[OutsiderFan]

Now you can understand why I didn't have a very good feeling about the Utah game. But Stanford played far worse than I imagined they could.  Once again, Stanford's offensive game plan played right into the other team's hands. Out of the first 10 plays called, seven were runs for a total of 6 yards. Meanwhile, Costello throws for over 300 yards, again demonstrating this team should be using the pass to set up the run, rather than the run to setup the pass. Even setting aside the stubborn as a mule game plan - which by the way is basically what the freaking sideline reporter called it - I saw some very ugly things, and I probably only saw half the game, if that. What stands out:

1. The reverse to Michael Wilson which ended in him being body slammed by the DE for a loss.  Before the ball was snapped, Wilson was in a weird stance, calling attention to himself. He wasn't lined up in the stance he would be in as a WR to run a route.  He was sort of in a crouch that made it look like he was going to get the ball on an end around.  If I saw that, Utah's defense couldn't have been too surprised.  

2. Jovan Swann running into Punter.  WTF!?!?!? I thought Stanford players were smart?  This play only cost Stanford a TD. 

3. The called 4th and 1 dive over the pile of bodies crammed as tight as can be, for the first down by Scarlett.  Sure he picked up the first down, but could Utah have stuffed that play any more comprehensively?  In fact, it was such a cluster of a play that Scarlett knew as soon as he got the ball he had no chance, and had no choice but to run it outside. What on Earth can't they ever do a QB sneak?  If I could throw one play out of the Stanford playbook never to be seen again, it would be this asinine run play. No other team in football runs this as stubbornly as Stanford does.

4. Jump balls is not a red zone offense. While particularly JJAW is great at it, where are the slants?  Where are the rub routes? Where are the sprint options? Where are the crossing routes?  Where are the passes to the FB off interior run actions? You simply must mix things up! The pick 6 inside the 10 off a another jump ball made me go blind.

5. Allowing the 3 pts before half. Utah had 24 secs. Granted, they had three timeouts, but you cannot, under any circumstance allow them to close the half with a FG in that situation.  Huntley has been a terrible downfield passer his while career, and like most QBs, he sucks under pressure.  Where was the aggressiveness to force a mistake that could have really gotten Stanford momentum, instead of given it right back to Utah?

By my count, the pick 6 in the red zone, the Swann roughing, and allowing the 24 sec FG cost Stanford 17 points.  So you have failure on offense, defense, and special teams. Not one area. All areas. One leg of the stool can be weak and you can still win.  Sometimes, two legs can be, and you can eke out a victory.  But when all three legs fail, you have a collapse that falls at the feet of the head coach. Utah is not Notre Dame or even Oregon. Something is seriously wrong in Stanford's football program to have a system wide failure in a conference home game like this. 

I can explain the unimaginative, keep the defense certain, stubborn approach on offense, but the defensive failures to a very mediocre offense, and the special teams gaffe that cost points, aren't as easily explained.

[OutsiderFan]

Now you can understand why I didn't have a very good feeling about the Utah game. But Stanford played far worse than I imagined they could.  Once again, Stanford's offensive game plan played right into the other team's hands. Out of the first 10 plays called, seven were runs for a total of 6 yards. Meanwhile, Costello throws for over 300 yards, again demonstrating this team should be using the pass to set up the run, rather than the run to setup the pass. Even setting aside the stubborn as a mule game plan - which by the way is basically what the freaking sideline reporter called it - I saw some very ugly things, and I probably only saw half the game, if that. What stands out:

1. The reverse to Michael Wilson which ended in him being body slammed by the DE for a loss.  Before the ball was snapped, Wilson was in a weird stance, calling attention to himself. He wasn't lined up in the stance he would be in as a WR to run a route.  He was sort of in a crouch that made it look like he was going to get the ball on an end around.  If I saw that, Utah's defense couldn't have been too surprised.  

2. Jovan Swann running into Punter.  WTF!?!?!? I thought Stanford players were smart?  This play only cost Stanford a TD. 

3. The called 4th and 1 dive over the pile of bodies crammed as tight as can be, for the first down by Scarlett.  Sure he picked up the first down, but could Utah have stuffed that play any more comprehensively?  In fact, it was such a cluster of a play that Scarlett knew as soon as he got the ball he had no chance, and had no choice but to run it outside. What on Earth can't they ever do a QB sneak?  If I could throw one play out of the Stanford playbook never to be seen again, it would be this asinine run play. No other team in football runs this as stubbornly as Stanford does.

4. Jump balls is not a red zone offense. While particularly JJAW is great at it, where are the slants?  Where are the rub routes? Where are the sprint options? Where are the crossing routes?  Where are the passes to the FB off interior run actions? You simply must mix things up! The pick 6 inside the 10 off a another jump ball made me go blind.

5. Allowing the 3 pts before half. Utah had 24 secs. Granted, they had three timeouts, but you cannot, under any circumstance allow them to close the half with a FG in that situation.  Huntley has been a terrible downfield passer his while career, and like most QBs, he sucks under pressure.  Where was the aggressiveness to force a mistake that could have really gotten Stanford momentum, instead of given it right back to Utah?

By my count, the pick 6 in the red zone, the Swann roughing, and allowing the 24 sec FG cost Stanford 17 points.  So you have failure on offense, defense, and special teams. Not one area. All areas. One leg of the stool can be weak and you can still win.  Sometimes, two legs can be, and you can eke out a victory.  But when all three legs fail, you have a collapse that falls at the feet of the head coach. Utah is not Notre Dame or even Oregon. Something is seriously wrong in Stanford's football program to have a system wide failure in a conference home game like this. 

I can explain the unimaginative, keep the defense certain, stubborn approach on offense, but the defensive failures to a very mediocre offense, and the special teams gaffe that cost points, aren't as easily explained.