed field goal. Stanford's defense will need to tighten up against the Wildcats passing attack in the second half.

Stanford vs. Arizona Score Update: Anthony Wilkerson Puts Cardinal Up 10-3

The No. 6 ranked Stanford Cardinal have climbed on top of the Arizona Wildcats 10-0 in the first quarter thanks to a combination of luck and powerful rushing. The Cardinal grabbed a Jordan Williamson field goal at the 6:11 mark and converted a 4th and 1 into a 24 yard rushing touchdown at the 1:59 mark.

Arizona's offense hasn't been able to do much of anything thus far, accumulating eight total yards of offense in the first quarter. That has given Stanford time to work their way into a groove, which they may quickly be approaching. The Cardinal were forced to punt on their opening drive but quickly got the ball back after forcing the Wildcats into a three and out.

Stanford followed that three and out starting at their own 41 and quickly got down to first and goal on a pair of easy Andrew Luck passes. On third and goal, Luck got a bit of luck as he was almost picked off. Arizona appeared to pick off a pass at the goal line but instant replay resulted in a ruling of incomplete pass and Stanford was able to get three points out of the drive.

Arizona quickly went three and out on their second drive and Stanford took over on their own 28. Luck got things going quickly as he connected with Chris Owusu on a 39 yard completion. The Cardinal moved down to the Arizona 24 but appeared stalled at 4th and 1. Coach David Shaw decided to go for it and used a perfect outside pitch to Anthony Wilkerson to convert on 4th and 1 in a big way. Wilkerson had nothing but daylight outside and rolled into the end zone to give Stanford a 10-0 lead.

Arizona has quickly bounced back though around the end of the first quarter. The Wildcats started at their own 21 and used a pair of big passes to move all the way down to the Stanford 14 by the end of the quarter. The Cardinal defense stiffened up though and Arizona settled for a field goal to cut the lead to 10-3.

Stanford vs. Arizona: Start Time, Television Coverage, Live Online Stream And More

The Stanford Cardinal will face the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson this weekend as Andrew Luck continues his Heisman candidacy and Nick Foles attempts to knock off a top-10 foe. Here is all of the game day information and coverage that you will need:

Kickoff: 10:45 EDT / 7:45 PST

Venue: Arizona Stadium; 58,000 capacity

Television: ESPN - Carter Blackburn (pxp), Brock Huard (analyst), Shelley Smith (reporter)

Radio: Sirius 211, XM 190

Online Viewing: ESPN3.com, where available. Check with your internet provider.

All-Time Series: Arizona leads 14-12

Last Meeting: Stanford 42 - Arizona 17

This will be the first Pac-12 game for each team and all eyes will be on the two star quarterbacks. The kickoff is scheduled late enough to avoid the heat -- the high in Tucson is 92 during the day -- and the forecast makes for an excellent night of football. A sellout crowd is expected in Tucson.

For more Cardinal coverage, be sure to check out Rule Of Tree. If you're looking for Arizona news, AZ Desert Swarm is the place for you.

Stanford vs. Arizona: Andrew Luck Could Look To Coby Fleener Early Against 'Cats

Andrew Luck has the talent and arm strength to hit just about any of his wide receivers or tight ends with a pass down the field. In the early going of the 2011 season, Lucks seems to already have a strong connection with tight end Coby Fleener. The Washington Post has the story from the AP:

At 6-foot-6 and 244 pounds of muscle, Fleener's size and speed are making the Stanford tight end one of Heisman hopeful Andrew Luck's go-to targets. Fleener leads the sixth-ranked Cardinal (2-0) with three touchdowns, and he's looking to do more damage against an undersized Arizona (1-1) secondary Saturday night in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.

"I don't think people realize how fast he is," Luck said. "He's a big guy. But he's also fast."

How fast?

"The second-fastest offensive player we have," safety Michael Thomas said,

While any playmaker can use speed to his advantage, it is Fleener's size and strength that makes him such a difficult matchup for opposing linebackers and safeties. With Arizona's linebacking core and secondary depleted by injuries, the tight end could continue his strong season and have a big game on Saturday evening. And if for some reason the unit is able to slow Fleener down, it is probably because other targets are wide open for Luck with a lot of attention placed on the dynamic senior. 

For more Stanford coverage, be sure to visit Rule of Tree.

Stanford vs. Arizona: Wildcats May Be (Even More) Shorthanded This Week

Even if the Arizona Wildcats were at full strength this week against the Stanford Cardinal, it would be tough to see the 'Cats pulling the huge upset in Tucson. Fortunately for Andrew Luck and the Cardinal, Arizona comes into this week's showdown with nearly half of their defensive starters injured, and now star wide receiver Juron Criner may miss the game as well. 

Criner, who underwent an appendectomy nearly two weeks ago, is listed as questionable for the game. The all-american candidate missed last week's game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the 'Cats passing attack -- a unit capable of putting up 400+ yards on any given night -- suffered mightily because of it.

As for the defense, Mike Stoops will be without starting linebacker Jake Fischer, cornerback Jonathan McKnight, and safety Adam Hall. The other safety, Robert Golden, has battled injuries in the first two games of the season as well and his availability is at a play-by-play basis at this point. Compile these losses to losing four starters to the NFL Draft or graduation from last year's team and it is easy to see why Arizona has struggled defensively.

If Criner does not play, the game could be a blowout pretty early. If the dynamic receiver does play -- and honestly, no one quite knows his availability at this point other than he and the coaching staff -- the 'Cats may be able to work a little magic and keep the game close.

For more Cardinal coverage, Rule of Tree is the place to go. If you're looking for Wildcats news, Arizona Desert Swarm is worth checking out.

Stanford vs. Arizona: Cardinal Opening Line Puts Them as Ten Point Favorite

As the Stanford Cardinal get ready for their first Pac-12 matchup of the 2011 season down in Arizona on Saturday, the betting lines for the game don't have the Cardinal as much a of overwhelming favorite. Oddshark.com went only as far as to make Andrew Luck and his boys a 10 point favorite over Nick Foles and his Wildcats, while some of the other better sites were slightly more forgiving.

Bodog.com joinied Oddshark with a 10 point spread for this game, although Bet Online dropped their spread down to 9, while Top Bet bumped theirs up to 10 and 1/2. Even though they all basically are around the same number, it shows that this game will really be the Cardinal's first tough game of the season after blowing out their first two opponents handedly. 

If I were betting this game, I think I'd go over just because the Cardinal are so balanced on offense, while Arizona still is yet to find it's running game this season. And even though the Wildcats will be very hungry after their loss to Oklahoma State, Stanford will prove too much for them, even with the home 'Zona crowd. 

Stanford vs. Arizona: Cardinal Look To Keep Wildcats One-Dimensional On Offense

The Stanford Cardinal head down to the desert to take on the Arizona Wildcats this Saturday, looking to start Pac-12 play with a big W and continue their march to a possible Pac-12 championship. For more on the Cardinal check out Rule of Tree.