[Austroturf]

I don't believe this game is going to end well for the Cardinal.  

Even with good teams, Shaw has had a Utah problem.  He lost his first game to the Utes in 2013 in Salt Lake City, when he decided to pass twice at the goal line instead of running Gaffney off tackle (as he did against Oregon repeatedly three games later).  I will never understand that decision.  

That one is in the Pantheon of All Time WTF?!? moments from our head coach.  Unfortunately, there are WAY too many of them; fortunately, repression is a survival mechanism.  On the bright side, the frequency of those moments have been declining.

Yes, there was less than one minute to play, and Stanford was on the Utah 6 yard line after a 4 yard ramble by Hogan.  It was 3rd and 6 with 1 timeout remaining, and we had a terrific O-line that year.  Down 27-21, Stanford had to punch it in to win.  Gaffney never touched the ball.  Two pass plays fell incomplete.  Game over.  I was slack-jawed, in complete disbelief.  The power run game was abandoned in the moment of truth.  

This was akin to the WTF moment by the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 when they were on the 1 yard line with less than a minute to play and trailing the Patriots 28-24.  Carroll and his OC decided to pass despite having Marshawn Lynch (Beast Mode) in the backfield.  Interception, game over.

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My recollection is that it was 3rd and 2 (Stanford could have secured a first down w/o scoring a TD).  Over a minute and 1 timeout remaining.  [And Stanford had just run for 8 yards on 2 previous plays - and had been running well later in the game, including on that drive.  So instead of sensing what's working and sticking with it, Our Guy opted for Pass/Incomplete, Pass/Incomplete, ballgame.  Just.  Effing.  Brutal.].

And yes, the Seahawks' Super Bowl blunder was perhaps even more astounding.  But I didn't care nearly as much about that one  (only had soft spot for Seahawks due to Baldwin and Sherman - didn't care much for Petey or Lynch, but I certainly wanted them to beat the Patriots).

Your recollection is correct.  It was 3rd and 2 from the 6 yard line after a Hogan run from the 10 (2nd down) and a 4-yard gain by Gaffney on 1st down.  The 3rd down play, an incomplete pass, transpired with 51 seconds to play and stopped the clock.  Still, Stanford used its final timeout... and PASSED again.  That's two plays to make two yards with around a minute left, and then a fresh set of downs to punch it in.  Unbelievable.  And, yes, Gaffney rushed for over 100 yards that game and was averaging 6.8 yards per carry.  

As a Seattle native, I cratered on that play-call, and my son started crying.  We were on skiing vacation in the Alps, it was past 04:00 AM, and the Hawks had Brady and Co. on the ropes after relinquishing a 24-14 lead.  Carroll and Bevell earned well-deserved infamy in that Super Bowl.  I think this play tops the highlight reel for worst play-calls in NFL history.  Lynch himself was surprised that he wasn't given the ball; and Sherman is caught going ballistic on the sidelines after the interception.  They had three more downs to punch it in, and a pass to the outside might have made sense and been a surprise element.  But right into the middle of the field and into traffic?  Wilson also got some scorn for not running an audible after he saw the formation.

[Austroturf]

I don't believe this game is going to end well for the Cardinal.  

Even with good teams, Shaw has had a Utah problem.  He lost his first game to the Utes in 2013 in Salt Lake City, when he decided to pass twice at the goal line instead of running Gaffney off tackle (as he did against Oregon repeatedly three games later).  I will never understand that decision.  

That one is in the Pantheon of All Time WTF?!? moments from our head coach.  Unfortunately, there are WAY too many of them; fortunately, repression is a survival mechanism.  On the bright side, the frequency of those moments have been declining.

Yes, there was less than one minute to play, and Stanford was on the Utah 6 yard line after a 4 yard ramble by Hogan.  It was 3rd and 6 with 1 timeout remaining, and we had a terrific O-line that year.  Down 27-21, Stanford had to punch it in to win.  Gaffney never touched the ball.  Two pass plays fell incomplete.  Game over.  I was slack-jawed, in complete disbelief.  The power run game was abandoned in the moment of truth.  

This was akin to the WTF moment by the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 when they were on the 1 yard line with less than a minute to play and trailing the Patriots 28-24.  Carroll and his OC decided to pass despite having Marshawn Lynch (Beast Mode) in the backfield.  Interception, game over.

---

My recollection is that it was 3rd and 2 (Stanford could have secured a first down w/o scoring a TD).  Over a minute and 1 timeout remaining.  [And Stanford had just run for 8 yards on 2 previous plays - and had been running well later in the game, including on that drive.  So instead of sensing what's working and sticking with it, Our Guy opted for Pass/Incomplete, Pass/Incomplete, ballgame.  Just.  Effing.  Brutal.].

And yes, the Seahawks' Super Bowl blunder was perhaps even more astounding.  But I didn't care nearly as much about that one  (only had soft spot for Seahawks due to Baldwin and Sherman - didn't care much for Petey or Lynch, but I certainly wanted them to beat the Patriots).

Your recollection is correct.  It was 3rd and 2 from the 6 yard line after a Hogan run from the 10 (2nd down) and a 4-yard gain by Gaffney on 1st down.  The 3rd down play, an incomplete pass, transpired with 51 seconds to play and stopped the clock.  Still, Stanford used its final timeout... and PASSED again.  That's two plays to make two yards with around a minute left, and then a fresh set of downs to punch it in.  Unbelievable.  And, yes, Gaffney rushed for over 100 yards that game and was averaging 6.8 yards per carry.  

As a Seattle native, I cratered on that play-call, and my son started crying.  We were on skiing vacation in the Alps, it was past 04:00 AM, and the Hawks had Brady and Co. on the ropes after relinquishing a 24-14 lead.  Carroll and Bevell earned well-deserved infamy in that Super Bowl.  I think this play tops the highlight reel for worst play-calls in NFL history.  Lynch himself was surprised that he wasn't given the ball; and Sherman is caught going ballistic on the sidelines after the interception.  They had three more downs to punch it in, and a pass to the outside might have made sense and been a surprise element.  But right into the middle of the field and into traffic?  Wilson also got some scorn for not running an audible after he saw the formation.