Stanford's 5 Key Fiesta Bowl Players

Stanford arrived in Phoenix on Monday afternoon and began practice on Tuesday in preparation for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

First-year head coach David Shaw guided the fourth-ranked Cardinal to an 11-1 record and a date with Oklahoma State on January 2.

Along the way, Coach Shaw and his staff dealt with injuries to eight starters—three on offense, four on defense and the starting placekicker.

Some of the injured players will return for the Fiesta Bowl. Along with you-know-who (hint: a certain player whose father is the AD at WVU), one of the returnees is among Stanford's five key players to watch. Read on for details.

DB Delano Howell

Delano Howell is Stanford's senior safety and the closest thing the Cardinal have to a Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed in the secondary.

Howell is the team's active leader in tackles (183) and interceptions (six). He is a ferocious hitter with excellent instincts and swift closing speed. An exceptional athlete, he led the Stanford track team in spring 2011 with a 23' 8" long jump.

However, he missed three games in the second half of the 2011 season and wore a cast on his hand for three others. He should be fully healed for the Fiesta Bowl, where he and his teammates in the secondary will reckon with Justin Blackmon, the nation's top wideout, and Brandon Weeden, one of the country's most prolific passers.

WR Ty Montgomery

Freshman WR Ty Montgomery is one of nearly a dozen Texans on the Stanford roster (yes, former coach Jim Harbaugh was a decent recruiter).

Montgomery will replace the injured senior Chris Owusu as a starting wideout.

Montgomery started the last three regular-season games after Owusu was sidelined by a series of concussions. In his last five games, Montgomery caught 15 passes for over 200 yards and a touchdown.

A former high school lacrosse and baseball player, Montgomery also returned a kickoff for a touchdown this year.

Coach Shaw and QB Andrew Luck will need Montgomery's field-stretching abilities against the fast and quick Cowboys defensive backs.

LB Chase Thomas

When LB Shayne Skov went down with an ACL injury in September at Arizona, the defensive leadership and playmaking fell on senior LB Chase Thomas.

Thomas, one of seven Stanford players from Georgia (yes, former coach Jim Harbaugh was a decent recruiter), answered the bell, leading the team with 8.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss.

Thomas also forced five fumbles. He is a dynamic and athletic pass-rusher who has been named first-team All-American by The Sporting News.

He and his defensive teammates will face perhaps their toughest test yet in the Cowboys' explosive running attack featuring Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith, and the passing of Brandon Weeden.

CB Corey Gatewood

Fifth-year senior CB Corey Gatewood may find himself in 1-on-1 coverage with the Cowboys' all-world WR Justin Blackmon. 

To Gatewood, that will be just another challenge to overcome. He's played running back, wide receiver and defensive back in his Stanford career, and he rose to the occasion in November when a series of injuries decimated the Cardinal secondary.

Gatewood, who was then listed as a reserve wideout, stepped into a starting cornerback role. He helped hold both Cal's Keenan Allen and Notre Dame's Michael Floyd in check and made several key tackles in both games, and had an interception against the Irish.

A 10.6 sprinter in high school for the 100m dash and a 22-foot long jumper as well, the multitalented Gatewood speaks Chinese, and according to the Stanford athletics department, is planning on med school after his playing days are over.

But first, he has a Fiesta Bowl date with an Oklahoma State wideout named Justin Blackmon.

QB Andrew Luck

What more can be said about Stanford QB Andrew Luck?  He's one of the greatest college quarterbacks ever and a two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up who should hear his name called first by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at next April's 2012 draft.

Before then, Luck has one more football game to play for Stanford. He lit up Va. Tech in the 2011 Orange Bowl with four touchdown passes and over 10.2 yards per attempt in one of his best games ever.

Luck not only is one of the best passers in the college game, but he can also run, catch and tackle.

Expect big things from Luck at the Fiesta Bowl. He's a fierce competitor who may well want to show some Heisman voters the error of their ways.