Stanford football coach looks back on Australia game ahead of 49ers opener
Stanford football coach looks back on Australia game ahead of 49ers opener
Dustin Dorsey Tue, September 8, 2026 at 12:13 AM UTC
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Stanford football's 2017 season-opening game in Australia offers a point of reference as the San Francisco 49ers prepare to play the NFL's first regular-season game in the country.
Stanford head coach Tavita Pritchard, who was the Cardinal's quarterbacks coach at the time, recently reflected on the team's 62-7 victory over Rice in Sydney and the experience of traveling overseas for a season opener.
Both Stanford and California played games in Australia in 2017 and 2016, and both won.
"It was a great experience. You know, we were able to to take in a different country with our guys and it was a good environment that we played in and we played pretty well. And I just remember our guys really enjoying it," Pritchard said.
Asked what contributed to Stanford's dominant performance, Pritchard pointed to several key players.
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"Bryce Love was a good start. Colby Parkinson I remember," he said.
Pritchard said adjusting to the significant time difference was an important part of the trip. He recalled that the team's first day in Sydney was intentionally packed with activities to help players adapt.
"To keep everybody up they packed the first day with events. And I remember we did we did the Taronga Zoo that day. We ended the day at Bondi Beach. And so it was just like this jam packed day where everyone was kind of woozy from from the travel. But it's also so you can go to sleep that night," he said.
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Stanford arrived a week before the game, a decision that Pritchard said helped the team prepare. He said the Cardinal had a strong week of practice before the victory and believes early arrival can also benefit teams traveling overseas in the future - like the 49ers.
"You can gain of an advantage anyway you do it. The most important thing is that everybody's on the same page - they understand the why, they understand the why you're doing it and the things that you have to do to make that part of the science work for your team," Pritchard said.
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According to Pritchard, excitement surrounding the game was apparent as soon as the team arrived in Australia.
There have been five NCAA or NFL games played in Australia so far, with the upcoming game in Melbourne set to become the sixth.
"I think it's great for the game. It grows the game. And so, it'll be an exciting experience for those guys and especially the fans down there," Pritchard said.
Pritchard declined to offer a score prediction for Thursday's game, noting connections to players on both teams.
Still, he said he is looking forward to what he expects will be an exciting matchup.
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Source: “AOL Sports”
