[OutsiderFan]

I was wondering the same thing regarding the lack of urgency for this non-conference game. Here's what I wrote about it...

So if it's true that the Stanford quarterback needs a full week of practice to prepare for game day, it would seem that Shaw's decision to play both West and McKee left him without a prepared quarterback in the huddle. I don't want to believe that this might be true, but the questions must be asked: Was this game just a dress rehearsal for the games that count? Did Shaw make a calculation that a road game against Kansas State didn't really matter since his team has no designs on a national championship? Instead of putting his team in the best position to beat the Wildcats, did he instead use this game to gather a few final bits of data on McKee vs. West?

All of that seems preposterous, but there was another concerning moment deeper in the second half. The Cardinal finally produced a solid drive on its final possession of the game. McKee was at the controls for a ten-play drive that covered 75 yards in 3:54 and featured some of his best work. He completed 6 of 7 passes for 40 yards, including a nice 14-yard touchdown pass to Brycen Tremayne that cut the K-State lead to 24-6 with 3:16 left to play.

It would've been a long shot, but the shot was still there, and a two-point conversion would've kept the Cardinal within two scores. Watching from my couch, I knew the game was over, but when Shaw didn't go for two, he told us that he knew the game was over also. When the ball went through the uprights to make it 24-7, it was.

Based on what I saw of the KSU game - which wasn't everything - the OL is why Stanford lost. It was atrocious. I'm not sure I buy the "no QB was fully prepared" notion as a major factor in the loss. Maybe a fully prepared QB might have performed better, but even a fully prepared Trevor Lawrence with Clemson's skill players would have lost given how hapless the OL was.

[OutsiderFan]

I was wondering the same thing regarding the lack of urgency for this non-conference game. Here's what I wrote about it...

So if it's true that the Stanford quarterback needs a full week of practice to prepare for game day, it would seem that Shaw's decision to play both West and McKee left him without a prepared quarterback in the huddle. I don't want to believe that this might be true, but the questions must be asked: Was this game just a dress rehearsal for the games that count? Did Shaw make a calculation that a road game against Kansas State didn't really matter since his team has no designs on a national championship? Instead of putting his team in the best position to beat the Wildcats, did he instead use this game to gather a few final bits of data on McKee vs. West?

All of that seems preposterous, but there was another concerning moment deeper in the second half. The Cardinal finally produced a solid drive on its final possession of the game. McKee was at the controls for a ten-play drive that covered 75 yards in 3:54 and featured some of his best work. He completed 6 of 7 passes for 40 yards, including a nice 14-yard touchdown pass to Brycen Tremayne that cut the K-State lead to 24-6 with 3:16 left to play.

It would've been a long shot, but the shot was still there, and a two-point conversion would've kept the Cardinal within two scores. Watching from my couch, I knew the game was over, but when Shaw didn't go for two, he told us that he knew the game was over also. When the ball went through the uprights to make it 24-7, it was.

Based on what I saw of the KSU game - which wasn't everything - the OL is why Stanford lost. It was atrocious. I'm not sure I buy the "no QB was fully prepared" notion as a major factor in the loss. Maybe a fully prepared QB might have performed better, but even a fully prepared Trevor Lawrence with Clemson's skill players would have lost given how hapless the OL was.