Previewing NC State’s Opponent: Stanford

NC State and Stanford will kickoff today at Noon in Carter-Finley Stadium. Here’s a preview of the Cardinals.

Stanford is 2-6 (1-4 ACC) heading into today’s contest, and are currently riding a 5-game losing streak.

Junior Quarterback Ashton Daniels leads Stanford in passing and rushing. Daniels is definitely more effective with his legs than his arm. He has completed 62.2% of his passes for 941 yards, throwing 6 touchdowns compared to 8 interceptions. Daniels’ Passing Efficiency Rating is 112.7. For comparison, CJ Bailey’s Rating is 147.3. Daniels has rushed for 352 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

None of Stanford’s Running Backs have rushed for a touchdown all season. Junior Quarterback Justin Lamson has rushed for all 4 of the Cardinals’ rushing touchdowns. Freshman Running Micah Ford has rushed for 277 yards, rushing for 4.3 yards per carry. Freshman Running Back Chris Davis Jr. has rushed for 264 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

Sophomore Elic Ayomanor is a legit threat at Wide Receiver. He has 42 receptions for 484 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Top-5 Highest Graded Offensive Players

1. QB Ashton Daniels – 70.1
2. WR Elic Ayomanor – 68.5
3. T Conor McLaughlin – 67.9
4. RB Micah Ford – 66.7
5. RB Chris Davis Jr. – 66.3

On Defense, Senior Linebacker Tristan Sinclair leads the team with 63 tackles. Junior Linebacker Tevarua Tafiti leads the team with 3.5 sacks.

Top-5 Highest Graded Defensive Players

1. DE David Bailey – 87.1
2. CB Colin Wright – 73.8
3. CB Brandon Nicholson – 73.3
4. CB Jshawn Frausto-Ramos – 71.2
5. S Mitch Leigber – 69.7

As a team, Stanford ranks 16th out of 17 in Total Offense and Scoring, averaging 305.6 yards and 19.5 points per game. They rank 15th in Total Defense, giving up 398.6 yards per game. The Cardinals rank last in Scoring Defense, giving up 31.5 points per game.