No, everyone doesn't get an A+, but after Saturday night's dominant 37-10 win over the Arizona Wildcats, the grades are obviously pretty good. Take a look.
Quarterback: A
This seemed like a "business as usual" kind of game for Andrew Luck. He wasn't spectacular, he didn't run over any linebackers, he didn't throw any forty-yard passes while falling down, but he was still the best player on the field. He finished with 325 yards on 20 of 31 passing with two touchdowns. He also had his best running game of the season, as he racked up thirty-six yards, including fifteen on a huge third-down conversion late in the second quarter. I'd take this game from Luck every Saturday and be thrilled.
Running Backs: A
Stepfan Taylor was the leading rusher in 2010, just as he has been so far in 2011, but there's a difference. Last year Taylor received 42% of the total carries and accounted for 41% of the team's rushing yardage. This year both of those numbers have jumped to 50%, which is interesting. We'll have to watch this to see if it's just an early season aberration, or if it says something about Coach Shaw. As Anthony Wilkerson's carries have dwindled early on (he's rushed only 12 times for 48 yards), there's been speculation that maybe the coaches have been disappointed with his performance in practice, but maybe that isn't it. Maybe Shaw prefers to feature one back, and that back is Taylor. (Wilkerson did manage a highlight, though; his 24-yard run in the first quarter was Stanford's first touchdown.) Taylor had a great game against Arizona, racking up 153 yards, including the big run that he and his coaches had been waiting for, a forty-nine-yard run down the left sideline early in the second quarter. Taylor appears to be hitting his groove.
Offensive Line: B++
I'm not quite ready to give this group an A-, but they're definitely getting closer. Just from a numbers perspective, things looked great. The team piled up 242 yards rushing, by far the biggest total of the season, and Luck was never sacked. More importantly, he wasn't pressured all that often, either, and was comfortable in the pocket all night long. Perhaps the most reassuring part of the line's performance, though, came in the fourth quarter. With the game essentially salted away, Shaw sent the jumbo package out and the Tunnel Workers Union did what they were supposed to do, steamrolling an exhausted Arizona front seven and leading the way on a clock-killing, game-icing drive. Just like old times.
Wide Receivers: C
When you have a Heisman candidate at quarterback and his receivers total five catches for seventy-one yards, there might be cause for concern. (I'll address this below.) Chris Owusu missed about a quarter of play with an injured shoulder, but since he only caught one ball before going out and another after returning, it's hard to say he was missed while he sat on the bench. Griff Whalen had three receptions, but no other receiver contributed. We had been seeing signs that Drew Terrell might be ready to step up, but he was a non-factor on offense. Something has to be done with this position. Even though Coach Shaw surely pledges allegiance to the run game when he wakes up each morning, I have to believe that as a former wide receiver himself, he must share my concern. I'd love to see freshman Ty Montgomery lining up as a starter against UCLA. It won't happen, but I'd love to see it.
Tight Ends: A+
Maybe we don't have to worry about the wide receivers. The Holy Triumverate of Zach Ertz, Coby Fleener, and Levine Toilo all came to play on Saturday night, accounting for nine catches for 180 yards, completely cancelling out the ineptitude of the receivers. Fleener left the game after receiving a blow to the head midway through the first quarter, but his absence wasn't noticed as Toilolo and Ertz each caught a touchdown and looked like All-Americas all night long. I was especially happy for Toilolo. His first three receptions resulted in first downs, including a long thirty-nine-yarder, and his fourth was thirty-four-yard touchdown that essentially ended the game for the Cardinal. It's been a long road back for Toilolo since his knee injury last September, so that touchdown must've been especially sweet for him. I hope Shayne Skov was paying attention.
