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I was a little surprised last week at Chris Owusu's comments regarding concussions.

In an article in the San Jose Mercury News, Owusu, who suffered three concussions in a 13-month span that included the horrific scene in Corvallis, Ore., last season, distanced himself as much as possible from his history of head injuries.

"I just want to move forward. It's unfortunate that I'm part of this conversation. But hopefully in the next couple of months, I'll finally get to change that. I don't want to be known as someone who is surrounded by this topic."

Part of me understands where he's coming from. Owusu was an undrafted free agent and he's doing his best to impress his new employers -- the San Francisco 49ers and former Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh -- and he's trying to make a team.

This isn't going to be a Owusu-should-hang-'em-up story. Because he shouldn't. He has a dream. He has the physical and mental faculties to live out that dream and, more importantly, he has the blessings of doctors to play. Go for it.

But why distance yourself from concussion talk? This is a time when it's most important to be talking about concussions.

Owusu -- clearly an intelligent individual, as Stanford grads tend to be -- could be at the forefront of change. Tell your story. Tell the doctors and the general managers that concussions are dangerous, but they aren't contagious. Owusu took some of the hardest hits I've ever seen in football. He was strapped to a gurney and taken off a football field via ambulance. And now he's fighting for a spot on an NFL roster. That's something he should be proud of, not running from. Some might even call it gritty and inspirational.

There will always be coaches and general managers who will dismiss Owusu regardless of what the doctors say. There are also GMs who won't take quarterbacks shorter than 6-foot-3, running backs taller than 6 feet and defensive ends less than 260 pounds. Doug Flutie, Eddie George and James Harrison would disagree.

In an interview last month with SI's Jim Trotter, Owusu talks about how he reluctantly agreed to be shut down for the rest of his senior season following the Oregon State incident.

"Did I put up a fight a couple of times to get back on the field? Yes, I did, because I love the game so much," says Owusu. "When you get the game taken away from you like that, it's something where it opens your eyes and it's frustrating. I respect what the coaches and the doctors and the medical staff did for me here at Stanford, I really do. They looked out for my overall well-being and did not take any chances. But could I have played? I felt that I could have. Did they do what they felt was in my best interest? In their eyes, I think they did. But it was a frustrating process."

Of course it was frustrating. Owusu is a football player. But cooler and less-concussed heads prevailed, and Owusu is clearly thankful for that.

I don't expect Owusu to change his style of play, nor do I expect his concussion history to affect his game in the future. He's healed and cleared. That should be that. But with so much talk about concussions and the lingering impact, this strikes me as something Owusu should be running toward, not from. Concussions are a scary part of the game and Owusu has shown tremendous courage by getting back out on the field. He can show the same kind of courage off the field by educating and informing from his past experience.

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.

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."

First year or fifth year, it makes no difference. If you can play, you can play.

That's the philosophy of Stanford head coach David Shaw, who is starting his second offseason running the show at his alma mater.

And with several big-name players giving committing to Stanford, it's worth exploring which ones might play right away next season by examining who got in this year.

Of course, due to NCAA regulations, Shaw is not allowed to comment on any individual players until after the pomp and circumstance of signing day. But Shaw did say that he'll evaluate every player who comes in to the system and if they can compete immediately, they will.

"It's player-by-player, and there is no set rule," Shaw said. "If a guy is physically, mentally and emotionally ready to help us than that opportunity is there for them."

We saw several true freshman take the field for Stanford this season -- specifically wide receiver Ty Montgomery, linebacker James Vaughters, safety Jordan Richards and cornerback Wayne Lyons, before he hurt his foot and missed the majority of the season.

Some coaches live and die by a strict redshirt policy. That's not the case with Shaw, who has shown he'll use true freshmen to bolster depth.

Montgomery emerged -- slowly at first -- and then following the series of concussions to Chris Owusu, he leapt into the starting role and became a major contributor on offense down the stretch.

Lyons was working his way into the cornerback rotation early in the season before injuring his foot.

Vaughters saw a healthy amount of playing time -- specifically as a third-down pass-rusher. But even when Shayne Skov went down with a knee injury, Shaw said he wouldn't accelerate Vaughter's growth and give him responsibilities that he wasn't ready for.

In the case of Richards, he saw his playing time increase when Delano Howell missed time with a hand injury.

Player-by-player basis.

Naturally, the bulk of Stanford's freshmen redshirt -- that's the nature of college football. Most players aren't physically or mentally mature enough to contribute right away.

"Some guys aren't excited about it because they think they're ready, and they're not," Shaw said. "Other guys are really ready and we don't have a position for them and it's not worth missing that extra year for one or two plays."

That could be the case next season with, say, Noor Davis, considered by many to be the top outside linebacker in the nation. With Chase Thomas returning for another season and Trent Murphy coming off a fantastic year, it's not ikely Davis is going to overtake either of them. But he could be used like Vaughters, on pass-rush situations and to add depth in the case of injury. Or he could redshirt and get three or four good years after gaining strength for another season.

Stanford's other highly-touted recruit, running back Barry Sanders, could be in the mix right away, or could sit for a season behind the rotation of Stepfan Taylor, Tyler Gaffney and Anthony Wilkerson.

We won't know for sure until we've seen them in camp -- and until the coaches are allowed to comment on them.

"There are a lot of things that come in to play," Shaw said. "It's definitely a player-by-player situation, and we're not going to rush anyone who isn't ready. But if they are, we'll find a way to play them."

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.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Stanford head coach David Shaw hit on a few strategic points looking ahead to tomorrow’s Fiesta Bowl following yesterday’s practice.

No doubt, this will be a chess match between two very different philosophies and styles of play.

Chief among Shaw’s concerns is striking a defensive balance between Oklahoma State’s short- and long-range passing games.

Consider the fact that OSU running back Joseph Randle has 38 catches for 238 yards this season -- that would rank him second on Stanford in total receptions, behind Griff Whalen (49) and ahead of Chris Owusu (35), who didn’t play the final three and a half games and won’t be available tomorrow.

OSU likes to use a lot of short swing passes to the backs to eventually set up bigger plays down the field. Some coaches call them “long handoffs,” and it’s something the Cardinal have to be wary of.

“We still treat them as passes because they start off as passes,” Shaw said. “When that ball is thrown in front of us we want to rally and gang tackle. But we don’t want to worry about it so much that that the ball goes over our heads. Coach [Derek] Mason calls it top-down. We want to be a top-down defense, protect deep to short.

“Then again, those guys they throw those short passes to have the ability to take them a long way, so we’ve got to have some integrity as far as how we attack those guys and make sure we have a noose around them and get a lot of hats to the ball carrier.”

On the other side of the ball, Shaw said the Cowboys will have a slight advantage when the Cardinal go into their “jumbo” package of seven offensive linemen. OSU has game film of how other teams have defended it.

“They’ve seen all of our games and they can see how other people have lined up to it and who had success and who didn’t,” Shaw said. “We won’t know what they are working on. We won’t know till game day. We’re a gap-scheme team and I’m sure they’ll try to line up different ways, and that’s fine. But we’ll also have some variance in how we line up and what plays we run.”

With such a long delay between Stanford’s regular-season finale and the bowl game, it’s easy for some teams to fall into the trap of over-tweaking their schemes and trying to do too much.

Not a problem with Stanford, Shaw said.

“We have a very narrowed scope as to what we like and what we feel good about,” he said. “We’ve got some variance off it, but for the most part we’re going to be who we are.”

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."

With one game left to play we're taking a look back at some of the memorable moments/series of moments from Stanford's 2011 season. Some were individual plays, others were a series of plays or games as a whole that were significant to the season.

No. 10: ONE LAST PLAY

Setting the scene: It's first-and-10 at the Notre Dame 35-yard line with the Cardinal leading the Irish 28-14 with 19 seconds left in the game. The Cardinal are lining up in victory formation to take a knee and close out the game. Here comes No. 81.

Why it's memorable: A lot of people didn't see it, but wide receiver Chris Owusu got on to the field as the deep safety for the final play of the regular season, just so he could be in on one final play on senior night to close out his collegiate career. Owusu had been sidelined with concussions and had missed the final three and a half games. He's also been ruled out of the Fiesta Bowl.

Say what you want about Owusu's production this season, but he's been a warrior for Stanford despite an injury-plagued career. It was a great gesture by head coach David Shaw and a very classy way to cap Owusu's career.

It probably won't be memorable to us 20 years from now, but Owusu and his teammates will always remember that moment. It's stories like this that make college football great.

Catching up on Stanford news from today and over the weekend.

• Looks like wide receiver Chris Owusu won't be back for the Fiesta Bowl.
• Andrew Luck's Heisman loss could be a blessing in disguise.
• Running games of OSU and Stanford shouldn't be forgotten in quarterback battle.
• Fiesta Bowl will have the look, feel of a playoff game.
• Taking a look back at some offensive preseason predictions and how they played out.

Stanford true freshman wide receiver Ty Montgomery emerged as one of the bright up-and-coming skill players in the Pac-12. He appeared in all 12 games -- solely on special teams early on. But he was slowly integrated into the offense more and when wide receiver Chris Owusu went down with injuries, he stepped into the starting lineup for three games.

Montgomery finished the year with 17 catches off of 27 targets for 230 yards and a touchdown. He's aligned himself nicely to be Stanford's deep threat of the future and showed a flair for returning kickoffs, averaging 25.3 yards per return, including a 96-yard touchdown.

First down: Reflect on your season as a whole and what you were able to accomplish.

I thought I had a lot of growth, which is something I wanted to do coming in. I wasn't as polished. I'm not saying I'm completely polished right now, but I feel like I've gotten better. I'm playing faster -- faster than I used to. Hopefully next year I'll be able to play faster and actually get faster and get bigger and stronger.

Second down: No one likes injuries, but did replacing Chris Owusu force your development?

When that pressure was put on me and when Chris went down, we knew someone was going to have to step up. If they call my name, I was going to have to do it. It helped me pick up things a lot faster.

Third down: Was this the kind of contribution you expected to be making in your freshman season?

Not at all. Not this big. I thought I'd follow a little more than I had to this year. But it helped me grow up and pick up things a lot faster. I think it's going to help a lot next year, for sure, getting the great experience I had this year. I have a pretty good understanding of the offense.

Fourth down: You're losing a lot on offense to graduation/NFL. Do you think you guys will be able to maintain the same level?

I feel confident. There is an attitude that the coaches have and they expect all of us to have. We've been coached up well to handle adversity no matter what pops up, I know we'll be able to handle it.

Awards season is here. First, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was named the recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given annually to the nation’s top quarterback who best exemplifies outstanding character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and athletic accomplishments.

“Andrew personifies everything that my father stood for. He is an outstanding quarterback and an outstanding individual, a leader both on and off the field,” John C. Unitas, Jr., President of The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, said in a released statement.

Luck passed for 3,170 yards and 35 touchdowns for a 167.5 passer rating in leading fourth ranked Stanford to an 11-1 record. He quarterbacked the Cardinal to back-to-back seasons of at least 11 wins for the first time ever, and now ranks first on Stanford’s all-time career list for touchdown passes (80), total offense (10,043 yards), and completion percentage (.664).

Beyond his numbers on the field, Luck carries a 3.48 cumulative grade point average and was selected to the Pac-12 Conference’s All-Academic First Team.

The Cardinal also dished out some team awards -- the majority of which are voted on by the players.

The recipients:

• Kevin Anderson, Jordan Pratt, Andrew Stutz: Greg Piers Team Award (top scout team player).
• Max Bergen, Alex Debniak: Phil Moffat Team Award (top special teams player).
• David DeCastro: Frank Rehm Team Award (top lineman in the Big Game).
• Ben Gardner: Deswarte-Ellar Team Award (top sophomore).
• Ryan Hewitt: Frank Rehm Team Award (top back in the Big Game).
• Delano Howell: Jack Huston Team Award (unheralded efforts).
• Andrew Luck: Tommy Vardell Team Award (top senior/junior); Irving S. Zeimer Team Award (team MVP).
• Ty Montgomery: Menlo-Atherton Team Trophy (top freshman).
• Chris Owusu: Jim Reynolds Team Award (senior with courage).
• Stepfan Taylor: Gundelach Team Award (top junior).
• Michael Thomas: Al Master Team Award (leadership/respect).
• Griff Whalen: Team Technician Award (strength and conditioning).

The regular season is over, which means grades are due. Here's part four of the ongoing regular-season report card for Stanford.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Grade: C+

Summary: A grade of "C" means average. Griff Whalen is the main reason they get the plus, but for the most part, Stanford's wide receivers were simply average.

With the tight ends Stanford has and the lack of double-coverage/safety help over the top and on the outside, the receivers should have been more productive this season.

Quarterback Andrew Luck completed 70 percent of his passes this season, but only 62.9 percent to his wide receivers. They were targeted 175 times, but had just 110 catches. Also, the receivers accounted for just eight of Luck's passing touchdowns -- the tight ends had 18 and the running backs/fullbacks accounted for nine. Even though 47 percent of Luck's passes went to wide receivers, they didn't deliver the bang for the buck -- accounting for just 23 percent of Luck's scores.

And chances are Luck's interception total would drop from nine to only four or five had his receivers not dropped passes or missed routes.

After a slow start through the first few games, Whalen emerged as the top wide receiver option. The former walk-on played his heart out, turning in a very respectable 49 catches for 664 yards and four touchdowns. He played beyond his scouting report and skill set. He wasn't the lone bright spot, but he was the most consistent player from about Week 4 on to make contributions -- be it on critical third downs or simply running clean routes.

Even before his injury, Chris Owusu was not having the season that he or David Shaw had hoped for. Give him credit for not being afraid to take the tough shots and go over the middle, but that ultimately led to his multiple concussions and putting him on the shelf for the remaining three and a half games (probably the bowl game as well).

In Owusu's absence, true freshman Ty Montgomery emerged and is bubbling with potential. He had some drops -- but I'm less critical of true freshmen than upper-classmen when it comes to drops. He was targeted 27 times by Luck and caught 17 balls for 230 yards and a touchdown. He really made an impact in the USC game -- catching five of six balls for 87 yards.

Backups: Not much from them this season. Montgomery -- when he was in a back-up role, had just two catches on four targets for 13 yards. Drew Terrell caught eight balls (12 targets) for 81 yards and a score. Jamal-Rashad Patterson had three catches for 38 yards -- but none thrown by Luck. Corey Gatewood had one catch before moving back over to defense.

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."