Stanford football capped its 2014 season in style, blasting Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl 45-21. The final score does not reflect the complete one-sidedness of the contest, as the Card led by 35 when they began to pull their starters from the game. Here is the breakdown of Stanford’s dominating performance:
3: Number of rushing touchdowns scored by senior running back Remound Wright
Wright had another outstanding game for the Card, and the senior’s growth has coincided with Stanford’s surge at the end of the season. Wright tied a Foster Farms Bowl record for rushing touchdowns, with all three of his scores coming in the first half of the contest. With a 6.1 yards-per-carry average, Wright certainly made the most of his eight carries.
70.0: Completion percentage for senior quarterback Kevin Hogan
Hogan also had a memorable game for the Cardinal, following up on his historic performance against UCLA in the regular-season finale. Hogan dissected the Terrapins’ defense with tremendous efficiency, as he hit 10 different receivers en route to a great 9.5 yards-per-attempt average. Aside from a misplaced handoff that led to a turnover, Hogan was terrific, earning offensive MVP honors in the process.
138: All-purpose yards for freshman running back Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey has also had a marked effect in helping to spur the Cardinal’s three-game winning streak to end the 2014 season. With senior wide receiver Ty Montgomery out with a shoulder injury, McCaffrey was the go-to playmaker in the rout of the Terrapins. The freshman from Colorado continued to show the tremendous speed, physicality and poise that left ESPN color commentator Greg McElroy amazed and Cardinal fans excited for 2015. Make no mistake: McCaffrey is emerging as a star for the Card.
6: Number of sacks of Terrapins sixth-year senior quarterback C.J. Brown
After a shaky first couple of drives for the Stanford defense in which Maryland was able to move the ball fairly well, the Cardinal defense locked down and stifled the Terps the rest of way. Brown was formally introduced to the Card’s “party in the backfield” mantra, and was under pressure all night. Fifth-year senior safety Kyle Olugbode was the beneficiary of the pressure on the Maryland quarterback, snagging a third-quarter interception to round out the defensive performance. Senior James Vaughters, in his final contest on the Farm, earned defensive MVP honors for his two sacks and one forced fumble.
Contact David Cohn at dmcohn ‘at’ stanford.edu.