05-23-2022, 02:05 PM
[quote="fullmetal" pid='354213' dateline='1653334284']
Adding to msqueri's analysis: injuries hurt the OL pretty badly over these last few years.
We should give Shawvita credit for opening up the playbook and shifting offensive identity during the Air Costello years (Costello-to-JJAW). It took him a few games, iirc, but the shift was effective. Somehow, that OL was much better in pass pro than run blocking (maybe Costello and JJAW were just that good together; maybe the playcalling was just that good that year).
Most everything relevant has been said before. We're just waiting on the team to get healthy and blow defenders off the ball again.
[/quote
2018 was the last year that Stanford had a chance to be really good. I thought they would be Pac 12 Champs that season. All the pundits ranked their OL as the league's best in preseason polls, while Bryce Love was the best and most explosive RB in the country returning that year.
Injuries took an enormous toll on both the OL and Love. The OL suffered a catastrophic series of injuries that forced the staff to go with 8 DIFFERENT combinations during the season. Unbelievable. Love never fully recovered from his '17 injury and was probably 75% of his former self.
A team that was supposed to once again dominate with the run couldn't run at all, finishing 11th in the league in rushing.
Oh, there were a few commentators like Yogi Roth and some others on the P12N who exclaimed that Shaw's ability to adjust his offense in response to the devastating injuries was proof of his greatness as a coach. Roth said it proved to him that Shaw was one of the 4 Best coaches in all of football, pro or college. No, Yogi.
Stanford had no choice but to wing it all over the place, and the Costello to his great bailout WR, JJAW, was a big reason they were able to stay competitive in most games.
But it was a tough and disappointing season to watch. It reminded me of Stanford football of the 80s.
Adding to msqueri's analysis: injuries hurt the OL pretty badly over these last few years.
We should give Shawvita credit for opening up the playbook and shifting offensive identity during the Air Costello years (Costello-to-JJAW). It took him a few games, iirc, but the shift was effective. Somehow, that OL was much better in pass pro than run blocking (maybe Costello and JJAW were just that good together; maybe the playcalling was just that good that year).
Most everything relevant has been said before. We're just waiting on the team to get healthy and blow defenders off the ball again.
[/quote
2018 was the last year that Stanford had a chance to be really good. I thought they would be Pac 12 Champs that season. All the pundits ranked their OL as the league's best in preseason polls, while Bryce Love was the best and most explosive RB in the country returning that year.
Injuries took an enormous toll on both the OL and Love. The OL suffered a catastrophic series of injuries that forced the staff to go with 8 DIFFERENT combinations during the season. Unbelievable. Love never fully recovered from his '17 injury and was probably 75% of his former self.
A team that was supposed to once again dominate with the run couldn't run at all, finishing 11th in the league in rushing.
Oh, there were a few commentators like Yogi Roth and some others on the P12N who exclaimed that Shaw's ability to adjust his offense in response to the devastating injuries was proof of his greatness as a coach. Roth said it proved to him that Shaw was one of the 4 Best coaches in all of football, pro or college. No, Yogi.
Stanford had no choice but to wing it all over the place, and the Costello to his great bailout WR, JJAW, was a big reason they were able to stay competitive in most games.
But it was a tough and disappointing season to watch. It reminded me of Stanford football of the 80s.