ESPN College Football

Tequila in his heartbeat; his veins burned gasoline
It kept his motor runnin'; but he never kept it clean

• Teddy Bruschi deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
• Instilling discipline at ASU is spelled out in Todd Graham's contract.
• Cal fans are predicting seven wins for the Bears in 2012.
• Tyler Hansen living the dream as a Bengals QB.
• A video breakdown of Oregon's spring game from the guys at FishDuck. Per usual, good analysis.
• Cliff Kirkpatrick continues his Oregon State spring tour with a look at the Civil War.
• Some updates to the original story on former Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu.
• Some notes about USC's three football players/tracksters.
• Time to vote, Utah fan. How will the team finish?
• A Washington recruit might be backing off from his original commitment to the Huskies.
• WSU AD Bill Moos hints that the season opener against BYU could be moved to Thursday night.

2011 record: 11-2
2011 conference record: 8-1 (2nd, North)
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 7; kicker/punter 1

Top returners
RB Stepfan Taylor, OLB Chase Thomas, LB Shayne Skov, FB Ryan Hewitt, C Sam Schwartzstein, OG David Yankey, OT Cameron Fleming, DE Ben Gardner, TE Zach Ertz, TE Levine Toilolo.

Key losses
QB Andrew Luck, OL David DeCastro, OL Jonathan Martin, S Delano Howell, DE Matt Masifilo, WR Chris Owusu, TE Coby Fleener, S Michael Thomas.

2011 statistical leaders* (returners)
Rushing: Stepfan Taylor* (1,330 yards)
Passing: Andrew Luck (3,517 yards)
Receiving: Griff Whalen (749 yards)
Tackles: Jarek Lancaster* (70)
Sacks: Chase Thomas* (8.5)
Interceptions: Michael Thomas (3)

Spring answers
1. And then there were two: The pack of five has been funneled down to two quarterbacks competing to replace Andrew Luck, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. There are plenty of questions left (see below) but at least we know that it's not a three-, four- or five-man race heading into spring. Brett Nottingham and Josh Nunes clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack. That's a start.

2. Running back depth: In case Stepfan Taylor gets the flu, and Tyler Gaffney trips over his batting gloves, and Anthony Wilkerson stubs his toe, we know the Cardinal still have a viable running back option in Ricky Seale, who impressed Shaw this spring with his vision, quickness and elusiveness. Oh yeah, there's a Barry something or other coming in the fall whose supposed to be a pretty good running back. RB depth is not a concern.

3. Scary front seven: The Cardinal have so much talent and depth at defensive line and linebacker that defensive coordinator Derek Mason has to be scratching his head on how to get everybody in. Linebacker James Vaugthers is a star on the rise -- but that means taking reps away from A.J. Tarpley and Jarek Lancaster. Chase Thomas and Trent Murphy are two of the best at what they do. Stanford's run defense was really good last year. It could be great this year.

Fall questions
1. Who's the guy? Nunes or Nottingham? Nottingham or Nunes? That's the question everyone will be asking on the Farm for the next few months. This might be the most intriguing quarterback competition in the country. But the Cardinal don't need a 50-attempt guy. They need someone who can put them in the best play against the right defense and hand off to Stepfan Taylor. Then repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And then pop a play-action to Ty Montgomery, Zach Ertz or Levine Toilolo.

2. The Fleener factor: Much of Stanford's offensive success came from the three-tight-end formations, which included Coby Fleener, Ertz and Toilolo. In fact, about 35 percent of the offensive playbook is triple-tight sets. How much does that change with Fleener's departure to the NFL? Ertz and Toilolo are both outstanding tight ends in their own right. But the three of them together was something special.

3. Drop-off? Aren't you tired of reading about the drop-off Stanford is going to suffer with the graduation of Luck? Well, so are the players. Several have said off the record that it's a great motivational tool because they believe the defense and running game are stronger than they've ever been. Whatever the public thinks, it hasn't penetrated the locker room. Not yet, anyway.

Some former Pac-12 players impressed. Others didn't. Here are some notes from the NFL combine.

Let's start at quarterback. And let's start at the top. While former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III put up stunning numbers at the combine, Andrew Luck wasn't too far behind.

Griffin's rare speed dominated the headlines Sunday, but Luck was no slouch, either. At 6-4 and 234 pounds, Luck ran the fourth-fastest time of the quarterbacks with an official 4.67. He also had the top broad jump (10-4), tied for the fourth-best vertical jump (36 inches), ran the fifth-fastest short shuttle (4.28), and had the third-best time in the three-cone drill (6.80).

Those results are even more impressive when you consider that Luck is one of the biggest quarterbacks to participate in drills. They also match up with what we see on tape, confirming his deceptive agility in the pocket (shuttles), underrated running ability (40-yard dash), and explosive lower-body strength (jumps) to throw with defenders hanging from his legs.

There has been a lot of discussion about the similarities between Luck's results and those of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton from a year ago. Newton -- who was an inch taller and 14 pounds heavier -- clearly has the edge, but Luck's results are closer than anticipated.

Luck: 6-4, 234; 4.67 in the 40, 10-4 broad, 36 vertical

Newton: 6-5, 248; 4.59, 10-6, 35.

It doesn't appear the combine went well for former Arizona quarterback Nick Foles. Wrote ESPN's John Clayton: "Based on the way things went Sunday, it looks as though Tannehill, Osweiler and Cousins are competing for the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 spots among quarterbacks. Osweiler's the wild card. He's a 6-foot-6 quarterback with mobility and a decent arm. You get the feeling that Tannehill is the one quarterback of the three who could go in the first round, but more will be determined in school workouts and how the offseason goes for quarterback acquisitions."

Some observations from ESPN.com's Steve Muench:

• Arizona quarterback Nick Foles -- who is fighting for position on the board with the likes of Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State) and Brock Osweiler (Arizona State) -- failed to stand out this morning. Unfamiliarity and a lack of timing with the receivers likely played a role, but he didn't show great foot speed in his drops and took too long to get the ball out on deeper throws.
• Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas looked overwhelmed, especially early on. His first pass was badly underthrown and his accuracy was inconsistent throughout.
• Arizona State wide receiver Gerell Robinson didn't perform as well as expected. He didn't make crisp breaks and he fought the ball, dropping at least two passes. Robinson also appeared to pull back on a ball that he could have gotten his hands on.
• UCLA TE Cory Harkey didn't put up great numbers, recording a 26.5-inch vertical jump and 9-foot-1 broad jump, in addition to an unofficial 5.09-second 40-yard dash. However, Harkey projects as a situational blocking tight end, so expectations weren't high. And while he didn't always field the ball cleanly, he helped himself by catching everything thrown at him.
• Stanford G David DeCastro and Baylor C Phillip Blake didn't shine in the edge-rush drill, but that's somewhat expected from players who line up on the interior. However, Utah OTs Tony Bergstrom and John Cullen both need to show a quicker kick step and slide more fluidly if they hope to make their living on the edge.
• The weigh-in did not go nearly as well for Washington RB Chris Polk, who has shed nine pounds since looking sluggish at the Senior Bowl and is now 5-101D2 and 215 pounds. However, Polk doesn't look the part physically and needs a lot of work in the weight room. His body is unimpressive. Not good for a player looking to hold on to a spot on Day 2.

The Pac-12 is likely to produce the first offensive tackle and offensive guard off the board. From Todd McShay: "OT Matt Kalil (USC) and G David DeCastro used impressive workouts to cement their status as the top prospects at their respective positions."

Kalil had the second-fastest 40-yard dash (4.99 seconds), 10-yard split (1.69) and 3-cone drill of all offensive linemen, and he showed great quickness and balance in his pass sets. He was quick out of his stance, ran tight loops on pulls and showed good snap on his short punch against the bags during drills.

As for DeCastro, he was by far the most impressive interior offensive lineman during drills. He was smooth and quick, posting the best 3-cone time (7.3) since 2008, as well as the third-best short shuttle (4.56) and fifth-best broad jump (8-foot-2) among 2012 linemen. His 291D2-inch vertical jump was also well above the average for guards (261D2) over the past four combines.

Some notes:

• Luck will have his pro day at Stanford on March 22. Foles is scheduled for March 19. And former Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler for March 16. Osweiler didn't work out at the combine because of a foot injury.
• Former Stanford TE Coby Fleener, the top TE in the draft, didn't work out because of an ankle injury. He'll perform with Luck on March 22.
• Former Oregon RB LaMichael James ran a 4.45 40-yard dash. That will help him. Former USC RB Marc Tyler ran a 4.76 40. That won't help him.
• Former Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner and Oregon State wide receiver James Rodgers ran two of the slower 40s among the receivers -- 4.68 and 4.67. That will hurt the 5-foot-7 Rodgers much more than the 6-foot-2 Criner.
• Former Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu, riddled by injuries, particularly concussions, during his career, was a workout warrior, running a blazing 4.36 40 with a 4o.5-inch vertical leap.
• NFL.com's combine tracker is pretty cool.

The Pac-12 will send 45 players to the NFL combine, which starts Wednesday in Indianapolis.

You can see the complete list of invitees here. And here's the schedule -- things don't really start rolling until Thursday.

There are plenty of subplots for the Pac-12 players on hand.

• Arizona quarterback Nick Foles is among a handful of quarterbacks vying to be the third quarterback off the board after Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin. And, by the way, you might want to toss Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler into the mix there, too.
• Arizona State cornerback Omar Bolden, who sat out the entire 2011 season, will try to prove his knee is 100 percent.
• Will Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict be able to rehabilitate his image, both with a strong performance and convincing interview? The scuttlebutt for him since the start of the season has been almost entirely negative, with the latest being this: He's a "fake tough guy." Even worse than rumors like that is the more measurable claim that he may show up out of shape.
• Oregon cornerback Cliff Harris, who essentially missed the entire season due to suspension, will need to show some newfound maturity. And he'll need to test well to distract from the challenge he may face producing that.
• Oregon running back LaMichael James could substantially boost his stock will an impressive 40-yard dash, which would prove he has elite speed and offset size concerns.
• The same could be said for Washington running back Chris Polk, whose biggest knock is an apparent lack of top-end speed.
• Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas, a surprise early entry into the draft, will get a chance to prove he's worthy.
• Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu entered the 2011 season looking like a potential first-round pick, but his stock slid with a lackluster season. He also didn't impress during Senior Bowl practices. But 330 pound DTs are hard to find, particularly ones as athletic as Ta'amu. A good combine could get him back on the first-day radar.
• Receivers Chris Owusu of Stanford and James Rodgers of Oregon State also need to overcome health issues. Rodgers needs to show his quickness is back after major knee surgery. Owusu will need to address issues with multiple concussions.
• A guy the Pac-12 blog is curious about: Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks. The conference defensive player of the year seems like a guy who might surprise folks and push into the early rounds.
• The Pac-12 is sending a strong group of offensive linemen into the combine, with USC's Matt Kalil and the Stanford tandem of Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro likely first-round picks. But what about the other seven guys? Who might step up and generate some buzz? Perhaps Cal's Mitchell Schwartz?

With six Stanford players headed to the NFL Combine later this month, I thought it would be fun to check in with an old acquaintance who is an NFL scout and see what his take is.

Like most scouts, he prefers to stay off the record and keep his name out of it. So it's a rare treat when one actually talks on the record -- even if the name has been left out to protect the innocent.

Here are are his direct quotes on the Stanford six:

David DeCastro: "Good kid. Should be a good pro. I see the potential. How can I put this, he's supposed to be [one of the best interior linemen]. But it's all in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has their own opinion. I think the kid will be OK. But will he be an All-Pro? I don't know. He should be, if he works hard enough. He has to get his technique down. He just needs to stay on his feet a little more when he pulls. That's about it."

Coby Fleener: "He's supposed to be real fast. In my opinion, he dropped some easy passes at times. If he just keeps on improving catching the ball, that's about it. He should be pretty good. He's a guy that can split out and run against corner. He should be fine."

Delano Howell : "Delano needs to stay healthy. That's all. He stays healthy, he's fine."

Andrew Luck : "He'll be fine. I think he's as advertised. As a matter of fact, he might be better than advertised if he ever gets some wide receivers. We'll see. That's the whole thing. You look at Stanford, Stanford never had that."

Jonathan Martin: "Right now he's a right tackle. I don't think he's strong enough to be a left tackle. That's just my opinion. I've been hearing people say he's the best they've seen, but I think he needs a lot of work."

Chris Owusu: "Chris has a lot to prove. They need to see if his head is OK. That's the whole thing right there."

Some good news for fans of Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu. Evan Silva of NBC sports reported yesterday that Owusu has been medically cleared to continue his football career.

For many, the lasting image of Owusu's Stanford career will be a thumbs up as he was carted into an ambulance on the field at Oregon State. It was his second concussion of the season, his third in a 13-month span and one of the most chilling sights of the 2011 college football season.

Others, at least those who noticed, watched him play the final snap of the regular season finale against Notre Dame after missing the previous two games -- a subtle, yet classy gesture by head coach David Shaw to get Owusu on the field one last time on Senior Night.

But it now appears that Owusu is moving forward. No doubt, he's received the best medical advice -- the article states Owusu was looked over by an NFL doctor. And in this concussion-conscious world, chances are a doctor wouldn't clear a potential player if he didn't pass the strict tests with flying colors.

From the article:

Per [Owusu's agent], Owusu has been symptom free since November 6 of 2011, one day after his last concussion. A doctor with the NFL Head, Neck, and Spine Committee has diagnosed Owusu as “perfectly normal” and cleared Owusu “to play football now.” The doctor also determined that Owusu is not at greater risk of concussions due to his history.

Up until his injuries, Owusu had been having an average season at best. On several occasions, Shaw stated that he had hoped Owusu would be more productive. He finished the 2011 season with 35 catches for 376 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a couple of drops that led to interceptions.

In 2010, he saw action in only seven games because of assorted injuries.

Owusu has been training at the Stanford campus along with Michael Thomas, Coby Fleener, Johnson Bademosi and Griff Whalen. He'll join Fleener, Jonathan Martin, Delano Howell, Andrew Luck and David DeCastro at the NFL combine in Indianapolis later this month.

You can guarantee when he gets there, he's going to have a massive "Fragile" stigma that he's going to have to work off. Owusu has the speed to impress and his return skills make him more marketable. But just because a doctor says his melon isn't busted, doesn't mean that some teams won't be wary about taking a flyer on him. And that could hurt his draft stock.

The few times I spoke with Owusu this year, I really enjoyed them. He was charismatic, funny and always had something good to say about someone else on the team, even when the story was about him. There's something to be said for not letting anything get in the way of following a dream. Here's hoping the doctors -- and Owusu -- are making the right call.

Michael Thomas is not one of them. He's one of those.

The former Stanford safety is one of those players spurned by the postseason bowl games and combines. Not one of them, the ones who get all of the draftnik attention and are perceived to be the next crop of elite NFL talent.

Thomas would be lying if he said that didn't bother him. And it should. Anyone who has spent 30 seconds with him knows he's a competitive guy.

"It was frustrating at first, waiting for invitations that didn't come," Thomas said. "Especially when you feel like you are on par with some of those guys who are going. I feel like I can compete with the best of the best. But you can only play the hand you're dealt. So I'm training hard. But I was disappointed that I didn't at least get the opportunity to showcase myself."

Instead, he's relying on his game film from 2011 as his résumé. On that film, scouts will see 66 tackles -- 41 solo -- three interceptions and a 62-yard pick-six against Washington. They'll see a savvy, four-year player sitting underneath on a slant route and then taking it back with a good burst of speed. They'll see good ball instincts, a team-high eight passes broken up, smart angles and above average tackling.

But what they won't see is the size. At 5-11, 185 pounds, Thomas might have a heart and a brain for the NFL, but his physique is working against him.

"The feedback I've gotten so far is that I'm an interesting prospect," Thomas said. "But because of the height, that's going to affect me in a negative way."

But Thomas has something a lot of other NFL hopefuls don't have; a pro day that includes one of the best quarterback prospects in more than a decade in Andrew Luck; three probable first-round picks with Luck and offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro; and a possible fourth in tight end Coby Fleener.

"My pro day is going to be my Super Bowl," Thomas said. "That's a good thing for guys like me because you know everyone is going to be at our pro day because of Andrew and those other guys. Hopefully it will be a great opportunity for me to improve my stock and draft status. If not, I'll hopefully be a priority free agent."

And if Thomas has to claw his way into the league, he said he's OK doing that. At least for a little while. He's given himself a timetable of about three or four years to put everything he has into making it as an NFL player.

Unlike a lot of prospects who like a change of scenery after the season and go to other parts of the country to train, Thomas is staying on campus. The sociology major will have a Stanford degree at the end of the year, and in the meantime he's working out with teammates Fleener, wide receivers Chris Owusu and Griff Whalen and defensive back Johnson Bademosi in preparation for the March 22 pro day.

"I've had a lot of success with our offseason training program here," Thomas said. "I feel like I've always gotten faster and stronger working with those guys.

"I'm open to taking whatever route I can to accomplish my goals. If I don't make an active roster after a few years, I'll hang it up and try to figure out life after that. I've thought about coaching and I'll always have my Stanford connections."

We're looking at the top individual performances in the Pac-12 in 2011.

Up next: Stanford's running back corps.

Who & against whom? Stepfan Taylor, Tyler Gaffney, Anthony Wilkerson and Jeremy Stewart (among others) at home against Washington on Oct. 22.

The numbers: Taylor rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown, Gaffney rushed for 117 yards and a score, Wilkerson added 93 and two touchdowns and Stewart tacked on 20 and a score as Stanford rushed for a school record 446 yards against the Huskies. Worth noting that Andrew Luck, contributed 23, wide receiver Chris Owusu had a 45 yard end-around and fullback Geoff Meinken added a 10-yard run.

A closer look: First, no rushing record is complete without a tip of the cap to the big boys up front, who punctured holes that allowed Stanford five touchdowns on the ground and a ridiculous 10.1 yards per carry average. And negative rushing yards? Zero. That said, some of the praise also goes to Luck, who called a good chunk of the plays at the line of scrimmage and -- as David Shaw tells the story -- told his coach it was the finest game of his career. Washington's Chris Polk set the standard with 144 yards (including touchdown runs of 46 and 61 yards). But the Cardinal answered with a 70-yard touchdown run by Taylor (the longest of the season) and then a 38-yard touchdown by Wilkerson that set the school record. Oh yeah, Stanford also won 65-21. A historical night on The Farm.

Every team needs to hit every position group each recruiting season, but there are always priorities. It's not just positions where starters are lost or going to be seniors, it's about addressing weaknesses where a true freshman might be a better answer than a returning player.

Up next is the North Division.

California
QB: Zach Maynard will be a senior, and it says something about the depth behind him that he never lost his job during his midseason swoon.
WR: Keenan Allen is back, but that's it in terms of returning production and experience.
S: Three of the top four safeties from 2011 are gone.

Oregon
Skill: In Chip Kelly's offense, you can never have enough fast guys. Sure, Kenjon Barner, De'Anthony Thomas and Josh Huff are back, but there's a lot of youth and uncertainty after that at running back and wide receiver.
TE: His name is David Paulson, but he's gone. Colt Lyerla was a productive backup -- at least in terms of finding the end zone -- but after him things are uncertain. Tight end is one of the most underrated positions in the Ducks offense, so having more than one Kelly trusts is significant.
S: Eddie Pleasant is gone and John Boyett is a senior. Avery Patterson, Erick Dargan and Brian Jackson are next in line, but the young talent isn't as certain as it is at corner.

Oregon State
OL: Oregon State lost three starters from a line that led the worst rushing attack in the conference and surrendered 27 sacks. Quarterback Sean Mannion has potential, but he needs time. And a running game.
DT: The Beavers had the worst rushing defense in the Pac-12 in 2011. 'Nuff said.
LB: The Beavers had the worst rushing defense in the Pac-12 in 2011. Almost enough said. Cameron Collins is gone, and all the contributors on the two-deep will be seniors, other than junior Michael Doctor.

Stanford
WR: Perhaps the weakest position for the Cardinal in 2011, this need is augmented by the loss of Griff Whalen and Chris Owusu and the lack of up-and-comers other than sophomore Ty Montgomery.
DB: Three of four starters are gone, including both safeties. In the Cardinal's two losses -- to Oregon and Oklahoma State -- an absence of top-end athleticism in the back half was exploited.
OL: Three starters are back, but the losses are huge: Tackle Jonathan Martin and guard David DeCastro. And backup tackle Tyler Mabry and backup guard Matt Bentler also are gone. If coach David Shaw intends to remain a physical, downhill running team -- and he does -- he'll need to continuously stock up on linemen who can get the job done.

Washington
DB: Lots of guys are back in the secondary, but the Huskies gave up 284.6 yards passing per game, which ranked 11th in the Pac-12. They couldn't cover anybody and often seemed out of position. So new blood might help.
DL: (See if you can notice a theme here that ignores questions at wide receiver and running back). Two starters are gone from a line that consistently underperformed based on preseason expectations.
LB: Second-team All-Pac-12 middle linebacker Cort Dennison is the only one of the eight men on the depth chart who won't be back, but he was the team's only consistent linebacker.

Washington State
DL: Three of four starters are back, but all three will be seniors.
OL: Three starters are back, but to make the next step on offense, the Cougars need to run the ball better. They ranked 10th in the conference in rushing offense. And that might reduce a conference-high 3.3 sacks per game. Mike Leach's quick-hit offense also might help.
RB: 170-pound sophomore Rickey Galvin is back, as is senior Carl Winston, but the backs need to share responsibility for a 3.1-yards-per-carry average, worst in the conference (of course, losing 237 yards to sacks doesn't help).

The 2011 season is over. That means report cards are due.

Up next: Stanford

Offense: The Cardinal had one of the most productive offenses in the country -- mostly because they had one of the most productive quarterbacks. Andrew Luck was efficient and potent orchestrating Stanford's pro-style scheme. He was brilliant in the red zone and proved his NFL-readiness with his play-calling. He also put Stanford's running backs in the best possible plays to succeed, and they did. Stepfan Taylor netted 1,330 yards and 10 touchdowns, sending him over the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year. The tight ends were the featured players in the passing game with Coby Fleener, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo combining for 86 catches, 1,356 yards and 20 touchdowns. The offensive line matured quickly with three new starters and returners David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin were outstanding -- which will be reflected when they are taken in the first round of the NFL draft. Wide receiver Griff Whalen turned in a steady season and true freshman Ty Montgomery emerged late as a deep threat following a series of concussions to Chris Owusu. But for the most part, the wide receiver position was the one area that lacked significant production in an otherwise potent offense.

Grade: A-

Defense: Regular readers of the Stanford blog know that I reference this David Shaw quote from Week 1 a lot: "Missed tackles in the secondary lose football games." That was never more evident than in the Fiesta Bowl, where no one seemed to be able to bring down Justin Blackmon. Stanford's front seven was one of the best in the country -- and with six of the seven returning (plus the return of linebacker Shayne Skov from a knee injury) they should be even better. OLB Chase Thomas was one of the best pass-rushers in the Pac-12 and Ben Gardner emerged as one of the top defensive ends in the conference. Jarek Lancaster and A.J. Tarpley grew into their middle linebacker spots and were extremely productive. The secondary gave up a lot of yards -- though played pretty well against some of the top wide receivers in the country -- that is, until the Fiesta Bowl. Up until that game, they had not allowed a 100-yard receiver. Finding replacements for safeties Delano Howell and Michael Thomas will be a top priority.

Grade: B

Overall: For all of the hype surrounding the Cardinal in the preseason, it's pretty safe to say they lived up to it. Luck took a step forward in his maturation as a quarterback, they reached 11 wins in David Shaw's first year as head coach and the Cardinal returned to a BCS bowl game. For much of the season, they were major players in the national championship conversation and boasted the nation's longest win streak for a good chunk of the 2011 campaign. They are on the verge of signing a Top 20 recruiting class and though many are leaving, a lot of very good talent returns. But an extremely successful 2011 season will forever (or at least for a really long time) be overshadowed by the image of a wide-left kick.

Grade: B+

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A couple of more observations from the sideline as we get ready to kickoff.

First, wide receiver Chris Owusu is dressed in full pads and went through the full warm up session -- but more than likely it's just so he can be part of the team experience -- similar to what happened against Notre Dame in the regular season finale. Owusu did not run any plays with either the first- or second-team offenses.

If there is a change to his status, I'll let you know.

Next, 100-yard American flags are very cool. Bald eagles trained to fly over them during the national anthem are even cooler. Might be better than the jet flyovers.

Enjoy the game. Going to be a good one.

The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd.

• A former Arizona coach is joining the staff at Washington State.
• Arizona State's new staff is making its focus local in recruiting.
• Isi Sofele needs to play big for California against Texas in the Holiday Bowl.
• Reviewing the Colorado depth chart: Running back.
• More on Oregon's new, cutting-edge uniforms for the Rose Bowl. Yes, Oregon really wants to win a BCS bowl game.
• Taking a look at what Oregon State has coming back at defensive end.
• Stanford's No. 1 moment in 2011. WR Chris Owusu won't play in the Fiesta Bowl.
• UCLA's offensive players are excited about their new coordinator. The Bruins are down a starting LB.
• How will USC work around NCAA mandated scholarship reductions?
• Utah WR DeVonte Christopher has overcome a few ill-advised Tweets from last year.
• Washington is standing in the way of Baylor's sporting renaissance. Can the Huskies offense keep up?
• My guess is there was some coffee involved in this post on the WSU Football Blog.

A healthy Stanford is a happy Stanford. And for the first time since about the midway point of the regular season, the Cardinal are as close to 100 percent as they are going to be.

When Stanford takes on Oklahoma State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, several key players will be moving quicker than they were in the final few games of the regular season. Understanding just how beat up his team was heading into the postseason, head coach David Shaw said repairs on both sides of the ball were a top priority.

"We've got to get healthy," Shaw said after the Notre Dame victory in the regular season finale. "We played with our three tight ends and two of them were probably 80 percent. Our backs have been beaten up and bruised all year. We have to get them fresh."

Injuries, no doubt, took their toll on the Cardinal this year. It all started in the third game of the season when middle linebacker Shayne Skov -- arguably one of the top run stoppers in the country -- went down against Arizona and was lost for the year with a knee injury. Suddenly one of the best run defenses in the country looked a little thin. A.J. Tarpley and Jarek Lancaster filled in admirably -- better, in fact, than most expected -- but neither is at the level yet of Skov.

Still, they have endured, ranking fifth nationally in rush defense, allowing just 90.3 yards per game.

Like all teams, the Cardinal fell prey to the typical bumps and bruises. But a critical bump occurred against USC, when tight end Zach Ertz suffered a knee injury on the opening kickoff and would go on to miss the next three games.

Why is Ertz so significant? About one-third of Stanford's offensive playbook involves three-tight-end formations. With Ertz, Coby Fleener and Levine Toilolo on the field at the same time, the Cardinal offense was able to exploit numerous mismatches. Ryan Hewitt split time between fullback and tight end during that stretch. But even then, quarterback Andrew Luck would lose Hewitt out of the backfield, one of his most reliable and productive receivers coming out from behind the line of scrimmage.

Ertz returned for the season finale against Notre Dame. Nowhere near 100 percent, he caught one ball for no yards. But the fact that he was even on the field was a morale boost for his teammates. He's expected to be near full-strength -- if not at 100 percent -- for the Fiesta Bowl.

"It's exciting to have the tight ends back together and ready to go," said Fleener, who was recently named to the AP All-America third-team offense. "I think it's just exciting to know that we have a lot of guys back at full strength and hopefully we can be as good as we were before a lot of the injuries. It can only make us better as a team."

Obviously, Skov won't be back. Neither will wide receiver Chris Owusu, who has suffered at least three concussions in the past 14 months -- the scariest (as if they aren't all scary) coming against Oregon State when he was taken off the field in an ambulance.

There was some hope for Owusu's return because he's a senior and one of the emotional leaders of the offense, but head coach David Shaw told reporters last week "it's not going to happen."

"He's just been one of those guys," Shaw said following a practice last week. "And he's gotten beaten up and knocked out, and he comes back. He's been beaten up and knocked out, and he comes back. And the players recognize that as the guy that they look to for courage."

In Owusu's absence, true freshman Ty Montgomery has been filling in, giving Cardinal fans a glimpse of the future. In the final three games, Montgomery caught 10 balls (on 16 targets) for 130 yards and a touchdown in the finale against Notre Dame.

Still, they have endured, ranking 11th nationally in total offense while averaging almost 481 yards per game.

Offensive linemen Cameron Fleming and Jonathan Martin also had lingering lower leg injuries that forced Fleming to miss time. Both are expected to be back at or near full strength.

Offensive lineman David DeCastro offered a more glass-half-empty view of the Cardinal injury situation.

"We're never going to be injury-free," he said, "that's just part of college football."

On the opposite side of the ball -- aside from Skov -- one of the biggest temporary losses was safety Delano Howell. While he convalesced his injured hand for three games -- only to re-injure it in the first half against Oregon -- Michael Thomas stepped in and split time between free and strong safety.

Youngsters Devon Carrington and Jordan Richards got lots of playing experience that will aid the Cardinal in years to come, but Stanford is clearly a better defense when Howell is on the field. He too is expected to be at full strength.

And yet throughout the injury-plagued season, the players have never used injuries as an excuse.

"I think what it comes down to is no matter who is available, the coaches did an awesome job putting us in the best positions to succeed," Fleener said. "Whether it was Zach or Hewitt in there, ultimately our identity is running the football and being a physical team regardless of who is on the field. That shouldn't change with the personnel."

STANFORD, Calif. -- Just one last time, Stanford head coach David Shaw asked Chris Owusu to show off his speed.

But only if it was absolutely necessary.

The last time the wide receiver was in a game, he was being loaded into an ambulance at Oregon State after suffering his second concussion in as many weeks and his third in the past 13 months. It was a horrific site that probably marked the end of his college career. Until Saturday night.

As the Cardinal offense assumed the victory formation to close out a 28-14 win over Notre Dame, Owusu made an appearance as the deep "safety." One more play on his home field to end his career.

His instructions were explicit. If anything out of the ordinary happens, run -- fast.

"I made sure in no uncertain terms that he would not have contact with anybody," Shaw said. "If for some reason that ball was fumbled and they scooped it up and they were about to score, Chris was under strict instructions to run off the field and run away from everybody. He was going to be safe. There was no chance for anything to happen there."

Owusu came out dressed in full pads for the pregame warm-ups. For senior night, it was a special occasion. It was also a symbolic passing of the guard. Ty Montgomery, the true freshman who replaced Owusu in the starting lineup, and is expected to be Stanford's deep threat in the coming years, called it an emotional moment.

"It meant a lot -- and I know it meant a lot to Chris," said Montgomery, who had six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. "He's mentored me a lot throughout the whole year. I wanted to have a great game for him. Then to see him come out for warm-ups and be on the field at the end, it really touched me to see that."

Owusu's future -- be it the immediate future with Stanford's to-be-determined bowl game, or his future on a professional football field -- remains unclear.

"Justifiably so, he has to pass a lot of tests," Shaw said. "There are a lot of things that need to be signed off before he sets foot on a football field. There have been guys that have had the same history and have played at the next level and been great. As of right now, we don't know. But we're not going to worry about that. I'm just glad Chris is healthy and getting better every day.

"... There is nobody that has given his body more, nobody that has been hit harder in the last four years than Chris Owusu ... I love Chris Owusu as a human being. If there is anything I can do for Chris, I'm going to do it."

STANFORD, Calif. -- Very cool to see Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu on the field for the pregame warmups. He's not expected to play, but he dressed out and took part in the pregame activities.

Owusu has been out of action since suffering a concussion at Oregon State -- his third in the last 13 months.

As part of the Senior Day celebrations there was a very cool video montage with a highlight of each of the fourth- and fifth-year seniors. Each was introduced and ran out on the field individually. Naturally, quarterback Andrew Luck drew the loudest ovation -- though it was nice to hear the crowd react to Owusu in uniform.

Tight ends Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo participated in the full-dress pregame warmup and look like they will play for the Cardinal.