[OutsiderFan]

Ding Ding Ding. 

Play action would have been mostly pointless vs SDSU. There were no more players available that we could entice to peek into the backfield and cheat up to the LOS.

Even on passing downs they could have used play action, because there were times when the Safeties didn't creep up. Plus, if Stanford lined up in 22 personnel to start the game, they could have run play action more effectively.  Instead, they spread out in an empty backfield and telegraphed to the whole stadium Love was going to get a swing pass, and then didn't cut the DE to that side or have Love far enough back so the pass couldn't be knocked down.

You'd think the first play of your season would be executed a lot better than that. First, Love should have gone back at the snap, not forward and back, and it should have been a lateral or backwards pass, not a forward one. As it was, they allowed the DE to get up field and get his hands up to knock the pass down. Based on the fact Little didn't cut the DE, Love should have been further back at the snap.

[OutsiderFan]

Ding Ding Ding. 

Play action would have been mostly pointless vs SDSU. There were no more players available that we could entice to peek into the backfield and cheat up to the LOS.

Even on passing downs they could have used play action, because there were times when the Safeties didn't creep up. Plus, if Stanford lined up in 22 personnel to start the game, they could have run play action more effectively.  Instead, they spread out in an empty backfield and telegraphed to the whole stadium Love was going to get a swing pass, and then didn't cut the DE to that side or have Love far enough back so the pass couldn't be knocked down.

You'd think the first play of your season would be executed a lot better than that. First, Love should have gone back at the snap, not forward and back, and it should have been a lateral or backwards pass, not a forward one. As it was, they allowed the DE to get up field and get his hands up to knock the pass down. Based on the fact Little didn't cut the DE, Love should have been further back at the snap.