[CTcard]

Might also be possible that only a highly motivated great team on a very good day with the ability to implement a run-first scheme can move the ball on the Stanford D.

Might be possible. Lots of things might.

BUT ... the issue wasn't that U$C moved the ball on us, the issue is that they were able to do whatever they wanted to do because they controlled the line of scrimmage - in a way we are only used to seeing from us in our best years.

U$C punted once all game - courtesy of a penalty. Once. They also never attempted a field goal.
The last time an opponent only punted once against was in 2008, back when we were still a bad team.
And, in that game (vs Oregon) they were held to field goals twice (and four fumbles).
[There was another game in 2008 where the opponent only punted once - vs ASU, who also kicked two FGs and had two turnovers.]

So, as far back as records are easily available (cfbstats has convenient game by game summaries, but goes back only to 2008), this was the game that Stanford was least able to stop the opposition.
Of course it's not as if everyone on the defense is bad, and to some extent it was a matter of game flow. But it also shows that weakness up front is worse than weakness in the backend. If your secondary is bad but you are strong upfront, you may give up big plays and points but at least to some extent you can dictate what the offense can try. If it is the inverse, the offense does whatever it wants.

[CTcard]

Might also be possible that only a highly motivated great team on a very good day with the ability to implement a run-first scheme can move the ball on the Stanford D.

Might be possible. Lots of things might.

BUT ... the issue wasn't that U$C moved the ball on us, the issue is that they were able to do whatever they wanted to do because they controlled the line of scrimmage - in a way we are only used to seeing from us in our best years.

U$C punted once all game - courtesy of a penalty. Once. They also never attempted a field goal.
The last time an opponent only punted once against was in 2008, back when we were still a bad team.
And, in that game (vs Oregon) they were held to field goals twice (and four fumbles).
[There was another game in 2008 where the opponent only punted once - vs ASU, who also kicked two FGs and had two turnovers.]

So, as far back as records are easily available (cfbstats has convenient game by game summaries, but goes back only to 2008), this was the game that Stanford was least able to stop the opposition.
Of course it's not as if everyone on the defense is bad, and to some extent it was a matter of game flow. But it also shows that weakness up front is worse than weakness in the backend. If your secondary is bad but you are strong upfront, you may give up big plays and points but at least to some extent you can dictate what the offense can try. If it is the inverse, the offense does whatever it wants.