PALO ALTO, Calif. — Stanford is determined to bounce back in a big way after a season of disappointment. The Cardinal is expected to be much better offensively and could challenge Oregon for the Pac-12 North Division crown.
Stanford finished 8-5 in 2014, finishing second in the North Division and failing to win 11 games for the first time under coach David Shaw. The Cardinal went 1-5 against ranked opponents but won its last three games, including a 31-10 victory over No. 8 UCLA and a 45-21 victory over Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl.
“We ended the season strong last year,” offensive tackle Kyle Murphy said. “It’s really a mindset now of picking up where we left off.”
Stanford’s fate will rely largely on the play of senior quarterback Kevin Hogan, who is entering his third year as a starter. Hogan struggled through much of the 2014 season as Stanford struggled to find an answer at the running back position, but he responded well after coaches made adjustments to the offense in the final weeks of the season.
Hogan completed just 66 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions as Stanford lost five of its first nine games. He completed 76.3 percent with four touchdowns and one interception in the last three games. Shaw likes what he saw from Hogan during the spring and believes his quarterback is poised for a big senior season.
“He had his best spring,” Shaw told ESPN. “He’s a better leader. He’s older now. I love it.”
Sophomore running back Christian McCaffrey figures to be the team’s primary ball carrier. Remound Wright and Barry Sanders will get their share of carries, but McCaffrey came on strong at the end of his freshman campaign. After rushing for 83 yards on 13 carries in limited duty over the first nine games, he ran for 217 yards on 29 carries over the last four games.
Stanford’s offense took a hit on the final day of training camp when Shaw announced that junior wide receiver Michael Rector has been suspended indefinitely for disciplinary reasons. Rector, a potential starter, had 24 receptions for 324 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Stanford’s defense was its strength in 2014. The Cardinal led the Pac-12 in total defense, holding opponents to 282.4 yards per game. Utah was second at 393.5 yards per game, yielding more than 100 more yards per contest.
The Cardinal should be strong at linebacker again this season. Middle backer Blake Martinez returns after leading the team with 102 tackles last season, and outside backers Kevin Anderson and Peter Kalambayi are fierce pass rushers who combined for 12 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss.
There are questions up front and in the secondary. Stanford lacks experience and depth along the defensive line, but Shaw said he’s “feeling good” about his personnel in that area. The Cardinal might have bigger issues in the defensive backfield after losing safeties Jordan Richards and Zach Hoffpauir and cornerbacks Alex Carter and Wayne Lyons.
NOTES, QUOTES
SPOTLIGHT ON SEPTEMBER: Stanford will play three of its first four games on the road. The Cardinal will open the season at Northwestern on Sept. 5, marking the first time the teams have met since they played to a 41-41 draw in 1994. The Cardinal will then play its home opener Sept. 12 against Central Florida, which went 9-4 last season and ranked ninth in the nation in scoring defense at 19.2 points per game. Stanford will open Pac-12 play on the road against USC on Sept. 19 and will visit Oregon State on Sept. 25. The Cardinal suffered a 13-10 loss to USC in last year’s Pac-12 opener and later beat Oregon State 38-14.
KEYS TO SUCCESS: Stanford’s success may hinge on the play of senior QB Kevin Hogan and the offensive line. The Cardinal must develop a more consistent and productive running game to alleviate the pressure on Hogan and the passing game. Coaches have confidence in their fleet of running backs, but ball carriers need the big boys up front to clear the way. Stanford must find a replacement for All-American left tackle Andrus Peat, a first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints, but four other starters return. The Cardinal also welcomes back a stable of talented tight ends, including Austin Hooper, Eric Cotton and Greg Taboada.
AREAS OF CONCERN: Defense has been a formidable strength at Stanford in recent years, but there are legitimate questions following the departures of several standouts, including four of the team’s top six tacklers. In the secondary, the Cardinal lost SS Jordan Richards and FS Zach Hoffpauir and CBs Alex Carter and Wayne Lyons. Up front, Stanford lost DEs Henry Anderson and Blake Leuders, DT David Parry and OLB James Vaughters. That’s a ton of talent extracted from a unit that led the Pac-12 and ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 16 points per game.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Having Kevin Hogan come back for a fifth year I think was great. I think the way he ended last year, he’s playing as well as anybody in the country. Very excited about him coming back as a senior again as a captain. Really, I think we got a glimpse of how good he can become. I think he’s still one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the nation.” — Stanford coach David Shaw, to Foxsports.com.