Getty Tanner McKee can get Stanford off to a winning start.
Tanner McKee gets his chance to lead Stanford to a bounce-back season in the Pac-12 when the Cardinals host Colgate on Saturday. McKee will take the reins of the offense, but like most Stanford quarterbacks during the last decade, he’ll want to lean on a relentless, power-based running game.
Closing off the rushing lanes will be a difficult task for a Colgate team needing to overcome daunting history against the Cardinal. Stanford hasn’t dropped a game to an opponent from the FCS in almost two decades.
The game (8 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on Pac-12 Network Bay Area (different than regular Pac-12 Network), but if you don’t have cable or don’t have that channel, you can watch a live stream on FuboTV, which comes with a free trial.
That’s the best live stream option if you’re cutting cable and need Pac-12 Network or any of the Pac-12 Network regional channels, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch Colgate vs Stanford streaming live online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Network Bay Area, all of the other Pac-12 regional channels, and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV. You’ll need either the “Elite” bundle or the “Sports Plus” add-on, but you can include any package and any add-on with your free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Colgate vs Stanford live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the Pac-12 Now app or the Pac-12 website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your FuboTV credentials to do that.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Network Bay Area, all of the other Pac-12 regional channels and 90+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which does not come with a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch Colgate vs Stanford live on the Vidgo app or Vidgo website.
Compatible devices for the Vidgo app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the Pac-12 Now app or the Pac-12 website. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Vidgo credentials to do that.
Colgate vs Stanford Preview
E.J. Smith is under pressure to deliver the goods on the ground for Stanford. Fortunately, the 6’0″, 208-pounder has the lineage to make believers out of his doubters.
The son of the NFL’s all-time rushing leader, Emmitt Smith, averaged 5.1 yards a carry last season, per Sports Reference. He’s also set to run behind an offensive line bookended by Myles Hinton and Walter Rouse, who are “next-level caliber tackles,” according to Peter Fiutak of College Football News.
Things are adding up to a breakout season for Smith, with Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus expecting the running back to generate plenty of buzz:
It would also help if McKee could take a step forward after posting a middling 15 touchdowns to seven interceptions ratio last season. His arm strength is still a concern, along with the quality of the receivers around him.
McKee will be throwing passes to a group headlined by tight end Benjamin Yurosek. He hauled in 43 catches a year ago and posted an impressive average of 15.3 yards per grab.
The only thing missing from Yurosek’s game is some potency in the red zone. He failed to score a single touchdown last season, something that has to change because the Cardinal lacks playmakers on the outside who will scare defenses.
There’s no shortage of size, with John Humphreys leading the way at 6’5″. Elijah Higgins, like Yurosek, will also be looking to build on the promise he showed in 2021, when the 6’3″ pass-catcher posted 45 receptions and four scores.
The potential for big plays is obvious in the Stanford passing game, but head coach David Shaw is still waiting on a legitimate No. 1 target to emerge. If somebody doesn’t step up, Colgate quarterback Michael Brescia will have a chance to keep pace with McKee.
Brescia proved himself as a genuine dual-threat weapon in 2021, per NCAAF Nation:
● FCS Freshman Spotlight ●
QB Michael Brescia – Colgate
2021 Stats
• 614 Passing yards 2 TDs
• 568 rushing yards 9 TDs
Stanford’s chances of keeping Brescia under wraps will hinge on a pass rush that needs a boost from freshman recruit David Bailey. He can form a bookend rush tandem with Stephen Herron and give shutdown cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly more chances to make plays on the ball.
Brescia will need to overcome the past as much as Stanford’s defense because the Cardinal last lost a game to FBS opposition by falling to UC Davis in 2005. Don’t expect the streak to be snapped at the Stanford Stadium, with Shaw’s team still too strong in the trenches for opponents who aren’t part of the nation’s elite.