Stanford football stays home this week to take on NC State, looking to build off of the momentum gained from the win over Elon. Head coach Tavita Pritchard spoke with the media to discuss the state of affairs of the program ahead of a big ACC showdown.

Here are key takeaways from what Pritchard said.

The Cardinal have struggled to put together complete games this season, lacking focus in the first half before coming more to life in the second half. Against Elon, the Cardinal finally had a game where they played sound, clean and crisp football, particularly in the second half, leading to a 34-7 blowout win.

NC State is a much stronger opponent, and a win would be a statement victory for a Stanford team desperately looking for its second conference win. But in order to win, the team needs to come out firing and keep the energy and focus high for all four quarters. This week at practice, that will be the emphasis.

"Continue to emphasize it first and foremost," Pritchard told Stanford Roundtable. "I've said a version of this before but just because you say it, or you emphasize it, does not mean it absolutely happens. It's on us to actualize that, and practice is the first place that we get an opportunity to do that.

"But coming out with an energy and an intensity from the jump is extremely important in what we do and so we can't have another opportunity where we don't come out with the right energy and focus from the jump. That's what we'll be looking for this week and making sure that we're able to start fast in practice because that's what will lead to us being able to do that in the game."

NC State has a high-powered offense and a defense that is capable of wreaking havoc at any time. The Cardinal have struggled against teams like that this season and in recent years, but a good mentality going into the game could go a long way in securing an upset.

Stanford's rushing attack has been inconsistent, with some games seeing strong production from the ball carriers and others forcing the passing game to work extra hard. But against Elon, Micah Ford not only produced; he put together a historic game.

Carrying the ball 19 times for 179 yards, he scored four touchdowns and set career highs in every rushing category.

NC State's run defense is better, but going into the game with confidence could help Ford play with more pep in his step against a highly respected ACC opponent.

"It was good to create some more explosiveness in the run game," Pritchard said. "It was good to have some times where the blocking unit and the backs both were working in conjunction with getting bodies on bodies and guys blocking outside. I think that's always helpful when you're looking to just get the offense going in general, not just the run game, but obviously it's all complementary to each other.

"I thought our guys did a nice job of taking a step there, and it'll be on us to take the next step. Obviously, coming here is a great physical opponent. We're going to have to earn everything, not just in the run game but on offense and in all phases. While it was good to have some of those things to build on, we've got to make sure that we're not resting on that [and] that we're continuing to improve in those same areas for this week."

Stanford's offense has been stagnant at many points this season and cannot afford to fall flat when it matters most. But if the Cardinal do what Pritchard says and keep improving in all phases, the rest of the season could be interesting.

Stanford's wide receivers have fared well throughout this season, with several players getting the opportunity to step up. But over the course of the last few weeks, one receiver has started to separate himself from the rest.

Sophomore JonAnthony Hall, who missed most of last season with an injury, has put his talent on full display this year. Known for his high-intensity practices, he has been translating that effort in practice into game day. 

"...JonAnthony Hall has done a phenomenal job in practice," Pritchard said. "He's come out with great intensity, focus, energy. He knows his stuff, and you're seeing it translate to the game. And so I think he is a living, breathing example of what we're striving for in this program, which is having great practices. We can continue to get better, but I think what you're seeing JonAnthony Hall do on game day is what's showing up on the practice field."

Hall has 13 catches for 223 yards and no touchdowns this season but is coming off of a strong game against Elon, where he caught a season high of five passes for 70 yards. If he can build off that game and continue to grow his game, he will develop into a high-end receiver for the program in no time.