[OutsiderFan]

Having not seen the game, I can't really comment too much on the specifics of the Utah game, but it does seem emblematic of the season for the most part.

After watching Oregon overwhelm Washington with relentless aggressiveness, the contrast between Stanford and Oregon never looked greater.  Even though Oregon goes faster and plays a different offensive scheme, you never know what they are going to do with the ball on offense.  Ever.  Unless they have a 4+ TD lead on the last drive of the game.  They always have everything at their disposal and they never let up, no matter who the opponent. 

Stanford clearly didn't try as hard or open up the playbook until ASU, and then they put it away for large portions of the game after doing what got them the lead.  They did a pretty good job against WSU, but WSU just isn't very good.  When it came to Washington, the team assumed the fetal position on offense in the 4th quarter and had to hang on for victory.  In other words, while Oregon is being conditioned to be relentless and unpredictable all the time, Stanford tries to turn it on and off, and assumes extremely predictable plays.  I understand respecting Army and not wanting to embarrass them, but Stanford could have scored 50 on that team.  Not doing so prevented the team from developing that relentlessness that breeds confidence, and created a lot of predictability in the offense.

They also aren't involving the TEs in the passing game.  Honestly, if Kaumatule is going to be such a non-factor as a receiver, may as well move him back to DE.  I've seen several true Frosh TEs playing this year (Henry at Ark, Butt at Mich, Mundt at Ore, and Duarte at UCLA) and for the life of me can't understand how Hooper can't get on the field, or even Dudchock for that matter.  Barry Sanders is a difference making talent, yet he doesn't get hardly any chances.  If the playbook is so complicated that you can't get the best talents playing, the playbook is too complicated.  Maybe a less complicated playbook would allow for shorter play calls, fewer late snaps, delays and wasted timeouts too.

And again, the greatest irony is that the one time being predictable seemed justified, on 3rd and 4th and 2, from the Utah 6 with a minute to go, trailing by 6, they go away from their methodical, iron willed identity, with a RB averaging 7YPC in the game.  Utah seemed exhausted against the run and was likely thanking Stanford for throwing.  Maybe had Shaw not let up for large portions of the game against SJSU, Army, ASU, and UW, the team wouldn't have needed a last minute TD to avoid defeat at Utah.

[OutsiderFan]

Having not seen the game, I can't really comment too much on the specifics of the Utah game, but it does seem emblematic of the season for the most part.

After watching Oregon overwhelm Washington with relentless aggressiveness, the contrast between Stanford and Oregon never looked greater.  Even though Oregon goes faster and plays a different offensive scheme, you never know what they are going to do with the ball on offense.  Ever.  Unless they have a 4+ TD lead on the last drive of the game.  They always have everything at their disposal and they never let up, no matter who the opponent. 

Stanford clearly didn't try as hard or open up the playbook until ASU, and then they put it away for large portions of the game after doing what got them the lead.  They did a pretty good job against WSU, but WSU just isn't very good.  When it came to Washington, the team assumed the fetal position on offense in the 4th quarter and had to hang on for victory.  In other words, while Oregon is being conditioned to be relentless and unpredictable all the time, Stanford tries to turn it on and off, and assumes extremely predictable plays.  I understand respecting Army and not wanting to embarrass them, but Stanford could have scored 50 on that team.  Not doing so prevented the team from developing that relentlessness that breeds confidence, and created a lot of predictability in the offense.

They also aren't involving the TEs in the passing game.  Honestly, if Kaumatule is going to be such a non-factor as a receiver, may as well move him back to DE.  I've seen several true Frosh TEs playing this year (Henry at Ark, Butt at Mich, Mundt at Ore, and Duarte at UCLA) and for the life of me can't understand how Hooper can't get on the field, or even Dudchock for that matter.  Barry Sanders is a difference making talent, yet he doesn't get hardly any chances.  If the playbook is so complicated that you can't get the best talents playing, the playbook is too complicated.  Maybe a less complicated playbook would allow for shorter play calls, fewer late snaps, delays and wasted timeouts too.

And again, the greatest irony is that the one time being predictable seemed justified, on 3rd and 4th and 2, from the Utah 6 with a minute to go, trailing by 6, they go away from their methodical, iron willed identity, with a RB averaging 7YPC in the game.  Utah seemed exhausted against the run and was likely thanking Stanford for throwing.  Maybe had Shaw not let up for large portions of the game against SJSU, Army, ASU, and UW, the team wouldn't have needed a last minute TD to avoid defeat at Utah.