Stanford's veteran players are determined to break their 16-game losing streak against Cal in Saturday's 128th Big Game, with the team's interim coach Frank Reich emphasizing preparation over emotion. The Cardinal have lost three straight Big Games at home and four overall, a drought that has weighed heavily on seniors and veterans like Collin Wright and Sam Roush.
Wright, a redshirt junior cornerback, has spent the week reminding his teammates of the magnitude of the game, saying "This is our game to win. Records don't matter, outside noise doesn't matter. What matters is what we do in between the white lines." The 23-year-old veteran believes the team's bye week, which came after three consecutive ACC losses, has brought renewed focus and a chance to address the miscues that have cost them recent Big Games.
Roush, a senior tight end and one of the most experienced players on the team, is well aware of the stakes in his final Big Game. "This is my last crack at it," he said. "The last three years, two of them were our game and we let them go. That sticks with me." Roush knows that the team's preparation will be key to breaking the drought, saying "We're excited to show what we want to do on Saturday."
Reich has been a crash course in the sixth-most-played rivalry in college football for his players, with advice from former NFL coach Marv Levy. Reich has tried to channel Stanford's drought constructively, emphasizing preparation over emotion. "Motivation has to lead to enhanced preparation," he said.
One player who is undefeated in the Big Game is inside linebacker Hunter Barth, who appeared in each of the last four games while at Cal and tied a career high with seven tackles in last year's Big Game. Reich will check in with Barth about Cal's personnel but won't dive too deep, saying "Every player has to deal with it in their own way."
As for Reich himself, he acknowledges the stakes in the game, saying "This is our game to win." With his team ready to take on the rival Golden Bears at home, Stanford will stop at nothing to break the drought and claim victory.
Wright, a redshirt junior cornerback, has spent the week reminding his teammates of the magnitude of the game, saying "This is our game to win. Records don't matter, outside noise doesn't matter. What matters is what we do in between the white lines." The 23-year-old veteran believes the team's bye week, which came after three consecutive ACC losses, has brought renewed focus and a chance to address the miscues that have cost them recent Big Games.
Roush, a senior tight end and one of the most experienced players on the team, is well aware of the stakes in his final Big Game. "This is my last crack at it," he said. "The last three years, two of them were our game and we let them go. That sticks with me." Roush knows that the team's preparation will be key to breaking the drought, saying "We're excited to show what we want to do on Saturday."
Reich has been a crash course in the sixth-most-played rivalry in college football for his players, with advice from former NFL coach Marv Levy. Reich has tried to channel Stanford's drought constructively, emphasizing preparation over emotion. "Motivation has to lead to enhanced preparation," he said.
One player who is undefeated in the Big Game is inside linebacker Hunter Barth, who appeared in each of the last four games while at Cal and tied a career high with seven tackles in last year's Big Game. Reich will check in with Barth about Cal's personnel but won't dive too deep, saying "Every player has to deal with it in their own way."
As for Reich himself, he acknowledges the stakes in the game, saying "This is our game to win." With his team ready to take on the rival Golden Bears at home, Stanford will stop at nothing to break the drought and claim victory.
roush is just so emotional about this last game it makes me wanna feel bad for him but at the same time its awesome to see him giving it his all sam barth is kinda underrated as he's like a superhero who shows up in every big game 
frank reich is trying his best to get them prepared and motivated without getting too caught up in the hype
. I mean, sure, it takes some time and effort, but trust me, it's worth it. There's just something about that freshly made dough that makes all the difference... anyway, back to Stanford vs Cal 
...
but at the same time, I'm totally convinced they're not gonna win because of how rusty they look in practice 
... wait, what? No, no, I mean, I'm pretty sure Frank Reich is right on target with his prep-over-emotion approach, 
and that's exactly why they'll finally take down Cal, 
... but then again, if Stanford doesn't prepare properly, they'll get destroyed, 
Ugh, my mind's made up, Stanford's gonna win for sure! 
... just kidding! I'm rooting for those veteran players, Collin and Sam, they're like the OGs of Big Game woes 
. Seriously though, it's time for Stanford to snap out of that losing streak and show Cal who's boss 
. This could be a game-changer for those seniors, Collin and Sam, especially Collin's "crack" comment is on point 
. Stanford's bye week was a great reset, now it's time to put all that energy into this one game 
. Who knows, maybe they'll break that 16-game losing streak and make some Cal fans cry 
.
. Anyway, back to the Stanford-Cal Big Game... I think it's great that their interim coach Frank Reich is emphasizing preparation over emotion 
. It's all about what they do between those white lines, not some meaningless record or outside noise. And I'm rooting for them to break their 16-game losing streak against Cal - it'd be awesome to see Stanford win one back! 
They've been through so much and it's crushing to not be able to break this losing streak. I mean, Collin Wright is like the ultimate warrior, reminding his teammates that records don't matter and what matters is what they do on the field 
Frank Reich is trying to keep it chill, but I can tell these players are itching for a win. It's gonna be intense Saturday night at the Big Game! 
as for frank reich, he seems like the right coach for this job. those 16-game losing streaks are crazy, though 
! The stats are crazy - Cal's losing streak against Stanford is 16 games, and that's a big deal 
. The fact that Stanford's players have spent the week prepping is a huge plus 
️. I mean, Collin Wright's message to his teammates is fire 
. The guy's on a hot streak! Reich's approach is solid too 
, emphasizing prep over emotion. I think this is gonna be a close one 
.
Stanford's had some tough losses recently, but they're looking to turn it around 
- it seems like it's been more of an emotional rollercoaster for the team rather than a consistent losing streak 
, like, what's the harm in losin'? it's just a game, right? but i guess for stanford, it's about bein' consistent & showin' they can get back on track 
. frank reich's all about preparation over emotion, and that makes sense 
. it's gonna be interesting to see if they can break this drought on saturday 
. I'm guessing those seniors and vets are feeling the pressure, and it's gonna be a tough game to break the drought... but not necessarily in Stanford's favor