It's hard to believe that the 2014 season is already half way over, but it's true. We know that the Cardinal is 4-2 after the first six games, and we know how they got there, but how have the individual groups done? I'll look at several different position groups this week, break down what they've contributed thus far, and where needed give some suggestions about should be done in the second half of the season.
Entering the season I felt like the wide receivers on the 2014 roster -- Ty Montgomery, Devon Cajuste, Michael Rector, and Francis Owusu -- had a chance to be as good as any group in recent Stanford history. There was dynamic talent at the top (Montgomery) and enough depth that Kodi Whitfield, last year's fourth-leading receiver with 16 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown (probably the best catch any Stanford player has made in the past 25 years) moved to safety. With the continued development of Kevin Hogan at quarterback and the return of the tight end to the offense, I predicted a strong year for the receivers.
It hasn't been as strong as I had hoped. Here's a comparison of the top three receivers from last year to this, through six games.
|
|
Montgomery 2013 2014 |
Cajuste 2013 2014 |
Rector 2013 2014 |
Total 2013 2014 |
|
Receptions |
31 37 |
14 18 |
9 9 |
54 64 |
|
Yards |
514 359 |
268 243 |
171 171 |
953 773 |
|
YPC |
16.6 9.7 |
19.1 13.5 |
19.0 19.0 |
17.6 12.1 |
|
Touchdowns |
5 3 |
4 3 |
1 1 |
10 7 |
A few things stand out. First of all, the Michael Rector numbers are not a mistake. He's having exactly the same season as last year to this point. More importantly, if we look at the totals, it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise that this trio is only ten receptions (or just 1.6 per game) ahead of last season's total given the re-emergence of the tight ends, but what's truly surprising is how far the yards per catch numbers have fallen.
Once again, Rector is the constant, but look at the two variables, Montgomery and Cajuste. Ty Montgomery, who is clearly Stanford's most dangerous offensive weapon, is averaging less than ten yards per reception. That number is pulled down by the high number of screens they've been running to him in an effort to get the ball in his hands more often (37 catches this year to 31 in 2013), but this is still unacceptable.
With the addition of the tight ends to the passing game, these three receivers should represent more of a deep threat than they have thus far. Consider this: last season Devon Cajuste set a school record, averaging 22.9 yards per catch. This year his longest single catch is 23 yards. Simply preposterous.
Historically the Stanford offense has tended to open up a bit as the season wears on. Cajuste and Rector benefitted from this last season, as their numbers improved significantly in the second half of 2013 (Rector's YPC average soared up over 30), and the hope here is that we see similar results over the next six games.
Semester Report Card: B
