Washington State @ Stanford preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2013 ) Stanford 55, Washington State 17

The nation’s top-ranked passing offense will take on the No. 2 pass defense when Washington State travels to No. 22 Stanford for a Pac-12 matchup Friday night. The Cougars average 523 passing yards and fresh off a 60-59 loss to California in which Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday broke an NCAA record with 734 passing yards while throwing six touchdowns. The Cardinal are surrendering an average of 107.4 yards through the air this season and haven’t allowed at least 30 points in 27 straight games, the longest active streak in the FBS.

The Cougars have four wide receivers with at least six touchdown receptions this season led by Vince Mayle, who broke the program record in the California game by accumulating 263 receiving yards. Stanford will need to find a way to ratchet up its running game after totaling 47 rushing yards in a 17-14 loss last week to No. 5 Notre Dame, its fewest since 2007. Remound Wright will likely continue as the starting running back for Stanford, but Barry Sanders could be in line for extra carries if Wright continues to struggle.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Stanford -17

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12): The Cougars gave up two kickoff returns for touchdowns against California and a punt return for a score the week before in another one-point loss to Utah, leading to the dismissal of special teams coach Erik Russell. Quentin Breshears also missed a 19-yard field goal with 15 seconds left against the Golden Bears, which would have lifted Washington State to the win. Breshears also missed a 29-yarder last month in a seven-point loss to No. 11 Oregon.

ABOUT STANFORD (3-2, 1-1): Ty Montgomery has been kept in check the last two games and that’s one of the reasons the Cardinal has had trouble moving the ball. The 6-2, 215-pound wide receiver caught 22 passes through the first three games but has totaled just four in each of the last two, gaining less than 30 yards in both games. He remains on pace to better last season’s total of 61 catches but is averaging just 9.6 yards a reception and has scored three touchdowns, well off the 15.7 average and 10 scores he finished with last season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Stanford QB Kevin Hogan sat out Monday’s practice with a leg injury but the Cardinal anticipate he’ll be available Friday.

2. Stanford has held opponents to 20 or fewer points in 12 consecutive regular-season games.

3. The last time the Cougars were involved in back-to-back one-point games was 1971.

PREDICTION: Stanford 30, Washington State 27