Stanford faces its first road game when it plays a nationally televised game against Washington on Thursday. More significantly, it will be the first road game for Stanford quarterback Josh Nunes. Nunes has been efficient, if not spectacular, in the Cardinal’s first three games, including the upset of Southern Cal. His best asset has been his poise, and it remains to be seen whether he can exhibit the same composure in a hostile environment. Read More

The doubts about whether Stanford could remain a national power without Andrew Luck were dispelled with the Cardinal’s 21-14 upset of No. 2 USC on Saturday at Stanford Stadium. “When you lose one of the best quarterbacks in history, people are going to doubt with good reason whether you can continue to do what you do,” said Stanford defensive end Ben Gardner, who had a sack and two tackles for losses. Read More

The improvement Stanford showed in its second game of the season bodes well for the Cardinal in its big game against USC on Saturday. The Cardinal will still be an underdog in its home game against the second-ranked Trojans, but at least Stanford resembled a ranked team in its 50-13 rout of Duke over the weekend at Stanford. That was not the case in the Cardinal’s opener, a surprisingly close 20-17 victory over San Jose State, a team Stanford was expected to handle easily. Read More

San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh embellished his growing reputation for tense relations with competing coaches Sunday following a postgame skirmish with Detroit Lions Coach Jim Schwartz. Read More