[CTcard]

I attended the Willingham Rose Bowl in 2000 and his Seattle Bowl game in 2002.  I cannot imagine a
Stanford fan longing for a return of those two offenses--and those were Willingham's two best teams.

You're right, Hulk and Goose, the Michigan State Rose Bowl performance was so much better.

Interesting question, at least as far as wallowing in misery can be interesting.

Here is what Stanford did on offense:

Rose Bowl 2000
rush: 27 carries, -5 yards, -0.19 yds/rush
pass: 18-35, 264 yds, 51%, 7.54 yds/att
total: 259 yds, 4.18 yds/play
points: 9
Opponent: Wisconsin #15 defense (yds/game = 302)

Seattle Bowl 2001
rush: 36 carries, 125 yards, 3.47 yds/rush
pass: 17-34, 225 yds, 50%, 6.62 yds/pass
total: 350 yds, 5.00 yds/play
points: 14
opponent: Georgia Tech #32 defense (yds/game = 333)

Rose Bowl 2014
rush: 36 carries, 162 yds, 4.50 yds/carry
pass: 10-18, 143 yds*, 55.5%, 7.94 yds/att
total: 305 yds, 5.65 yds/play
points: 20
opponent: Michigan State #2 defense (yds/game = 252), #1 defense (yds/play = 4.04)

Sun Bowl 2016 (worst offense in a bowl game under Shaw)**
rush: 43 carries, 129 yds, 3.00 yds/carry
pass: 9-18, 154 yds, 50%, 8.55 yds/att
total: 283 yds, 4.64 yds/play
points: 25
opponent: North Carolina #63 defense (yds/gm = 408), #43 defense (yds/play = 5.37)


* passing in that game should have been at least 11-19, but for the incorrectly penalized bad-hold, fake FG attempt that should have left us with first and goal at the MSU 9. Strangely, the box score on the official site lists that penalty as "illegal formation". While it was difficult to impossible to hear the official's announcement of the penalty, it most certainly was not "illegal formation".

** While it seemed meaningful to include the two worst offensive performance in a bowl for purposes of comparison to the Seattle and Rose Bowls under Willingham, in fact those were not the two worst bowl performances under Willingham. The worst would be the Liberty Bowl where we lost to East Carolina and managed to roll up 211 yards of total offense.

[CTcard]

I attended the Willingham Rose Bowl in 2000 and his Seattle Bowl game in 2002.  I cannot imagine a
Stanford fan longing for a return of those two offenses--and those were Willingham's two best teams.

You're right, Hulk and Goose, the Michigan State Rose Bowl performance was so much better.

Interesting question, at least as far as wallowing in misery can be interesting.

Here is what Stanford did on offense:

Rose Bowl 2000
rush: 27 carries, -5 yards, -0.19 yds/rush
pass: 18-35, 264 yds, 51%, 7.54 yds/att
total: 259 yds, 4.18 yds/play
points: 9
Opponent: Wisconsin #15 defense (yds/game = 302)

Seattle Bowl 2001
rush: 36 carries, 125 yards, 3.47 yds/rush
pass: 17-34, 225 yds, 50%, 6.62 yds/pass
total: 350 yds, 5.00 yds/play
points: 14
opponent: Georgia Tech #32 defense (yds/game = 333)

Rose Bowl 2014
rush: 36 carries, 162 yds, 4.50 yds/carry
pass: 10-18, 143 yds*, 55.5%, 7.94 yds/att
total: 305 yds, 5.65 yds/play
points: 20
opponent: Michigan State #2 defense (yds/game = 252), #1 defense (yds/play = 4.04)

Sun Bowl 2016 (worst offense in a bowl game under Shaw)**
rush: 43 carries, 129 yds, 3.00 yds/carry
pass: 9-18, 154 yds, 50%, 8.55 yds/att
total: 283 yds, 4.64 yds/play
points: 25
opponent: North Carolina #63 defense (yds/gm = 408), #43 defense (yds/play = 5.37)


* passing in that game should have been at least 11-19, but for the incorrectly penalized bad-hold, fake FG attempt that should have left us with first and goal at the MSU 9. Strangely, the box score on the official site lists that penalty as "illegal formation". While it was difficult to impossible to hear the official's announcement of the penalty, it most certainly was not "illegal formation".

** While it seemed meaningful to include the two worst offensive performance in a bowl for purposes of comparison to the Seattle and Rose Bowls under Willingham, in fact those were not the two worst bowl performances under Willingham. The worst would be the Liberty Bowl where we lost to East Carolina and managed to roll up 211 yards of total offense.