ESPN College Football

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.

David Shaw has said many times that he was spoiled having Andrew Luck at quarterback. Now that Luck is gone, the Stanford head coach is getting back to his roots as a quarterbacks coach -- a position he held with two NFL teams.

Part of that means scaling back the playbook. With Luck, he could let his offensive imagination run wild. Now with a couple of quarterbacks with a total of zero college starts between them competing for the job, it's more about getting back to basics.

"It's really not frustrating, it's just coming back to reality," Shaw said, followed by a big laugh. "That's where I've been most of my career. That's where [offensive coordinator] Pep Hamilton has been for most of his career.

"I received a nice little shot from Lane Kiffin saying that his quarterback checks plays also -- which is great. That's what most good quarterbacks do. We just had a guy that was on a different level. Now we're just back to what is really the standard for college football. You have to have your quarterback get you out of bad plays and into good plays, which is what we're back to."

Shaw said he won't really know the identity of his offense until he settles the quarterback question -- and also plugs the hole at left tackle vacated by Jonathan Martin.

"At some point, we'll settle on a quarterback," Shaw said. "At some point, we'll settle on left tackle. It's hard to completely say who you are and what you're going to do until those places are settled."

In other post-spring news:

• Shaw said he's pleased with the progress of Kevin Danser and Khalil Wilkes at the right guard position -- though he wasn't ready to name a starter. When tackle Brendon Austin missed time, David Yankey moved from guard to left tackle and Danser and Wilkes played both guard spots.

"If nobody on campus takes that left tackle job or if one of the two younger guys [Andrus Peat and Kyle Murphy] isn't ready, we could kick Yankey out there and be solid at both guard spots as we groom those young tackles."

• Just how deep is Stanford at linebacker? Well, Shaw was running off a list of names; Chase Thomas, James Vaughters, Shayne Skov, A.J. Tarpley, Kevin Anderson, Alex Debniak, Trent Murphy, Joe Hemschoot. Forgetting someone?

"What about Jarek Lancaster, coach?"

"Oh yeah, Jarek is playing great."

"OK, I didn't hear his name so I wanted to make sure he didn't transfer to Oregon or anything."

"No no. Please don't wish that upon me."

The moral of the anecdote is that Stanford is so deep at linebacker that Shaw forgot to mention the guy who led the Cardinal in tackles last season.

• Shaw also sang the praises of running back Ricky Seale, who had an outstanding spring session.

"We just played a spring game without our top three running backs and we found out that our fourth running back is good enough to start at a lot of places," Shaw said.

• With tight end Coby Fleener headed to the NFL, the Cardinal lose one-third of the Tree Amigos -- the vaunted tight end trio of Fleener, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo. Does that mean the Cardinal will move more toward the wide receivers being the primary receiving option?

"I personally don't really care about one group getting the ball over another," Shaw said. "I tell these guys all the time that I don't care who actually plays. It's whoever shows they can consistently make plays. We could easily become a three-or-four wide receiver team if that's the best group of guys and the most consistent and making big plays. Or we could be a two-tight-end team. Or a one tight end team. The offense will be whatever the personnel allows us to be."

Stanford guard David Yankey talks about the quarterback competition, holes in the offensive line and how he feels about doubters.

So the Stanford Cardinal have to replace a quarterback who is going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. It happens. Almost every year, in fact. Since 2000, nine teams have been where the Cardinal are now, having to replace a quarterback taken No. 1 overall. During that same span, 32 teams have had to replace quarterbacks taken in the first round. While Andrew Luck might be considered in rare company, the Cardinal certainly aren't.

However, replacing two offensive linemen taken in the first round -- that's rare. And difficult. Since 1967, only 11 schools have had two offensive linemen drafted in the first round. Rarer still is that only four have had to replace both a guard and a tackle -- the last coming in 2001 when Michigan's Steve Hutchinson and Jeff Backus were drafted back-to-back at Nos. 17 and 18, respectively.



That's the challenge facing the Stanford Cardinal, who kicked off spring ball this week without left tackle Jonathan Martin and right guard David DeCastro. Both were in Indianapolis last week for the NFL combine and both are expected to be first-round draft picks. And Stanford's future success hinges as greatly on replacing Martin and DeCastro as it does replacing Luck.

"The competition is going to be high," said Kevin Danser, one of several in line competing for DeCastro's old guard spot. "I don't think anyone is penciled in to be a leader or a favorite. There are a lot of guys that want that spot. And you're filling in for someone great. It's not like a David DeCastro comes around every year. It's going to be tough, but we're all looking forward to competing."

Stanford returns three starters from last year's group: right tackle Cameron Fleming, left guard David Yankey and center Sam Schwartzstein. All three were first-year starters last year and performed very well alongside Martin and DeCastro. And that's the reason head coach David Shaw isn't looking to move any of them from their current spots.

"I think Cameron Fleming and David Yankey have shown some special things where they are," Shaw said. "I learned in Baltimore [as a Ravens assistant] that taking a guy and moving him from where he's comfortable, you're taking one problem and making it two problems. We'll keep Sammy in the middle. We feel really good about those three guys and we'll have a lot of competition between those spots."

Cole Underwood and Brendon Austin appear to be emerging as the top two candidates for left tackle, Shaw said.

"Brendon Austin has had an outstanding winter," Shaw said. "He's up to 300 pounds, moving great. Cole Underwood really started to get a feel and help us at the end of games. Cole is going to be in competition potentially at both of those positions. He's shown potential to kick at tackle and pull as a guard."

Underwood, who appeared in three games last season, said he's a better player for having backed up Martin and Fleming last season.

"Moose [Martin] is a do-things-right-all-the-time kind of guy," Underwood said. "He's an extremely hard worker and that's what separated him from tackles all over the country. That's why he's about to be a first-round pick. Be obsessed with the game. Be a workaholic. Technique is key, no matter what size you are or how much you lift. If you don't have technique, it won't help on the field. He was a big technician and he was always striving for perfect technique every rep."

The X-factor is Stanford's heralded offensive-line recruiting class. Shaw upped the ante when he brought in several of the nation's top offensive linemen in one class. It sounded an alarm to the players on the roster that the level of competition had increased significantly.

"You welcome that -- you always want that competition no matter who they bring in," Danser said. "Whether it's the best of the best like this class or anybody else. Whoever they bring in, it comes down to competition. You want a spot? You have to fight for it."

While true freshman traditionally don't contribute immediately on the offensive line, Shaw said not to be surprised if several of them are in the mix right away.

"Yes, absolutely," Shaw said. "I would say possible bordering on probable. As you know, we play more lineman than anybody possibly in the history of football. We're going to play seven or eight linemen in every single game. If those young guys show the ability to help us out, we're going to put them on the field. If they show enough ability to split time or start, we're going to do it. I have no qualms about that. The best guys play. If a guy becomes a starter -- we still have two or three positions open. We really consider about eight guys starters on our offensive line."

That bodes well for players like Danser, Underwood, Austin, Kevin Reihner, Khalil Wilkes and anybody else hoping to block for whoever becomes the next Stanford quarterback. The Cardinal had a lot of success last season with their jumbo package of seven or eight offensive linemen and two or three tight ends. And don't think the players don't appreciate a system that puts the spotlight on the big boys.

"It's extremely effective," Underwood said. "First, it's tough for other teams. I'm sure they turn on film and say, 'This is a monster we've never seen.' And it's good for recruiting. Young guys are looking and saying, 'Hey, they love linemen at Stanford and they show us love.' That's all we all really want, is to be loved a little bit."

Scott in Redwood City, Calif., writes: Stanford's high admissions standards for the footballers is under-appreciated, I don't think you'll dispute. Especially remarkable to me is the fact that Stanford imposes the exact same labor-intensive admissions process (essays, recommendations, etc.) on football players as any other applicant. Comparing any school in D-I to Stanford in regards to academics is laughable, in my opinion. This used to be merely an interesting side-note (and a handy explanation/excuse). But now, with all this program is accomplishing, I find it remarkable that this topic doesn't get more "run." What gives?

Kevin Gemmell: No doubt, the admissions process is brutal. Just ask some of the commits who didn't end up gaining admission and were left scrambling to find a spot days before signing day. I asked head coach David Shaw about that specifically in our post-recruiting day Q&A and he gave, I thought, was a pretty candid answer. But I'm not sure how much more "run" you can give it. Stanford is a great academic institution. It's tough to get into. Now the Cardinal play good football to boot. What more is there to say?

---

Jorge in San Francisco writes: With the hoopla and depth surrounding next season's crew of Tunnel Workers O-lineman, could Stanford be a better running team than last year? We lose top talent in Moose [Jonathan Martin] and [David] DeCastro, but perhaps we may be able to run 7 or even 8 (!) lineman formations? The RBs are probably improved too. Going out on a limb, we may even match up better with Oregon next year with an increased focus on the running game. On the other hand, the O-line will be young and we lose Andrew Luck's pre-snap run-audibles and passing threat.

KG: First, great question. Second, I think you answered it with the last sentence. No matter how much Shaw tried to stress how important Luck was to the running game, I don't think it was ever really appreciated outside of the Pac-12. Now, that's not to say that Shaw and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton can't call plays -- because they can and they're very good at it. When you look at the line, you love having Sam Schwartzstein back at center. No one understands the offense better than him -- except for Luck. And now he's gone. Cameron Fleming and David Yankey should be even better next year. I'd imagine we'll see more of Kevin Danser on the line and I'm really curious to see which of the new linemen can contribute right away. Guards traditionally see playing time sooner than tackles, but there is nothing traditional about this group coming in. I think we'll continue to see Stepfan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney get better. You lose the goal-line back in Jeremy Stewart, though fullback Ryan Hewitt was equally effective in short-yardage situations last year. And then there's the question of Barry Sanders and whether he sees time. As for the Oregon question, hang on, because you're about to fall off that limb. No matter how you slice it, losing Andrew Luck never helps you match up better against anyone.

---

Amber in Saratoga, Calif., writes: I was shocked at your statement: "Skov has neither the history nor the offense to warrant that severe of a punishment." How could you consider a DUI not that serious of an offense?

KG: Amber, first, I was in no way was downplaying the severity of a DUI. The point was that Shayne Skov didn't have a history of misconduct and that as far as we know this was his first slip-up. And I still don't think he should be kicked off the team, as opposed to Washington State linebacker C.J. Mizell, which is where the comparison came from. I certainly don't condone his actions and clearly neither does Shaw. Punishment is warranted. But blackballing him from the team would be too severe. Others disagree and think he should be booted. I don't buy that. And neither do I buy the "it could have been worse" argument. Of course it could have been worse. But it wasn't. So let this be a lesson to Skov, his teammates and valuable teaching moment for Shaw. I expect Skov to be a model citizen for the rest of his days at Stanford and Shaw to handle the situation justly and without prejudice.

---

Tony in Fresno, Calif., writes: Does David Shaw hire someone to be another co-defensive coordinator, or does Derek Mason take the job all to himself?

KG: Personally, I like the idea of one coordinator handling the pass defense and another handling the front end -- which was Jason Tarver's job. It probably happens more than we think on other teams, it's just that one guy usually gets the title. Whether the new coach gets the title or not, it was clear that Stanford's weekly defensive scheme was built on a collaborative effort and that won't change. More important I think is finding a coach well-versed in the 3-4. Tarver's knowledge was beyond vast. That's why he's now an NFL coordinator.

Looking for the most improved player on Stanford's football team didn't take long. Especially when you consider the circumstances that brought David Yankey to the starting lineup in training camp.

At 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, he has a tackle's body. And he was very much in the mix for the starting right tackle spot before the season started. But the decision was made about three weeks before the first game of the year to move the redshirt freshman from tackle to guard -- a position he had never played in his life.

Now, 13 starts later, Yankey is a veteran.

"There were a lot of mistakes early on," Yankey said. "But through the season as I started to get more adjusted to the role, I got better at pulling and played better overall."

He earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention and freshman All-America honors by Yahoo for his efforts in helping Stanford to the nation's 18th-ranked rushing offense at 210.6 yards per game. Stanford was also seventh nationally in sacks allowed.

"Having never played guard before, I didn't really have a reaction when coach asked me to switch," Yankey said. "They said I had enough versatility to play guard, so I just did what I could to help out the team."

In Stanford's gap-scheme running attack, the guards do a great deal of pulling. That was new to Yankey, who leaned heavily on guard David DeCastro, an Outland Trophy finalist who is expected to go in the first round of the NFL draft.

"Watching him play is incredible," Yankey said of DeCastro. "He's a beast. That's the only way to describe him. He has awesome hands and feet, his technique is amazing. And I'll pick his brain all the time. He has so much knowledge and he's such a great player."

With three new starters on the offensive line heading into the season, there were some question marks about the unit. Yankey said he and fellow new starters Sam Schwartzstain and Cameron Fleming were aware of the questions, but never let them deter them. He credited running game coordinator Mike Bloomgren for getting the line up to speed and helping them adjust quickly as a unit.

With DeCastro and left tackle Jonathan Martin leaving for the NFL, the Cardinal will again have to fill some spots on the line. Yankey said if another position switch is called for, he's ready to make the move. He no longer considers himself just a tackle or just a guard.

"I'm politically correct about it," Yankey said. "I'm an offensive lineman.

"We'll figure everything out in the spring and in training camp and see who's better at playing where. It's about finding the right combination that can protect the quarterback and run the football the way we want to."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- With holes to fill on the offensive line next year, Stanford head coach David Shaw said he hasn’t given much thought yet about whether David Yankey will stay at guard and whether Cameron Fleming will move from right tackle to left.

The duo makes up two of three first-year starters on the offensive line this season, along with center Sam Schwartzstein. Left tackle Jonathan Martin and guard David DeCastro are off to the NFL -- both presumably in the first round of the draft -- so again, Stanford will be looking to plug some gaps.

“[Yankey has] done so well at guard, it’s hard to envision moving him as opposed to developing another tackle, and we have a couple of candidates on campus, and hopefully on signing day we’ll have a couple more,” Shaw said. “[Fleming] has done so well where he is. An O-line coach told me a long time ago once you move a guy who is secure where he is you create two problems. Now you have to get him comfortable with his new position and develop somebody for his old position as opposed to leaving him where he is and letting him continue to have success and developing one guy at one position.”

FUTILE EFFORT

Try as he might, Shaw has been striking out at trying to get quarterback Andrew Luck to bypass the NFL for yet another year and stay on board with the Cardinal through next season.

“I rode back from practice yesterday [Saturday] on the bus with him, and the entire time we're talking, I'm trying to find a way, OK, what can I say that will entice him to come back one more year? I couldn't think of anything and it wouldn't have worked anyway.

“It has been an unbelievable four years with him. And I say four. Even the year he didn't play was phenomenal, just to be around him and watch him systematically figure out what this college football thing was about as a true freshman and get ready to play lights out as a sophomore.”

MORE MULLET FALLOUT

You’ve heard the player’s reaction to the new (improved?) clean-cut Ben Gardner, who recently ditched his trademark mullet. Back in October, Gardner talked about the genesis of the mullet and the reaction from opposing fans, including a classic WSU story.

Now Shaw is tackling this hairy issue.

“I told him three weeks ago that I liked it,” Shaw said. “When he first did it, it grew on me. It’s one of those things I can’t do, so I appreciate when someone has the ability and courage to do it. I’m sad to see it go.”

PLAYING IT NEUTRAL

Robert Shelton, the executive director of the Fiesta Bowl, is a 1970 Stanford graduate. He said he’s doing his best this week not to let his alumnus ties interfere with bowl business.

“As an alum, of course, I’m biased,” Shelton said. “But I’m strictly neutral for this game and this week. I can’t vouch for my wife and kids who are all Stanford grads … it hasn’t been too hard. We also do the Insight Bowl, so there is so much going on I haven’t had too much time to think about [it]. We’ll see what happens though on game day.”

Grush in San Francisco writes: Stepfan Taylor for Heisman 2012! Hear me out. Stepfan is putting up 5.6 yards per carry this year and is the 27th leading rusher in the country despite taking less than half of Stanford's rushing attempts. He is quietly one of the best running backs out of Stanford and one of three (including Toby Gerhart, Heisman runner up) to rush for 1,000 yards multiple years. With a new quarterback next year and perhaps a smaller committee of backs, Stepfan's production could increase. If Stanford wins at least nine games without Andrew Luck it will be because of the running game. Does Stepfan Taylor have a chance to be Stanford's fourth consecutive Heisman finalist next year?

Kevin Gemmell: I'm not going to say never, but he's going to have to get into the top five before we even start talking about him. When you look at some of the sophomore and junior running backs returning next season -- he's going to need to leapfrog a bunch of them just to get in the conversation as one of the top running backs -- let alone the best player in the country. I like Taylor a lot, but I don't see it happening.

---

David in Seattle writes: How will Stanford's secondary fare against OSU's air attack?

Kevin Gemmell: That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? If you look at my report card on the secondary from Friday, you'll see a breakdown of how the Cardinal have done against some of the top receivers in the country. And it's been pretty good. With that said, Justin Blackmon is by far the best receiver they have seen this year. I think the move of Corey Gatewood back to defense was a great one. Blackmon is going to get his yards and at least a touchdown -- so, as it always does with this group, it comes down to making tackles and keeping things in front of them. If they can do that, they'll have a shot at limiting his production. A turnover or two couldn't hurt, either.

---

Cooper in Kentfield, Calif. writes: How has Stanford done in recruiting over the past few seasons? Is there a noticeable trend upward in quality amongst the select few that qualify that point to Stanford being a yearly contender in the Pac-12 North, or have the past few years been an aberration?

Kevin Gemmell: Considering three (maybe four) Stanford players are expected to go in the first round in the NFL draft, I'd say recruiting has been pretty good. The question you should be asking is what kind of recruiters are David Shaw and Co.? Stanford has the No. 19 class in the country according to the current ESPN.com rankings with commits from two ESPNU 150 commits -- Noor Davis and Alex Carter. But as any good coach will tell you, four- and five-star recruits are nice, but it's the three-stars (Cameron Fleming, David Yankey, A.J. Tarpley, -- Ben Gardner was a two-star for heaven's sake) that really make the team go. It looks like a pretty solid class coming in next season. Your question, of course, can't be answered for two or three more years, but it looks like they are on the right track.

---

Tim in San Jose writes: Hi Kevin. All the Heisman talk has people ripping Luck and not giving him any chance of winning. Many people are saying Matt Barkley should be higher than Luck. What a joke. They don't watch the game. Stanford doesn't even come close to having the WR talent that USC and most every other team has. Also, Stanford is a run-first team, which also makes a big difference. If Luck had the WR's and threw a lot more, he would have 50 TD's. Your thoughts? And do you think he will win the Heisman?

Kevin Gemmell: Ah, the "what if?" question. If Luck threw more, then we probably wouldn't get to see what an amazing playcaller he is. If Luck threw more, he probably wouldn't be able to read defensive formations and be able to check plays as well as he does. It's what he does beyond the stats that make him so impressive. Luck may not win the Heisman tonight (and to answer your question, I don't think he will), but he proved beyond a doubt he is the smartest, most NFL-ready player. As for the comparisons to Barkley, I'm not going to knock Barkley at all in this blog. Even if I wanted to, there isn't much to knock. He's an outstanding player who has all of the tools to be a fantastic quarterback at the next level. But what I believe separates the two -- at least at this point in their careers -- is Luck's mental capacity. It's going to be fun tracking this quarterback draft class and seeing who's still around 10 years from now.

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

OFFENSIVE LINE

Grade: A-

Summary: Of all of the position groups, this one probably had the most questions heading into Week 1. With three new starters flanked around returning All-Pac-10 performers Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro, there were concerns of whether 1) the running game would be as productive as it was last season and 2) whether quarterback Andrew Luck would remain upright throughout the year.

Yes, for the most part. And yes, for the most part.

There were drop-offs in both categories, but only slightly. After averaging 213 rushing yards per game last season, the Cardinal ran for an average of 207.9 this year. Last year's line yielded six sacks, this year's nine (eight if you don't count Luck running out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage against Duke).

So the bar was set considerably high for Sam Schwartzstein (center), David Yankey (guard) and Cameron Fleming (tackle) to fill the shoes of last year's group. Injuries started to take their toll on the line toward the second half of the season. But overall, it was a very good season for the boys up front.

Martin and DeCastro -- more than likely on their way to playing on Sundays next season -- were fantastic, per usual. Martin is one of the top two or three left tackles in the country and DeCastro is the best interior lineman in college football.

Much credit goes to Schwartzstein for his keen understanding of the offense. Players often credit him for being the most knowledgeable player besides Luck. Plus, I can't recall a single quarterback-center exchange issue this season. It's an un-kept stat that gets overlooked far too often.

Fleming and Yankey didn't come along quite as fast as Schwartzstein, but by the season's midpoint -- until Fleming missed some time with an injury -- they were hitting on all cylinders as a unit.

This group wasn't as good as last year's. But given the three new starters, I think it's more than fair to say they exceeded expectations.

Backups: Stanford's offensive line backups are pretty much just that -- backups. With their jumbo packages, it's not unusual to see Tyler Mabry (who filled in for the injured Fleming) and Kevin Danser along with other five on some plays. With Mabry and Matt Bentler both graduating, it will be interesting to see what the line looks like next season -- specifically if Danser moves over from left to right guard to replace DeCastro and if backup center Khalil Wilkes makes a position change. A new left tackle to go with a new quarterback could get dicey.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and head coach David Shaw took home two of the Pac-12 conference's major awards, as voted on by the conference head coaches.

Luck was named offensive player of the year and Shaw was named coach of the year.

Luck capped his season by completing 261-of-373 balls for 3,170 yards, 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Heisman Trophy candidate becomes the fifth player in conference history to win the award twice, joining Reggie Bush, Ruben Mayes, John Elway and Charles White as two-time winners. He finished atop the Pac-12 in passing efficiency (167.5) and ranks fifth in the NCAA.

Shaw, who is in his first year as head coach with Stanford, guided the Cardinal to a second-straight 11-1 record -- the first back-to-back 10-win seasons in program history.

Joining Luck on the All Pac-12 first-team offense are tight end Coby Fleener (team-high 10 touchdowns), guard David DeCastro and tackle Jonathan Martin. It's the second straight year DeCastro and Martin have been honored.

Linebacker Chase Thomas and safety Delano Howell were named to the first-team defense.

Running back Stepfan Taylor was the lone Cardinal on the second-team offense, along with defensive end Ben Gardner on the second-team defense and kicker Jordan Williamson as a second-team specialist.

Linebacker Max Bergen and wide receivers Ty Montgomery and Drew Terrell received honorable mention honors for their work on special teams, along with tackle Cameron Fleming, fullback Ryan Hewitt, defensive end Matt Masifilo, safety Michael Thomas, guard David Yankey and tight end Levine Toilolo.

STANFORD, Calif. -- Five things we learned about the Cardinal in their 28-14 win over Notre Dame Saturday night.

1. [+] Enlarge
   Kyle Terada/US Presswire Andrew Luck threw four touchdown passes in Stanford's win Saturday night.
   Stanford can start fast: Normally this is a question; phrased by swapping the "can" and "Stanford." It’s been an off-and-on issue for the Cardinal this season. But they came out, with the exception of one or two plays, and looked solid on both sides of the ball in the first half. Andrew Luck moved the ball efficiently through the air (save the interception), Stepfan Taylor rushed for 75 yards in the first half on nine carries (an average of 8.3 yards per carry) and the defense held the Irish to just 75 yards of total offense in the first 30 minutes.
2. Chris Owusu got his play: Classy move by Stanford head coach David Shaw to allow wide receiver Chris Owusu to take the field on the victory formation kneel down to end the game (more on this later today). Owusu’s tale of concussions has been well-documented, and for him to be able to be on the field -- on senior night -- and be a part of the victory was a special moment.
3. The tight ends are back: Good to see the Tree Amigos reunited. Zach Ertz returned from a knee injury he suffered on the opening kickoff against USC. He didn’t do much statistically -- one catch for zero yards -- but his presence allowed things to open up down the field for Coby Fleener and Levine Toilolo. Fleener had a monster game: four catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns, including a 55-yarder in the fourth quarter. Toilolo also had a 3-yard touchdown reception. Ertz simply being on the field impacts how teams defend the Cardinal.
4. The Cardinal have a case: Probably not for a spot in the national championship, but certainly for a spot in one of the other BCS bowl games. An 11-1 record and a Heisman finalist should be enticing enough to get the Cardinal into one of college football’s red-carpet gatherings. Wherever they land, the Cardinal can make a case that they shouldn’t play again until 2012.
5. The Farm’s farm system looks OK: There are several spectacular players and a once-in-a-generation college quarterback who played their final game at Stanford Stadium Saturday night. But the cupboards aren’t totally empty. Guys like Ty Montgomery (six catches, 77 yards, touchdown), Jarek Lancaster (six tackles, one for a loss) and A.J. Tarpley (two tackles, sack) provided a glance at what Stanford’s future will look like. And it looks promising. David Yankey and Cameron Fleming will continue to grow. James Vaughters (one tackle) will get bigger and faster. The foundation is there for a pretty good football team.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Three players who stood out in Stanford's 65-21 win over Washington.

1. Stepfan Taylor: Another 100-yard game for the running back, who set the pace for the team’s 446-yard rushing night. He finished with 138 yards on 10 carries -- including a 70-yard touchdown run. That’s an average of 13.8 yards per carry. Wide receivers would kill to have that as their yards per reception.
2. The offensive line: In front of every great running back is an outstanding offensive line. The starting five -- Jonathan Martin, David Yankey, Sam Schwartzstein, David DeCastro and Cameron Fleming should all take a respective bow. Head coach David Shaw called it their best performance of the season, deservedly so.
3. Michael Thomas: The safety not only nabbed his second interception of the season -- a pick-six that he returned 62 yards for the touchdown -- but he also switched from free to strong safety in the absence of the injured Delano Howell. He was a quarterback in the secondary helping some younger players adjust. After a shaky start, he got the troops in line and showed why he’s one of the key leaders of the team.

Everyone wants to pat the offensive line on the back for their performance this year -- everyone but the offensive linemen themselves.

Everyone wants to say that they turned a corner. But in their eyes, there is no corner to turn -- only a never-ending straight line of improvement.

"What corner?" asked guard David DeCastro. "I don't think there is a corner. We're just trying to get better every week."

What was once the biggest question mark of the Cardinal has turned into one of Stanford's greatest offensive assets. Not that DeCastro really cares much for other people's opinions.

"People are entitled to think whatever they want," said the bruising run-blocker. "If there were questions about us, that's fine. I don't think we really cared."

Gotta love the big guys.

With three new starters -- Sam Schwartzstein at center, Cameron Fleming at right tackle and David Yankey at left guard -- the initial thought was that there were going to be some growing pains. And there have been. But they are so minor that they usually go unnoticed. But not to the players or coaches.

"Once we got through training camp, we said it in our staff room that we thought it was going to take four to five games," said Stanford head coach David Shaw. "For a new center -- who is a fourth year senior -- we didn't think it would take too long for him."

And Schwartzstein has been outstanding commanding the offense. He's been called the second smartest player on the team -- behind the guy he snaps the ball to.

"He has to be," DeCastro said. "He's the center. He's the quarterback of the offensive line."

DeCastro, along with Jonathan Martin, are the only holdovers from last year's unit, which was considered one of the best in the country.

But their work ethic has caught on quick. Early in the season, Schwartzstein, Fleming and Yankey said they felt the pressure to match the tempo set by Martin and DeCastro -- both of whom are considered two of the best in country at what they do.

Case in point, the Cardinal are No. 1 in the nation in sacks allowed with two. That's 189 passing attempts out of 191 where the quarterback has not been put on the ground. Well, technically, it's 190, because one of the sacks was quarterback Andrew Luck running out of bounds against Duke. Either way, it's an impressive number.

"They are all great guys," Luck said. "... It's a neat dynamic with two guys who played a lot and three guys with relatively no experience at the college level. It's a neat dynamic to see them all grow in the system."

While Shaw wasn't as concerned with Schwartzstein because he was a veteran player, there were concerns about Yankey and Fleming.

"Those are two guys who started off shaky, but have progressed tremendously," Shaw said. "I'm excited about their futures. They've got three years to go and they are playing like veterans right now. I'm excited where we'll be in three games, four games from now."

But it's not just the guys on offense who have been noticing. Defensive lineman Ben Gardner says he can see -- and feel the improvement -- each week in practice.

"We do a 9-on-7 drill every Tuesday, starters against the starters, and David Yankey is coming off the ball and hitting me harder than any offensive lineman I've faced this season," Gardner said. "They have come a long way since the beginning of training camp."

Shaw graded the offensive line at a B, B-plus level after starting the season in the C to C-plus range. He continued to heap praise on Schwartzstein, noting that he's "calmed the seas" in the middle. He said Fleming and Yankey have progressed nicely, but there is still plenty of work to be done for the redshirt freshmen.

"Those guys as playing well, but there are still three or four plays a game where they look back and say 'gosh, how can I miss that?'" Shaw said. "That's the growth you have with young players."

And yet behind that line, the Cardinal running backs have been able to tally 181.7 rushing yards per game and an average of 5.1 yards per carry. The yards per game is 42nd nationally, while the passing offense is 16th. More importantly, the scoring offense is fifth with 45.8 points per game.

"That's football," DeCastro said. "It's never as good as you think it is and it's never as bad as you think it is. There is definitely some growth. We're nowhere close to where we want to be. There is always stuff to clean up."

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Has there ever been a more appropriate nickname for an offensive lineman than “Moose?” It leaves little to no room for interpretation about size or demeanor.

And except for the fact that Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin is extremely articulate -- and lacks antlers -- the nickname fits him as snugly as his shoulder pads.

“That’s how he introduced himself to me (the first time I met him),” joked quarterback Andrew Luck -- whose blindside is protected by the 6-foot-6, 304-pound Martin.

Martin was crowned with the moniker when he was in fifth grade. He was too big to play Pop Warner football in California, so during a flag football game, one of his teammates first called him Moose.

“I guess I was mauling people,” Martin said. “It stuck since then.”

It's how he still introduces himself -- though not to his professors.

"I'm more comfortable with Jon or Jonathan Martin in an academic setting," he said.

So when his name is called in the first round of the NFL draft -- probably not too long after the guy he’s protecting -- chances are it will be Jon or Jonathan.

“He has natural tools,” said head coach David Shaw. “An old coach once told me you have to find the guy that can do the things that you can’t teach. And you can’t teach a guy to be 6-5, 304-pounds and be athletic. And that’s what he is.

“He’s long. He’s got long arms. He’s tall, but he’s flexible. He can kick and punch, and a lot of the publicity he’s gotten is from NFL draft rankings, because he looks like an NFL tackle. Guys like that don’t come around very often to be able to do the things he can do.”

It’s tough to statistically quantify the progress of an offensive line or lineman. But there are a few telltale signs. For example – Stanford has increased its rushing total every week, from 141 yards against San Jose State to 205 against Duke to 242 against Arizona. Luck has only been sacked twice (though one was him running out of bounds). Those are pretty good figures.

“He’s a tireless worker,” Luck said of Martin. “He takes a lot of pride in being consistent and using the right technique … he sets such a great standard for the younger guys. He’s very meticulous, which I appreciate, obviously.

“(The offensive line has) done a great job. They are still hungry … they take pride in the fact that they want to be a physical group.”

Martin, who has started in 27 of the past 29 games since redshirting in 2008, checks in as the No. 6 player on ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s Big Board. He said he still needs some work on his pass protection (Luck would disagree), but he might be the best run blocker in this year’s draft class.

“I really like those drives at the end of games when you get to run the ball for 10 straight plays,” Martin said. “It’s a pretty gratifying feeling."

Shaw has asked Martin to do more than just protect the presumptive top pick in the NFL draft. With three starters from the offensive line graduating last season, Martin and David DeCastro became the veterans of the line. Tackle Cameron Fleming, center Sam Schwartzstein and guard David Yankey had never started a college football gamed prior to the season opener. And if the group was going to meet their coaches’ expectations, Martin and DeCastro were going to have to whip them into shape.

“The roles those two guys played were so vital,” Shaw said. “It’s one thing when the coaches demand it of a young player. It’s an entirely different deal when the veteran players, the guys they see in the locker room, in the weight room, and in the training room demand it of them also. There is no soft place to land when you don’t do it right. And that’s a good thing. David and Jon have been very vocal in their expectations about how the line should play. And each game it’s getting better.”

The younger players speak highly of Martin, calling him, among other things, an impressive leader. He’s made it an emphasis that as a line and a team, he won’t accept anything but their best effort. Martin arrived at Stanford in the midst of the culture change and has seen firsthand the strides the program has made. His hope is that he leaves it in better shape than when he first arrived.

“We want to win. We expect to win,” Martin said. “That’s where the standard has been set. Before, it was just to get to a bowl game. Now we have higher aspirations to win the Pac-12. It’s been a fun process to be a part of.”

Part three of the ongoing report card for the Stanford Cardinal during the bye week.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Grade: B

Summary: No other unit had a brighter spotlight on them during the spring and fall camps than the offensive line. With three starters from last year graduating and just Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro returning, the question wasn’t simply can they replicate a front that led the NCAA in time of possession and pounded out 213.8 rushing yards a game. But can these guys keep quarterback Andrew Luck upright? So far, they have answered the call – for the most part – on both fronts.

At left tackle, Martin is in the conversation for best offensive tackle in college football. On the other end, Cameron Fleming has shown steady improvement as one of three newcomers. DeCastro, a returning all-Pac-10 performer last year is a pure run blocker. Center Sam Schwartzstein and guard David Yankey have grown tremendously from Week 1 till now.

This line is not as good as last year’s. And it probably won’t be. That’s not a knock on them. And it’s not because they don’t have the talent. Rather, that was a special group that had the benefit of playing together for two years. Continuity is key with offensive linemen.

Take the Duke game, for example. The Blue Devils threw delayed blitzes at the Cardinal in the first half – something they hadn’t shown on film. It caught the younger players off guard and took them a half to make adjustments. The next time they see delayed stunts, they’ll be better at it. There are about 17,000 different things they’ll have to experience for the first time as a line before it becomes second nature and they start playing as one group, not five players.

The run blocking has gotten significantly better each week and the line is coming off its best performance in a 37-10 win over Arizona last week. Just ask Stepfan Taylor.

The pass blocking has been good at times, so-so at other times. Andrew Luck has only been put down once (officially twice, see funny Duke fumble for details), but he’s taken a couple of pretty good shots that have made coach David Shaw cringe.

Backups: So far only guard Kevin Danser and tackle Tyler Mabry have appeared in all three games, and guard Matt Bentler and center Khalil Wilkes appeared in the Duke game. Shaw has said repeatedly that he likes the depth at offensive line and thinks he has his two-deep set.

Previous report cards:

Quarterbacks

Defensive line