Defying predictions, Cardinal makes
its presence known.
HANGING ON: Atogwe takes a
stand against USC tailback LenDale White.
gonzalesphoto.com
With 52 seconds left in
the first half against top-ranked USC, Stanford was
leading 21-17. But the Trojans had just scored another
touchdown, and Oshiomogho Atogwe, Stanford’s senior
free safety and defensive leader, had seen enough. “They
ain’t gonna lay down,” he warned his brethren
on the Cardinal bench. “We gotta put ’em
down! We just gave them that touchdown—let’s
go D!”
Seconds later, Stanford’s sideline erupted with
delight as running back J.R. Lemon broke free for an
82-yard touchdown dash, giving the Cardinal a 28-17
halftime cushion. This Stanford squad—a 22-point
underdog picked to finish near the bottom of the Pac-10
conference—was pushing the defending national
champions all over the field.
Although Stanford failed to score in the second half
against the re-energized Trojans and fell 31-28, that
September 25 performance made for a powerful statement:
don’t underestimate the Cardinal.
Head coach Buddy Teevens, though pleased with his team’s
effort and perhaps intrigued by its potential, wasn’t
interested in moral victories. “You look at how
we’re capable of playing, offensively and defensively,
and there are a lot of good things there,” Teevens
said after the USC game, which followed earlier wins
against San Jose State (43-3) and BYU (37-10). “But
you’ve got to be consistent for 60 minutes. As
I told the team, there’s no solace in coming close.
It’s a loss. We had the opportunity to beat a
good football team and we let it go.”
In a solemn postgame locker room, sophomore quarterback
Trent Edwards agreed. “You wake up at 7 in the
morning in the off-season and work so hard to win games
like this—and to not convert just rips your heart
out,” he said. “To know that we were right
there knocking on the door helps a lot. But there are
still adjustments to make.”
Those adjustments could determine whether the positive
early-season energy and attitude translate into a successful
turnaround for the program.
