O-line looking to build on win
It wasn’t just what the Stanford offensive line did against USC: the smooth pulls, the crisp blocks, the goal-line power. It was also what it didn’t do.
It didn’t miss assignments. It didn’t draw holding penalties. It didn’t miss a beat because of the noise in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
“We cut down on the one bad play, or the two bad plays,” head coach David Shaw said. “With five offensive linemen, if each guy has two bad plays … it continues to multiply.”
Of course, now the O-line and the rest of the No. 21 Cardinal have to do it again Friday night at Oregon State, and its creative defenses and varied blitz packages make blocking the Beavers a challenge.
Shaw and offensive coordinator/line coach Mike Bloomgren hope the USC game heralded the start of a run of consistency by the offensive line. The group didn’t live up to its lofty expectations most of last season and in the first two games of 2015.
Against the Trojans, however, the line helped Christian McCaffrey and friends rush for 195 yards. Stanford kept the chains moving by converting 8 of 12 third-down plays. In the second half, Stanford held the ball for more than two-thirds of the time. Overall, it had a 2-to-1 advantage in time of possession.
“They made it extremely physical for the group across from them,” Bloomgren said. “The backs had some punishing runs. That was a vintage Stanford performance.”
Guard Josh Garnett, in particular, had a superb night, Bloomgren said. “We needed him to play like a superstar, and he did,” he said.
McCaffrey rushed for 115 yards, snapping Stanford’s 16-game drought without a 100-yard rusher.
Is this the type of offensive line that raises or lowers its game depending on what the competition is? Center Graham Schuler disputed that suggestion. “We talk all the time about being a unit that sees nameless and faceless opponents,” he said.
“When we do things right, and we’re responsible, and Josh Garnett plays like he played, we give time for Kevin (Hogan) to do what he does best. We give time for the receivers to run great routes and the running backs to hit the right holes.”
The line, which also includes guard Johnny Caspers and tackles Kyle Murphy and Casey Tucker, gave up three sacks, two of which were a result more of strong pass coverage by USC than miscues by Stanford. It committed two penalties, a questionable chop block by Schuler and a false start by Garnett.
On short-yardage plays, three of which resulted in 1yard touchdown dives by Remound Wright, Caspers moved to center, and David Bright, Nick Davidson, Brendon Austin and tight end Dalton Schultz added their muscle.
“There are a lot of teams (on which) Johnny Caspers would be the starting center,” Shaw said. “He’s got a knack” for short-yardage plays.
Bright, a redshirt sophomore tackle, and sophomore fullback Daniel Marx were probably the unsung heroes of the win. Bright doesn’t start but he played 28 snaps in the so-called “ogre” or wing tight-end spot. Marx gave almost a flawless performance.
Shaw said of Bright, “At some point, he’s going to be a starter here. It’s tough to say which position because he plays a variety of positions.”