Stanford Vs UCLA: Go Joe Bruin Interviews Go Mighty Card

It is the last game of the season. Stanford Vs UCLA. If the Bruins win, they go to the Pac-12 Championship Game. If Stanford wins, they can end the up-and-down season on a high note. With that, we went to an outside source for information on the Cardinal.

As we occasionally do, we like to talk to bloggers of the opposition and get their take on some up-coming games. For Stanford-UCLA, be got the chance to talk to Hank Waddles of GoMightyCard.com about what he thinks will happen between these two teams Friday at the Rose Bowl. For some of the best Stanford information around, check them out. It is a great site loaded with tons of information on all thing Cardinal.

Oct 19, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal mascot the Tree (right) and an alumni Tree on the sidelines during the game against the UCLA Bruins at Stanford Stadium. Stanford won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Go Joe Bruin: It has been a tough season for Stanford as they went from back-to-back Pac-12 Champions to just surviving at 6-5. What is the mentality of the Cardinal going into this game knowing that UCLA will give it their all especially with a trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game on the line?

Go Mighty Card: If there are any concerns about the mentality of the team, they might center on the where this game is on the schedule. A week after the emotions of the rivalry game with Cal (though truth be told, it hasn’t been much of a rivalry for a while now) and after the relief of finally becoming bowl eligible, it would be understandable if the Cardinal came out flat on Friday afternoon. I don’t think that will happen, though. Throughout the trials and tribulations of this season, the players have all said all the right things, and nothing from their on-field performances indicates a lack of desire or emotion. I’m guessing the Bruins will get the best the Cardinal has to offer.

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GJB: What, in your opinion, is going on with Stanford this season?

GMC: The strange thing about this season is that with a little luck, the Cardinal could actually be 9-2 instead of just 6-5. I don’t think they deserve to be 9-2, but the losses to USC, Notre Dame and Utah could easily have gone the other way. That being said, this team is clearly flawed on the offensive side of the ball. Kevin Hogan hasn’t developed as many fans hoped, and even though he has another year of eligibility remaining, there are those who would just as soon get started with the Keller Chyrst Era next season rather than waiting for 2016.

Also, the offensive line hasn’t been able to overcome the loss of four starters from last year’s group. Even though the replacements were all four- and five-star recruits, they haven’t yet turned that potential into reality. Without question, this is Stanford’s weakest offensive line in at least five years. All of this leads to the black hole in the backfield. Stanford entered this season with a streak of six straight years with a thousand-yard rusher, a string topped only by Oregon and Wisconsin. Most expected that streak to end this season, but no one could’ve expected this — no Cardinal back has topped a hundred yards in a single game.

This program has been built on the backs of Toby Gerhart, Stepfan Taylor, and Tyler Gaffney, but this season’s committee of running backs (Remound Wright, Barry J. Sanders and Kelsey Young) has underperformed, either because their constant rotation has prevented any single back from establishing a rhythm or because they just aren’t that good in the first place. It’s probably a little bit of both.

GJB: Stanford have put the hurt on several opponents this year, but have also had the hurt put on them, as in the Oregon game. With UCLA having a similar up-tempo style with a versatile QB in Brett Hundley, do you expect a game like the one against the Ducks or will Stanford be a lot more prepared for this type of attack?

GMC: The up-tempo style certainly won’t bother the Cardinal, since almost every offense in the Pac-12 seems to run up-tempo or no-huddle to some degree, but Hundley could obviously cause some problems. The defense had little trouble with Washington State’s Connor Halliday, Oregon State’s Sean Mannion, or Cal’s Jared Goff. Those three pocket passers looked more like tackling dummies against the Cardinal, and those three prolific offenses managed only 17, 14, and 17 points against Stanford. As you mention, Hundley is cast in the Marcus Mariota mold, and while Stanford limited him in the two previous years, Mariota dominated them this season. Stanford will certainly be prepared for Hundley and the UCLA offense; the question will be whether or not they can make tackles in space to limit yards after the catch and maintain their gap integrity to limit Hundley’s ability to turn negative plays into long scrambles. The defense has been dominant this year, but they weren’t as disciplined against Oregon, and that’s a concern heading into this game.

Nov 22, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan (8) celebrates after Cardinal running back Remound Wright (22) had his touchdown reviewed during the second quarter against the California Golden Bears at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

GJB: Has Kevin Hogan regressed or is that a negative perception due to the team’s record this season?

GMC: I think it’s probably more accurate to say that Hogan hasn’t shown the improvement that many hoped he would. He still has a disheartening tendency to lock onto his primary receiver, a habit which hinders the entire offense. This has led to numerous turnovers as defenders make plays simply by reading his eyes, but his statistics can’t measure the countless missed opportunities when he has failed to look to second options that would have produced large gains or even touchdowns.

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Hogan struggled last season as well, but he was always able to fall back on his greatest strength as a passer — the play action game. He was deadly accurate with his deep ball, and many was the time in 2013 when he’d suddenly wake up the offense with a long-distance completion, but that hasn’t happened this season. The ineffective running game has diminished the effectiveness of play action, but when those deep receivers have been open, Hogan has had difficulty making the connection. Again, all things are related in football, so poor pass protection has probably contributed to this as well, but it’s been a frustrating season regardless. In recent weeks, however, the offense has opened up a bit, with an increased role for the tight ends and more designed quarterback runs. Both of these developments have helped Hogan, so I expect we’ll see more of this also.

GJB: Stanford is near the bottom of the Pac-12 in most offensive statistical categories. Is this due to the pace of their game or is Stanford really having a hard time moving the ball?

GMC: There is a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball, as evidenced by high-scoring performances against some of the softer defenses in the conference, but the offense has struggled against stiffer defenses. The reasons I’ve touched on above — poor offensive line play, poor running back play, and poor quarterback play — are much more to blame for Stanford’s offensive woes than pace of play.

Oct 25, 2014; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Ty Montgomery (7) rushes for a big gain during the third quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Stanford Stadium. Stanford won 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

GJB: How big is it that Ty Montgomery will not play in this game?

GMC: To borrow an analogy from baseball, Montgomery is one of just two players on the roster who are in scoring position as soon as they step on the field. (True freshman Christian McCaffrey is the other; more on him in a moment.) Montgomery’s loss is huge because he isn’t just a wide receiver. He has been one of the top return men in the nation, returning both kicks and punts, and in addition to his receiver duties, Montgomery has also been averaging three or four carries per game, often lining up in the wildcat or even as a true tailback in the backfield with Hogan. I’m guessing his absence will lead to more touches for McCaffrey, one of the most electric players to come to Stanford in a while. Kick return duties will probably be split between McCaffrey and Sanders, but look for the speedy McCaffrey to have five to ten touches on Friday.

GJB: Despite their misfortune, Stanford has always been a tough team to play against, but in regards to this season, is Stanford’s defense as tough as it has ever been or have they taken a step back in your opinion?

GMC: The Stanford defense has been phenomenal. Yes, they gave up 46 points to Oregon, but in their other ten games opponents are averaging just 12.7 points a game, which is amazing considering the number of high-octane offenses in the Pac-12. The departures of Shayne Skov, Tim Murphy, Ben Gardner, and Ed Reynolds were expected to leave a void on that side of the ball, but Stanford’s senior-laden defense has been just as good or better than its predecessors. Defensive end Henry Anderson should earn All-Pac-12 honors, as will safety Jordan Richards, and linebacker James Vaughters has become an absolute beast rushing the quarterback. I look forward to watching this group attack Hundley and the Bruin offense. That battle will almost certainly decide the game.

Nov 8, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley (17) looks to pass against the Washington Huskies during the first quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

GJB: Going back to Hundley, he has proved that he is a threat through the air and on the ground. How will Stanford try to stop UCLA’s offensive barrage that is led by the dual threat QB?

GMC: As I wrote above, they’ll try to do what everyone else has tried to do. They’ll keep the receivers in front of them and hope to limit yardage after the catch by making tackles in space, something that’s been a strength of this team over the past two years. Also, they’ll have to pressure Hundley and limit his ability to run. If they can contain him in the pocket, I’m certain they’ll limit the UCLA offense and harass Hundley into making mistakes that will cost him the game.

GJB: To end, what is your prediction for the game?

GMC: As good as the Stanford defense is, I’m not sure they’ll be able to contain the UCLA offense all game long. Even so, Kevin Hogan will run for one touchdown and pass for another as the offense does just enough to escape with a 23-20 victory.