The One Key For Stanford to Pull Off an Upset Against SMU

Stanford football is back in action. Beating San José State right before a bye week, the Cardinal are back after a week off and ready to keep the momentum and confidence going as they embark on a tough three-game stretch. And this week, the Cardinal face arguably their toughest test up to this point—a road game against last year's ACC runner-ups, SMU.

Entering the game as heavy underdogs against the Mustangs, not much is expected out of the Cardinal, who are deep in a rebuild and still trying to establish an identity. Facing a high-powered SMU offense, Stanford will have its work cut out. But, as is the case in every game, anything is possible, and a Stanford win could written in the stars if the team plays its cards right.

At the start of the season, the Cardinal's defense was the team's bread and butter, with dominant outings against Hawaii, BYU and Boston College. Despite going 1-2 during that span, the defense played a big part in keeping those games competitive, with the Hawaii game coming down to the wire.

But over the past couple of games, especially against Virginia, the Cardinal's defense struggled mightily and had a particularly hard time defending the pass.

Against SMU and quarterback Kevin Jennings, the defense needs to be crisp and on-point. Jennings is known for his dynamic skillset, being an exceptional passer as well as runner. Jennings will be the toughest quarterback that the Cardinal have faced so far, and if the defense can contain him, then SMU will not be able to do that much.

And with games against Florida State and Miami on the docket after SMU, both teams have top tier quarterbacks, a good game against Jennings will be a major confidence booster for a defense that has struggled in recent weeks.

Offensively, the Cardinal have been surging over the last few games after struggling early on. Combining to throw three interceptions over the first two games, including a critical late game pick against Hawaii, quarterback Ben Gulbranson has found a rhythm over the last three games, having thrown five touchdowns and zero interceptions while leading Stanford to wins against Boston College and a comeback win over San Jose State.

And if Gulbranson and the offense can stay sharp against SMU—arguably the toughest defense they will have faced so far—then the Cardinal could find themselves competing.

Given the circumstances surrounding the program, expectations for Stanford are low for this season, but if the Cardinal are able to at least stay competitive in those types of games, it will go a long way towards a successful future.

Now the question becomes exactly what type of team will take the field in Dallas this weekend and if the Cardinal can keep this one close, if not improbably come out with a win.