This season may not end with a bowl appearance, but Stanford Cardinal appears to have added another name to its deep quarterback history in Davis Warren.
The Cardinal are just 4-4 on the season and 2-3 in the ACC, but it’s the program’s best record through eight games since 2019. That doesn’t say a whole lot considering recent history, but it’s progress and Warren deserves a lot of that credit. He’s playing in a pro-style offense that asks him to make a lot of full-field reads and isn’t as conducive to easy throws as an air-raid system. Warren is finding a way to produce despite a porous O-line that doesn’t dominate in the run game, and a sieve of a defense.
Davis Warren Is Helping Stanford Weather A Difficult Season
Stanford’s record could be even better if it didn’t get a brutal schedule featuring three ranked opponents in the first six games, two of which are top-10 squads in Miami and Notre Dame. The season looked like it might be headed for a complete collapse after being outscored by Wake Forest and Notre Dame by a combined score of, 115-10, but Warren steadied the ship. He led them to an easy, 34-7, bounce back win against Elon last week and then Friday night’s shootout, 31-28, victory over NC State.
A lot of detractors might say that he was a no-show in the blowout losses, but this team was completely in over its head and didn’t give him or the offense a chance. Taking away some of the supporting cast is part of player evaluation, and certainly Warren is no different despite the current life cycle of the program.
Warren’s Passing Against NC State Showed His Potential
In the win against the Wolfpack, Warren made NFL reads and throws all over the field. On the opening drive, Stanford faced a third down and six at the NC State 42-yard-line. Warren faced five-man pressure with cover one man free on the back end. Although the corner got the jam off the line, receiver Caden High got just enough separation on his deep out. Warren from the right hash put an absolute dot on him.
The throw forced High to stretch out, but it was perfect. It was going to be complete or out of bounds. A deep out throw on the opposite hash is an NFL litmus test in a lot of ways, and Warren passed it with flying colors. A few plays later, Warren zipped a perfect, quick-game slant to Nico Brown for the eight-yard score. Stanford Football took a 7-0 lead and marched on from there.
On the ensuing drive, he threw a beautiful post pattern to High that was layered into the zone coverage for a gain of 23 into NC State territory. The next play, he showed off his arm strength once again, making a similar out route throw to High, except this time the corner had the leverage inside and could’ve jumped it if Warren missed. It didn’t matter. Warren whipped a bullet in for a completion. The drive led to a 14-0 lead for Stanford, and a fast start that helped make the difference in a three-point conference win.
Stanford’s Supporting Cast Is Helping Offense
He’s had some help with High, Brown and tight end Benji Blackburn through the air. The trio has logged 80 catches for 920 yards and eight touchdowns. Stanford’s offensive output has relied heavily on Warren’s arm and running back Micah Ford. The junior accounted for more than 200 all-purpose yards with 150 on the ground versus the Wolfpack. His night, along with Warren, culminated in 477 total yards of offense for the Cardinal.
A few more consistent showings from the running game will keep defenses off balance. They won’t be able to just key in on the passing game. Ford is a star waiting to break out, but the team needs more help in the trenches to give him more chances. Even with that, the Stanford defense also needs to quit putting the offense in negative game scripts, where it’s behind multiple scores and must abandon the run game.
End Of My Stanford Rant
Warren’s play should be appreciated regardless of what the season ends up with. KJ Costello, Davis Mills and Tanner McKee each had praiseworthy stints in their time in Palo Alto, but the win-loss results muddied their legacies. The former Michigan starter has earned his stripes this year, especially if he manages to carry this roster to a bowl game. He’s also earned a shot to at minimum have a cup of coffee in the NFL or maybe even more, but he’s put together too good a highlight reel to not get an opportunity.
The recent run of Stanford QBs isn’t as lauded as the Frankie Albert, John Brodie, Jim Plunkett, John Elway run that spanned numerous decades or the Andrew Luck, Kevin Hogan era last decade. However, its loaded with respectable, intelligent backups that can spot start and keep an offense afloat and on schedule.
Just last year, Mills did that exact thing with the Houston Texas, going undefeated in three starts and turning it over just once. His operation was so clean that there was a portion of the fan base that called for him to continue starting. McKee is currently filling in and has shown he’s capable of managing an offense. Warren could very well be the next in that group.
