ESPN College Football

STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford kicked off its second spring session after a three-week break this week, and here are some notes from the Pac-12 blog's visit on Thursday.

• And the first quarterback of the post-Andrew Luck Era is ... Yeah, right. It's likely going to be either junior Brett Nottingham or senior Josh Nunes, but coach David Shaw said the competition will extend into fall camp. "I want them to finish spring in competition mode. And I want them to start fall camp in competition mode," he said. "I don't want to name a starter the week of the first game. I'd like to do it before that so we can start to settle in." Shaw called the competition "Neck and neck."
• A recurring theme from the coaches -- Shaw and both coordinators -- is that members of the 2012 recruiting class are going to play in the fall. Several, in fact. Particularly in need areas such as the offensive line and secondary. Yes, those touted frosh O-linemen are going to see immediate action.
• As for the competition among existing players to replace left tackle Jonathan Martin and right guard David DeCastro, those spots are still up in the air. Brendon Austin and Cole Underwood are in the mix at LT, and Khalil Wilkes and Kevin Danser are in a battle for DeCastro's guard spot.
• Talented sophomore James Vaughters will get on the field, and don't be surprised if he ends up at inside linebacker. At least, that seems to be where defensive coordinator Derek Mason envisions him at present. Part of this appears to be his comfort with Kevin Anderson, who's been playing defensive end, and Alex Debniak backing up outside 'backers Trent Murphy and Chase Thomas.
• By the way, Mason loves his linebacker depth. He said as many as 10 could play in the Cardinal's 3-4 next year.
• Henry Anderson and Josh Mauro are locked in a tough competition to replace underrated defensive end Matt Masifilo.
• The Cardinal need to replace both starting safeties. The name that comes up the most is Ed Reynolds, who was out last season with a knee injury. Jordan Richards, Kyle Olugbode and Devon Carrington are in the mix also, but Mason doesn't hesitate to bring up incoming freshmen Drew Madhu and Zach Hoffpauir.
• It's pretty clear that the not-entirely-unreasonable questioning of whether Stanford can remain an elite team post-Andrew Luck is serving as motivation in the locker room. While the topic is hardly obsessed over, it's also fair to say everyone is aware of the widespread doubts heading into 2012.

Stanford's secondary is going to be young next season. Not exactly breaking news, but that's the reality when four seniors, three of them starters, graduate. But the players returning also have some experience and quality playing time, which should help compensate for their youth.

In other words, there no excuses.

"I think [defensive coordinator Derek] Mason might have been a little more tolerant with us last year, a little more patient," said safety Jordan Richards. "Not anymore. We've all been here and have a full season under our belts. This is on us -- and coach Mason is making sure we know that."

The back four -- two cornerbacks and two safeties -- have to be getting tired of hearing how good the front seven is going to be. They are so experienced. This guy is back and that guy is back. It gets old. And if the front seven is considered Stanford's defensive strength, by virtue of elimination, the back four can't be.

That perception is something the group is looking to alter. But first they'll need to settle some competition. Gone are safeties Delano Howell and Michael Thomas. Gone are cornerbacks Johnson Bademosi and Corey Gatewood.

Terrence Brown and Barry Browning are back at cornerback, along with the highly-touted Wayne Lyons who is returning from a foot injury. Usua Amanam should also be in the mix and don't be surprised if Alex Carter makes an immediate impact when he arrives in the summer. Also returning are Richards and Devon Carrington at the safety spot along with Ed Reynolds, who is also returning from injury. Kyle Olugbode has also seen reps this spring.

Richards was one of the true freshman called into action when Howell went down for several games with a hand injury. He started three games for Stanford last year -- the most brutal stretch of the season that included at USC, at Oregon State and home to Oregon. Tough detail.

"It was, at times, a blur," Richards said. "And other times, I felt like I was in control and the game slowed."

The telling part of that quote is the "at times" portion. Richards notched eight tackles in his first start against USC. Then a couple of games later he watched Oregon run all over the Cardinal. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. In his second year, he's striving for more consistency. And having had the chance to learn behind Thomas and Howell, he thinks he's found it.

"I learned how to see the game from those guys," Richards said. "As a freshman, you come in with tunnel vision. You need to learn to see how things move around. Now it's a transition. You've been here for a year, you learn to read formational cues and the game slows down a lot more. You know what the offensive tendencies are. That's the biggest difference. You're not a deer in the headlights anymore. You just go out and play and try not to over think it."

Brown has the most experience at cornerback, followed by Browning who started three games last season. According to Richards, Brown and Reynolds have taken on the leadership roles vacated by the departed seniors.

"As a group, it's been TB and Ed," Richards said. "Those guys have been around. But we all know what's at stake, and we're all trying to be leaders and be on our game as a group because we know that we are going to be young and people are going to try to come after us."

Like in Week 3, when the Cardinal host USC -- a pass happy offense with the Heisman front-runner at quarterback, the top wide receiving duo in the country and possibly the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. So this group is going to have to find a way to come together quickly.

"That's what the spring is all about," Richards said. "We're working hard to be a cohesive group. Coach Mason is pushing us and I think we're going to come together."

Josh Nunes is going to remember the bonding experience with his Stanford teammates -- building two playhouses for Habitat for Humanity and getting off campus to do something good for the community. He's going to remember linebackers Jarek Lancaster and Trent Murphy showing off their art skills while painting Dora the Explorer on the playhouse. He'll remember defensive end Josh Mauro (6-6, 269) and fullback Geoff Meinken (6-4, 255) hamming it up while sticking their heads out of the child-sized windows.

But what was burned into Nunes' memory was the face of the little girl when she saw her new playhouse. It was a look he could only describe as "that glow."

"I don't know how old she was, but she was about two-feet tall," Nunes said. "Being able to do something like that with your teammates is great. But to see her go in that house -- it was just incredible. She was loving every second of it."

One of the playhouses was earmarked for the Blue Star Moms -- a Bay Area organization of mothers with sons and daughters serving in the military. That's the house that went to the little girl.

"Her smile was priceless," said safety Jordan Richards. "I think we all left there feeling pretty good."

About 20 Stanford football players participated in the project last month. The following week, Nunes and Richards were back at it, volunteering with half a dozen teammates to go the Stanford Ronald McDonald House, where they played with kids who are shuttled back-and-forth between Stanford Hospital. A few days later they were off reading to elementary school kids.

It's not like Nunes, Richards -- or any of the other Stanford players for that matter -- have a ton of free time. They have full course loads and football. Both are locked in position battles. Why sacrifice what little downtime they have?

"You make the time," Richards said. "We're always working and grinding so it's nice to just get out there and do something for someone else. Especially in college, as you start to become more self-centered as you're on your own. It's good to widen that scope."

None of this mandatory. Stanford has a program called Cardinal for the Community, which puts athletes interested in helping into roles where they can. Head coach David Shaw lets players know what events are out there and it's not uncommon for some to be turned away because so many volunteer.

"We look for different opportunities -- in particular anything to do with kids -- we try to participate in those," Shaw said. "Read Across America, different children's hospitals etc. I never make it mandatory, but I remind these guys what kind of an impact they have just by showing up and showing that they care. They can inspire people. And it's important for our guys to see how they are perceived by young people and know that they can impact people's lives."

Nunes, who's locked in a quarterback competition to replace Andrew Luck, was no stranger to community service projects growing up. He was actively involved in church projects and considers himself the strongest builder on the team, citing his family mantra "Do it yourself."

"The Ronald McDonald House was great because it was all about the kids," Nunes said. "I was the crafts leader for the day and we made little leprechaun faces. We made cookies and then played in the backyard with the kids doing sports stuff.

"Yes, we're here to graduate and play great football. But that doesn't mean we can't impact lives during our time here. We should make the most of that opportunity."

Naturally, during the season the players are limited in their extra-curricular activities. But when they do get some free time, many of them are looking for ways to help others.

"We talk all the time about the recruiting process and how we're looking for great football players that are great students that are great human beings," Shaw said. "We've got guys who will take a little bit of time because they know how important it is to look at something outside of themselves. We talk about making a positive impact. If we can do that everywhere, in the classroom, on the field and on and off campus, it can have a huge impact for them and the people who look up to them."

Wayne Lyons, Stanford's highly-touted cornerback, never really got a chance to show what he could do in his true freshman campaign. The week before the season-opener against San Jose State, he broke a bone in his foot, but still played against the Spartans and the following week against Duke before shutting it down for the season.

Now, following surgery that placed a screw in his foot, the cornerback says he is 100 percent (some reports say 75, others 85) and poised to have the big year that eluded him.

How are you feeling?

Wayne Lyons: I'm feeling great. 100 percent. It feels great to get back out there. It was a struggling sitting out the entire season on the sidelines. In high school you play every game and then you make it to the next step in college and you can't play because injuries stop you. It's heartbreaking in a way. But I made it through and I'm happy to be back out there.

How tough was it to watch from the sideline and watch the team have the kind of season it did?

WL: Part of me was upset, but I took everything into consideration and learned everything I could while watching on the sideline. I was looking at every play, every break and closing in on what I can learn to better myself for next year. I just learned as much as I could.

Like what? What did you learn?

WL: How to read the quarterback and the mechanics of a quarterback. How to read different drop steps and different formations and how to pick up different alignments and assignments and position on the field -- having an overall awareness of where to be on the field.

There is so much talk about Stanford's front seven for next season. Is the secondary feeling the pressure to match those guys?

WL: There is pressure, but there's not. It kind of goes both ways. We work together so well and we complement each other. We're going to be an exciting defense next year. Our defensive line is going to attack and pressure, the linebackers are going to make their tackles and the secondary will handle the passing game so we'll all come together and make great plays.

Last year the defense only had seven interceptions, and only three came from cornerbacks. I assume that's a point of emphasis this spring?

WL: Yes. We definitely need to catch more balls. That's something that Coach [Derek] Mason stressed. We need to attack more balls. That's one thing we're working on is catching interceptions and creating turnovers.

Coach [David] Shaw told reporters he expects you to be up for the nation's best cornerback award at some point in your career. No pressure, right?

WL: Ah, man. There's no pressure. It's an honor that he thinks so highly of me, but personally I have to prove myself. It's great he said that about me, but I feel like I have to perform on the field and prove myself to be a great player. I need my film to talk. I need my film to dictate who I am. Words can't tell who a player is. Only film can tell the kind of player I am.

What are some of your personal goals for the next season?

WL: My freshman goal was to be a freshman All-American. That's what I'm striving for again since I'll be a redshirt freshman.

When you look at the defensive back rotation, it's going to be a very young secondary. Is there something to be said for having a young group that is hungry to make plays?

WL: Definitely. Nobody has a name yet. I don't have a name. Jordan [Richards] doesn't have a name. DC [Devon Carrington] doesn't have a name. Terrence Brown -- he started to make a name last year -- but almost everyone who is going to be out there is trying to make a name for themselves and prove who they are and what they can do on the field. There is a lot to prove this year.

It takes a quarterback to know when a quarterback will be missed. So it's no surprise that when looking at the teams with the biggest voids to fill, ESPN's Brock Huard started with schools losing elite quarterbacks. Stanford is among the top five schools that Huard examined as having the biggest offseason holes .

Huard on Stanford:

Stanford might be losing the most prolific quarterback in the program's history in Andrew Luck -- which is saying something, given that John Elway and Jim Plunkett once grazed on The Farm -- but the Cardinal clearly are not losing their ground-and-pound identity. Signing three of the top offensive line prospects in the country will pay dividends in the long term, but filling the enormous shoes of Luck and three other probable first-round picks in this year's draft (OG David DeCastro, OT Jonathan Martin and TE Coby Fleener) will be a mighty task for coach David Shaw.

As a fan, player and now analyst who has been immersed in the Pac-10, now Pac-12, for more than three decades, watching what Jim Harbaugh did to reverse the fortunes of the Stanford program was remarkable. He changed the culture, provided an edge and energy desperately needed on the gridiron, and did so with the help of a once-in-a-generation quarterback who was both brainiac and maniac.

Huard is right on by identifying more than just Luck who is gone. And I'll go a step further and say that losing Delano Howell and Michael Thomas at the safety positions could be just as difficult to overcome. The Cardinal have a lot of good athletes who could step in at the safety spots -- Jordan Richards and Devon Carrington both saw extended action this season. But both are still very raw and lack the experience the outgoing duo possessed.

Having that outstanding front seven should give the secondary a little cover -- at least in the first couple of games -- for the new starters to get acclimated.

I'm also curious -- and sort of excited -- to see who plays the Fleener role in the three-tight-end formations. Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo both bring different skill sets to the position, but neither has the burst of speed that Fleener brought going over the middle on those deep routes. Following the Notre Dame victory, Shaw said that he and his staff have been searching the country for a tight end who can do what Fleener can do. Not surprising, he said they haven't found anyone. I'm expecting Ertz and Toilolo to have very productive seasons -- particularly since they are the veterans of the receiving corps.

Perhaps with the ongoing development of Ty Montgomery and some of the incoming talent at wide receiver, the Cardinal won't have to rely as much on a tight end for a deep-threat option. But knowing Shaw's penchant for tight ends, you have to figure they'll continue to play a major role in the receiving game.

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."

Happy Monday. Let's take some questions (or respond to declarative statements).

Adam in Dallas, Texas, writes: DAVID SHAW WAS THE WRONG HIRE!

Kevin Gemmell: Whoa there, cowboy. First, ease up on the all caps. Second, I TOTALLY DISAGREE! Shaw was the perfect hire. First, he's a Stanford grad with deep ties to the program through his father and prior coaches. Second, he was the offensive coordinator for all of Andrew Luck's career. Did you really want to bring in a new head coach with potentially a new offensive system for Luck's final year? Third, so far, he appears to be able to recruit extremely well. Just for kicks, let's look at some of the coaches who were on the move last year or interviewed for the job. Chris Petersen was never really interested. Greg Roman or Vic Fangio? Maybe. But would either of them have done a better job this season? I can't see either one of them doing anything much differently. Brady Hoke was a non-name that turned into a big name last year, and as a former San Diego State beat writer, I heard whisperings about his name at Stanford, but know for a fact he wouldn't have taken the job. The point is, you say he's the wrong guy, but who would have been the right guy? This year was all about getting the most out of Luck and getting back to a BCS bowl game. Shaw did that. Five years from now if the Cardinal are coming off back-to-back 2-10 seasons, you can serve me up some crow with Tabasco and I'll dive right in without a bib. But don't throw out an all-caps message after an 11-2 season that also notched Shaw the Pac-12 Coach of the Year without suggesting another name.

---

Brian in Palo Alto writes: Kevin, what do you see as the biggest off-season needs for the Cardinal?

Kevin Gemmell: I would say that just as important as hammering out the quarterback issue, Stanford needs to really improve on tackling in the secondary. I haven't been shy about touting the futures of Devon Carrington and Jordan Richards. But they are really going to have to step it up next season because there is no Delano Howell coming back from injury and no Michael Thomas to rally the troops and hold the secondary together. Wayne Lyons should be back from injury, which will help soften the blow of losing Johnson Bademosi and Corey Gatewood. With Chase Thomas announcing over the weekend that he's coming back, the front seven should be outstanding again. But behind the front seven, the Cardinal are going to need to do a better job putting hats on receivers.

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Taylor in Portland, Ore. writes: What can we expect out of Barry Sanders in his first year?

Kevin Gemmell: First off, wait until it's official. From what I understand, he has to clear admissions first and then officially go through the signing day pomp and circumstance. Once that happens, I wouldn't expect a 1,500-yard season just yet. Stepfan Taylor will continue to be the primary back, though I wouldn't be shocked to see Sanders get a decent amount of carries. Taylor, Tyler Gaffney, Anthony Wilkerson and Jeremy Stewart all saw playing time as true freshmen. He has a lot to learn about this system -- specifically reading gaps and pass protection, something that is going to be paramount next season with a new starting quarterback and new left tackle. If he shows in practice he can handle it, we should see him get some carries next season.

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."

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

SECONDARY

Grade: C+

Summary: This was the toughest of all the grades to assign – and therefore deserves the most analysis and scrutiny.

On the surface, when you look at just receiving yards against, the Cardinal secondary was not very good. In passing defense, the Cardinal ranked 78th nationally, allowing 241 yards per game in the air. If that’s your only criteria for grading, then a "D" is justified.

Maybe you look at the interception total – just six. Only 10 teams out of 120 had fewer interceptions than the Cardinal. If that’s your main criteria, than a "D-, F" is justified.

But you have to look deeper. I don’t put much stock in the total receiving yards stat. I think it’s one of the most overblown numbers because it doesn’t take into account the flow of the game – or the fact that most teams were playing catch-up against Stanford and were more likely to throw the ball.

So let’s really break it down. Teams passed for an average of 48.8 yards in the first quarter, 83 yards in the second quarter, 41.9 in the third and 63.3 in the fourth. Most teams fell behind early in the first quarter, so they went airborne in the second quarter. They tried to re-establish the running game in the third, then went back to the air in the fourth – so it stands to reason that the Cardinal gave up the bulk of the yards in the air in the second and fourth quarters.

Stanford faced six of the top 20 statistical wide receivers in the country this season: Robert Woods (USC), Michael Floyd (Notre Dame), Keenan Allen (Cal), Marquess Wilson (Washington State), Juron Criner (Arizona) and Noel Grigsby (San Jose State). Five of those six performed below their season average against Stanford. Only Floyd matched (but did not exceed) his season average. Wilson and Grigsby were kept out of the end zone and Woods, Floyd, Allen and Criner were held to one touchdown each.

The Cardinal did not allow an individual 100-yard receiving game this year, and they had one of the best third-down conversion defenses in the country – traditionally a passing down.

Of the 15 passing touchdowns they yielded (that’s top 30 nationally, by the way), only eight went to wide receivers. The remaining seven went to tight ends (5) and running backs (2) which can fall on either the safeties or the linebackers.

A good friend and colleague suggested looking at the total quarterback numbers as a way to gauge the secondary: 249-of-409 (60 percent completion percentage), 2893 yards, 15 touchdowns, six interceptions. If your quarterback put up those numbers, you’d consider that sub-par production.

That’s a lot of information to digest. So what do we make of all of this?

Essentially, they bent, but didn’t break. The tackling in the secondary was suspect all year – and it got worse when safety Delano Howell missed some time with a hand injury. It was clear Stanford was a better secondary when he’s healthy.

Safety Michael Thomas was the glue that held the secondary together. He accounted for half of the team’s interceptions and provided stability and leadership.

Johnson Bademosi is a very good athlete and the best tackler of the cornerbacks. He also led the team with seven pass breakups. But he was flagged quite a bit for pass interference. Corey Gatewood and Terrence Brown rounded out the rotation at cornerback by the end of the season. Gatewood, who moved over from wide receiver, added some much needed depth and athleticism.

In summation, the secondary didn’t win any beauty contests or show much flash or panache. But, for the most part, the defensive backs made the plays when it counted most – in the red zone, on third down and against the toughest wide receivers in the country. They get knocked for the missed tackles and lack of turnovers. But when you really break down their performance, it’s better than most people probably give them credit for.

Backups: Devon Carrington and Jordan Richards both have very bright futures at the safety position. But it was clear they were a downgrade from Howell. That’s not a knock on them, but rather a compliment to how good Howell is. The playing experience they had (Richards appeared in all 12, Carrington in 11) will pay off immensely when they move into more prominent roles next season. The return of Wayne Lyons from a foot injury will also help with depth next season.

Predicting the Big Game, yikes. Looking at the historical wackiness this game has provided through the years, it's pretty clear this contest hasn't always gone as scripted. And what to make of Cal? Pretty inconsistent. They've looked really good at times and really sloppy others. So it's hard to make predictions when you don't know which team is going to show up. But I have a feeling I know which Stanford team shows up. And that's why the Cardinal will get back on track this week.

Prediction: Stanford 35, Cal 17

Overall: 9-1

Why they'll win: The pressure is off -- at least the national pressure. Cal-Stanford might be massive news in the Bay Area, but east of Las Vegas, this game doesn't have the same hype that last week's Stanford-Oregon game did. The Cardinal will get back to basics -- power running, pro-style passing trees and effective use of the play-action. When the Cardinal do what they do best, there are few teams in the country that can stop them. With some lofty goals that still can be accomplished, the Cardinal aren't going to let this one slip away. Plus Andrew Luck has only dropped consecutive games once in his career and that was two seasons ago when he was a first-year starter. Can't see him dropping his final Big Game -- at home, no less -- on Saturday.

In the spotlight: Stanford safety Delano Howell is expected to return. He missed three games leading up to Oregon, and then missed the final two and a half quarters after re-injuring his hand after forcing a fumble. He's the best tackler in the secondary -- maybe the on the whole team -- and his presence will be needed with the talented Cal receiving duo of Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones running routes. Howell is a difference-maker.

Out on a limb: One of the pups will step up -- be it Ty Montgomery, Devon Carrington, A.J. Tarpley or Jordan Richards. One of the younger players will do something that is a game-changer. Could be an interception in the secondary or a drive-killing sack by Tarpley. Montgomery might have a touchdown catch of 50-plus yards. One of Stanford's young guns will impact the outcome of this game. As always, that's just me going out on a limb...

This is not how Jarek Lancaster wanted to get more playing time. Or A.J. Tarpley, or Devon Carrington or Jordan Richards. But hey, that's football. Next man up.

These four pups in particular have had to grow up on the job sooner than they, or the coaching staff, probably wanted or expected.

So be it.

With a season-ending injury to linebacker Shayne Skov, Lancaster and Tarpley went from being backups and regular special teams contributors to spotlight players on one of the best run defenses in the country. With safety Delano Howell expected to miss his second straight game with a hand injury, Carrington and Richards are center stage once again.

"We've all been preparing for this opportunity," Carrington said. "It's unfortunate that it has come the way it has, but we're ready to step in and take the coaching. Guys like Shayne and Delano are in our ears and telling us to play better. It was a little overwhelming at first, but we're all trying to get better and make the most of the opportunity."

Before the season even started, head coach David Shaw was touting the depth his team had. Now we're seeing firsthand exactly what he was talking about.

Richards, for example, had eight tackles all season heading into last week's game against Washington. He had nine stops against the Huskies. Lancaster is now tied for the team lead in tackles with 33 and Tarpley isn't too far behind with 24.

To say the Cardinal haven't missed a beat would be misleading. They have. And it makes you wonder on some of Chris Polk's big runs last week for Washington whether Skov would have made the play at the line of scrimmage, or Howell would have made the stop at the second level.

But it's not worth asking those questions. All they are focused on is getting better and moving forward.

"I don't think I played very well in the first half last week," said Richards, a true freshman. "I had some missed alignments and some missed tackles and I was playing too fast. But things slowed down in the second half and I got back to playing within the system and just playing football."

And that's why veterans are veterans and rookies are rookies. It all comes down to game experience.

"As many times as you can practice something and for as many times as the coaches will say it's going to be faster, you can't get that full effect until you get in there," Tarpley said. "Mentally, I think I was ready, but with the speed and physicality, there is nothing that can simulate a game. But I would say over the course of the season I've gotten better."

Given the circumstances that thrust those four into the game, Shaw said he's been relatively pleased with the results.

"The big thing is we trust them," Shaw said. "We let them know that we trust them. And we tell them just to do their jobs. They don't have to make every play. But they have to make the plays that they are supposed to make, and those guys have been doing a good job of that."

As with any young player, there are going to be mistakes. Carrington saw time in seven games last season, but it was very limited. He's one of the brightest up-and-coming safeties in the conference, but he still has some bad habits he's trying to shake -- like going for the big hit rather than wrapping up.

"It's something I have to work on," Carrington said. "You can't miss tackles or have tackling issues. That's the No. 1 thing of the job. I've been working hard and spending extra time on it. I'll have it cleaned up. I know it's something I need to correct to help this team out."

The veteran leadership has also been critical for helping the younger players learn on the fly.

"If you are in practice and you mess it up, they will make sure you get it right the next play," Lancaster said. "They don't let anything slide. We lean on those guys a ton. We put a lot of responsibility on their shoulders and as a younger guy you want to show that you belong and take some of that pressure off of them so they can trust you. That's where we are at right now with everyone trusting each other."

Stanford safety Delano Howell will likely miss his second straight game with a hand injury, head coach David Shaw said.

"He probably needs one more week," Shaw said. "We're going to be overly cautious with Delano just to make sure we don't cause any more damage."

The No. 6 Cardinal travel south to face USC on Saturday -- the first of back-to-back road games before closing out the regular season with three straight games at home.

Howell was a late week scratch last week against Washington. In his place, sophomore Devon Carrington and true freshman Jordan Richards got the bulk of the snaps alongside Michael Thomas in the secondary. Richards finished the game with nine tackles -- three solo, and Carrington logged two tackles.

Shaw said Howell would be kept out of practice at least on Tuesday -- possibly more this week.

"It's most likely he's not going to play," Shaw said. "If it changes, I will tell you. But I wouldn't count on him playing right now."

Thomas said the young duo learned a lot from their first real extended playing time this season and added that if Howell can't go, Carrington and Richards will continue to step up.

"This will be the second week for them and even from practice (Monday), we're starting to communicate better," Thomas said. "That's going to be the key to this game. (USC) has a lot of different looks and motions so communicating will be the key."

A few questions bouncing around my brain heading into Saturday's game against USC.

• Was the run defense exposed against Washington? A little of yes, a little of no. It was more missed tackles, something that has been a common theme this season. But it was also Chris Polk -- a really good running back who is hard to take down. Schematically, I didn't see anything wrong with the way Stanford was attacking the run. Early in the game, the Cardinal were expecting more passing with safety Delano Howell out of the game so they called more blitzes. Polk was able to run right past them and win some of the one-on-one matchups against the safeties. Adjustments were made and the problem was corrected in the second half.
• Speaking of Howell, what is the status of the secondary? In the first depth chart for this game, Howell is not listed at strong safety. I think we all know that Monday night depth charts don't mean much. Head coach David Shaw said after the Washington game Saturday night that if they absolutely needed Howell, he would probably be able to go, but they don't want to risk further injury to his hand. If he's out, look for Devon Carrington and Jordan Richards to once again fill in with Michael Thomas getting more time at the strong safety spot. Speaking of the secondary...
• ...Who gets to cover Robert Woods? Stanford's cornerbacks have only allowed one wide receiver into the end zone this season -- Arizona's Juron Criner -- who scored the lone touchdown for the Wildcats in mid September. The sophomore is coming off a 12-catch, 119-yard performance with two touchdowns against Notre Dame. Against Arizona, Johnson Bademosi had the bulk of the coverage on Criner. Don't be surprised to see an extra safety -- at least early on -- shading toward Woods, who has double-digit receptions in three of seven games this season.
• What sort of role will Andrew Luck play this weekend? Just like last week, when so much of the focus was on Luck vs. Keith Price, this week is likely to garner similar hype with Matt Barkley. Luck's responsibilities have grown tremendously since the start of the season with the implementation of Stanford's no-huddle package. Though with a stable of running backs and reliable tight ends, he hasn't really needed to carry the team on his shoulders. His reads and check downs have been right on since his play calling ramped up against UCLA.
• Can Jordan Williamson maintain his accuracy? Random kicker question, I know, but apropos considering how last year's USC game ended -- with a 30-yard Nate Whitaker field goal as time expired. Williamson has been sniper-like this season, converting 11-of-12 field goals. His only miss came on a 47-yard attempt against Colorado and four kicks have come from 35 yards or more. His predecessor set the school mark for accuracy last season, converting 17-of-19 attempts for an .895 percentage. Williamson is at .916 through seven games.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Washington punched. And punched again. And then safety Michael Thomas got tired of getting hit and decided to punch back.

Stanford had entered Saturday night’s game against Washington allowing an average of 9.7 rushing yards in the first quarter and just 6 yards rushing in the second quarter. Washington rushed for 41 in the first and 99 in the second.

If there was one major flaw in Stanford’s otherwise near-flawless 65-21 victory, it was tackling – specifically in the first half where the Cardinal failed to make stops on two critical third downs that eventually led to Chris Polk running for touchdowns of 46 and 61 yards.

“We got our, it wasn’t really a pep talk, but we got our talk from (defensive coordinator Derek) Mason,” Thomas explained. “He let us know real quick, you can’t play like that. We didn’t really make adjustments (at halftime). He said that if we continued to play like this, the offense is going to have to win this game for us. Everybody got the message and started doing their job better.”

In the second half, those numbers changed – a lot. Stanford limited Washington to just 32 yards on the ground – including minus-8 yards rushing in the third quarter.

“We gave up some big plays in the first half – we missed some tackles,” said head coach David Shaw. “We had some young DBs miss some tackles.”

Those young DBs, namely Devon Carrington and Jordan Richards, were seeing extended playing time in the absence of regular starter Delano Howell, who missed the game with a hand injury. Thomas switched from free safety to strong safety Saturday night and was fantastic quarterbacking the defense.

“I can’t say enough about Michael Thomas and his leadership,” said Shaw. “… I feel very good about having Mike T back there lining those guys up.”

Carrington and Richards settled to have pretty solid games. Richards tallied nine tackles and Carrington added a pair.

And Polk? After totaling 143 rushing yards in the first half. He finished with 144 for the game. You do the math.

“You can’t replace somebody like Delano Howell and the physicality he brings to the game,” Thomas said. “We knew some guys were playing in different roles and new roles would have to step up and make those physical plays. Delano Howell has saved us a lot of times. He’s definitely missed, but someone has to step up.”

That person was Thomas, who nabbed his second interception of the season and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown late in the first half. Stanford had a comfortable 31-14 advantage at the time, but 38-14 headed into the locker room was a lot better.

In the second half, they cleaned up their tackling – more to the point – they gang-tackled better. Rather than trying to make shoulder tackles, the safeties started wrapping up, which slowed Washington’s players down enough that others could join in.

“Missed tackles, that’s something we can’t do,” Thomas said. “That’s not how we play. That was one of the things Coach Mason talked about and made it clear it can’t happen like that. We tried to do a better job in the second half. We know with these games coming up down the road that it can’t happen. Guys have to run beyond contact.”

Andrew Luck is on pace to have his best season as Stanford's quarterback. At this rate, he'll pass last year's numbers in passing touchdowns with fewer interceptions and a higher completion percentage. He'll finish ahead in almost every category -- except one.

Rushing.

After rushing for 453 yards and three touchdowns last year, Luck has stayed home most of this season, logging just 60 yards through the first six games. His lone rushing touchdown was Stanford's first touchdown of the season against San Jose State. Outside of that, we haven't seen much.

Part of that is head coach David Shaw protecting Luck. He said the quarterback has the green light to scramble as needed, but they aren't calling as many designed runs.

Luck had a different explanation.

"I think we have eight running backs that can run a lot better than me," he said.

Shaw said there are designed runs in the playbook, but there hasn't really been a need to call on them.

Worth noting this week, Luck had a career rushing game against Washington last season, carrying five times for 92 yards -- including a 51-yard run for the game's first score.

Safety update

With safety Delano Howell out for Saturday's game, starting responsibility falls to either sophomore Devon Carrington or true freshman Jordan Richards. Both are listed as a "one or the other" on the game's depth chart. Both have playing time, but it's probable that Carrington gets the majority of snaps. He's logged 19 tackles on the year with one pass breakup and two fumble recoveries. Richards, has eight tackles with one pass breakup.

One tall tree

At 6-foot-8, tight end Levine Toilolo has the distinction of being the tallest player on the Cardinal roster. He showed it last week, stretching to reach the pylon on his second touchdown in Stanford's 44-14 win over Washington State.

"We were joking that he could have gotten tackled at the 7 and still scored," said fellow tight end Zach Ertz. "He's an unbelievable athlete. Some of the things he can do are pretty remarkable. But it really wasn't out of the ordinary for him."

Perhaps there's a new Wildcat formation in the works with Toilolo under center.

"We can try it on a QB sneak," Toilolo joked. "I can just fall over ... we might have to test it out in practice to see how far I can score from just falling down."

Brimming with confidence

Shaw said he's not too concerned what will happen if Stanford finds itself in a tight game -- either Saturday or in the weeks to come.

"We've been in tight games early and I've seen our teams resolve and I've seen those guys fight back and seen those guys correct mistakes and re-focus," Shaw said. "I've seen my coaches adjust ... we've gone through a lot of those mental gymnastics so when what happens in the second quarter has to happen in the fourth quarter I feel confident we'll make those adjustments."

Heisman questions

Shaw said that at times he's thought about calling a play in the red zone that might pad Luck's stats. The quarterback is in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy after finishing second last year. But then his head coaching judgment kicks in and he realizes it's more important to score.

"I would be lying if I said it's never crossed my mind," Shaw said. "But at the same time, the play-calling trio of myself, Pep Hamilton and Mike Bloomgren, we do a good job of balancing each other out. And we purely pick the plays based on what the defense is giving us.

"... After we run the ball in for a touchdown, there is no happier guy on the field than Andrew Luck. Our players know that. They recognize that. That's him. It's honesty. He's truly excited for other guys to be successful, which makes him the leader that he is."