Posted at 11:27 a.m., Wednesday, October 10, 2007
CFB: Stanford QB, author of USC upset, will keep job
Associated Press
STANFORD, Calif. — Tavita Pritchard will remain Stanford's starting quarterback this week against TCU after upsetting No. 2 Southern California in his first career start.Coach Jim Harbaugh said yesterday that Pritchard would start this week even though T.C. Ostrander had been cleared to play after a seizure caused him to miss the USC game.
Pritchard, a redshirt freshman, led the Cardinal (2-3, 1-3 Pac-10) to 17 fourth-quarter points last Saturday, beating the Trojans 24-23 with a a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mark Bradford on fourth-and-goal with 49 seconds remaining.
"Three drives in the last three possessions for scores was very impressive and so was the way he handled himself around this ballclub," Harbaugh said. "I feel good about that decision."
Pritchard had to convert on fourth-and-20 four plays before the winning TD. He finished the game 11-for-30 for 149 yards and the winning TD.
"Whether I'm the third guy, the starter or the backup, I'm going to prepare every time like I'm the starter," Pritchard said. "Not a whole lot has changed."
Ostrander suffered a seizure at a Palo Alto restaurant Sept. 30 and was held out of the USC game for precautionary reasons. Ostrander, who completed 90 of 166 passes for 1,065 yards as Stanford's starter over the first four games, has been cleared to play again and worked out with the team yesterday.
"I want to be on the field," Ostrander said. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but coach made a decision and if that's his decision, I will go along with it and just do the things I need to do to get better."
