[Austroturf]

Here are the PPG stats for comparison.  The trend is less clear, but the poor point margin in 2018 already stands out like a sore thumb.  The first number is Stanford's PPG average for each year, while the second number is PPG for our opponents.  

2011: 43.2   21.9  +21.3
2012: 27.9   17.2  +10.7
2013: 32.3   19.0  +13.3
2014: 27.2   16.4  +  8.8
2015: 37.8   22.6  +15.2
2016: 26.3   20.4  +  5.9
2017: 32.4   22.7  +  9.7
2018: 25.7   22.0  +  3.7 (first six games)

So our PPG so far this year (including a game against an FCS opponent) is the lowest in the Shaw era, while the PPG for our opponents is near an all-time high; and the gap (+3.7), accordingly, is the narrowest it has been in Shaw's eight years. If we remove the tremendous 2015 campaign with McCaffrey and Hogan, there is a clear saw-tooth motion downward.  There shouldn't be any surprises here, but this data certainly corroborates the rushing data for offense and defense.  Shaw's best team remains the 2011 squad with Andrew Luck, with 2015 a close second (yes, maybe at the end of the year, the Hogan-McCaffrey team might have been the best ever in the Shaw era.  Harbaugh's 2010 squad is still the best ever for my money).

[Austroturf]

Here are the PPG stats for comparison.  The trend is less clear, but the poor point margin in 2018 already stands out like a sore thumb.  The first number is Stanford's PPG average for each year, while the second number is PPG for our opponents.  

2011: 43.2   21.9  +21.3
2012: 27.9   17.2  +10.7
2013: 32.3   19.0  +13.3
2014: 27.2   16.4  +  8.8
2015: 37.8   22.6  +15.2
2016: 26.3   20.4  +  5.9
2017: 32.4   22.7  +  9.7
2018: 25.7   22.0  +  3.7 (first six games)

So our PPG so far this year (including a game against an FCS opponent) is the lowest in the Shaw era, while the PPG for our opponents is near an all-time high; and the gap (+3.7), accordingly, is the narrowest it has been in Shaw's eight years. If we remove the tremendous 2015 campaign with McCaffrey and Hogan, there is a clear saw-tooth motion downward.  There shouldn't be any surprises here, but this data certainly corroborates the rushing data for offense and defense.  Shaw's best team remains the 2011 squad with Andrew Luck, with 2015 a close second (yes, maybe at the end of the year, the Hogan-McCaffrey team might have been the best ever in the Shaw era.  Harbaugh's 2010 squad is still the best ever for my money).