[stupac2]

[quote author=FarmBoy link=topic=14322.msg151875#msg151875 date=1452274147]
How much of a boost did Gerhart, Luck and McCaff get by playing UND during Thanksgiving weekend?

Gerhart got a big boost from his h.uge Thanksgiving weekend game against NotreDame in 2009 (205 rushing yards, 33 receiving yards, 3 TDs, a TD pass). That game definitely helped his Heis.man campaign.

Luck probably didn't get much of a boost, if any, from the 2011 NotreDame game. Although he threw 4 TD passes, Luck had a good but not spectacular game (20-30, 233 yards, 4 TDs, 1 int, in a 28-14 win). He needed more if he was going to win the Heis.man.

McCaffrey probably was hurt by this year's NotreDame game. He was solid but not great as ND sold out to stop him (27 carries for 94 yards, 19 receiving yards, 228 all purpose yards). I remember walking out of the stadium thinking it was a great win for Stanford, but McCaffrey had lost the Heis.man.

Query whether Luck and McCaffrey would have been better off having h.uge games against some other opponent, even with a smaller TV audience.
[/quote]

In addition, that came did precisely diddlypoop to help our bowl profile in any of those years. In fact, I don't think it has ever helped us.

Then again, I'm in favor of dropping it, so I might be biased.

[stupac2]

[quote author=FarmBoy link=topic=14322.msg151875#msg151875 date=1452274147]
How much of a boost did Gerhart, Luck and McCaff get by playing UND during Thanksgiving weekend?

Gerhart got a big boost from his h.uge Thanksgiving weekend game against NotreDame in 2009 (205 rushing yards, 33 receiving yards, 3 TDs, a TD pass). That game definitely helped his Heis.man campaign.

Luck probably didn't get much of a boost, if any, from the 2011 NotreDame game. Although he threw 4 TD passes, Luck had a good but not spectacular game (20-30, 233 yards, 4 TDs, 1 int, in a 28-14 win). He needed more if he was going to win the Heis.man.

McCaffrey probably was hurt by this year's NotreDame game. He was solid but not great as ND sold out to stop him (27 carries for 94 yards, 19 receiving yards, 228 all purpose yards). I remember walking out of the stadium thinking it was a great win for Stanford, but McCaffrey had lost the Heis.man.

Query whether Luck and McCaffrey would have been better off having h.uge games against some other opponent, even with a smaller TV audience.
[/quote]

In addition, that came did precisely diddlypoop to help our bowl profile in any of those years. In fact, I don't think it has ever helped us.

Then again, I'm in favor of dropping it, so I might be biased.