Stanford vs. Maryland: Game Grades, Analysis for Cardinal, Terrapins

In an act of total domination, the Stanford Cardinal took it to the Maryland Terrapins by a score of 45-21 in the 2014 Foster Farms Bowl.

Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan had an efficient and effective evening, as he threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 50 yards and a score in three quarters of play. Running back Remound Wright had three rushing touchdowns, and wide receiver Devon Cajuste pitched in with two touchdown receptions of his own. 

It was a very tough night for Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown and the offense. Brown was never able to get into any semblance of a rhythm thanks in large part to the efforts of Stanford's front seven. Brown was sacked six times on the night, and the Maryland team as a whole ran for only 17 yards on 27 carries. 

This piece will look at game grades for both teams, as well as analysis for each positional unit. A full box score can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com. 

Position Units	First-Half Grades	Final Grades
Passing Offense	A	A
Pass Defense	B	B
Rushing Offense	B	A
Run Defense	A	A+
Special Teams	A	D
Coaching	A	A

Stanford Cardinal Game Analysis

Passing Offense

Hogan got off to a hot start, beginning 8-of-9 for 89 yards. He was accurate on throws to all parts of the field. In three quarters of play, Hogan finished an efficient 14-of-20 for 189 yards and two touchdowns. 

In particular, Hogan targeted his tight ends between the hashes down the field. Austin Hooper and Greg Taboada exploited soft spots in Maryland's zone defense for big gains. Hogan also found Cajuste for two scores on slants.

Even without Ty Montgomery, the unit performed very well. 

Pass Defense

Early in the contest, the secondary had some problems with Stefon Diggs. The Maryland receiver had four catches for 43 yards in the first quarter. In quarters two and three, the pressure up front from the defensive line made life very easy in regard to defending the elite receiver.

He did finish with 138 yards and 10 grabs, but most of that yardage came in garbage time versus the Stanford second- and third-string defense. 

In totality, Diggs was the only real threat. Stanford effectively shut down any other option. Outside of Diggs, Deon Long led the Terrapins with only 21 yards on two catches. It was effectively a one-man show for Maryland, and Stanford did its job of limiting the big play. 

Safety Kyle Olugbode was able to come up with his first career interception in the third quarter. 

Rushing Offense

The rushing offense wasn't overly explosive, but it was supremely effective. Stanford, in particular, opted for its power formation quite often. With a sizable advantage up front, the Cardinal were workmanlike in their dismantling of Maryland's defensive line. 

On the day, Stanford rushed for 206 yards on 45 carries for a respectable 4.6 yards-per-carry average. Wright had three touchdowns, all of which came near the goal line. Hogan, in particular, was effective in stepping up in the pocket and running forward for positive yardage. He was second on the team with 50 yards on seven carries. 

Christian McCaffrey led the team in rushing with 57 yards on seven carries. With his ability to make a big play out of virtually nothing, he should be the odds-on favorite to garner the lion's share of the carries next season. He's far too talented and explosive not to get the ball consistently going forward.

Run Defense

In a word, dominant. Stanford harassed Brown all night long with pressure from the front seven. Stanford defenders seemingly lived in the Maryland backfield and came in droves. 

Brown was sacked six times, and the unit allowed only 17 rushing yards on 27 carries. Maryland offensive linemen were literally pushed into the backfield with regularity. At times, it looked like a JV team going up against the varsity squad. 

Special Teams

This was the only failing grade in what was otherwise a nearly perfect night. Kicker Jordan Williamson missed a very makeable kick from inside of 40 yards. He has had his troubles this season, but it's a kick a college kicker should be able to convert. 

In the fourth quarter, the coverage unit allowed a 100-yard touchdown return on a kickoff. Stanford had been particularly good in this department throughout the year. 

As for the good, McCaffrey was very dynamic returning punts. He averaged over 20 yards per punt return and even hurdled the Maryland punter at one point. 

Coaching 

David Shaw did the smart thing by getting Hogan going early. He was able to convert on short, manageable throws. This helped to open up the ground game, which in turn opened up longer throws down the heart of the field to the tight ends. 

Defensively, Stanford kept things relatively simple. Due to the advantage up front, there was really no need to be exotic with pressure packages. The Cardinal played to their usual high-intensity selves and thoroughly dominated. 

This was a vintage Stanford win in every sense of the term. Shaw was pushing the right buttons and truly did not have to reinvent the proverbial wheel at all.

Position Units	First-Half Grades	Final Grades
Passing Offense	B	C+
Pass Defense	C	C
Rushing Offense	D	F
Run Defense	C	C
Special Teams	B	A
Coaching	C	C

Maryland Terrapins Game Analysis

Passing Offense

Brown really wasn't afforded the time to deliver the ball down the field. Stanford's front seven was all over him for the duration of the contest, and it disrupted not only his timing on throws, but his ability to even attempt them. 

He did finish 15-of-27 for 205 yards, but much of that production game in garbage time in the fourth quarter. To be fair, Brown was also victimized by multiple drops by his receivers. 

As mentioned above, Diggs was a stud. He was easily Maryland's best player on the night, and he will be a steal for whichever NFL franchise drafts him. 

Pass Defense

Stanford didn't exploit the Maryland secondary over the top. In fact, the longest passing play to a receiver went for only 21 yards. However, Stanford killed Maryland in the heart of the field with its tight ends. 

The size advantage enjoyed by the Cardinal receivers made it extremely tough for Maryland's secondary. At times, Stanford receivers would literally box out defensive backs on passes like a power forward on a rebound. 

While Hogan didn't put up gaudy numbers, he posed problems for Maryland's back end. 

Rushing Offense

Production was sorely limited due to the circumstances of the game. In the first quarter, the offensive line was opening up some holes. Brandon Ross, in particular, did have some success running the football. 

However, as the game progressed, Maryland virtually had to abandon the run and throw the ball frequently. As a result, Stanford's defense pinned its ears back and got after Brown. The anemic rushing totals were present in large part to the six sacks accumulated by Stanford's defense on Brown. 

In the second half, it looked as if Maryland's offensive line didn't even want to be on the field. The unit was being severely outplayed. 

Run Defense

The defensive linemen had considerable problems getting off blocks. Stanford had a size advantage up front and exploited the matchup. When the Cardinal went to their jumbo package with (at times) seven offensive linemen, Maryland had real trouble defending any sort of short-yardage play. 

Stanford ran for over 200 yards on the day and had little in the way of resistance. Maryland was also unable to get any semblance of pressure on Hogan. He threw from a mostly clean pocket, and he stepped up and ran in the few instances Maryland did bring some heat. 

Special Teams

Special teams was the one saving grace Tuesday night for Maryland. The coverage units weren't great on punts, but it didn't relinquish a punt return for a score. 

In the fourth quarter, William Likely displayed his immense speed on a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. 

Coaching 

In all honesty, there really wasn't much Randy Edsall and his staff could do. 

Within a quarter, it was clearly apparent Stanford was superior in all areas from a talent perspective. It was bigger up front, more physical across the board and had a big advantage from a depth standpoint. 

Offensively, the team could've done a better job accounting for the pressure Stanford was getting on Brown. Quick throws to the perimeter could've slowed the rush a bit. Although Diggs put up good numbers, he still should have been targeted more in the second and third quarters. 

Defensively, the smallish front seven simply was overmatched. The Terps could've dialed up more blitzes in order to rattle Hogan a bit, but this potential strategic move never came to fruition.