Rose Bowl 2016: Game Grades, Analysis for Stanford vs. Iowa

From the first play of the game, there was no doubt. The Stanford Cardinal routed the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Rose Bowl, 45-16, spurned by running back and Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey's 75-yard touchdown catch on the first play from scrimmage. 

McCaffrey finished with 368 all-purpose yards, while Iowa mustered just 285 total yard of offense. 

With that, let's check out the game grades for both squads. 

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Stanford Cardinal

Rush Offense: A

As a team, the Cardinal tallied 206 yards on 34 carries against a stout Iowa defense. McCaffrey paced the team with 172 yards, while quarterback Kevin Hogan scored the team's only rushing touchdown of the afternoon. Stanford clicked on all cylinders in the Rose Bowl but ultimately set the tone on the ground. 

Pass Offense: A-

Overshadowed by a gaudy day from McCaffrey, Hogan quietly threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns on 12-of-21 passing. His only pick came on a deflected ball in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand. This was Hogan's last game at Stanford and arguably one of his best. McCaffrey led the Cardinal with 105 receiving yards, while wideout Michael Rector hauled in two touchdown grabs. 

Rush Defense: A+

Iowa is a rushing team at its core, but the Cardinal completely stifled the Hawkeye's ability to pound the ball. Iowa was limited to just 46 yards on 37 carries, barely better than a yard-per-carry average, and that was a quiet yet sizable difference. 

Pass Defense: A-

While the Hawkeyes did finish with 239 yards through the air, a first-quarter pick-six by Stanford along with a slew of sacks on third or fourth downs defined how Stanford defended the pass. Most of Stanford's sacks were essentially coverage sacks, and Iowa gunslinger CJ Beathard looked rattled all night. 

Special Teams: A+

McCaffrey returned a punt for a touchdown, and the Cardinal didn't miss any kicks. It was a solid day for the special teams unit. 

Coaching: A+

Head coach David Shaw is unquestionably one of the best coaches in college football, and it showed in a tour-de-force outing on Friday evening in Pasadena. The Cardinal outplayed Iowa in every facet of the game, indicative of a near-perfect game plan. 

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Rush Offense: F

Averaging 192 yards on the ground per game coming into the Rose Bowl, Iowa was limited to just 46 yards on 37 carries. That number admittedly included minus-35 yards from Beathard on mostly sacks. But nonetheless, Iowa was limited to virtually nothing on its primary form of attack. 

Pass Offense: C

Beathard did finish with 239 yards and two touchdowns through the air, but his pick-six in the first quarter sucked the life out of Iowa. He also seemed willing to take sacks on every third- or fourth-down passing situation. Stanford's defense was impeccable, but Beathard did Iowa few favors. 

Rush Defense: D-

Stanford set the tone of the game on the ground, as the front lines of Iowa looked lost trying to keep track of McCaffrey. In the end, Stanford rushed for 206 yards on three fewer carries than Iowa had on the day. 

Pass Defense: D

Hogan tore apart the Iowa secondary throughout the game, despite attempting just 21 passes. Iowa still allowed 223 yards and three touchdowns through the air, with both McCaffrey and Rector having over 70 yards receiving. Not exactly a ticker-tape day for a secondary. 

Special Teams: D

Iowa missed an extra point in the second half and gave up the punt-return touchdown to McCaffrey. Why even kick it to him? Special teams, along with basically everything, didn't go right for the Hawkeyes. 

Coaching: C-

Head coach Kirk Ferentz still accomplished perhaps the best coaching season this year. But his Rose Bowl outing was forgettable, as Shaw completely outworked Ferentz. There's something to be said that Iowa actually won the second half, 16-10, but it was all an exercise in futility. Nonetheless, Ferentz was on the hot seat to start this season and is now among the coaching elites.