Stanford's BCS Bowl Will Erase All of Its Unlucky Injuries

Stanford capped its 11-1 regular season last Saturday with a 28-14 victory over an outmanned Notre Dame team, as Heisman Trophy candidate Andrew Luck enjoyed another day at the office, tossing four touchdown passes.

Pac-12 Coach of the Year David Shaw’s team is currently fourth in the BCS standings, and may be rewarded for their stellar season with a BCS bowl berth, to be announced on Sunday. 

But—what if Stanford were somehow to drop out of the BCS Top Four and, against all odds, lose a BCS bowl slot to a late-charging two-loss team like Michigan? 

Falling into the Alamo Bowl would give the famous phrase, “Remember the Alamo,” new and unwelcome meaning in Palo Alto. Cardinal fans could then spend all winter ruminating over the team’s only loss all season, to the 10-2 Oregon Ducks.

That defeat cost Stanford a shot at the NCG, and maybe more. 

While the Cardinal enjoyed its great (Andrew) Luck, it suffered a series of unlucky injuries, as many as any top FBS team incurred this season. Read on for the parade of injuries to key players that Stanford managed to overcome in every November game but one.

Shayne Skov

Stanford’s dynamic LB, top tackler and defensive leader Shayne Skov suffered a season-ending ACL injury at Arizona in mid-September.

While his replacements performed admirably, there is only one Shayne Skov. He was the Clay Matthews, the Brian Urlacher, the Ray Lewis of the Cardinal defense. 

Skov had 50 solo tackles during the 2010 regular season and then punished Va. Tech in the 2011 Orange Bowl, with 12 tackles and three sacks. He is a proverbial heat-seeking missile with terrific blitzing instincts.

He plays special teams as well, often blowing up the wedge or making the tackle with audible ferocity. 

Skov surely would’ve made a difference against Oregon.

Zach Ertz

At full strength, Stanford’s offense features up to three TEs, something few, if any, other FBS teams can muster. That formation helps power the rushing attack and opens up play-action passing by Andrew Luck.

While senior Coby Fleener is lauded as a surefire NFL prospect and redshirt freshman Levine Toilolo draws attention for his matchup nightmare size (6’8”), Zach Ertz is perhaps the most reliable receiver and one of Andrew Luck’s favorite targets, especially in the red zone. Ertz has averaged a touchdown nearly once in every five catches. 

Alas, Ertz injured his knee on the opening kickoff at USC on October 29, left that game and did not play against Oregon two weeks later. His absence shelved the three-TE formations that Coach David Shaw’s offense ran so often and so well in September and October. 

Without Ertz, Stanford was effectively missing a large part of its playbook against Oregon.

Chris Owusu

Chris Owusu is the home-run hitter in the Stanford WR corps. Midway through the 2011 season, he had almost 100 career receptions and 10 touchdowns. A 10.6 sprinter in high school, he also had three career kick returns for touchdowns.

Fast forward to the two weeks immediately preceding the Oregon game. On October 29, Owusu was knocked out by a brutal late hit by USC’s T.J. McDonald.  A week later against Oregon State in Corvallis, Owusu suffered another concussion on a hit by Beavers DB Jordan Poyer. 

Like Skov and Ertz, Owusu watched the Oregon game from the sidelines. Without Owusu, Stanford and Andrew Luck lacked a legitimate deep threat to stretch the Duck defense.

Injured DBs

Only one of Stanford’s season-starting DBs—senior Michael Thomas—made it through the season unscathed.

In 2010, All-Conference S Delano Howell had 60 tackles, five interceptions, 10 passes defended, two fumble recoveries and a sack. This fall, Howell was forced to miss three games with a hand injury. He played with a cast that during the Oregon game, surely limited his disruptive style of play and tackling ability. 

The injury-ravaged secondary was forced to play against Cal and then against Notre Dame with fifth-year senior Corey Gatewood, in a featured role at CB, covering the likes of Cal’s Keenan Allen and the Irish’s Michael Floyd.

Gatewood had until November been listed on the depth chart as a reserve WR.

Jordan Williamson

Sophomore PK Jordan Williamson injured his leg during pregame warm-ups at USC and, like Skov, Ertz and Owusu, missed the Oregon game.

Prior to his injury, he had eight touchbacks on kickoffs and regularly boomed other kickoffs deep into the end zone. Williamson also had connected with ease on 11 of 12 field goal attempts. 

His replacement, Eric Whitaker, missed a crucial FG attempt against Oregon, and Stanford’s shorter kickoffs allowed the Ducks to begin drives at their 30 yard line or better four times. It's hard enough stopping the Oregon offense without giving them a shorter field as well.

Now, how much of a collective difference would all of these missing Cardinal players have made against Oregon? 

We’ll never know. And if Stanford scores a BCS berth on Sunday, it won’t matter all that much.