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Stanford Football Semester Report Card: Offensive Line

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.

 

On National Signing Day of 2012 the Stanford coaching staff pulled in a haul of offensive line recruits that was unprecedented in modern college football history. With names like Andrus Peat, Kyle Murphy, and Josh Garnett, players that were covetted by programs across the nation, Stanford looked to have assured that it would maintain its position near the top of the polls for years to come. After all, if the coaching staff had been able to develop two- and three-star recruits into All-Conference and All-America players, just imagine what they'd do with the four- and five-star talent that was on the way.

Many of those linemen contributed early in their careers, with Peat earning the starting left tackle job in 2013 and Garnett getting a spot start and considerable playing time as well, but this was the year that we were supposed to truly feel the impact of that great class. Every spot on line is manned by a member of the Class of 2012. From left tackle to right tackle the starters are Peat, Garnett, Graham Shuler, Johnny Caspars, and Murphy. Even though those five had never played together, they had all played in important moments, so the hope was that they'd be able to overcome any cohesion issues by drawing on their individual game experience and prodigious talent. That hasn't quite been the case.

Stanford Football Semester Report Card: Tight Ends

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.

During the Andrew Luck Era and the year after, Stanford Football earned the moniker Tight End U thanks to a series of great players at the position, most notably Zach Ertz, Coby Fleener, and Levine Toilolo. When those three departed for the NFL, however, the tight end cupboard was bare, and the offense suffered in 2013 as a result.

Stanford Football Semester Report Card: Wide Receivers

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.

Stanford Football Semester Report Card: Running Backs

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.

Coach Shaw promised a running-back-by-committee approach in 2014, and for better or worse, he's been true to his word. Remound Wright, Barry Sanders, and Kelsey Young have essentially split carries thus far, with Wright leading the way with 51 carries, and the others with 31 and 33, respectively. Entering the year, I was of the belief that the total production of the running game wouldn't change that much from last season to this. Not to slight Tyler Gaffney, who looks more like one of the top running backs in Stanford history the farther we get from 2013, but I felt like the offensive line would be so good this year (more on them later this week) that it might not even matter which back was carrying the ball. I was wrong. Or was I?

Stanford Football Semester Report Card: Quarterback

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.

Quarterback

Kevin Hogan remains something of a mystery. Consider these strange but true facts:

• He has more passing yards than Sean Mannion, who led the Pac-12 in passing yardage in 2013.
• He has as many passing touchdowns (11) and rushing touchdowns (3) as Brett Hundley, UCLA's one-time Heisman candidate.
• He has more completions than Marcus Mariota, Oregon's one-time Heisman candiate.