Stanford vs. Washington State preview

The Stanford Cardinal will look to build on their strong running game and they will play host to the Washington State Cougars as they square off in a Pac-12 game on Saturday night in Palo Alto.

Lead rusher Stepfan Taylor has powered the Cardinal on the ground and most recently racked up a career-high 189 yards in Stanford's lopsided 21-3 victory over the California Golden Bears during last week's Big Game. Taylor is averaging a stellar 120.9 yards rushing on the year, with 433 yards coming in the last three games.

Washington State has struggled to stop anyone this season on defense, and they will likely have a tough time slowing down Stanford on the road. They've lost four straight and have allowed 30.4 points per game. Also working against the Cougars is the fact that they've dropped 18 straight against opponents in the Top 25.

There are major implications in this game for Stanford with respect to the Pac-12 North division. After facing Washington State, they will take on another struggling team in 1-6 Colorado before beginning a rough stretch vs. Oregon State, Oregon and UCLA to finish the season.